Introduction
Without financial, political, socio-economic and cultural freedom to define her strategic vision to enhance her people’s growth and wellbeing, Ghana cannot lay claim to being substantially independent. Although Ghana celebrated her 67th Independence on March 7th 2024, however, the perennial failure to channel the country’s vast resources in a way that promote the people’s welfare and ambition will retain her at the nominal status of independence with dependence on external powers.
Geographically, Ghana is 238, 583km2, with a population of 33.48 million people, which is equal to the size of the United Kingdom (UK) with a population of 66.97 million people. Also, the Netherlands is 41, 543km2 with a population of 17.65 million people; whilst Singapore has a total land area of 719 km, harbouring 5.6 million people. Thus, with the exception of UK, Ghana is bigger with extensive land area and population larger than the Netherlands and Singapore together; yet, rely on these two countries for running her socio-economic needs after 67 years of independence. With such extensive land area coupled with rich soil for farming, rich river bodies bordered with the sea to enhance fishing activities, it is shocking to recognise that Ghana is currently experiencing food shortages under the current government’s policy of planting for food and growth. This sad development arises under visionless leadership, a phenomenon engulfing the entire region of Africa. Growing up in the 1980s, most public spaces in the city and town centres were devoted to growing simple vegetables, corn/maize. cassava, fruits of various kinds; whilst majority of Ghanaians had medium size gardens in which they grew staple food items to augment and supplement their domestic food needs. Similarly, secondary schools throughout the country had school farms in which various vegetables and staple are grown to supplement their feeding needs; and more importantly, to consolidate the practical aspect of the agricultural science being taught the students. This strategic policy not only promoted organic foods in the country but also protected biodiversity needs of the environment and people.
Sadly, in flagrant display of weak political leadership, coupled with narrowed vision of the community leaders, public lands have been either sold out to the rich in society or foreign people to be converted into projects that endanger the health of the people and society in general. Conversely, in western states, for example, land is in limited supply given their push for huge industrial projects and growing population size, yet majority of the people buy small tracts of land called allotments in their localities or outside so that they can grow their own organic vegetables or fruits. However, in Ghana, the irresistible crave for foreign food items, which lack requisite proteins and minerals, have contributed to decimating local and domestic subsistence farming critical to the people’s wellbeing and livelihood.
The perennial failure by successive governments to build domestic strategic partnership with universities is also responsible for socio-economic doldrums in the country. In western counties, for example, governments build strategic alliances with universities across economic social and technological frontiers to undertake research activities with a view to augmenting national development projects. For example, the British government’s sponsorship of Oxford University – AstraZeneca joint research culminated in producing Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic. Similar joint research projects have been established with Imperial College, University College of London (UCL); US government’s joint research works with Massacutes Institute of technology (MIT); French government with Insead as well as the Swiss government with EPH. These governmental alliances and projects do not only produce domestic competitive edge for global competition, but also help the universities to intensify research to propel domestic national growth without reliance on foreign states or multinationals. In addition, they help the universities become self-sustaining entities financially. These examples should guide the current and future Ghanaian governments, to invest hugely in the university of Ghana, Legon; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science of Technology, Kumasi; University of Cape-Coast, Cape-coast; including University of Development Studies, Tamale, as strategic partners in initiating and driving research programmes earmarked to building the Ghanaian economy with little reliance on foreign states and multinationals.
As a strategic measure of attaining substantive independence commensurate with Ghana’s 67 years of freedom, the country must look towards harnessing her natural resources in a manner that enhance the welfare, growth and development of the people. With her bounteous deposits of gold, diamond, bauxite and uranium among others, Ghana has failed to develop a domestic expertise with a view to exploiting and processing all these mineral resources to secure the nation’s growth. Sadly, the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT), which was established in 1952 and commissioned by Governor Sir Charles Arden Clake on 7th October 1953, continue to exist nominally. Similarly, as indicated above, the UMAT should be invested in by the government to possess modern equipment, infrastructure and resources; so that, it will be actively engaged in the exploration and processing of all mineral resources in Ghana. By actively engaging Ghanaian universities in the strategic development of national resources and socio- economic projects, there will be increased expansion of technical skills, avenues to boost employment opportunities and little reliance on foreign states and institutions. At 67 years of independence why should Ghana be importing indelible ink to conduct national elections where that can be produced and manufactured by the chemistry department of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology? And why should Ghanaians be importing chicken, tin tomatoes, and cooking oil from external countries where there are vast lands and several acres of palm -nut trees and tomatoes get rotten in hinterlands? Ghana cannot achieve a substantive independence status without securing sustainable domestic capacity to enhance the socio-economic welfare of her people.
Final Remarks
Merely celebrating each 7th March as independence day does not guarantee Ghana’s freedom. An independent and substantive state has the capacity to feed her people, provide them safe access to adequate healthcare, including sustained opportunities for employment of the citizens. In her current status, Ghana remains a hollow independent state with extensive reliance on foreign countries for help. To regain her substantive independence status, Ghana must develop her domestic strategic partnerships with universities in the county to work towards promoting the socio-economic, cultural and political welfare of the masses. With a land size equal to the UK coupled with a population of 33.48 million people majority of whom are youth, Ghana needs a visionary leader with selflessness to mobilise, organise and direct the nation towards securing a prosperous socio-economic and political status, capable of inspiring hope and good-will among Ghanaians.
