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Celebrating Ghana’s 65th Independence Anniversary for what achievement?
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The nation Ghana, celebrated its 65th independence anniversary after freeing itself from British colonial administration in 1957. This year’s celebration took place in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast, on Sunday, March 6, 2022, under the theme, “Working together, bouncing back together”. The usual euphoria, ecstasy and funfair that were associated with past celebrations were in vogue.
It was delightful to watch a match past of combined team from the security services and school children drawn from the Cape Coast Municipality. The Head of State, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, took the salute. In attendance were the Vice President, Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia and his wife Samira, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, wife of the President and other dignitaries including the Prime Minister of Barbados who was the Special Guest of Honour.
TRIBUTE TO THE ‘BIG SIX’
The achievement chalked so far by the country would not have been possible without paying tribute to the efforts of the Founding Fathers of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), popularly referred to as “The Big Six”. They were, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori-Atta, all of blessed memory.
History tells us that in August 1947, these great men laid the foundation for the Gold Coast’s struggle for independence of which Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of Ghana. In his maiden speech, Dr. Nkrumah said, “At long last, the battle has ended, and thus, Ghana your beloved country is free forever.” He did not end there but went further to state that, “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa”.
Dr. Nkrumah later became Ghana’s first elected president, having won on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP). Nkrumah’s tenure as president was short-lived and was overthrown in a coup led by Col. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka on February 24, 1966.
FOURTH REPUBLICAN ERA
In 1992, Ghana ushered in the Fourth Republican era with Jerry John Rawlings being elected president on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). It was during his reign that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana was drafted by some eminent citizens of the land. Since then, Ghanaians have continued to live under a democratic rule. After Rawlings, President John Agyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took over from 2001 to January 6, 2009. The NDC assumed power again under the leadership of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills from 2009 until his demise on July 24, 2012. His vice, John Dramani Mahama, assumed the presidency and completed the term of his boss. In 2013, President Mahama assisted the NDC to retain power. He served his term until January 6, 2017, when he handed over to a newly elected President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who rode on the ticket of the NPP to power. Currently, the NPP continues to govern the country after Nana Akufo-Addo being re-elected in 2020 general election.
VIEWS OF GHANAIANS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY
This brief history I have painted, tells us where we came from and where we are at the moment. Indeed, the country has made remarkable strides as far the democratic journey is concerned. However, we need to ask ourselves whether as Ghanaians, we are comfortable with the cost of living and, indeed, our living standards as we celebrate our 65th independence anniversary.
Sampling the views of Ghanaians about the current state of affairs as connected to the living standard of the people, one can conclude that times are very hard and people just cannot make ends meet. The general view is that the economy continues to go down and that nothing is working properly. To most Ghanaians, there is nothing to celebrate as far as the 65th independence anniversary is concerned because people are not in the right frame of mind. They allude that the general strike by workers of various public institutions, speaks volume of how the country has gone down the drain. Some allude that the country is suffering and currently is at the ‘intensive care unit of the hospital’.
WORLD BANK COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S ASSESMENT OF GHANA’S ECONOMY
In the words of the Country Director of the World Bank, “Ghana’s economic situation is very serious. Ghana faces a tough time to restore macro-economic sustainability. International rating agencies downgrade Ghana’s creditworthiness. Government struggling to pass key legislation in Parliament”.
Mr. Pierre Larporte, Director of World Bank for Ghana, who recently addressed an anniversary public lecture organised by OneGhana Movement on March 7, 2022, asked the government to be transparent with the citizens. “At the World Bank, we have not hidden the fact when we have held discussions with government officials and even Head of State that, even Ghana faces a very tough road ahead to restore macro sustainability. Yes, COVID-19 has not helped. But even before COVID-19, there were signs that the situation was getting a little bit challenging. So, the key thing is to be transparent with the people. Yes, the figures speak for themselves, but not everybody is educated as we are. Not everyone understands what the numbers mean, so it is important to talk about it like we are doing. More important is for us to find solutions to the problem,” the Country Director said
SUGGESTIONS FROM KWESI BOTCHWEY
On the other hand, a former Finance Minister, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, has proposed some solutions to deal with the downward trend of the country’s economy and restore the confidence reposed in it over the years. According to him with the pace the country was going, it would not be able to move the bulk of its poor out of poverty in another generation. His suggestion was that the country needed to build consensus around the reforms that were necessary to resolve the nation’s creditworthiness.
