‘Ghana needs a common destiny for successful nation building’

A Member of the Council of State, Sir Dr. Edward Gyader, has suggested the reintroduction of Civic Education in the school curricular to help instill patriotism and oneness in the youth towards nation building.

Parents and community leaders, he said, should also offer orientation and mentoring to children to understand their responsibilities to the state and become good citizens and leaders in the future.

Dr Gyader was addressing the 35th Annual National Rally of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation – Ghana, at Wa, as the guest of honour.

He said: “All citizens, especially the youth, need not to lose sight of their allegiance to our native land where we derive our birth and infant nature... and the fact that we share a common destiny.”

The former Dean of the University for Development Studies (UDS) Medical School, said the positive nationalism demonstrated during Ghana’s struggle for independence from colonial rule, should be revived and permeate in all the endeavours of national building.

He appealed to religious organisations and leaders to consider the formation of youth groups or movements, where positive national issues would be taught or inculcated in the youth.

He expressed concern about the level of breakdown of discipline and rule of law in Ghana, saying, the unacceptable behaviours were being perpetuated in the name of democracy and freedom of speech.

“Currently, the most common cause of our woes is perceived to be corruption and economic mismanagement,” he said. “All our past civilian governments have been accused of corruption and economic mismanagement.”

“Are all our leaders corrupt and inefficient in their leadership roles, or it is the Ghanaian society that is corrupt?” he asked.

Dr Gyader stated that indiscipline bred corruption, greed, selfishness, disregard for the rights of others, and above all, contradicted every principle of nation building.

He said it was unfortunate that some youth, had fled their impoverished rural lives to urban centers, had been driven by autonomy, individualism and difficulties into crime, such as armed robbery, drugs and violent political activism.

But the youth, he said, must be considered and supported as the human capital of the nation.

On faith, the focus of the rally, Dr Gyader advised the youth that apart from having faith in the Creator, they must also believe in their potentials, and their nation.

Alhaji Dr. Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, in a keynote address, described faith as an unyielding conviction with the absence of fear and doubt in its purest form, saying there was no deterrence or persuasion that could corrupt faith.

He urged Ahmadi Muslims to put their faith above any other thing the world offered.

“Giving priority to faith, the believer enters new realms of paradise on earth as they continue to overcome worldly obstacles.”

“Let us desire to show our devotion to Allah first, for our time on this earth is short and let us feel the urgency to win Allah’s pleasures by being the best Muslims,” he said.