Akosa lashes out at unpatriotic and greedy Ghanaians

Cape Coast, March 7, GNA - Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director- General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), on Monday, expressed concern about the fact that some unpatriotic Ghanaians were making money at the expense of the health and lives of their compatriots.

He said some people in the country were engaged in "atrocities" such as using industrial dye, which he described as "slow poison", to colour food items, 'konkonte' and chalk to manufacture antibiotics, and producing pesticide infested fruits and vegetables for consumption. Prof. Akosa, who expressed these concerns, when he delivered a paper on "The Role of Patriotism in the Affairs of Ghana Today", at a symposium on the theme "Ghana- 49 Years on How Far", organised by Youth for Action Ghana to mark the nation's independence anniversary celebration, therefore deplored the extent to which some people would go to make money.

On the brain drain, he echoed calls on the government to ensure the payment of "realistic wages", to retain the nation's human resource, particularly, the youth.

He regretted that the country had not created an enabling environment to entice "young minds" to stay and work, and described as unfortunate, the current situation where many of the country's young graduates were engaged in menial jobs outside, because even those jobs fetched them higher wages.

He pointed out that as a result of the situation, the about three million Ghanaians in the Diaspora, could not be said to be unpatriotic, because the system in the country was not favourable and did not ensure that those, who acquired skills and knowledge, lived decently.

The system, he said did also not ensure that those, who dropped out of school, were catered for, and said their plight was due to the "injustices in the education sector".

He said for instance, the country did not have 100 per cent school enrolment, while youth unemployment was so high and stressed the need for the country to "offer hope to the young people by creating an opportunity society that would allow all to achieve the best of their ability".

Professor Akosa noted that citizens of this country deserved better than they were getting and called for good governance and the enforcement of the rule of law to check corruption, moral decadence and what he termed "socio-economic upheavals".

He, however, called for patriotism from all Ghanaians and said there was the need to extend the proverbial hospitality to their fellow Ghanaians and not only to foreigners, who have no regard for them, adding that, "we must respect each other and have feeling for one another.

On the way forward, he said nobody should sit unconcerned and called for a concerted effort to redeem the country from the "doldrums" since at 49, Ghana should become of age.

Dr Nii Moi Thompson, an economist said, the economy of the country would improve if Ghanaians worked harder.

The Executive Director of Youth for Action Ghana, James Kwabena Bomfeh expressed the hope that, Ghanaians would soon measure success in "love, courage, honesty and sacrifice", and not in hate, greed, selfishness and corruption. 7 March 06