An opinion column in The Telegraph, a UK-based publication, has ignited a firestorm, with Ghana’s government officials accusing the British outlet of peddling “inaccuracies” disguised as opinion.
The dispute, erupting just days ago, centers on a debt restructuring agreement between the United Kingdom and Ghana and broader allegations of authoritarian drift under President John Mahama’s administration.
How It Started
The controversy began on November 2, when Mat Whatley, managing director of the consultancy Okapi Train, penned a scathing op-ed in The Telegraph titled “Why is Britain funding Ghana’s Leftist, Russia-sympathising government?”
Whatley argued that the UK should reconsider its financial support for Accra, portraying Mahama’s government as a “far-Leftward, anti-democratic” regime that persecutes political rivals and cozies up to Moscow at the expense of Western interests.
At the heart of Whatley’s critique is a bilateral deal struck in September, under which Britain agreed to extend Ghana’s repayment of a $256 million debt by 15 years, while committing to underwrite export credits for British firms to build infrastructure in the country.
Whatley framed this as a misguided gift from UK taxpayers to a government he accused of eroding democratic norms.
He cited the dismissal of Ghana’s chief justice, the dropping of corruption cases against Mahama’s allies, and a high-profile pursuit of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta — whom he described as a “Western man” educated at Yale — as evidence of “lawfare” designed to silence opponents.
Whatley also painted Mahama, who returned to the presidency in January after a decisive election victory in December 2024, as a Soviet sympathizer.
He referenced the president’s studies in Russia during his youth and a recent Guardian op-ed in which Mahama criticized Elon Musk and Donald Trump over South African issues.
“Ghana under Mahama is a bad port of call for Britain’s global re-engagement policy,” Whatley concluded, urging London to think twice before deepening ties.
Response from the Ghanaian Community
Prominent journalist Kwesi Pratt Jr., a veteran commentator and host on Accra-based Peace FM, lambasted Whatley on X (formerly Twitter).
“Those who claim to be champions of freedom ought to do their very best to be true to facts and stop conjuring up non-existent scenarios to justify their fixations“, Mr Pratt wrote.
Ghana’s Ministry of Finance issued a statement clarifying that the UK agreement is no “funding” or a handout but a pragmatic restructuring under the G20 Common Framework — the country’s third such deal after those with France and China — aimed at averting a broader West African debt crisis.
“Political, economic, and security uncertainties present huge challenges for democracies around the world, and especially in Africa. It does the Daily Telegraph no credit to add to such pressures by inviting such ill-informed, prejudicial and seemingly unfiltered comment“, the statement read.
It was signed by Raymond Acquah, the Technical Advisor, Strategic Communications and Public Relations from the Ministry of Finance.
“This benefits the UK by increasing the likelihood of repayment and shoring up a key partner against security, migration, and commercial risks,” the ministry said, emphasizing that the accord unlocks five stalled infrastructure projects vital for both economies.
In a detailed takedown published by Africa Briefing, Ghanaian analyst Jon Offei-Ansah dismantled Whatley’s claims point by point, labeling the column a “polemic” laced with “misinformation.”
On the Russia angle, Offei-Ansah noted Ghana’s non-aligned foreign policy, which includes abstaining on some UN votes but also condemning Moscow’s actions in Ukraine — including a 2022 General Assembly resolution demanding Russian withdrawal, which aligned with Britain’s position.
“Labeling it as crude pro-Russia sympathy ignores Ghana’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” he wrote.
Regarding Ofori-Atta, a holdover from the ousted New Patriotic Party government, the rebuttal highlighted ongoing investigations by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor into allegations of corruption involving revenue contracts, including a lavish National Cathedral project.
“This is about scoring culture-war points”
Mahama’s National Democratic Congress swept to power, promising to heal the wounds of economic mismanagement under the prior administration, which left the country with $2.5 billion in unpaid energy debts and a sovereign default.
Some of his early moves have included scrapping regressive taxes like the e-levy, rationalizing VAT rates, and pursuing IMF-backed reforms, which have been largely cheered by citizens.
Yet Whatley’s intervention taps into a deeper unease among some conservative voices in London, who view Mahama’s social-democratic bent — progressive taxation, anti-corruption probes — as a slippery slope toward “socialist” excess.
“This is about scoring culture-war points about ‘Leftists’ and ‘Russia-sympathisers’ than in confronting the real trade-offs of debt diplomacy,” Offei-Ansah argued in his Op-Ed in the Africa Briefing.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
