When some of us were growing up, there was a popular saying that “good name is better than riches”. However, those words are virtually meaningless now. Today, quick money, male prostitutes costing more than female ones, dishonesty and corruption are preferred. Honest living and good deeds, if they do not result in wealth and power are not appealing.

What went wrong? Well, we have not as a society insisted on high standards and reward people accordingly. We also do not insist on the truth. Look at some of our so-called opinion leaders. Before and after the EC botched our last elections, they were everywhere preaching peace.

A typical example is the Head of the so-called Peace Council, Rev. Emmanuel Asante Antwi. With his omnipresent preaching about peace in 2012/2013, one will think he will be leading the push for overdue improvements in say our election systems, as manifested by the 2013 Supreme Court Elections Case. He is nowhere to be found now but will surely be heard if something goes wrong, asking for you guess what? Peace.

A new generation of our nation needs to rise up and insist on positive change. We cannot continue on this path of retrogression because we will end up at a point of no return sooner rather later. The deficits, debts, corruption, distrusts and overall wrong values we are exhibiting while we rank below Haiti in terms of the worst managed economies in the world, according to Forbes, are not sustainable.

Let’s revive and revamp Dr. Busia’s Civic Education. Let’s start imbuing the right values of productivity, “good name is better than riches”, honest living, patriotism, high expectations, etcetera from a very young age.

The Churches, Chiefs and other opinion or societal leaders have mostly failed us and cannot be relied upon. With a few exceptions such our Chief Imam, many of our so-called opinion leaders just selfishly keep quiet and/or get their own palms greased while the rot worsens.

Let’s also insist on good governments, which are filled with creative, intelligent and experienced men and women to implement effective policies to bring in the necessary foreign exchange, budgetary prudence, law enforcement, employment, rule of laws, revenue generation, anti-corruption measures, unleashing of private sector ingenuity, use of the media to preach good values, pay civil servants properly, steady progress, etcetera.

Ghana has to work again. And, it starts with us having higher expectations and cherishing good values of ourselves and our leaders. Ghana will work again, if we will go back to the good values we used to cherish.

Prince Ofosu Sefah.
prince.sefah@live.com