I was returning from work one day in 2018 and the weather was not very . The clouds were rushing towards a darkened centre in the sky and one could tell that it was going to rain cats and dogs. I was in so much hurry to get home before the downpour renders the roads deathtraps that I did not notice a young man who was in his early 30s, standing on the sidewalk around Airport Residential Area and staring at the skies. I was only startled when he screamed: \u201coh God if this much water pours on this parts today, where do you want us to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n
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I stopped abruptly, looked at him and nearly burst into tears. I wanted to ask him to come home with me but I was scared he might be one of these armed robbers because he suggested they were many. After a while, I walked away knowing in my heart that a soul is possibly going to be beaten to pulp by the rain because I could not help. \u201cWhy should people be homeless here at airport residential area with all these big unoccupied houses?\u201d I asked myself as I walked away overcome by grief.<\/p>\n
Before I even raise my feather and inkwell to wet this papyrus trying to explain my somehow \u2018blasphemous\u2019 heading, I must first state categorically that I am not a big fan of socialism. Yes! I sympathize with capitalism and I believe it is the system that can propel us to victory in the fight against poverty. However, I am not the type of capitalist who is shackled to an anchor and dropped in the ocean of capitalism hence I acknowledge the good sides of ideologies like socialism. One \u2018unbearable\u2019 socialist idea that I have always abhorred however is the idea of letting the central government control housing. Why can\u2019t I be allowed to own my own house and do with it as I wish? Why should I have to wait on the central government to allocate a place for me to lay my head at night and take my bath in the morning? At least these were my thoughts until recently when I fortunately uncovered more insight into the socialist approach to housing.<\/p>\n
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The first president of the republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah once promised the Ghanaian people that every individual who is of age would have a house and a car. \u201cOne man, one house! One man, one car\u201d he could be heard yelling in a video I recently watched online. I quickly dismissed the idea as a poorly orchestrate ploy to \u2018imprison\u2019 and control the people. \u201cWho wouldn\u2019t have known that this would be used to subdue them? I said thinking out loud. After a few days of being haunted by the power of the words from the video in question however, I decided to learn more about the socialist idea of government controlled housing. I must say the idea definitely has a number of disadvantages and will not be supported by the powerful in society. If there is anything I have grown to learn however, it is the fact that the \u201cpowers to be\u201d never support anything that will benefit everyone.<\/p>\n
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah while making those promises, had a definite plan to fulfil them and was strictly focused on achieving them. He knew the importance of manufacturing industries in achieving goals like that hence the construction of the Akosombo dam for the generation of electricity to propel Ghana\u2019s industrialization agenda. This gave him the requisite revenue to invest in the livelihoods of the people of Ghana. In simple terms, Kwame Nkrumah did not feel threatened by the success of the poor in the Ghanaian society. Making sure that every individual who is of age is given a house and a car therefore, will only remove the brick wall between Ghana\u2019s upper and middle class but not bring down government. Such a policy will kill the current unfair distribution of wealth within the Ghanaian society.<\/p>\n
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In a conversation with some people recently, I was told that \u201cthe poor feel entitled and have continued to be lazy while waiting on the rich to do things for them.\u201d I instantly realized that society\u2019s upper class is not scared of the success of the working class but the failure of the upper class itself. One thing they have forgotten however is the fact that proper shelter over the heads of the ones at the bottom of the pyramid definitely means better conditions of living for them and a consequent rise in demand of goods and services due to budget deficits they may have accrued since they will not be paying rent. The upper class controls markets and also runs the shops, so tell me now: who will be the ultimate winner should the working class be elevated?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the fear of discrimination during the process of allocation and possible corruption practices, we must understand that with a system that is designed to uncover corruption before it even takes place, everyone will be happy. Will giving people a house at mean they will no longer be willing to work? Firstly, we must understand that the socialist never suggested that the house will be free. Deeper insight into the idea will reveal that occupants of the houses in question may be employees of the public sector who may have the houses as rewards for their service to the state or individuals who wish to pay for the houses in installments at a heavily discounted price. This way, everyone wins. The government of Ghana\u2019s affordable housing project should therefore be supported and directed at taking our people of the streets.<\/p>\n
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What is your take on this article? Do you agree or disagree with the writer? Share your thoughts and insight with us in the comments section.<\/p>\n
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