Robbing Peter To Pay Paul: The Ghanaian Economy.

Before the covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war, many countries are facing economic hardships. The price of goods has skyrocketed due to these major stakeholders. Economies have been shuttered, countries destroyed and inflation increasing with Ghana becoming heavily affected. Many countries have resulted in borrowing money from international organizations. Ghana is no exemption from this. She boasts of her many economists including the vice president: His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia but stabilizing the economy has become problematic. Are our leaders potent and eligible to occupy some public offices? Are they appointed and employed because of party membership or credibility in work? Are our leaders accountable to citizens as entrenched in the 1992 constitution? The mode of our public office appointment and accountability is an issue that must be given undivided attention. When ineligible and inefficient leaders are recruited to fill public offices, they derail the progress in our society and drastically decrease living standards.

The Ghanaian economy is like a toddler. The economy is struggling to improve because of some corrupt leaders who divert the use of resources for personal gain. Many are the unlawful practices of public officials. Corruption, bribery, nepotism, and so forth. The diversion of resources for personal gain to secure properties during retirement is abysmal and must be abolished. These leaders later use the avenues for donating to orphanages to make it seem they are uncorrupt. However, they are the reasons why our economy is incapable of improving living standards. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is a threat to national unity and development.

To solve this menace, the leaders who are caught in corrupt acts should face the penalties in a court of law. The media houses in collaboration with the police service should expose all public officials who squander state resources for personal gain. The disgrace and shame accompanied by this act will deter others from engaging in such acts.

Moreover, the crawling economy of Ghana fails to rise because the government does not heavily invest in made-in-Ghana goods. Citizens are encouraged to purchase foreign goods because the government fails to invest in made-in-Ghana goods. Our agriculture sector is the main source of food. However, we heavily import Western goods instead of using our made-in-Ghana goods. Particularly products from agriculture. The continuous purchase of foreign goods for local goods causes the currency to decrease in the international market.

Every problem has a solution if drastic measures are implemented. The government should invest in made-in-Ghana goods to boost the growth of the economy. Citizens should be encouraged to buy local goods to Western goods. If these policies are not implemented, we are robbing the economy indirectly to favor the purchase of foreign goods. Some foreign goods have close substitutes in the country such as agriculture products. Therefore, citizens must purchase local agricultural products.

Furthermore, the Ghanaian economy is lacking behind because of the brain drain. The variability in our employment sector is a canker that must be solved. Inadequate employment opportunities deter many Ghanaians from working in their motherland. However, they go to other places in search of greener pastures. How then will our country become economically stable when all our skilled labor does not invest in their own country but elsewhere? Brain draining places a gap in economic growth. The inability of the government to initiate employment policies to counterattack this issue brings nothing but rage and poverty to the Ghanaian populace. The escape of our skilled labor to elsewhere breaks the gradual growth of the country.

Establishing efficient employment policies that have good salaries and wages will go a long way to attract all skilled labor into the country and in turn foster development. This is killing two birds with a stone, for better the devil you know than the devil you do not know.

The idea of robbing Peter to pay Paul must be abrogated in this country. The disadvantages of these acts far exceed the advantages hence, economic growth is not assured. No country loves to have a crawling economy so let us choose the side that produces the best results. Abort robbing Peter to pay Paul and encourage economic growth through patriotism.

BOYE ARMAH EMMANUEL NII NICHOLAS.
PRESBYTERIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
MAMPONG- AKUAPEM