The Struggle Continues

The political establishment of the 4th Republic have a larger share of the national effort. This has enabled them to keep their hold on a nation possessing far more superior nation-builders.

As we watch the youth of Ghana take on the politicians over a misgoverned Republic, and read daily news reports on institutional failure, unemployment and the alarming rate of insecurity, many are left with a desire to act. The old order is obviously disintegrating while the shape of its replacement is highly uncertain. Yet, the gravity of the political crisis can seem overwhelming – especially for those who do not want to get into the political arena. Without a clear roadmap of how to resolve our issues, inertia sets in.

Life has become difficult for so many households across our Republic right now. Ghanaians urgently need an economy that rewards the innovation of entrepreneurs and makes it possible for businesses to thrive. We need to build an economy that offers a social ladder accessible by the less privileged in our society; an economy where the state does not take almost half of all our revenue and use it to pay public workers; an economy that can take the lead in education, financial services, agriculture and technology.

Without economic stability, the government has to keep relying upon auxiliary forces for financial aid and increasing taxes for hardworking citizens.

A Political Architect

The ideal political architect views life as a process of statecraft and every citizen as a nation-builder. An ideal political architect must, therefore, envision life through the lens of a nation-builder and base every political campaign on two fundamental pillars: firstly, an introspective analysis of the political architects' star qualities; and secondly, the calibre of nation-builders and a roadmap that can penetrate their conscience and earn cooperation.

The latter requires a political architect to think through the psychological components of his/her roadmap against the background of our socioeconomic realities as a Republic. And to do this, a political architect must focus intensely on his/her audience; it is not just about the discourse between the political architect and nation-builders, a political architect must observe facial expressions and even the tone of the voice of his/her audience. Political architecture is dependent on a shared conception of the Republic we are striving to bring about. To the disciples of Nkrumah, for instance, raising the consciousness of Pan-Africanism is vital for statecraft. When the roadmap is based on fundamentally different conceptions of what is development, statecraft grows more complex. Civic dialogue would, therefore, provide a consensus about permissible aims and methods of nation-building. It gives a political architect a clear idea as to what constitutes the problems of our society and what criteria are relevant to solving it.

If nation-builders can relate to the roadmap, they themselves shall endeavour to find every tool possible that can aid the process of statecraft. This would transform the campaign conducted by the political architect into aesthetic experience and stir the nationalism of citizens in a way that is beyond their control. An ideal nation-builder masters their craft and applies this to the service of others. This patriotism of the citizenry, the courage to build and the will-power to sacrifice is what makes change possible. 

Let us lay a cornerstone for the modern Republic and construct it one brick at a time. Let the world marvel at the craftsmanship of the Ghanaian nation-builder; our Republic must be the pièce de résistance of every citizen.