Nelly, I’ve given up hope in Africa. Will the continent ever regain the status and richness that were formerly associated with it? My faith in the continent’s future is clouded, and my heart aches, my friend lamented. I smiled and looked my good friend in the eyes, who was in her prime and had so much energy and intelligence to contribute to the country, and assured her, “Africa will rise; Ghana will be great.” And, certainly, I say this with great conviction. My faith in Africa, particularly Ghana, has been revived because of the Central Leadership Program.
Africa is neither cursed nor poor; Africa was, is, and always will be magnificent. We all have a role to play, and we must do our best to make it a good one. We can do it; you, me, our friends, and every other young person can. We surely have a role to play in ensuring that we get the Ghana we desire. We need to wake up and fuel our passion into action. Africa will be great when we rise and take hold of the pillars of society. It is an undeniable reality that leadership plays an important role in this; thus, this is our weapon; we are bettering our society by having a positive impact on the pillars through every leadership role we find ourselves in.
When we talk about leadership, everyone’s attention is drawn to people in very high positions of power and influence, but I beg to differ. We are all on the same path or in positions of leadership, no matter how minor it may appear. I believe we have aimed arrows at individuals in such positions, which is reasonable given that we have yet to see the kind of change they promised, but it is also fair to examine ourselves and see if we are positively impacting society in any way through the various positions we hold. Mind you, the pillars of society cut across several sectors, namely education, science, media, family, governance, religion, business, and culture, all of which we influence in some manner. The question we must now address is, “How well do I make decisions?” What are the foundations of my decisions? These questions will help us understand the kind of impact we have on these pillars.
The Bible teaches us that laying a solid foundation is essential for a long-lasting structure. When the foundations are solid, the decisions we make will undoubtedly be sound. This brings us to the point: on what foundation are our pillars built? We have the responsibility as Christians to ensure that these pillars are favorably influenced since the foundation for our pillars is founded on the word of God, and the word of God never fails. The word of God is wisdom, and it clearly indicates that anyone who lacks wisdom can ask, and God will give it to them. The word of God provides the wisdom we need for impactful leadership geared towards a brighter Africa.
Ghana’s population is vastly occupied by Christians; thus, we occupy most of the leadership positions. We can make a change by taking hold of the pillars of society. We have the ability to influence these pillars under attack. This is significant because individuals who control or exert influence over these pillars dictate how the rest of us live. Christians must seize or grasp these pillars to ensure that we have control over them and that we may affect them so that they are not negatively influenced to our detriment. We need to understand and know what pleases and goes against God before we can influence society positively or in the right way.
To begin with, we can influence society positively by going back to the number one manual, the Bible. The Bible teaches us that God created the heavens and the earth and gave us control over everything on the planet. God wants us to have control over everything so that we can multiply. As a result, we must be productive, multiply, and conquer these pillars so that others who are not likeminded cannot penetrate them. We need to actively participate, lead, and influence these areas by striving to bring our values into these spheres to positively impact society. We shall witness the desired change when values such as love, compassion, justice, integrity, and service are instilled in the pillars of society.
Furthermore, we do not need to stand back and wait for someone else to take control. We do not have to fear whatever the outcome will be when we take the bold step. We have Christians who are “persecuted” for serving Christ in various roles simply because they follow Christ and His standards. I’m sure there have been times in our lives when people thought we were being too serious or made comments because we refused to bend the rules. This is what distinguishes us; if we are lukewarm and attempt to be like everyone else, there would be no integrity and no change. We need to speak up when the need arises, and speaking up guarantees the pathway to success. The task of a Christian is to show the path. This is possible because God has given us authority, and if we exercise it, others will listen to us. We must act to influence our societies in every tiny manner we can, rather than solely relying on our leaders to take the necessary steps. We need to stand to maintain what is good and what God approves of. After all, are we not the light of the world? We are the light that exposes the obstacles and hurdles, and God has granted us the wisdom to see all these.
I would like to add that we cannot take hold of the pillars of society if we do not have love for the country and continent. Oh, gone were the days when my friends and I used to sing this song at assemblies with so much passion yet not that much understanding.
Ma ɔman yi mu nsɛm nnyɛ wo ahiasɛm
Make the affairs of this country your concern.
Na dwen ho anɔpa, awia ne abrɛ nyinaa
And think about it every morning, afternoon and evening.
Sɛ wobɔ mpae a kae Ghana
When you pray remember Ghana
Sufrɛ wo nyankopɔn fa Ghana hyɛ no nsa
Call on your God to take Ghana into his hands.
Ɛno na wo yɛ ɔman ba pa
That is when you are a good citizen.
Ɛno na woyɛ ɔdɔ
That is when you are loving.
Ɔdɔ ma wo man
Love for your country
Ɛno ara na yɛre hwehwɛ
That is what we seek.
Ɔdɔ ma wo man
Love for your country.
Ɛno ara na ehia
That’s all that matters.
I’m all grown up now and listening to the lyrics of this song makes me want to be a better leader for Ghana and Africa as a whole. One takeaway from this song is prayer! We can have an impact on all these pillars if we are deliberate about the country’s progress and pray for it on a regular basis. A leader who has the spirit of God within him or her does not rely on their own intellect but honors God in all that they do. God then directs their path, and I am sure we can all envision Africa being directed by God. God help Africa!
-By Fellow Nelly Ankrah
Central Leadership Program 