Why is the Ghanaian Academic silent?

For some time now, some public commentators have bemoaned the dearth of contributions by the Ghanaian academic community on on public affairs and public policy in particular. These commentators make it known that the only voice that speaks on behalf of the general population against bad governance and public policy remains that of civil society. I think it is easy to agree with this assessment of the Ghanaian academic community. In a series of posts, I will try to offer an account of some possible causes of this state of affairs. For now, here are my summary points:

1. Low financial incentives to engage in public discourse.

2. An immersion in theoretical and esoteric academic topics that bear little or no relevance to public affairs.

3. The disinterest of the Ghanaian media in rigorous articulation of academic opinions and commentary.

4. A decline in academic curiosity from the general population hence low motivation for contributions to public discourse.

5. A relative insulation from the everyday struggles and frustrations of the general population as brought about by government policies.

P.S. I may add to this list as and when my diagnosis evolve.