Composers of the national anthem for Ghana after the 1957 independence from the colonial master Britain did a great job for the country.
The words formed to compose the national anthem was not just words but rather a prayer for the maker to continue blessing the country as the one who owns it.
“God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong, bold to defend forever…” is such a powerful prayer said by patriotic citizens of Ghana that it should have taken away all the ills and corruption from the country by now.
But can you imagine seeing persons who try to portray themselves as patriots by standing in attention, placing their hands on their hearts singing the anthem or the patriotic song turns out to be the same persons involving themselves in high rate of crime?
The national anthem, is enthusiastically sung by the vast majority of Ghanaians including Christians and non-Christians alike.
We all want God to bless Ghana, but truth be told that not all who sing this national anthem do agree on the meaning of the phrase “God Bless our homeland Ghana”.
This has made some people to suggest that, that strong prayer in the national anthem should now be changed from “God bless our homeland Ghana to God safe our home land Ghana”.
No but despite all the blessings that the almighty God has showered on the nation since from creation to independence till now what type of blessing again do the country need?
The land has been blessed with crude oil but the people are still suffering from economic hardship.
After independence, the country started generating hydroelectric power and even exporting to neighboring countries for foreign exchange but the country until recently was suffering from intermittent power outages from what was termed,” dum sor, dum sor” Mahamah kanea edum na aso.
God has already blessed the country with Cocoa, timber, gold and diamond since creation of this world but despite foreign export of these natural resources, the country still borrows money to pay workers salary why?
A country not long ago that proud itself as a beacon to African democracy where every individual participated in governance by soliciting opinions through people’s assembly almost turned into anti-democratic state where even peaceful demonstrations were not being permitted.
Where is the legion of large scale farmers who out of patriotism grew food crops to feed the whole population?
Where are the local manufacturing companies that provided services and employment for the country and the ordinary?
Losing the brilliant, energetic, healthy good thinking men and women who would have formed a formidable workforce to keep the wheel of development of the country moving to foreign countries you think we should continue to sing God bless our homeland Ghana?
It may sound silly to you the argument raised by some people that the anthem be changed from God bless our homeland Ghana to God safe our homeland Ghana.
But will you tell me the country is blessed where a chunk of the country’s boys and girls are being lost to gangs, armed robbery, unnecessary child births, child labour, ritual murders and deadly activities such as illegal mining?
We place our hands on our hearts to demonstrate how we love the country Ghana but deep in our hearts we do not love mother Ghana at all.
Otherwise how can someone dip his hands into state coffers and runaway with millions of dollars being tax payers money meant for development projects?
Isn’t it shocking to spot a chief executive officer who demonstrated how he love Ghana all the time by singing the national anthem and the patriotic songs but never paid taxes to generate revenue to construct roads, schools, provide portable drinking water and electricity?
It is time a general checkup is conducted on the country to identify all the ills and corrupt practices that are hindering the forward march of the country to fix the problems for the better otherwise the prayer of blessing will turn to an empty prayer and the country will continue to suffer.
Of course yes. How can God bless as enthusiastically sing the song but turn around to banish him [God] from our national exercises or in Ghanaian life?
He [God] was almost evicted from the recently held exercise that elected the president to lead the country from January 7, 2017 by saying Christians don’t do politics but we wanted Christians God to bless Ghana
Congratulations to pastors and reverend ministers who encouraged the eligible voters that voted for change of government based on New Patriotic Party [NPP] pragmatic policies and programmes to that of National Democratic Congress [NDC] propaganda and promises.
Ghanaians elected the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, who deserve their support to implement the adopted policies and programmes to cushion every citizenry.
Now the question is how long will those preferred to be quiet continue to bury their heads in the sand leaving their followers undecided about subsequent national assignments such as selection of national leaders to govern the country?
As ministers of God, their behaviour of not leading their followers to endorse and vote for a particular candidate based on adoption of pragmatic policies and programmes which when implemented will bring economic relief to even Christians is unaccepted.
First we need to clearly see the role of God in our present political situation. In the recent past we had pastors and reverend ministers who publically endorsed one political candidate or another, thus implying that there was a right way for us Christians to vote over against a wrong way for us to vote.
Christianity has been entangled in partisan political process and the essence of the Gospel has been lost in the wider culture.
Therefore the better we understand how God is involved in government, the more likely we will be kept from the folly of identifying one political party as Christian and the other not.
The biblical account of Aaron’s election by God to lead the Israelites as deputy to Moses in the book of Numbers Chapter 16 and 17, clearly support the argument that God has a choice as to who should lead his people at a particular time and where through general elections.
Korah and his followers decided to rebel against Moses the prophet of God which resulted in their death by buried alive in the land whiles fire consumed 250 other followers of him too.
Chapter 17 of the same book of Numbers records how God elected Aaron by growing almonds and flowers on Aaron’s walking stick as against the eleven walking sticks of the other tribes of Israel.
What would have happened had Moses refused to intercede on behalf of the Israelites and ensuring that the right person was elected to lead the people?
The biblical account once again has it that God would have wiped the people out of the surface of the earth as he revealed it to Moses earlier.
Although the earth rarely swallows people up anymore, a metaphorically similar fate often awaits the unrestrained arrogant office holders, corrupt and wicked heads of states, politicians, security personnel, doctors, lawyers, teachers, so called pastors and reverend ministers and even ordinary men and women.
The premise is that if pastors and reverend ministers and Christians elevate the moral climate of the country, more people will believe the gospel, and God will be more likely to bless Ghana.
Ghanaians must bring themselves more closely into line with God’s agenda for the country so that they might be better prepared to address the political and spiritual crisis.
I would urged all Ghanaians that first of all petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people for the president, ministers, chiefs and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
The presidents, ministers, chiefs and those in authority should also fear God since it is the beginning of wisdom says James 1:5,”if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”.
Last but not the least, every Ghanaian should pray for the peace and prosperity of the country because if it prospers, all will prosper”.
By: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.
