Shatte Wale! Killing our Future... AYOO

Entertainment

On that faithful Saturday, I was the barbecue master for the youth party and had no choice than to listen to their kind of music. I usually listen to lyrics of the legend Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Lucky Dube, I Jah Man and many others, yes strictly roots reggae. So papa why are you listening to Shatte Wale’s “AYOO”, asked the little kids. You always condemn and label this music as noise. The truth is that I have never taken the time to listen or play it.

The music was played repeatedly, honestly I had no choice than to pay attention and sing along. While the kids were moved by the rhythm, I was touched by the message. The controversial musician started by saying something is about to happen to Ghana. “They are killing our future and nobody cares to say something” AYOO!!! Ghana is dipping into anarchy and nobody cares. “AYOO” literally translated from the EWE language “He who refuses to do the right thing today pays the price tomorrow”.

The controversial musician continued by saying anytime he voices out they say he is a bad boy. We see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and feel no evil, provided they can fill their stomach. The country is sitting on a time bomb.

Ghanaians have mortgaged their country to the Chinese, their soldiers are guiding and protecting Chinese owned mining fields. Trust me the worst culprits are post independent graduates, their appetite for quick wealth is unquenchable and unimaginable.  

Youth-Unemployment
Unemployment state in the country is undesirable, there are no strategic plans in place to address the issue neither do we have any meaningful data in place to begin with. The education system is not helping either, we continue producing white color seeking graduates year after year. Technical and vocational institutions have been relegated to the background, while we setup new universities every year. You should be lucky to know someone who knows you, to fix you somewhere. Good grades matter less, connections matter most.

Yes, the universities are big businesses, unfortunately not tailored to suit the needs of the country nor the job markets. My American friend will say“discombobulated”.

But then why not produce high in demand graduates for export. When care is not taken a day will come when these young frustrated talents will take the law into their own hands. Shatte Wale kept saying people are afraid to voice out their opinion for fear of intimidation and isolation, but that day is coming when we shall say “AYOO”

Security
The country’s deteriorating security challenges is another unattended issue, armed robbery is the other of the day, the rich have built huge security fences along their homes, lacking fresh air and suffocating in their barricade homes. The gangsters no longer bother jumping the walls, they wait outside for them. The country is close to becoming lawless, rural folks having the guts to kill security officers all in search of survival. If care is not taken a time will come when people will be snatched from moving cars. A starving man is an angry man. The question one may ask is the society gradually deteriorating into anarchy?

Food-Security
One may say in the abundance of plenty, the visionless is wanting, almost every farming land in Ghana can be cultivated all year, nevertheless the people have to import onions and tomatoes from neighboring countries . Soon they will start importing not only rice but plantain and cassava from China. Food production has been on the decline for decades and it seems there are no measures in place to curve the situation. Meanwhile Ghanaians have Farmers Day which goes with a National Holiday, Shatte Wale may ask “What are they celebrating”

Galamsey
Galamsey has been part of Ghanaian system for decades, why has it become that topical today? Yes it is destroying the water bodies, farming lands are not only been destroyed but infected with chemicals thus making harvested crops poisonous. The rural dwellers were long into Galamsey, but the impact was not that devastating until the “Accra Pen and Paper” gentlemen with their multinationals pals decided to have their fair share. They always want it big and if possible all for themselves. They came in with heavy equipment’s. What took the local boys to a century, it took them days to destroy.

The question is how long shall we be led by our stomach… we don’t care what happens to the unborn. Nobody cares about the bad roads, all we care about is driving fancy cars on them, nobody cares about bad health system, we are more concerned about affording it outside the country, nobody cares how you become rich, all we care about is having our share of the money. We have lost it all, no cultural lineage.

Until we accept we are engulfed in greed, and that we sinking very fast, we will not be able to save ourselves from this grave. Shatte Wale will continue to sing loud “AYOO” Have we become a people without direction? What legacy are we leaving for the unborn, create, loot and share? We have ceased to speak our mind, be constructive and objective citizens.

Leadership
We have ourselves to blame, we have succeeded installing Followers as Leaders, and then turn around to question their inability. People who need to be directed are in charge and steering affairs and leading us no where and nobody cares. AYOO!

Desmond John Beddy -/TopAfric Media Network