By: Joyce Owusu
August 31, 2026
Member of Parliament for Asawase and Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has warned religious, traditional and community leaders against glorifying people whose sources of wealth cannot be explained. He said the growing tendency to celebrate wealthy individuals, regardless of how they acquired their fortunes, could have serious consequences for the values and aspirations of young people. According to Mr Muntaka, people who suddenly accumulate wealth are increasingly being accorded respect, titles and leadership positions in communities simply because of their financial status.
He cautioned that such practices could send a dangerous message to young people that financial success is more important than education, integrity, hard work and the acquisition of useful 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.” The Interior Minister said society must be particularly concerned about the influence of unexplained wealth on the upbringing of children and young people, warning that the glorification of questionable riches could encourage them to pursue shortcuts to success. He argued that competence and knowledge remain essential qualities for anyone entrusted with leadership, noting that society would ordinarily not accept an individual lacking the requisite knowledge for a critical leadership role.
Using religious leadership as an example, Mr Muntaka questioned whether worshippers would knowingly choose an individual without the necessary knowledge and competence to serve as an Imam. “Who wants an illiterate who cannot even recite major verses in the Holy Quran to be their Imam? Nobody,” he said. However, he expressed concern that the same emphasis on competence and knowledge was not always applied when individuals gained significant wealth. He said this contradiction was becoming evident in some communities, where people who acquire unexplained wealth are quickly elevated and given influence despite questions about their background or qualifications.
Mr Muntaka also drew attention to the growing influence of wealth within religious communities, particularly mosques, where he said financial status should not determine a person’s standing or access to privileged positions. “Even in our mosques, people claim seating positions because they are rich, and our Imams should fight against this,” he said. He urged Imams and other religious leaders to actively discourage the elevation of wealth above character, knowledge and service to the community. Beyond religious institutions, he called on traditional authorities and other community leaders to examine the values they project when they celebrate individuals primarily because of their financial strength.
Mr Muntaka described the glorification of unexplained wealth as a societal “canker” that requires a collective response, particularly because of its potential influence on the younger generation. He appealed to leaders to deliberately promote values that encourage young people to pursue education, develop skills and build their futures through legitimate means. “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 warned that allowing young people to see unexplained wealth as a shortcut to social recognition could encourage them to imitate lifestyles built around questionable sources of income. “Let’s not let them copy the lifestyle of taking shortcuts to their future by making unexplained wealth,” he said.
The Interior Minister stressed that the responsibility to reverse the trend rests not only with families but also with religious, traditional and community leaders, whose decisions and attitudes help shape the aspirations of the next generation. He therefore called for a conscious effort to ensure that social recognition and leadership are earned through character, competence, integrity and service rather than determined by the size of an individual’s wealth.
