Togbe Afede links corruption to economic hardship, rising desperation

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has called for a stronger national effort to tackle corruption, warning that the practice can deepen economic hardship and undermine Ghana’s development.

According to him the difficult economic conditions experienced by many Ghanaians in recent years exposed the damaging effects of poor governance and the misuse of public resources.

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Speaking at the 2026 Asogli Te Za celebration on Saturday, October 3, 2026, Togbe Afede said the level of desperation recorded between 2022 and 2024 was worrying.

According to him, the situation became so difficult that some Ghanaians were willing to endure xenophobic conditions abroad rather than remain in the economic difficulties they were facing at home.

“We saw so much desperation on the part of Ghanaians, where we saw Ghanaians preferring xenophobic lives, xenophobic isolation in countries like South Africa, as opposed to the stifling economic conditions back at home,” he said.

Togbe Afede also pointed to the number of suicide cases recorded during the period as an indication of the severe pressure faced by some citizens. He said about 134 cases were recorded in 2024, with the figure rising to 175 in the first half of 2025.

“Given the consequences, spilling over into 2025, we saw an even bigger upsurge in the first half of 2025 to 175. That is really bad indeed,” he said.

He further cited the impact of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), saying some Ghanaians lost significant portions of their savings during the exercise introduced as part of efforts to address the country’s debt challenges.

He also criticised the use of government scholarships by some senior public officials, arguing that such opportunities should have been reserved for people who genuinely needed them.

“One of the most disgraceful for me is to find top government officials also taking government scholarships to study abroad. Scholarships that were intended for the needy,” he said.

He added that some scholarship beneficiaries were reported to have included their spouses and children, a situation he described as particularly troubling.

“And we’re still to find some recipients also having along with them their spouses and children as beneficiaries of scholarship funds,” Togbe Afede said.

Togbe Afede stressed that honesty, accountability and respect for the truth must remain central to Ghana’s efforts to fight corruption and build a stronger economy.

However he expressed concern that instead of condemning such conduct, some people defended what he described as clear cases of corruption.

“But very worryingly, we saw people defend some of these ugly and naked acts of corruption,” he said.

ANAS/VPO

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