Track Records Matter: Why Vice-Presidency Is Not a Free Pass to the Presidency

No Promotion Without Accountability: Why Ghana Must Demand More Than Tenure

By Atitso — Governance Advocate and Reformer

“In times of national disillusionment, only bold truth can pierce through the fog of political theater and awaken the soul of a people.”

In Ghana’s democratic journey, the vice presidency must not serve as a ceremonial passage to higher office—it is a sacred stewardship. To assume that longevity in the corridors of power justifies automatic promotion is to ignore the moral demands of leadership.

As Chinua Achebe observed, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Ghana must resist traveling that same path by demanding accountability from all who seek to lead.

Stewardship Without Results Is Not Qualification

In Dagomba wisdom: “He who has not brewed the pito should not boast of pouring it.”

Mere proximity to power does not translate into competence. Holding the title of vice president carries the burden of delivery—not the privilege of succession. It is therefore legitimate, even necessary, for Ghanaians to ask: What legacy has been carved in this role?

The Bible echoes this timeless principle: “Whoever is faithful in little will be faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). Where, then, is the fruit of that faithfulness?

Economic Headship Without Transformation

As chair of the Economic Management Team, the vice presidency was uniquely positioned to steer Ghana toward fiscal resilience. Yet, soaring inflation, persistent cedi depreciation, and foreign-debt dependency continue to erode public confidence.

Hon. A.B.A. Fuseini captured public sentiment when he decried “economic blueprints built on deception.” If Ghana’s economy were a house, it stands today on shifting sand, not solid stone.

Digital Ambitions or Digital Distractions?

We have heard the refrain: QR codes, e-passes, paperless ports. But the soul of digital transformation lies not in headlines—it lies in inclusion. Has the farmer in Zabzugu gained market access? Has the nurse in Walewale received fair compensation? Or are we investing in platforms that serve the powerful while bypassing the people?

Ban Ki-moon once cautioned, “Sustainable development is not an option—it is the only path forward.” Technology that excludes is merely showmanship draped in code.

When Silence Becomes Strategy
Leadership, tested by adversity, must speak when it is most inconvenient. On illegal mining, labor unrest, and bloated government spending—was there principled dissent, or political silence?

“When the wicked rule, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2). Today, the groaning is deafening. Inaction is not neutrality. It is complicity.

Loyalty Does Not Equal Leadership
Dagomba elders remind us: “If the drum sounds poorly in the hands of the apprentice, why entrust him with the chief’s dance?”

The vice presidency is not a ceremonial robe to be handed down—it is a proving ground. And proving grounds require proof.

Achebe did not mince words: “A leader’s role is to lead, not to rule.” To lead is to face hard truths and accept judgment when delivery falls short.

The Way Forward
Ghana is not a political inheritance. It is a wounded yet hopeful nation searching for courageous leadership—leadership that does not demand trust but earns it.

“He who seeks the throne must first sweep the courtyard.” Let those who seek high office return first to the people with the broom of humility, the bucket of results, and the cloth of accountability.

Retired Senior Citizen
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]