We Will Not Accept Any Excuses - We Do Not Have Short Memories

Mr. Minister, Mr. President, and to the entire government, I write this not just as a citizen, but as one of the many Ghanaians whose patience has been stretched thin by the growing inconsistency and double standards in the governance of this country. We have observed carefully the recent comments surrounding the so-called postponement of the D-Levy, which has now been attributed to the Israel-Iran war and its supposed effect on global oil prices. Frankly, this line of reasoning is as disappointing as it is insulting.

When you were in opposition, your voices were the loudest. You scorned every attempt by the then-government to attribute local economic challenges to global events. You said the COVID-19 pandemic was not to be blamed. You dismissed the Russia-Ukraine war as an excuse. You told us every hardship was the result of poor leadership and reckless spending. You assured us that you had the men to fix the economy, the vision to transform this country, and the discipline to manage our resources better. You ridiculed, you mocked, and you promised.

Today, we are living under your promises, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the reality does not match the rhetoric. Instead of accountability, we are being fed justifications. Instead of leadership, we are seeing blame-shifting. Instead of responsibility, we are hearing excuses.

Let it be stated plainly: with or without a war, we were never going to accept the imposition of a D-Levy that lacks transparency, logic, and empathy for the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian. Ghanaians are already overburdened with taxes and levies that offer very little in return. We see the roads. We see the health sector. We see the cost of food, rent, utilities, and transport. The people are suffering, and yet your response is to pile on more financial pressure.

And now, the new explanation is that an oil-related war between Israel and Iran has made it difficult to proceed with the D-Levy? What kind of reasoning is this? Are we now expected to link every hardship, every poor policy decision, and every failed promise to conflicts beyond our borders?

It is deeply troubling that this kind of messaging is not coming only from the Energy Ministry but is slowly becoming the tune across your administration. But let us remind you, this is the same administration that mocked the very idea of foreign influence being a factor in our economic struggles. This is the same administration that rode on the back of blame-rejection and accountability-seeking slogans to win power. What changed? We refuse to have short memories.

It is not only dishonest, it is a betrayal of the trust Ghanaians placed in you. You cannot suddenly find comfort in the very excuses you condemned. You cannot pick and choose when to blame global issues and when to ignore them. Consistency matters. Leadership is not about finding scapegoats. It is about standing firm in the storm, being honest with the people, and taking responsibility, especially when things go wrong.

Ghanaians are not blind. We are not unthinking. We see through the sudden shift in tone. We see through the tactical language that is being used to prepare the minds of the public for further economic hardship. If fuel prices rise, if the dollar strengthens against the cedi, if inflation goes up again, do not come back to us with war stories. Because you made it clear when you wanted power: leaders do not blame, they fix.

We are tired. We are disappointed. But we are also wide awake. Do not test the intelligence of the Ghanaian people. Do not underestimate our memory. We remember every word you said when it suited you. And we will remember every action you take now that you have the power you so eagerly sought.

You have a choice. Either lead with integrity or prepare to answer to a people who will no longer accept inconsistency disguised as explanation. We are not unreasonable. We know global events affect every nation. But we also know that a government that promised solutions has no business offering excuses.

We will not accept any excuse, not from the Minister, not from the President, not from anyone.

We will continue to watch. We will speak. We will hold you to your words.

Let this be the reminder you need: accountability is not optional.

Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance
Eggu, Upper West Region
#Puobabangna