The apparent lack of coherent, dominant national values can be said to be one of the factors affecting accelerated national development, Dr Charles Wiafe-Akenten, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana has said.
He said known Ghanaian values such as honesty, humility, communal life, patriotism, unity, nationalism and hospitality, among many others, had been thrown to the wind to be replaced by wanton greed for wealth and unwarranted approach to gain societal attention.
Dr Wiafe-Akenten made this observation when he delivered the keynote address at the ninth National Development Forum under a topic, ‘Societal values and national development, consolidating the gains’, in Accra on Wednesday.
The forum which was organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in partnership with Ghana Eximbank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also created a platform for panel discussion and open forum on the topic.
Dr Wiafe-Akenten said since core societal values were very key to national development, it was high time for concerted efforts to be made to rekindle those core values, especially in the youth.
He said this was because, a huge chunk of the youthful population were engaged in deviant lifestyle which were at variance with the known and cherished values, adding that it called for the task of re-engineering the value system which could be integrated into the country’s comprehensive socio-economic development.
“When we have values that are internalised disciplinary measures because it shaped our personal behaviours, then we may value the sacrifice and commitment to put up in order to contribute to national development and social cohesion,” he said.
Dr Wiafe-Akenten said Ghanaian values had evolved from a number of sources such as traditions, proverbs, socio-culture of the people, the history of the nation and patriotic songs such that there was the need to maintain and transform them into attitudes and habits which would dominate thoughts and national discourse.
“Traditional values which enhance relevant and utilitarian values must also be re-introduced,” he said.
He said since values were meant for the general good of society, there was the need to reward those who comply by dictates of the values while the deviants should be whipped in line, through sanctions.
Most Reverend Dr Aboagye Mensah, former Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church Ghana, opening the session for panel discussion, said democracy which was entrenched with the principle of separation of powers was divine ordained since God in his infinite wisdom would not want to put governance structures in a single hand.
He said inimical human failures warranted such a value to build democratic dispensation which should be separated so that morale character and disciplinary values of the various leadership from the arms of government could be exhibited for the good of society.
Professor Joseph Osafo, Head of Psychology Department of University of Ghana in his contribution, said if the religious groups could use their platforms to disseminate Ghanaian moral values instead of emphasising on wealth acquisition, there was the likelihood that many Ghanaians would change their moral values for good.
Mrs Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who chaired the forum, said inculcating true Ghanaian values should begin with the family settings to be reinforced by formal education set-up.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI
