By Amadu Kamil SANAH
The Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, is livid about the state of Ghana’s economy – especially the ever-rising cost of living and all-time record indebtedness resulting from reckless borrowing.
Togbe Afede XIV, at the 2024 Asogli Te Za Grand Durbar in Ho said: “Our country is heavily indebted. The sad part is that we have accumulated so much debt yet we lack so much – and one wonders where all the money borrowed has gone to. We are suffering the effects of high price increases. Inflation is very high in our country, the calculated rate is softening recently only because of prior massive price increases – the base effect”.
He said though the country is well-endowed, it is often vulnerable to external economic variables. “Inflation has eaten so deep into the core of the economy that our cedi knows only one direction – and that is depreciation. From a rate of four cedis to the dollar about eight years ago, it is now more than 16 cedis to the dollar; and that has been an important factor in the high inflation and suffering of our people.”
Togbe Afede XIV added: “So many of our young compatriots cannot get jobs for many years after school. The consequence has been growing frustration among our youth, many of whom are looking for opportunities to exit our country. We have also seen an increase in strikes and demonstrations, all because our citizens are not happy”.
He said most depressing is the rise in incidences of suicide cases. “According to reports, eighty-one (81) Ghanaians succeeded in taking their own lives out of about 543 who attempted during the first-half of this year alone. Compared to the record for the whole of last year, when forty-eight (48) people killed themselves, one can sense the growing desperation among our people.
“Our country is full of scandals. It is so incredible that for a small country almost every day there is something new. From the PDS scandal involving the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Ameri scandal and the very bad scandal surrounding the National Cathedral project to judgement debts that we do not deserve to pay, and the list goes on,” he further stated.
Togbe Afede XIV is sad that well-paid and very well-to-do public servants are monopolising scholarships that should be going to the poor. “This kind of thing cannot be tolerated in any serious country. Where is justice when the rich go for what is intended for the poor, and where is the freedom when most people are afraid to talk about these matters?”
He said it is common knowledge that public officials in some institutions deposit state funds in private banks and receive kickbacks. Later, those banks lend the funds to government and invest in Treasury bills.
“Also, very recently we heard about this story of Agyapadie – which is quite worrying because it talks about a plot by a few people to seize control of our economy, while trying to undermine other Ghanaians who also deserve the opportunities that this country has to offer.
“Many of the people who do wrong things against us go to church and occupy the front rows…. and yet steal our monies. Again, by the good grace of God we should be able to recognise all of these people in their various disguises.
“We are victims of bad policies and decisions by our fiscal and monetary authorities. Recently, we all became aware of the Bank of Ghana putting up a head office-building in which they invested more than US$250million of our money – 0.35 % of our GDP. That would not have been happening in any serious country,” the traditional leader and business mogul lamented.
He noted that the Bank of Ghana is an organisation that also rewards its staff excessively, while they are unable to achieve the price stability or financial sector stability that are their mandates.
“In 2023, the average employee cost the bank over GH¢73,000 per month -not per year! So, we can see the unfairness and therefore the lack of justice in our country.”
Togbe Afede XIV was puzzled by the reported purchase of spare-parts by the ambulance service. “Recently, we heard about the importation of about US$34million or so worth of spare-parts to back US$59million worth of ambulance purchases. I don’t know how many of us buy brand-new cars and invest a lot of money in spare-parts in advance, but this is happening in our country.”
He does not understand why the US$35million Komenda Sugar Factory is being considered for leasing at US$1million per year. “These certainly are not good decisions for our country. Very sad indeed.”
