GHANA YΕWƆ ADZE A OYE (GHANA WE HAVE GOOD STUFF)

The more I see different places, the more I appreciate my homeland Ghana. A land of rich resources, excellent talents, rich culture, racial tolerance, excellent climate and beautiful sociable people.

The level of civilisation in Ghana is overwhelming and sometimes one is shocked with the realisation that you are even more exposed than someone from a generally perceived well off location of the globe. 

The world indeed has become a global village. I always have get eye brows raised when mediocrity displeases me when the general song is ‘it’s so nice’. Sometimes I go like what is so nice about that? Or am I so difficult to please? Yes indeed it takes something ‘really good’ to awe me. This is because I come from a country where one can have 24 hrs of internet connection together with telephone calls and pay a monthly subscription of less than $ 500. Where one can own a land in a city with $ 6000. Do you know that it is unlawful for an individual to own land in most countries? A country where people can afford the luxury of all modes and brands of automobile even the one made today? I come from Kwahu Obomeng in the Eastern region, and I bet you some of the buildings you find at the Kwahu ridge could pass for ‘tourist’ attractions or ‘national heritage’ elsewhere lol. Our famous east legon, cantonments, airport residential, University staff accommodation and other bungalows can pass for residents in modern cities world wide. I still think there is still room for a whole lot more improvement.

The average 3 star hotel like Busua, Miklin or Pink panther comes with sparkling clear rooms, bathrooms and scenery. You will be amazed to discover that hotel standards in some of the perceived well off nations are so low as having bed bugs in rooms. I am sure if this happened in Ghana, it will have been a talk show discussion for a month. Some 3 star hotels in supposed well off nations have brownish bath tubs and toilets. Sometimes you wonder if the stars are ‘permanent’ or ‘shooting stars’ J

I can go on and on. But the point I am trying to drive home is that, Ghanaians are conscious of ‘what is good’ and demand it from stakeholders everyday hence the continuous rambling in the news when things don’t work as expected.

Personally I think Ghana has not done badly as a nation. This is in no way encouraging self complacency but a call to self appreciation. We need to appreciate the daily little achievements and successes we chalk as a people. People are too ‘negative’ and only see the wrong things that happen. Even though we are justified to demand excellence, appreciating the little successes and trumpeting them the way we trumpet evil will go a long way to give hope and encouragement for improvement.

It is about time for us to tell the ‘good’ story of Africa and Ghana in particular that the world never tells aside war, famine and disease.

This is because; global politics is all about ideas and perceptions. ‘Tell people the same story over and over again and that is what they will believe’. Tell them they are 3^rd world and incapable of making it on their own, and so it has been.

I think it is about time the Ghanaian youth is inculcated with ‘self belief’ that we can build our nation on our own and not to fold their arms awaiting the next available plane to ‘abrokyire’ where people with masters degrees wash dishes. This is not to demean any profession but to encourage the youth to return home after gaining education and experience elsewhere. I was once listening to a preacher who said:

‘If you don’t say you are, no one will tell you thou art’.