Ghana has nothing challenging or defining the purpose and dreams of her youth – Citizen Kofi

Dr Kofi Amoah, alias Citizen Kofi, has opined that he does not, at the moment, see a deliberate national ambition for excellence worthy of emulation by the youth.

He said today’s political leaders have reduced themselves to doing the basic things, and have not ‘pushed the envelope’ in a way that will radically change the fortunes of this country and by extension the African continent.

“Ghana has nothing challenging or defining the purpose and dreams of her youth and even her trained academics,” he told GhanaWeb in an interview.

Dr Amoah believes that it is only by daring to do what is beyond normal that this country can reset and return to the path of progress.

Dr Kofi Amoah, the pioneer of money transfer service to Africa and a passionate pan-Africanist, said it was that ‘can do’ spirit and determination to achieve the unthinkable that made Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah stand out among his peers pre and post-independence.

Dr Amoah believes the sciences, for example, offer abundant avenues to awaken the Ghanaian youth's conscience and show that everything is achievable once you put your mind to it.

Explaining his thoughts on microblogging site X, Kofi Amoah said, “Ghana must reconnect with its Nkrumah-inspired ambition for Space and Nuclear Energy Exploration. This will not only rekindle science and technology research but will also light up the dreams of our young people. This may also create a national ambition for excellence and purpose.”

Advancing his argument further, Dr Amoah said, “President Kennedy launched America’s Space Program when there were a lot of unknowns, too expensive for the American economy at the time but he motivated his entire country by telling them 'We must pursue it, not because it’s easy but because it’s hard'.

“This daring can-do crusade became a part of the American youth mindset and look at what that culture created downstream with Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Amazon.

"Most of the above mega-companies were launched by America’s youth in their 20s."

He added "A nation must always have something that shapes the mindset of its citizens to dream bigger, take chances and have the confidence to chart new courses.

"My proposal to rekindle Nkrumah’s dreams is part of that need to elevate the confidence of the youth and to support that with concrete examples of challenging goals and ambitions.”

Ghana must reconnect with its Nkrumah-inspired ambition for Space and Nuclear Energy Exploration

This will not only rekindle science and technology research but will also light up the dreams in our young people

May this also create a national ambition for excellence and purpose pic.twitter.com/G8UXoKPTF7

— CitizenKofi (@amoah_citizen) April 3, 2024

Dr Amoah also said he hopes and proposes that the media will push declared presidential candidates to come out and be more open and engaging on some of these “mindset” defining issues, without which our nation will continue to be blown, like a tumbleweed, lost and directionless.

"Ghana’s desire to achieve and progress must be guided by ambitious goals with purpose and programs fully understood and embraced by the populace.

Let’s rekindle the fire that set us up as the pathfinders and leaders in Africa and become a reliable succour to ourselves and others," he concluded.

KOD