Opinions of Tuesday, 10 June 2003

Columnist: Aidoo, Prince Junior

What do you expect God to do?

Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday 25th of May said Africa has failed in its programmes because it failed to involve God in its affairs. One may ask him, is his government and his fellow ministers also involving God in their affairs?. Are Ghanaians involving God in their affairs?

Mr. Akwasi Osei-Adjei said "There have been a lot of bilateral and multilateral relations, protocols and conventions and many other initiatives that African governments have engaged themselves in but yet still the continent has not made any progress. This is because we have not sought God's intervention in our affairs. We have done many things we could to change Africa, but I am not sure how we have involved God in those things," he said.

One can as well congratulate the honorable minister for his observation and concern. I wish I was in his shoes to feel whether he was saying the truth or as usual finding sweet talks to deceive the people when he said this at the Africa Day Church Service in Accra, which was part of activities marking the 40th Africa Union Day. Can Africans ever unite?. One could as well ask what he expects God to do?. Are we expecting God to descend and put a stop to our ridiculous Francophone and Anglo-phone mentality that is a stumbling block in our development?.

Are we expecting God to come down to stop us from religious fanaticism or to sweep our backyards for us? Are we expecting God to come down and use cane to punish Ghanaian and African leaders as a whole for failing to solve the many ridiculous problems they have created themselves?. Are we expecting God to descend and punish all those leaders who knows what is good and bad and yet do it to their people?.

Are we expecting God to descend and destroy those Pastors who have nothing to offer their people in terms of development instead of telling lies to their listeners and enriching themselves at the expense of naive citizens?. Are we expecting God to descend and punish all religious leaders whether being a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist etc. who have used his Name to manipulate the brain of his people in such a way that they cannot think no more? Are we expecting God to descend and teach as in our class rooms and universities how to be creative?. No African can deny the fact that we need God in anything that we do. The question here is, do we really know GOD?. What has our failure got to do with God?.

Are African religions not using Gods name in their prayers day and night in their Churches, Moshe?s and Synagogues?. Are they not calling upon Him to redeem, heal, and bless Africa's efforts?. One may ask Mr. Osei-Adjei whether he is not aware of this. He said: “God's intelligence was limitless, adding that, if African governments sought the face of God, the continent would overcome its problems”. How will this be possible? How can Africans put this simple message into practice?.

Africans have no knowledge about God but their dubious Pastors and leaders are in the habit of misleading them and encouraging them that they know the God they are serving. The Ghanaian has also no knowledge about God in anyway and yet they believe they can prove that they know the so-called “God” they are worshiping by praying and shouting every blessed day and yet we cannot solve the simplest! problem in the country?. If they know God, then let them tell us why despite all efforts, they have failed to develop?. Have we Ghanaians been able to find out why we have failed in anything that we do despite our prayers?. Our failure has nothing to do with God?. It will be better for Africans to sit down and answer these questions.

We should not deceive ourselves. We were born slaves and we will remain slaves until the day we can understand the cause of our incapability of developing. There is no way we can develop if we can?t "free ourselves from the mental slavery of the past" and to develop a sense of patriotism and love for the continent to achieve a united front for peace, stability and development”.

Africa will never develop unless we realize that we are “Liars” “Sinners” and very naive in our way of thinking. We should not blame the continent's problems on the inability of the academia in finding answers to the "dilemma of independent Africa struggling in captivity, making meaningless the shouts of independence and sovereignty", but to blame every individual on this continent of Africa.

"The Dons of Academia Africa seem equally bewildered and confused as their political and economic counterparts”. "The brain drain is an eloquent testimony of the confusion," African governments must realize that the interplay of history, religion, culture, philosophy and ideology have brought nothing but pain to the continent. How long should we allow Pastors and leaders to fool us? If we are pulling something from above and it is not co! ming, then there is something holding it up there. Let us first find out what is holding our efforts out there. Our mischief has nothing to do with our failure to involve God in our affairs. The answer to our downfall is in our hands. Let us ask ourselves if it is justified to blame God from deserting us.

Prince Aidoo (Evangelist)

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.