It is about time we stopped this pity party. Our leaders don't encourage us to take pride in what we have and to develop our potential. All great leaders have one thing in common, they encourage the masses to be proud of who ... read full comment
It is about time we stopped this pity party. Our leaders don't encourage us to take pride in what we have and to develop our potential. All great leaders have one thing in common, they encourage the masses to be proud of who they are.
onetribe 9 years ago
Until we see the good in all of our past leaders we will be condemned to doing the wrong things. Current leaders are scared to embrace General Acheampongs self reliance policy, but would rather lecture the populace about buyi ... read full comment
Until we see the good in all of our past leaders we will be condemned to doing the wrong things. Current leaders are scared to embrace General Acheampongs self reliance policy, but would rather lecture the populace about buying made in Ghana products, even though they hold the power to enable us to do so through policies and import controls.let us see the good in all of our past political leaders and industrial leaders. We fail to recognise our industrial leaders at our own peril.
Kwaku Asante Gyeabour 9 years ago
I must thank Philip for this wonderful piece. I am also proud of all the commentaries I have read so far. No insults, interesting revelations, display of wisdom befitting for an intellectual discourse. Folks let's stay this c ... read full comment
I must thank Philip for this wonderful piece. I am also proud of all the commentaries I have read so far. No insults, interesting revelations, display of wisdom befitting for an intellectual discourse. Folks let's stay this course to promote healthy debates for our common good, the development in freedom and promotion of healthy sociopolitical atmosphere devoid ethnic biases. Kudos to you all.
Boat, NY 9 years ago
The man who once said, "the black man is capable of managing his own affairs couldn't practice what he preached himself. He was a megalomaniac and every political system he created such as one party system, press censorship, ... read full comment
The man who once said, "the black man is capable of managing his own affairs couldn't practice what he preached himself. He was a megalomaniac and every political system he created such as one party system, press censorship, erc. was for his personal aggrandisement. Hence, the need to overthrow his government. So we need leaders who will inspire us by their good examples.
PhiIip Kobina Baidoo 9 years ago
You couldn't have said it better.
You couldn't have said it better.
Kofi 9 years ago
Lincoln and Kennedy paid with their lives because they were upsetting people with vested interest....yet you discount the fact that seven attempts were made to blow up Nkrumah by people of vested interest.It is a shame the th ... read full comment
Lincoln and Kennedy paid with their lives because they were upsetting people with vested interest....yet you discount the fact that seven attempts were made to blow up Nkrumah by people of vested interest.It is a shame the the first bomb did not blow him up instantly.Perhaps,Boat.NY,should read a bit about how Rockefeller,JP Morgan and Carnegie bribed corrupt McKinley to the presidency as opposed to the caring William Bryan.You lot will probably think that Roosevelt was wrong in breaking up the greedy money oriented,power crazed barons.When the Porcupine Warriors/King Force started blowing up and burning houses in Kumasi in 1954....Was it sanctioned by Nkrumah? Well,Nkrumah,left the scene in 1966,so let him rot in hell!!
Boat, NY 9 years ago
@Kofi, your reference to Rockefeller, JP, Carnegie to educate me is out of place. It would have been better for you to refer to The Founding Fathers as mentioned by Baidoo. That way, you avoid comparing apples with oranges. T ... read full comment
@Kofi, your reference to Rockefeller, JP, Carnegie to educate me is out of place. It would have been better for you to refer to The Founding Fathers as mentioned by Baidoo. That way, you avoid comparing apples with oranges. Those gentlemen you mentioned were entrepreneurs, and would logically go every length to push their interests through, which you said they did. So the sensible thing to have been done was to break up those interest groups as Roosevelt did, but not to destroy a POLITICAL CULTURE at its inception as Nkrumah did. Nkrumah is one of our founding fathers and cannot be taken out of our political discourse. And to reechoe my point, the Bombs started going off because the people could not entertain the idea that one person would superimpose himself on the rest by deciding to be president for life. Your own kids don't like being dictated to. Clearly, that is the difference between the Blacks and the White-tolerance is a problem for blacks, and we the so-called intellectuals are the worst culprits. Nkrumah is the cause of our problems, because he perfectly perpetuated the colonial legacy. Just think deep about it.
