A United States of America based Economist, Dr. Sa-ad Iddrisu, is questioning the current pension system that we have in Ghana in relation to the recent cry for help by the veteran actor, Psalm Adjeteyfio.

Dr. Iddrisu noted that, it was refreshing to see how generous Ghanaians are in looking out for each other, and all those who have donated deserve praises.

However, he questioned whether Psalm Adjeteyfio’s cry for help is a failure of our pension system. “That being said, can we view TT’s cry for help as a failure of our pension system in the country? If so, the questions that comes to mind will be: Is TT receiving pension? How much does he receive a month if he does? How sustainable is it in relation to current cost of living in the country? These are questions I think we should all be asking ourselves as Ghanaians because TT may not be the only aged person facing this crisis. There are thousands of pensioners all across the country whose cry for help may not make it to social media platforms to receive the needed attention like that of TT.”

Below is the full statement from Dr. Iddrisu:

About a week ago, there was a cry for help by the veteran actor, Psalm Adjeteyfio (aka TT, aka Taxi driver). A lot of Ghanaians responded to that call and assisted in various ways of which the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, also gave an amount of GH¢50,000. The Greater Accra Regional, Henry Quartey also made a pledge of GH¢1,500 monthly to support him until 2025.

These are all great and it is refreshing to know how generous we are as Ghanaians in helping each other, and all those who have donated, surely deserve praises.

That being said, can we view TT’s cry for help as a failure of our pension system in the country? If so, the questions that come to mind will be: Is TT receiving pension? How much does he receive a month if he does? How sustainable is it in relation to current cost of living in the country? These are questions I think we should all be asking ourselves as Ghanaians because TT may not be the only aged person facing this crisis. There are thousands of pensioners all across the country whose cry for help may not make it to social media platforms to receive the needed attention like that of TT.

From my perspective, addressing TT’s cry for help is like trying to fix one pothole on a highway with thousands of potholes. It would be best to channel resources and energy into rebuilding of the entire highway instead of attempting to fix a single pothole and thinking you have now solved the problem. Therefore, this the time for policy makers to reflect on our current pension system and redesign it to meet current living conditions, and if possible, make it mandatory for all working citizens to contribute to a national pension scheme as it’s done in America with the social security system.