Chronologically, Ghana, formerly called Gold Coast, assumed the name Ghana on the occasion of attaining political independence on 6th March, 1957, thus shedding her former name, Gold Coast bestowed on her by European colonisers.
Ghana empire was the first of the three old West African empires, Ghana, Mali and Songhai; which thrived and flourished between 500 A.D. and the 1200 AD centuries in the region between the bend of the Niger and the middle reaches of Senegal.
Ghana was fabulously rich, particularly in gold and other valuable minerals which contributed to make her very wealthy and powerful.
Ghana had trade ties with other nations; and she exported gold and other valuable minerals to these nations; hence her fabulous wealth and power.
Ghana rose to her apogee of wealth and power’s plendour and prosperity and superceded all other nations around her in about the eleventh century.
However, in about the eleventh century, Ghana’s wealth, glory, power and splendor began to dwindle, decline and eventually whittled away as she could not maintain and sustain her glory and splendour due to a number of negative factors which Professor Albert Adu Boahen, Ghana’s and African’s renowned historian of blessed memory has succinctly concluded! and it will be of much interest here to capture Adu Boahen’s conclusion on the fall of Ghana Empire.
“Thus, divided by Islam, weakened politically and economically by the Almoravids, defeated first by the Susu and then by Mali, the ancient Empire of Ghana disappeared from the stage of history. Its place had by the middle of the thirteenth century, been taken by Mali”.
The above quotation is verbatim and credited to Emeritus Professor Albert Adu Boahen, the world’s renowned African’s historian who at one time during the PNDC rule of this country contested the leadership of Ghana against the chairman of the PNDC government under Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory.
The founding fathers of modern Ghana in the persons of Osageyfo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. J.B Danquah, William Ofori Atta, Obetsebi Lamptey, Ako Adjei, Akufo-Addo thought it wise to change the name Gold Coast to Ghana in view of the past wealth, greatness and splendour of old Ghana Empire as way of recapturing old Ghana’s great opulence and power.
Thus, modern Ghana hasa mission to fulfil as a nation with great destiny, glory and splendor,Southof the Sahara of Black Africa.
Indisputably, Ghana is the star and leader of the African continent;and she must by obligation set the pace in developmental aspiration for greatness, wealth and prosperity for the rest of the African countries to follow suit, because Ghana is richly endowed with inexhaustible natural resources just as the other African countries are endowed with.
The first most formidable challenge facing Ghana now is to try and set a healthy and workable effective model of reliable and sustainable system of democratic system of governance that will be devoid of ethnic, sectionalism, divisiveness , dishonesty, self -seeking, avarice corruption which characterise systems of governance in many African countries at the present time.
Modern Ghana as at now has adequate human resource which when well organized and directed will be able to exploit Ghana’s inexhaustible natural resources to enable Ghana to experience great economic growth, development and prosperity to be reminiscent of old Ghana’s Empire, greatness wealth and power that exited between the 11th and 12th centuries; and even optimistically, supercede old Ghana Empire , if all things being equal and right are put in place; for all things are possible with God.
It is a fact that Ghanaians are by nature very hard working, sacrificial and determined people in all fields of human endeavor and are sincere and committed to the achievement of greatness and honor, especially when they travel outside Ghana to seek greener pastures.
The prosperity of Ghana in the future is very great in terms of her destiny as a nation; and therefore,she must not fail towards the achievement of her great destiny.
What is important and necessary for Ghana now; and for that matter, Ghanaians is to come together in unity and peace and work very hard, selflessly and sacrificially for the building of the nation.
In fact, Ghana in a blessed nation, and it is high time Ghanaians recognized and acknowledged this, and eschew all forms of ethnic sentiments, divisiveness, corruption, selfishness, greed avarice cheating self-centeredness over ambition etc; and commit themselves to the cause and interest of the nation.
All hands must be on deck of the State Ship for its smooth sailing for the achievement of economic growth, development and prosperity.
At the present time, Ghana is pursuing a monumental development aspiration dubbed Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda which must be carefully guided and directed so that it will achieve great success to benefit Ghana.
To this end, all Ghanaians in all walks of life must give this developmental programme a fillip, irrespective of one’s political affiliation or persuasion. This is because Ghana belongs to all Ghanaians, and not a section or particular group of Ghanaians.
Ghana has achieved greatness and honor in the eyes of the world as having produced a U.N Secretary General in the person of Mr. Kofi Annan of blessed memory.
It follows logically that Ghana is capable of achieving greatness, opulence, glory and splendour, if her citizens will collectively and concertedly put their shoulders to the wheel and work very hard with determination, zeal; and selflessly for the achievement of greatness.
As history is replete with repetition, old Ghana Empire with its greatness opulence, glory and splendour can remanifest at the present time in Ghana’s continual developmental aspirations as a nation; and one cannot doubt thissituation happening in the present day modern Ghana affairs moving towards what had been presented in this article about old Ghana Empire.
In conclusion, I hold the vision that modern Ghana can revisit the era of old Ghana’s empire wealth, greatness, glory and prosperity, because modern Ghana has the great potential for the achievement of this feat!
[The writer is a Theatre Critic]
BY MICHAEL AKENOO
