The Ghanaian @52

The year 2007 was a momentous one for Ghana, my motherland. The first nation

south of the Sahara to obtain independence, from the British, in 1957, Ghana

celebrated with fanfare its Golden Jubilee in 2007 - a proud nation. Ghana, the

nation, @50 was noted to have made significant strides, especially within the

last two decades, and was widely touted as an oasis of peace, democracy and

development in Africa.

As we look into the past as Ghanaians and count our blessings, we should look

into the future and plan to realise our human resource potential. It's the best

asset a nation needs for progress. I paused then, and I pause now, in 2009, to

reflect on the Ghanaian, the citizen of this land which is 50+, an elderly man

if it was a human. Who is the Ghanaian@52? What is he/she? What behaviour does

the Ghanaian@52 demonstrate? What are the positives and negatives, and what is

the final assessment mark?

The Ghanaian@52 is confident. He/she believes (s)he is a capable African, and

can rub shoulders with peers anywhere in the world. Examples abound: Kofi Annan,

Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Sam Jonah, Michael Essien, Albert Adu Boahen, Akua

Kuenyehia, Joyce Bamford-Addo, Ama Ataa Aidoo, Efua Sutherland. (S)he is

academically and artistically sharp and has proven it worldwide: in academia,

business, arts, football.

The Ghanaian@52 is very much aware politically. (S)he is politically-savvy and

has mastered the art of voting 'skirt and blouse' – (s)he can vote for one party

to get the presidency and another to be in parliament; (s)he doesn't vote en

bloc. (S)he now reads, and then prints and keeps the manifestos of political

parties, especially the ruling one, so (s)he can properly analyse their work

verses their promises. The most prized part of his anatomy is his/her thumb.

The Ghanaian@52 is an incurable optimist. Four years is the minimum (s)he can

wait! (S)he has hopes for the nation, and is proud and eager to prove to the

world at all times that the black person is capable of handling his/her own

affairs.

The Ghanaian@52 is hardworking. Unfortunately, (s)he is more hard working when

overseas. I have seen Ghanaians more eager to work in all sorts of situations

abroad, but will refuse to do same at home. At home, the Ghanaian@52 does not

exert himself/herself fully. If (s)he would work with half the passion with

which (s)he works elsewhere, what a great country we will build together! (S)he

still doesn't appreciate that if anyone will build this nation to the level of

those countries s()he admires, it will be Ghanaians like him/her.

The Ghanaian@52 is still looking up to the government to solve all his/her

problems. (S)he doesn't see himself as part of the solution; his/her help cometh

from the Castle. Soon, it will come from the Jubilee/Flagstaff House.

The Ghanaian@52 is quick to explain his/her indiscipline as genuine

Ghanaian-ness. (S)he will arrive at 10 am for an 8 am appointment and blame the

traffic. And also say (s)he was going by Ghanaian Maybe time (GMT)! (S)he

expects you to appreciate his/her indiscipline. (S)he is not ashamed when it

takes a Vice-President to launch a campaign against indiscipline and still have

the courage to mock that the campaign was unsuccessful!

The Ghanaian@52 will park at a 'no parking' area and expect the police not to

arrest him/her. If (s)he is arrested, (s)he will offer the officer a bribe and

later accuse the officer of corruption! (S)he accuses the authorities of

nepotism and corruption, but is the first to contact you to 'do something' when

his/her nephew or niece is due for interview in your establishment.

The Ghanaian@52 is still not sanitation-conscious. He still throws rubbish out

of the taxi he is travelling in. He dumps waste into the drain in front of his

house, and is even caught defecating at the Odaw river. When he is sighted and

questioned, he says his name is Bontox! He expects the Accra Metropolitan

Authority (AMA) and the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority (KMA) to sort out his

indiscriminate littering.

The Ghanaian@52 still hasn't grasped the import of the motto of my school Ghana

National College, Osagyefo's own school, 'Pro Patria' - for the sake of the

fatherland. (S)he expects someone else to develop the nation for her to enjoy.

(S)he will stay overseas for years, come to visit once in two decades, and

complain about everything. (S)he will strive to evade taxes and not pay his/her

income tax, yet expect social services and facilities to be top-notch.

The Ghanaian@52 has still not learnt when the entire nation needs to come

together, in a non-partisan way, to decide to 'change and move forward'. One

party vehemently opposes Value Added Tax (VAT) and yet uses it to good effect

when it comes to power, even using it to fund National Health Insurance Scheme

(NHIS). Another party fiercely opposes NHIS yet acknowledges its (NHIS')

inherent good in its manifesto and even plans to improve on it. So when will the

Ghanaian@52 stop seeing politics even in how the ant walks?

The Ghanaian@52 is a talkative - lots of talk and very minimal action.

The Ghanaian@52 is very petty. Our MPs still show as evidence of their

successful stewardship the building of KVIPs! One party wins power and its

operatives take over same! How long has it taken us to debate and rant over

ex-gratia when we could have all acknowledged that parliament is liable for not

doing due diligence, and also that even if the demands of the report were OK,

there is no way we can pay in view of the global economic difficulties the world

is undergoing now? Can't we expend our precious energies on other pressing

issues - health, education, continuous structuring of our economy, improving

productivity of our public service to make it an engine of growth, etc? (S)he

still cannot distinguish and differentiate between personalities and policies,

when issues that demand rigorous debate comes up. The Ghanaian@52 practises

'stomach direction' with issues - we flog one issue until another comes and then

the previous issue is left unresolved, forever!

(S)he has a long way to go to understand that 'if the nation is to be, it is up

to me.'

The nation may be elderly but the citizen is still an infant in his/her

behaviour. (S)he needs a great behavioural change. Like we used to have our

teachers write in our homework books, there is still 'a lot of room for

improvement' for the Ghanaian@52.

Culled from the Book "Through the Gates of Thought", written in 2009.

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Nana Awere Damoah

Author, Through the Gates of Thought &Excursions In My Mind

http://nanaaweredamoah.wordpress.com/

www.excursionsinmymind.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nana-Awere-Damoah/38014968940

Email: nana.damoah@gmail.com