Attitudinal change is a prerequisite to achieving Ghana Beyond Aid - Prof Agyekum

Transforming the nation requires change in beliefs, values and attitudes, without which Ghana Beyond Aid will become a mirage, Professor Kofi Agyekum, acting Dean, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, has said.

He said there must be behavioural and attitudinal change in line with beliefs, values and norms of the African, embarking on critical thinking but not skewing transformation only in line with the Western form of attitudinal change.

Prof Agyekum said Ghana Beyond Aid would demand that Ghanaians adopt the attitude of critical thinking and that there was the need for the youth to embrace such skills to help put in it perspective.

He was speaking during a panel discussion on the topic: “Behaviour and Attitudinal Change in support of the Ghana Beyond Aid” as part of the 71st Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC).

The ANYSC, which was introduced in 1948 by the School of Continuing and Distance Education of the College of Education, University of Ghana, aims at bringing together people from all walks of life to deliberate on topical issues of national and international interest with speakers drawn from both academia and industry.

The three-day event is being held on the theme: “Attaining Ghana Beyond Aid: Prospects and Challenges”.

He said there was the need for a mental revolution that would lead to the change in attitudes of the citizenry, embracing the indigenous language and culture, which has the potential to help individuals to better appreciate and understand concepts.

He said there was the need for a holistic and overhauled education system and that there was the need for everyone to use the mother tongue because “the mother tongue is the cognitive tool that enlightens a child.

“Because of concept formation that comes with mother tongue, if you neglect it, it goes against … linguistic human rights,” Prof Agyekum added.

He said human tends to understand things better when expressed in languages that they feel comfortable and this case, the mother tongue.

He said language and culture should immerse into agriculture development because most of the terms and methods used in the agriculture sector would be better understood in the language that the people understand.

Prof Agyekum said all agriculture scientists’ research findings are in the colonial languages meanwhile most of the people involved in farming currently did not understand such languages hence the need to also render them into languages that the farmers could understand.

He said the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda should ensure that children were properly brought up to fit into society through relevant education, which aims at bringing up children to fit into the Ghanaian society.

Archbishop Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, the Archbishop of Cape Coast Diocese of the Catholic Church said for Ghana Beyond Aid to become a reality, there was the need for all citizens to liberate themselves from mental slavery of all forms.

He said: “I do believe in Ghana Beyond Aid and I would like to contribute all that I can as a Ghanaian and as a clergy man towards achieving it and as soon as possible”.

Quoting the parable of the talents in the Bible, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said all the endowment in the form of natural resources that the Almighty God has blessed the nation with would be accounted for as the citizenry had become stewards of them.

He said the agenda of Ghana Beyond Aid called for radical change of mindset thus the attitudes and behaviours in line with Christian values.

The Ghana Beyond Aid agenda is a bold pronouncement made by President Akufo-Addo, when he took over the helm of affairs towards creating a nation that would be self-sufficient and prosperous through prudent management of resources, governed according to the rule of law, promoting respect for human rights and principles of democratic accountability.