Ghana’s wealth must fund quality education and protection from poverty – Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor says Ghana’s natural wealth must translate into quality education, good health and a safety net that protects vulnerable people from abject poverty.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, he said good leadership and inclusive governance were essential to achieving that vision.

He was responding to a question about the Ghana he hopes young people will inherit in 50 years.

Kufuor said the country’s resources and its people's abilities provided a strong foundation for prosperity. The challenge was to provide leadership that creates wealth and directs it towards public welfare.

“We must ensure that all the children of this land are given some of the finest education you can get anywhere.”

He placed education at the centre of his vision, alongside good health and support for people facing hardship.

“We must have the safety net, so even people handicapped without jobs, we don't live in abject poverty because the land is good,” he said.

Kufuor pointed to gold, lithium, bauxite and manganese as examples of Ghana’s natural endowment. He also expressed confidence in Ghanaians’ ability to learn, live together and distinguish themselves abroad.

He said inclusive leadership must turn those advantages into better living conditions. But his vision also requires greater room for individuals to create wealth.

Kufuor urged leaders to recognise the Ghanaian entrepreneur’s ability to use talent and resources to build businesses. He cautioned against policies that discourage that effort.

“We shouldn't stifle initiative with, say, excessive taxation.”

He argued that people who acquire wealth legitimately should be able to retain it while meeting reasonable tax obligations.

“Let the people become millionaires, and they legitimately — why not let them keep their millions, paying their reasonable taxes?”

For Kufuor, the state’s role is to create conditions that enable people to succeed.

“The state should gather the framework to empower the people.”

He said allowing the private sector to mature would help attract investment from Ghana and abroad. He also cited the country’s openness as an advantage.

Yet he acknowledged a gap between that potential and the country’s experience.

“We tend to be open-minded and liberal, but that's not how we've lived so far,” he added.