The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of Ghana's economy during the opening ceremony of the 2023 plenary assembly of the conference held in the Sunyani Diocese.

Despite Ghana's oil production and mineral resources, Rev. Gyamfi lamented the lack of positive changes in the country's economic landscape. He questioned the condition of roads, the need for frequent borrowing, and the impact of corruption on the nation.

“There have been no significant positive changes in the economy since we became an oil-producing country. What happened to the gold and other mineral resources? Why are most of our roads in such a deplorable state? Why do we keep going to the IMF? Why do we keep borrowing so much when we are a rich nation?” he queried.

Rev. Gyamfi criticized successive governments, pointing out the deep financial crisis and expressing concern about the prevalence of uncontrolled corruption. He questioned the effectiveness of Ghana's democracy, highlighting the sacrifice of the people's interests for personal and party interests in Parliament.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference president urged political leaders to view recent political changes on the continent as a wake-up call to amend the constitution and legal systems peacefully. He called for a system that works for the good of all Ghanaians, emphasizing the need for transparency in agreements related to oil, minerals, and power generation.

“Can the governments explain to us why we are in this economic mess? What explanations can the two political parties give to Ghanaians for the unfavourable agreements we sign on our oil, minerals, power generation, etc.? Countries that have these resources in abundance are rich. Why do we remain poor? Ghanaians no longer accept the old explanations that the Governments of Ghana have been giving,” Rev. Gyamfi concluded.