Government corruption is nothing new, it has existed since ancient times. In fact, corruption is standard procedure in a sinful world. We are cautioned in scripture not to hyperventilate because of corruption when we witness it. “If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.” Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 (NKJV). What is extraordinary in Ghana today though is that government corruption is unbridled and unprecedented. The Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo has criticized the government for the current economic situation.
According to her, the government has failed to be transparent to Ghanaians regarding the current predicament. She made this known when she joined the Pensioner Bondholders Forum to picket the Finance Ministry over the inclusion of their investments in the Debt Exchange Programme on Friday, February 10. The stateswoman said the move is unacceptable and cannot be forced on investors. “Why are we in this mess? Nobody has fully explained to us, yes we took debt, what was it used for? And where is the accountability? Exactly what was it used for? You are not telling us about how you are going to be able to make things better but just that ‘help me and I help you’, no, you help yourself first, let me see you doing something serious because we have seen these sorts of things too many times. (JOY ONLINE: Why Are We In This Mess? Sophia Akuffo Quizzes Government, 10 February 2023, By Ernest Arhinful).
During the course of the last six years, the government of Ghana has borrowed billions of dollars overseas by issuing Eurobonds. If anyone is looking for some kind of explanation to justify this excessive accumulation of foreign debt the Ghanaian government has many rationalizations.
“Between 2016 and 2020, the increase in Ghana’s debt stock was 137 percent (This includes the cost of the banking sector clean-up, excess capacity charges, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic),” Mr. Ofori-Atta said. “We have financed the construction of seven ongoing interchanges across the country, including those at Takoradi, Tamale, Tema, Obetsebi Lamptey, and Pokuase to ease traffic congestion and enhance productivity,” he said. Despite the impact of the pandemic, he said, the rate of growth of the public debt has been lower under this government than under previous administrations. (ALL AFRICA: Ghana Debt Increase Of 137 Percent Between 2016 and 2020 Lower Than Previous Administrations – Ofori Atta, 12 May 2021).
Such excuses however have done nothing to quell the public outcry emanating from the voices of many sectors of the Ghanaian social spectrum resulting from the collapsing value and purchasing power of the Ghana Cedi.
Former President John Dramani Mahama says the prevailing economic challenges in the country are the result of President Akufo-Addo’s ‘arrogance’, in addition to the ‘incompetence’ of his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. In a Facebook post on Friday, he stated that the current challenges could have been avoided if the government had heeded earlier calls for a national dialogue. According to him, when the economy started deteriorating, he was part of those who stressed the need for consensus to help salvage the situation. This he said, however, fell on deaf ears, leading to the ongoing widespread public agitations and the gloomy outlook of the economy. (JOY ONLINE: A President’s Arrogance And A Minister’s Incompetence Have Led Us Here – Mahama On Sophia Akuffo’s DDEP’s Outburst, By Paa Kwesi Schandorf 10 February 2023).
In any economic crisis, the people at the bottom of the social and economic system are the ones who suffer the most. Presently because of the apparent, temporary, strengthening of the Cedi against the dollar, the current rate of exchange on the black market is US$1.00 = 11.90 GHS. However, when you go to the grocery store to shop for essential items you have to pay for the imported goods you purchase at a rate of US$1.00 = 14.00 GHS.
Ghana’s inflation rate was around 30% in June 2022 — resulting in the highest cost of living in two decades. Prices of food and other goods are rising daily, worsening living conditions for ordinary consumers. Teacher unions went on strike to demand a 20% payment for a so-called cost of living allowance. They only called off the action when the government agreed to pay them 15%. Yeboah said Ghana’s current economic challenges “haven’t been easy and it is still not easy now.” He is not the only one feeling the pinch of the country’s skyrocketing prices. Prince Essien, who works in Accra’s private sector, told DW that the “cost of living in Ghana is very expensive these days.” Essien who used to spend $3 a day on food now has to spend more than double that amount due to the high inflation. And that’s not to mention Essien’s other expenses. He explained that “paying bills and paying rent and other utilities, it is very difficult … I have families and other things that one way or the other that I need to support them.” Essien’s salary hasn’t increased for more than two years. He said he “needs at least $125 to cover his monthly expenses” — an amount of money that he struggles to raise. (DW: AFRICA: Ghana’s High Inflation Worsens Living Conditions By Isaac Kaledzi, July 21, 2022).
Is The Government of Ghana solely responsible for this widespread perception of corruption? Probably not. Anyone who has lived in Ghana for a period of time will know from experience that there is a pervasive Anancy mentality throughout this country. Chicanery, trickery, and fraud are deeply entrenched in Ghana’s social fabric. These are realities with which The Lord Almighty is intimately acquainted. “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” Psalm 139:1-3 (NKJV). People will trick and rob you to your face if they feel that they can get away with such a sleight of hand. For this very reason, foreigners are especially vulnerable. Because they are the ones most often victimized by such practices. Accordingly, divine providence has given Ghanaians the government they deserve. The people of Ghana are now prey to a government that mimics and mirrors the cultural patterns of its own citizens!
Are we to conclude that this development is the product of some blind accident, coincidence, or chance? The Prophet Amos observes, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Does a lion roar in the thicket when it has no prey? Does it growl in its den when it has caught nothing? Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground when no bait is there? Does a trap spring up from the ground
if it has not caught anything? When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not The Lord caused it?” Amos 3:3-6 (NKJV). The prophet’s point is that nothing happens unless there is a reason for it to happen. He posits the delicate relationship between the cause and consequence. Ghana’s domestic economic crisis, therefore, is a divine call for individual and national repentance. The prophet Isaiah puts it this way, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV).
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