'Independence is a state of mind' - Ghanaians to Mahama on facebook

Some Ghanaians have expressed mixed reactions,mostly criticism, to President John Mahama’s Facebook post in which he stated that the country has never looked backwards in the last 59 years and that independence is a state of mind.

Ahead of Sunday’s Independence Day celebration, President Mahama on Saturday night posted on Facebook: “we have, in keeping with our independence looked forward, and never backwards…We'll continue to work to transform our economy and our people. Independence is also a state of mind: it is about me and you and every Ghanaian.”

But the statement has attracted mixed comments most of which disagreed with the President’s statement on the basis that Ghana has failed to make significant progress in the last 59 years.

Solomon Ahaja commented that at 59 Ghana would be retiring in a year’s time if it were a human being, and wondered whether it will be retiring home with “empty hand or going to depend on his parents who are over 100 for survival”.

“We have everything you can think of to develop the country but we are still where we were some 50 years back. I must says the early days of this country were even better than as it is now because there was job all over but now there's not enough job to cater for the youth” he added.

Prince Prempeh Agyemang asked all the leaders who have ruled the country to bow their heads in shame, especially those from the National Democratic Congress, who he said has ruled a chunk of the years.

“Lack of planning, corruption, nepotism, selfishness, mediocrity, unpatriotic attitude has brought the nation [to a] stand still. 59 years after independent schools lack basic facilities such as classroom, chalks, and other learning materials while leaders are embezzling money of billions of dollars to enriched themselves, family members,” he stated.

Another person, Gideon Frimpong disagreed with President Mahama’s assertion that independence is a state of mind, saying, “Mr president, Independence is not and never state of mind but the state of progress from our nation from independence up to now.”

He argued that Ghana was an industrialise nation between 1960 to 1996 with a robust skill and technical training institution and numerous infrastructural project and relative resilient economy but same cannot be said of the now.

“The independence of the nation according to those who… saw the realisation of it was an independence from socio economic imperialism and democratic consolidation devoid of neo colonialism” Frimpong added.

To him, truest meaning of independence “is flawed in our national” due to what he termed as economic dictatorship from Bretton wood institutions.

For Nicholas Morkah the President’s assertion cannot be true arguing that the country keeps depreciating in all sectors.

Mr president it's 59 years down the lane and the country keeps depreciating in terms of infrastructure, industries, economy. My point is if we cast our mind back to how Dr Nkrumah started, almost all the infrastructure he left are no more and even if they exist, it is a mere white elephant.

There were also those who were in support of the President Mahama’s assertion.

Musah Jagiri commented “We as Ghanaians cannot feel the impact of our independence as a country unless our mind-set is changed positively towards our every endeavour and particularly about the Politics of insult and pride.

He contended that independence without the right mindset “is as good as servitude in tranquillity”, adding that Ghana can only get to where the citizens want it to be if they appreciate the little contributions of everybody and eschew laziness as a people.

“There should be that ‘we feeling’ towards every national discourse. This way, collectively we can accept our mistakes and therefore strive as such to solve them,” he added.

According to Musah Agwangwalu Tetemu “Most of[sic] Ghanaians don't understand the meaning of independent [sic], for me I will not ask Ghana to do something to me, I will try hard to do what I can for mother Ghana”