It is now widely accepted that African countries, like those in the West, the Gulf, and Asia, cannot solve their developmental challenges without strong collaboration with a robust and resilient private sector.

Globally, entrepreneurs create jobs, finance infrastructure through taxes and fees, and deliver practical solutions to local problems. Yet in many African countries, private sector development has mostly benefited privileged foreign firms, often backed by their home governments, while local entrepreneurs struggle with limited support,

Unfair competition, and regulatory hostility.
In some cases, governments turn openly against their own businesspeople in a sad spectacle that has almost become normalised in our country.
More heartbreaking is the basis for these hostilities. They are often rooted in suspicions of political differences and ties to adversaries, resulting in years of effort and promising ideas being crushed through the state’s immense power. In every practical sense, I have sadly lived this experience in recent years.

For those who know me, it is clear I did not begin my business journey in cozy offices. For brevity, it is fair to say I started in the bustling Nima Market in Accra, trading rice, sugar, and cooking oil, during which I played every role necessary to sustain the business. I offloaded rice, helped manually transport goods to market women traders—some of whom still remember and jokingly refer to those days—and also acted as accountant, driver, and CEO all at once.

Back then, I was simply an ordinary person trading ordinary goods for ordinary people. Those early years shaped my outlook, which, as you will see later, proved valuable when adversity struck about nine years ago.

From Opportunity to Ambition

Trade teaches discipline in ways life and classrooms sometimes cannot. It teaches money management, trust, and resilience. From Nima Market, opportunity grew into ambition, strengthening my belief that indigenous resources, if properly managed, could build institutions that outlast individuals.

With the support of committed partners, that belief and ambition began to translate into investments across media, finance, education, manufacturing, and services. Each business created jobs for our compatriots, helping families escape unemployment and giving them hope. Taxes were paid, and expansion plans were drawn.

Burning My Dreams
By 2015–2017, growth felt natural, if not inevitable. Like many Ghanaians who care deeply about their country, I believed that operating within the law, strengthening governance, and committing capital locally were enough to guarantee protection and continuity.

Time proved me completely wrong.
From 2017 through 2024, my businesses entered a prolonged period of contraction. Growth stalled, operations weakened, and we were forced to shift from expansion to survival. Over time, financial losses turned into the painful experience of watching years of disciplined effort, sweat, and dreams crumble under sudden and overwhelming forces.
One moment captured the cruelty of that period: Class FM, part of a media platform that sustained multiple stations and dozens of livelihoods, was destroyed by fire.

Reflecting on that incident now, I feel it was more than a building that burned. It was an attempt to silence a voice, destroy trust, and erase the journey and dreams of a humble boy from the dusty landscapes of the Upper East Region.

Separately, I was subjected to prolonged prosecution and persecution. For nearly eight years, my life revolved around the courtroom. From Monday to Friday, I reported to court from 8 a.m. until sunset, under constant threat of warrants if I failed to appear. My entrepreneurial journey—which required presence and leadership—was replaced by legal survival, ultimately weakening my businesses.

Heritage Bank’s Takedown

There was also the collapse of Heritage Bank Limited, perhaps the most significant event for many readers.

Heritage was a licensed, operational bank with staff, depositors, assets, and obligations, led by experienced professionals. The venerable Prof. Kwesi Botchwey served as Chairman, bringing his extensive experience as a former Finance Minister, among other roles.

Source:TheDotNews