Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, has once more chastised President Akufo-Addo for shunning responsibility for how the Ghanaian economy has been managed.

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The government has frequently said that the COVID-19 epidemic, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the banking sector clean-up are the main causes of the current economic headwinds.

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But Professor Hanke believes President Akufo-Addo has often played the blame game without taking full responsibility over the challenges in the economy which is now seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF), support programme.

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In a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb, Prof. Hanke in his regular commentary referenced Akufo-Addo’s remarks at the United General Assembly where he indicated that the Russia-Ukraine war has aggravated an already difficult situation for Ghana.

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“Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa,” Akufo-Addo earlier said.

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In his reaction, Professor Hanke on September 25 wrote, “When it comes to the source of #Ghana’s economic problems, Pres. Akufo-Addo plays the BLAME GAME. You know, it wasn’t me, it was the guy behind the tree. Today, I measure GHA's inflation at 83%/year. That's more than DOUBLE the phony official rate.”

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Professor Hanke who has taken a keen interest in the economic issues of Ghana in a separate tweet said Ghana’s economy was tanking – an expression which means the economy is down and there are fears of a recession.

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He has in on numerous occasions blamed the Akufo-Addo-led administration for putting the economy in a dire situation.

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Meanwhile, the Ghana Statistical Service recently announced that consumer inflation for August 2022 hit 33.9 percent from 31.7% in July, making it the highest rate recorded in 21 years.

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