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Several people sampled by The Standard on 50 years of our nationhood, say that Ghana is making progress “but a lot more remains to be done to reap the fruits of democratic governance.”
The respondents had been asked to comment on: To What Extent Have the Hopes and Expectations of Ghanaians been fulfilled in the Past 50 years? What is the Way forward?
One respondent said the economy in the past year had been stabilised but Ghana, however, must begin to wean itself from dependence on foreign assistance, adding “we have to work harder than before.”
Another respondent said a lot is needed to be done to curb ethnic divisions in the country.
“We have been able to maintain stability and security, but we have failed as a nation to live to the potentials and expectations of Ghanaians and the outside world,” another said.
Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Nadowli North said:
One would need to look at the historical records to see whether the hopes and expectations of Ghanaians have been met.
In my view, we have not been able as a people to turn around the massive natural resources at our disposal to improve on our economy. So, we depend largely on donor agencies even to finance our budgets.
Since 2001, there has not been a balancing shift between the Private and Public Sectors.
We have adapted the American type of development which is cost recovery not by a collective way, but on individual level. Hence, education, health, public utilities like electricity, telephone and water, are not accessible to everybody. This compelled some industries like the Timber, Cotton and Textile to fold up.
In the area of education, I must say that we are on the decline compared to the 50s.
We should remember that the Teacher is the central driver in education; but we have not been able to motivate him. If the teacher lacks teaching materials and a place to relax before his next class, we cannot expect quality work from him.
Ghanaians need a clear vision for the nation with government leading the way.
We should focus more on justice and unity. That will bring peace.
Mr. Frank Agyekum, Government Spokesperson on Good Governance said:
At the dawn of independence on 6th March 1957, the whole world had great expectations about Ghana as the first country, South of the Sahara to gain independence from the British colonialists.
The optimism of the international community was because Ghana with its rich natural resources as found in gold, cocoa, timber etc; a highly trained and efficient civil service; an educational system comparable to the best in the world and a per capita income equal to that of present day middle-income earning; had everything going for it.
All the indicators showed that a trajectory of the first African country, Ghana, to gain independence could only be upwards and not downwards.
A combination of poor political and economic choices resulting in violent overthrow of governments set back the pace of development and left much of the high hopes in the immediate post-independence era unfulfilled.
Since the return to constitutional rule in 1992 however, steady progress has been made, especially, in ensuring political stability, which for the first time, has seen 14 years of uninterrupted constitutional rule.
In the last six years, since the assumption of office of the New Patriotic (NPP) government, tremendous successes have been chalked in stabilizing the macro-economic indexes of the country in readiness for a real economic take-off.
A cardinal principle of the NPP government is to uphold the basic tenets of human rights – respect for the rule of law and safeguarding free speech and freedom of association.
A remarkable feat within the NPP’s six-year rule is the introduction of free school fees; free bus rides and the provision of one hot meal a day for primary schools pupils.
The National Health Insurance Scheme has also become operational guaranteeing, the sick will be treated at the hospitals without money being demanded as a condition.
The progress made in the last six years gives hope that the high aspirations the world had of Ghana at independence 50 years, can now be attained.
Dr. Edward Mahama, Leader of the People's National Convention (PNC) said:
We have been able to maintain stability and security in 50 years but we have failed as a nation to live up to the potentials and expectations of Ghanaians and the outside world.
We should be able to turn the temperament of Ghanaians, which is optimisms, around for the development of the nation. It is a potential that should be tapped.
The way forward is for us to believe in ourselves and empower our people to critically scrutinize national issues.
We also need an open government that would seek the views of its citizens on important national policies.
I wish to reiterate my call that September 21, the birthday of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, be made a national holiday.
The major roads in the Regional Capitals should be named after other Founding Fathers of Ghana to instill the history of Ghana into our young people.
Nation-building is a long term proposition and definitely, there will be goals, some of which may be attained, but others may be elusive.
Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, MP for Lawra-Nandom and the NDC Ranking Member for Finance said:
Ghana became independent with a two strong-worded slogan of Freedom and Justice. There is somehow, a high level of freedom but there is no justice.
There is no distributive justice because whatever modest gains we have made as a nation, have not been equitably distributed so that all Ghanaians can be happy to celebrate 50 years of nationhood.
For me, spending 20 million dollars to celebrate the Golden Jubilee is a misplaced priority. We should do comparative studies with other countries that attained independence around the same time as Ghana, to realise that we are not modest with our spending.
