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Nigeria and Ghana Imbroglio: A Case of Envy or Stupidity? By Zents Kunle Sowunmi
Envy and distrust can not be separated from accepting and recognizing the fact that we are guilty of the very thing we accuse of others. A nation that takes delight in pulling others down will not only be digging the hole of perdition on itself but be will be creating an unfavorable foundation for its coming generations and the common man across the borders of the two nations will bear the consequences.
In the last few years, nations all over the world, were praising the goodwill of government of the nation called Ghana, one of the sixteen nations in West Africa, a country less than or equal to the population of Lagos State in Nigeria, but had rooted itself in the doctrine of Kwameh Nkrumah its independence founding father since 1959 but has gone through lots of positive internal changes through various leadership until a very young Air force officer Rawlings sanitized the very old and primitive doctrines which some of the bigger nations in West Africa still hang on to.
Ghana as a nation, went through political wilderness, like the Jews it did not forgets that if you are faithful to the system of good government you will reap what you sow. The nation decided to do away with its decadent constitution as enacted through the connivance of the British in 1959 for a more progressive system almost identical to America which focuses on diversity of the nation and up-liftment of the resources of individual as well as following the keyword to everything “faithfulness” to the system and the result of this is what is positively shaping the nation as the most progressive nation in West Africa.
Kwameh Nkrumah who was in the class of Papa Awolowo of blessed memory in Nigeria, or Leopold Sedar Senghol of Senegal the champion of Negritude doctrine said to all Ghanaians in a word that was almost Biblical “Seek ye first the political freedom of Ghana the rest shall be added unto you” his people that resided in the old Gold Coast and his words like the Jeremiah in the Bible echoes down on all corners of Takoradi, Asamankese, Accra, Kumasi, kuforidua, Tema and all villages of the old Gold Coast which contains the old kingdoms of Ashanti , Ewe, Ga and Fanti they did more that what Kwameh Nkrumah asked, they also worked for economic freedom of the nation.
Ghanaians like the Jews, they were persecuted all over the world, became cleaners on Nigeria Cities, underpaid laborers on Nigeria road, those who were teachers were never allowed to head the very institutions we Nigerians knew they were better than other Nigerian academic instructors in the same department or institutions, Kojo was the best instructor in the new Ogun State Polytechnic in Abeokuta, he was deprived of all benefits he could have because he was a Ghanaians, same thing happened to all Ghanaians that came as economic refugees to Nigeria when Shehu Shagari was President.
At one stage, in the economic turmoil of this nation called Ghana, the total annual Budget of the country was equal to 290 million naira the same amount Nigeria leadership under President Sheu Shagari used to import Rice from China when Umaru Didiko was transportation Minister. Culturally, it was even considered below one’s acceptable social standard to date a Ghanaian lady due to the discriminating and economic situation of the country
The cedi the Ghana money became so worthless that it was exchanging for 3000 cedi to a dollar, but people of Ghana never lost hope they toiled, they planted, they watered the economy, they look up and forward , they became much more committed and faithful to their nation and ideas of their new constitution, like the Bible the Gate of heaven opened its favor and blessings to all who are faithful, the nation is now reaping what they sowed, like what happened when Joseph asked Pharos of Egypt to take care of the future, the nations now besieging the nation of Ghana to enjoy the taste of the what the Ghanaians sowed “Good Government”
Nigeria companies moved in thousands to Ghana to partake and enjoy uninterrupted power supply which they lacked at home, good and reasonable taxes, and complete favorable investment climate, like this writer almost did in 1991 in the search of relocation of New world Paints at Sango Otta which was frustrated by unreasonable police check points, Ghana removed and created a friendly climate for its economic growth.
Nigeria must take a cue from Ghana , this writer belief system is simple, there is nothing bad in copying what ever is good and is working well for your neighbor, it is ungodly to use a God given resources to divert the progress of the nation of Ghana by Nigeria government, its leadership must wake up to this reality, re-organize its system, remove all the unfavorable climate in Nigeria, create, state and city police to combat the internal security lapses, invest in good roads, let the best be in charge of all our institutions, let the law makers screen and check the background of those that run our government, remove the council of past leaders in our governance or constitution, let us put our house in orders and borrow the words of Kwameh Nkrumah’ See ye first the political and economic freedom of Nigeria the best shall be added unto us” to seek to destroy will not benefit both nations.
Finally, the world is like the big sky it should be opened to all nations to grow and expand, Nigeria will be the greatest beneficiary of the good government in Ghana, and other fourteen countries in West Africa with is populations, its people will on the long run spread all over the South of Sahara, through marriages and contact it will shape the growth of all tribes and people of West Africa, they will on the long run have the Nigerian blood and Nigeria mentality.
Nigeria must borrow good ideas from all its neighbors the need to accept and recognize positive change is good for all nations and using crude tactics to frustrate nations will not be acceptable to polished minds in the 21st century. Let our leadership look within because that is where the solution to our economic failure lies. Polished leadership, sound and prudent economic system with workable constitution, not arm-twisting/gorilla tactics will keep Nigeria focus that will make us compete with Nations of the same size not small nations like Ghana to descend to the level of chasing Ghana future is to accept we have failed as a Nation. Nigeria Bless your Hearts.
Zents Kunle Sowunmi Bronx New York USA is the author of the book “Before the Journey Became Home”
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