By Jeremiah Nutsugah
A Senior Political Science Lecturer and Director of the Centre for European Studies of the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has remarked that Ghanaian leadership since independence has been a disappointment for the nation’s progress.
Ghana goes to the polls on December 7, 2024 to choose both President and Members of Parliament for the various constituencies in the country. Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on April 27, 2024, the Vociferous Political Analyst highlighted the stark contrast between Ghana’s current development and that of other nations.
“Leadership since independence has failed Ghana. You look at the level of development elsewhere and you compare it to us, it is like we are trying to do things without our soul for our people,” he said while making a comment on the show.
Professor Gyampo emphasized the absence of a genuine commitment to the welfare of the people, stating, “It feels as though we’re pursuing development without a sense of purpose for our citizens.”
He criticized the quality of leaders entrusted with driving progress, noting, “We seem to harbor self-destructive tendencies, as evidenced by the caliber of individuals we elevate to positions of power.”
Professor Gyampo lamented the prevalence of corruption and mismanagement, particularly among parliamentary and presidential candidates, concluding that Ghana has fallen short of its potential.
“We hate ourselves, we get into all manner of corruption and misgovernance, if you look at the caliber of people who want to go to parliament if you look at the caliber of people contesting to be president, some independent candidates, it tells you that we have failed.”