Malaysia for instance according to reports, is spending just three million dollars to mark its Golden Jubilee of Independence.
On the political front, we need a generational revolution, so that we can tap the potentials of different political parties in a spirit of dialogue. Until we move away from the traditional antagonism, we are unlikely to develop a democratic culture which is sustainable.
The absence of violence in Ghana should not be seen as a sign of stability.
Mrs. Agnes Chigabatia,
NPP MP for Builsa North said:
I think in 50 years, the hopes and aspirations of especially women have not been met. The Ghanaian male folk still relegates the woman to the kitchen. We have not been able to see women as equal partners of development.
We need to empower women economically and propel them into leadership positions. God has made women better managers than men. So, when they are at the forefront, our country would do better.
The other issue I will like to address is on “politics of personalities” that has plagued the nation.
For me, we should embrace politics of development, where issues affecting the welfare and generality of the Ghanaian are addressed and not politics of vendetta, hatred and division.
Let us take a cue from Dr. Nkrumah who referred to Ghanaians as “my people.” He was not concerned about CPP followers as such, but every Ghanaian. That is why without discrimination, he started developing the whole country.
Let us as Ghanaians, come together and work for our collective good and stop the labelling of political parties as if they were our personal property.
In this way, authentic democracy would prevail in the country.
Having said this, I am happy the Domestic Violence Bill has been passed into law. To our men folk, let them be told that the law would benefit them as well. It is not just for women, but for all.
Mr. Ray Kakrabah-Quarshie, a Legal Practitioner said:
When Ghana attained statehood on March 6, 1957, I was a student in Upper Six at Adisadel College, Cape Coast. We were all very hopeful that the new nation that has blazed the path of African Emancipation from colonial rule, will move on the right track. Things did not turn out as some of us had prayed for.
The military interventions set the clock of progress back several decades. The freedom we fought for, the enjoyment of human rights were all derailed. If the military had left this country alone, I am sure that Ghana would have been far advanced than it is today.
In 1961, the First Republican Parliament passed the first Free and Compulsory Education Act. It was never implemented. In fact, as the years progressed, education was forgotten and it remained a dead Act on the Statute Books.
After fifty years, however, Ghana today has Free and Compulsory Education because of the Capitation Grant. The National Health Insurance Scheme has brought health facilities nearer to the people, problems of implementation notwithstanding.
We have seen a lot of infrastructural development around the country. Our roads are better and transportation is a lot easier.
Ghanaians are enjoying their fundamental human rights as never before. We have democracy in being and no Ghanaian is being persecuted for his beliefs and thoughts.
But a lot more remains to be done to reap the full fruits of democratic governance. The economy has in the past year, been stabilised. Ghana however, must begin to wean itself from having dependence on foreign assistance and we have to work harder than before.
The future is bright for Ghana but all of us must work harder, cultivate the habit of discipline, honesty and fellow – feeling.
I will like to see the courts more resourced, so that they can continue to dispense justice without fear or favour and the many Ghanaians on remand in the prison be brought to speedy trials.
Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra said: In my opinion, what Ghanaians should do is to celebrate the Golden Jubilee anniversary. The celebrations should revolve on three indispensable steps.
The first step is an examination of the past 50 years to find where we have failed our God, our country and our neighbour.
Therefore, we must be sorry for the mistakes we have committed in the past or have contributed to, and resolve never to let them happen again.
The second step is to be grateful to God to the country and to our fellow Ghanaians for the blessings, successes and graces of the past 50 years and be thankful to God for His mercy and love.
This is the time for us to celebrate the unity amongst Ghanaians and the joy, peace, security and relative progress we have made so far. Every Ghanaian has contributed and therefore, must be acknowledged.
The third step of the celebration is to plan for the future of Ghana and to renew our faith in God. We must resolve to make Ghana a better place for all. This is the time to mobilize all Ghanaians at home and abroad for the good of this country.
We should take inspiration from two great personalities – the first is the late Mr. John F. Kennedy, one-time President of the United States of America who once said: “Do not ask what America, can do for you, but what you can do for America.”
This is the time to ask ourselves what we can do for Ghana.
We should also take inspiration from the late Dr. Ephraim Amu, who composed the anthem Yen Ara Asaase ni… It is now your turn and my turn to make our contributions for the future development of our dear country, Ghana.
God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation strong for the next 50 years.
Additional file by Isaac Fritz Andoh & Steve Kakrabah-Quarshie
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