The former Executive Vice President of Unilever Ghana and Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, has challenged Ghana’s professional class and media organisations to move beyond partisan disputes and focus more on the country’s development challenges, arguing that professional success must translate into improved living conditions for citizens.
He says professionals who have acquired knowledge, influence and leadership positions have a responsibility to help address the social and economic conditions affecting the wider population.
Speaking at a JoyNews and An Amalgam of Professionals event on Tuesday, October 20, he argued that the purpose of professional practice should not be separated from society’s broader development needs.
Drawing on the words of American writer Toni Morrison, Mr Nsarkoh said people who had attained positions of influence should use their opportunities to empower others.
He maintained that the responsibility was particularly urgent in societies where poverty, inequality and injustice continued to limit the prospects of many citizens.
“It is difficult to see how we can define a serious and meaningful purpose for the existence of any profession if its key outcomes are decoupled from moving society forward,” he said.
Mr Nsarkoh criticised what he described as the dominance of partisan arguments in national conversations, saying discussions about how to improve society had increasingly given way to political blame games.
He also challenged the media to reconsider its emphasis on partisan confrontations and personalities at the expense of substantive discussions about development.
He argued that the country needed more sustained engagement on how to improve livelihoods, strengthen institutions and create opportunities for people living in poverty.
Mr Nsarkoh also warned that widespread deprivation could undermine social stability, insisting that the long-term security of the wealthy could not be separated from the wellbeing of the wider population.
“The best solution to securing the long-term health of society that leads to peace, harmony and stability is to ensure that the popular classes can live in dignity,” he said.
He urged professionals, institutions and citizens to contribute more seriously to building a society grounded in dignity, development, freedom and justice.