Ghanaians have been urged by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make sacrifices so that the government can guide Ghana through its current economic difficulties.
On Saturday, July 9, 2022, the president addressed Muslims at an Eid-Ul-Adha ceremony and, taking inspiration from the significance of the holiday, urged Ghanaians to forgo a little comfort to support the government in its struggle with the economy.
“National Chief Imam, Ulama, yet another lesson from Hajj is the Prophet Ibrahim’s almost-sacrifice of his son Ishmael. In order to provide us the room to navigate the choppy waters of the current economic difficulties, I implore you, my fellow Ghanaians, to make some sacrifices.
The government is making certain sacrifices to help the situation, and President Akufo-Addo asked the populace to do the same.
“The government is making its fair share of contributions in this area. The president announced that, among other things, “we have reduced the discretionary spending of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies by thirty percent (30%), reduced the salaries of political appointees by thirty percent (30%) for the remainder of the year, reduced their fuel coupon allocation by fifty percent (50%) and put a ban on the purchase of imported vehicles.
While their leadership continues to negotiate their demands with the government, President Akufo-Addo also used the occasion to urge the various teacher union members who are on strike to think about going back to the classroom.
“We are in a difficult place. The world is in a difficult place. Leaders around the world, like we are doing here in Ghana, are working assiduously to resolve the fundamental challenges that have plunged the world into the current economic condition in which it finds itself. But, just as the efforts of Hagar resulted in the discovery of the Zamzam well, from which we drink to this day, I am confident that, soon, we shall also discover our own Zamzam,” he added.
The government has come under a lot of strain as Ghana’s economic problems worsen.