I remember when my family had it good, and our lives were easy. At that time, I had plenty of everything at my disposal. At the age of twenty-three, most of my uncles were established business men.
\nIn terms of money, we had it in abundance. Then again, we the people of Kwahu origin have always been graced with wealth. For most of my uncles, the arrival of premature wealth in their lives brought with it the responsibility of love. As a result, most of them tied the marital knot early on in their lives. One of my uncles, who would be seventy years of age this year, was the first to mount the mountain of wealth and opportunities. Like the rest of my other uncles, he too was in his early twenties when fortune gazed upon him. From then on, his feet were set on the golden path of financial independence. At the age of twenty-two, his first car spare-parts store in Koforidua was in full bloom and thriving.
\nIndeed, his entrepreneurial life was a great success, and it shown in the thickness of his wallet. After establishing himself successfully in the field of business, the mansions followed suit. He had them built aplenty. By the age of thirty, he had \u2018bout six to seven sprawling mansions to his name. Apart from these mansions, which he had to his name, there were other properties to his name as well. By all accounts, my uncle\u2019s life was enviable.
\nHe had the money, the friends, the women who came in and went, and the alcohol. Yes, the alcohol. You see, my uncle was a teetotaler, when he started out in the business world. Alcohol wasn\u2019t his thing, and he had no friends. In fact, I have been informed that he was extremely private. Sadly, somewhere down the line, he started experimenting with alcohol. Perhaps, loneliness became him. But, who knows? Anyway, slowly but surely, women and so-called friends became his life\u2019s pursuit.
\nToday, this particular uncle of mine is financially bankrupt. Undoubtedly, lack of focus and mismanagement is what contributed to his financial down-fall. For him, what started off with roses, ended with thorns of his own making. My other uncles, who used to be financially safe and sound, are also struggling to make ends meet. Apparently, they too couldn\u2019t get their act together. The mismanagement of their wealth–coupled to unsound business deals, is what brought them to their knees.
\nTo tell the truth, our family isn\u2019t what it used to be anymore. The wealth, which used to be our possession, has become one with the earth. As a result, most of my uncles’ sons and daughters have left Ghana for foreign shores in such of labor, including yours truly. Sometimes, when I am alone, I blame my uncles for our sojourn here in the White man\u2019s country. Simply because; they didn\u2019t think \u2018bout our future, when wealth was theirs to have and to hold.
\nDear reader, this story isn\u2019t just my life\u2019s story. It could be Ghana\u2019s story if we aren\u2019t careful. I am sure that most of you would agree that our government\u2019s decision to collateralise our oil for loan was a bad idea. I am also sure that most of you would agree that the mismanagement of our natural resources has to stop. For the sake of our children\u2019s future, we can\u2019t and shouldn\u2019t allow foreigners to give us less for more. We simply cannot allow this kind of trade to continue any longer.
\nIt has to stop one way or the other. In fact, we have been tolerating this kind of trade with the Europeans and the Asians for far too long. As a result, they take us for fools. Having said this, nothing would change if we don\u2019t shout with one voice that enough is enough. But, how could we shout with one voice if the majority of Ghanaians are in a state of sleep? Yes, the majority of Ghanaians are in comatose, and they have been for a very long time. For instance, you would never see Ghanaians embark on a mass demonstration, even if things are going wrong in the country.
\nAs consequence, those in power continue to make thoughtless decisions without any fear of the people. They do as they please! But then, why should they be afraid? Who or what is there to be afraid of? They know that the majority of Ghanaians are fast asleep. Thomas Jefferson said that a nation is better governed, when those in power fear the people. But, what happens if the people are sleeping? Would their country be better governed, let alone be feared upon by those in power? This is the question!
\nSource: The Emperor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I remember when my family had it good, and our lives were easy. At that time, I had plenty of everything at my disposal. At the age of twenty-three, most of my uncles were established business men. In terms of money, we had it in abundance. Then again, we the people of Kwahu origin have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n