THOUGHTS ON A GENOCIDE

Students of Rwandan history point at the despicable and ignoble Leopold II and his Belgian minions for all this bloodshed. My question is: how long shall we allow ourselves to continue being victims of colonialism? The spineless Belgians spilled African blood at will and left Rwanda in fragments after milking it. Their parting gift was suspicion and hatred among brothers. Long after the Belgians left, the brothers did not nothing to come together. Instead, they grew apart. In their actions, unscrupulous people found opportunity. The rest, they say, is history.

In Rwanda, we learnt how the freedom of speech became an instrument of evil. Radio stations allowed people to spew hatred and their vindictive listeners went out, like zombies, to murder people who were once their neighbors. It was not a time of wisdom. It was a period of wickedness.

In Rwanda, we learnt that demagoguery, in any form, is a clear and present danger to democracy. To overlook it as an essential part of freedom is collective foolhardiness.

From Rwanda, we learnt human capacity for unspeakable evil. We saw how people took the lives of others like livestock. People murdered and plundered at will. People used the false divisions of their nation to perpetrate a sinister agenda against their fellow citizens.

In Rwanda, we must learn lessons that should not be repeated in our various countries. Inciting people to violence should be a crime punishable by law. Civics should be reintroduced into our curricula to help citizens not to become pawns in the hands of rabble rousers.

However, in Rwanda, we saw courage in the actions of unarmed Ghanaian soldiers who risked their lives to save other lives. We saw the bravery of individuals like Paul Rusesabagina, whose actions were memorialized in Hotel Rwanda. In the midst of the darkest of hours, man has been able to rally his higher angels to push back on evil.

Today, we mourn the many who fell victim to the rise of murderous hatred. Today, we are reminded that there are still some who, in their sickest delusions, will not shy away from an opportunity to stoke chaos. Our democratic experiments will be tested by such twerps. It is our duty to stand together, irrespective of political persuasions, and dismantle any operation that seeks to disturb national cohesiveness. We cannot allow irresponsible behavior to run around without consequence. The interests of the nation supersede the anarchic dreams of a few individuals.

As a people, we must think and think hard over the actions we take. May our world never experience another genocide. Some may say this is wishful thinking but, as long as we are all vigilant against all forms of hatred, we will be effective in preempting a bad situation. As we remember, may we learn. As we remember the Rwandan genocide, may we vow never to allow bloodshed to be the method of communication among ourselves. May the lives of the murdered rest in peace. May healing find a home in hearts of those who lost loved ones.

Credit: The Expresso Stalinist

Made In Ghana

President John Mahama was right to tout made in Ghana goods in his Independence day speech. Politics aside, as the chief executive of the nation, it was appropriate for him to exhibit pride in locally made goods. It is unfortunate that this laudable statement has been torn into shreds in the coliseum of gotcha politics and, honestly, small-mind acrimony. It is time Ghanaians get the words 'patriotism' and 'national interests' right. I am not here to praise the president. He is an imperfect man but he is our president and we must help him, especially when he tries to undertake issues of national importance. He is only trying to build the impeccable idea of self-reliance and we must help him. We have a Ghanaian proverb that goes, 'when a man climbs a good tree, he should be pushed up.'. Our politics has gotten to a point where scorning, scoffing and plain disdain discolor our national discourse. This has made it unpalatable to the reasonable as the shallow-minded are swayed by winds of parochialism. What is wrong with the idea of buying locally made goods? Is it not shameful that a nation at 57 still import basic items, even though we export raw materials? Is it not shameful that, with all the new opportunities coming up through gold and oil, we still do not have enough local talent to sustain them? Is it not sad that we spend so much time arguing about politics to the very detriment of our progress? The Ghanaian economy must be industrialized in key sectors to expand opportunities for employment. This cannot be done overnight but President Mahama's idea is a step in the right direction. In other words, the president was asking us to be more patriotic in our purchasing decisions.

There are brilliant Ghanaians, all over the world, who are helping foreign societies with their skills and expertise. They are remunerated well and have the environment to excel. My question to government is why are we not learning from how developed countries treat and retain talent? Ghana can surprise itself on the international stage if it is willing to slash off the lard of self-abnegation, nepotism and systemic corruption. We have the brain power, which can easily train the manpower. We have the resources that can be used to sustain new industries. We have the support of international friends to do the right thing for our country. I am baffled why, government after government, we squander opportunities to rewrite our collective destiny. Made in Ghana does not mean that we have to patronize mediocrity. Made in Ghana means that we are all shareholders in this thrive after excellence and that our society will reward the patriotically minded entrepreneur. It is imperative for citizens and government to hold each other accountable in this pursuit of self-reliance.

President Mahama is president of Ghana; not only the NDC-voting areas but all the other areas that have different political persuasions. Inasmuch as he is subject to criticism, Mr. Mahama must elicit our respect and assistance. Democracy does not mean we have to behave as if we have no culture or decorum. The premise of Ghanaian democracy must be of synergy towards national development, not splintered ideas that cannibalize themselves. Maturity should be injected into our body politic. If we demand it of our leaders, we must demand it of ourselves. No matter who is in power, we must come together as a people and help them succeed. We are Ghanaians first and foremost. We should reckon that no party holds a monopoly on wisdom and knowledge. It is time for us citizens to ask our leaders to be dignified, in both word and conduct. A divided house cannot stand.

I agree with the President that, if we focus on opportunities that exist within Ghana, we can begin to rebuild our economy. Of course, laws have to be changed to contain dynamics of the times. Policies would have to be adjusted to make it easier to develop Ghana and harder to defraud it. It is not beyond possibility to realize made in Ghana dreams, through made in Ghana opportunities. We ask government to create institutionalized platforms for made in Ghana innovation and ingenuity. In the end, as every nation does to its president, we hold President Mahama to his noble words. Sir, go beyond the batakari. Go beyond the opanka. Let the idea of made in Ghana permeate all of government business. You are on to something phenomenal.