Former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has described 2026 as a pivotal year for Ghana, calling on citizens and leaders alike to embrace truth, integrity, and moral renewal as the nation confronts critical challenges.
In a New Year message addressed to Ghanaians at home and abroad, Dr. Duffuor extended “sincere goodwill and renewed hope,” while urging deep reflection on the country’s collective path. He warned that Ghana is standing at “a critical crossroads,” where difficult truths must be confronted, noting that “truth with danger saves generations.”
According to him, the nation’s progress is being undermined by a gradual erosion of values that once anchored public life. He pointed to growing indiscipline on the roads, environmental neglect, and the persistent abuse of public trust as symptoms of a wider moral decline. These developments, he cautioned, threaten not only state institutions but also the ethical foundations of Ghanaian society.
Dr. Duffuor stressed that national recovery requires more than policy reforms, insisting that leadership must be grounded in truthfulness, dependability, public spirit, and a higher sense of duty. He argued that rebuilding trust demands citizens and leaders who place service above self-interest.
Central to his message was a call to deliberately shape the character of the next generation. He emphasized the need to mentor young people in integrity before the acquisition of skills, explaining that “skills without integrity are insufficient,” just as “integrity without skills is incomplete.”
He further advocated for intentional investment in religious and moral values across society, describing them as essential tools for raising a generation that respects life, keeps its word, values truth, and prioritizes the public good over private gain.
While acknowledging the sobering realities facing the country, Dr. Duffuor maintained that Ghana’s history is not one of despair but of resilience, conscience, and renewal. He asserted that meaningful national transformation cannot begin with policy alone but must start with character.
Describing renewal as the responsibility of “every parent, teacher, professional, faith leader, and public servant,” he framed 2026 as a defining moment in Ghana’s national journey.
The message concluded with a hopeful appeal for the new year to “renew our conscience, strengthen our unity, and awaken in us a shared commitment to the Ghana we owe ourselves and generations yet unborn.”
