Path ahead

In a recent discourse, Professor P.L.O. Lumumba, a renowned Kenyan constitutional lawyer, referenced a pivotal address by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, delivered in Addis Ababa in 1963.

In this address, Dr Nkrumah implored African leaders to swiftly unite to resist the seductive influence of power.

Professor Lumumba contends that the failure of these leaders to heed Nkrumah's urgent counsel signified the onset of numerous challenges facing the continent.

Power can create a false sense of reality, leading those who hold it to develop an inflated perception of its significance.

This delusion of grandeur, however, is not confined to leaders; individuals and even entire nations can fall prey to such illusions.

Building upon the achievements of our founding fathers, Ghana seems to suffer from a form of delusion, believing ourselves to be one of the greatest nations on earth, and arguably the best in Africa.

Where does our greatness lie after nearly 66 years of independence? Is it in the duopoly of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) masquerading as democracy?

Perhaps it resides in our raw exports of cocoa and other natural resources, devoid of value addition. Let's not forget it might even be reflected in our frequent visits to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), holding out our hands for assistance. 

Greatness

True greatness must be demonstrated through tangible achievements and visible outcomes. We can no longer rely on the notion that "Ghana was one of the first countries in Africa to gain independence", as a benchmark of our progress.

What have we genuinely accomplished with this independence?

It has been defined by international organisations labelling our currency as one of the weakest in the world, a troubling rise in unemployment and a reputation that rests solely on Ghana's status as a peaceful nation. Kwame Nkrumah would likely be disheartened to see us equate the mere change of political parties with the true essence of independence.

Ghana's economy is akin to an amoeba, lacking a clearly defined structure or shape. Nevertheless, it can borrow funds from other countries, often exceeding its ability to repay. 

Address

To address this issue, the first step is to accurately identify the underlying problems.

The challenges we face as a nation arise from insufficient investment in industrialisation, divisive politics, ineffective governance, corruption and a lack of principled approaches.

While we often articulate the right ideas in speeches, we struggle to convert those ideas into tangible actions.

To confront these challenges, we must prioritise significant investment in industrialisation, supported by a national development strategic plan focused on transforming raw materials into finished products, with added value.

This should be our primary goal. We need to embrace mechanised methods of mass production, which will undoubtedly help in developing our villages into cities where industries can thrive.

Furthermore, as these industries typically have high labour requirements, we can effectively tackle persistent unemployment. A practical starting point would be to add value to cocoa products.

In areas with considerable cocoa production, we should establish processing facilities to convert raw cocoa beans into finished goods.

We must redefine our democracy with an African flavour. Like the concept of Ubuntu in South Africa, the democracy that we carve for ourselves must integrate our culture, norms and values.

The current democratic tenets are alien, ignoring many of our institutions such as chieftaincy, which used to play a critical role in community development.

We may perhaps consider creating another chamber in parliament with the mandate of legislation and implementation of community development plans devoid of political bias.

Our greatness could then gradually start being defined by the progress of community development, where villages are turned into cities and values are added to our raw materials.

Corruption

Making corruption unattractive by punishing without fear or favour may be our next major leap. The approach here must be top-down.

People in positions of leadership and responsibility who misappropriate, steal or cause financial loss to the state must be dealt with publicly. 

This will serve as a deterrent to their subordinates and ultimately help purge the country of corruption.

We cannot deal with corruption if we continue accepting apologies for crimes committed.

The writer is a Marketing & Communication Consultant