Why Julius Debrah Gets It Right

Photograph of Julius Debrah

By V. L .K. Djokoto

Let me be clear from the outset: I believe Julius Debrah represents something essential about modern governance that we too often overlook in our rush to find the next big personality or transformative policy announcement. Having observed political leadership across continents, I can say with confidence that the qualities Debrah brings to his role as Chief of Staff in Ghana's current administration are precisely what effective government requires—even if they lack the flash that captures headlines.

I'm not neutral here. I don't know Julius Debrah personally, but I've spent enough time studying governance to recognise when someone is getting the fundamentals right. And from what I've observed since January 2025, Debrah is doing exactly that.

The Unglamorous Business of Getting Things Done

There's more to leadership than grand visions and stirring speeches. Don't misunderstand me—vision matters enormously. But vision without execution is merely aspiration. What distinguishes successful administrations from failed ones is the unglamorous work of coordination, discipline, and follow-through. This is where Debrah excels.

Consider his approach to government appointees. In May, he told them plainly that underperformance wouldn't be tolerated. He drew an analogy to running a boarding school—requiring checks, balances, and discipline. Some might find this old-fashioned. I find it refreshing. In an era when accountability often means little more than issuing apologies after failures, here's someone saying clearly: you will be held responsible for your work.

This isn't about creating a culture of fear. It's about creating a culture of professionalism. Every appointee's performance affects not just their ministry but the president's reputation and, ultimately, the government's ability to deliver for ordinary Ghanaians. Debrah understands this connection between individual accountability and collective success.

The Economics of Credibility

The economic achievements under Debrah's coordination speak to the power of disciplined governance. Ghana has seen inflation fall below 10 per cent, currency stabilisation, and declining interest rates. These aren't accidents. They're the result of coordinated policy implementation across finance, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

When Debrah addressed internal auditors in November, emphasizing transparency and accountability as foundations for the economic reset agenda, he wasn't delivering platitudes. He was articulating a philosophy that connects institutional integrity to macroeconomic performance. This is sophisticated governance dressed in simple language—and that's precisely how it should be done.

I've seen too many leaders complicate the straightforward and oversimplify the complex. Debrah does neither. His message to entrepreneurs was clear: government is a partner, not a competitor. The 24-hour economy initiative isn't just a slogan—it represents a fundamental rewiring of economic possibilities. But such ambitions require the kind of systematic coordination that only a competent Chief of Staff can provide.

The Grassroots Dimension

What particularly impresses me about Debrah is his grassroots sensibility. Politics isn't just about policy formulation in air-conditioned offices. It's about connecting with people where they live, understanding their concerns, and translating those concerns into actionable governance.

Debrah built this capacity during his earlier roles as Regional Minister and Minister of Local Government. The National Sanitation Day campaign wasn't a revolutionary policy, but it was smart, practical governance that mobilised communities and improved public health. The street-naming exercise addressed a real problem that affected urban planning and emergency services. These initiatives demonstrate an administrator who thinks about implementation, not just announcement.

His reputation as a "people person" and "unifier" matters more than it might seem. In deeply polarised political environments—and Ghana is hardly unique in facing polarisation—leaders who can work across divides become invaluable. This isn't about abandoning principles. It's about recognising that governance requires coalition-building, compromise, and the capacity to find common ground.

The Balance of Humility and Ambition

There's a particular quality in Debrah's approach that deserves highlighting: the balance between humility and ambition. He's ambitious for what government can achieve—economic transformation, improved services, better opportunities for Ghanaians. But he's humble about how to get there, recognising that success requires teamwork, discipline, and sustained effort rather than individual brilliance.

This balance matters. I've seen vaulting ambition allied with mediocrity produce disastrous results. I've also seen excessive caution masquerading as prudence prevent necessary change. Debrah appears to navigate between these extremes, maintaining focus on deliverable outcomes while pushing for meaningful progress.

His emphasis on competence in appointments reflects this balance. "The president needs people who can get it rolling," he said in January. This isn't ideology speaking—it's pragmatism. Effective governance requires effective people, selected for their ability to deliver rather than their capacity to please various constituencies.

The Test of Time

Of course, ten months is hardly enough time to make definitive judgments. The real test of any Chief of Staff lies not in the early honeymoon period but in sustaining performance through inevitable challenges and setbacks. Economic achievements can be reversed by external shocks or policy missteps. Political goodwill can evaporate when difficult decisions must be made.

But the foundations matter. Debrah has established a framework of accountability, coordination, and disciplined execution. He's built connections across political and social divides. He's demonstrated both administrative competence and strategic vision. These aren't guarantees of sustained success, but they're certainly prerequisites.

What Ghana—and Others—Can Learn

The broader lesson here extends beyond Ghana. In an age obsessed with disruption and transformation, we sometimes forget that good governance requires boring virtues: reliability, coordination, follow-through, accountability. These don't generate viral moments or inspirational quotes. They generate functioning governments.

Julius Debrah represents this alternative model of leadership—less about personality, more about performance; less about vision statements, more about implementation plans; less about inspiring speeches, more about holding people accountable for results.

I don't know whether history will judge Debrah as one of Ghana's great public servants. That depends on outcomes we cannot yet assess and factors beyond any individual's control. But I do know this: he's getting the fundamentals right. In modern governance, that's rarer and more valuable than we often acknowledge.

The question isn't whether Debrah is perfect—no one is. The question is whether he possesses the qualities necessary for effective coordination of government operations. On that score, the evidence from these first ten months suggests he does. Ghana would do well to recognise and support this kind of competent, disciplined, grassroots-connected leadership.

Because ultimately, that's what good government looks like. Not flashy, not revolutionary, but effective. And effectiveness, in the end, is what matters most.