Why Ghana is Kissing Patriotism Goodbye after Independence

I have decided to write on this for two reasons: 1. Liberation Day – 6th March is just around the corner; 2. President Mahama bemoaned on fallen sense of patriotism in his State of the Nation Address.

Ending his State of the Nation address, President Mahama, reflected on a Council of State meeting in which “various members were unanimous in bemoaning what seems to be a fallen sense of selflessness and patriotism within our society.” The President told Parliament that at the meeting, they “discussed at length the topic of responsible citizenship and wondered whether that value had somehow been lost to the political divide that has swallowed so much of what once joined us together.”

As I watched the President sharing the minutes of the Council of State meeting on the fallen sense of patriotism and responsible citizenship among Ghanaians, I laughed. Not because I felt that, what the President was talking about was funny or unimportant, but I was wondering about how the Council of State could grieve on the “fallen sense of selflessness and patriotism” without also looking at “why does it seem to be a fallen sense of selflessness and patriotism in Ghana”

In this piece I argue that, a nation cannot offend its citizens with unbearable levels of poverty, insensitiveness, greed, corruption, excessive partisanship and social injustices, to the extent we have experienced and continue to experience in Ghana and still expect the Citizens to be Patriotic. It does not happen that way.

Just recently, November 7, 2012 when Melcom-Achimota building collapsed and killed 14 and injured 68 people, the preliminary report of the eleven member committee set up by Ghana Institute of Engineers clearly pointed out that “the materials used in constructing the structure were very weak” (See Melcom Disaster: Preliminary report cites substandard building materials –myjoyonline).

Against the backdrop that, President Mahama did cut short his campaign and quickly run back to Accra to give the nation a firm assurance that, those responsible for the "negligence will pay a price", I was quite sure that, at least for once in Ghana, some people are going to be held accountable for their wicked negligence. We are now in March, 2014 and the aftermath of the disaster is too known to every Ghanaian to need a reproduction here.

14 Ghanaians have died in their own country just like that, additionally, 64 suffered lifetime injuries. Reasons? Somebody decided to use substandard materials to build a house. And what happened? For two years, we are yet to bring those responsible to justice. But remember beside those who got injured who are still alive, those who died also left alive children, relatives, friends and loved ones behind who are still Ghanaians and are suffering perpetually, the pains and the failure of the state to bring the people who caused their pains to justice. I wonder if President Mahama and the Council of State ever expect these blood-filled human beings to have a sense of commitment and patriotism for this insensitive country called Ghana!

The Melcom Disaster is only one of the many examples of how Ghana has consistently failed to present itself as a country worthy to be loved and this failure on the part of Ghana to work for Ghanaians is seen in all facets of our lives. Everything the Ghanaian needs, he has to "see" somebody- whether its common birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, employment, police or military recruitment – what have you? He has to "pay" his way through with his pocket, if he is a male, or she risks being abused sexually if she is a female – True or false? May be the only insurance is having “political connections”. Currently, the poor population in Ghana is nearly the same as the whole population of Ashanti Region (the most populous region in Ghana – see the 2010 Population Census Report).

This is how the Ghanaian sense of patriotism has since independence been and is still being tortured out of him comprehensively with insensitiveness, social injustices, poverty, corruption and partisanship. Being a Ghanaian is day by day becoming unbearable! In his address, President Mahama said he believes that Ghanaians are, “at our core, the same people we were on March 6, 1957 when we became a free nation. [And still] believe that those traits and values that led us to our liberation back then were passed down, as gifts, from one generation of Ghanaians to the next.” But I doubt, if our great grandmothers who fought for our liberation will ever have wasted their lives and energy had they the slight hint that, they were fighting away the colonialist only for their sons and daughters to in future suffer the level of poverty, social injustices insensitiveness, corruption, greed and excessive partisanship we see today!

Patriotism, selflessness and responsible citizenship are not like manna to fall freely into nationals – rather, the state consciously builds them into her citizens. The state gives the citizen reasons for him to love her, cherish her. It is not uncommon for children not to love their biological parents when they mistreat them, abuse them, neglect and fail to be responsible to them. How much more a distant entity called country? Ghana cannot continue to behave like an irresponsible parent and turn back to accuse the Ghanaian of not being patriotic.

I know my critics will rightly quote for me John F. Kennedy that: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country”. But my only response will be that, Kennedy was an American and a citizen of a country where Melcom-Achimota cannot collapse and kill even one American soul for those responsible to go scot free!

FESTIVAL GODWIN BOATENG

bfsvl1988@gmail.com