Togbe Afede XIV speaks on the cost of corruption to Ghana’s development

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has said that the money Ghana loses through corruption could make a major difference in the lives of citizens if it were instead used to improve public services and infrastructure.

He said corruption should not be seen only as the stealing of state funds because its effects go beyond money and affect productivity, hard work and the country’s political system.

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Togbe Afede was speaking at the 2026 Asogli Yam Festival, Asogli Teza, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

According to him, Ghana had at one point been estimated to lose almost $3 billion in a single year through corruption, a situation he said deprived the country of resources needed for development.

“It was estimated that at one time in the past, Ghana lost nearly $3 billion in one year to corruption. We all can imagine what $3 billion can do to our infrastructure, to our educational sector, our health sector, our food sector, and etc. Such leakage deprives us of our essential amenities,” he stated.

Togbe Afede also said the consequences are also felt by ordinary citizens because the misuse of public resources discourages people who work hard and want to contribute to the economy.

“People who take those things, who take our money, they steal from all of us. They discourage hard work, they stifle initiative, and they stifle productivity,” he said.

He further linked corruption to the tensions that often emerge in Ghana’s political environment, saying the practice can create divisions among citizens and weaken democratic institutions.

“They account for the acrimony that’s very important in our politics. They incite divisiveness. They undermine our democracy,” he stated.

He also said tackling the problem would require citizens to place greater value on truth and personal integrity, rather than allowing dishonesty to become accepted in society.

“We believe that with more honesty, greater integrity, commitment to the truth, we can further the course of development of our country,” he said.

Togbe Afede described corruption as the biggest challenge facing Ghana’s development and urged citizens to recognise the role they can play in changing the situation.

“We believe that is very important because we identify corruption, as I’ve always said, as the most important challenge to our development process,” he added.

ANAS/VPO

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