Interior Minister and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has cautioned Ghanaians against a growing tendency to celebrate people for their wealth without questioning how they acquired it.
He said the practice of elevating wealthy individuals to prominent positions in communities and religious institutions could have serious consequences for the younger generation.
Speaking at an event, Mr Muntaka expressed concern that people who accumulate wealth through questionable means are sometimes rewarded with titles, leadership roles and influence simply because of their financial standing.
He warned that such a culture could encourage young people to pursue wealth at all costs, while undermining the importance of education, integrity and skills.
“If people can do anything to get rich and they are revered in our society, then the future of the younger generation is at stake because they will also want to toe the same line,” he said.
The Interior Minister stressed that competence and knowledge must remain important considerations when selecting leaders, particularly in religious and community settings.
He questioned whether society would willingly entrust important responsibilities to individuals who lacked the necessary knowledge and skills.
“Who wants an illiterate who cannot even recite major verses in the Holy Quran to be their Imam? Nobody,” he said.
Mr Muntaka said the excessive emphasis on wealth was gradually threatening these values, particularly in communities where individuals who suddenly become wealthy are quickly accorded respect and leadership positions despite questions surrounding the source of their wealth.
He also criticised the influence of money in religious settings, urging religious leaders to discourage the practice.
“Even in our mosques, people claim seating positions because they are rich, and our Imams should fight against this,” he said.
According to him, allowing financial status to determine a person’s social standing could send the wrong message to young people and weaken the values needed to build responsible future leaders.
Mr Muntaka therefore called on religious leaders, traditional authorities and community leaders to work together to address what he described as a societal “canker”.
“I am pleading that we should work at safeguarding the future of the younger ones and focus on giving them the right upbringing to make them useful and good leaders tomorrow,” he said.
He further warned against encouraging young people to seek shortcuts to success through unexplained wealth.
“Let’s not let them copy the lifestyle of taking shortcuts to their future by making unexplained wealth,” he cautioned.
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