The Centre for Democratic Movement has issued a stark warning that Ghana may be heading toward a dangerous social and economic crisis if government fails to urgently address what it describes as growing institutional breakdowns across the healthcare, agriculture, and cocoa sectors.

At a strongly-worded press conference in Accra, the movement accused the government of presiding over a worrying era of policy inconsistency, delayed decision-making, and governance inefficiency that is steadily eroding public confidence in state institutions.

According to the group, the continued closure of the Weija Paediatric Hospital, worsening food glut across farming communities, and rising frustrations within the cocoa sector are all symptoms of a deeper national governance crisis that now threatens livelihoods, food security, healthcare delivery, and economic stability.

The movement argued that the current challenges are no longer merely about policy implementation difficulties, but rather reflect a dangerous disconnect between government promises and the lived realities of ordinary citizens.

Weija Hospital Closure Sparks Outrage

The group singled out the Weija Paediatric Hospital as one of the most painful examples of what it called “state dysfunction.”

According to the movement, it is unacceptable that a reportedly completed specialist children’s hospital equipped to provide life-saving healthcare remains shut over unresolved procurement disputes, financial disagreements, and bureaucratic delays.

The CDM warned that while government agencies and contractors continue to trade accusations over procurement irregularities and alleged overpricing of medical equipment, vulnerable children and struggling families are paying the ultimate price.

The group said allegations suggesting that some hospital equipment may have been procured at inflated prices have raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in public project management.

However, the contractor linked to the project has denied all wrongdoing and insists all procurement procedures complied with approved standards.

The movement maintained that the conflicting claims between government and the contractor can only be resolved through a transparent independent forensic audit.

According to the group, all procurement documents, contracts, and audit findings connected to the project should immediately be made public to restore confidence in the healthcare infrastructure process.

The movement also broadened the discussion to include concerns over the fate of several stalled or delayed facilities under the government’s Agenda 111 project.

It noted that many of the hospitals announced under the initiative reportedly remain incomplete, under-resourced, or without clear timelines for commissioning despite repeated public assurances.

The group argued that completed but non-functional hospitals amount to wasted national investment and weaken public trust in governance systems.

Food Glut Turning Into Economic Disaster

The pressure group also painted a bleak picture of the agricultural sector, warning that thousands of farmers are now trapped in severe financial distress despite recording bumper harvests.

According to the CDM, large quantities of maize, rice, tomatoes, yam, sorghum, millet, and beans are rotting across farming communities because farmers cannot access reliable buyers, storage facilities, transportation systems, or government-backed market interventions.

The movement described the situation as one of the biggest contradictions confronting the country — where food abundance exists alongside rising hunger and food shortages.

While produce continues to spoil in farming communities, the group noted that schools, urban consumers, and vulnerable households continue to struggle with food supply challenges and high market prices.

“This is not an agricultural failure alone; it is a governance failure,” the conveners stressed.

The movement identified major farming belts in Ejura, Techiman, Kintampo, Atebubu, Wenchi, Agogo, Nkoranza, West Akim, Fanteakwa, and several northern production zones as areas hardest hit by the crisis.

According to the group, the crisis has exposed structural weaknesses in Ghana’s food distribution systems, storage capacity, agro-processing industry, feeder road network, and national buffer stock management.

The CDM warned that many farmers are gradually losing interest in agriculture because farming is becoming financially unsustainable.
It further expressed concern that some desperate farmers are now selling their farmlands to illegal miners, worsening the country’s environmental crisis.

CDM Questions 24-Hour Economy Vision

The movement also used the occasion to criticize the government’s proposed 24-hour economy agenda, arguing that the policy risks becoming an empty slogan if major structural inefficiencies within the agricultural value chain remain unresolved.

According to the group, government cannot successfully implement a productive 24-hour economy while food produce continues to rot due to poor logistics, weak market coordination, and insufficient storage infrastructure.

The movement argued that a genuine 24-hour economy should involve aggressive investment in food processing factories, cold-chain systems, aggregation centres, transportation networks, and nationwide supply chain coordination.

Instead, the group accused government of focusing more on the “optics” of 24-hour markets without addressing the deeper structural bottlenecks affecting farmers and food distribution.

Cocoa Sector Anxiety Deepens

The movement further warned that Ghana’s cocoa industry — one of the country’s most strategic economic sectors — is facing mounting uncertainty that could threaten national export earnings and rural livelihoods.

According to the group, cocoa farmers are battling rising production costs, delayed payments, declining productivity, climate-related risks, and growing uncertainty over producer pricing systems.

The CDM cited historical producer price trends released by Ghana Cocoa Board and argued that although cocoa prices experienced significant upward reviews in recent years, current developments have created anxiety within farming communities.

The group claimed that recent downward pricing adjustments and restructuring concerns are worsening hardship among cocoa farmers at a time when illegal mining continues to destroy cocoa lands across several regions.

According to the movement, if frustrations within the sector are not addressed urgently, Ghana risks increased cocoa smuggling, declining production, rising rural poverty, and long-term damage to the cocoa industry.

The group also warned that the abandonment of cocoa farming could accelerate if farmers continue to feel neglected by policymakers.

“The State Is Becoming Increasingly Unresponsive”

The CDM concluded that the problems affecting healthcare, agriculture, and cocoa production all point to a larger institutional problem confronting the country.

According to the movement, the growing challenge is not necessarily the absence of policies or projects, but the inability of institutions to effectively coordinate and deliver results that improve the lives of citizens.

The group argued that when governance systems become slow, weak, and unresponsive, it is ordinary Ghanaians who suffer most through worsening healthcare, unemployment, food insecurity, and economic hardship.

The movement therefore called on government to urgently restore confidence through transparency, accountability, and stronger institutional leadership.

It stressed that citizens are no longer interested in promises alone, but expect measurable action and responsiveness from state institutions.

“The state must not normalize delays while citizens continue to suffer,” the movement declared.