A frequent question I hear on Radio/TV when our social malaise is discussed is, “What is wrong with us?”
A remark about human nature made by a foreign colleague, a General, some 20 years ago, when I worked in his country, regularly resurfaces in my subconscious whenever Ghana’s problems leave me confounded.
He made the remark in response to a question I had asked him, and I have since found myself quoting him from time to time.
In 2008-2009, duty took me to Uganda. Why?
The UN Secretary-General at the time H.E. Kofi Annan had appointed former president of Mozambique H.E. Joaquim Chissano as his Special Envoy for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)-Affected Areas of Northern Uganda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.
I was President Chissano’s Senior UN Military Adviser.
The LRA, which was formed/led by Joseph Kony in 1987, was a terrorist guerrilla group whose nondescript aim was to create a theocracy in Uganda based on the Ten Commandments by overthrowing the government of President Yoweri Museveni.
Having failed to do this, they withdrew into the jungle and dedicated themselves to inflicting mayhem and death in Northern Uganda.
To my question on why the spate of murders almost daily that screamed on the front page as headlines of newspapers, he stated as follows.
“When human beings know they can get away with murder because the Law does not work, they will murder with impunity.
But, when they know the death penalty awaits them for killing because the Law works, they will not murder.”
The week was not uneventful. However, as space will not allow a discussion on all issues, a few have been picked.
1. Sand winning - Security operatives fired shots as they chased and arrested sand-winners in the general area of Sewua, the Kumasi end of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway.
2. Galamsey – So much has been written on “galamsey” with no discernible success that some Ghanaians do not think it worthwhile continuing to write on the topic. However, two events during the week convinced me “galamsey” must continue to be written about, frustration and discouragement notwithstanding.
3. Obuasi Sec-Tech Headmaster accused of raping students.
4. Indiscipline – A jaywalking woman threatened to call the Police at City Guards.
Sand-winning
On October 14, 2026, video clips of sand winners massively winning sand on the recently completed route-clearance of the highly praised 198.7 kilometre Accra-Kumasi Expressway got me dumbfounded.
Indeed, on September 14, 2026, when the military handed over the project to the government, the President stated, “In 20 weeks, I am pleased to announce to the whole country of Ghana that our Armed Forces have accomplished this mission, one week ahead of schedule.
They did it in 19 weeks.”
He then announced plans to confer national honours on the 48 Engineer Regiment for their commitment and dedication, working day and night in difficult conditions to complete the work in 19 weeks, a week ahead of the planned twenty weeks.
So, how can Ghanaians who should jealously guard and protect the national asset the soldiers had sacrificed themselves for, for the nation, convert the results of the hard work into a sand-winning project on such an industrial scale?
Such behaviour elicits the question, “What is wrong with us?”
“Galamsey” - Otumfuo & Sir Sam Jonah
On Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the University of Ghana, Legon, Sir Sam Jonah lamented that, “Ghana’s rivers now run chocolate-and-milk colour.”
He decried the environmental degradation/destruction of forests/vegetation, farmlands and pollution of our water bodies with heavy metals like cyanide/arsenic/mercury/lead by “galamsey!”
A day earlier, on October 14, 2026, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, visited some galamsey-affected areas in the Ashanti Region.
He strongly condemned the lackadaisical attitude towards fighting galamsey and urged political leaders to tackle the problem with honesty and ensure that galamsey does not wipe us out!
He then warned chiefs to protect their lands, vegetation and waters from illegal mining.
The outcome of the visit was the launch of the River Jimi Land Reclamation Project at Tasliman, near Obuasi, where galamsey has devastated the land.
The Asantehene led a pilot programme of tree-planting aimed at restoring 153 acres of contaminated/degraded land of the Jimi Dam, and also rehabilitating Jimi’s polluted waters.
Headmaster - Obuasi Sec-Tech
On October 14, 2026, the headmaster of the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (Sec-Tech) was interdicted/suspended by the Ghana Education Service (GES) following allegations of sexual misconduct/abuse of female students.
Listening to graphic details given by the female students on radio about how they were raped by the headmaster was sordid and heart wrenching.
Earlier on August 4, 2026, the headmaster was assaulted by students on the allegation that he was involved in ritual practices in which a fetus/new-born baby was found buried in the school.
The Police had to intervene as the students vandalised the headmaster’s accommodation.
Jaywalking
On October 16, 2026, a video clip showed a woman who crossed the road between the African Regent Hotel and the Accra Mall, an area popularly called “Spanner,” being asked by the City Guard to go back and use the overhead bridge.
She angrily refused to go back, and in the ensuing exchange, she threatened to call the police on the City Guard.
Comments
As little boys and girls, “(Young Pioneers)” growing up in the immediate post-independence era, we were imbued with a sense of patriotism/love of country.
Among others, we were taught leadership, hygiene and nature study.
We were also taught the values of respect for our elders and those in authority, indeed everybody.
Such was Ghana’s image overseas that, some foreign friends told me, when asked where they came from, their answer was, Ghana!
In all the four examples discussed, i.e. sand winning, “galamsey,” sexual misconduct by a headmaster, and a jaywalking woman who threatened to call the Police at a City Guard when she was glaringly wrong, any Ghanaian who grew up in the immediate post-Independence era of the 1960s would consider the offences inconceivable.
So, how did we get to this high level of indiscipline?
Where are the values/morals we were taught?
Why have we become so lawless as to call the Police on a City Guard enforcing the law?
My Ugandan colleague’s quote at the beginning of this article on lawlessness reigning if the Law is not enforced becomes very relevant.
As Ghana prepares to celebrate seventy years of Independence, we must go back to basics, to rediscover our values of Leadership leading by Example and ensuring respect, discipline, and national pride as Ghanaians.
Here, the NCCE must be resourced to remind us of values and the law, in addition to law enforcement at all levels.
With this done, we can stop asking ourselves on the radio, “What is wrong with us?”
Let us remember Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale titled, “Radix malorum est Cupiditas,” ie greed/the love of money is the root of all evil.
Leadership, lead by Example, Integrity/Humility! Followers, WAKE UP!
The writer, Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (Retd) is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya and Council Chairman of Family Health University, Accra.
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