The Head of Research of the Chambers of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) Ghana, Mr. Paul Eric Ofori, has indicated that Ghana as a country has not done much to stop the country’s dependency on foreign aid. He asserted that it is ironic for the country to continue to rely greatly on foreign aid while it continues to preach the need for self-reliance.
He argued that the country can avoid depending on foreign assistance if it puts into place measures to curb corruption in the public sector and to reduce the size of the government. He indicated that Ghana’s over-reliance on foreign assistance is detrimental to the country’s sovereignty.
“$ 3.8 billion and we are crying foul? How much do we lose to corruption each year? Each year we lose $ 3 billion to corruption, annually 20% of our budget is always lost or swallowed up by corruption and here we are crying foul because of what, some $ 3.8 billion we are about to lose”.
Mr. Paul Eric Ofori
Mr. Ofori argued that the moment Ghana decided to legislate against the LGBTQ, it became an undeniable fact that the international community would react in the manner in which they currently are. He argued that the government should have prepared itself for the repercussions that the anti-LGBTQ bill is bound to bring.
He also indicated that Ghana would not have had issues with financial sanctions from the international community if the country had properly managed its economy from the onset. He indicated that the government over the years has wasted the taxpayers’ money on unnecessary projects. “We have not been fiscally disciplined, that is it” he stated.
Furthermore, Mr. Ofori advised that Ghanaians “need to brace themselves and go through the mill” if the aim of the anti-LGBTQ bill is to be achieved. He argued that the Bretton Woods institutions are not charitable organizations that assist generously.
He indicated that the country is bound to pay these institutions back their loans with interest hence it is pointless to entirely depend on assistance from these institutions that continue to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
President’s Resistance
Mr. Larry Dogbey, Editor at the Herald Newspaper, lamented the sudden infiltration of Ghanaian society by the LGBTQ culture that threatens the cultural values of the country. He indicated that the LGBTQ ideals have gone as far as invading the school curriculum of young school children. He described the level of exposure the Ghanaian child has to this as alarming.
He further argued that it was clear from the onset that the President was never going to assent to the anti-LGBTQ bill. He indicated that the President is purposefully inciting the fear of sanction from the international community in the citizens to avoid signing the bill.
“It’s all these gimmicks and tricks. Listen, if you are working hard, you promise to change this economy with one district, one factory…so and so, you should be confident in yourself that all that you have put in place will yield some dividends for this country. Change the narrative, you don’t go relying on foreigners to bail you out now and then”.
Mr. Larry Dogbey
Mr. Dogbey indicated that many developed and developing countries use the scarce resources they have to generate the most sustainable source of living for their people. He urged that Ghanaians must develop a mindset of self-reliance.
He opined that the bill being sent to the Supreme Court is not an excuse for the President to refuse to sign it because the President had assented to the E-levy bill while the case concerning it was still pending in court.
Mr. Paul Eric Ofori also indicated that sending the bill to court would not affect the status quo because the case made by Madam Audrey Gadzekpo against the bill was initially thrown out of court. He asserted that the court indicated that the case failed to substantiate any real issues of human rights abuse in the bill.
While the anti-LGBTQ bill has not made it to the office of the President yet, recent controversial events involving the Finance Ministry and the President’s comments regarding the bill caused the public to believe that the President has no intention of signing the bill anytime soon.
