Ken Ofori-Atta is a former Minister of Finance
Ghanaians are paying close attention, not only to what political parties say, but also to what they refuse to say. On the matter of Ken Ofori-Atta and the economic turmoil that defined his tenure as Finance Minister, the New Patriotic Party’s silence is becoming louder than any campaign slogan.
Ken Ofori-Atta was not a minor player in government. He was the chief architect and defender of Ghana’s economic policy during one of the most difficult periods in the country’s recent history.
Under his watch, the cedi sharply depreciated, inflation surged, public debt spiraled out of control, and the controversial Domestic Debt Exchange Programme wiped out the savings of millions of ordinary Ghanaians.
Pensioners, middle-income workers, and small business owners all bore the brunt of decisions taken at the very top.
Yet today, as the NPP positions itself for another chance at power, it has offered no clear, honest explanation to the Ghanaian people. There has been no comprehensive account of what went wrong, no acknowledgement of policy failures, and no sincere engagement with the pain and confusion those decisions caused.
This raises a serious democratic question: how does a party ask for renewed trust when it has not accounted for its most consequential failures?
Leadership is not measured by how long one holds office, but by the courage to accept responsibility. When concerns were raised about economic mismanagement, many were dismissed as alarmists.
When Parliament and civil society demanded accountability, the response was often resistance rather than reflection. Now, faced with public scrutiny and electoral reality, silence seems to be the preferred strategy.
But elections do not erase memory.
Ghanaians live with the consequences of past decisions every day, in higher food prices, weakened purchasing power, lost investments, and reduced opportunities for their children. These experiences cannot simply be wished away by a new manifesto or fresh faces on a campaign platform.
If the NPP believes it has learned lessons, it must articulate them clearly. If mistakes were made, they must be acknowledged openly. If systems failed, the party must explain how it intends to prevent a repeat. Accountability is not a sign of weakness; it is the foundation of credibility.
A serious political party seeking power again must confront its record honestly. Silence may appear convenient in the short term, but it erodes trust in the long run. Without clarity on the Ken Ofori-Atta era, promises of future prosperity sound hollow, and appeals for another mandate lack moral force.
Ghana’s democracy deserves better than selective memory. Before asking Ghanaians to believe again, the NPP must first explain, clearly and truthfully, what happened, why it happened, and what will be different next time.
Source:
www.ghanaweb.com
