I continued to travel the world in pursuit of education and opportunity, eventually leaving London to attend NYU in New York City. My goal was to obtain a degree in financial services and return home to build a career. Yet, as the corruption in Ghana continued through administration after administration, it ate away at the nation. Sadly, the United States was where the doors of opportunity finally opened for me. Raising a family in the diaspora, I became a dual citizen and expanded my career in the U.S., all while longing to return to my homeland.

I stayed connected to Ghana by becoming involved with social organizations serving the diaspora. As I met more Ghanaians, I realized my story was not unique. They, too, had fled Ghana in search of hope, opportunity, and a better life for their families.

Back home, nothing had changed. People lacked decent housing, clean water, jobs, basic healthcare, and social services. Resources were being drained by a corrupt two-party system that provided a lavish standard of living for themselves and their cronies—paying salaries 50, 100, or even 1,000 times higher than that of the average citizen.

As I continued my work in the U.S., I contacted Ghanaians living all over the world. We all longed to pursue our careers and raise our families in Ghana. I became active in fighting government policies alongside others at home and abroad, becoming a founding member of the Progressive Alliance Movement (PAM). We sought to challenge policies that were detrimental to Ghanaians everywhere.

The ruling parties feared giving those living abroad the right to vote. As a leader in PAM, we filed a lawsuit with the High Court in Accra to mandate the implementation of the Representation of the Peoples Amendment Act (ROPAA). The Court ruled in favor of the people, ordering the government to implement the structures necessary for the diaspora to vote according to Act 669. However, each administration found ways to circumvent these edicts—often by replacing the Electoral Commission (EC) every time a deadline approached. Nearly a decade after the ruling, the government has still failed to act. The diaspora still cannot vote.

Through PAM and other independent groups dissatisfied with the ruling parties, I fought unfair policies from the outside. Even after winning in court, it became apparent that more direct action was required to nourish the dream of true independence and oppose nepotism that is destroying our nation.

I returned home determined to create change from within. However, at every step, I became more disillusioned as I realized that official corruption and bribery were systemic. It was embedded in a two-party system that pretended to be adversaries while working together to use Ghana’s assets to enhance their own wealth.

I spent sleepless nights thinking about the actions an ordinary Ghanaian could take to change the course of the government. I thought of my parents’ generation, who were sure that a Ghanaian government would treat its citizens with equality and respect. I looked around and saw the opposite.

In 2019, I decided the choice was clear: I had to run for public office. As I considered various positions and interviewed for appointments, it became apparent that the only official who could effect systemic change and resuscitate our democracy was the President. I declared myself an aspirant for the Presidency in the 2020 election. As the campaign progressed, the EC placed roadblocks in the way of my ballot position.

I was discouraged but not defeated. I am continuing my pursuit of a corruption-free government to fulfill the hope of my parents’ generation and the freedom fighters of 1957. I am ready to lead with new ideas and restore the dreams of Ghanaians, today and tomorrow.