Public sentiment is everything in any representative democracy, including Ghana! In 2016 when Mr. Nana Akufo Addo took the oath of office for the first time after so many years in the political wilderness, call opposition, he hypocritically looked at Ghanaians and reiterated his long promise that his government would respect the public sentiment. In that his infamous plagiarized (unacknowledged) statements. This same leader told his people to be “citizens” and not “subjects” under his administration.

As we speak, only a tiny fraction of people in moral positions continue to heap his praises; he is the opposite of what he preaches, simply put!

The unpleasant news of the President giving more responsibilities ( as a caretaker minister in the trade and industry ministry, following the long-awaited exit of Mr. Allan Kyeremanteng ) to his cousin, who is currently struggling as the finance minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, against the wishes of the majority of Ghanaians, including his own party faithful is the latest confirmation of his true character trait as a man not of his words.

Mr. Ofori-Atta has been accused of myriad allegations including incompetence, mismanagement, if not thievery. Characteristic of Mr. Akufo Addo, he didn’t only break the promise made to his own MPs in parliament who had in a historic press conference defied all odds and demanded resignation over those allegations.

I fear the terror that awaits the ‘rebel’ MPs. This move I feel not only portrays his (the president) openly hostile attitude to public sentiment to an unprecedented degree but speaks volumes of his so-called desire to improve the lots of ordinary Ghanaians.

I repeat, this particular decision speaks volumes about his usual desire to keep Ghanaians impoverished forever and enrich his family and cronies. The recycling of Mr. Ofori-Atta in my view is an indication of how the President is trying hard to hide the rot in his government.

What happened to his “we have the men” mantra? The appointment of Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta ridicules any plans that the President has in getting the rot and underperformance corrected. Is it rejuvenation to finish the messing up of the trade and industry ministry by Mr. Alan Kyeremeteng?

To appoint a non-performing Finance Minister, Mr. Ofori-Atta as a caretaker trade minister cements the President's poor leadership in utilizing resources for the transformation of Ghana. Under the watch of Mr. Ofori-Atta, the Ghanaian economy is in tartars amidst lies upon lies. A classic example is “we won’t go to IMF”.

I am asking the President, what is his 2023 new year’s resolution on the economy? What is his economic transformation plan after the entire mismanagement of the economy? How can he arrest the rising interest rate, high inflation, cost of living, and high unemployment rate?

What is so fascinating is that prominent segment of society - media, so-called moral society, and statesmen are silent. It is logical to ask, how much has President Akufo Addo bought Ghana to mismanage it this way? Ghanaians will want to know and reclaim our Republic back.

This is 2023 and the President has shown that his New Year’s economic resolution is retrogressive, directionless, and a déjà vu of his poor management in years past. While in Tunisia the Trade Minister is fired, while in the UK Prime Ministers are resigning to pave way for the best managers of their finances and trade, in President Akufo Addo’s government, he is entrenching mediocrity, inexperience in fixing the economy and incompetence. The hardship on Ghanaians is unbearable. The hope on which we live is dashed by President Akufo Addo’s poor leadership.

It is a new year. Ghanaians need a new path, new thinking; a new approach to managing Ghana. Enough of this chess game of nepotism and family and friends' government.

Mr. President, your leadership is ridiculing money and trade management.
I end with a quote from the Bible: “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst and the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Sika mpɛ recycling of Ofori-Atta.

Truth stands!!