Let
me gird my loins: today be today! To all my faithful readers, permit me to
sidestep my cultivated artistry and fling aside my verbal callidity. For all
those who criticise my writing style when some of us write, hoping to
contribute our "chechepuee" to ensure the improvement of standards;
today, I will write the way that Ghanaians speak. Yes, my critics should read
and enjoy. After all, my style of writing takes time and effort. To be blunt:
Is English our first language? So while avoiding spelling mistakes, prepare to
read the way we speak.
What kwraaaa is the matter with us? Is it "sɛkɛ" or what? What is our problem? Are we
bewitched or what? What at all is worrying us, eh, Ghanaians? Habah!
Look
at this country and ask yourself; to literally translate it from the Ga
language: Is something dead in us?
Can't
we see that we are lagging behind? Can't we see we are disgracing
ourselves? Yes, this is no insult, but with all that we have learned from some
of the best schools we have attended; is this the best we can do? The whole
country is in chaos sustained by civil passivity.
And
before I even hit on some issues, let me speak my mind. This is not a puerile
outburst by a callow youth. Sorry, I am writing for Ghanaians. I should have
written, "I am not behaving like a child." (Translate it into your
local dialect).
In
the last five months, due to a strong pull I could not handle, I chose to put
pen to paper. I weep seeing that when I write and sprinkle my sentences with a
few new words, there are many who start complaining. I ask myself, where do
Ghanaians go and read to improve themselves? In fact, are Ghanaian
papers or websites (not) set up to rival the BBCs, The New York Times, The
Telegraphs and other world-class papers and journals?
I
am yet to read any respected paper or visit any online portal, and find that
people are complaining about "big" words, as we call it. What is the
dictionary for? Is reading only for information? Is it not an opportunity to
improve one's use of the language? Why are we so lazy? Is something dead in us;
is that why we can't try to better ourselves?
Ohhhh,
I see! We have the "crabology" spirit at work. The many lazy must
keep the few bright ones at their level. The few successful must be brought
down to join the numerous failures. Why can't we just change our bad attitude
and reach for the stars? You can insult me oooo—I don't care! We have a serious
problem. Yes, we do. You want information, don't you?
Look
at the whole country. In fact, look at the leadership that we have. Believe me,
some of the people we call leaders have no business being leaders, but the
system is rotten, and anything is acceptable.
And
it is not just leaders. It is a national canker. There are so many Christians
in our country, and sadly, some who call themselves ministers but are nothing
but thieves who lead ignorant people (astray). This does not mean there aren't
good ones among us. Unfortunately, there are many who go to church and don't
even bother reading their Bible. No, they are not interested in following the
example of the Bereans. They are too lazy! Yes, something is dead within us
making us so ignorant it hurts. It is unbelievable!
Speak
to people abroad, and ask them their true opinions about our country. They will
agree. We have a big problem, something is dead in us.
And
as for this government and their lies, we will continue to drink it till we
can't drink it any longer. And yes, after we are drunk, NPP will also come and
add theirs. Yes, there is something dead in us, and we will gladly drink
whatever we are served. They know there is something dead within us.
The
constitution gives me the right to express myself, and I will do it within the
given context and boundaries; but I will say it for the one-millionth time:
there is something dead in us. And trust me; it is giving forth olid fumes.
Until
we get rid of that thing that is dead in us, we will continue in this chaos of
a country. And the "smart" ones (or what shall I call them?)
among us will keep queuing at foreign embassies hoping to escape to
better shores. To state it in our diction: they will go and try their luck
somewhere else. And those who stay here, well, we will continue to swim in the
mire—we are used to it. In fact, we are experts at handling suffering. We know
how to explain and justify it.
Call
what I am saying senseless, yes, insult me, but I have said it, and I will not
change my mind. In fact, I have said it, and I will say it again: there is
something dead in us!
We
can argue and still stay the same, or we can choose to fix ourselves. If we do,
we will wonder how we were able to endure living in a country like this for all
this while. Yes, fix ourselves today, and our change will be
a deasil corollary (I have used another big word... let
the criticism begin!).
Perhaps,
next time, the music from my talking drums will be more sensible or sonorous.
Sorry, if this article jarred on your ears. Peccavi!
Angelina
K. Morrison
Email: angelinakm75@gmail.com
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