SELF-RELIANCE NOW

Our history tells us our forefathers fought for self-reliance for our dear country. This concept, I guess, is self-explanatory and hence there's no need to go over it. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to information about our country in the western media. I constantly try to find out information about Ghana online. When I do, many a times, I keep noticing that our local sources of information are not trusted.

Once I read the government of Ghana's portal and that of one of our Embassies abroad. I noticed that the sequence of words I was reading were very familiar. I remembered – I had read that from Wikipedia and Microsoft Encarta. How can our government copy and paste information from these sources on its portal for the world to read? Where is our Statistical service, Ministry of Information, Bureau of National Investigations? Don't they know anything about our country? This gives me, and most probably other people, the impression that our government doesn't trust its own internal sources of information.

Now to make matters worse, you visit this same Wikipedia or Encarta to see what exactly it says. Sometimes, you find things not seen or heard anywhere in our local media. Down the page, take a look at its references. If you're lucky you'll find that only 1 out of about 20 of the sources listed if from Ghana. Who should know better about what is happening in Ghana? GBC or BBC? But in the foreign media, you hardly see sources cited from Ghanaian institutions, even if they're talking about us. Why is that? Read on say the cargo plane accident in KIA or on President Mills or say Telecommunications in Ghana or any other article online of your choice then you'll see.

In science, it is said that all effects have a cause. So let's see what the cause of this problem might be. I think first of all, our governments for a long time haven't taken the initiative to strengthen our institutions and make them respectable. Not too long ago, I read Pres. Mahama had launched a “Brand Ghana” project. We need to make this work. We should be able to boldly cite our Ministry of Information, Statistical Service, etc. when we communicate with ourselves and the world. We need to show some confidence in them. Our country has to be seen for what it is. In this 21st century, people still believe there are no tarred roads in Africa, neither are there schools and hospitals. It's about time our ways are recognized and respected. This we actively need to do for ourselves.

It's about time our institutions not only be sources of employment for people but also a structure that has a purpose in the development of our country and place Ghana in its right position in the global village, a position we have denied ourselves for a long time. Nkrumah talked about it and was working towards it. When Obama visited, he reminded us about it. Our destiny is in our hands.

Ghana is our home and whatever becomes of it depends on you and I.

Andrew S. DZEBU
@donkhermikal89