Mode In Ghana Or Made In Ghana?

I write with disbelief and a heavy heart to the fact that many adverts in the media- radio, newspapers, television etc carry the jargon ‘ patronize made in Ghana goods’ and as citizens of a country suffering from Cedi depreciation, we still haven’t realized the mode these practices convey.

It is therefore through this regard that I title this epistle, ‘Mode in Ghana or Made in Ghana’. My boggling mind to the issue keeps wandering and I think I need answers to questions that emanate in the minds of many Ghanaians as a whole. Do we really practice what we preach?

The president of the Democratic Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has mounted many platforms and declared his stance in the patronage of the products made in Ghana in many occasions. The question here is, has his campaign yielded any clue or seed since the lunch? I guess not.

It was not long after the Presidents numerous campaigns as if he was disturbing the Ghanaian populace on the need to do locally made goods when our parliament of Ghana imported furniture from China. Growing up as a little boy seeking for knowledge, I learned a lot including all the commercials on our television screens.

I learned about ‘Agorwu’, ‘kpogas’ and many others. Agorwu produces standard furniture that competes with furniture in the USA, UK, and China. But the parliament of Ghana made an order to the Chinese to bring down furniture to decorate our law making house.

Do we practice what we preach? Did the president endorse the act by the Parliament of Ghana? Constitutionally, am not much enlightened since my quest to be a lawyer landed on rocks. I see myself feeble in that sector and I cannot make law for the highest law making body. I am Art inclined. I hereby refuse to be thrown into any contempt against Parliament on the act. Am only echoing over and over if we really practice what we preach.

In our homes, we all eat Vietnamese and Australian rice imported to this country. Meanwhile, there are many farmers who are into cultivation of large acres of rice. Why then will Government not empower these Ghanaian farmers to step up with their productions to the extent of exporting sections to stabilize our falling Cedi? Majority of us also use China made utensils in our kitchens. All Ghana need to do is set up factories to absorb the many unemployed graduates to enter into productions.

I heard about Dr.Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantaka of the Kristo Asafo Church when I was a little boy and I have passed three decades and am betting every Ghanaian that, the Kantaka we see in Ghana could have been a brand name like Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Infinity etc. We call it ‘PhD’- ‘Pull him Down’. Many of us celebrate the ‘PhD’ in Ghana. We refuse to recognize the efforts of others. - ‘It should have been me’, syndrome. Successive governments should have liaised Dr. Apostle Sarfo with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Kumasi Magazine to enter into productions. But what do we do? We rather insinuate, castigate and ridicule the Kantaka made. Ghana would have been one of the major producers of Cars,Televisions, Air conditions, Radio sets Refrigerators and many other appliances.

Because most of we the elite owe mansions, educate ourselves and children abroad we refuse to prioritize what we produce. We import all these things including tooth picks and ‘kako’. It’s a shame to this beautiful African country. The Kantaka Cars should have been patronized by all state officials to set the pace. We need not drive luxuriously in the Toyotas, Nissans and go to deceive the cheering populace to practice made in Ghana Goods.

I propose the state sponsors all vehicles supplied by government officials made by the Kantakas. I also believe if our security forces, the police, Fire service, the Military etc use the Kantakas, Ghana will be rubbing shoulders with China and Japan in terms of manufacturing vehicles. Mahindra pick-up cars were imported to Ghana for some selected few Second Cycle Schools. That could have been the Kantakas.

Ghanaian schools are collapsing and children of state officials lavish in the most expensive schools outside this continent and we want to practice made in Ghana Goods? Our sense of patriotism has diminished and all we have left is ‘GREED’.

Corruption has poisoned our heart and we find it difficult to differentiate between what is meant to last long and short.

Ghana has suffered enough from these acts of our leaders and I appeals to our God-given conscience to come together and rebuild this nation. If we are patronizing made in Ghana goods, we need not drive in Toyota Land cruisers, to make that campaign. We need to wear shoes made in Ghana, clothes made from ATL and GTP, the Woodins are all over. The trend should have been Made in Ghana not Mode in Ghana

Wisdom Bonuedi

The writer is a Teacher who writes issues on Education, Politics, Social life and Humanity

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