SIXTY-ONE YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE OR DEPENDENCE?

Plato, a Greek Philosopher who lived in the 5th century, once said, "An unexamined Life is not worth Living".

In 1957, our Fathers woke at the thick of the early hours of 6th march and headed to the Polo grounds, now Nkrumah Mausoleum. They declared the Independence of our country from British rule and all hidden forms of Neocolonial Interference. Dr. Nkrumah we were told had comrades Kojo Botsio, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, Archie Casely Hayford and Krobo Edusei as his righthand men who stood boldly with him when he made the declarations. Dr. Nkrumah having gathered enough momentum from a series of events and the masses as at the time, he utilized the emotionally charged atmosphere and convincingly uttered the words, "Ghana, your beloved country, is FREE FOREVER". Our Fathers who declared our "Independence" were so enthused with the African fever that they clad themselves in our traditional clothes, smocks, as a sign of their readiness and our willingness to be Independent.

But as it stands now, was Ghana FREE FOREVER or is Ghana FREE FOREVER?

The first lines of the above Platonic quotation is noteworthy because it's for our own good to measure the strides we have made in all facets of our National lives. A life that is lived must surely be examined. The lifelike sense of the word "INDEPENDENCE", as declared by Dr. Nkrumah in Ghana wasn't or isn't restricted in any form. Apparently, our Fathers who backed the declaration understood the declaration to mean both Political and Economic Independence. It would be unfair not to credit ourselves with a number of positive strides we have made as a People having lived in an "Independently" declared Nation for sixty-one years.

Honestly, we have had Political improvements and Economic advances though not impressive. In the words of Dr. Nkrumah, he said, "The Independence of Ghana will be meaningless until it's linked up with the total Liberation of the African continent." Nkrumah was clearly making reference to the Political Independence of other African Nations which he deemed an essential element in elevating the true meaning of Ghana's Independence. In the last 2 decades, it's a fact that no country on the African continent is Politically colonized but has that brought meaning to the Independence of Ghana as anticipated by Dr. Nkrumah?

I think it would have been more valid if Dr. Nkrumah had said that, " The Political Independence of Ghana will be meaningless until it's linked up with the sensible management of our resources and improvements of our Economic fortunes"

In today's Ghana, we have Graduate unemployment pegged at 40% after 61 years of Independence. After 61 years of "Independence", close to half of our National Budget is dependent on external funding. Should we call this " INDEPENDENCE" or "DEPENDENCE?" According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Independence in one sense has got to do with not looking up to others. This translate into not relying on others to achieve what one ought to do in order to realize a dream. After 61 years of " Independence" , we still have Leaders running to the United States and the United Kingdom for medical care. After 61 years of " Independence", our Imports far exceeds our Exports to an appalling extent. After 61 years of "Independence", we still have a significant number of our children sitting under trees to access Formal Education. What was or is the essence of our " Independence"?

Paraphrasing Patrick Loch .O. Lumumba of Kenya, "We have young females who cannot afford sanitary pads but we have Leaders who are so corrupt and have Ipads they do not even know how to use them." All these are happening after 61 years of Independence. What are we celebrating when we glorify corrupt Leaders and demonize those who stand for the Truth?

Ideally, a 61 years old man or woman would have been expected to have lived a life worthy of emulation and enjoying his or her retirement benefits on a good note. If Ghana were to be a man or woman, this would have been the right time for him or her to bow down his or her head in shame. I wish I can say more about how shamefully we have outlived the boasting tag of we being the GATEWAY TO AFRICA but I will have to end here before I uplift my Blood Pressure to 377/991. Was President Donald Trump right after all though his statement was harsh? Sixty-one years of CORRUPTION, THIEVERY, MEDIOCRITY and MISMANAGEMENT? Truth is sour but ought to be spoken because at the end it sweetens.

May God help us all.

God HELP my Homeland Ghana 🇬🇭.

#Benik#

***TheAppleOfGod'sEye***