Confession: I Give Up On Ghana

I love Ghana. The reasons why I love Ghana and will choose her over many other places are many. I’ve schooled in Ghana from kindergarten to the last level. I’ve worked in the country. I’ve married and given birth here. I’ve lived in several parts of the country. I’m familiar with at least six regions because I’ve lived, schooled, or worked there. In sum, I’ve lived here my entire life. Growing up, I had a lot of hope. I was very positive that with hard work, I could become whatever I wanted to become. I didn’t attend the best of schools but I’ve learned a lot and strived to be the best as far as possible. Recently, however, faced with life and its intricacies, I’ve given up, not as a person, but on Ghana, my motherland. Among the many epiphanies that have led me to this conclusion and decision, I narrate a few.

Sometime in February 2021, I had a fallout with one politician, a national leader. That night, I lost all respect for this man. Further enquiries showed that he’s even more crass than what I witnessed of him. I gave up. I gave up because I expected respect for humanity and decorum from a person of his status. But he showed the opposite. He showed that what some leaders cared about were their selfish gains and nothing else. He proved that his leadership didn’t go beyond his office space and organization. He exhibited, in my limited opinion, a gross lack of intelligence and capacity to engage. His sense of entitlement was baseless. He couldn’t get down from the obvious high horse he’s been enjoying in his office. He thought that ‘horse’ could travel everywhere with him. He did not listen. He was all over, shouting, and throwing his hands about. Everybody but me had their hands behind, respectfully sucking up his idiocy. Folks, fools and idiots, indeed, grow old too. But I survived him and moved on.

On June 29, 2022 at exactly 6:57am I got a call that would change my life’s course. The caller said “Eazi, hurry here, your shop is on fire”. This got me shivering but I mustered courage and maintained composure. I drove straight to my shop’s location with the hope to save my investment. I parked and ran towards my shop but it was too late. My food joint, estimated at over GH160,000, was truly on fire. In a matter of minutes, the entire shop, all of its contents, and two nearby shops were razed down. I witnessed everything. I went home to pray after the fire service doused the fire and returned in the afternoon to assess the extent of damage. I got a call from the National Disaster Management Organisation requesting some details which I provided. I went to the station of the Ghana National Fire Service to assist with further details to aid investigation. Few days after, I went to the Ghana Police Service to provide statements to aid their investigations too. I opened up about all suspicions to the officers in charge. Ridiculously, the officer rather asked me to go to a certain location to ask about a suspect so they can effect arrest. Folks, till date, I haven’t heard anything from all these institutions. They have all my contacts and location to be able to reach me. But somebody or some people are just not doing what they are paid to do. And I have decided to focus my time and energy rebuilding than chasing people to do what they're supposed to do.

This disaster was huge for me. My savings run out. My stocks were finished in a matter of days. I had to rebuild as soon as ‘im’possible. I looked everywhere for loan but to no avail. What family and friends could provide was paltry compared to what was required. It could only support my upkeep. However, the messages of comfort were enormous. Family and friends were very supportive. But I needed capital to get back on my feet. A loan I had been working on prior to the accident wasn’t turning up. Eventually, the institution gave me only 40% of the amount I requested. This money could only cater for about 10% of the cost of rebuilding. I borrowed from all close people I could borrow from. I received donations from close people. I fell on my creditors as much as possible. And I depleted all my savings. At a point, all avenues had been exhausted. I am at my wits’ end. I have been dodging my creditors, avoiding some calls, and limiting my movements. At the same time, I owe a lot in school fees. The figure will blow your mind. Sometimes, I wonder at myself how I’m able to smile in spite of all these. The only thing that keeps me going is hope and the confidence that with consistent hard work, everything will fall back in place. The crux of all these, for me, was which support structures existed to support me and others in similar or worst situations? If any support exists, how easy is it to access them without compromises? With these and several other questions, I give up.

Upon running from bank to bank in search of loans, I have concluded that I need a job in the public sector to serve as a cushion in future unforeseen eventualities. In this effort, I have rather come face to face with “jobs for sale”. I saw a seeming job advert on a friend’s WhatsApp status so I asked about it. Unsurprisingly, he replied that it’ll cost me 10,000 to get appointment with the advertised institutions. Aside the fact that I don’t have the money, it doesn’t make sense to me to pay to get employed. After all the years of education, training, and experience? How will I even give off my best after securing the job? What will be my mindset about my colleagues or seniors? That they all got employed through same means? How will competence be measured at this place or institution I’ll be working in? It is a no no for me. That will be a huge compromise on my integrity. I give up on Ghana. I’m enjoying my ‘unemployment’ and struggles. I now understand why I haven’t heard from most of the jobs I’ve applied for most of which I felt qualified. It’s probably because I don’t know anyone up there. Somehow, I’m gladdened by this. I want to work where talent is valued and competence regarded.

Calls to relocate in search of greener or whatever pastures exist are making sense to me now. My mates, family, and friends outside the country who know me well always advice me to relocate. Until now, it has never made complete sense to me to assume, or even believe that I could make it easier and faster elsewhere than in my own country. I’m beginning to appreciate what they’ve been saying. I wish the best for myself and my motherland. But I give up. This surrender is neither cowardice nor lack of confidence. It’s conviction informed by experience. As a student of development, I think we’ve missed all the pointers of economic and social development. While our leaders appear clueless, the rest who follow seem carefree. Unfortunately, the few who know where we can get to and how we can get there are not given the opportunity and space to do so. They’re forced to join the masses to ride in the train heading nowhere. I’ve chosen not to ride with the masses. So help me God!

By: Mustapha Bin Usman

The author is a writer, entrepreneurship expert, business and life coach, entrepreneur, farmer, trainer, and teacher. You may contact him via email: [email protected] or on Mobile/ WhatsApp: +233 246 134 798 or visit his Facebook page:

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