Statements like the one in the image below are, unfortunately, not new. They are often whispered behind closed doors, and it’s this type of thinking that fuels tribalism in our country—the belief that one ethnic group is superior to others.
Let’s be clear: Ghana wouldn’t be Ghana without the contributions of all its regions, including those this individual dismissively calls “belly-direction regions.” Take the Volta Region as an example. The entire nation of Ghana—and even parts of West Africa—are powered by its water resources. In fact, one of the reasons Kwame Nkrumah worked so hard to divide the Ewe people across Ghana and Togo was because Ghana needed both their human and natural resources. Without the intellect, technical skills, and natural treasures like the Volta River, Ghana wouldn’t be what it is today.
The problem is that much of this history is kept from Ghanaian children. It’s hidden in books that some would rather destroy. But some of us know our history—where we come from and where we’re headed.
The sooner we all accept that no ethnic group in Ghana is superior to another, and none of them single-handedly contributes more to the country’s survival and progress, the sooner we can put an end to this divisive nonsense. Only then can we walk hand in hand towards development that benefits us all.
By Amelia Amenate
