By Solomon Mensah

Whereas my mentor, Manasseh Azure Awuni describes the worshippers of akpeteshie as “Akpeteshiefarians,” We call the addicts of Facebook “Facebookers.” Consciously or unconsciously, I have become the staunchest of all Facebookers. Indeed, I can neither swear to the Great God beyond the azure skies nor before the Antoa-Nyamaaa that Facebook has not become my ritual devotion. Do I thank or curse Mark Zukerberg?

On the morning of 6th March, 2012, I suppose, Mr. Abetsi Woyome had a respite from my Facebook friends as they posted on Ghana’s independence. I kindly crave the indulgence of my friends to cite some of their posts here. Guru of Lapaz Toyota fame wrote, “Happy independence anniversary to you all…’n thx 4 been der.” Contrary to Guru’s, Monk Kofi Aduboffour asks a question, “Google salute Ghana-but are we really INDEPENDENT?” Like a line formed by an army of ants, the list of the post is endless. But to Guru, we write the comment “same to you and thank you for thanking us!” while to Monk Kofi Aduboffour’s post we say “hmmm!!!”

As we mark our fifty-fifth year of independence from the men who came from beyond the horizon, we must not forget to say thank you to our gallant heroes. In delving into such historical antiquity on this occasion, we must as well sit down and think of the realism of our independence. So, is Ghana really independent? This is the question that gets my head itching as if it supports a set of agbadza drums.

It appears our independence is just the absence of our colonial masters leaving the shores of Ama Ghana. Don’t you think so? The strings and chains that held us are still binding us today. We still sing in chorus ‘yessa massa’ with cup in hand begging for aid. Recently, the incumbent Ghana Government secured a gargantuan sum of three billion dollars from the Chinese government. This was the outcome of a bilateral talk between President Mills and the Chinese President, Hu Jintao under the Comprehensive Project Finance Agreement. As political custom demands, shamefully, they write it in bold ink in their manifestos. This is irrespective of any political party be it that of the umbrella that promises us of shades over our heads or the elephant that promises us protection.

Why should an independent country be much concerned on the proclamation by both Obama and Cameron on gay-aid? Was it not because it was our funeral? The funeral of abandoning our “money-making machines’ being our tourism industry, mineral resources and what have you. Our share of the mined mineral resources is nothing to write home about. From Tumu to Accra, our God gifted tourism sites are left at the mercy of “I don’t carism.” China is said to be the leading destination in terms of tourism in Asia and ranks fourth in the world. No wonder in 2006, the position, top spender in international tourism that was held like a relay baton by Italy was whipped off by China. In a documentary on Nzulezu by Kwaku Owusu Peprah of Joy fm, our status of being independent as a nation demanded a gargantuan NO! Little have we realized that a well developed tourism industry can liberate us from begging?

Satirically, majority of our youth have been swayed to some of these visionless chief mourners (our leaders). On 4th March, 2012, “Missions,” a segment on News 360 of TV3 on Sundays, active youth of the NPP and the NDC were shown acting Delta Force. Yes! Guns were fired with impunity just because of a by-election. The young suckers that looked promising of producing good bananas than that of mother banana are sorrowfully perishing intellectually. In a serious independent country, bags of rice and boxes of frytol do not buy the votes of the electorate specifically, the youth. Moreover, the so called foot-soldiers do fight in support of uncultured utterances. I hope you have not forgotten “all die be die” and “kookoo ase kurasini?” It is true, even the Americas have their share of the insults. Mark Halperin editor of the Times Magazine called Obama “a kind of dick.” But if we cannot create, is it not prudent to copy nicely?

The least talk about our beloved country with swag of independence not having national policy of development the better. How I wish asking the “politrickcians” whose names and positions we learn for interviews that where will Ghana be by our centenary celebration?

The discussion may continue on Facebook but, “until our independence is linked with the total liberation of ‘Ama Ghana,’ our independence will be meaningless.” Long live Ghana, long live our independence!

The writer is a student-journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com