Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admitted that economic challenges and frequent public protests during his tenure significantly contributed to his government’s declining popularity.
Speaking at the launch of a book authored by former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, Akufo-Addo reflected on the economic turbulence that marked his presidency, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted Ghana’s financial stability.
He noted that the global health crisis disrupted economies worldwide, including Ghana, leading to a sharp decline in economic activity.
With international capital markets largely inaccessible, his administration had limited options and was ultimately compelled to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stabilize the economy.
Akufo-Addo acknowledged that the resulting economic hardships fueled widespread public dissatisfaction, sparking multiple protests across the country. While he admitted that the demonstrations were not as intense as the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) riots in Ghana and other African countries in the 1980s, he conceded that they were significant enough to erode public confidence in his administration.
“We faced a major economic crisis and with the world’s capital markets close to us, we ended up going to the IMF. Not an easy decision to make. The economic difficulties brought people onto the streets.
“I will say that even though the demonstrations were not on the scale of the SAP riots that are recalled and described in the book, they were serious enough, feeding into the growing disaffection against the government.”
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