Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, has expressed worry over the ‘winner-takes-all’ phenomenon in politics where everyone is sidelined except members of a winning party.
He made the observation in his article titled ‘Our Self-inflicted Monumental Economic Crisis.’
The revered king noted that every aspect of the nation had been politicised.
In what he described as a “divisive, tribal, winner-takes-all politics”, Togbe Afede lamented the negative impact this system has had on Ghana’s development over the years.
“The anti-nation, winner-takes-all brand of politics has politicised development, granting of tax and duty waivers, award of contracts, and appointments, even recruitment into the security services.
“It is shocking that even some aspirants to the Presidency shamelessly advocate for the exclusion of non-party members in the award of contracts and jobs, promising same when elected to power. So, the wrong people get the contracts, and the wrong people get the appointments. The result has been pervasive mediocrity,” he said.
He added that “parochial political objectives have taken precedence over national interest.”
“Whether it is about development projects, fighting corruption, the dispensation of justice, fighting galamsey or dealing with the consequences of COVID-19……….. This has been the major factor in our acrimonious and divisive politics.”
Addressing the current state of the economy, the Agbogbomefia said the management of the economy has been poor.
“And, quite obviously, not a lot of thought or planning appears to have gone into some of the choices we made. We all were witnesses to the rushed introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure and the Free SHS Programme and the sudden and reckless cancellation of road tolls without adequate planning.”
On the National Cathedral, he said, “We are poor, earn so little, but spend the way even the most affluent countries would not on things which are not necessary.”
“When Houphet Boigny built the 18,000 capacity Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro in 1990, 32 years ago, Ghanaians mocked him. Little did we know that decades later, we will be attempting to outdo him with our own National Cathedral.”
Togbe Afede also described the large size of the government as “a waste” as it does not make any impact or produce promised outcomes.