March 6, 2013: Ghana attains age 56, four years more to the “normal” retirement age of a Ghanaian civil servant. Reaching age 60 in the life of any person, and any nation, is a hallmark of maturity and wisdom. At that age in Ghana, public employees are deemed to have passed their prime, contributed their quota to national development and therefore deserve to retire to “rest”.
By this analogy, if Ghana was a young man or woman public servant, he/she will be only four years away to be declared matured enough to take a “rest” for all the good work that he/she has done. Ghana, as a nation, is only four years away to the countdown to the matured “retirement age” of 60. It is therefore pertinent to take stock on where the nation has come from and where it is heading as it counts down to age 60, its normal “retirement” age.
As Ghana and its sons and daughters both at home and abroad celebrate 56 years of nationhood and countdown towards its “retirement age” of 60 in four years time, it behoves all of us to critical examine where the nation has come from over the past 56 years and where it is heading to in the years ahead especially in the next critical four years. The nation has been tested on a number of occasions to its endurance limits. Some of its leaders and citizens have engaged in misguided actions and behaviours that have had the potential to shatter the stability of the nation. In the midst of these missteps, some have patriotically pulled the nation from the brink. Yet others continue to engage in actions that continue to pose threats to the stability of the nation. Some of those engaging in acts that threaten the stability of the nation are highly-placed and responsible persons manning critical sectors of the nation’s life and fortune. The sad thing about the typical Ghanaian behaviour is that we do not question persons in responsible positions when they are misbehaving, misbehaviours for which we will pay high prices should something go terribly wrong. Over the past number of years, a number of highly-placed Ghanaians have been engaging in actions that are really irresponsible which threaten the social, economic and political fabric of the nation. In most cases citizens say and do little or nothing. But we all pay the price for these actions.
As another “independence” or nationhood anniversary comes upon us, we all have responsibilities to keep our eyes open for the actions and behaviours of others that threaten the stability of our nation. We have the responsibility to call to order those who are entrusted with leadership and responsible positions in our nation who place personal interests above those of the nation.
We wish all our compatriots, both at home and in the diaspora, happy anniversary and entreat all to work towards ensuring that we do not engage in any actions that will alter the stability of our dear nation.
