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Atik Mohammed has diagnosed the state of Ghanaians, claiming the country's leaders have been exploiting the citizenry for their financial gains.

According to the aspiring General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), the leaders in the country have been indoctrinating the masses into thinking that they are worth nothing.

He explained to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" that the reason why many Ghanaians fail to have high aspirations for their lives is because the elected in the nation “indoctrinate the populace to think that progress is a crime and that poverty is what they deserve. Nobody should think ahead. Accept your current situation. So, the rulers exploit your very situation when they come into power to continue to perpetuate themselves in office at your own expense. In this way, your expectations are very timid.”

To him, the leaders and political figures have glorified "poverty" and used it as a symbol of pity to get elected into government offices.

But immediately they assume office, they tend to enrich themselves at the expense of the ordinary Ghanaian; Atik opined.

“It is because people are trained; they have been indoctrinated over a period to think that they deserve poverty. But poverty shouldn’t be anybody’s portion especially if you have had the slightest taste of it.”

Government appointees tend to “suppress people’s expectations and their aspirations so that we continue to remain the big boys in town. They don’t encourage them to also build the latest mansions. They don’t encourage them to want to aspire to the highest," he added.

He advised Ghanaians to dream big and also change their mindsets.

“People must always be encouraged to aspire for bigger things...Our mindset must be changed. People must be encouraged to aspire to the highest.”