Ghana gained independence on March 6, 1957, with Kwame Nkrumah as the founding president. He promised a better, fairer, more inclusive country … sound familiar? But we all know that story. However, what we do not agree on is the chaos that followed. Nkrumahism began with promises of a perfect country — and ended in fear, detention, poverty, hunger, and death of patriots like Joseph Boakye Danquah in 1965.
The one-party, dictatorial constitutional government that emerged was characterized by irrationalism, the suppression of freedom of expression, the absence of self-criticism, and the lack of property rights and free markets.
A few may be familiar with that dark history, but too many young Ghanaians are not. How do we know? Several years later, these dangerous ideas have been repackaged and rebranded. They are adopted by political parties and promoted by know-nothing politicians using words such as “equity,” “diversity,” and “social justice.”
The words sound harmless, but the ideas behind them are the same. Will they end up with the same terrifying results? Yes! Today, there is still the connotation of manipulation, greed, avarice, and grasping acquisitiveness associated with joining a political party for a profit.
The promise of wealth distribution, first championed by Kwame Nkrumah and echoed by successive administrations in various forms, was seductive: a free and easy life for the poor. But the reality has been far more painful. That promise rests on a false narrative — that governments can raise the poor’s living standards by redistributing wealth at no cost. It was a lie then, and it remains a lie today.
Sound economics and economic freedom have never been more crucial than today. Rampant inflation, tariffs, and higher taxes saturate every corner of our existence. The state continues to reach for control of all aspects of our lives. But we fail to fight back.
Meanwhile, Ghana is, by any standard, overindebted and poorly managed, which allows populist, chauvinistic, corrupt, partisan, and autocratic leaders to rise to power. In every other respect, our politicians are the same. They share the same hatreds, heroes, and a myopic worldview that describes government as a paternal authority and a guardian for everybody. This is the idea of socialism.
Poor economic fallacies have forced most citizens into financial hardship, declining incomes, anxiety, and resentment due to corruption, weak property rights, excessive government regulation, high trade barriers, and a preference for state-owned enterprises. The across-the-aisle promises of free education, free healthcare, and cheaper living for interest groups share fatal flaws: the mindset demanding “something for nothing” from society. The real casualty? Ghanaian development and prosperity.
Breaking the Chains
Ghana’s dilemma is not just economic—it is also moral. Income inequality and overall economic instability, which have shifted wealth from those who earn it honestly to those with political power, demand urgent attention to an alternative political path. It is unacceptable for bureaucrats to become the arbiters of income distribution, enriching themselves, politicians, and their allies at the expense of ordinary people.
True prosperity will not come from state handouts or protectionist fantasies. It will come from the economic opportunities embedded in a bottom-up free-market capitalist system. The new future will not arrive by accident. It must be built with intention.
Conceptual Framework: Principles for a New Ghana
The vision for the future must be anchored in three guiding principles:
• Sustainability: Policies must serve future generations, not just immediate political gains.
• Competitiveness: Ghana must become a magnet for talent, investment, and innovation.
• Fairness: The state must serve all citizens—not partisan interests—and uphold the rule of law.
These foundational principles reflect our commitment to a conservative vision rooted in liberty, responsibility, and national renewal: Power must reside with the people. We uphold decentralization, the separation of powers, and constitutional checks and balances. A limited government ensures liberty, protects tradition, and secures the rights of future generations. Every citizen has the right to pursue life, liberty, and personal goals without undue interference. Freedom of speech, religion, and privacy shall be protected under the law. But rights must be matched by civic duty—respect for the rule of law and commitment to national service.
Private landowners deserve fair compensation and full transparency in any proposed acquisition—especially in mining zones. We affirm the right to oppose unlawful or forceful land seizures and call for lawful consent in all land appropriations. Ghana’s rural areas must not be left behind. We should expand access to small loans, improve wages, and invest in food security. Our best agricultural lands must be shielded from illegal mining and environmental degradation.
The Goalpost: A 20-Year Sprint Toward Prosperity
The success of Ghana’s cocoa industry was driven not by individual sacrifice for the common good, but by the productive genius of free men who braved uncertainty, went out on their own, and, through native wit, devotion, duty, and singleness of purpose, somehow created an agri-business where none existed before.
No one speaks on behalf of the rural farmer and the self-employed person. No one says he is more constructive than destructive. No one tells us it is more important to seek opportunity than to languish in government-created welfare. No one reminds us that each action of the individual … each new business in the informal economy… is a renewal of the democratic notion that all men are born equal and that the value of the individual to society does not depend upon family, social class, or political affiliation.
The deeper traditions of our society, its history, myths, and many of its heroic figures have fallen into oblivion, buried beneath a plethora of politics that seek to control, rule, regulate, and restrict.
Ghana must urgently reduce trade barriers that impede growth. This country cannot develop without a well-functioning financial sector operating according to market rules. To achieve real prosperity, Ghana should aim for sustained economic growth of over 10% each year for the next twenty years.
This is not a dream. It is a necessity. And it begins with a vote — for a vision, not a personality; for opportunity, not dependency; for a Ghana that finally trusts its people to build the future they deserve.
