Ghana is 59; What should we really be Celebrating orreflecting towards change?

Hurray! Ghana is 59;Should we really be Celebrating or reflecting towards change...?

It was on the 6th of March, out of a task that was daunting and might, a man with great valor descended words like thundercloud from mars:"At long last, the battle has ended! And thus, Ghana your beloved country is free forever!"

Yeah yeah!That was the eloquent and enthusiastic voice of my gallant first president.And worth as it was, the crowd with eyes widely opened cheered, hurray!Yes, it was a clean break and our country was given the long rope to think - free and build bridges again without looking neither East nor West but forward.

Infact,our forbearers haven't fought and won the battle,as expected,were confronted with the challenges of independence which in itself was a novelty,but where never overwhelmed by that fact and hence did more than Napoleon to avoid any penalties therefrom by taking useful steps to lay the foundation of our dear country...This was visible in the massive industrialization.Indeed, the country was very young,but their vision for the infant rare noun (Ghana) was long and we don't need to go any yonder to find the burden of that vision.It was a vision far beyond just political freedom.A vision of hope and transformation. And the message therein carried by the founder Dr . Kwame Nkrumah was clear enough, "Countrymen,the task ahead is great indeed, and heavy is the responsibility; and yet it is a noble and glorious challenge - a challenge which calls for the courage to dream, the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to do, the courage to envision, the courage to fight, the courage to work, the courage to achieve the highest excellence and the fullest greatness of man. Dare we ask for more in life?" Indeed, dare we ask for more in life!The message was thus simple!

They have laid their lives.They have prepared the way. And as birds of passage at the mercy of the creators say,are now eternally away!59 years down the lane, the baton has been handed over to successive crop of leaders to continue the leadership marathon race by intensifying the political freedom so anchored with extensions in economic freedom, financial freedom, freedom of the mind ad infinitum.

It is once again here, 59th Anniversary of our independence under the theme, "investing in the Youth for Ghana's Transformation".Yes, it's worth investing in the youth of our generation. But before we start investing in the youth, lets start reflecting on the truth:

After many decades of independence, have those so entrusted with power continued the vision, ideas,policies and transformation agenda of the founder?Have we invested in the youth already or we are now to start doing so in speach?Have our trustees led us in trust to reshape our destiny as a country through functional policy directions to justifiably pride ourselves as the beacon of democracy in Africa, and for that matter, the first African country South the Sahara to gain independence?Guided by our present condition and conscious,should our independence day provide a cause to celebrate the gains or a recourse to reflect again and think about our collective failures towards a change?Well, your answers might just be right as mine.

We are fifty-nine;several decades after independence,and as the age-long tradition goes, instead of reflecting to liberate the youth from unemployment and dysfunctional policies towards employment, we will be reviewing a national punishment of school children, voluntary organisations and security services under the scorching sun to atone for mediocrity or what Dr.Mensah Otabil refer to as "Ordinariness".We will be planting history wrongly in the minds of this innocent kids.Lets not be repeating history.Lets think again and reflect for change.Empower the youth - employ them!

Countrymen, I humbly submit that it's a point of reflection and change when after so many decades of independence,and with all the minerals, cocoa, oil,waterpower and fertile lands,the masses are still enslaved in unbridled poverty with little or no access to education and basic health care. When our educational system is still highly colonial in nature.Or is it the case of what Nkrumah said which I have slightly modified, "Ghana is a paradox which illustrate and highlight neocolonialism.Her earth is rich in natural resources, yet the products that come from above and below the soil continue to enrich, not Ghanaians predominantly, but the west or groups and individuals who work to Ghana's impoverishment".

Imagine this blank truth:after this many years, we feel very proud and content to kneel before the very people we boldly told in the face,"the black man is capable of managing his own affairs! for aid?These words were meant with action from the founding fathers but we long lost the vision and reaction,and surprisingly are not learning any lessons.As if he knew, Nkrumah rightly warned us against dependence on capitalist global institutions such as UNO and the Breton Woods institutions such as IMF and world bank.But a stubborn child is always a stubborn child and will not hearken to wise councel.Such a child is like the prodigal son whom after lavishing all his due in wild living would have to bow his head down in shame and return to where he had known for forgiveness and support.

Today,we are been forced to accept Gitmo detainees into our country despite the security threat that it may pose, because any action to the contrary will mean, No more aid! It started with gay rights and as God fearing as we believe ourselves to be, it was rejected with no dejection.Who knows what is next? We should be reflecting on this and not intensifying the colonial legacy of parading students as a punishment .Yes, we are punishing the students!And you know what?I was also punished before....

Agriculture which happen to be our backbone and major informal sector employer is reported to be on the verge of collapse by the World Bank.This should be a cause for reflection and change not celebration.

Countryman,this is our current state and a honest assessment of our individual and collective situation will reveal shame.But I can clearly state without equivocating that there is still hope for my country no matter the circumstances.And that hope is you and must be reborn on commonsense revolution and national reconstruction.We must think again and rip the gain!Let us together as a country, put our best foot's forward and scrape the transformation agenda together. Let us whistle in the night with eyes wide open.We can't be comfortably glorifying mediocrity year - in - year out. It's an error!It is equally an error to be matching when the masses are ironically "laughing".It doesn't happen that way.

Ghana was born in me. I love my country and challenge you at this point in history to stay awake and say:We will not sleep anymore!No more blind politics.Development we must. Poverty we must not.

I hope you read and appreciate this piece like a Ghanaian(statesman) and not a politician.

May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong to build a better nation.

By:ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL ( STUDENT )
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