Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has delivered a blunt critique of the growing politicisation of public discourse in Ghana, expressing frustration over the tendency to view every national issue through a partisan lens.
“I’m fed up with politics in this country,” the Speaker declared, lamenting the constant political spin placed on even the most well-meaning policies.
He made the remarks when a delegation from the Office of the President paid a courtesy call on him at Parliament House to present the newly crafted 24-Hour Economy Policy document. Addressing the delegation, Mr Bagbin stressed the urgent need for Ghanaians to rise above political, religious, and ethnic divisions and rally around policies that promote national progress.
“We have to make it a national programme to ensure its seamless implementation for the common good of the people. We don’t need to categorise it on partisan, religious and ethnic basis,” he stated.
To that end, the Speaker proposed that the 24-Hour Economy Policy, scheduled for launch on July 2, should be brought before Parliament for open and comprehensive debate. According to him, subjecting the policy to bipartisan scrutiny would strengthen public confidence and ensure smoother implementation across successive administrations.
Mr Bagbin pointed to historical precedents like the Vision 2020 initiative under President Jerry John Rawlings and the Free Senior High School policy introduced under President Akufo-Addo—both of which were presented to Parliament and debated for broader national endorsement.
During the meeting, Mr Augustus Obuadum Tanoh, Presidential Advisor for the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, outlined the strategic pillars of the policy. He identified Production Transformation, Supply Chain and Market Efficiency, and Human Capital Development as the three anchor themes of the initiative.
He noted that these pillars are supported by eight interlinked sub-programmes: Grow 24, Make 24, Connect 24, Show Ghana, Go Ghana, Digital Technology, and Aspire 24.
Mr Tanoh explained that the 24-Hour Economy Policy is a bold effort to transform Ghana’s production base, stimulate the private sector, and create sustainable jobs.
The initiative, a flagship campaign promise of the National Democratic Congress during the 2024 elections, is designed to reposition the Ghanaian economy for accelerated growth.
According to Mr Tanoh, agriculture will be the foundation of the transformation agenda.
“The programme was designed to transform production with agriculture as its main anchor to ensure food sufficiency,” he said.
He added that the policy aims to strengthen value chains, enhance productivity, and boost local industry to support an export-driven economy.
Elaborating further, Mr Tanoh said the Make 24 component seeks to ramp up manufacturing capacity, while Aspire 24 is focused on shifting the work culture of Ghanaians and streamlining bureaucratic processes to improve efficiency.
“The ‘Aspire 24’ was intended to change the mind-set of Ghanaian workers and minimise the bureaucratic bottlenecks in the public sector and aid in changing attitudes of the citizens for optimal productivity,” he noted.
He also highlighted Show Ghana, a cultural initiative aimed at showcasing Ghana’s diverse heritage and connecting with the diaspora to boost tourism, while Go Ghana is designed to mobilise citizen participation in nation-building.
Additionally, the Made-in-Ghana component aims to strengthen domestic production and encourage widespread patronage of locally manufactured goods.
President John Dramani Mahama is expected to officially unveil the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme on July 2, 2025.
As the nation prepares for the policy’s launch, Speaker Bagbin’s call serves as a reminder that for Ghana to advance meaningfully, political will must be matched with a shared national vision—one that puts development above division.
