Leadership Must Combine Vision, Unity, and Character for National Progress – Pastor Joshua Obeng

Pastor Joshua Obeng of the Calvary Charismatic Centre has called for a rethinking of leadership in Ghana, stressing that vision alone is not enough to drive national development without unity and the right leadership qualities.

Speaking in an interview with Kofi Boakye on Nkwantannanso on Opemsuo Radio, Pastor Obeng said leadership determines whether a nation moves forward or backward, warning that stagnation itself amounts to decline.

“Every leader is supposed to have a vision. Without leadership, we cannot move anything forward. We may be at zero, but leadership can take us either forward or backward even into the negative,” he said.

He observed that Ghana often prioritises charisma over character, noting that many leaders have visions but lack the personal qualities needed to implement them effectively.

“In Ghana, we often focus on vision and ignore qualities, yet those qualities are very important. One of our biggest problems is that we are too focused on charisma,” Pastor Obeng stated.

According to him, unity is a critical but missing ingredient in leadership, explaining that no vision can succeed if leaders are unable to bring people together behind a common goal.

“No vision can succeed without unity. One key quality every leader must have is the ability to unite people,” he noted, adding that political divisions often deepen after elections, making it difficult to achieve national goals.

He cited the failure of Vision 2020 as an example of how partisan politics undermine long-term development, explaining that once a vision is associated with a particular political party, successive governments abandon it.

“Vision 2020 was an NDC idea, so other political parties did not see the need to continue it, which is why it was not successful,” he said.

Pastor Obeng also challenged the perception that Ghana is a united society, arguing that unity often exists only at social events, while mistrust dominates business and national development efforts.

“Our society appears united on the surface, but in reality, it is not. We come together for funerals and weddings, but when it comes to business and national development, distrust sets in,” he remarked.

To address these challenges, he proposed the creation of a national policy framework developed through broad consultation and binding on all governments, regardless of political affiliation.

“The president should bring together leaders from political parties, traditional rulers, and major stakeholders to develop a national policy that every government must follow,”

Pastor Obeng said, adding that such a framework would enable Ghana to achieve sustained development.