Abandoned state-owned properties that have cost millions of Ghanaians jobs and revenue

The former president of Ghana, John Mahama, carried out several projects, using taxpayers’ funds and loans, but he left office in 2016 with several unfinished ones. Many of the NDC projects were abandoned because Akufo Addo believed he could outperform Mahama, in a nation where tribalism, jealousy, hypocrisy, pride, and hate, have taken over the minds of many politicians, including the president.

However, once in power, Akufo Addo chose to engage in corruption and ignored nearly all of the promises he made to the populace to gain power.

Schools, hospitals, and housing units built to address the housing shortage and improve the health and education sectors were some of the projects the previous administration left unfinished. One example is the construction of the Saglemi, an affordable housing project in the Ningo Prampram District of the

Greater Accra Region.

However, when the NPP came to power, Akufo Addo refused to continue those projects for the benefit of the people after accusing the previous administration of engaging in acts of embezzlement, even though the unfinished projects were for the state.

What Akufo Addo should have done was to keep working on those projects and form a panel to look into the allegations of corruption and bring those responsible to justice. Any wise leader would do that, but he chose not to address them to show Ghanaians that he can succeed where Mahama has failed and that he is capable of greater things. Time will show that promises, pride, and boastfulness do not build mansions or create jobs for the poor but rather competence, wisdom, and action.

The country lost billions of dollars in revenue due to the abandonment of these projects, and more crucially, it deprived Ghanaians of access to better housing, healthcare, and educational opportunities.

The narrative is not over yet; in a separate incident, Akufo Addo abandoned the intra-city transportation buses, also known as the 'Ayalolo Bus System', which the former Ghanaian president launched.

The buses, which have an 80-person capacity and are outfitted with GPS, cameras, television displays, and mobile charging points to allow passengers to enjoy the value of their money and travel, were packed to the gills when the current president took office.

Those buses might have enabled simple transportation, given jobs to many Ghanaian drivers who are currently without work, and created

income to support the country's economy.

Can a leader with intelligence, vision, and concern for the plight of the populace do what Akufo Addo did? Yet, some of the ministers or politicians who are to blame for this disaster are the same people that wish to end the eighth cycle by winning the presidency.

They don't even feel embarrassed to talk about ending the eighth cycle since they are aware that most Ghanaians are willing to forgo development and

suffer in squalor for a particular tribe to dominate the nation.

If tribalism is what makes a country grow, Ghana wouldn't be saddled with such a huge debt without any justification from the administration as to what the money was spent for. In the meantime, apart from the banking institutions that Akufo Addo and Ken Ofori-Atta halted to operate, the government has forgotten that the abandoning of the projects and the buses can affect a nation and have an impact on its economy because the people have been denied job and a source of income has been blocked.

It, therefore, makes sense for the majority of Ghanaians and the Russian government to deny the fact that Akufo Addo is telling lies and the current collapse of the nation’s economy has nothing to do with either COVID or Russian-Ukraine war. The lack of effective leadership, incompetence, and widespread

corruption are responsible for Ghana’s demise, and nothing can change the story.

Imagine, the cathedral now has become a subject of controversy but Ghanaians shouldn’t forget the destroyed state properties, including judges’ bungalows. Ghana is losing billions yearly, for payments to accommodate these judges.

As sane, intelligent people, we must question ourselves, How do Ghanaians expect the country to grow following the collapse of multiple banking institutions in the country since banks are the main pillars supporting any prosperous nation with a strong economy?

More importantly, how can Ghana sustain a flexible economy if the government deprives citizens of employment opportunities by abandoning projects and buses that will bring income into the state’s coffers?

It seems that many individuals appear to think that everything that glitters in Ghana is gold, therefore they are unable to identify their problems. The country’s issue is not COVID, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or even the earthquake that struck Turkey; rather, it is a crisis in effective leadership.

Get rid of the corrupt, tribalistic politicians that are destroying the nation, then, vote for a capable, wise leader to utilize the country’s resources and bring about political and economic progress.