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The Ghanaian Child And The Community Centre

Thu, 6 Jan 2011 Source: Swalah, Abubakar Sidiq

Dear Sir/Madam,

There is couple of issues that is really bothering my imagination

which I will be glad if I use your noble media to publish it to the Ghanaian

community for a better development of my mother land Ghana. Looking at the role the

community centres here in United kingdom play in the development of its community

and comparing it to the role the community or district assemblies play back home in

Ghana really makes my heart heavy. I took the initiative to make some research on my

last visit back home in Ghana and I have to see that 2011 is the year I will like to

enlighten my fellow Ghanaian to help build a better Ghana for the future leaders

that are growing up, and how can we do that?... We have to start from the ground

level that is the main reason why I wrote this article, I will be much happy if I am

give the opportunity and this article published to help awaken some key figures in

our community. I have attached a picture of myself that I snapped when i was writing

this article, I will be much glad if the picture is published along with my article,

please look for attachment of the photo in this mail. Thank you for your

co-operation. Sincerely,Mr Abubakar Sidiq SwalahUnited KingdomBy: Abubakar sidiq

Swalah THE GHANAIAN CHILD AND THE COMMUNITY CENTRE There’s no doubt that the

Ghanaian child lack lots of information within his/her community, the Ghanaian child

do not know who to turn to in case of need, No elderly person is ready to sit down

and listen to what a child has to say and this is the same child we call a leader of

tomorrow.From my investigation and speaking to deferent youth from different

communities, one out of twenty only know where their community centre is and not

that they have been there before but either heard that its situated at that place or

has passed by it before, this really portrays a bad reputation for the Ghanaian

community.When asked how many youth or children know the emergency numbers to the

police or the fire service department, 1 out of 10 do know it, Elders in the

community do not have time and attention for the youth for them to come and meet

them to express their views or worries. I, for one, couldn’t agree more with the way

the district assemblies and the assembly men or women are going about their daily

work, they ignore the common people and youth in the community and there-by pay

attention to selected people in the communities like the spiritual leaders and well

known people in the community and not the common people.As a result of this

practice, the Ghanaian community centre or district assemblies lack enough

information to be able to do the duties that is supposed to be rendered to the

community by them, to my knowledge of information, the sitting government have lots

of projects in the pipe line to help the Ghanaian youth to be able to set up

themselves in the society so that the out-put will benefit the nation as a whole.

Lack of information from the common or local Ghanaian is making it difficult for

such projects to be put to good use even though the resources are there to benefit

from. Our assembly men or women and district executives often talk to spiritual

leaders and some prominent people in the Ghanaian community then make decisions from

their dictatorship whiles sitting in their offices and houses rather than going out

there to meet the common Ghanaian and hear what they have got to say. These are the

people who the sitting government really need the help to get to.From my

investigation, I have therefore come to the conclusion that, The assembly members

are not doing what their office is expected of them and therefore if strategies is

put in place to tackle this issue from the ground level, there is going to be a

better Ghana in few years to come, as the saying goes " a good building foundations

can hold any weight placed on it" so therefore If there is a effective community

centre in a community that targets the common people in the society and give them

the reason to come into their offices and have their say in the development of their

community, Ghana will go a long way in development. Efficiency is doing things

right; effectiveness is doing the right things. I pray our community leaders and

persons appointed by the government in office will have a good sense of efficiency

to promote the Ghanaian economy and development. Long live mother Ghana, God bless

my home land Ghana. swalahas@hotmail.co.uk

Columnist: Swalah, Abubakar Sidiq