Ghana at 68 years: Nation in distress
At 68 years, Ghana continues to bleed in lies, thievery, indiscipline, corruption, lawlessness, greed and blatant disrespect for authority.
All these do not auger well for the nation, leading to our present economic mismanagement, galloping inflation and high cost of living, resulting in great suffering for some.
God in His immense wisdom and knowledge gave commandments for all.
Rules and regulations are the hallmark of every society or institution, to be followed by disciplined, honest and hardworking citizens.
The home, school and workplace should train and monitor children, the youth and workers for the right attitudes and intrinsic qualities that shape their lifestyle and behaviour.
Education without good moral values does not help nation-building. Some Ghanaian workers and officials have, through lies and deceit, stolen large sums of public funds for their own selfish ends.
Many government officials in high places are corrupt and accept bribes, even though they are paid for the work they do.
Some Ghanaian youth do not want to strenuously work, but desire to get rich quickly. In the process, they resort to stealing, ritual murder, armed robbery, etc.
The Bible says, "Train the child the way s/he should go and when s/he grows up, s/he will never depart from it”.
Some parents have shirked their responsibility to train and educate their wards.
Some blamed economic hardships, while others did not see the need to do so.
That puts strain on the government to provide education at various levels to neglected and abandoned children and the youth.
Nowadays, we are placing too much burden on the government to provide so many things for ‘free’ for Ghanaians, even though it is the responsibility of the government to provide social goods and services.
Ghana is facing massive youth unemployment. Unless Ghana industrialises, employing the ever-growing population will be a mirage. Nations like the U.S.A., Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Britain, etc. have developed through industrialisation.
The first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, opened up factories and industries across Ghana after independence.
All successive governments after Kwame Nkrumah have not invested in new enterprises, because of ineptitude, although the country has good arable lands, abundant natural resources, trained human resources and many institutions, to make citizens comfortable.
The government has a four-year mandate to rule. The welfare and prosperity of the nation depend on how the President, with his men and women, handle affairs and makes honesty, hard work and good labour relations a benchmark.
The President should also take note that industrialisation is the key to Ghana's development and agriculture should be given priority for food security and the provision of raw materials for factories.
Michael K. Benyin
Breman Kuntanase,
C/R.