Kofi 9 years ago
The bombs started in 1954.Nkrumah"s president for life started in 1964.So don"t fob me off! Surely,Nkrumah was not president when Krobo Edusei"s sister was blown up Kumasi or when
his Accra newtown house was bombed in 1954 ... read full comment
The bombs started in 1954.Nkrumah"s president for life started in 1964.So don"t fob me off! Surely,Nkrumah was not president when Krobo Edusei"s sister was blown up Kumasi or when
his Accra newtown house was bombed in 1954.Nkrumah was the worst dictator ever to set foot on African soil,needless,to say the Opulent palaces he bought for himself in Europe and America.We have heard it all from obscurantists and revisionists.He built no schools nor any basic infrastructural services whatsoever.
Spiky 9 years ago
Don't be simplistic. Perhaps, Nkrumah's only fault was that he did not factor in his thinking that traitors are not capable of managing their own affairs and he also did not think there were traitors in black skin in his own ... read full comment
Don't be simplistic. Perhaps, Nkrumah's only fault was that he did not factor in his thinking that traitors are not capable of managing their own affairs and he also did not think there were traitors in black skin in his own Ghana. If he did, he would have perhaps not made that assumption that "the Blackman is capable of managing his own affairs". Insisting on that assumption, as he did, he could have also asked himself, "What kind of Blackman is capable of managing his own affairs?" Certainly not a traitor; and traitors there were, and still are, plenty in the country. They are the cause of Ghana's problems, not Nkrumah; and if Nkrumah was a megalomania, that is what you get when you put traitors (vested interests)and dollars in a test tube. Traitors bring out the megalomania in every "good" leader and Nkrumah could not have been different.
Military Man 9 years ago
If it weren't for Nkrumah, a lot of these current day 'detractors' of his wouldn't have set foot in the classrooms to have had an education.
Education they are now using to undermine his great work. Very ironic, isn't it?
... read full comment
If it weren't for Nkrumah, a lot of these current day 'detractors' of his wouldn't have set foot in the classrooms to have had an education.
Education they are now using to undermine his great work. Very ironic, isn't it?
That's one basic fact they are all forgetting.
They can dig up all sorts of things that don't portray Nkrumah in a favourable light, but those wouldn't diminish the fact that he was the best thing to have happened to Ghana, in my opinion and history supports that whether these folks like it or not.
They should just look at the various states Ghana had been in since his overthrow in 1966, under various leaders and then tell me if Ghana had fared any better since then.
If they are sincere with themselves, they will say 'no' but knowing the mindsets of hardcore detractors, they will probably come out and say Mahama's government is even better.
Wouldn't that will be hoot!!!
NOBODY 9 years ago
Nkrumah has been gone since 1966, and you still pin your problems on him. Nkrumah and his team had good agendas for the nation, but some folks felt entitled to governning, hence they resorted to all devious and evil means to ... read full comment
Nkrumah has been gone since 1966, and you still pin your problems on him. Nkrumah and his team had good agendas for the nation, but some folks felt entitled to governning, hence they resorted to all devious and evil means to undermine Nkrumah and his team. The end result is the retrogression that Ghana has continued to experience, with no end in sight. Though each is entitled to their views, those views certainly are left to be debated.
NUMBER-NINE DEMOCRATIC CRIMINAL 9 years ago
The entire Ghanaian community is wrapped in contagious acts of corruption, greed, deceit, intra-community animosity and disharmony and inbuilt inter-ethnic hatred. We need to destroy these chronic negative behavioral instinct ... read full comment
The entire Ghanaian community is wrapped in contagious acts of corruption, greed, deceit, intra-community animosity and disharmony and inbuilt inter-ethnic hatred. We need to destroy these chronic negative behavioral instincts and tendencies.
Humanity 9 years ago
Black people, we are the bane of our own development. Because, we are not patriotic enough. We don't have the development of our country at heart. We always pretend.
We are so obsessed with our tribe at the expensese of ou ... read full comment
Black people, we are the bane of our own development. Because, we are not patriotic enough. We don't have the development of our country at heart. We always pretend.
We are so obsessed with our tribe at the expensese of our country. Our family comes, first, secondly our tribe and last our country. Because of this obsession and preocuppation with our tribe, we will do everything to work against anybody who has de development of the country at heart if he doesn't belong to our tribe.
We can belame colonialism or our former leaders for our bad conditions or development but we are eventually responsible for the decisions we make.
jk Atta 9 years ago
This article should be read by everyone calling himself or herself a Ghanaian.The important deduction from the article is that the Development of our country rests on the shoulders of all Ghanaians. This is the reason why so ... read full comment
This article should be read by everyone calling himself or herself a Ghanaian.The important deduction from the article is that the Development of our country rests on the shoulders of all Ghanaians. This is the reason why some of us have been urging government to call for a national dialogue comprising all parties, professional groups/civil society in order to map the way forward in terms of our development..and not only our WANT list but also COST/SACRIFICES list so that when we suffer we know what it is for.