To him, the real problem with our public finances was structural and would require a thorough review of all sources of pressure in the budget including every flagship programme and its sustainability and impact, all options must be on the table. We must not for instance, transition temporary spending incurred during the pandemic into public spending, when we are already struggling to collect revenues.
These are suggestions the government may have to consider irrespective of political party affiliation. We are in the boat together, and we can sink together when the situation demands. Therefore, it is important to welcome divergent and concrete suggestions and views from people with rich economic backgrounds to salvage the economy from total collapse.
INVESTORS’ POSITIONS ON CAPITAL MARKETS
Meanwhile on the international capital markets, we are being told that investors have signalled uncertainty about economic outlook and prospects of Ghana. Key rating agencies such as Moody’s Investor Services and Fitch Ratings we are told had all downgraded Ghana’s creditworthiness.
The on-going Russian-Ukraine terrible incident with serious ramifications in countries worldwide has aggravated the already hard conditions in Ghana affecting the generality of Ghanaians. Almost everything in Ghana, staple food items, water and even salt have seen an astronomical increase in price levels. As for the increases in fuel prices, there is nothing good to write about because almost every week, the prices are increased.
GHANAIANS NEED GOVERNMENT’S SUPPORT
Ghanaians are, indeed, suffering and are finding it difficult to make ends meet as goods and services are not affordable.For now, it is important for the government to find ways of mitigating the hardship of the suffering masses in the midst of the economic challenges, otherwise the celebration of the country’s 65th independence anniversary stands to be meaningless to the people.
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By Charles Neequaye
Features
Confronting newborn abandonment in Ghana: When a cry for help is heard in a dustbin – Part 2
The root causes: It is never just one reason
My years of counselling at CPAC show me abandonment is rarely an act of malice. It is the tragic endpoint of seven overwhelming distresses:
1. Severe maternal mental illness —The hidden emergency
a) Clinical Postpartum Depression (PPD): This is far beyond “baby blues.” It is a severe mood disorder that can appear weeks to months after birth. Due to a massive drop in hormones, extreme sleep deprivation, and emotional exhaustion, the mother feels deep sadness, worthlessness, and complete emotional numbness towards her baby. Picture: A new mother sits by her bed all day, staring blankly. Her baby cries for hours, but she cannot lift her hands to carry the baby. She whispers, “This baby would be better off without me.” She does not hate the baby; she feels she has completely failed as a mother.
b) Peripartum Psychosis (Postpartum Psychosis): This is a psychiatric emergency. Rare but extremely dangerous, appearing suddenly within the first 2-3 weeks after delivery. The mother completely loses touch with reality. She hears commanding voices telling her to abandon the baby, or believes the baby is possessed by an evil spirit or is a “spirit child” who will bring a curse. Picture: A mother genuinely believes she heard a voice saying, “Leave this child at the crossroads at midnight or your family will die.” She abandons the baby not out of hatred, but because her broken mind believes she is obeying a higher spiritual order to save her family.
c) Pre-existing untreated Schizophrenia: This is a chronic, severe mental disorder that existed before the pregnancy. The stress of pregnancy and labour shatters her fragile coping. She suffers from paranoid delusions — believing people want to poison her and the baby — flat affect (zero facial expression), and grossly disorganised thinking, making it impossible to plan how to feed or clean a baby. Picture: A young woman whose family called her illness “spiritual attack” instead of taking her for medication wanders away after delivery, completely forgetting she even gave birth, leaving the infant behind.
2. Extreme socio-economic deprivation: For many girls in some parts of Ghana such as Kasoa, Madina, or Bekwai, poverty is not a statistic; it is a daily panic. No money for antenatal care, no money for hospital delivery, no money for baby diapers or formula. When a mother cannot feed herself, the thought of feeding another mouth feels impossible. Some mothers say, “I left her where someone richer would find her, because I could not watch her starve to death in my hands.” It is a distorted act of survival.
3. Intense societal stigma and shame: In Ghana, pregnancy outside marriage, teenage pregnancy, or pregnancy from rape can bring extreme family rejection. The girl is called “spoilt,” beaten, banned from church, or sacked from school. The fear of bringing shame to the family name is heavier than the fear of police. So she hides the pregnancy for 9 months, delivers alone, and abandons in secret to protect her family’s “honour.”
