If silence means consent then rather speak to show you are concerned

As a Ghanaian, do you relate to this personal example from my upbringing: while growing up, I was not allowed to ask why I was prevented from eating people’s food at school or bringing a friend’s book, toy or belongings home. So you see, even though all the things mentioned are ‘proper rules‘ to go by because they hold certain consequential effects if disobeyed, we were however not told of what such effects were. We just left to feel it was for own good to simply obey or follow instructions and not question them or wonder why.

Where I failed to obey or follow instructions I was made to obviously feel the wrath of the rod which as adventurous as I was, as a child, I was always careful to avoid. Thus, growing up left me with very little to no room for adventures except for those instances where I was moved by my extreme curiosity to venture out into the unknown, mostly by peers.

This kind of upbringing shapes up the mind in a way that has the potential to force it to accept whatever is fed to it by any ”authority” or ”higher power”. So we grow up not knowing how to ask challenging questions about things affecting our nation and the ”industry” in which we find ourselves. As a musician and producer, it appears that peers of Nii — fellow musicians, producers, managers, etc — are scared to question the status quo. Especially by inquiring why things go a certain direction or why royalties are not paid to Ghanaian musicians for example.

People hardly come together with a common voice to seek answers unless a situation has produced a huge number of victims. Sad as it is, I simply do not agree that an issue has to produce victims until questions are asked. Questions have to be raised immediately things do not seem right and even when they seem right things ought to be questioned to bring out ways of making them much better for it to have a longer positive effect. It is very unfortunate most of us don’t ask the right questions. And even where we are pushed to ask questions we fear too, because our education (thanks to corporal punishment) and the way we are brought up have shackled our minds.

Today we want to urge you to break free from that kind of zombie living if you are the one sitting on your questions and not seeking answers. Failure to listen to the voice of conscience in times of decay could become a curse for us when our children and theirs through history grow to find out we of today could have effected positive changes and yet sat with our arms in between our legs and choose to do nothing! We must not let the future pay the price for the wrongs of the past just because we of the present are choosing to ignore our moral responsibilities.

There are a hundred and one questions that can be raised about our governance presently this year but a lot of people, especially the citizens just look on because they fear war might break out as a result of doing the right thing. Yet people forget that before our independence was achieved, lives were sacrificed for us to be where we are now and if we want better to be done we have to ensure that our elected representatives are held accountable to the mandate given them by the electorates.

When man thought of a way to explore the heavens, he first put a monkey in a space ship to go see what was out there. The monkey came back safe and sound but could not speak of its adventures. Man, therefore, thought it wise to put a fellow man to the test by flying them to the moon, this was done by putting fear aside and taking a bold leap of faith. Thanks to that happening we today know more about the heavens through space explorations than any generation ever imagined.

We are not here to encourage public uproars or misdeed, we are simply here to speak to the sub-consciousness of readers. We are doing this so together we can all be reawakened to ensuring that right is done and done in the right way. We as a nation have come too far to know that violence is not an option, but that recognition doesn’t mean there are no other ways of reshaping the Ghanaian psychology. We all in our own ways can bring the change we all know we deserve as people.

It is time to stop being selfish and unnecessarily hating progress or even discouraging it. Go into the deep recesses of your thoughts and ask yourself why you can not be where you want to be in life now. Begin to start making changes or asking the right questions. As much as some folks might seem unhappy with the performance at the Presidency or the administration of MUSIGA, GHAMRO or even certain activities at work or even in the home, we have not begun calling for change. By the way, taking our girls away doesn’t help so please #BringBackOurGirls too.

People must also be ready to lead by example, by standing up to our responsibilities — freedoms have always come with responsibilities. For that is how all strong institutions are built. Our criticisms must be constructive and where needed. We must encourage and help those who are striving to make the best and most of the opportunities. Our children are watching and we must leave them a great legacy, thus a better foundation for them to build on.

When you assume, you may be feeding yourself lies and putting yourself in the way of mental harm. While reading you may be assuming change is on its way. And then when you are done reading you might have spent half of your entire life realizing that change has still not reached you wherever. This is because to assume is to make an ‘ASS‘ of ‘U‘ and ‘ME‘.

Now wouldn’t that be the worst heartbreak of all time my friend, wouldn’t it forever affect you when you realize you could have been a great instrument of change by simply speaking up? But you did not and rather left your children to fight the fights you could have fought for them just so they could have a had a better life…

Well, the choice is yours, but if you will listen to these us then we are simply asking you to take a bold step to speak against wrong. This is nothing new we are asking of you, it has, however, become necessary to ask again because the rot is beginning to stink and we are now smelling its disgust. So, let’s not be choked by it — be responsible and remember freedom is not free — we are all the builders of that better Ghana our founders envisioned!

Written by King of Accra and Oral Ofori