Still many rivers to cross

The lyrics of legendary reggae musician Jimmy Cliff’s popular track: “Many Rivers to Cross”, written in 1969, still resonate in a lot of situations in which we find ourselves as a country.

One line in the song goes: “Many rivers to cross and it's only my will that keeps me alive.” 

Ghana has come a long way and although we have chalked up many successes as a country, there still remain challenges we need to surmount.

It will only take the strong will of the people and our leaders to overcome challenges such as corruption, greed, politicisation of all national issues, mediocrity and the polarisation of the country by politicians.

Speaking at the Good Friday Miracle Service of the Lighthouse Chapel International at the Black Star Square in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama asked Ghanaians to revel in the successes of the country, instead of over-concentrating on its challenges.  

He also urged the people to take advantage of the enormous potential of the country and added that over the years Ghana had chalked up significant successes, for which reason the people should "count your blessings one after another".

We agree with the President that there are many things Ghanaians must be thankful for. Some of them are the peace that we enjoy in a not too particularly stable sub-region, a thriving democracy that has made us become the toast of the global community who have touted us as the beacon of democratic governance in Africa, among many other achievements.

Yet there still remains the issue of corruption, which has become so engrained in the moral fibre of the country that even people paid to do certain jobs still demand money from the people they are supposed to render the services to, as if the customers are obliged to part with money before the job could be done.

People in authority also embezzle and misappropriate funds in their care as if that were the norm, while the institutions of state have failed to bring the embezzlers to book, as is evident in the Auditor-General’s Report on the public accounts of the Republic of Ghana.

Everything has become so politicised that we have lost the ability to dispassionately discuss and debate national issues,  correct the wrongs of society and make life better for all.

Although we have been able to successfully hold elections to elect our presidents and parliamentarians since 1992, there seems to be so much intolerance of other people’s views. People hate their own brothers and sisters with venom, just because those brothers belong or hold allegiance to another political party.

While we celebrate our successes as a nation, we need to also bear in mind that there are challenges that we need to confront together, so that we can improve our lot as a nation.

We are well able to deal with our problems if we discuss them dispassionately, remembering always that Ghana is our only home. 

The Daily Graphic urges the President, as the father of the nation, to do all in his power to unite the country. He must speak against the things that keep us apart and bring us all together as one people with a common destiny.

There are many rivers to cross, but it is only our collective will that will enable us to reach and cross them safely.