Former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, has issued a public New Year message for 2026, extending “sincere goodwill and renewed hope to every Ghanaian, at home and abroad.”

In the statement, Dr. Duffuor described the new year as “a national moment of reckoning” that calls for reflection on Ghana’s collective journey. He asserted that the nation “stands at a critical crossroads” and stated that “truth with danger saves generations.”

The message identified specific challenges, including “the erosion of discipline, the weakening of moral restraint and the dominance of self-centeredness over selflessness” in public life. It cited “indiscipline on our roads, disregard for our environment and the persistent abuse of public trust” as developments that “threaten not only our institutions but the very values that once defined us as a people.”

Dr. Duffuor called for “citizens and leaders who are truthful, dependable, public-spirited and guided by a higher sense of duty.” He emphasized the need to “mentor the young ones to be deep rooted in integrity before acquisition of skills,” stating that “skills without integrity are insufficient” and “integrity without skills is incomplete.”

The message further advocated for an intentional investment “in religious values across our society” to raise a generation that “values truth, keeps its word, respects life and places the public good above private gain.”

While acknowledging a “sobering reality,” the statement noted that “Ghana’s story has never been one of despair,” but rather one of “resilience, conscience and renewal.” It concluded that “national transformation will not begin in policy alone. It must begin with character.”

The message defined renewal as “the duty of every parent, teacher, professional, faith leader and public servant,” and described the year 2026 as “a defining moment.”

The communication ended with the wish that the new year “renew our conscience, strengthen our unity and awaken in us a shared commitment to the Ghana we owe ourselves and generations yet unborn.”