Why is the Ghanaian Leader Always Eager to Hurtle

..... to the Whiteman at the Crack of His Finger?

I am lost for words to express my disgust at the apparent simplicity at which our Ghanaian leaders can be baited by the Whiteman. Suffice to say, the aftermath teasing or the concomitant accusations levelled up to ridicule their shameless incompetence, short-sightedness, and perpetual alms-soliciting are of no bother to them. It only takes the Whiteman to dangle anything before them and they are seduced by the purporting prospect of gains. Without intricacy, the Ghanaian leader can be lured into anything silly by the Whiteman. I will however endeavour to expatiate on what may not be a clinically diagnosed hallucinatory intellectual deficiency, yet, a disease yielding on to inferiority complex that seems to be suffered not only by our leaders but also, by almost all Ghanaians.


My suspicion of the worthlessness of our Ghanaian leaders has lately risen and been confirmed by the categorically exhibited nonchalance on the part of our topmost leaders at the Centenary celebration of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Just on the opening day of the celebrations, Monday, 21st September 2009, which falls on the very birthday of Dr. Nkrumah, His Excellency President Mills vamooses to the U.S.A on presumption of attending the UN General Assembly. The Former President J.J. Rawlings also leaves the country on same day for America on invitation by Bill Clinton, the Former President of the U.S.A. Prior to these shameless departures by our leaders, Former President Kufuor on Thursday, 11th September 2009, left for the U.S.A on a three-week world tour that will also take him to Europe and Asia.


Are these leaders honouring the celebrations of the birth, the achievements, the aspirations and the inspirations of Dr. Nkrumah by their dastardly insensitive attitudes as exhibited? No, they are not! One may laudably as consequence recommend the arrest of especially, President Mills for causing financial loss to the State for initiating and organising a celebration for which he has not the least respect and attachment in the first place. If he knew it was that worthless to merit his attention and attendance, why organise it in the first place? Even any stupid White leader if any, but there isn't, would never under the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, thus, under no circumstances, leave their country at the very beginning or on the very first day of a national event for which such a great monetary expense, efforts, and an historical inspirational attachment have been made and anticipated, to attend what may be useless foreign assignments. What will be the benefit to Ghana and the world at large from that world tour embarked upon by Former President J.A.Kufour than staying home to help inculcate the spirit of positive nationalism in Ghanaians as inspired by Dr. Nkrumah? What positive benefit will accrue to Ghana from Former President J.J. Rawlings' journey to America to deliver his usual disgraceful Kufuor-bashing boom speeches? What will His Excellency President Mills' attendance at the United Nations General Assembly to deliver his "Ecomini & Madam Speaker" speeches positively yield to Ghana? In my probably state of prejudice that warps the mind, I may conclude their trips are a total waste of time and money.


It must be noted that this dismally knowingly or unknowingly nonchalance attitude as exhibited by our living leaders is comparative to spitting in the face of the Ghanaians. They have disgraced themselves by such show of low esteem towards anything Ghanaian or African. Where then is the Ghanaian self pride if our leaders are themselves walking examples of our self-relegation to low lives? This goes to tell the Ghanaian or the African can never be master of his own. Our much proclaimed independence is just a fallacy. It only exists in name and on paper but not in reality as can be viewed practiced on the ground. Our leaders by this simple act of folly have given credence to the lack of respect the Whiteman has for the African. They can always tell us what to do even when we have planned otherwise. They can easily twist our arms and minds to do their bidding without the least hurt. It suffices just to speak forth and it is done in haste. Our leaders are continually directly or remotely manipulated like puppets and this situation under discussion is a classical example.


Could we not have re-scheduled the Dr. Nkrumah's Centenary celebrations if President Atta Mills knew how obliged he was to attend the UN General Assembly meeting? He has rather gone about it the shambolic way, how he left the country. It has cost him my respect for him. The absence of our three living leaders from Ghana at such a crucial moment goes to confirm how powerfully the Whiteman in his infinite wisdom can use his magic-shackled wand to render the Ghanaian a nonentity. Atta Mills' intransigency on celebrating Dr. Nkrumah's centenary in recognition of his unique contribution as the sole Founder of Ghana instead of a founders' day incorporating the entire BIG SIX, is now unearthed to be a populist idea. He was only bent on scoring a cheap political point and popularity with the Dr. Nkrumah's Convention People's Party (CPP). He was only seeking the sympathy and the votes of the CPP activists and sympathisers when campaigning to be elected the President of the country. His heart was far removed from the ideals of Nkrumah. The National celebration of Dr. Nkrumah is just to compensate the CPP activists for their votes and in fulfilment of the quack promise given to them thereof. One can barely understand Former President Kufuor's action. He, being from the UGCC/UP background had wished a celebration for all the BIG SIX but not only ONE, as the founding members of Ghana. His departure from Ghana prior to the celebrations of the founder's day may therefore be a protest in disguise.

In order not to bore you by going in circles dwelling on the shameful attitudes of our leaders as hereby manifested, I will love to offer suggestions as usual. Our leaders should please aspire to value the very being of the Ghanaian, African or the Blackman. They should tirelessly work to inculcate the spirit of positive nationalism in us by way of classroom teachings and public service information from Mobile vans as done in Nkrumah's era. We should bear in mind that neither Whiteman nor any magic wand can bring about the prosperity of Ghana or Africa, without the African themselves taking the proper initiatives. Our leaders should ensure the laws of the land are working without respect for anyone. As at the moment, the laws of the land are not working as they should. They are the respecter of the rich. They should stay home to ensure law and justice in Ghana work in tandem. This is the basic foundation of any strong society.


Our leaders should not be let disoriented by the cosmetic policies as laid down or proposed by the World bodies for the welfare of the African. They are just further schemes to lord it over us. A case in point, as the advanced world subsidise their agriculture, they order us not to subsidise our farmers. In the end, a unit of same product produced home is as twice as expensive as that produced abroad on the Ghanaian market. Whereas they institute trade barriers against our goods thus our exports, they require of us total trade liberalisation. Our ports are to stay open to their imports of any sort. Upon all these, why should our leaders scuttle to their calls as though with tail tucked between their legs and shivering all over at the crack of their fingers?


President Mills is said to have been given an award for his democratic achievements etc. I personally don't see the relevance of such an award to the betterment of the Ghanaian in the street. The Whites use such camouflages to distract our leaders from serious work. He may think he has done or is doing better and so will relapse into inactivity. President Mills and all others should bear in mind that vigorous exploration and exploitation of our unlimited potential as Ghanaians or Africans is the sole key to our success, all else are simply illusion.


Anyway, all Ghanaians with me inclusive need to amend our ways for the better if we want the present and the future generations to live a much better and happier life. Our attitudes until now are simply awkward.


Rockson Adofo, London