Yesterday, Ghanaians marked the 67th anniversary of their country’s independence from the British colonial masters.
The Ghanaian Times congratulates Ghana on succeeding in wresting independence from the British.
The commemoration of March 6, 1957 came with various events or activities at the national, regional, district and community levels.
Some members of the public also celebrated the day with some group and even individual or personal activities.
All such events or activities generally depict just the euphoria associated with the day Ghana gained its independence.
We think celebrating the day that way is only ritualistic if both the country’s native managers and the people fail to reflect on the true nature of independence vis-à-vis their responsibilities and rights in moving the country forward.
Thus, we wish to remind ourselves of some things Ghanaians should consider any time they commemorate the country’s independence.
It is common knowledge that Ghana being independent means no foreign power maintains any control over the political or civil processes of its government and people.
That is to say its sovereignty, which is the right of the country to chart its own future through self-determination, is assured.
However, this sovereignty can remain intact when the country achieves economic freedom; maintains a robust judicial system; upholds an education system; develops the ability of individuals to make critical decisions that enhance progress of their total life; and focuses attention on social mechanics of lives of the people, which include cultural values and community safety.
In a multi-cultural country like Ghana, the state must take note of which social acts are acceptable in one cultural environment and not in another and see how that will not undermine the peace of the whole country.
The state must also have respect for the environment in which case it controls activities that cause pollution, global warming, ocean acidification, ozone layer depletion, and loss of biodiversity, and as well undermine public health.
We agree that independence notwithstanding, we live in a global village, where diplomatic pressures and bilateral cooperation are critical for the country’s advancement in a way, yet we need to prevent injurious external influence.
However, Ghana usually succumbs to external pressures that injures its cultural values and economic aspirations, all because of lack of the financial muscle to develop the country, which consequently calls for dependence on external assistance that comes with its own conditions.
Imagine that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is largely dependent on investment by foreign companies.
Meanwhile, the country is endowed with the natural resources that can give it the economic must but for mismanagement by its leadership, corruption, injustice and the poor working attitude of the people.
It is also the case that the people do not demand accountability from their leaders at all levels and politicians in particular are taking advantage of the situation to feed their personal interests through corruption and any other bad means.
Until the problems are fixed for the country to see progress, the annual commemoration of its independence is a fruitless venture that profits only the organisers of the celebrations.
