The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, has stressed that the increase in remittances from Ghanaians abroad to the country is an indication of the people's confidence in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. He stated that in the past, many people living outside Ghana considered it worthless and dangerous to invest their money in the country, but now a good number of them were desirous to send money home to engage in various businesses to promote the nation's development. Mr Agyapong made the observations at a forum organised by the Society for National Affairs (SONA), a national youth think-tank at the University of Ghana, Legon. According to the MP, the annual remittances from Ghanaians abroad currently stood around GH¢400,000 (¢4 billion). Touching on the topic for the day: "Consolidation of Ghana's Democratic Gains: The Role of the Stakeholders," Mr Agyapong stressed that the NPP government had given true meaning to democracy. He, therefore, expressed optimism that Ghanaians would reciprocate the party's splendid performance under the Kufuor administration by returning the party to power in the 2008 general election. He mentioned effective rule of law, promotion of human rights, stabilisation of the economy and special attention to manpower development as some of the hallmarks of the Kufuor administration were all gains of democracy. Mr Agyapong commended former President Rawlings for his role in deepening the nation's democracy by peacefully handing over power in 2001, when his party lost the general election. He recalled the atrocities that were visited on the citizenry during the days of unconstitutional and arbitrary rule, and implored Ghanaians to protect the current democratic governance recognised globally as one of the best. For his part, Mr Egbert Faibille, the Managing Editor of the Ghanaian Observer, who represented, the media, observed that Ghana had many gains to boast of under her democratic governance. He specifically stated that the media in Ghana now enjoyed a vibrant free press, which he considered a vital element for societal growth. Mr Faibille, however, admitted that the repeal of the criminal libel law had been misapplied by sections of the media to engage in media terrorism, which he described as dangerous. Mr Faibille, who is also a legal practitioner, expressed delight at the protection of human rights as one of the most important gains of democracy. Mr Elvis Afriyi Ankrah, a Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who represented his party, noted that tolerance of varying views was one of the key elements to consolidate the nation's democratic gains. He however, expressed worry that the NPP government did not heed to suggestions of the opposition parties, citing the passing of the ROPAB into law as evidence of the NPP's aversion to opposition voice. Mr Afriyie Ankrah also took a swipe at the media for failing to point out the mistakes of the government. He was, however, quick to stress that despite their shortcomings, performance of the Ghanaian media was generally good. On calls for the opposition to offer alternatives anytime it criticised the government, Mr Afriyie said it was not the duty of the opposition to dictate the policies that would be implemented, since the people voted for the government based on its promises and programmes. Giving an overview of the forum, the Executive Director of SONA, Mr Anane Agyei, who is a former President of the Brong Ahafo Students' Union (BASU), explained that the topic was selected based on its significance to the nation's development. He stated that the mission of SONA was to promote tolerance among Ghanaians, irrespective of their political or reli¬gious affiliations, and also to imbue in the youth a higher sense of nationalism. Mr Anane Agyei reminded all Ghanaians that tolerance was a vital element on which democracy thrived, hence the need for all political parties to encourage their members to tolerate the views of others. He also called for support to enable the organisation to carry out its objective of engaging stakeholders and the youth to share ideas on how the nation's development could be sustained. The Director of Communications of SONA, Mr Samuel Awuku, appealed to Ghanaians to always think of how they could enhance the image of the nation. The function was chaired by Mr Roland Gyampo, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana, Legon. Source: Daily Graphic