For sixty-eight years running, the people of Ghana, led by successive governments, have celebrated the nation’s independence gained from the British on the 6th of March 1957.
The question has always been whether Ghana has really gained its independence. To a large extent we can as a nation boldly claim that once Ghana is a sovereign nation, having its own elected leaders by the populace, it is independent.
The independence of a country is characterised by several key features, including:
Sovereignty has full control over its internal and external affairs without interference from foreign powers. Enjoying self-governance with the establishment of its own government, legal system, and institutions to manage its affairs.
With its vivid national identity and a strong sense of national unity, culture and identity emerge, often symbolised by a national flag, anthem, and constitution, yes, these symbolise the independence of a country like Ghana. The country has legislative autonomy and enacts and enforces its own laws without being subject to foreign rule or colonial legal systems.
With these, Ghana is internationally recognised by other nations and international bodies, such as the United Nations, acknowledge the country’s independence. As an independent country, Ghana has strong diplomatic relations, signs treaties, and participates in global organisations.
We can also look at military and security control, where it has its defence forces and security institutions to protect its sovereignty and maintain law and order.
The issue of our independence has always been about our economic independence. Ghana’s economic independence is a complex issue. While the country gained political independence in 1957, true economic independence remains a challenge due to several factors:
There is too much dependence on foreign aid and loans. Ghana relies so much on loans from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, as well as foreign aid from developed countries. This external dependency limits the country’s ability to make fully independent economic decisions. It is on record that Ghana has on 40 occasions, run to the IMF for economic support and guidance.
Due to Ghana’s debt burden, international financial institutions often impose policy conditions on the country. For example, the IMF may require Ghana to adopt austerity measures, which can affect public services and economic growth. With such external influence on economic policies
Ghana’s export-driven economy with limited value addition has been another bain of the country. The country’s economy is heavily dependent on exporting raw materials, such as gold, cocoa, and oil, rather than processing them locally. This reliance on commodity exports makes the economy vulnerable to global price fluctuations and reduces its ability to create wealth internally.
The foreign control of key industries appears as a sign of a country without independence.
Many of Ghana’s major industries, including mining, banking, and telecommunications, are controlled by foreign multinational corporations. While they contribute to the economy, profits often leave the country instead of being reinvested locally.
Our cedi is often unstable, experiencing high inflation and depreciation against major currencies like the U.S. dollar, causing severe currency instability and high inflation. This makes imports expensive and affects the cost of living.
Trade Imbalance has been so rampant and prominent in our books. This is because the country imports more than it exports in terms of finished goods, leading to a trade deficit. A heavy reliance on imported products, including food and manufactured goods, weakens the country’s economic sovereignty and independence.
Ghana has very little to show by way of industrialisation. Despite several efforts by successive governments at industrialisation, the country still lacks a strong manufacturing base. Without sufficient local production, the country remains dependent on imports for many essential goods.
Despite these challenges, Ghana has attempted many initiatives to work towards gaining economic freedom or independence. In the recent past efforts have been made towards economic self-sufficiency through initiatives like the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda, a vision to reduce reliance on foreign assistance, but woefully failed to make any cogent meaning.
For instance, Planting for Food and Jobs was a programme to boost local agriculture and food security. One District, One Factory (1D1F), an initiative to promote industrialisation and Renewable Energy Investment, efforts to diversify the energy sector.
Ghana has achieved political independence, but full economic independence remains a challenge and a work in progress. The country needs to reduce reliance on foreign aid, invest in industrialisation, and strengthen local businesses to gain true economic sovereignty.
The theme for the 68th independence anniversary celebration, therefore, sounds resounding and brings motivation and encouragement to the Ghanaian. “Reflect, Review, Reset” emphasises the importance of looking back on the nation’s checked journey, assessing its current state, and planning for a brighter future. Our independence must be meaningful, at the least, making us self-sufficient and reliable.
A few years into the much-awaited and cherished freedom, there were signs of national growth and prosperity. Within nine years, Ghana experienced massive economic and social development, which saw prominent schools and factories across the length and breadth of the country, all to ensure the steady and holistic development of Ghana.
Notable among them were Akosombo Textiles Limited, Wenchi Tomato Factory, Bolgatanga Rice Mills, Zuarungu Meat Processing Factory, Pwalugu Tomato Canning Factory, Glass Factory at Aboso, Kumasi Shoe Factory and Tarkwa Bonsa Factory.
Sadly, none of these exists today to perform a role in the socio-economic development of the country though they were strategically positioned to first and foremost to add value to the raw material within the localities and also to provide jobs for the local people, primarily.
“After independence, Ghana’s development faced the spectre of neocolonialism, as erstwhile colonial overlords and other “developed” countries sought to control Ghana’s natural resources along the same exploitative lines developed during British colonial rule.”
For a nation to be truly independent, it needs to be independent in revenue generation, controlling social aspects, promoting quality education, enhancing the judicial system, pushing for environmental achievements, and technological advancements.
The German-born theoretical physicist, who was widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time, Albert Einstein once noted that “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Ghana has so much been blessed but unfortunately, we have very little. We have gold, oil and cocoa, yet we are still foundering as a nation. This is because there has not been any new idea or strategy to explore how best these could benefit the people. If there have been, they have not been sustainable and effective. We have from time immemorial been sending our commodities in their raw states to the same colonial matters to refine and add value to them and resell to us. What a shame.
At sixty-eight, we have our population multiplied without commensuration of home, school, and jobs, the most essential.
We are believing in the pragmatic policies of the President, such as the 24-hour economy, The implementation of a 24-hour economy strategy with three (3) shifts of eight (8) hours each to maximise productivity and efficiency, transform Ghana into an import substitution and export-led economy, enhance access to public services, and create more well-paying jobs for unemployed Ghanaians.
The initiative to stop the economic decline and restore stability and inclusive growth to the economy and also give opportunities for experienced banking hands who lost their jobs after the collapse of banks to secure their careers once more and move from the menial jobs they were forced into attracting viable and serious private sector investors to partner with the government to invest in productive sectors for job creation
This will involve an emphasis on agriculture and agribusiness and will have a strong focus on making Ghanaians own their micro-enterprises.
Lead a process to set a standardised limit for borrowing and ensure that Ghana never suffers such a deadly debt management programme that threatens to send elderly people holding government bonds to their early graves and wipe out the investments of the Ghanaian middle class.
The promise to add value to our cocoa by increasing domestic processing, refining our gold before export, and pursuing the dream of an integrated bauxite and alumina industry is laudable and in line with the vision of the first President, Dr Kwame Nkruma, who industrialised the nation but woefully destroyed it with coup de tats and greed.
In the words of Albert Einstein, we as a people need to be more knowledgeable than ever. This is because we cannot do more than we know. Change can only happen when we lift ourselves from where we are into a more dignified, a more prosperous, and a more acceptable situation.
We need to stop admiring our problems and acknowledge them as enemies that have to be ruthlessly dealt with and pave the need way for more vibrant progress, growth and development for our people.
In his words, at the anniversary celebration parade at the Jubilee House, going to the donor agencies with a bow in hand is meaningless, and we have to raise revenue locally and increase jobs.
BY NANA SIFA TWUM, PHD