Chief amankwa 9 years ago
We are not correct so we vote for incorrect guys.
And we cry wolves ...I think our leaders should punish more until we learn sense .
So I support all the corruption ,nepotism etc bcos we are all like that or 90% are like th ... read full comment
We are not correct so we vote for incorrect guys.
And we cry wolves ...I think our leaders should punish more until we learn sense .
So I support all the corruption ,nepotism etc bcos we are all like that or 90% are like that .
U see our we treat our house servant like slaves ....so our leaders treat us as such
Spiky 9 years ago
You couldn't have said it better. If leaders upon leaders, chosen over time, behave in the same way it is fair to assume that they represent the values of the society. If we want to see leaders who behave differently from tho ... read full comment
You couldn't have said it better. If leaders upon leaders, chosen over time, behave in the same way it is fair to assume that they represent the values of the society. If we want to see leaders who behave differently from those hitherto known, and for the good of society, then there is the need for a cultural revolution, at the heart of which would be dismantling the hitherto non-functional values system and replacing it with one that yields desired results.
NON-ALIGNED 9 years ago
Philip,…..You have made some good points but I will only touch on your quote below.
YOUR QUOTE: “As human beings, it’s been a perpetual quest, and rightly so, to dissect the problem and identify the root cause, which ... read full comment
Philip,…..You have made some good points but I will only touch on your quote below.
YOUR QUOTE: “As human beings, it’s been a perpetual quest, and rightly so, to dissect the problem and identify the root cause, which we have being doing for a very long time. When this odyssey began we used to blame our colonial masters, though we cannot underestimate the impact of that evil system. With time that excuse lost its lustre and the pendulum slowly, but surely, shifted and rested on our leaders”.
However, there were one or two exceptions in Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
In this instance, I will concentrate more on Nkrumah - whose leadership reflected selflessness, vision, a strong leadership and love for Mother Ghana which does not compare with the lip-service of those who came and overthrew him and the others that followed.
This GREAT MAN introduced measures to gain economic self-reliance and self-sufficiency. The launch of the Seven Year Development Plan in 1964 was expected to transform the structure of the Ghanaian economy from one that depended on the export of a few raw materials into an industrialized and prosperous society where the basic needs of its citizens are met.
The Plan started the Akosombo Dam, the Tema harbor and township, Tema Oil Refinery, VALCO, Tema Food Complex, Sekondi-Takoradi sea port, built schools with free and compulsory education, revolutionized agriculture, a de-tribalized society, created integrated industries - nothing less than 50 factories for the production of industrial and consumer goods located strategically across the country - Abosso Glass Factory, Komenda Sugar Factory, two tomato factories in Northern Ghana namely in Wenchi and Pwalugu, the Meat Processing factory at Bologatanga, housing projects included in Accra (Labone Estate, Kanda Estates, Osu Ringway Estates, Airport Residential Area) - in Kumasi (Patasi Estate, Kwadaso Estate, Buokrom Estates, North and South Suntreso), the building of three new International airports, starting with the KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, to opening up Ghana as the gateway to the rest of Africa, and set the pace in development for the continent....do I need to go on?
Call him a socialists, a communist or whatever but. if he could deliver for our nation with those 'labels', please tell me what the so-called democracy has done for Ghana, in the past twenty something years?????
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! But structural adjustments after the other!
Unfortunately, that vision was cut off in 1966.
And guess who truncated it? The colonialists, with the help of their Ghanaian stooges did exactly that for their own GREEDY and SELFISH gains. These stooges I refer to them as AFROPEANS…..they are still in our midst today, in collaboration with their slave masters to rape our nation dry of its rich natural resources, to the detriment of our children’s future.
They and their masters care less about any broader picture of a future me and you seek for children and children’s children. They want it now for their GREEDY selves and their families, PERIOD.
So, whatever they will do to maintain that status quo will continue unabated. Yes! My point is, these lot, are in bed with their colonial masters to rape us dry, for as long as it takes. This attitude of theirs stems out of the suppressive colonialists education system that was introduced and it has not curtailed, due to the continual use of such a system which breeds POVERTY-THINKING, INFERIORITY TOWARDS DIFFERENT RACES, NO VALUE FOR OUR RICH NATURAL RESOURCES and in everything we do.
