Ghana our Motherland
I sit here brooding over how to craft this post about Ghana, my beloved country of birth. The initial thought I had was to present Ghana as a person and assume a coaching session with Ghana or have Ghana before God similar to an accountability session. There was so much about Ghana to talk about that I had no idea where to start from. I was also hoping to put something together before the elections but it is never too late. So here I go……
Ghana is a beautiful land with a special purpose, unfortunately as citizens and residents, we do not seem to enjoy this. Why? I doubt we may find all the answers at a go, to Ghana’s challenges but like everyone on a journey, it never ends till death shows up. Much as we all complain about Ghana, it is sad to say that, that’s how most of us run our companies or businesses and even serve those who employed us for our services.
Sometimes, we are destined to create something new for others to follow or learn from, but if we don’t solidify the foundation of who we are and what we stand for (often done behind the scenes), we end up adopting models that worked for others but might not suit us. It is sad to know that born and bred Ghanaian children do not even know what Ghana stands for. They know more about other countries than about Ghana. I am no exception and I cannot talk without walking the talk. So help me God to work gradually to make them appreciate and value Ghana even when Ghana is not reflecting such vibes. No matter where you move or relocate to, Ghana will always be a part of you. Some of us will work directly on the soil and others will help Ghana from other countries like how family members toil in foreign lands and send resources (technical know-how, financial and non-financial) back home.
Building the Ghana we desire requires sacrifice. We must work hard, even if we don’t benefit directly or immediately, so the next generation can face less toil. After all, the RED in our flag symbolizes the sacrifices of our forefathers.
It is also important to mention that we need more committed and self-less leaders and workers plus good structures and systems. A good leader with ineffective systems leads to wastage and a bad leader with effective systems leads to frustration. We need both, that is self-less leadership and effective systems and structures. Inasmuch as we are grateful to God for peaceful elections, no leader is our saviour. We must all commit to building a Ghana that aligns with God’s plans for this land. We have over the years done a lot more talking than walking. Let’s flip this and do more walking than talking. We can also create the change we want from working on ourselves and mindsets, to our families, communities, towns etc. Never forget this! Nothing is too small as far as positive impact is concerned.
Now where do we start from?
1. Gratitude
Let us all come together to thank God for peaceful elections. We pray for the souls lost and families who lost loved ones regardless of whether they were right or wrong. There are also learning points and great KPIs for next elections until we reach a point where elections are free of issues or clashes. It is a process.
2. Prayer
The President-elect is not our saviour! We must pray for him because the work has just begun. We need to pray that he leads the country in the right direction and that everyone in governance commits to nation-building rather than self-serving interests. This role demands sacrifice above all else.
3. Sankofa
I briefly mentioned purpose and mindset. I believe we must honour the sacrifices of our forefathers by ensuring their efforts are not wasted. We need historians etc to dig deeper and research into the REAL TRUTH of the formation of Ghana. I believe we will discover that certain values would stand out. These are what we can use to inspire hope especially among the middle to older generation and also create syllabus to build or secure the foundation in the younger generation. The National Pledge and Anthem should begin to have a more meaningful and intrinsic meaning. We might not have a lot of time but the younger generations have a lot of time and hope to spare hopefully.
Yellow which is our rich mineral resources; we need to reflect on what went wrong and salvage what we can with Ghana in mind and lessons never to repeat.
Green is our natural resources. Are we actively preserving the resources we have been blessed with? How can we ensure that every citizen, from the unborn baby to the aged, understands their responsibility and takes action? Beyond raising awareness and embedding this responsibility into the daily lives of every Ghanaian, we must establish effective, independent accountability systems to maintain order and control.
The black star is the lodestar of African freedom. The question is, ‘Are we really free?’ We should keep in mind that freedom is not only physical but also mental. Additionally, I believe that our traditions can be modified without changing its core to adapt to contemporary times.
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children
Psalm 78:6
4. Be the influence and not the influenced
Ghana is known to be peaceful and hospitable but over the years we might have missed something. Peaceful does not mean being open to everything even when it is wrong. We can be peaceful and firm at the same time. We can be hospitable and make gains through foreign exchange but not at the risk of losing our uniqueness. If peace and hospitability are our stronghold and purpose, let’s capitalise on that. We should show that indeed Ghana is the salt and light of the world when it comes to peace and hospitability. Salt that has lost its saltiness is of no value. We have to know what we lost and how it was lost before we proceed to rebuild. If anything should be destroyed, the foundations should never be to ensure that we can always rebuild.
Conclusion
I am still hopeful, though I do not know if you still are. I am hopeful not because we have a new President but because God showed up for Ghana and if we allow Him to lead and direct, God will restore to us His beautiful plans for us. We need to keep sowing seeds of hope and one day, I pray that we will all live to see that day, we will harvest these seeds in abundance.
At the end of it all, there will be individual and collective accountability. If individually we understand the assignment for Ghana then collectively it should not be challenging.
Lots of love,
