As I sit in my room today and reminisce on Ghana’s 57th anniversary, I began asking myself what would become of Ghana if it was human. No wonder the feminine pronoun has been ascribed to her as a ‘she’ and often referred to as the ‘motherland.’
She is 57 years today. Hurray!!! Would she be happy or sad? Would she be proud of her achievements over the years? Would she look back and beat her chest for a good work done? Well, let’s see a little bit more of Mrs. Ghana’s life at 57.
1. She has just three years to retirement
Ghana, like many other workers, has exactly three years from today to go on retirement. She’s been working since she was born, on the 6th of March, 1957. But the most important question I believe she might be asking herself today is, “Am I ready to go on retirement seeing all the challenges surrounding me?”
At 57, Mrs. Ghana hasn’t achieved so much for herself. Actually, she owes many of her neighbours now than ever before. She’s lived a reckless life of spending beyond her means. She’s not been able to support her own annual budget, thus borrowing from friends and other acquaintances. Simply put, if she can’t support her expenditure while in active service, how can she do so when she’s retired and receives a meagre monthly retirement package?
2. Her husbands have siphoned her treasure
Like many women, Mrs. Ghana has been married for the most part of her life. In the culture she was brought up in, she’s obligated to marry another husband every four or eight years depending on their performance in the previous four years.
This has rather led her to marry about eleven different husbands; some who were married to her legally, others forced their way into her life and were short-lived. Sadly, most of her husbands brought her no good, and the least said about them, the better.
Most of these rather greedy men have inflicted a very serious disease on this wonderful woman called, “corruption.” She has suffered serious bleeding due to the injury her husbands have inflicted on her. Before her mum brought her to life, she endowed little Ghana with jewelry made of gold, diamond, bauxite, and whatnot. Recently, she also found a very expensive oil that her mum had hidden from her in an alabaster box.
Her husbands being poor managers, and greedy of her resources, have led their friends to siphon these resources from the poor old woman. So you may want to ask; why would she not just decide to stay without a husband, in order to have her peace? Well, unfortunately, her culture demands that she marries a man every four years, thus she has no choice.
3. She is not proud of her children
It is the hope of every mother, and parent for that matter to see their children doing so well. Infact, most of these mothers would go out to preach to their neighbours what good has become of their children. Unfortunately in Mrs. Ghana’s case, it’s the reverse.
Due to her husbands’ misplaced priorities, little has been channeled to creating a bright future for these children. Only a handful is doing quite well, with the many others left in the middle of nowhere to trace their paths all alone.
She hasn’t been very responsible in their education. Neither has she provided them with basic needs as potable water, constant electricity supply, etc. They have been left to their fate. What a pity!
4. She keeps wondering, “When are my woes going to end?”
Like every human, Mrs. Ghana is far from excited about the outcome of her life at 57. From the aforementioned, you could tell the poor old woman has serious issues to deal with. She is far from being fulfilled. She wishes life from now would be a bit more different. That way, she can be a better mother to her children and help them create a better future.
When will her woes come to an end? I believe she has no answer yet. But one thing she knows for sure is that if only she can raise her children well enough, she might just marry one of them who is responsible. I know what you are thinking . . . it is not a taboo in her culture to marry her children.
Her only hope is in her children; to raise a new generation of children who think and act responsibly. She is more than sure that her children have bright prospects, but will her husbands ever buy into her vision? Time will tell.
5. Ghana must work again
It is no news these days to see retirees work again even after 60. Like others, Mrs. Ghana plans on working again to undo the untoward hardships that she and her husbands have inflicted on her and her children. Her only hope now is for her children to grow and hold their fathers responsible for their decisions. She hopes to hit the factory floor right after 60 to work and build a better future for her children.
Until then, when you say a prayer, say one for Mrs. Ghana.
