Thursday, 2 July 2015

Feature: Is Republican Ghana Healthy Enough?


It has been 55 years now since Ghana’s attainment of Republican status in July 1, 1960 which made the country a sovereign nation capable of governing itself. Yes! Dr. Kwame Nkrumah stated that in his Independence day speech, "new Africa is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all the black man is capable of managing his own affairs".

How have we been able to prove that point? Maybe "good" or possibly "not bad" could do as the answer to that question simply because as a nation, when better and best are available, good is not an option.

According to the WHO's definition, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Ghana is as healthy as the individuals in it, the citizenry, the stakeholders.

We are in a country where most people think that someone somewhere is responsible for making this nation and his/her home a better place. We are in a country where virtually no one can boost that the bank of justice isn't bankrupt; where throughout each sector, there is abetting or direct perpetuation of acts of bribery and corruption. A state where inwardly, there is a massive decline in morality but seen externally to be attribute of all persons. A state where helping one another to climb the ladder and to sustain a living is a vice rather than a virtue. 

We are in present day a country with individuals most of which Charlie Chaplin would describe as "think too much and feel little, love cleverness than kindness and gentleness; and have lost the way of life with greed poisoning the souls of many".

In a country that can metaphorically be described as vast ocean of material prosperity, many find it difficult to obtain their basic needs and live on a lonely Island of poverty.

It is left for you to decide whether Ghana is healthy or not.

As 900 prisoners are granted amnesty to mark this republic day, each citizen need to grant him/herself amnesty for most of our behaviors and thinking pattern because they imprison us, make us incapable of contributing to neighbour and national development, and retards all efforts to growth and  nation building.

Right from the least to the highest person,  Ghanaians need to be disciplined and selflessly dedicated to their responsibilities and leadership roles, and strive to leave a legacy wherever they find themselves. We should let peace, hardwork and honestly be our hallmarks and desist from all attributes that mar a society and a nation. Constructive criticism is what is needed in this country with possible solutions not any other kind of arguments that just create disagreement and confusion in our various platforms, homes, workplaces and in the nation at large.

Napoleon Hill has it that, "there is one weakness in people for which there is no remedy. It is the universal weakness of lack of ambition."  Each stakeholder need to set a target towards this nation's development in any way, and work towards that so as to attain that desired inward joy and happiness of any successful individual.

Similarly, as His Excellency Dr. Kwame Nkrumah added in his independence day speech, "let us all remember that nothing can be done unless it has the purport and support of God". Ghanaians ought to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in all affairs especially in this present world where practices and activities hitherto considered unacceptable and not of human standard are being publicly and nationally declared as legal and a norm.

May we all embrace the words in the national anthem and proceed in truth and integrity to make our nation proud at least in our generation and those yet to come.

Long Live Ghanaians!
Long Live our Nation!!
Long Live Ghana!!!

SAMPSON KAFUI DJONOR
kadjnrsampson@gmail.com
0541 437 234

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