The day of mourning

Komenda sugar factory, July 2026
Prophet Kwame Mensah: “As we have gathered here today, let us mourn the loss of seven thousand direct and indirect jobs. And let us be reminded of the six thousand direct and indirect jobs at Adeiso, the largest Jute factory in West Africa. In total more than $ 83 Mio. Loss for the nation.

These children were born out of great hope for Mother Ghana. Loudspeakers up and down the country made the good news heard, and politicians praised it. Pictures and videos were put on social media for all to see, as proud parents do.

We know as Africans that we give birth to children, and after we have to breastfeed them wonder how we possibly could afford another child. We do this over and over again. Before we impregnate a woman to become a mother and count our blessings, cannot we sit back and analyse the future in all the needed and foreseeable details? This white elephant we have come to mourn today, ten years after the famous words were spoken that the new factory would employ thousands of workers, died an untimely, unnecessary, and preventable death. Enough land could have been contracted, the sugar import tax raised, the quantity reduced, and the right seedlings chosen.

Deutsche Bank in Germany puts up signboards to showcase the project it wants to build, inviting companies wanting to rent office spaces to sign rent contracts before any stone is ordered. Mercedes-Benz once put out the image of a car they had intended to build, and people rushed to order before a single car was built. Here in Ghana, in Parliament, we discuss toothpicks which we import from outside while we have trees,

Party politics and their maximum four to eight years in office make them decide on projects which they cannot finish during their tenure. They rush to set up interventions for voters to cast their ballots for them at the next general election. This makes it impossible to sit down and strategise well before taxpayers' money gets wasted. Any idea which comes and can hit headlines will be put into motion only to put the blame for not solving the problems caused onto the opposition newly in power.

The white man in his society wastes taxpayers' money as well. But he can afford it, and the political discourse takes care of the mess. We depend on the handshakes of two major parties and are trapped in their nets.

Do we need to ask Jesus Christ to enter our boat again and show us where and when to throw our net into the sea to catch fish? Our net is empty, and we are hungry. I think this time he will not show up to bail us out. He has shown himself once. Now it is on us to do the right things or employ a new captain to steer our boat into deeper waters where the fish hide.

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Let us pray!"