Ghanaians must be inspired by the ideas articulated by the country's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to prioritize the country over personal interests. The five individuals who made the call today in connection with the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day ceremony stated patriotism was the key to addressing the country's present difficulties. Dr Abu Sakara Foster, the Founder of the National Interest Movement, a think tank; Apostle Godwin Lutheran Asi, the Founder and General Overseer of the Cooperative Fire Ministry; Prof. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, the Director of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College; Dr Esther Ofei-Aboagye, a former Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), and a former Head of the Civil Service
Dr. Sakara emphasizes concentration.
Dr. Sakara told the Daily Graphic that the first President set the country on the correct course of growth, but that his vision, principles, and ideals had been abandoned, resulting in the many socio-economic issues the country is today facing. Many people, he claimed, had grown more self-centered and had drifted away from Nkrumah's vision and values, which included a feeling of nationhood, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Sakara, a Nkrumahist and presidential candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP) in the 2012 elections, added that as the nation celebrated "the national hero," a conscious effort should be made to re-wire the educational system and educate the younger generation to promote the values demonstrated by Dr. Nkrumah, so that they would grow with the values in the national interest. He claimed that the winner-take-all policy employed by the country's two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had also worked against the country's progress. "We are not playing politics today; we want to pose hard questions in a nationalistic manner so that we know that the national interest is our goal," he stated. Dr. Sakara stated that there was a need to construct a country in which people advanced based on their own merits rather than the merits of their family and friends in government.
Prof. Antwi-Danso discusses ideals
According to Augustina Tawiah, Prof. Antwi-Danso stated that the best honor the country could make to Dr. Nkrumah was to appropriately commemorate him by informing everyone about him. He stated that the first President's memory was currently being forgotten, particularly among young people in the country, and that the greatest respect we could pay to him was to revive the ideas for which he stood and battled in books, films, and writings. "We wouldn't be where we are today if we knew what Nkrumah was truly fighting for in Ghana." "Ghana was Ghana back then, but now we're just following the White man's prescription here and there," he explained. "The country could have done worse." Nkrumah stated that the Black man was capable of managing his own affairs, but we have failed to do so. We would have been like Switzerland, Korea, or Malaysia if we had followed Nkrumah. So it's even worse; we've done nothing properly," he admitted.
On blessings, Apostle Asi
According to Justice Agbenorsi, Apostle Asi also shared his opinions, saying that the blessings that God had bestowed upon the nation were vast, but the challenge was how to handle those resources.
"The nation is unable to grasp the full rewards of its potential because of a lack of patriotism," he remarked. He went on to say that, while the words of the national anthem were bordering on patriotism, they remained just in the anthem since many people did not apply the meaning of the words in their daily life.
"So, if this nation is to progress, patriotism must be instilled from an early age," he continued.
In the face of present difficulties, Apostle Asi remarked that fundamental principles such as fear of God, honesty, faithfulness, and love for the country were critical to forging a sustainable future for the country. He stated that the country was able to claim its place among the well-established nations due to the selflessness and patriotism displayed by its forebears; therefore, it was critical for the current generation to continue that example for the future generation to follow. He went on to say that, with Christians constituting more than 70% of the population, the church, too, had a responsibility to teach its followers to love God and their country. On corruption, Apostle Asi stated that it has contributed to the country's impoverishment.
"If we truly want to fight corruption, we need to put adequate procedures in place to make it harder for people to steal from the national coffers," he stated.
perspectives of Dr. Ofei-Aboagye
According to Dr. Ofei-Aboagye, the first President should be remembered for his courageous and imaginative leadership, which inspired the entire continent, writes Kester Aburam Korankye.
"In particular, he should be remembered for his activism and willingness to stand fearlessly by the principles in which he believed — the African's power to advance the continent's development," she said. She stated that five decades after his death, Dr. Nkrumah chronicled his views and ideas, which were available as tools to learn from and analyze collective growth. However, Dr. Ofei-Aboagye, who was the Director of the ILGS from January 2005 to January 2015, stated that the country could have done better after gaining independence 65 years ago. "Among other things, we have not implemented the national plans we developed; we have not sustained our development initiatives; and we have not assimilated the lessons learnt from our history, allowing corrupt practices to short-change Ghanaians." "We have also failed to effectively manage our natural resources," she added. She proposed commemorating Nkrumah's memory at the national and sub-national levels, reflecting on his beliefs and ideals and expressing them to the public and interested parties. "His accomplishments should be celebrated, while the lessons learned from his choices, experiences, and projects should be objectively addressed," she said.
Kemevor discusses inspiration.
According to Joshua Bediako Koomson, Mr Kemevor urged Ghanaians to be inspired by Dr Nkrumah's selflessness in advancing the country's socioeconomic progress. He stated that the first President intended good for the country and adored it, which explains his capacity to launch big projects and establish strong institutions in the country.
"So we must draw inspiration from his life and passion for the country, as well as give our fair share to moving it forward," he said. When comparing the situation of the economy during Dr. Nkrumah's time to the present, he stated that Ghana was in difficult circumstances and that leaders needed to move rapidly to turn things around. He acknowledged, however, that the global crisis was having an impact on the national economy, adding, "It's very difficult, but there must be hope because there will be no life if there is no hope." My hope is that things will become better.
