Ghana’s Election Security Costs Drain Resources from Essential Services

News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://www.newsghana.com.gh/ghanas-election-security-costs-drain-resources-from-essential-services/

Ghana spends millions of cedis securing each election while hospitals struggle with broken equipment and understaffed wards, highlighting how political mistrust diverts resources from critical public services.

The upcoming Akwatia by-election exemplifies this costly reality. Over 5,500 police officers will deploy for what should be a straightforward constituency vote, requiring substantial spending on accommodation, meals, transportation, fuel, and allowances for security personnel.

This massive security deployment has become routine since 1992, transforming elections from civic exercises into potential conflict zones. Each polling cycle brings allegations of rigging, intimidation, and violence threats, forcing authorities to treat voters as potential combatants rather than citizens exercising democratic rights.

The financial consequences extend far beyond ballot protection. While millions flow toward election security, Ridge Hospital in Accra operates with broken MRI and CT scanners that have remained out of service for years. Patients and doctors face impossible choices, often seeking expensive private alternatives for life-saving procedures.

This pattern repeats across Ghana’s healthcare system. Hospitals nationwide lack adequate staff, beds, and essential equipment while election budgets consume resources that could repair medical machines, purchase medications, or train healthcare workers.

The root cause lies in Ghana’s culture of political dishonesty and mistrust. Parties approach elections not with confidence in democratic processes, but with deep suspicion of rivals’ intentions. This skepticism has hardened over three decades, making mistrust the default assumption in political competition.

Since 1992, every election cycle has featured tension, accusations, and heavy police presence. What should be routine democratic participation has become ritualized preparation for potential chaos. The state overspends on protection not by choice, but because the alternative risks widespread unrest.

The trade-off proves deeply troubling. Citizens lose twice under this system: first through elections marked by suspicion rather than celebration, and second through underfunded public services that suffer while security costs spiral upward.

Until Ghana addresses the underlying dishonesty and mistrust poisoning its political culture, every ballot will carry costs the nation cannot sustainably afford. The choice between protecting democracy and protecting lives should never exist, yet Ghana faces this dilemma with each election cycle.

News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://www.newsghana.com.gh/ghanas-election-security-costs-drain-resources-from-essential-services/

Read More