RESTORATION OF THE GHANAIAN IDENTITY
According to the English Oxford Dictionary, Restoration means; the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. It is clear that over the years, some of the Ghanaian identity got lost and needed to be reclaimed.
To quote Former President Rawlings, '' When did we go so wrong, and so far? .He was making reference to the unfortunate murder in Denkyira Obuasi, in cold blood of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, while on a national assignment at Diaso in the Central Region, recently. His beef was that in the past if an alleged robber or thief was caught, he was given a few slaps and handed over to the law enforcement agencies. Today, the situation is completely different, where ''instant justice'', or better still ''mob injustice'' has become a thing of the time. It is for this reason that we need to restore the values that Ghana has lost.
That is why the National Commission For Civic Education, NCCE needs to be applauded for beginning a conversation to re-claim the Ghanaian values, by convening a stakeholder National Dialogue, themed ''Restoring the Ghanaian Identity, Our Values, Our Passion''.
Listening to a more than Ninety -year old brain like, Justice VCRAC Crabbe give reason for the re-evaluation of self and identity, at the same time give hope that , it is possible for Ghana to restore its identity and it is possible for all citizens to revert to the values and passions of what defines us as a people.
These values include; nationalism, patriotism, hard work, excellence, truthfulness, sincerity, humility, decency, respect, law abiding , and the list goes on. Justice Crabbe believes to restore the Ghanaian values, citizens must go back to their roots, where the home and the family forms the fundamentals of a person's identity and values.
He told a story of how he lost his father at eleven months and got total care from his mother. In his view, mothers have the onerous task of bringing up children in the Ghanaian way, and described as a sad phenomenon , Ghanaians who are living an adulterated culture of ''individualism'', referring to the fact that every Ghanaian is born into a family, and this aspect of the identity and unique culture must be preserved.
It is heartwarming the call by Chairperson of the NCCE, Josephine Nkrumah for the re-introduction of civic education in the school curricular, a point Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia supported.
With the constitutional mandate of making sure that Ghanaians are educated on their rights and responsibilities among others, the NCCE obviously has a herculean task to accomplish.
It is therefore in the right direction that many have called for the proper resourcing of the Commission to ensure the work is done. It is also refreshing to hear the Omanhene of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketiah ask that the NCCE be likened to a church or mosque, where monthly tithes are donated to facilitate smooth operations.
To restore the Ghanaian values and identity, corruption ought to give way to honesty, disrespect to respect, selfishness and greed to consideration for others, self -doubt to self-worth and lack of critical thinking and apathy to enthusiasm, interest and concern.
Reiterating President Akufo -Addo's call to action and reinvigorate patriotism and nationalism ; he said,'' we must be real citizens and not mere spectators''. When one visits a place like the US, upon speaking , the first question one is asked is ;''where you from''; that tells a lot; ''identity''. So where are we as Ghanaians and where are we heading to ? as a nation .No nation is said to have developed without focusing on discipline!, nor clear values and identity.
This is a call to action as citizens of this dear and beloved nation called GHANA, that it is time for all hands to be on deck, indeed! it is time for the ''Restoration of the Ghanaian Identity, Our Values, and Our Passion''.
BY REBECCA EKPE, A JOURNALIST.
To quote Former President Rawlings, '' When did we go so wrong, and so far? .He was making reference to the unfortunate murder in Denkyira Obuasi, in cold blood of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, while on a national assignment at Diaso in the Central Region, recently. His beef was that in the past if an alleged robber or thief was caught, he was given a few slaps and handed over to the law enforcement agencies. Today, the situation is completely different, where ''instant justice'', or better still ''mob injustice'' has become a thing of the time. It is for this reason that we need to restore the values that Ghana has lost.
That is why the National Commission For Civic Education, NCCE needs to be applauded for beginning a conversation to re-claim the Ghanaian values, by convening a stakeholder National Dialogue, themed ''Restoring the Ghanaian Identity, Our Values, Our Passion''.
Listening to a more than Ninety -year old brain like, Justice VCRAC Crabbe give reason for the re-evaluation of self and identity, at the same time give hope that , it is possible for Ghana to restore its identity and it is possible for all citizens to revert to the values and passions of what defines us as a people.
These values include; nationalism, patriotism, hard work, excellence, truthfulness, sincerity, humility, decency, respect, law abiding , and the list goes on. Justice Crabbe believes to restore the Ghanaian values, citizens must go back to their roots, where the home and the family forms the fundamentals of a person's identity and values.
He told a story of how he lost his father at eleven months and got total care from his mother. In his view, mothers have the onerous task of bringing up children in the Ghanaian way, and described as a sad phenomenon , Ghanaians who are living an adulterated culture of ''individualism'', referring to the fact that every Ghanaian is born into a family, and this aspect of the identity and unique culture must be preserved.
It is heartwarming the call by Chairperson of the NCCE, Josephine Nkrumah for the re-introduction of civic education in the school curricular, a point Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia supported.
With the constitutional mandate of making sure that Ghanaians are educated on their rights and responsibilities among others, the NCCE obviously has a herculean task to accomplish.
It is therefore in the right direction that many have called for the proper resourcing of the Commission to ensure the work is done. It is also refreshing to hear the Omanhene of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketiah ask that the NCCE be likened to a church or mosque, where monthly tithes are donated to facilitate smooth operations.
To restore the Ghanaian values and identity, corruption ought to give way to honesty, disrespect to respect, selfishness and greed to consideration for others, self -doubt to self-worth and lack of critical thinking and apathy to enthusiasm, interest and concern.
Reiterating President Akufo -Addo's call to action and reinvigorate patriotism and nationalism ; he said,'' we must be real citizens and not mere spectators''. When one visits a place like the US, upon speaking , the first question one is asked is ;''where you from''; that tells a lot; ''identity''. So where are we as Ghanaians and where are we heading to ? as a nation .No nation is said to have developed without focusing on discipline!, nor clear values and identity.
This is a call to action as citizens of this dear and beloved nation called GHANA, that it is time for all hands to be on deck, indeed! it is time for the ''Restoration of the Ghanaian Identity, Our Values, and Our Passion''.
BY REBECCA EKPE, A JOURNALIST.
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