We Shouldn't Outsource Our Future

As Ghanaians, we are happy with the progress that our country has made towards democratic reforms. Given this progress, there is a justified sense of optimism about the future of our country. As we march towards the promise of tomorrow, it is important that we realize the source of our progress -- and build on it.

There is always a tendency for our leaders to look to the West, not only for aid, but also for ideas and programs to chart our path towards development. To these leaders, everything from the West is right and they fall over themselves in calling the West "Developed" and our country "Third World". Some even go as far as to refer to the West as civilized -- which might imply that we are not. We know there is a problem when our leaders are all too eager to visit unelected World Bank bureaucrats in Washington D.C. than spend time in Bolgatanga to promote early childhood education.

I don't fault those who look outside our shores for ideas to grow our country. In an interconnected world, it is increasingly difficult not to learn from others. But in our rush to look elsewhere, we seem to have forgotten that we reached where we are today not because of the generosity of outsiders, but because of the stoic leadership and persistence of all Ghanaians. Our leaders seem to have forgotten the strength of our country, the richness of our culture, the pride and valor in our history, the wisdom of our tradition and the resilience of our fellow citizens. When our leaders cease to remember these qualities that are so inherent to us, they cease to effectively represent us.

We should always remember that the freedom we gained at Independence was not due to the generosity of the World Bank, the IMF, or the United Nations. With the world against us, our forebears fought against the oppression of the colonists to guarantee us our freedom. And again, in the midst of dictatorial regimes, the Ghanaian people, not outsiders, led the fight for democratic reforms.

Our history consistently reminds us that there is nothing wrong with our country that can't be solved with what is right with our country. From education to our economy, the key to our progress lies in our own hands.

We all know that improving education lies at the heart of improving our economy. An educated population is one that makes and spends more money which drives economic growth and benefits all of us. We also know that the key to improving our educational system lies in our own hands -- no amount of loans from the IMF could have made my teachers at Asamankese show up to teach instead of staying at home while they earn their paycheck. I also find it difficult to see how World Bank bureaucrats could have encouraged the parents of my classmates to send their children to school instead of sending them to the farm. Just as Kwame Nkrumah inspired our nation to Independence, our current leaders, and not outsiders, hold the key to inspiring and encouraging parents and teachers to realize that our country can only be as strong as the education of our citizens. When one parent fails to educate their child, we all lose the potential of that child and suffer as a result.

We also know that fundamental to economic growth is the rule of law. A bank is more likely to loan money to an entrepreneur if it knows that if things don't go well, it can count on the recourse of the police and courts to get their money back. Even though our police force is improving, we are all too familiar with how corrupt it is. When our policemen and other public officials take bribes, they stifle economic growth and job creation and make it less likely for the next unemployed Ghanaian to find work. I may sound simplistic, but how can the World Bank and the IMF prevent a policeman from taking a bribe? No one can change this but ourselves.

In our country's development there is a role for everyone, including even outsiders like the World Bank and IMF. But as our history suggests, the biggest role lies with ourselves. We can't, and shouldn't outsource our future to outsiders.

Kwame A. Boateng

Asamankese, Ghana