The Two Faces of Democracy: While Americans Select The Greatest For President, Ghanaians Select The Incompetence For President

In a nutshell, democracy is a form of state governance where authority is derived from the people. The people make the decisions on what laws and rules are required for the state to thrive and exist in harmony. In a democratic society, each individual is granted a specific set of rights and responsibilities that are determined by the community as a whole, which continues to bring better living conditions and development for the people. That is the essence of democracy, which has captured the spirit of Americans.

However, democracy appears to have two faces: the beautiful one found in America and other countries that aspire to be like it, and the ugly and terrible one found in Africa, including Ghana, my motherland. Even though religion has always been important to Ghanaian society, misleading democracy can quickly lead people to make poor decisions, which has had a severe negative impact on the populace. Ghana currently exists in a situation reminiscent of the time it fought for independence.

The oppressive nature of Ghanaian politics today, along with widespread corruption and disrespect for the people and the Constitution, all of which have contributed to the collapse of businesses, the economy, and investments, can help Ghanaians understand why Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the country's first president, attempted to preserve a one-party system. He saw destructive forces that prioritized their interests over the good of the country. That is precisely what has occurred to our beloved country of Ghana today.

Ghana's democracy has been seriously threatened by two main factors: corruption and greed. In America, although past and current presidents have shown themselves to be capable leaders in their own right, America’s successful democracy doesn’t influence Ghana. Many people lack proper thinking to the extent that they are unable to even make the best decisions for themselves to prevent what has continued to harm them for decades. One such wish is for a failed vice president to be president.

It necessitates looking into the mental health of many Ghanaians endorsing or backing Bawumia for the presidency. The vice president made false claims to be able to address Ghana's economic issues and transform the country into the "Dubai of Africa," but these were only hollow campaign pledges made in an attempt to win over voters. The absurdity of the NPP government's attempts to rig elections and make Bawumia president, reveals they care about power more than the plight of the people.

Why is everything in Africa so terrible that people there never strive for better and instead accept corrupt administrations that do more harm than good? After the president, the vice president is the second-in-command. His financial misdeeds, which contributed to the economy's downfall, included three times that he printed new currencies without the parliament's approval and worked with Ernest Addison, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, to defraud the country of 58 billion GHC.

Bawumia was one of the individuals in the government who stole $400 million from the COVID funds to exacerbate the economic harm that COVID-19 was causing to economies around the world. The NPP government didn’t only demonstrate that it is not just incompetent, but also the most corrupt political party in Ghanaian history, despite its pledges to combat corruption after accusing Mahama. Thus, to what extent are Ghanaians thought to be educated when one of the culprits is elected president?

All those implicated in major corruption scandals under Akufo Addo's administration, Cecilia Dapaah, Eugine Arhin, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, and the deceased were either let off the hook or had their properties unfrozen. Meanwhile, Ghanaians are still suffering, particularly during the E-Levy implementation, which the populace protested against but the government ignored to pass the bill. Would anyone in his right mind accept Bawumia as president in light of these issues that have negatively impacted people's lives?

Ghanaians have been denied improved living conditions despite the nation's abundant resources of gold, diamonds, cocoa, and oil, for too long. It is now time for them to strive for bigger things in life. It's time for Ghanaians to fight the claim that they are low-IQ individuals and to vote out any politician who has not carried out their responsibilities. Every Ghanaian needs to understand that the resources belong to them, not to a political party or tribe associated with the Akyem Mafia.

Many may be wondering why Joel Savage lives in Belgium, yet, he consistently writes against the government. The answer is straightforward: education in Europe has made it easier to distinguish between good and terrible governments. Ghanaians deserve better if a common Belgian cleaner makes 1, 500 Euros a month, after tax, in a country known for not growing cocoa, and among the richest nations in Europe for producing chocolate. Ghanaians shouldn’t rush, they should take their time to vote for a better leader in 2024.