Urgent steps needed to halt challenges — Appiah-Minka

An elder statesman, Mr Akenten Appiah-Minka, has raised a red flag about the future of the country.

He has cautioned that if urgent steps are not taken to halt the raging spread of unbridled corruption, open ethnocentrism and tribalism, as well as politicisation of issues by political parties Ghana would go the way of other nations such as  Rwanda, Nigeria and in recent times, Ivory Coast.

The octogenarian is of the strong conviction that “if collective steps are not taken to arrest what he calls the three evils which have gradually and visibly crept into the fabric of the Ghanaian society, the foundations of the country would be destroyed through blood shed.

Mr Appiah-Minka, who is a member of the 10-member Constitution Review Commission set up by President J. E. Atta Mills, was interacting with the Daily Graphic during his 80th birthday celebration at his Nhyaeso residence in Kumasi.

He said he was frightened about the bleak future of the country and called on Ghanaians, especially his colleagues above 80 years, to join hands to halt the spread of these three evils, which are exclusively and mutually explosive.

“I am not frightened as an individual; after all, I am 80 years and can be called to my maker at any time, but I am terrified for the future of this country,” he told the Daily Graphic, adding that  “interestingly, when God called Moses to lead the Jews out of bondage, he was 80 years. That is why I want those who are 80 years and above to take it as a national assignment to save the country.”

Corruption

Expatiating on the threat of corruption, Mr Appiah-Minka expressed grave concern over the increasing rate at which people wanted to be rich without engaging in any productive venture.

According to him, some people at the helm of affairs in the country (across the political divide) have been fleecing the country at the expense of the ordinary poor voter who stood in the scotching sun to offer them the mandate to ensure that life became bearable for them.

He was emphatic that people could not harbour some of these things for the rest of their lives, and if care was not taken, the young people who stand by the roadside selling dog chains and other Ghanaians infuriated by the lavish and ostentatious lifestyles powered by suspected state funds would rise up.

Tribalism and ethnocentrism

Touching on what he termed the second evil that would spell doom for the country, Mr Appiah-Minka said those nation-wrecking issues had reached an alarming crescendo to the extent that anytime someone commented on any national issue, such a person was subjected to the test of where he hailed from or which ethnic group he belonged to.

He said whether the issues raised were sensible or not, the reaction would be based on the ethnicity of the person and if he came from region A, he would be considered as a person supporting a particular political party and vice versa.

Mr Appiah-Minka, who doubles as a lawyer and an astute businessman expressed fear that even various political parties had been assigned particular regions in the country to the extent that some regions were declared no go areas for some political parties.

Politicisation of issues

The third evil, according to him, is “naked tribal politics and nepotism.”

He condemned the political party polarisation of the issues, especially where crucial matters that bordered on the economy, health, education, security and development of the country were debated on the bases on the political inclination of the discussants, leading to biased discussion.

He said most Ghanaians, especially those steeped in partisan political activities, had also put political party interest blindly over and above the interest of the nation.

 Mr Appiah-Minka said the general politicisation of ideas had restrained the academia and people with expertise and experience, who could proffer ideas that could culminate in solving the problems, from partaking in the national discourse for accelerated development.

Death of local industry

Tied to this canker is the problem of unemployment which could be traced partially to the flooding of the Ghanaian market with good and services from other nations, culminating in the collapse of local industry. 

Mr Appiah-Minka, who served as an Association of Ghana Industry (AGI) President for eight years, said close to 90 per cent of goods on the shelves of most shopping centres in the country were imported; a situation that should send shivers down the spine of authorities to sit up and come up with strategies to rectify the anomaly.

“Are we ready as a country to take bold steps like the Nigerians did when they banned 240 items from being imported to their country? Are we as Ghanaians ready to sacrifice? It doesn’t take only the government to address issues,” he challenged.

He said one of the solutions to halting of the depreciation of the cedi was not within the ambit of the government alone and that every Ghanaian must put his or shoulders to the wheel to ensure that there was a reduction in the importation of goods and services that could be obtained locally.