Benjamin, a Ghanaian living in the UK, recently appeared on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami, where he shared his perspective on life abroad and Ghana’s past.
Quoting Bob Marley, he said, “If you know where you are coming from, you know your history.” He praised the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, who created jobs, built the Akosombo Dam, and established factories like the Komenda Sugar Factory, which once operated 24 hours a day. Benjamin also highlighted how affordable housing projects were built in Ghana without loans, with support from Canada, and how President Acheampong initiated projects such as the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
According to him, in the 1980s Ghanaians hardly traveled abroad because there were good jobs at home. Under Nkrumah and Acheampong, agriculture thrived, education was strong, and Ghana was even exporting teachers to South Africa. Neighboring countries like Kenya saw Ghana as a model, while Burkina Faso and Kenya relied on Ghana for electricity.
He noted that things changed after the Rawlings era, when Ghana began to decline, forcing people to seek opportunities abroad—even in difficult places such as the Gulf, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria. In the past, he said, foreigners like Lebanese and Syrians came to Ghana to work because the economy was vibrant. Families could easily support relatives, and crime was minimal since jobs were readily available. Market women could leave their goods unattended without fear of theft.
Benjamin concluded by lamenting how things have worsened, stressing that General Acheampong, who made Ghana better, was tragically executed.