Ghanaians who have been flocking the office of the President in search of jobs have been advised to stop the practice. A Ghanaian lecturer at the Department of Economics at the American University, Professor George Ayittey says such job seekers who arm themselves with professionally written curriculum vitae to convince the President to offer them jobs can instead venture into the “private sector and produce even charcoal to make money to build your fabulous mansions.”

He was speaking at a press conference on the “state of the economy” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra. According to him, Ghanaians need to discard the notion that wealth is created in the government sector instead of the private sector.

He cited the exploits of the richest person in the United States, Bill Gates saying that he made his money in the private sector. “On the contrary, the richest persons in Africa are Heads and States and Ministers who use the government machinery to extract wealth from the masses. Every educated African who wants to be rich enters politics.”

Professor Ayittey said if the former Deputy Minister for Finance, Mr. Victor Selormey had gone to the private sector to create his wealth, he wouldn’t have found himself before court to face possible confiscation of wealth. He therefore urged the New Patriotic Party to learn from the mistakes of the past and endeavour not to repeat them.