A letter to Ghanaians written in 2018: Waking up the Beast

The outcry of Ghanaians continues to rise every day. Citizens lament daily because of the economic hardships they face. Thousands of students graduate from universities and technical colleges only to find the job market unable to accommodate their numbers. Colonial structures, originally meant to support us for half a century, have been used for more than a century without any significant upgrades.

Written by: Lord Fiifi Sampson

1/17/20255 min read

The outcry of Ghanaians continues to rise every day. Citizens lament daily because of the economic hardships they face.

Thousands of students graduate from universities and technical colleges only to find the job market unable to accommodate their numbers.

Colonial structures, originally meant to support us for half a century, have been used for more than a century without any significant upgrades. How sad it is for people to work tirelessly for 24 hours just to make ends meet, only to be paid meager wages in return. Students endure the stress and anxiety of studying and awaiting examination results, only to end up in workplaces that offer them low salaries.

Concerned citizens write and speak in the media daily, yet the problems, instead of diminishing, only grow worse.

At the worst of times, some individuals who call themselves politicians add insult to injury by squandering the nation’s resources as if competing in a race among themselves. They exploit problems to manipulate Ghanaians and seize political power under the guise of solving these issues, portraying themselves as saviors.

This deeply concerns me as a patriotic citizen, leaving me to ask myself: Why?

Writers, lecturers, and professors offer their insights on how to solve these problems, yet their solutions seem more theoretical than practical. Politicians and government agencies consistently use Ghanaians to serve their own self-interest. This validates Ronald Reagan’s assertion that “Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.”

As a citizen, I do not expect this to change unless the Beast is awakened. It is for this reason that I have entitled this article "Waking up the Beast."

A beast is a fierce animal with brute strength, capable of instilling fear and overcoming anything in its way. When the beast is awake, there is absolute silence in its surroundings. All its prey and predators flee as soon as the beast awakens.

Rule of law truly functions only when the beast is awake—its roar compels all to bow before it.

Before the beast wakes, prey suffer at the hands of predators. But when the beast finally awakens, predators flee even faster than the prey. The predators fear for their lives because they know there is someone greater and stronger than them.

If they were on the verge of devouring their prey, all activity halts when the beast awakens. The prey rejoice, even though they know the beast may harm them if caution is not exercised.

It is unfortunate for Ghanaians that our beast is deeply asleep, with no one to rouse it. While the beast sleeps, predators hunt the prey. Prey cry out loudly to awaken the beast, but it is in vain. Some prey even transform into predators, preying on their fellow prey. What a pity!

One may ask, “Why the beast, and who is the beast?” The beast symbolizes the strong patriotism and collective interest of Ghanaians—and, to a larger extent, Africans.

The predators are political leaders who, driven by self-interest, perpetuate the suffering of their citizens (the prey). These leaders impose taxes on citizens to amass wealth for themselves rather than using the resources for national development. They have turned politics into a lucrative business, while the nation’s businesses languish.

These leaders politicize almost every institution, including the judiciary, creating divisions among the people. They exploit ethnicism as a means of acquiring political power and have used corruption as a tool to keep the beast deeply asleep. They know that if the beast ever awakens, they will have no choice but to flee.

In their fear of this awakening, they continue to oppress the citizens (prey).

The predators, like their natural counterparts, prey on the weak to satisfy their own selfish desires. As a result, some prey also become predators, driven by the belief that they, too, deserve to prosper after suffering for so long.

This transformation occurs across every sector of the country. Self-interest prevails over national interest, leading individuals to cheat, deceive, and harm others to satisfy their personal needs.

Meanwhile, the majority of prey continue to endure their hardships, with some even fleeing to other countries in search of a better life. While their suffering may decrease, their happiness is not complete. Citizens try every means to awaken the beast, including airing their grievances through the media, demonstrations, and strikes, but to no avail.

There is an urgent need to awaken the beast, which means rekindling the patriotism of Ghanaians. Building strong patriotism would shift the focus to Ghana’s well-being over individual interests.

It would foster a collective love and care for the nation, prioritizing Ghana’s development and the welfare of its citizens. When Ghanaians put the nation’s interest first, corruption will be eradicated, faulty constitutional provisions will be corrected, and the country will move forward.

A concerned fellow may ask: How can the beast be awakened? It requires inspiring the people to recognize the urgent need for patriotism. This inspiration cannot come from mere words or theoretical ideas—it must come from the actions and character of true leaders.

A true leader serves the people wholeheartedly, without arrogance or pride. As Nelson Mandela wrote in Long Walk to Freedom, “A leader is like a shepherd… He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go on ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” Leaders must inspire through their actions, motivating the people to strive for collective progress.

Without such leadership, the country remains stagnant, with people working independently without regard for the nation, like sheep without a shepherd.

Education, often touted as the key to national development, is not enough on its own. Education must be accompanied by character and a sense of duty. As Kwame Nkrumah once said in his “Come Down to Earth” speech, “The people of Ghana expect you, students of the university, to apply the knowledge you acquire to solve problems facing the nation and to render practical service to the ordinary people…”

Educated individuals must shed any standoffishness and use their knowledge to serve the people. If this happens, the beast will stir, and the country will progress. Evidence of the beast stirring can be seen in moments when Ghanaians unite to demand change, as they did when voting out a prior government for economic mismanagement or when rallying against illegal mining and injustice, such as the murder of Captain Mahama.

To address corruption and public mismanagement, I say: Raise the beast up. If Ghana is to advance, the beast must rise. Let us awaken the spirit of patriotism and inspire one another to make Ghana a better place for all.

We must choose nonviolent means to rouse the beast. Riots and rebellion are not the answer; instead, we need collective action and leadership that exemplifies the values we wish to see. A friend once suggested that Ghana would fare better under foreign rule, but this is a flawed notion. The destiny of Ghana lies in the hands of Ghanaians. Only we can transform our nation.

If our problems are to be solved, the interest of Ghanaians in their nation must be revived. Together, we must wake the beast.