Yes! The colonialists have left but not for good, because they have ‘house-helps’ in the form of the AFROPEANS and systems in place that continue to work for them in absentia. They vilified Nkrumah and up till today, the same AFROPEANS claim he inherited millions of ‘our own’ money from the colonialists….so, basically it is no big deal carrying out such developments and could have done more.
Now, these same lot, were left wits) 100% of our rich natural resources to be utilized for the development of our nation and guess what? They have sold them cheaply to their colonial masters (the multi-nationals) under the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) and Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP), orchestrated by the IMFs and the World Banks.
Examples are the sale of all our key commodity exports and industries (gold, diamond, cocoa, oil; Ghana Airways, Black Star Line, Ghana Telecom, GIHOC, etc). All this started under the Rawlings regime started with Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Dr. Joe Abbey through to Kuffour, Sam Jonah and their cronies.
We are just being taken for a ride and Ghanaians always fall hook, line and sinker to all these lip-services offered by the AFROPEANS and their colonialists counterparts. How many times have we not heard of all thses programmes to make our lives better and help with development? It’s all means of hoodwinking Ghanaians into believing their hype.
What we need, if we in Ghana want to ever develop like the developed countries, we must learn the good ways of these developed cultures and behave like them in our own ways and circumstances. That is, by learning in our own ‘lingo’ or more importantly an AFRICAN ‘lingo’ just as they do with theirs.
And not get excited when we hear other races speaking our ‘lingos’.
We also need strong, selfless leaders with vision and brave enough to say no to oppressors….instead of just singing the national anthem, which means nothing to them.
And more importantly, eradicate ourselves from MENTAL ENSLAVEMENT from both the colonialists and the AFROPEANS for good and let's all get on board to make our nation better!
NKRUMAH NEVER DIES!
GOD BLESS GHANA!
AFRICAN FOREVER!
Military Man 9 years ago
Good and factual points in there.
My one area of disagreement is:
"That is, by learning in our own ‘lingo’ or more importantly an AFRICAN ‘lingo’ just as they do with theirs."
My question here is how many sc ... read full comment
Good and factual points in there.
My one area of disagreement is:
"That is, by learning in our own ‘lingo’ or more importantly an AFRICAN ‘lingo’ just as they do with theirs."
My question here is how many science, economics and mathematics books are written in our own lingo or African lingo?
In my opinion, what needs to change is the African mentality like you mentioned in your last paragraph.
We can use their 'education' to our benefit if only we show in our actions and deeds that we are NOT 'inferior' to the white man and by that I mean use the knowledge that we gain from that white education and use it for what it was meant. Be selfless and practical in our approach to things and work together with other educated minds in other fields for the benefit of the nation.
Remember the catch word here is 'selfless'. We can get all the education we want in our own lingos but as long as long we don't shed the selfish mentality which seems to be part of the black man's genetic make up, we will still be marching time and be stuck in our rut forever.
We've seen this selfish mentality manifest itself in a lot of ways with this current and past groups of political leaders:
Massive corruption, lies, ethnocentricism, bribery, nepotism, partisanship politics... just to mention a few.
NON-ALIGNED 9 years ago
Military Man, good to share positive ideas..... .........................
However, I strongly believe that the 'lingo' itself, we have imposed on ourselves is suppressive. It lingers in the minds of ours, as being EDUCATIO ... read full comment
Military Man, good to share positive ideas..... .........................
However, I strongly believe that the 'lingo' itself, we have imposed on ourselves is suppressive. It lingers in the minds of ours, as being EDUCATION itself.
We FAIL our talented children for not being able to speak or write in English? And yet crave the services of the Chinese (who can't speak a word of English) to come and carry out infrastructural projects for us?? (Please think deeply about it).
Yes! As you rightly put your question..".how many science, economics and mathematics books are written in our own lingo or African lingo?"
My answer is go and visit museums in Europe and come and let's debate on that.
Secondly, how did the first University in the world - in Timbuktu then, teach its scholars from all walks of our continent?
Please find out which of the 'lingos' were they taught in?
And which books did they study with to achieve the greatest civilization of all times, in that era? It was obviously not in English or French.......it was of our God-given African 'lingo' of our own heritage which produced GREATNESS!
I hope you get my drift.
NKRUMAH NEVER DIES!
GOD BLESS GHANA!
AFRICAN FOREVER!
