A Catholic Priest resident in the United States, Rev. Fr. Anthony Kyei-Mensah has said the rapid development and success promised and agitated for during Ghana’s independence struggle have turned out to be almost an illusion.

He said it is for this reason that the next 50 years should produce a dramatic change in the lives of the people so that independence would become more meaningful in a country that is also determined to champion the cause of an African Union.

Kyei-Mensah was addressing a gathering at a special service organized to mark the 50th independence anniversary of Ghana at the St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Worcester, Massachusetts on March 17th. 2007.

Ghanaians from all works of life clad in splendid traditional Kente cloth were joined by Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Adusei, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States and his wife, Johnson Adasi, Economic Attache at the Ghana Embassy-USA, and Nana Adjei Yeboah, vice chairman of the USA branch of the New Patriotic Party.

Citizens from such African countries as Nigeria, Kenya, Congo, and Liberia joined the celebrations which also attracted Americans from the racial divide.

Fr. Kyei Mensah traced Ghana’s independence journey, and pointed out that the country derived its present name from a great empire that flourished in the north of Africa, but was destroyed in the 13th century by the Almoravid warriors from Senegal.

He gave credit to erudite historian of Ghana- DR. J. B Danquah who managed to trace a tenuous link between the then Gold Coast and Ghana, hence the post-independence name-Ghana.

He spoke about Ghana’s colonial past, and quizzed: "What have we achieved as a people after de-colonization?"

"Colonialism for all the good it achieved also failed to provide structures in the former colonies to cope with the harsh realities of post-colonial era", Kyei-Mensah reiterated, and admonished Ghanaians to do away with the "mortifying legacy of inferiority complex and the confused sense of an African identify that have characterized the post-colonial thinking".

"We can build upon our positive values, the religious dimension of justice and development, humanism points the way towards God and acknowledges the task which offers us the real meaning of human life", he added.

Dr. Bawuah-Adusei, Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, urged the congregation to pray hard so that God will change the attitudes of Ghanaians, and give them "soft heart" to enable them contribute to the development of their country.

Bawuah-Adusei also called on Ghanaians to live in peace and harmony to sustain the country’s quest for economic development.

Fr. Justin Mensah of the Koforidua Diocese, Catholic Church of Ghana, who was the main celebrant for the service prayed for God’s guidance and protection for the government and people of Ghana, and called for quality leadership to move the country to its economic promised land as enshrined in the declaration of Ghana's independence 50 years ago.

-Written by Paul Awortwi-Mensah, formerly of the Daily Graphic Newspaper, Accra, Ghana. Awortwi-Mensah now resides in Worcester, Massachusetts.