Think outside the box – Prof Boafo-Arthur challenges Ghanaian leaders

Political Science Lecturer, Professor Kwame Boafo-Arthur has said that the issue of neo-colonialism keeps regenerating because African leaders refuse to “think outside the box” making dependency rate a hurdle for stability and growth.

Using Ghana as a case study, he said despite the country’s affiliation to various multi-lateral international organizations, decision-makers are unable to contribute to policy-making discussions.

Speaking at the maiden edition of this year’s Public Lecture Series themed “The Politics and Economics of Neo-Colonialism in Post-Independent Africa” at the Webster University Ghana Campus on January 25, 2018, Prof Boafo-Arthur revealed that statesmen, who go on official duties outside the country, rather seek their personal gains rather than seeking innovative ways to solve the nation’s problems.

In extreme cases, he bared that they doze off until the meeting is over and sign documents without having knowledge of what went on during the conclave.

Prof Boafo-Arthur, without mincing words, “When our people attend such meetings for policy-making, they are going there because of the per diem they will get. That I can assure you…and most of the time, you will find them sleeping. In the negotiation room they will be sleeping, dozing, dreaming - fantastic dreams about the sort of things they buy with the per diems and this is a reality. So they contribute nothing.”

“So if they contribute nothing, those who can contribute….that was actually what they wanted to begin with. By the time you wake up, they would have finished everything and then they will just sign to state they agree,” he added.



According to him, it leaves no option than to dance to the tune of the Western countries who, indirectly, interfere with policy adjustments even if it is not beneficial to the citizens.

“You are independent but you can’t think for yourself. You can’t for yourself because you have to go to somebody for financial support and that somebody says unless you do abcde, you are not getting anything. And so you find many yes presidents in Ghana. You find many yes elites in Ghana because they can’t think outside the box. This has been the modus operandi of those people to control our thoughts, to control our way of doing things. To control virtually everything that we do because we lack what it takes to deal with ourselves.”