NOBODY 9 years ago
Your article makes a lot of sense. I however have to dis agree with the statement that "We are in danger of substituting political opponents into mortal enemies, which if not surgically removed is going to overwhelm us". That ... read full comment
Your article makes a lot of sense. I however have to dis agree with the statement that "We are in danger of substituting political opponents into mortal enemies, which if not surgically removed is going to overwhelm us". That happened long ago, and it is one of the reasons why these so-called highly educated Ghanaian politicians cannot seem to put aside political partisanship and work together for the greater good of the country. Ghana is like a train that skipped its tracks and has never been able to get back on track.
It is about time we stopped this pity party. Our leaders don't encourage us to take pride in what we have and to develop our potential. All great leaders have one thing in common, they encourage the masses to be proud of who ...
read full comment
Until we see the good in all of our past leaders we will be condemned to doing the wrong things. Current leaders are scared to embrace General Acheampongs self reliance policy, but would rather lecture the populace about buyi ...
read full comment
I must thank Philip for this wonderful piece. I am also proud of all the commentaries I have read so far. No insults, interesting revelations, display of wisdom befitting for an intellectual discourse. Folks let's stay this c ...
read full comment
The man who once said, "the black man is capable of managing his own affairs couldn't practice what he preached himself. He was a megalomaniac and every political system he created such as one party system, press censorship, ...
read full comment
You couldn't have said it better.
Lincoln and Kennedy paid with their lives because they were upsetting people with vested interest....yet you discount the fact that seven attempts were made to blow up Nkrumah by people of vested interest.It is a shame the th ...
read full comment
@Kofi, your reference to Rockefeller, JP, Carnegie to educate me is out of place. It would have been better for you to refer to The Founding Fathers as mentioned by Baidoo. That way, you avoid comparing apples with oranges. T ...
read full comment
The bombs started in 1954.Nkrumah"s president for life started in 1964.So don"t fob me off! Surely,Nkrumah was not president when Krobo Edusei"s sister was blown up Kumasi or when
his Accra newtown house was bombed in 1954 ...
read full comment
Don't be simplistic. Perhaps, Nkrumah's only fault was that he did not factor in his thinking that traitors are not capable of managing their own affairs and he also did not think there were traitors in black skin in his own ...
read full comment
If it weren't for Nkrumah, a lot of these current day 'detractors' of his wouldn't have set foot in the classrooms to have had an education.
Education they are now using to undermine his great work. Very ironic, isn't it?
...
read full comment
Nkrumah has been gone since 1966, and you still pin your problems on him. Nkrumah and his team had good agendas for the nation, but some folks felt entitled to governning, hence they resorted to all devious and evil means to ...
read full comment
The entire Ghanaian community is wrapped in contagious acts of corruption, greed, deceit, intra-community animosity and disharmony and inbuilt inter-ethnic hatred. We need to destroy these chronic negative behavioral instinct ...
read full comment
Black people, we are the bane of our own development. Because, we are not patriotic enough. We don't have the development of our country at heart. We always pretend.
We are so obsessed with our tribe at the expensese of ou ...
read full comment
This article should be read by everyone calling himself or herself a Ghanaian.The important deduction from the article is that the Development of our country rests on the shoulders of all Ghanaians. This is the reason why so ...
read full comment
We are not correct so we vote for incorrect guys.
And we cry wolves ...I think our leaders should punish more until we learn sense .
So I support all the corruption ,nepotism etc bcos we are all like that or 90% are like th ...
read full comment
You couldn't have said it better. If leaders upon leaders, chosen over time, behave in the same way it is fair to assume that they represent the values of the society. If we want to see leaders who behave differently from tho ...
read full comment
Philip,…..You have made some good points but I will only touch on your quote below.
YOUR QUOTE: “As human beings, it’s been a perpetual quest, and rightly so, to dissect the problem and identify the root cause, which ...
read full comment
Good and factual points in there.
My one area of disagreement is:
"That is, by learning in our own ‘lingo’ or more importantly an AFRICAN ‘lingo’ just as they do with theirs."
My question here is how many sc ...
read full comment
Military Man, good to share positive ideas..... .........................
However, I strongly believe that the 'lingo' itself, we have imposed on ourselves is suppressive. It lingers in the minds of ours, as being EDUCATIO ...
read full comment
Your article makes a lot of sense. I however have to dis agree with the statement that "We are in danger of substituting political opponents into mortal enemies, which if not surgically removed is going to overwhelm us". That ...
read full comment