Should we say we are blessed or cursed? What did our forefathers mean when they said “Education is the key to success”? This statement is now perceived as a cliche. I spoke to young men and women in the country about the economy and how it is affecting them. It was disheartening to find out that the idea of having three square meals a day, which is often emphasized for its health benefits, is nothing but a distant dream for many. Can the Ghanaian youth ever sing that song with genuine joy? It is truly sad that young people are struggling to wholeheartedly advocate for education. Why have we not achieved success despite our numerous degrees and certificates? Who is to blame? The dollar? our leaders? or management? How did the dollar become more important in a country whose cedi has six powerful leaders’ heads?
It’s disheartening to realize that the dollar, which has a color far less vibrant than our colorful cedi, has become almost like a god that our country worships and blames for our predicament. Our leaders blame the Dollar, and so do our businessmen and women. It seems that until we stop lamenting about this currency, little will change.
This could be true, considering how the dollar’s fluctuation significantly impacts the state of our economy, affecting our goods and services, our businesses, and the daily functioning of our economy. I recall the Vice President vowing to “arrest the dollar” during his campaign, but it seems like the key to the handcuffs is missing, and the dollar has escaped.
How does a developing country like Ghana, heavily reliant on agriculture, suffer to the extent that basic food items are expensive? Food, a fundamental necessity of life, has become unaffordable for many, including workers. Should food also be categorized based on social class, a concept not intended in Karl Marx’s Marxist Theory?
Youth unemployment has soared, and it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause. Our leaders claim to have solved it all, but it’s disheartening to remember that merely two years ago, they announced a freeze on employment. Who will employ the over 110,000 students graduating annually from our tertiary institutions with various honors according to Africa Education Watch’s research as of April, 2021? Surprisingly, even until then, only about 10% of these students secure jobs each year after National Service excluding NABCO interns. What then happens to the rest of the graduates? Are these accolades merely meant for our living rooms’ decorations?
We struggle to find money, yet our leaders live lavish lives funded by taxpayers’ money. You call us lazy and encourage us to start businesses, but with what capital? And when we do start, we face obstacles, as the funds allocated to SMEs often fail to reach us due to stakeholders’ failure to disburse them. It’s no wonder that their corruption is being gradually exposed. The MASLOC issue remains a mystery if not history.
Many citizens in the country skip breakfast and lunch, barely managing to afford supper. Some can only afford to eat in the morning and evening, and these are the privileged few. If you have 50 cedis, you’re likely to buy only one meal for the day in the city, while it may stretch to two meals in rural areas.
Around 2012-2016, the cedi was valued at 4.00 to the dollar, and we cried out for change. Now, the dollar has hit almost 16.00 as I write this, and the pain persists. What can be done to rectify this situation? Did the dollar prevent the government from creating jobs? If employment is frozen, how are young people like us supposed to survive? This is not a political battle; it’s a fight for peace in our souls and justice for the skills we have acquired.
You can visit the market today to inquire about an item’s price, only to return the next time and find the price outrageously inflated, and we blame the dollar. What has the dollar done? I was puzzled until I went to a shop to buy something and was informed it had increased by 10% from the previous price. When I asked why, the vendor cited the dollar’s impact. I asked, “Did the dollar not affect the cost when you initially bought it?” He responded, “If the dollar has increased when I restock, it may lead to a loss, so I need to adjust the price to match the next market price.” This realization left me astonished.
While some may ignorantly claim they are doing fine, we cannot disregard the fact that many people in this country are struggling to afford even a single meal.
Which of the zones do you find yourself?
Is it the 101, The 001 or the 111 zone? Answer for yourself and make an informed decision in exercising your right on December 7.
