Ken Thompson, former CEO of Dalex Finance, has launched a scathing critique against former President Nana Akufo-Addo, accusing him of prioritizing personal interests over the needs of Ghanaians and mismanaging the economy.
Mr. Thompson’s remarks, made on Channel One TV on March 25, were unequivocal, as he declared, “They ran the economy aground”.
According to Thompson, Akufo-Addo’s administration was characterized by a focus on personal interests rather than addressing the struggles of ordinary Ghanaians. ”
He was more interested in himself than anybody else. He wasn’t addressing the issues that faced the people,” Thompson remarked.
Thompson expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to take meaningful action, particularly in addressing the economic hardships faced by young Ghanaians.
He recalled a conversation with the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, where he expressed his concerns, saying, “I felt that after I had spoken to Ken and he didn’t listen, I needed to go further and make a point and say, ‘President, look, you are destroying the lives of millions of Ghanaians'”.
Mr.Thompson also argued that the former government failed to create sustainable opportunities for the youth, emphasizing that “it is not the government that creates jobs. No government anywhere creates jobs”.
He lamented the reliance of young people on government institutions for employment, stating, “What even breaks my heart is that a lot of young people, when you ask them where they want to work, some of them say, ‘I want to work in the Bank of Ghana.’ Then you know it’s a problem. Ghana, it is a problem”.
Reflecting on the 2025 budget, Thompson acknowledged it as a step in the right direction but criticized previous budgets under Akufo-Addo’s leadership. “For the first time in nine years, they have read a budget that I can understand and which is based on data,” he said. “Previous budgets, I didn’t understand some of the things they were saying. It was full of praise for the government. It was full of things that the government wanted to do… It never dealt with the real issues”.
Ken Thompson, former CEO of Dalex Finance, has launched a scathing critique against former President Nana Akufo-Addo, accusing him of prioritizing personal interests over the needs of Ghanaians and mismanaging the economy. Thompson’s remarks, made on Channel One TV on March 25, were unequivocal, as he declared, “They ran the economy aground”.
According to Thompson, Akufo-Addo’s administration was characterized by a focus on personal interests rather than addressing the struggles of ordinary Ghanaians.
“He was more interested in himself than anybody else. He wasn’t addressing the issues that faced the people,” Thompson remarked.
Thompson expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to take meaningful action, particularly in addressing the economic hardships faced by young Ghanaians.
He recalled a conversation with the former Finance Minister, Ken, where he expressed his concerns, saying, “I felt that after I had spoken to Ken and he didn’t listen, I needed to go further and make a point and say, ‘President, look, you are destroying the lives of millions of Ghanaians'”.
Thompson also argued that the former government failed to create sustainable opportunities for the youth, emphasizing that “it is not the government that creates jobs. No government anywhere creates jobs”.
He lamented the reliance of young people on government institutions for employment, stating, “What even breaks my heart is that a lot of young people, when you ask them where they want to work, some of them say, ‘I want to work in the Bank of Ghana.’ Then you know it’s a problem. Ghana, it is a problem”.
Reflecting on the 2025 budget, Thompson acknowledged it as a step in the right direction but criticized previous budgets under Akufo-Addo’s leadership.
“For the first time in nine years, they have read a budget that I can understand and which is based on data,” he said.
He added, “Previous budgets, I didn’t understand some of the things they were saying. It was full of praise for the government. It was full of things that the government wanted to do… It never dealt with the real issues”.
