What Precedence Are We Setting As A Country?

It is very difficult to write or comment on issues where people discuss with high emotions attached, and the issue I am about veering into remains no exception. But shall I be mute and watch because my personality is likely to be attacked should I speak? Ghana’s celebrated journalist and writer, Manasseh Azure once said that “If you shy from controversies as a writer, you can never make impact through writing” and it is against the backdrop of this statement that I write in my “timidity”. Shall it always be the case that politicians do things not because they are needed but rather for popularity sake? It is a question meant for us all to ponder over.

I have read in the news that government shall not give the late Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, popularly referred to as Ebony Reigns a state burial amidst the calls by some Ghanaians to give their departed heroine such a treat and honour. However, we are told by the minister in charge of tourism and creative arts that government will support the family in the best way it can to put up a befitting funeral for the songstress. As to the form the support will take, it is not revealed but your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the exact support is not said because it might be greeted with public outcry and hence there is a smart move to keep it from the general public. If government is not going to support in monetary terms, then in which other way is it going to help? Maybe the support will be kind but that is still money in my view.

Is the government also in talks with the family of the late Atsu Vondee to give him also a befitting burial? That was just a simple question I decided to ask maybe because he served the state’s interest direct as an ex-military man. Maybe that is also done except that it has not gotten media attention so I would not talk much. In any case, that is not the crux of my piece.

Let me just ask, when the poor farmer who feeds the nation dies, will government of the day come out to indicate government’s assurance of support for the family to give their bereaved a befitting burial? Maybe I should ask since we have lost some hardworking farmers in the past whether governments have been supporting the families to give them befitting burials. Is it the case that the creative art industry is more dear and important to government than agriculture and other sectors of the economy? How can a country that attaches more seriousness to entertainment develop to be like the Asian Tigers and the likes as we desire?

The current government arguably has implemented the most important policy in Ghana since independence (the Free Senior High Education) and is doing so well to sustain it but does that take away all the other problems in our educational sector? The young boy or girl in the village studying ICT has never seen a mouse before yet see my dear country has plans of supporting the burial of a songstress who probably made millions of money when alive. The University of Ghana lost a senior lecturer who before death was an expert in entrepreneurial education just this week because there was not enough space to accommodate him at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital and this sad news is not giving us an indication to spend more on health sector. The pregnant woman in my village loses her life on her way to deliver at the closest medical centre because of the bad nature of our roads yet fixing our bad roads is subservient to the need to support the burial of a deceased songstress.

This is what I refer to as misplaced priority. Maybe I should say we are majoring the minors and minoring the majors as university students say. In as much as I admit that government is doing greatly to fulfil its numerous promises, I believe there are lot more to do hence government must be put on its toes so that it does not miss its providential way. It is on this score that I write without thoughts of malice. I do not in any way take delight in Ebony’s death as that would be highly unchristian and so this article must not be misconstrued that my views are inspired by dislike for her. I only think we need to redirect our focus as a country and do first things first if we truly desire development.

I woke up to read in the news that somewhere in Singapore, the government is to pay bonus to all citizens after surplus budget. I am just wondering if we can also as a country get there one day if not today. Will our current priorities and decisions take us there? I rest my case.

Bright Agropah is a National Service Person with the Danquah Institute. The views expressed in this article are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any form or shape, those of the Danquah Institute. You may reach him on [email protected]