The Korle Klottey Member of Parliament, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has cautioned that Ghana’s political culture, overly focused on elections and populism, is impeding the nation’s long-term development.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Talk No Dey Cook Rice podcast, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings urged leaders to prioritise tough but necessary decisions over short-term popularity. “It seems as though we’re constantly chasing elections, and the populism thing is just becoming so central to what is always being done that we are not paying enough attention to what is the right thing to do, not just for today, but for tomorrow, for generations yet unborn,” she said.
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The MP emphasised that good governance goes beyond winning elections or maintaining public trust. “What are the things that you’re doing for the people? Are you delivering on time? Are you making sure that the dignity of their citizen is respected? Are you making sure working conditions are good enough?” she asked.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings highlighted the need for accountability among leaders and pointed to apparent double standards in law enforcement. She noted a recent case in which a trader who damaged part of an overpass received a two-year jail sentence, questioning whether public officials who mismanage funds or fail to deliver infrastructure are held to similar standards.
She also expressed concern over youth disengagement in governance. “You have a lot of young people who feel like they don’t matter. They are not heard in designing policies… sometimes people designing a thing and saying, this is what we’re giving to the youth. But maybe that’s not what they want,” she said, warning that this disconnect fuels apathy and low civic participation.
Drawing lessons from other countries, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings cited Rwanda, Malaysia, and Singapore as examples of nations that enforce strict rules to achieve national development. “People brag about Malaysia and Singapore. What it took to get them where they are… You’re not allowed to chew gum in Singapore. It’s as simple as that. No exceptions made,” she noted.
She concluded that Ghana must set higher standards in governance and accountability. “When we’re bringing the bar so low because we feel that it’s okay to do that and get away with it because of politics, I don’t understand that. We have to, at some point, draw the line and do what is right for the people of Ghana.”
