Dwene Oman Yi Ho: Ghana Is For You and Me

Read Comments Comments (19)

• ghanaman 12 years ago

  What a timely call to the entire citizenry of the country. Politicians and others with power must realize they have a responsibility to serve the people, not to lord over the latter. Unfortunately any keen observer is faced w ...
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  What a timely call to the entire citizenry of the country. Politicians and others with power must realize they have a responsibility to serve the people, not to lord over the latter. Unfortunately any keen observer is faced with ever rising evidence of abuse of power, negligence, maladministration and gross indiscipline. Without the virtues extolled in the article, the nation will no doubt be on a path to "failed nation status". A brilliant and compelling essay by the author. Kudos, Stephen!

  reply
• K'Ous 12 years ago

  Great article once again. Ghana is for u and me!

  Great article once again. Ghana is for u and me!

  reply
• Prof. Appiah, USA! 12 years ago

  This is great. The ball is our court!

  This is great. The ball is our court!

  reply
• Francis Akoetey, Lappeenranta 12 years ago

  This article re-echoes the issue about corruption. I hope people will take this seriously and play their roles and responsibilities in the taste of patriotism

  This article re-echoes the issue about corruption. I hope people will take this seriously and play their roles and responsibilities in the taste of patriotism

  reply
• Stephen-Pipes Afrifa 12 years ago

  I feel proud to be Ghanaian as we're enjoying a peaceful atmosphere despite the economic hardships as mentioned.
  
  However, the rate at which the name Ghana is put into bad faith at the international level is alarming. The c ...
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  I feel proud to be Ghanaian as we're enjoying a peaceful atmosphere despite the economic hardships as mentioned.
  
  However, the rate at which the name Ghana is put into bad faith at the international level is alarming. The cocaine saga by Ahmed reminds me of a recent one at Takoradi. The ship waving Ghanaian flag with a cocaine worth $50m in it was arrested by the navy, good job done .
  
  Believe it or not any investigation conducted on this matter will hit the wall due to rampant bribery in the country. The institutions are not working, hence this easy and fraudly way to acquire a Ghanaian passport to tanish our image as a country. I rest my case!!!

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• Fidelis 12 years ago

  Nice write up

  Nice write up

  reply
• Nash 12 years ago

  Great job from Da, I love it

  Great job from Da, I love it

  reply
• BRETUOBA 12 years ago

  We all must be proud to be Ghanaians. There is light at the end of the tunnel

  We all must be proud to be Ghanaians. There is light at the end of the tunnel

  reply
• KOFI YESU 12 years ago

  A very thought-provoking article. We must be proud to be Ghanaians.

  A very thought-provoking article. We must be proud to be Ghanaians.

  reply
• Abi 12 years ago

  In fact, we in Ghana are better than most other African countries. But we can still do with a lot of better - if only the politicians will not be thinking too much about their own stomachs

  In fact, we in Ghana are better than most other African countries. But we can still do with a lot of better - if only the politicians will not be thinking too much about their own stomachs

  reply
• ASANTE 12 years ago

  How can a Ghanaian passport be given to a Lebanese? THat is the problem we should all rise and solve together.

  How can a Ghanaian passport be given to a Lebanese? THat is the problem we should all rise and solve together.

  reply
• George Amoo 12 years ago

  this is true papa but u know the goveernment is corrupt and corruption has grown so far to the very ground at a point where even buying wakye by the road side u find the seller serving someone who just came a second ago while ...
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  this is true papa but u know the goveernment is corrupt and corruption has grown so far to the very ground at a point where even buying wakye by the road side u find the seller serving someone who just came a second ago whiles u who has been standing in line for soo long is still waiting. It will take very long if not possible to fix this problem we have in Ghana and in Africa as aa whole. Our leaders are corrupt therefore it breeds a nation of corruption

  reply
• Chas 12 years ago

  Yes, Good job! you have said it right,but what or where is the investigations leading as to? so that we could take some of the bad nuts out of the society. Thank you.

