Citizens of the Third World

“We are the third world not because the sun rises on the west and sets in the east but because we have engaged the reverse gear and we are moving with a jet-like speed in the wrong direction, we must change this by rolling up our sleeves and working for the growth of our country”- Patrick L.O. Lumumba

Sixty (60) years as a country is enough time to liberate our nation from the realms of a third world country. Until 1980, Ghana saw a period of Political instability characterized by series of military intervention in the governmental affairs of the country. Beginning with Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the man who spearheaded the total liberation of Ghana then Gold Coast from colonial rule ascribing the status of independent and a Republic later. Historical probity has it that

Economic mismanagement

Corruption and shortage of grave consumer commodities necessary for survival were the dominant factors that led to the series of military takeovers, beginning from Nkrumah to Hilla Limann. Political instability is a well-known factor that hinders the development of every country hence we give “NkrutoRAw” (Nkrumah to Rawlings) era of government the benefit of doubt for not liberating the country from a “buoyant” Third World country to the better.

Do we still have the courage as citizens to blame the current state of the country as a result of Political instability?        Hell No!

“RawAddo” (Rawlings to Nana Addo Dankwa….) period of government have enjoyed and still enjoying a period of perfect political stability, it’s rather pathetic to say we are still a third world country.

What’s really the problem?

Where have we gone wrong as citizens of a third world country? Or are we bound to remain in the kingdom of a third world? Hell No!

Our current state as a country is largely as a result of actions and inactions of our leaders in a various crucial sect of the economy and we as normal citizens are not exempted either. I wholeheartedly agree with Oswald Mtsali as he emphatically stated in his poem “Ambassadors of Poverty” regarding the state of Nigeria our “blood” sister Nation, no wonder they say blood is thicker than water hence the genetic inheritance of the state of our economy is well shared.

To our leaders Oswald stated

‘’Ambassadors of poverty are

The corrupt masters of the economy

With their heads abroad

And anus at home

Patriots in reverse order

Ambassadors of poverty are

The saviors of the people

Office loafers in guise of workers

Barons of Incompetence

With kleptomaniac fingers                                             

And suckling fingers

Position occupants and enemies of service

Locked in corrosive war of corruption

With their people’s treasury and killing their future’’

Various heads of government have done their best in trying to curb this menace called corruption and other related illegal work ethics, not exempting our current President who recently entreated workers to eschew bad habits at their various workplaces.

We are killing ourselves as a country if the workforce continues developing kleptomaniac fingers, appropriating resources to themselves in an inappropriate manner.

Using of state vehicles recklessly and refusing to practice maintenance culture

Matrons and cooks at various levels of education embezzling large quantities of food meant to be eaten by students

Contractors turning to misers in the mist of abundance during the execution of contacts aiming to enrich themselves and careless of shoddy work done

Teachers being lackadaisical in the execution of their duties

And citizens refusing to protect but promoting the destruction of state assets.

It should be noted that there are good ones among these sects and as Professor Mills use to say; the good ones should be influencing the bad ones.

I believe that the efficient solvent that can perfectly dissolve the above solute of social ills aforementioned is individuals patterning their lives in absolute conformity with morality and practising virtues such as, Truthfulness, Honesty, Hard work and Diligence in our various workplaces and the society at large.

It’s high time we as citizens join the governments’ concerted efforts at liberating our retired nation (Ghana) from the realms of a third world country to Rostow’s state of high mass consumption, the ideal of his development model. In this stage of development, we are guaranteed better standards of living, minimal unemployment and a better Ghana in general.

We can enable this course come to reality by pledging our allegiance to the state.

I PLEDGE!!! WHAT OF YOU?