Security Analyst Adam Bonaa has attributed the frequent destruction of statues of former government leaders to what he describes as an underestimation of the anger among Ghana’s youth.
His remarks come after the bust of COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, the Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), was destroyed by unknown assailants on January 7, 2025.
The bust, which was unveiled in October 2024 and commissioned by EOCO staff to honor Addo-Danquah, was located in an area named “Obatanpa Tiwaa Gardens” in her honor.
The monument had been at the center of public controversy since its unveiling, with many questioning whether it had been installed with proper government approval.
The destruction of the EOCO bust follows a similar incident involving a statue of former President Nana Akufo-Addo. A portion of the statue, which was unveiled during his “thank you” tour of the Western Region on November 6, 2024, was also destroyed by unknown individuals near the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
In an interview on GHOne TV, Adam Bonaa attributed these acts of vandalism to the failure of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government to acknowledge and address the frustrations of the Ghanaian people.
He stated that the former leadership underestimated the level of anger and hopelessness among the youth, who face high unemployment, poor infrastructure, and rising living costs.
Bonaa argued that the outgone leadership’s decision to erect statues in their honor, despite public dissatisfaction, demonstrates their disregard for the people’s concerns.
He said, “What we are not getting right is probably the anger of the people. Mine is that the former regime didn’t actually know or even if they knew, they underestimated the level of hopelessness among the teaming youth who do not have jobs, the bad roads in the country, and high cost of living.”
“To make matters worse, the outgone leadership decided to build for themselves, including the president and COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa a bust for herself. Even though Ghanaians were not happy about it, it looks like they didn’t care and so they left them there.”
