Ghana Must Work Again

“The black man is capable of managing his own affairs”-Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

It has been 56 years since Ghana attained independence.

Some people call it 56 years of retrogression. To others, it is 56 years of stagnation and to others, it is 56 years of pain and agony. Though I partly disagree with them, I call it 56 years of lack of patriotism on the side of both the leaders of our country and we the citizens as well.

Ghana would have been better if we had shown a little more patriotism. What do I mean? The Warrior King(Ghana) would have been a better place had our leaders realized that Ghana is the only place we can call home and that no one but ourselves can make it what we want it to be.

How would the country have been if our leaders had used our resources judiciously on the things citizens needed, and not on wasteful and unneeded expenses?

Ghana would have been a better place had our leaders realized that, being a leader puts you at a position where the needs and interests of the citizenry are of paramount importance and not your personal, parochial and selfish interests and those of your political parties.

A position where you cry when things go wrong-when roads are bad, when there are no schools, when prices of goods go up and when citizens don't have jobs to do- and smile when things get better.

A position where you wake up each day and all you think of is 'my country and its people' instead of 'my pocket'. Ghana-a place I am always elated and proud to be associated with- would have been better had our leaders realized that, governments and their parties may come and go, but Ghana remains forever.

Citizens, do not be overexcited when the leaders are being criticized and blamed for the problems we face in our motherland. What have you also done as a citizen to help this lovely country of ours? What do you do at the work place when your superiors are not around?

What do you do on the roads when the police are not there? What do you do as a police officer when that driver over-speeds and there is no one watching but you.? Where do you dump that rubbish when no one watches? How do you use the water and electricity in your home and workplace?

These and many other questions, when answered will reveal the role we as citizens play towards the state in which our country is in now. I doubt if Kwame Nkrumah would make the statement he made in my introductory quote if he were alive today.

However, it would be very hypocritical if I 'bathed all Ghanaians with the same water'. It is undoubtedly clear that, it is because of the heroic, selfless, dedicated and patriotic sacrifices of great men and women of our motherland that we can boast of having a national identity and citizenship as well as sovereignty as a country. Outstanding among these men is Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah whose dream was to see Ghana become better than it was at his time.

Yes, he had his weaknesses and shortfalls as we all do, but our motherland would have seen a brighter light than we see today, if all our leaders had a vision similar to what Kwame Nkrumah had for Ghana. I would however like to seize the opportunity to salute all men and women who in one way or the other fought for Ghana's independence. To you I say; ayekoo.

Yes, the harm had been caused, our leaders have failed us, the water is not flowing, the lights are off, the roads are bad and price of fuel has gone up. Yes, the damage had been done, the mess had been created, but there is always a way out.

Today marks a reawakening of the Ghanaian-both young and old, both rich and poor, both leaders and ordinary citizens. Each one of us can make a difference. It does not matter how little it is. You do not need the highest level of education to make a change.

You do not need all the money in the world to make a difference. It all starts from doing the little things you refused to do- dumping refuse at the authorized places, not wasting water, putting off light and other electrical gadgets when not in use, not taking bribe, going to work at the right time and doing what you must do at work in order to be productive and other little things you may not regard as important.

To our leaders, this is the time for putting the national interest above our personal and partisan interests and think of developing our country. This is the time to put political differences aside and work for the betterment of mother Ghana.

To all of us, this is the time to see each other as Ghanaians, as people with common goals and destiny. Let us put our ethnic, religious and other differences aside and live as Ghanaians and not as Ewes, Akans, Gas and Dagombas. It is time for Dzigbordi, Akweley, Osei and Musah to come together as one people and work towards the development of our motherland. We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.

If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions. Let us go back and take our 'coats of patriotism', which we had hung for several years, because this is the time we need it most.

Remember, there are generations yet unborn whose lives will be influenced and dependent solely on the actions we take today and our forefathers as well as posterity will never forgive us if we don't make Ghana work again.

Let us arise and make our solemn vows to mother Ghana to build a nation strong in unity now and forever. It takes your little effort, my little effort and the other person's little effort to make Ghana work again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL GHANAIANS
GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA!!!
FELITSE KENNETH
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
[email protected]