  Yes, Good job! you have said it right,but what or where is the investigations leading as to? so that we could take some of the bad nuts out of the society. Thank you.

  reply
• Markos Lemma MD,Phd 12 years ago

  Allow me to introduce myself first. I am from Ethiopia who was forced to leave his beloved people and country during the murdererous regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam and after arriving in Europe I got my Medical degree and ...
  read full comment

  Allow me to introduce myself first. I am from Ethiopia who was forced to leave his beloved people and country during the murdererous regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam and after arriving in Europe I got my Medical degree and then after as couple of years started and succefully become a specialist.
  I agree with everything that Mr. Stephen Atta Owusu has wrote. In fact I know him personally being a Pan-Africanist and a cosmopolitan, Gentel and soft spoken highely efucated person.
  He has raised a couple of extremely important questions and allow me to begin with the first one: quote ”.. Why is it so easy for a foreigner to acquire a Ghanian passport?..” unquote. To begin with immigration to Ghana did not start today. Even one of my favorite The Honerable W.E.B Dubois whose entire writtings of volumes I still keep preferd to immigrate to Ghana and afterall it is the country of The Honerable and great Pan-Africanist Kuame Nkrumah. But we also first and foremost of all have to be very honest to ourselves and admit the fact that Ghanians that I met in Europe and during my visit to the U.S.A during my travels to participate in medical congressess even before Ghana was blessed and found a crude oil, each and every Ghanian that I met was somehow so obsessed to immitate Nigerian way of thinking and style of life.
  It is a well known fact that Nigeria and Nigerians are famous for their insatiable corrupt modus vivendi and modus operande.
  The country, Ghana that I always had great hope for agricultural and industrial development unfortunately when more favourable condition like finding crude oil became a reality, Ghana, the country of Kuame Nkrumah and the moderniser of Ghana The Honerable Jerry John Rawlings made great sacrifices to better the life of the poor, Ghana in a short period of time slip into an unbelievable level of corruption similar to Nigeria. I am not sure but I think corruption is also the reason for: 1. The illegal trafficking of Cocaine from South America's drug cartel's through Guinea Bissau and even Nigeria itself. Because, already for the past decade (and maybe even more), the South American Cocaine, Heroin cartel's have started using both weak countries like Guinea Bissau but also corrupted countries like Nigeria and other to use these countries as a transit to Europe and also back to the U.S.A. Because it has become increasingly difficult and at times impossible to import theier Cocainer and Heroin straight to the U.S.A because of an ever intensive surveillance. 2. Corruption is the most likely the reason for getting a Ghanian passport.
  The second most important issue my brother Stephed raised is: About religious tolerance/ hatred and misunderstanding and I may add even unfortunate violent conflicts.
  These issue is having its root not only in African countries mishandling the issue and because of corrupted country officials from the transit office to banks, from the coast guard and secret service to politicians including in the high echelon of many African countries.
  The above being clear, then one might ask then where is the other root for the problem?
  The answer is simple. Even the European Union in its annual report more than 4 weeks ago submited a detailed report about how Saudi Arabia, Quatar and many other Arab countries are spending tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to spread Wahabism/ Salafism which is the birth mother of fundamentalist islamist organisations including Al Quida itself.
  It took the U.S.A State department to make a similar report three and a half week which in my opinion ridiculous to say the least.
  As an Ethiopian I am not a stranger to the above problem. I have even written about these similar issues earlier. 1. Ethiopian secret service almost five month's ago reported its finding concerning Saudi Arabia and other countries NGO's (”Non-Governmental Organisations”) finance distribution in millions of dollars in an attempt to create a movement of Wahabism/Salafism and the Ethiopian government based on those fact findings totally closed all the Saudi Arabia's and other Arab countries so-called NGO's and confiscated all their properties and money as wellas arrested many Ethiopian citizines that were involved in the process. I write so-called ”NGO's” because that is why the Saudi's, Quatar and other Arab countries call it, but the fact of the matter is it is their government with its special divisions created within each and every country that is ebgaged in distributing tens of millions of dollars and arms all over the World.
  Furthermore, Ethiopi use to be a country of religious tolerance for well over a millenium but that is not the case anymore. Not because of corruption but rather misguided, sentimental, self-serving and wrong policy of the late PM of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi.
  One: He allowed the saudi's and other arab countries to build huge mosque's everywhere in Ethiopia whereas the number of Churches of any denomination built in the entire country is 1 Church to 100
  mosque's.
  Two: In the day's when he was part of the guerilla war aganist the dictatorial military regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam for almost two decades, he was given a Somali passport to travel freely. And so out of ignorant sentimentalism he gave a refugee status and eventually an Ethiopian passport to Somalian's who have never been freendly to Ethiopia from the day of their independence, except Djibuti for economical benifits it has been getting from Ethiopia right from the start.
  Three: It was the late PM MZ of Ethiopia who for the first time passed a law in the rubber stamp parliament that allow Ethiopian's to immigrate freely and even ”work” in arab countries where our brothers and sisters were literally in servitude and slavery with the lowest wage possible in the world but working like a mule day an´d night because shrewd and unscrupulous politician's calculation was that those migrant Ethiopian's to the arab countries will become huge Cash Cows.
  As you all know his shrewd and unscrupulous policy backfired and our brothers and sisters were slaughtered in the desert country of the saudi's and over 50,000 striped of their many years of saving were sent back home as ”illegals” and 35,000 are waiting for deportation. Whereas within the country the Saudi and other arab countries money has caused scores of murder and death.
  Finally: African countries MUST take take every issue very very seriousely and do their utmost to concentrate in fighting corruption, do their utmost to develope their countries for the good of each and every citizen and finally educate the population to adapt the culture of religious tolerance and close the so-called arab ”NGO's”
  May God bless Africa and bring prosperity for each of her citizens.
  Markos Lemma MD, Phd

