Ghanaian Mentality: Why are we the way we are?

Part 1

Let us start with the interesting notion that certain peoples or nations behave in particular ways that are distinct from others. It is said, for instance, that Americans are loud and arrogant (or confident, depending on whose view you are listening to), yet fiercely patriotic; that Italians are passionate lovers and fiery-tempered; that the British are reserved; the Germans are depressingly efficient and humourless, and that the Japanese are overly polite.

Of course all these are stereotypical views and do not apply to each national of these countries. These views are therefore unsustainable. Or are they? Is there a general truth to each of these stereotypes? How else have they gained currency over time? Most of us will evoke a certain stereotype the moment a country or race or profession is mentioned. How many people, for instance, genuinely think lawyers are nice angels and not lying silver-tongued, money grabbing, two-faced crooks?

So what is the Ghanaian national character? How do we differ as a people from, say Nigerians or Kenyan, Albanians or Peruvians? There is this popular anecdote about a European researcher who had heard that Ghanaians were known for answering questions with questions. He therefore hopped on a plane to Accra to research this phenomenon and to see for himself whether this was true. On arrival at Accra’s Kotoka International Airport and whilst being attended to by an immigration officer, he asked casually: ‘ So is it true that Ghanaians answer questions with questions? ‘Who told you that?’ came the reply, quick as lightning. The European smiled, turned around and caught the return flight back home, mission accomplished.

Is the Ghanaian character, whatever it may be, divisible along the various ethno-linguistic divides? Mention a certain ethnic group and the words ‘braggart’, ‘money-loving’ and ‘funeral addict’, readily spring to the mind of many. Another group is feared by many for their supposed ‘magical’ powers but they are reputed to be excellent scholars and carpenters. Yet another ethnic group said to be bestowed with a sweet palate and therefore a preference for ‘building their houses in their bellies’ whilst their roofs leak and their buildings crack and wobble. It also believed that the men from a certain ethnic group are lazy and prefer eating their mother’s food well into adulthood, whilst people from certain parts of the country are generally looked down upon the rest of the country as lacking basic understanding. The list goes on and on, and if you have been able to identify various ethnic groups by the generalities just referred to, well, chances are you are thinking what I am thinking and have therefore proved my point. The Akuapems are perhaps the only ethnic group in Ghana to enjoy rave reviews for their extraordinary politeness, flavouring every other sentence with ‘me pa wo kyew se’ (please) even when they are just about to insult you. However, it is said that their politeness is no licence for you to mess with their palm nut soup, for that would be tantamount to a declaration of war!

How do these diverse groups, each with its own perceived character traits, blend together to produce a ‘national character’ that can be claimed as distinctly Ghanaian, if indeed it is accepted that there is such a thing a Ghanaian character, however loosely you define it? Are there common traits running through all the groups and threading them together?

Of course all of the above are silly stereotypes. But nonetheless, they carry a great deal of force in modern Ghana and tend to influence many people’s decisions and perceptions in serious issues like political affiliation, marriages, employment and promotion prospects as well as economic activities like trading. This is because they have been around for so long that they are believed to be gospel. Perceptions are very important, even of dangerously so.

If someone asked you to describe Ghanaians in one word, what would you say? Friendly? Resilient? God-fearing? Peace-loving? Hard working? The defunct Ghana Airways went by the slogan ‘Africa’s Friendly Airline’. How about the not-too- wonderful attributes: our time-keeping skills (or lack thereof), attitudes towards ‘government’ work, the prevalence of corruption and lack of public accountability, and a shameful belief in the superiority of everything European over African, etc.

How do these attributes outlined above (both good and bad) impact on us as a nation? Is the Ghanaian character (which is arguably influenced by our culture) a good engine for economic growth? Do we need a paradigm shift in our mindset? Has religion (whether traditional, Islam or Christianity) got anything to do with our mindset and therefore our development as a nation? How have our traditional family set-up and philosophical belief systems shaped and defined our national character, and has it been for the good? How about our political and economic history, under slavery and then subsequently colonialism up to the post-colonial era? Has our mentality shaped the social economic and political structures we have in place today? Or is it the other way round?

Why, simply put, are we the way we are?