Kwame Nkrumah cry your children import bananas

It saddens me to see Ghanaians eating imported banana, peanuts and even tinned tomatoes. When our country has the right weather for us to produce such. Our farmers are suffering, and so is our economy. Nevertheless, we never stop think why, why are we importing things we can easily produce.

We never protest against the government, or fight for our farmers. Or fight for our health, all these genetically modified products have a negative impact on our health. If we look after our farmers, they in turn will plant more and keep our rich historical heritage of our forests , as well as be able to provide for themselves and their families. We can reduce poverty and improve our economy.

We will also proudly be the owner of our own food stock. What don't we have in Ghana; we have chickens, cows, sheep, goat, fish, shrimps, cocoa, tomatoes, bananas, apples, oranges, coconut, yam, plantain and many more. Yet we don't see these as things of value, other countries long to be able to produce these, but their climates won't allow. Therefore they have to import, but we import, excuse me to say because we have no sense of pride.

Instead people will rather the land to harvest these plantations, is cut down so they can build their houses, offices, swimming pools, have big sized TV's and be like the European. They call it class. We spend so much time wishing we were somebody else from a different land. Instead of seeing our beautiful country has rainforests, Lions, Monkeys, Bats, Elephants , Hipopotamuses, birds of variety, lizards, many species of butterflies, gold, diamonds, waterfalls, oil and Shea butter to name a few. We have mountains, rich history, many languages, tribes and people. We have kente, different cloths and shades of black. We were the first African country to gain independence. We hold one of the biggest slave castles in Africa.

This is just a small look into what we have. Yet that is not enough for us. Other countries would die to have our peace, our arts and crafts, our masks, climate, beaches, and our respect for the human being. I am proud to be Ghanaian, I am proud that my great, great, great, great Grandmother was Ewe, who married an Akyem and gave birth to children, who then after some generations bore my great Grandfather an Akyem, who then married my great grandmother an Akyem. She bore my Grandmother, who married my grandfather, an Ashanti. Who are the parents of my Akyem mother. I am proud that my fathers Grandmother was a Ga, who married an Akuapem, hence her children were Akuapems. My paternal Grandmother married an Akuapem and bore my father. Making me an Akyem and Akuapem. I'm proud of the history behind all these tribes and Ghanaian tribes. I am proud those before me fought so I could enjoy Ghana as a free being and delight in all the resources it has.

Kwame Nkrumah and his revolutionaries fought so we could love ourselves as Ghanaians. Yet we are selling our birth right, to become a fake imitation of Europeans. These days some even want to be Indian, or Chinese, or a mix of everything but themselves. We do not read literature and history and see, we were loved and cherished by our forefathers. We are making their sufferings vain. I see Ghanaian movies imitating Nollywood, or European movies badly. What happened to our great culture, the people of Kwaku Ananse, folk tales, performance and dance ? Can they not write their own plays or scripts to reflect their people ? What are all these fake accents and ridiculous pretences ? Thank God for Kumawood ! We are Ghanaian, let's be ourselves. How tiring it must be for some to keep shedding their identity, in the hope one day they will become what they are not. We are depleting ourselves. The African, the Ghanaian can rule over his or herself without asking for permission from those of other countries to do so.

Being Ghanaian is a privilege, read some tribal poems, read about the slaves that set themselves free, read some Ghanaian literature- I don't mean the imitators. Look around you and take in the many things Ghana has to offer. Little by little you will learn to say "God bless our homeland Ghana" and thank you God for making me a Ghanaian. Maybe then you will start to fight to keep the heritage of our great country. If you see yourself and your country as nothing, I'm not surprised you don't fight for its benefits.

Signed a Ghanaian who wants you to know your worth so Ghana gets better.

Tuntum Nahana Akosua