The recent controversy over sanitation spending at the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly is another reminder of why Ghana’s development keeps stalling — not because we lack money or plans, but because of how we think about leadership, responsibility, and accountability.

When a local assembly cannot clearly explain how over GH₵667,000 was spent on sanitation within just two months, something deeper is wrong. It’s not only a question of missing receipts or vague budget lines — it’s about how public office has come to be seen as a place to “spend” instead of a place to serve.

Decentralization without discipline

Decentralization was meant to bring government closer to the people — to make decisions faster and development more visible. But in practice, it has become another layer of bureaucracy, full of excuses and weak oversight.

Assemblies, which should be the backbone of local progress, have instead turned into mini bureaucracies mirroring the same inefficiencies that plague the national level. The very system meant to empower communities is now weighed down by mismanagement, poor documentation, and lack of transparency.

This failure does not just waste resources — it breeds mistrust. When people can’t trust their assemblies to spend wisely on something as basic as waste management, how can they trust government at all?

A mindset holding us back

The biggest issue isn’t the missing figures — it’s the mindset that allows such carelessness to thrive. Too many public officials see their positions as rewards, not responsibilities. Accountability feels optional.

And the sad truth is that many ordinary citizens have become used to it. We grumble, shake our heads, and move on. Over time, this tolerance for mediocrity has hardened into culture. We expect little, and so we get little.

Until we begin to treat public office as public service — not personal privilege — Ghana will keep walking in circles. Our development challenge is not just about policies; it’s about people’s values.

Transparency starts in the mind

Transparency is more than publishing reports — it’s about having a conscience. Accountability is more than answering questions — it’s about doing what is right even when no one is watching.

The Concerned Nima Citizens Foundation deserves credit for demanding answers through the Right to Information Act. This is the kind of active citizenship Ghana needs. But it shouldn’t take a civic group to demand what every citizen has the right to know.

We must all learn to speak up, to question, and to hold leaders accountable.

What Needs to Change

1. Audit and Act: Assemblies should face regular, independent audits — and where irregularities are found, there must be real consequences.

2. Open Budgets: Every municipality should have a public platform showing how funds are used. Citizens should be able to see, in simple language, where their taxes go.

3. Civic Education: Our schools and community programs must teach ethical leadership and civic duty — not just academics. We must rebuild the sense that serving the public is an honour, not an opportunity.

4. Active Citizenship: Let’s move from complaint to participation. Citizens should demand transparency before money is spent, not after scandals emerge.

A call for a new public spirit

Ghana doesn’t lack intelligence, ambition, or resources. What we lack is a common moral discipline — a shared belief that public office is a trust, not a trophy.

If we truly want progress, we must replace the “spending mindset” with a “stewardship mindset.” Development will never come from slogans or new policies alone. It will come from people — leaders and citizens alike — choosing honesty over excuses and service over self-interest.

The Ayawaso East case should not just fade as another headline. It should wake us up to the real problem holding this nation back — a mindset that must change before anything else can.