Ghanaian Students Society, Nottingham University Holds Ghana Independence Day Lecture

Ghanaian students at the University of Nottingham on Thursday 6th March 2014 as part of celebrating the 57th independence anniversary of the country have called on each other to make their knowledge and experiences acquired impact positively on the Nations Development.

The evening ceremony took an interesting dimension in discussing the countries highs and lows in its development since independence.

While underscoring successes chalked in GDP growth over the years the speaker Dr. Emmanuel Amissah, an Economics Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, in his speech raised concerns of the need to reduce the substantial gap between the rich and the poor, improve infrastructure and reliable access to basic amenities particularly potable water and electricity. The country has come a long way to still have persistent challenges with power outages, lack of access to portable water in rural and urban communities.

Dr. Amissah, also queried the over dependence on the Services sector which is volatile for growth. The effect of which, he said, was the strong impact of the global economic crunch on the country. He stated the need for industrial revolution by shifting attention to manufacturing which will promote sustainable growth and development. He compared Ghana with countries like Brasil, Malaysia and Cuba whom we started on a similar scale with but we are behind these countries because they pursued industrialisation. He also reiterated the need to strengthen national institutions to help the development process.

In contributing to the discussion Dr. Sam Okyere, a lecturer at Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham, demanded that every Ghanaian has to answer the question “who is a Ghanaian”? He reiterated the need for intellectual revolution where leaders must be responsible and should be questioned and held accountable – leaders must see themselves as servants of the people rather than being served. He called on Ghanaians to challenge poverty rather than see it as part of them.

On politics and development, the group believes no nation progresses with extreme antagonistic partisan politics taking over the bread and butter issues worth discussing to better the lot of the suffering masses. Our air waves are filled with individuals who are experts on every subject. Our introspection should clearly inform us that this approach has not served the collective good of the country, even if some individuals benefit from it. While we are busy politicising each single national issue, leaders of various institutions and workers still have the business as usual attitude. We shirk our civic responsibilities of protecting national interest in our dealings and at the least opportunity dupes this country. Of course if citizens are more than willing to dupe their country what will foreigners not do.

Furthermore, the group reckons that it is overdue for Ghanaians to appreciate the need for discipline in all spheres of the nations' development, including being accountable in our various work places. The group believes that 57 years is so long in the history of a nation to stop chanting “Ghana time” and realise that it is the only resource that both the rich and the poor have in equal measure: how each of us manages it may affect, not only the individual, but can have a collective impact on the nation.

Also, our country should be interested in research work of our universities and students sponsored to study abroad. Evidence from such work should guide decision making and necessary innovations. The usual attitude of this is “how we do things here” has never been a success story for any progressive nation. The group believes it does not matter who takes the credit as long as the outcome inures to the collective good of the Ghanaian people: Ghana must work again and assume its rightful place in the League of Nations.

The group wishes all Ghanaians across the world a happy 57th independence anniversary with a call to develop our country together in whatever role we find ourselves. Long live Ghana!!!

To find out more about the event and the society email [email protected]

Contact:
Osman Dufailu, President
[email protected]
+447584123306

Event Details;
Who: Nottingham University Ghanaian Students Society(NUGSS)

What: Ghana's 57TH Anniversary Independence Lecture

Where: Nottingham, United Kingdom
When: March 6, 2014.
General Public
For further information and clarifications email [email protected]