Strategic adviser and director, Yaw Nsarkoh, has warned that Ghana’s democracy risks degenerating into what he calls a “Santa Claus democracy,” where the poor remain trapped in poverty while politicians use money and tokens to buy influence. 

Speaking on Springboard, Your Virtual University with Rev. Albert Ocran, Mr Nsarkoh described the current political order as over monetised and increasingly excluding the mass of citizens from true development.

“Today in your village, somebody born into a mud house, can they become Rev. Albert Ocran in one lifetime? If they cannot, then what we are saying is that we have built a Santa Claus democracy in which the poor remain poor. Their poor children will keep giving birth to the poor,” he said. 

He explained that Santa Claus democracy is characterised by over-monetised politics, where citizens are reduced to tokens at election time, and by an over-monitored governance system that has become transactional rather than transformational.

Citing Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate in literature, Mr Nsarkoh said Africa’s version of democracy has been reduced to “a public auction for the highest bidder.” 

Beyond critiquing the system, Mr Nsarkoh offered a single prescription for Ghana’s future: education.

“Educate, educate, educate. Knowledge is the primary productive force. Embrace it. If we get it, we will liberate our society,” he declared. 

He stressed that economic achievements, such as reduced inflation, mean little if they do not translate into better schools, good food, a green environment, and a cultural space that encourages critical thinking.

“Are there more schools? Do people have good food to eat? Have we created a cultural environment where people can think? Our society is drowning in uncollected garbage. Is this a society in which you can imagine the future?” he asked. 

Mr Nsarkoh concluded that development must be measured not by economic figures but by the opportunities and dignity it provides citizens. 

About Springboard, Your Virtual University.

Springboard, Your Virtual University, is a weekly motivational and personal development broadcast hosted by Rev. Albert Ocran. It airs every Sunday at 7 PM on Springboard Channel (YouTube) and Joy FM, and at 9 PM on Joy News TV. The Thinkathon series brought together thought leaders from various fields to explore the power of ideas in shaping society.