Is Ghana for Sale?

A Caution by Ghana Leadership Union.

Nations are not usually sold, but history shows us how Europeans used the gun and trickery to purchase and colonize whole nations in South America, Asia and Africa. In my latest book “Life is War: A Letter to Nephews, Nieces and Loved ones Behind on the Struggles of Life and How to Succeed Using the Mind” (Danso, K.A., 2015, Page Publishing, New York), I show some of the trickery in life, human and international relationships, as we travel through the hills and valleys on this earth.

The value placed on an asset for sale is between the offeror and offeree, or seller and buyer. How do you place a value on human beings in a location called a nation?

Recent decisions by Ghanaian leaders to accept two released Gitmo prison inmates and former terrorists, for sums estimated at $200 million for the two, gives room for lots of thinking. Are the later post-Nkrumah leaders of Ghana simply trying to sell the nation and run away?

It will be 50 years in 2016 since Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown and some of us can remember and can evaluate the history of Ghana and the promise that was shattered in nation building. Some of the struggles why every man should hold tight onto his spear as I explain in my book. Leaders from military to civilian in the last half century allowed Ghana’s state assets such as conference centers, major factories, hotels, highways, bridges, shipping and air lines to rot after the 1966 coup; or they were sold to surrogates and insiders for pennies leading to massive financial losses to the nation. Ghana has virtually been sold!

In the recent example reported in the media in the first week in January 2016, to use an African analogy, two wounded snakes were not forced into our backyards in Ghana by force, but as hinted, through massive financial payoffs to politicians by another country, the United States, a nation that some of us have adopted as our nation.

The core difference in any nation’s survival lie in how the citizens and leaders love their country and how they are willing to die for it. In Ghana and Africa, due to lack of core innate love for nation, lack of foresight, and sheer evil nature of our people in leadership, the value of our nation seem to be provided by mostly what "commission" the President, Ministers and executives involved will be able to net for themselves. This could be favors for loans, or money deposited as bribe in some Swiss or other foreign Bank accounts, and our military coup or elected leaders would sign away state assets, give away massive portions of Ghana's lands to racist foreign farmers, or allow easy migration to gold miners who are allowed to ruin our waters with impunity!

Some have suggested the black man has a lower average intelligence. However that excuse may not stick if one looks around the globe for highly accomplished and qualified Ghanaian and other African personnel in all fields of knowledge. A recent book by Yale Law School Prof. Amy Chua shows new immigrant nationals from all nations including Nigeria and Ghana actually do better in not only academics but in life itself than native Americans. Our nation is coming apart after the last 35 years when a few were able to, and allowed to take Ghana under a fake revolution, and later faking economic figures to apply for loans! Despite some small progress, no real attempt to develop infrastructures with long term durability and reliability has been demonstrated. Not in roads and highways! Not in energy production and distribution! Not in health care! Not in Agricultural production! And not in education!

The Christian Bible says a borrower is servant to the lender. In the last 30 years the World Bank and other financial institutions have coerced and influenced greedy Ghanaian leaders and Ministers to stop seeking solutions to public services including education and health care. Our people now pride themselves in attending private schools, or owning their own when they have a few millions; and the society praises Private Schools as a mark of honor! Nobody cares much for what belongs to all! No!

In 2004 while trying to find answers, I was told by a top person in Engineering at Ghana water that Ghana water had seen no enhancement of the Water treatment facilities since 1965! I also heard at ECG where Engineers' recommendations for equipment were routinely ignored and even suggestions for homeowners doing shared-investment in local transformer stations were ignored for political reasons! One Engineer told me recommendations for needed equipment once took 10 years!

And yet since the interruption of our 1st civilian Government, and 2nd, and 3rd and 4th (1981) Ghana has borrowed and has an accumulated debt burden, estimated $25-40 billion and even not fully disclosed!

Ghanaian Presidents and their teams seem more prepared to hide the problems of the nation for political gain! They will hide the real problems and keep Ghanaian qualified engineers, scientists and other professionals trained overseas to do research and solve problems at bay, for their own clandestine deeds.

There is a justice somewhere and someday for what has happened to our nation of Ghana and nobody should think the evil doers will be left till life yonder! There is a new generation emerging!! It is their time and foreign nations who think they can bribe African leaders and get away better think again. What has happened by forcing or selling known terrorists with a risk factor to Ghana for money is a shame in international affairs and members of GLU feel ashamed the Obama administration would make such offers, and former President Mills and President Mahama would consider and accept such offers without consultation with Parliament and discussion among the people and citizens of Ghana.

Dr. Kwaku A. Danso,

President, Ghana Leadership Union