Comment: Ghana and Pastor Mensa Otabil

I recently saw in a news article in a Ghanaian newspaper what, I think, was a veiled attempt to paint Pastor Mensa Otabil in a negative light, for struggling to own a property in America. Please they shouldn't. I live here in the US, and I really wish, and indeed, pray every day that that kind of ownership shall be average for every African.

Africans also deserve better, and ownerships like this must ultimately become normal with us and inspire us. These were young boys who, in their early twenties and in so-called mushroom churches, took God’s Word seriously.

Against all odds in the 1980s, they inspired and gave hope to their classmates and fellow young boys and girls to believe in Ghana, trust God and remain in the country; when many privileged ones were leaving in droves. I think that we must rather encourage preachers like him to continue doing what they have consistently been doing since the turbulent days of the 1980s.

A home like this may unfortunately look overwhelming to many Ghanaians and Africans (except perhaps South Africans) But by world standards (where many Africans also aspire to rightfully operate) it is still so average and humble for a University President, if we truly want to contribute to our collective world.

One of the greatest Chinese Leaders, Mao Tse-Tung, had a Theory which was summed up in his slogan: "We should let some people get rich first, both in the countryside and in the urban areas. To get rich by hard work is glorious"Mao also proclaimed: "Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend." (Mao had used this to signal what he had wanted from the intellectuals of the country, for different and competing ideologies to voice their opinions about the issues of the day in China.

I'm not sure, but probably that newspaper was trying to create a negative public perception of Otabil, for voicing his opinion about the current state of the Ghanaian economy. But please, don't let us destroy our own.

Let us protect people like that as national assets. Let us rather allow "A hundred flowers to bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend." For such philosophies like Mao's shall rather accelerate our much-needed development, not hinder it.O Ghana and Africa, when good comes to us, it is also good.