The developed nations are developed because they ‘parasited’ on most of the nations that are currently deemed poor before they got to where they are. Aid is therefore a form of pacification for nations that should ordinary angry for centuries of unchecked looting and abuse of natural resources for the benefit of self-imposed colonial masters.
Aid to Africa and other parts of the world is not just due to the benevolence of the west but actually a payback of what was taken in the past.
As a nation, we have to strategically align ourselves with nations that prove to have our interest at heart and direct whatever aid that comes from such relationships towards the broader nation vision.
Unfortunately, since this government came into power, Ghana Beyond Aid has become the slogan of the president and his appointees and I am not comfortable.
I am not comfortable because we are shouting empty words to the world while our needs stare at us every single day.
No country is turning their backs at aid, no country is using their lack of need for aid, if even there exists any as a measure of development. Even the advanced nations who send these supports have times when they count on the benevolence of other nations.
I am of the opinion that, no Individual, organization, institution or nation can say that I am self-sufficient. The world is designed to interdepend in each other.
I remember very well that America of all nations had to mobilize coalition forces when they decided to go to war at Afghanistan. Same aid was given to that nation for the gulf war.
Ghana as a nation has sent soldiers to wars that had nothing to do with us because the world is structured in such a way that in time of need, friends align with friends to achieve an objective that perhaps serves the interest of only one.
Being beyond aid to me means attaining self-sufficiency in every aspect of your life, getting to the place where you can tell everyone: I don’t need you. Where nations, people. Individual and organization and nations can look to you for support in times of need.
As we speak, we have military men in other nations trying to maintain peace, that is aid, it doesn’t always have to come in the form of a grant.
Aid in its various forms is how the nations of the world rob each other’s hand. In the case of Africa though, it is debt being repaid. No one says I am too rich to take money owed me.
Obviously, no country is currently at this stage and non shall ever be.
Am I suggesting that as a country we shouldn’t aspire to reach developmed status and create a better future for the next generation?
Far from it, I am saying that we need to focus on doing the tangibles and reduce the talking.
I believe that as a nation, we must work towards the bigger national vision without shouting to the world
that we are coming. No nation developed by speaking more than they did but that is exactly what we are doing with many example to learn from.
We live in a world full of saboteurs, developed nations that do not in practice want the poorer nations to catch up and so would do anything to ensure their regression. When dealing with such situations, yo3u have to keep certain things to your chest and don’t tell that we are coming.
We cannot make such noise when the major players in one of government’s programs to drive this change, the one district one factory is dominated by foreigners.
What pragmatic measures are we putting in place to develop the local entrepreneur who will drive the vision of developing this nation?
From where I find myself, it appears that we take more delight in getting applause for well written speeches than doing what really matters.
We are not learning from China, Malaysia, Singapore and other nations, we are just talking for nothing.
A nation that want to develop must have a strategy that drives its action and the people must align. It must not be done on the back of an ambiguous sweet talk that can actually give them misguided hope.
How are we making young people who drive every development invest their energies and ideas when in one breadth we have then doing almost nothing as Nation Builder’s Corp and in another shouting about moving beyond aid
I am worried by the Ghana beyond aid chant because aside being not really action driven, it gives an impression we don’t need help though we do and in fact, our president is always on the next available flight to bring something home.
Beyond that, we are borrowing like never before, we are putting our nation in more debt for the next generation to beg for relieves like we went to do at HIPC.
If only we can keep quiet and do it like China, make mistakes, consume our locally made inferior goods until we have the means and expertise to improve them.
If only we eat our own food, drop the junk and live on what’s from Ghana, then we will be on track to emulate the 20th and 21st Century success stories.
So far, Ghana beyond aid leads to nowhere, it will only see a decline in decline in aid which is very much needed.
Until we have created jobs for majority of our youth, until we have no need that requires an external help, until we are able to send water to every corner of the country, until farmers have good roads to transport their yield, until electricity stops going off intermittently, we are not beyond aid, we need aid.
As big as the see is, it continues to receive rain or risk drying and dying.
As strong as the lion is, it continues to hunt for its preys else it dies
And finally as fat as the elephant is, it continues to eat else it dies of hunger
We all need each other’s help at all times. The rains need the sun before condensation can take place so can rain.
The boss needs the watchman to open his gate for him to enter with his car especially on a rainy day when his automated gate is locked up and likewise the watchman needs the boss to give him employment so he gets money to cater for his family.
It’s a global village and we cannot be isolated. We all need each other’s help sometimes.
In conclusion, being beyond aid is a mirage, it has eluded every nation because we have been made to interdepend on each other.
Let’s pray to God for a heart of humility. For it is written, BLESSED ARE THE HUMBLE HEARTED FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. With humility, respect for fellow humans and total love for mankind we should inherit the promised land we dream of.
We can achieve nothing chasing shadows, let’s get realistic and set scalable targets
God help us all
By: Kofi Anokye
-CEO, Koans Group