Of course, every sphere of human endeavor is initiated and fuelled by ideals, but an idea in itself is not enough. In fact an idea or ideas are just one half of the equation. Idea(s) is either the challenge (proposal) or the solution, in orders words, it is either what is to be achieved or how it is to be achieved. The two put together is what is called vision. This piece is partly prompted by the feature article of Ghanaweb on the 5/02/2007, The Role of Ideas in Ghanaian Politics. It is with no disputed the importance of ideas, and more importantly vision, in the total prosperity of every nation. However, are ideas of any significance for the sake of just ideas?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you understand now, if not before, that it takes more than class one ideas coupled with vociferousity, sheer naivety, and the venting of self-ambitious frustration to build a nation. Rawlings is a testimony to this fact.
Love and Commitment Is What We Need
Fellow country folks, haven realized that we have more than necessary vision, not even just ideas, and yet are failing to make progress, what is it that we lack? Simple, love for nation and commitment is what we lack, but not brains. Beloved people of Ghana, I must say that we have more than necessary big brains and talkatives as well, who are only expecting the government alone, to listen and pursue all their millions of ideas, without them lifting a finger to put to work what they know. There are also those who are waiting only to become the president before they do something (or at least brag they would if elected president). These unpatriotic people would fold their arms, sit and whine and pine about the government supposedly inaction, without even lifting a finger to brighten the small corner where they find themselves, even just to set an example. These people are most of the time highly educated and privileged people (at least by Ghanaian standard). For this, they feel they are too big to dirty their hands where they are, by helping, unless they are in high positions as a minister or the president. And when they are tired of shouting, some resort to migrating to advanced countries where they either comfortably settle to enjoy others’ (those who built that country) sweat or wouldn’t even mind to clean toilets and as such – from a university professor to a janitor. Not that it is bad to take such jobs (because these are the jobs that contribute immensely to the prosperity and maintenance of the developed countries they always use to shame our motherland). However, the question is, if they don’t mind taking these ‘odd jobs’ in those countries, why wouldn’t they sacrifice even at an honorable level for the motherland, why do they always talk of graduates without jobs (not even be grateful that the state has given them education), are we educated to make life or just to enjoy what is there already; and where some of them run to, if those countries had such skilled people, would they have had the employment they get because of their education; why can’t we be grateful for the education the motherland gives us, instead of all the name callings we use to disgrace Ghana, some times just because we enjoy milk at our refuges? If why can’t we use our ideas to build our own nation even when we are not presidents or in government?
Love and dedication to the motherland, and hard-won personal or public achievements must be the criteria therefore for the election of people into public office, not just a head full of disjointed ideas coupled with vociferousity. Therefore if anyone says he has ideas to rule the country, let him in the same vein use his ingenuity to secure a presidential candidacy; and go ahead to conquer the presidency as well. Any true genius is able to face up to life challenges and conquer. Let us stop the casting of snare on the victory or chances of others because we are not able to come out tops because of our own lack. It is only losers who continue to cry foul without regrouping, strategizing and coming back for the conquest. I want to tell people like Arthur Kobina to stop calling for doomsday, because of their desperations stemming from self-ambition, and naivety and incompetence, and rather work harder (he could use a bit of good communication skill as well).