President John Dramani Mahama was right in his observation that our Black Stars players could not sing our national anthem and, in a jovial manner, stated that "Our players who can't sing the national anthem have no business playing for the team."
The President, in a light-hearted but frank manner, remarked that Ghana's national team players must demonstrate greater commitment whenever they represent the country, citing the players' inability to sing the anthem during the FIFA 2026 World Cup to underscore what must change.
Although the remarks were said to have been made jokingly, it is a significant point that must resonate with not only players of our national teams, but Ghanaians in general.
One unforgettable virtue instilled in us throughout our education is the spirit of civic responsibility, and the single thing that represents that shared responsibility and loyalty is the national anthem.
It is the song that binds us without regard to our lineage.
Mindful of the significance and effect of the anthem, school authorities have been charged to use the school as a medium of instilling those virtues.
Like other civic responsibilities, schoolchildren were made not only to imbibe the words of the national anthem, but also to revere and respect it wherever it is sung.
We were taught to stand and sing the anthem anytime and anywhere the cords are struck.
The extreme position being that "Wherever one is, whatever one is doing at any time, one must stand and give reverence through singing the national anthem."
It is a non-negotiable social contract.
However, with the 'growth of civilisation', what binds us now seems to be falling away.
The spirit of live and let’s live has fallen apart, while our younger generation, arguably, does not care a hoot about civic duties; indeed, only a handful of them can sing our national anthem without blemish.
I doubt if our educational institutions place any relevance on the Ghana National Anthem these days.
I was surprised that while other countries at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 could sing their anthems with pride, no Ghanaian team member sang the national anthem with passion in our first three encounters.
This situation got tongues wagging about whether they could not sing the song or were keeping quiet while the tune was being played.
If the former is true, then as a country, we have a duty to ensure that the players learn to sing the anthem during national duties, such as the ongoing global football festival.
Timothy Gobah
Accra
