ARISE GHANA YOUTH! (My PIECE for PEACE)

Can you remember exactly what was happening in your life in the early 90’s? While some parents in Ghana were helping their children to get through basic school peacefully, somewhere in Liberia his mother was helping him to jump over dead bodies and dodge bullets so that he could atleast stay alive. The first picture of the world that was introduced to him as a child was a picture of absolute violence and anarchy. He spent his entire childhood running away from bombs and bullets in Liberia where he lost many of his relatives during the civil conflicts. Even his father’s life and the civil war ended just about the same year. He narrowly escaped and came to Ghana alone while the war was still aborting lives and threatening dreams, and he spent a significant portion of his youthful years in Buduburam, the refugee camp.

The road from Buduburam to a university in Ghana was one of the toughest journeys any hunger-stricken refugee youth could dare to travel. But inspite of his struggles and challenges, this young man graduated as GIMPA’s Best Student, BSc Economics (2013) as an Albert Einstein’s DAFI scholar, fully sponsored by the German Government. Today, not only is he a sought-after motivational speaker, he’s also the author the international bestselling book, Between HER WOMB & YOUR TOMB - How to Make Your Life Worth Celebrating, which was launched at the end of 2015 at GIMPA along with a National Youth Empowerment Campaign, HOPE Campaign®, with a goal: to have inspired and empowered atleast 10,000 young people across Ghana by 31^st December, 2016.

Now, do you know the most amazing thing about this story? It is my story; it is the summary of what I’ve been through so far in my life. I’ve actually survived some of the toughest experiences in life; I have scars of pains too deep to ignore, frustrations and disappointments too difficult to even explain. This is why I feel poised to tell you all that I’m about to tell you.

I cannot discuss any issue regarding Politics or the Economy. In fact, everyone in Ghana knows that these two subjects: Politics and the Economy, are ‘legally’ married. No one can easily provide his honest opinion on the performance of the Economy without being placed in a Political box. However, since these two forces are seen today as the biggest threats to the future of many, especially the youths in Ghana, I would like to briefly advise you on how to prevent them from killing you or your dreams prematurely.

If you are a young Ghanaian and you cannot fathom how the African politics of violence can affect your future, I encourage you to atleast study the history of the last 30 years of a country like Liberia. Let me tell you matter-of-factly: if you put all your trust in politicians for your survival and success in life, you might be utterly frustrated the rest of your life. Chances are most politicians are only thinking about the next election, and not about the next generation. Let me give you a classic example. Many years ago when some greedy politicians felt they could not win the next election through the means of the ballot, they decided to destroy the next generation of Liberians with their bullets. That’s how dangerous the struggle for political power was for a small country like Liberia. But thank God she is now gradually recovering from her painful past with a strong lesson.

The painful lesson for those of us still alive today is: when those careless politicians and war-lords chose to replace the Liberian children’s toy guns with real AK47’s and RPG’s, they refused to tell them the truth. They never told those innocent and ignorant kids that the future they desired and deserved could not be created through violence. I wish a young Ghanaian could listen to me: please don’t let the African politics of violence abort your beautiful dreams like it did with hundreds of thousands of my brothers and sisters who could not survive to see this future that they all dreamed about. Imagine how those young people who lost their lives during our senseless civil conflicts would have been so glad to be part of this ‘social media generation’ today. I want you to think about your friends and family members you would love to share your memories with 30, 50 or more years from now and never allow any political violence make you lose them. Don’t be a volunteer victim of violence in Ghana!

Do you know that your dream of a successful future is even more powerful than your current economic conditions? With a first-class BSc in Economics, I don’t feel qualified to tell you anything about how the GH cedi is performing against the US dollar and other major currencies; but as a victim of violence, I’m proud to let you know that I’ve been observing how your Opportunity of Peace in Ghana is constantly prevailing over threats of violence and other political tussles. This year (2016) has come to again test how strong Ghana is, as a beacon of Hope for Africa. This 7^th Elections of your Democratic dispensation which will be held on 7^th December is a symbol to demonstrate the ‘completion’ of Ghana’s victory over democratic challenges. And Ghana’s victory over 2016’s challenges will largely depend on the youths who will value the greatness of their future far above their current conditions. From my experience, I know that more harm can be done to Ghana by weak Ghanaian youths than wicked Ghanaian politicians. This is why I wish to remind you of words from your old patriotic song, “Arise Ghana youth for your country.” I remain confident that Ghana will win another victory in 2016 because “we are all involved.”

Yes, we’re all involved. Whether you are a foreigner or a citizen, you can either be a blessing or a burden to this country. And it’s always a matter of choice. This is why I have chosen to challenge you to never allow the rate of inflation in this country to exceed the rate of your personal development. Stop crying for a better economy, start trying to create a better version of yourself. As a matter of fact, your income level is never directly determined by the economy, it’s always determined by the level of your personal development because “We all get paid by bringing value to the market place.” Money is the reward for solving problems. Where there’re problems, there’re always opportunities to get money. If you see all the problems in Ghana and you still cannot recognize any opportunity to earn some money, you will remain POOR; i.e. you’re simply Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly. Don’t let the economy kill your dreams.

As an African, I know for a fact that God has indeed blessed us with so many natural resources. But paradoxically, the more we discover natural resources as a continent called Africa, the hungrier we become as a people called Africans. The more we discover how rich we are, the more we realize, by our living standards, how poor we are. But listen. It’s not how much resources you have as a privileged Ghana; it’s how resourceful you are as patriotic Ghanaians. Trust me, I know how frustrating this ugly situation has been for all of us. But here is my honest observation: no matter the quantity and quality of natural resources your country discovers, until you personally discover and develop your own natural talents/abilities, you will remain poor, frustrated and unfulfilled in life. If you think those in charge of managing your national resources are not doing well, why not focus on effectively managing your own personal resources given to you by God (for example, your talents and your time)? I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t hold your leaders accountable; I’m only asking you to hold yourself accountable more for your own happiness and success. Success has always been and will always be a matter of your personal decision and determination. If you think you have enough excuses for not leading a successful life in Ghana, think about what I’ve told you about my own life. The mess I’ve been through in my life has given me this simple message for you: don’t allow Politics or the economic challenges to kill you or your dreams. Arise Ghana youth!