MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH

Ages ago, our fore fathers fought and struggled for the country Ghana. They fought with all their strength and might. They struggled, spilt blood and sweat for the country and its future. These ancestors of ours used their strength and physical powers because they did not know. They did not know because they did not learn. And since they did not learn, they did not know the TRUTH about certain things. The truth which was hidden from them made them to suffer.

An English biologist, Thomas Huxley once said “try to learn something about everything and everything about something”. Brethren, this is our time to learn. This is our time to find the truth. We are not strong enough to use our physical might to fight, therefore let us use our minds.

We should not just learn, but think. Confucius, a Chinese philosopher also stated that, “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger”.

Over a hundred years ago, Martin Luther a German monk, studied and learnt the life of the priests, thought and realised that the priest and the church as a whole was selling indulgence to the congregation. He stood against it and appealed to the church for selling indulgence to the congregation. He strongly disputed the claim that “freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with monetary values”. Martin Luther went further to write the ninety-five theses in 1517 which later led to the revolution in the Catholic Church. Martin Luther became the leader of the Protestants. This man we are talking about here, did not just feel like protesting but rather, he learnt to find the truth. And knowing the truth brought a change.

We can also bring a change. If we learn, we will know the truth. If we learn, no one will tell us a lie. If we learn, fake pastors will not lead as astray. If we learn, those greedy politicians will not deceive us. They that beg us to give them power, forget their responsibilities when they get it. All they do is to fill their pockets with our money and abandon their responsibilities. I blame them not. You know why? They have learnt but have refused to think, and has deliberately continue to keep the masses who are unwilling to learn in the dark. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the “big six” who fought for the freedom and independence of our nation did not think about filling their pockets. They did not think about buying and acquiring estates in the snow falling countries and living luxurious lives but rather about the future of Mother Ghana.

Today, look at our so called politicians. They call themselves leaders yet show no leadership qualities “heads abroad, anus at home”. Visionless and clueless leaders with no foresight. They sit up there and implement policies without analysing the effects it will have on the future generations to come. In some countries, time have been devoted to think and plan for the future generations but a child born in Ghana today can hardly tell what his future will be like. This is because nobody is planning and laying strong foundations for that child to build upon.

Have we ever sat to realise the effect of the re-denomination of the Ghanaian currency from the cedi to the new 'Ghana cedi' by our ex-president John Agyekum Kuffour's term of office? The policy which saw the four zeros (0000) being taken from the old cedi and saying “the value is the same”, where ten thousand Cedis (10,000) is known as one cedi (GHc1), in the new currency

This policy despite the fact that it made the currency very easy to carry, it made some currencies become valueless and 'useless'. Where is the 1pesewa coin? Where has it gone to? The deliberate termination of the 1 pesewa coin brought about and unwarranted inflation in prices. Since there was no smaller denominations like the one pesewa coin in the system, items which were supposed to be sold for 3pesewas were sold at 5pesewas. Now our 5pesewas is gradually fading out, since one can hardly buy an item for 5pesewas. Even the last time an attempt was made to increase the price of sachet water, the price was pecked at 20pesewas. We have refused to learn, think to find out, to realise and analyse why our currency is losing it value. While some are attributing it to evil spirits, other are saying it is the eight months long election dispute.

Ghana's currency, since January this year has been consistently depreciating, declining by more than four percent against the major international currencies. In 2013, our local currency suffered 17percent depreciation. You see! We have refused to learn, that is why the same thing keeps happening to us and we are praying to God to rise up our cedi's value. NO! Prayer will not solve the problem.

Brethren! We must learn, in order not to repeat the mistakes they are doing now. If we learn, we will not be selfish as they are. Let us love ourselves as Ghanaians and as one people. Let us put greed and selfishness aside.

If we learn, descendants of the devil will not introduce junky foods (GMOs) to us, package it nicely and deceived us to abandon our natural foods. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was not fed with lactogen. Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia was never fed with SMA, yet he was one of Africa's finest and greatest academicians. We ignorantly embrace these junky foods, and if we fall sick, the same people will give us toxic and demonic drugs. Day in day out, new diseases with new names evolve. We do not know where it originates from, because we have not learnt to know. We have not thought to seek for the hidden truth.

If we learn, we will not sit down and watch them to physically come and steal our natural resources, turn them into finished products and bring it back for us to purchase but this time, at very exorbitant prices. We will not sell our rich culture and identity to the whites like Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. Because of food. Nothing but food. Do you think if Esau knows how to cook, he will sell his birthright to Jacob? This is what will happen if we refuse to learn and reason.

Brethren! It is time for us to make our own future bright. With peace, unity and togetherness, we can build a better Ghana. If the name “Marley” pops out, what do you notice? Descendants of the reggae legend; Bob Marley, a united family, one blood, one spirit. Though they all have separate responsibilities, they are one in everything they do. They combine their powers and work as one people. I ask, what image can we create for ourselves, as one people, as a nation, and as Ghanaians?

Brethren! Let us live and liberate ourselves. The world is not evil. The world is fair. But until we learn, we will never know. Some of us may not have the opportunity to education, but us you grow, learn out of everything and about anything until you liberate yourself.

Surely! If we learn and think with one mind, one heart, one spirit and one motive, we will make the Ghana a place worth living.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

By; Nathaniel Abadji