There is a reality that many Ghanaians feel but struggle to articulate. Poverty in Ghana isn’t just a lack of resources. It is rather the product of leadership failure, policy misdirection and decades of political short-sightedness. So seriously and unfriendly or diabolical. Political wickedness is knowing and not solving.
Poverty as a Political Tool. Instead of eradicating poverty, successive political systems have used it as a lever of control. Handouts over empowerment. Promises over policies. Loyalty over literacy. Keeping communities dependent secures votes. Creating opportunities threatens power.
Corruption Drains What Belongs to the Poor. Each unaccounted-for cedi in a bloated contract, abandoned project, or ghost payroll robs a child of a classroom or a hospital of life-saving equipment. Poverty remains while political elites prosper.
Partisanship Before Nationhood. Instead of national planning, we get political cycles of unfulfilled manifestos. Leadership changes, but poverty remains because development is reset for partisan credit, not national continuity.
Neglect of Human Capital. Underinvestment in education, healthcare, and youth employment keeps a vast majority of citizens trapped. Not because the resources don’t exist, but because priorities are misplaced.
Undermining Institutions. Where transparency is weak and oversight is politicized, budgets become mere numbers not tools for transformation. Poverty thrives where institutions don’t.
A Vicious Cycle: Poverty Breeds Poor Leadership, Poor Leadership Sustains Poverty.
Take a quick look at the GIHOC scandal involving Maxwell Kofi Jumah.
Maxwell Kofi Jumah, a former Member of Parliament and Managing Director of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited, is under investigation for alleged financial and administrative misconduct during his tenure. All such allegations are caused by poverty which has been politically induced. Look at the politically induced poverty and the effects.
Robbing and raping the country’s resources. Mr. Jumah is alleged to have acquired a Genesis G90 luxury vehicle in 2019 for just GH¢4,943.11, which is about 5% of its market value. The car was reportedly in good condition and valued at nearly GH¢99,000.
Hoarding State Vehicles. Greed, selfish and self-interest are the result of poverty. So the country remains hopeless to ordinary person or Ghanaian. He is accused of keeping two additional vehicles, including an Audi worth over $60,000, one of which was allegedly used by his son.
Unauthorized Sale of GIHOC Properties. Properties in Tema valued at over $700,000 were reportedly sold without proper authorization.
Inflated Staff Size. Investigators are also looking into claims that he artificially increased the company’s workforce, possibly to benefit political allies or inflate payrolls.
You see the mind of black leadership. The company reportedly recorded losses of GH¢25.1 million in 2022 and GH¢25.5 million in 2023, despite being in the alcohol industry—a sector typically resilient in both good and bad times. As former President Mahama questioned how such a company could fail, calling it “unbelievable”.
Some NPP members, including Ashanti Regional Communications Director Paul Yandoh, have called it political persecution. Now you see the direction of distractions against truths?
Poverty distorts judgement and reasoning. Poverty causes dignitaries to be greedy. Poverty makes citizens vulnerable to vote-buying and empty rhetoric. It silences truth-tellers and rewards populism over performance. It creates a political class that governs self-preservation against social progress.
“Until poverty is treated as a national emergency but not a campaign theme, Ghana’s development will remain a deferred dream.”
From exploration and observation political leadership has directly contributed to the persistence of poverty in Ghana and now poverty has become a self-reinforcing cycle that erodes national vision.
How Political Leadership Fuels Poverty in Ghana
Short-Term Thinking Over Long-Term Planning. Many politicians prioritize electoral gains over generational progress. Instead of building sustainable industries, they build voter bases through handouts and unfulfilled promises.
Power Over Purpose. Once in office, the goal often shifts from solving problems to protecting power—fueling favoritism, nepotism, and political intimidation. Public service becomes self-service.
Cronyism and Contract Capture. Development funds are frequently siphoned through dubious contracts awarded to political allies. These contracts often go uncompleted or deliver substandard results—roads that crack, schools without furniture, hospitals without medicine.
Suppression of Merit. Ghana has no shortage of thinkers, builders, or innovators. But many are left out because leadership structures are built on party loyalty, not competence or vision.
Corruption as a Culture. When leaders normalize bribery and exploitation, public institutions rot from the inside. Budgets are padded, resources leak, and citizens pay the price in poor services.
Weaponizing Poverty. Instead of solving poverty, some political actors exploit it to control votes, using desperation as leverage. This devalues citizenship and keeps communities dependent rather than empowered.
Media Weaponization Through Falsehood. This is a dangerous distraction. Most social media platforms, whether state-controlled or private choose narrative over neutrality, they don’t just misinform. They undermine democracy, erode public trust, and inflate division especially in politically charged environments.
Manufactured Narratives. Instead of reporting facts, some outlets construct stories that suit political agendas. They are selective in editing speeches or protests. They keenly amplify one-sided viewpoints while silencing dissent and deliberately labelling truth as enemies of the state or saboteurs
Misinformation Campaigns. This involves false statistics, doctored images and staged documentaries are sometimes circulated to manipulate perception. These tactics are used to exaggerate and tarnish government success. The act is to divide public attention with sensationalism
The Real Cost
National unity erodes. Facts no longer bring people together, they’re filtered through tribal or partisan lenses. This delays development because useful issues are hidden, they’re not solved. It fuels distrust in public institutions as citizens stop believing even when the truth comes out and finally breeds polarization where communities are divided by false narratives, not shared realities.
Poverty’s Effects on the Political Mindset
Political ignorance affects society greatly and it is time political leaders think critically about the future of the country in terms of creating and supporting policies to curb poverty. Once poverty becomes systemic, it doesn’t only affect wallets—it affects minds, morale, and morals:
Jealousy and Envy: Blackman is never created in this, but poverty has pushed us into. When hope is scarce, envy replaces aspiration. Hatred and Division: It is our skin that is black, but not our blood and mindsets. Poverty has dirtied our vision and attitude with selfishness and self-hate. Partisan identity becomes more important than national unity. Acrimony and Apathy: Honesty and ethical are inborn traits for true leadership and development, but poverty has changed the terrain. Citizens lose faith in truth and resort to insults or disengagement. Hypocrisy and Falsehood: Imposter was not part of us till poverty drifted us. Politicians pretend to fix what they secretly profit from. Bitterness and Blame: Blackmailing and malice were not party of us till poverty ushered us into. Voters recycle blame but struggle to see a path forward.
NNP Talked About Breaking The Eight Without Talking About Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty.
Ghana doesn’t just need more wealth, it needs more wisdom. Leaders must move from partyism to patriotism, from politics of convenience to politics of conscience, from politics of opportunity to politics of development, from politics of self to politics of the people.
“Until poverty is treated as a national emergency, development will remain a postponed dream.”
The next generation is watching. May we give them a legacy we’re proud of.
By
Gaddiel R. Ackah
[email protected]
U.S. Navy veteran. Lives in U.S.A.
Social Advocate for economic independence and ethical leadership. His work spans education, business, spirituality, leadership, politics, personal development, national transformation, character development and creative arts, making him a multifaceted influencer.
Author of Many Leadership and Inspiring books.
Competent Leadership: Becoming Successful Our Happiness. Some Choices Matter Respect Matters Faith Wipes Tears The Power of Faith.
