Former minister and media practitioner Kojo Yankah says decisions taken by former public officials can shape how future leaders approach responsibility and accountability.

Commenting on reports about former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Yankah reflected on the expectations that come with occupying such a high-profile public office.

“The position of a Finance Minister is a prestigious one, and any person in that role attracts more eyeballs than probably any other cabinet minister or public servant,” he said in a social media post.

He noted that individuals who assume the role understand the level of scrutiny attached to it.

“All those put in that position have not been unaware of the kind of responsibility carried with it,” Yankah stated.

He pointed to several former finance ministers, including Kwesi Botchwey, Richard Kwame Peprah, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Kwabena Duffuor, and Seth Terkper.

According to him, these former ministers continued to live in Ghana after leaving office.

“None of them has sought permanent refuge abroad, and Ken knows this,” Yankah said.

He added that public office is tied not only to law but also to social values and expectations.

“The laws of Ghana, like the values in the villages and in the churches and mosques, have not changed; only the human beings and personalities keep changing positions,” he said.

Yankah warned that the choices made by public officials can influence how history records their service.

“For posterity, and for the history of the Republic of Ghana, this will be a bad precedent,” he said.