4. Paternal abandonment — The Man Who Ran Away: Behind almost every abandoned baby is a man who vanished. He says, “It is not mine,” or “Abort it,” and switches off his phone. The mother is left utterly isolated — no emotional, financial, or social support. She is criminalised alone, but the abandonment started with him. Psychological research shows paternal denial is one of the strongest predictors of maternal panic and newborn abandonment.
5. Substance abuse disorders: Alcohol, tramadol, and other drug addiction impair the brain’s executive functioning — the ability to plan, judge consequences, and process emotions. A mother struggling with addiction may give birth in a highly intoxicated or withdrawal state, unable to comprehend the needs of the newborn, leading to neglect and eventual abandonment.
6. The spirit child cultural phenomenon and superstition: In some remote pockets of Northern Ghana and even in few parts of Central and Ashanti regions, public health research shows babies born with congenital deformities, severe disabilities, or whose mothers die in childbirth are branded as “spirit children” or cursed. In extreme instances, families, under cultural pressure, mandate that such babies be exposed or abandoned at shrines or bushes. This is not mental illness, but a harmful cultural belief system that still kills.
The invisible wounds
On the baby: Risk of death from hypothermia, sepsis, and infection. Survivors suffer Anaclitic Depression and Failure to Thrive due to lack of touch. As adults, they battle Reactive Attachment Disorder, chronic mistrust, and identity crisis — “Why did my mother leave me in a dustbin?”
On the mother: Lifelong hidden grief, intense guilt, chronic PTSD, depression, and elevated suicide risk. A prison cell does not heal this.
On the nation: Overburdened orphanages like Osu Children’s Home, draining health budgets, and overworked Social Welfare officers.
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“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference; – Rom. 3:10, 21-22. (NIV)
Introduction
Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness. The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.
The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for man to attain on his own; the standard is simply too high. The good news is that true righteousness is possible for mankind, but only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21. This is an amazing truth. On the cross, Jesus exchanged our sin for His perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
Establishing our hearts in righteousness
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” – Proverbs 4:23
According to the above verse in Proverbs, our heart is the source of our life. Our life flows from our heart. The Holy Spirit resides in the spirit of the born again Christian. So there is a strong influence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the new-born Christian. But our heart is also comprised of our soul. As Christians we can choose to focus our soul on the Lord, or on evil things. If we focus on corrupt, immoral, and evil things our heart will be affected detrimentally. It will cause our heart to be crooked or wicked, instead of straight or righteous. So the Scripture says to keep, or guard, our heart. It is wise to protect our heart as what we allow to dominate our heart will inevitably become the fruit, or influence the outcome, of our lives.
One way to approach life is to continually ask the question, “How will this decision or action affect my heart?” Everything we do, every thought we entertain, everything we watch, read, or listen to, shapes our heart. Therefore, the future prosperity of our life will flow from how well we care for our heart.
Think of everything you do, every moment of time, as a seed. We have been given responsibility for choosing which seeds to plant in our heart. What will you grow in the garden of your heart? What seeds will you choose? Our heart is our garden, and our life is the fruit of our garden. So next time you are tempted to dwell on a bad thought, think, “Do I want this seed to grow and manifest in my life?” Next time you are tempted to indulge in a sinful action ask yourself, “Do I want the extension, or fruit, of this sinful action to be what I am known for?”
God gives us the freedom to plant whatever we like in our garden. God loves us regardless of the good or bad choices we may make in our lives. You may be reaping the fruit of some poor choices right now. And God is still saying, “I love you.” But He has wise advice for us; He desires we have a good life. He says, “Guard you heart with all diligence.” This Hebrew word translated ‘diligence’ conveys the meanings of: prison and guard (ibid). A superintendant of a prison is very particular as to what goes in and out of his prison. A prison has very tight security. Just as a superintendant watches over his prison, so we should also supervise our heart (our lives). We should exercise meticulous security with regards to what enters into our heart. Actually, even what comes out of it, as the Scripture says, “ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” – James 1:19, as “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” –Matthew 12:34b.
If what goes into, and what comes out of, our heart determines the success of our lives, what is the first important principle to establish in our heart? “In righteousness you shall be established;” – Isaiah 54:14
Righteousness is the key foundational truth we need to first establish in our heart. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17
Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
Establishing our minds in righteousness
God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.
Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur: We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.“ – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.
We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.
We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.
We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.
We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.
Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.
The goal of this transformation
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
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