  reply
• Markos Lemma MD,Phd 12 years ago

  The Problem is complicated and multi-pronged:
  
  Allow me to introduce myself first. I am from Ethiopia who was forced to leave his beloved people and country during the murdererous regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam and aft ...
  read full comment

  The Problem is complicated and multi-pronged:
  
  Allow me to introduce myself first. I am from Ethiopia who was forced to leave his beloved people and country during the murdererous regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam and after arriving in Europe I got my Medical degree and then after as couple of years started and succefully become a specialist.
  I agree with everything that Mr. Stephen Atta Owusu has wrote. In fact I know him personally being a Pan-Africanist and a cosmopolitan, Gentel and soft spoken highely efucated person.
  He has raised a couple of extremely important questions and allow me to begin with the first one: quote ”.. Why is it so easy for a foreigner to acquire a Ghanian passport?..” unquote. To begin with immigration to Ghana did not start today. Even one of my favorite The Honerable W.E.B Dubois whose entire writtings of volumes I still keep preferd to immigrate to Ghana and afterall it is the country of The Honerable and great Pan-Africanist Kuame Nkrumah. But we also first and foremost of all have to be very honest to ourselves and admit the fact that Ghanians that I met in Europe and during my visit to the U.S.A during my travels to participate in medical congressess even before Ghana was blessed and found a crude oil, each and every Ghanian that I met was somehow so obsessed to immitate Nigerian way of thinking and style of life.
  It is a well known fact that Nigeria and Nigerians are famous for their insatiable corrupt modus vivendi and modus operande.
  The country, Ghana that I always had great hope for agricultural and industrial development unfortunately when more favourable condition like finding crude oil became a reality, Ghana, the country of Kuame Nkrumah and the moderniser of Ghana The Honerable Jerry John Rawlings made great sacrifices to better the life of the poor, Ghana in a short period of time slip into an unbelievable level of corruption similar to Nigeria. I am not sure but I think corruption is also the reason for: 1. The illegal trafficking of Cocaine from South America's drug cartel's through Guinea Bissau and even Nigeria itself. Because, already for the past decade (and maybe even more), the South American Cocaine, Heroin cartel's have started using both weak countries like Guinea Bissau but also corrupted countries like Nigeria and other to use these countries as a transit to Europe and also back to the U.S.A. Because it has become increasingly difficult and at times impossible to import theier Cocainer and Heroin straight to the U.S.A because of an ever intensive surveillance. 2. Corruption is the most likely the reason for getting a Ghanian passport.
  The second most important issue my brother Stephed raised is: About religious tolerance/ hatred and misunderstanding and I may add even unfortunate violent conflicts.
  These issue is having its root not only in African countries mishandling the issue and because of corrupted country officials from the transit office to banks, from the coast guard and secret service to politicians including in the high echelon of many African countries.
  The above being clear, then one might ask then where is the other root for the problem?
  The answer is simple. Even the European Union in its annual report more than 4 weeks ago submited a detailed report about how Saudi Arabia, Quatar and many other Arab countries are spending tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to spread Wahabism/ Salafism which is the birth mother of fundamentalist islamist organisations including Al Quida itself.
  It took the U.S.A State department to make a similar report three and a half week which in my opinion ridiculous to say the least.
