I grew up in Krofrom, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region and specifically in an area called colombia which has gained popularity over the years for illicit drugs trade and notoriety. My perceptions about life changed when I moved out of that enclave because I saw new things I previously closed my mind to as a result of my bounded rationality back then.
Each time I passed by an old man, my late father admonished me to gain their tutelage for wisdom was synonymous to grey but today, I could barely say same.
Today, Ghana as a country faces leadership challenges in almost every aspect of our social fabric, if not all. I must admit that it is quite pathetic that instead of common sense, patriotism, good stewardship, commitment, honesty and integrity, our beloved country is run with a political score card. Our nation has suffered most under the cold hands of hypocrisy and corruption such that, the future doesn’t look any better than gloomy.
Circumspect and seasoned speech in political debates remain optional, tribal bigotry still lingers in our fold, playing politics with religion and ultimately he who speaks the truth or attempts addressing the wrongs of ruling government(s) is blessed with vilification, a handful of scorn and the release of attack dogs in the name of “serial callers” on any such entity while the waters are muddied by the invincible hand.
In 1957, Ghana was the trail blazer in the fight for independence among others but in 2016 how are we faring in our fight with poverty, cholera and malaria, macro economic stability, unemployment, Dumsor, respect for rule of law, tribalism, women empowerment, child marriage, out-moded cultural practices, corruption, politics of insults, armed robbery, prostitution, teenage pregnancy, high cost of education, illiteracy, high cost of living, maternal mortality, flooding, fire outbreaks to mention but a few.
I have observed for sometime now that even developmental projects are done just for the politics and not in the supreme interest of the ordinary Ghanaian and definitely not with respect to the directive principle of state policy as spelt out in chapter six of the 1992 constitution of the fourth Republic.
With a chunk of the electorates having their votes on auto pilot, I wonder if the thumb is worth much in the geo-politics of our motherland because it is a fact that irrespective of the economic situation and the major issues surrounding governance, Volta region would on any day endorse the umbrella fraternity massively while the elephant would never be chased into the bush in the Ashanti region. So really, the politicians are going to keep on peddling lies, falsehood, deceit, propaganda and most likely (even though unfortunate), treat the vulnerable electorate like a teenager at puberty craving for love.
In my sober moments, I ask myself when we would get there but the sad reality is that I am not too sure whether or not our journey to greatness has started because somewhere in Africa, electoral reforms are done ten clear months to elections, somewhere in Africa an electoral commissioner returned to the state unused funds, somewhere in Africa a peaceful-free-fair-transparent elections is non-negotiable, somewhere in Africa a President has cut almost all unnecessary government expenditure on state officials, somewhere in Africa a government secured a VW assembly plant which is a big source of employment, somewhere in Africa probity and accountability is the watch word with little or no attention to triviality but what is happening in Ghana, your guess is as good as mine.
I hope and pray that we get there but the attitude of the youth in politics (the proverbial “babies with sharp teeth” and “greedy bastards”) sends shivers down the spine and I won’t be suprised if satan himself gets flabbergasted by their deeds. I doubt we would be in this state as a country if our leaders ever came across and adopted as a hallmark the motto of Mfantsipim School, “dwen hwe kan”, to wits, be visionary. I still remember the first thing Mr. Shittu Rasak taught my mates and I in KNUST JSS in our Pre-Technical Skills introductory class, “in pre-tech the first point to note is, always use the right tool for the right job”. This academic quote has been with me since that day and looking at some unfortunate happenings in our country, I make haste slowly in asking what drives our leaders of today in advancing Nation wrecking pursuits like the blind running into a pit unknowingly but in our case with alacrity.
Someday, our beloved country would be purged of the saturated impurities and I hope I live to see that day and while my mind ponders, I drop my pen.