IMANI Ghana’s Franklin Cudjoe has launched a brutal attack on former President John Agyekum Kufuor, accusing him of turning a blind eye to the devastating economic mess left by his successor, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Bawumia. In a scathing Facebook post, Cudjoe didn’t mince his words, blasting Kufuor for his silence as Ghana spirals into an economic crisis that has left millions of ordinary citizens reeling.
Cudjoe kicked off his post by acknowledging that Kufuor, as a former president, has the right to choose the next leader of his party. But he didn’t hold back in questioning why Kufuor has remained eerily silent while Ghanaians are being crushed under the weight of the country’s financial mismanagement. “Kufuor has every right to pick whoever he wants to lead his party. But what about his responsibility to the suffering people of Ghana?” Cudjoe fired back.
Where Was Kufuor When Pensioners Were Screaming for Help?
Aiming Kufuor’s inaction during some of the darkest moments of the country’s financial crisis, Cudjoe demanded to know where the former president was when elderly Ghanaians were forced to beg the government to stop raiding their life savings. He recalled the devastating impact of the controversial debt exchange programme, which wiped out the pensions of hundreds of senior citizens, some of whom tragically died as a result.
“Where was Kufuor when frail old men and women had to queue under the hot sun begging for their savings back?” Cudjoe raged. “Almost 900 senior citizens were sent to their graves because of these dreadful financial haircuts. Was this the ‘solid’ economic management Kufuor stands by?”
No Sympathy from Kufuor for Struggling Ghanaians
Cudjoe didn’t stop there. He hammered home the point that Kufuor, despite his claims of being a leader of the people, failed to offer any sympathy or support when millions of Ghanaians were facing the brunt of reckless economic policies. “Where was Kufuor when millions of Ghanaians were financially ruined by this government?” Cudjoe asked. “Did he show any concern? Did he say a word to the businesses fighting to survive?”
A Tale of Two Economies: 2016 vs 2024
Cudjoe painted a damning picture of the country’s economic decline by comparing the situation in 2016 to today. Back then, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the cedi was at a relatively stable 4 to the dollar, and the price of a bag of cement was just 24 cedis. But by 2024, the currency had collapsed, with $1 worth a staggering 17 cedis, and the price of cement skyrocketing to 105 cedis.
“In 2016, under Kufuor’s successor, $1 was equal to 4 cedis, and a bag of cement cost just 24 cedis. We were at the IMF, but pensioners didn’t have their life savings stolen,” Cudjoe said. “Now, in 2024, the cedi is at 17 to the dollar, and cement costs 105 cedis. This is the legacy Kufuor is defending?”
Ghana’s Debt: Out of Control
The IMANI Ghana boss also slammed the government for allowing Ghana’s debt to balloon from 120 billion cedis in 2016 to a staggering 763 billion cedis in 2024, with no end in sight. “Debt has exploded, poverty is rising, and where is Kufuor? Silent as ever,” Cudjoe declared.
The Silence on Illegal Mining and Environmental Destruction
Cudjoe didn’t just attack Kufuor on economic grounds. He also pointed to the former president’s deafening silence on illegal mining, which has ravaged Ghana’s environment and destroyed livelihoods. He asked why Kufuor had not spoken out when illegal miners were poisoning rivers and causing irreversible environmental damage.
“Where was Kufuor when millions of Ghanaians were pushed into deeper poverty by the reckless policies of his chosen economic team?” Cudjoe demanded. “Why did he stay silent when illegal mining decimated our environment?”
Kufuor’s Silence is Complicity, Says Cudjoe
Cudjoe went further, accusing Kufuor of complicity in the economic carnage. “Kufuor’s silence is complicity,” he asserted. “He’s failed to question how his ‘solid’ economic team ran the country into the ground and wiped out the savings of innocent Ghanaians.”
As Ghana heads towards the next election, Cudjoe called on the people to make a wise choice and put the country’s future in better hands. He urged Kufuor to stop sitting on the sidelines and reflect on the damage caused by the current administration. “Perhaps Kufuor should remind us all to choose wisely and peacefully,” Cudjoe concluded, suggesting that Ghanaians need leadership that will prioritise fixing the country’s broken economy.
Cudjoe’s fiery post has set social media ablaze, as Ghanaians from all walks of life debate the issues he raised. With the country teetering on the brink of an economic collapse, his words serve as a sharp reminder that the time for silence is long gone — it’s time for action.
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