  As an Ethiopian I am not a stranger to the above problem. I have even written about these similar issues earlier. 1. Ethiopian secret service almost five month's ago reported its finding concerning Saudi Arabia and other countries NGO's (”Non-Governmental Organisations”) finance distribution in millions of dollars in an attempt to create a movement of Wahabism/Salafism and the Ethiopian government based on those fact findings totally closed all the Saudi Arabia's and other Arab countries so-called NGO's and confiscated all their properties and money as wellas arrested many Ethiopian citizines that were involved in the process. I write so-called ”NGO's” because that is why the Saudi's, Quatar and other Arab countries call it, but the fact of the matter is it is their government with its special divisions created within each and every country that is ebgaged in distributing tens of millions of dollars and arms all over the World.
  Furthermore, Ethiopi use to be a country of religious tolerance for well over a millenium but that is not the case anymore. Not because of corruption but rather misguided, sentimental, self-serving and wrong policy of the late PM of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi.
  One: He allowed the saudi's and other arab countries to build huge mosque's everywhere in Ethiopia whereas the number of Churches of any denomination built in the entire country is 1 Church to 100
  mosque's.
  Two: In the day's when he was part of the guerilla war aganist the dictatorial military regime of col. Mengistu Hailemariam for almost two decades, he was given a Somali passport to travel freely. And so out of ignorant sentimentalism he gave a refugee status and eventually an Ethiopian passport to Somalian's who have never been freendly to Ethiopia from the day of their independence, except Djibuti for economical benifits it has been getting from Ethiopia right from the start.
  Three: It was the late PM MZ of Ethiopia who for the first time passed a law in the rubber stamp parliament that allow Ethiopian's to immigrate freely and even ”work” in arab countries where our brothers and sisters were literally in servitude and slavery with the lowest wage possible in the world but working like a mule day an´d night because shrewd and unscrupulous politician's calculation was that those migrant Ethiopian's to the arab countries will become huge Cash Cows.
  As you all know his shrewd and unscrupulous policy backfired and our brothers and sisters were slaughtered in the desert country of the saudi's and over 50,000 striped of their many years of saving were sent back home as ”illegals” and 35,000 are waiting for deportation. Whereas within the country the Saudi and other arab countries money has caused scores of murder and death.
  Finally: African countries MUST take take every issue very very seriousely and do their utmost to concentrate in fighting corruption, do their utmost to develope their countries for the good of each and every citizen and finally educate the population to adapt the culture of religious tolerance and close the so-called arab ”NGO's”
  May God bless Africa and bring prosperity for each of her citizens.
  Markos Lemma MD, Phd

  reply
• Oppong Kyekyeku 12 years ago

  As you said, Ahmed deserves a Ghanain passport if he was borin Ghana and has lived there for 38 years! Smuggling cocain is another matter!

  As you said, Ahmed deserves a Ghanain passport if he was borin Ghana and has lived there for 38 years! Smuggling cocain is another matter!

  reply
• Oti Akenteng 12 years ago

  Of course am proud to be a ghanaian.All this problems is because of bribery and corruption.But Ghana will still be on top of African Peace Nation.Well done Stephen!!!

  Of course am proud to be a ghanaian.All this problems is because of bribery and corruption.But Ghana will still be on top of African Peace Nation.Well done Stephen!!!

  reply
• amok 12 years ago

  laudable,that's the point,truth shall never fail, Boss, come out more, we love Gh.

  laudable,that's the point,truth shall never fail, Boss, come out more, we love Gh.

  reply
• amok 11 years ago

  Gh. your children need you, do something

  Gh. your children need you, do something

  reply