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Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has advised President Nana Akufo-Addo not to pay lip service to his government's initiative targeted at transforming the country.

Last year, President Nana Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians saying his administration wants to build a "Ghana beyond aid; a Ghana which looks to the use of its own resources. We want to build an economy that is not dependent on charity and handouts, but an economy that will look at the proper management of its resources as the way to engineer social and economic growth in our country".

The President, also delivering a speech at the Ghana@61 Independence Day anniversary on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, again reiterated the government's commitment to build a "Ghana Beyond Aid".

He said "it is time to pursue a path to prosperity and self-respect for our nation...it is doable, and we must believe that what others, with less resources, have done, we can do".

President Akufo-Addo was hopeful the goal of the "Ghana Beyond Aid" will help accelerate economic growth and development and so urged Ghanaians to patronize this initiative by his administration.

"We have to do things differently to realize this goal of a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ for a simple reason that ‘business as usual’ will not do it.”

Commenting on the "Ghana Beyond Aid" initiative, the Seasoned journalist appealed to the President to ensure Ghanaians are able to exploit the country's natural resources to enhance economic growth.

He lamented that about 90% of the exploitation of Ghana's natural resources and its benefits go to foreign nations. To him, that should not be so, stressing that Ghanaians should be empowered to control the natural resources in the nation.

He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's Kokrokoo that the government should rectify this issue through its initiative; otherwise it is a mere rhetoric by the President to the people of Ghana.

“If it’s just a rhetorical statement which will not change the fundamental structure of our national economy, if it’s just a rhetorical statement which will not ensure that Ghanaian natural resources are controlled by Ghanaians and exploited for the benefits of Ghanaians, then it’s just rhetoric,” Kwesi Pratt stated.