Former Executive Vice-President of Global Markets at Unilever, Mr Yaw Nsarkoh, has called on the country’s intellectual and professional class to rise above indifference and reclaim their civic responsibilities as central pillars of a thriving democratic society.
Delivering a compelling occasional lecture at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra on Thursday, June 19, Mr Nsarkoh warned that democracy in Ghana is at risk of decay without the active engagement of its educated elite.
Speaking on the theme “Iniquities of Iniquity in Our Santa Claus Democracy”, a theme he described as the current state of politics in the country, Mr Nsarkoh cautioned that when intellectuals remain disengaged, democracy becomes a hollow ritual driven by transactional politics and short-term populism.
He argued that Ghana’s current political order prioritises patronage over progress, and entertainment over evidence-based policy, leaving room for incompetence and extreme inequality to fester.
“Peace, harmony, justice, and true freedom will continue to elude societies where egregious inequality is normalised and independent thought is feared,” he said.
Referencing Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Nsarkoh stressed that development requires more than economic growth; it demands the elimination of systemic poverty, deprivation, and political repression, all of which cannot be achieved without deep intellectual contribution.
Mr Nsarkoh lamented the erosion of Ghana’s public university system, which he said has historically been deeply connected with the struggles of ordinary people.
He attributed this decline to neoliberal reforms in the 1980s and 1990s that traumatised the intellectual culture of African higher education and weakened its role as a critical engine of democratic development.
Using examples from China and post-colonial reform movements, he underscored the transformative potential of knowledge and education in shaping policy. “All people who have made meaningful progress prioritised the acquisition and deployment of knowledge,” he noted, calling on Ghana to do the same through visionary policy choices that support research, originality, and academic integrity.
He then bemoaned the rise of pseudo-intellectualism in Ghana, with unearned academic titles and accolades becoming commonplace. “The media inflation of titles and the prostitution of the reward system for genuine achievement must be stridently and institutionally discouraged,” he warned.
He argued that such trends degrade the value of meritocracy and undermine the country’s capacity for excellence.
Mr Nsarkoh urged scholars and professionals not to retreat into ivory towers but to engage with society, collaborate, and help shape governance. “Intellectuals must build courage,” he said.
“No constitutional arrangement on earth can guarantee freedom to a people who are not willing to fight for it, cherish it, and organise to defend it,” he added.
He emphasised that Ghana must harness its intellectual capital not only to solve complex development challenges but to uphold the integrity and sustainability of its democratic project.
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