An Analogy of the 61 years of Ghana's Independence
There is a very interesting phenomenon on Earth. Our globe spins in a particular direction, one we call eastward; we always see the sun rising from the direction we call East. When the day is done, and the darkness and cold of the night approaches, we see the sun setting in the direction we call the West. Stay with me, now...there is a destination at the end of this mind trip.
If you are to head westward, towards the setting sun you would need to move faster than the Earth's spin in order to stay within the sun's light . However if you walk eastward, in fact even if you stand still the sun will eventually rise on you. You will however, need wait in the darkness and cold of the night.
In this analogy, the sun and its warmth, the 'brightness of a new day' is analogous to success, prosperity and wealth. The cold darkness of the night refers to the pain and the sacrifice one has to endure before achieving great success. The speed with which one needs to move in order to get to the sunlight represents the resources we are expending to achieve success. If we are to apply this analogy to Ghana, and to Africa as a whole, we have been, since our independence, running westward, chasing the new sun. Now some may see that as a metaphor for the aid mentality that causes us to run to the West (Europe and the Americas) for help. That is a justified assertion. However it may then imply that heading East means we should look to Asia, to China in particular for our success. That would be wrong, because guess what, in this analogy you can still get to China, by heading west. Heading westward implies looking on to others; it implies spending our precious resources to convince the other countries to help us get to the daylight.
We would call a man running westward to find sunlight a fool. Yet that is what we are doing to ourselves at the moment.
Politicians love to lie to us. We are so gullible, we will accept anything they say. They know very well that we do not like hardship, and so they give us the easy solution: "Follow us, let us keep heading towards the setting sun, let us stay in its warmth. As long as we do so, we will not experience the night." They know that the answer to our problems requires us wait out the night - to suffer a little today so we can enjoy tomorrow. However, no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Not especially when their tenure is decided by a popularity contest.
Thus here we are. The cold night is staring at us. We are feeling it, in the form of rampant corruption, terrible infrastructure, a dwindling currency, a crumbling health care system, an import driven appetite, deteriorating security (vigilantism), and the creeping realization that we may never escape our poverty. If you get a salary increment today, your are merely catching up to the economy, not getting ahead of it.
The truth is painful. Ghana is running out of time. Soon we may not have the strength to survive the cold night. We need to do the right thing, so that at least if we the older ones do not make it, our children can see the bright new day. We need to suffer through the night.
Government employees entrusted with the nation's resources should make do with the little they receive in the form of salary; tighten your belts and refuse that bribe. Do the right thing.
Ghanaians who are evading tax, let us all pay our fair share of taxes. If the government employees do their job right, even with the small money collected we can see a bright new day. We also need to stop depending on foreign imports and start making what we consume ourselves. I'm not talking about the cheap knock offs or overly expensive fluff we are asked to buy by the 'Made in Ghana' campaign; I'm talking about better alternatives.
To you the entrepreneurs, strive for excellence. Copy what we import if you must, improve upon it if you can. It is unreasonable to ask people to buy thin, tasteless or overly expensive home grown poultry, and shun the preferred import.
Our politicians, stop lying to us. Instead of painting a rosy picture for us tell us the truth: we need to suffer small so we can make it to the new day. If we all pay our taxes you will have enough to help steer us through the tough times. However we need to see commitment from you. We are not seeing it. It starts with you, you know. Stop appointing party faithful to positions of government. The reward for support should not be financial gains, but seeing the choice you supported justify your hard work by bringing success to all. Stop protecting the people who supported your campaign when they are caught doing the wrong thing. Yes it means you go through a night of loosing financial support, but your reward is your integrity in the eyes of the people. If you take the lead, we will follow. So take a cue from Nike, and just do it.
Look, we cannot escape the night. As long as the Earth prevails there will be day and night. There will be times of plenty, and times of little. What will help us all is to learn to suffer small.
My father did his best to teach me this lesson, and it has paid off. So give it a try. After all what do have to loose by trying?
If you are to head westward, towards the setting sun you would need to move faster than the Earth's spin in order to stay within the sun's light . However if you walk eastward, in fact even if you stand still the sun will eventually rise on you. You will however, need wait in the darkness and cold of the night.
In this analogy, the sun and its warmth, the 'brightness of a new day' is analogous to success, prosperity and wealth. The cold darkness of the night refers to the pain and the sacrifice one has to endure before achieving great success. The speed with which one needs to move in order to get to the sunlight represents the resources we are expending to achieve success. If we are to apply this analogy to Ghana, and to Africa as a whole, we have been, since our independence, running westward, chasing the new sun. Now some may see that as a metaphor for the aid mentality that causes us to run to the West (Europe and the Americas) for help. That is a justified assertion. However it may then imply that heading East means we should look to Asia, to China in particular for our success. That would be wrong, because guess what, in this analogy you can still get to China, by heading west. Heading westward implies looking on to others; it implies spending our precious resources to convince the other countries to help us get to the daylight.
We would call a man running westward to find sunlight a fool. Yet that is what we are doing to ourselves at the moment.
Politicians love to lie to us. We are so gullible, we will accept anything they say. They know very well that we do not like hardship, and so they give us the easy solution: "Follow us, let us keep heading towards the setting sun, let us stay in its warmth. As long as we do so, we will not experience the night." They know that the answer to our problems requires us wait out the night - to suffer a little today so we can enjoy tomorrow. However, no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Not especially when their tenure is decided by a popularity contest.
Thus here we are. The cold night is staring at us. We are feeling it, in the form of rampant corruption, terrible infrastructure, a dwindling currency, a crumbling health care system, an import driven appetite, deteriorating security (vigilantism), and the creeping realization that we may never escape our poverty. If you get a salary increment today, your are merely catching up to the economy, not getting ahead of it.
The truth is painful. Ghana is running out of time. Soon we may not have the strength to survive the cold night. We need to do the right thing, so that at least if we the older ones do not make it, our children can see the bright new day. We need to suffer through the night.
Government employees entrusted with the nation's resources should make do with the little they receive in the form of salary; tighten your belts and refuse that bribe. Do the right thing.
Ghanaians who are evading tax, let us all pay our fair share of taxes. If the government employees do their job right, even with the small money collected we can see a bright new day. We also need to stop depending on foreign imports and start making what we consume ourselves. I'm not talking about the cheap knock offs or overly expensive fluff we are asked to buy by the 'Made in Ghana' campaign; I'm talking about better alternatives.
To you the entrepreneurs, strive for excellence. Copy what we import if you must, improve upon it if you can. It is unreasonable to ask people to buy thin, tasteless or overly expensive home grown poultry, and shun the preferred import.
Our politicians, stop lying to us. Instead of painting a rosy picture for us tell us the truth: we need to suffer small so we can make it to the new day. If we all pay our taxes you will have enough to help steer us through the tough times. However we need to see commitment from you. We are not seeing it. It starts with you, you know. Stop appointing party faithful to positions of government. The reward for support should not be financial gains, but seeing the choice you supported justify your hard work by bringing success to all. Stop protecting the people who supported your campaign when they are caught doing the wrong thing. Yes it means you go through a night of loosing financial support, but your reward is your integrity in the eyes of the people. If you take the lead, we will follow. So take a cue from Nike, and just do it.
Look, we cannot escape the night. As long as the Earth prevails there will be day and night. There will be times of plenty, and times of little. What will help us all is to learn to suffer small.
My father did his best to teach me this lesson, and it has paid off. So give it a try. After all what do have to loose by trying?
Comments
Post a Comment