Undecided nation

At independence, Ghana set a path to serve as an inspiring example to Africa and all communities of blacks in the diaspora.

Our vision was clear and other countries admired us, as we marched forward towards achieving our vision as a newborn nation.

Currently, it seems our vision has been blurred. Our sense of lack of direction is always on display. It reflects in little things as setting days aside for recognition as statutory holidays, to serious issues as education.

Days set aside for public holidays go back and forth many times at the whims and caprices of factions in power.

Our education and direction also suffer the same oscillation like a pendulum.

We always make reference to countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and more recently Rwanda, and admire their steady growth in development and improvements in living standards.

The most developed of the three, Malaysia and Singapore, are our contemporaries winning independence almost at the same time as ours.

We all share the same vision of progress and prosperity, but along the line our vision became blurred.

So, the question is, what has contributed to our blurred vision over the years? At a recent Alumni lecture delivered by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, at the University of Ghana, he hit the nail right on the head when he pointed out the faultline contributing to our lack of vision for the country all these years, by his posing of the question: “Who is an MP (Member of Parliament)?”

Such question will immediately trigger in the mind areas or constituencies, or a political party, forgetting that being an MP is not being a member of any factional entity, but a member of a unified body called Parliament, an institution that embodies the aspiration, desires and direction of the entire country, not a single constituency or a political party.

Divided ranks

Our ranks as Ghanaians have been divided for a long by entities and groups that should know better. Instead of uniting us in their various diversities, political parties and ethnic groups have tainted our body politics with divisions.

Our leaders, right from independence, have their roots in these entities and their hold on them are very strong. Instead of looking at the bigger picture, our leaders always tend to pursue parochial interests that fall short of the vision that binds us together.

There is nothing wrong with our differences, either ethnic or party affiliation. But there is everything wrong if we allow it to interfere with the vision set forth for the country.

Unfortunately, this has been the case all this while, slowing the pace of development we set forth at independence.

In our blurred vision, we could still see Malaysia, Singapore and our own continental fellow, Rwanda. They are where we are not.

This is the time to break the blurred glass of division and factionalism and reach toward the clear vision of progress, development and improved living standards that we have yearned so long for.

Institute of Current Affairs and Diplomacy (ICAD)
E-mail: lawmat2014@gmail.com