God Bless Our Homeland

TOMORROW IS going to be a big day, no doubt and every Ghanaian should be able to enjoy the day.  After all, fifty-two years in any situation cannot be described as a mean achievement. But the day should also be a reflective one for us all.  After fifty-two years of independence, what has our country got to show for it?

It is all well and good that we have had independence for such a long time but the point is, what is independence if it doesn't do anything for you? While we have not done so badly as a nation, it is also obvious that we haven't done very well, given what our potentials and resources are.

When we look at the fact that other countries who gained independence the same time as us or even later have done remarkably better than us, we should ask ourselves what we could be doing wrong. 

When one considers the number of Ghanaians serving in international organizations, and how well they are doing, one cannot help but wonder why we are where we are.

The annoying part is that politicians keep promising us heaven and the moon when they are seeking power but once that is given to them they seem to forget entirely why they were put there in the first place.

There are still people in this country who cannot afford a decent meal a day, and they are still people in this country who cannot put their children through basic education despite the availability of such facilities as the FCUBE and the school feeding programme. 

What this should bring to the fore is the issue of whether enough provisions are being made to cater to the needs of the less privileged in the country.

There is also the other issue of housing and access to potable water and good environment. All one has to do is take a ride through some of the major cities in the night and one will realize   how many people have to spend the night under sheds and by roadsides. Of course this has been as a result of rural-urban migration.

And again, this should lead to the realization of the fact that if resources were evenly distributed, people would not have the need to rush to the cities just to have a bite of the national cake.

In the meantime, our relationship with world economies continues to be unequal; Ghana being a major exporter of raw materials and importer of finished products.

I mean we even go as far as importing toothpicks when we live in a country that has a major rain forest and therefore has wood in abundance.

As for food, the less said about it, the better. We are all guilty of consuming imported products to the detriment of our local ones. 

Clothes are the same. Now we wear more Western outfits than the locally made ones. The mere fact that the former administration sought to encourage the use of Ghanaian made outfits at least once a week is an admission of the fact that most people would rather dress in foreign outfits.

Commercial wisdom suggests that products should be tailored to meet current demands instead of insisting that old products be consumed merely because they originate from one's country.

These and many other issues continue to plague my mind as I think of my beautiful motherland and wonder what the future holds for her.

Meanwhile, I cannot help but wonder what form the celebrations will take tomorrow. I am just a bit tired of the march past which we have been doing for the past fifty-two years.

The gymnastics are okay and in the past two years there have been some fabulous displays. I hope there are a lot more innovative activities this year. I do hope though that the budget for the celebrations will not raise any criticisms, seeing as the umbrella is still questioning the budget for our fiftieth anniversary.

The new budget is coming out and the fulfillment of campaign promises have to be captured especially against the background that Ghanaians are still facing major hardships that can be overcome with prudent economic policies.

I hope that the framers of the budget were aware that it is not particularly necessary to throw out all policies of the previous administration as they seemed to be working effectively in maintaining economic stability.

Meanwhile, the cocoa farmers are waiting eagerly to see the fulfillment of the promises made by our good old president during the campaign and again during his maiden State of the Nation Address.

Oh, and there are also the shoe-shine boys and the kayayei and the unemployed who were promised a better Ghana under the umbrella. The President's hundred days in office is fast approaching and one cannot help but wonder what he will tell us if he decides to speak to us at all.

And what at all is wrong with these pastors? The way some of them conduct themselves leaves much to be desired. Why would a pastor discourage a sick person from seeking the medical attention they need to survive?

It has been said so many times that pastors end up being the cause of people's misfortunes instead of helping to relieve their stress. Hey, but what can I say, as it was noticed a long, long time ago, religion thrives where there are financial difficulties.

Now that I mention it, is that the reason our President is turning to men of the cloak? I hear the Castle has become a prayer camp. I hear the amount of tongues that get spoken there each morning will put Ashimolowo to shame.

But the point is, what is our President seeking? The face of God, divine healing or just the guidance to steer the affairs of the country? Whatever it is, this is much better than antoa nyamaa.

Oh, and I have heard that the brother of a certain vice president has so much money that it could last him ten lifetimes. I also hear that this money can be made available to certain specie of the human race if they are nice to him. The things money can do!

Meanwhile, Mumuni is beginning to annoy me. The man should either resign or keep mum and continue to chop small, small in his new position. I am a bit tired of politicians trying to use their positions to show people where power lies.

Ei, and I hear these days when one goes for early morning walks along the Cantonments area, one is likely to come across a lot of early retirees doing their morning exercises.

Anyway, it has always been exciting being a Ghanaian, broke or not; so at fifty-two, what can I say, God bless our homeland and make our nation strong, in the face of everything and anything!

By Aly Poku