Founders’ Day: Time to reflect on nation’s aspirations, vision
A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Lawrence Boakye, has challenged the government and the entire nation to use this year’s Founders’ Day celebrations as a period to reflect on the trajectory of the country.
Advertisement
He said that, as a people, we needed to use it as a platform to reflect on what our aspirations, challenges and visions were.
“Our founders Day celebration comes with a clarion call to ask ourselves some vital questions regarding our country Ghana. As a people what are our aspirations, what do we lack as a nation, what is our vision for Mother Ghana,” he said
Event
Dr Boakye said this today (Friday, August 4, 2023), delivering a lecture on the topic; “African Nationalism: A Road to Patriotism and the Attainment of Self-Determination.”
The lecture series was organised by the Danquah Institute, a political think tank interested in research and advocacy, as part of the Founders’ Day celebrations.
Patriotism, nationalism
Dr Boakye said that in order for the nation to enkindle its passion for contributing magnanimously to national development and progress, people must resort to patriotic values.
He explained that, as a people, when we lack these values, we tend to throw our own destiny into chaos, dishonesty, apathy, and dismay thereby turning back our clock of development.
He stressed on the essence of patriotism and the attainment of self-determination using Africa’s perspective of nationalism, history of colonial oppression and long struggle for independence, citing examples from Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa amongst others to buttress his points.
Other Trending Stories
Driving his points home, he used stories of freedom fighters such as the Big Six to explain how our forefathers understood that the continued existence of colonialism was going to prevent the development of international economic co-operation, impede the social, cultural, and economic development of our nation, and would militate against the ideals of universal peace.
For these reasons, Dr Boakye who is a Senior Lecturer at the university’s Study of Religions Department, stated that they were fuelled by their patriotism and love for the nation that they were willing to sacrifice everything and risked their lives for the country.
“Today as we celebrate these courageous compatriots, we reflect on their heroism, sacrifice, leadership, the restoration of patriotism, and the establishment of the foundation of our democracy,” he said.
Awakening
Therefore, he called on the nation to allow itself to be driven by the resilience of past leaders, who the day seeks to celebrate, to awaken their civil consciousness, their desire for identity, freedom, unity, self-determination, and the restoration of the spirit of patriotism.
Dr Boakye added that our self-determination and patriotism, as a people, were integral to the realisation of the nation’s political, social and economic freedoms.
“It is only through the realisation of this very basic right of people to determine, with no compulsion or coercion, holding onto their own future, political status and independence that we can begin to address other important factors such as dignity, justice, progress and equity,” he explained further.
