Prominent Legal practitioner, Ace Anan Ankomah has advocated the efficient utilisation of resources in order to cut down the country's dependence on foreign handouts.

He told Kojo Yankson on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Friday, economies that heavily depend on foreign handouts command no respect in the comity of nations.

But Ghana should not be begging because it has a vast amount of gold, bauxite and cash crops such as cocoa that it can leverage on to leap-frog its development.

The legal practitioner believes this has been done before. “If you ask me who is the best President of Ghana, I will tell you the best president of Ghana is Gordon Guggisberg because the economy he drew up in the 1920s is still the economy we are driving today.”

His comments were in reaction to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's 'Ghana beyond aid' policy agenda aimed at weaning the country off aid.

"Nobody respects a beggar," he argued, adding the country must consider turning raw materials into finished goods instead of continually exporting raw stuff.

He expressed frustration that Ghana continues to export raw cocoa beans. "We are basically the producers of primary products,” he said, calling on Ghanaians to start thinking beyond the ordinary.

He said whilst the reliance on the export of raw materials is hindering the country's development, corruption he maintained, has further blighted the nation.

The fight against corruption, he said, must be won. He is advocating the reformation of systems in the country.

He said he would prefer road traffic offenders to pay spot fines instead of being dragged to the court by the police where the likelihood of the case being expedited is low.

The cost of the several appearances in most of these instances is sometimes three times the fine imposed on the offender, which gives impetus to the offender to “pay some few notes” to the police officer.

These recommendations are part of many others in Mr Ankomah's latest book titled: “Is there not a cause to rant?”

The 319-page book explains some complex legal and constitutional issues that are critical to Ghanaians.

Mr Ankomah noted the countries laws frown on gifts offered to public officers in anticipation of favour known as "prepaid" or after the favour is done called "postpaid."

“Our laws criminalise prepaid and postpaid bribes,” he indicated, questioning if an officer can have the courage to review the contract documents against the contractor who sponsored his or her master's education programme.

Source: myjoyonline