Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa is a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service
A former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, has shot down the relevance to development of the practice of multi-party democracy system of governance in Ghana since 1992.
According to him, the system has failed to meet its intended expectations and has not effectively served the country’s broader interests.
Instead, he argued, it has primarily benefited a select few — particularly those within the political class.
Speaking at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series on April 11, 2025, Prof Akosa stated that over the years, the political class has become the primary beneficiary of the system, leaving other segments of society increasingly marginalised.
“I believe sincerely, and I’ll say it here today, that multi-party democracy has done nothing for this country. Since 1992, the only beneficiaries of the system have been the political class. The professional class, the working class, the underclass have all been totally marginalised,” he said.
He lamented the unfortunate sidelining and persistent disregard of many learned and knowledgeable individuals who, despite their potentials to contribute meaningfully to nation-building and development, have been consistently overlooked by the political class.
He emphasised that such practices have contributed little to the nation’s development, suggesting that meaningful progress will only be achieved if the country is willing to effectively harness the expertise of its professional and working classes.
“It’s as if, if you live in this country, your sense is not respected (sic). We must be prepared to harvest the intellectual might of this country and to progress this country,” he continued.
In line with the broader change he was advocating, Prof Akosa called for educational reforms, emphasising the need to incorporate and promote local languages within the educational system.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, I believe and I share in Patrice Lumumba’s statement that the change starts now. The change starts with the new educational system and the relevance of our local language in our educational system.
“And let me say that let’s disabuse our minds that our grandparents are witches and wizards. They gave birth to you, they nurtured you and today, because you’ve gone to school, you turn around and say they are witches. What you have lost is what your ancestors knew and your ability to add onto it. That has been one of the tragedies of our modern Ghana. We can correct it and let’s correct it now,” he added.
MAG/AE
Meanwhile, catch up on the concluding part of the story of Fort William, where children were sold in exchange for kitchenware, others, below: