As Ghana celebrated 68 years of independence yesterday, March 6, Xtreme Media Online engaged some residents in the Upper East Region to gather their reflections on the celebration and their perspectives on the country’s progress over the years.
While they were proud of the fight of the forefathers to gain independence for the country, opinions were divided among the residents. Some acknowledged the significant progress Ghana has made over the past 68 years, whereas others felt that the country could have achieved far more by now.
Michael Akuure is a resident of Binduri who believes that even though it is good Ghana has gained independence, the country is far behind development. He noted that he is not excited about the theoretical approach used in the education system in the country. He believes that this has affected the infrastructural development of the country.
“When you look at development in terms of infrastructure, most of our resources have been given to white men to develop our country here for us, in which case if we were to learn it practically and do it ourselves,” Michael emphasized.
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Joseph Anaya is a resident of Sandema who commented on the mindset of citizens, noting that most citizens of Ghana do not make good use of the knowledge they learn from school. However, he connected this to the education system and advised that reforms be done to introduce courses that focus on hands-on experience for faster development.
“When you look at our mindset, we are not industrious. Our educational system should focus on hands-on studies and introduce courses that will help us to strive,” he advised.
Meanwhile, Freda Nsopika from Bolgantaga believes that there has been improvement in education, healthcare, and infrastructural development over the years, even though there have been setbacks.
“Mother Ghana has been able to make significant progress in sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure development. Though there have been a whole lot of high unemployment rates, corruption, and a whole lot of setbacks, I think Mother Ghana has done so well in these three sectors that I’ve mentioned,” she said.
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Vincent Akugeri lives in Navrongo. He explained that amidst some cases of corruption that have been recorded in governance over the years, he is proud of the democracy in Ghana’s government so far, noting that even though there have been changes of government since independence, it has been peaceful.
“There has been an increase in democracy and peaceful transitions of power over time. From the beginning, we experienced coup d’état, but now we are trying to be stable, and that is massive improvement despite the fact that among these things, we have also experienced corruption,” he said.
As the nation continues on its path towards growth and development, these voices from the Upper East Region serve as a reminder of the progress made and the challenges still to be overcome