Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and presidential hopeful, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has raised serious concerns about the sale of state-owned institutions to government cronies.
In an interview with Citi FM on Saturday, June 22, the convener of the Arise Ghana Movement questioned the rationale behind selling these assets to private individuals, advocating for the reform and revitalisation of non-performing state agencies instead.
Mr Mornah described the idea of selling off unprofitable state institutions as “myopic and midget thinking,” stressing that revamping these agencies would be a more effective way to optimise their potential and benefit the nation.
He emphasised the need for sustainable solutions to improve these institutions rather than resorting to privatisation.
He argued that state assets are entrusted to appointed officials for proper management and maintenance, not for personal enrichment through indiscriminate sales.
According to Mr Mornah, these assets should be managed with the nation’s best interests in mind, ensuring their long-term viability and contribution to national development.
“We select people so that they will be able to build upon the assets we have, to be able to add unto the wealth of our nation and not to come and steal the wealth of our nation,” Mornah stated.
“And so, when people are appointed into office, and they meet assets of the state, the least we expect of them is to maintain those assets and manage them. The more we expect of them is to actually increase the assets stock of our nation.”
Mr Mornah expressed his bewilderment at the actions of government appointees who, instead of focusing on growing and improving state assets, opt to sell them off for personal gain. He accused these officials of perpetuating a form of ‘state capture’ that benefits themselves at the expense of the nation, undermining public trust and accountability.
He continued, “But when you elect people to office and all that they do is to deliberately appoint persons that will see or supervise the seeming collapse of state assets, to serve as fodder for the sale of these assets to themselves, then society has to rise.”