The Year of Return; Our turn
A large number of people we are expecting this year in Ghana will surely put our traditional urban setting out of date come this Christmas. Accra has seen frequent Christmas mobility problems so what is expected is not new but just different.
The love shown by brothers and sisters in the diaspora is invigorating and we are pleased to welcome each and every one of you who has been able to make it to the year of return. I am sure you know of Akwaaba since you came through the lounge at Kotoko International Airport and if you don’t, please look it up.
Words cannot express how happy we are to spend this festive season with you. It’s a feeling of sheer joy knowing that there is a repeat of the biblical joseph when sold to slavery in Egypt will one day reunite with his family.
Fellow Ghanaians our “Joseph’s & Josephine’s” are in town and we should be excited that our brothers and sisters after so many years, are giving us a visit to Ghana themed the 400th year of return. It is an opportunity for us to reunite, make merry and form partnerships that will impact positively on mother Africa.
From the Osu Oxford Street, Tetteh Quarshie inter-change, East Legon Lagos Avenue and the Aburi hills, the spectacle that has sprouted up shows we have diasporans in town. It’s not just the return that is calling for celebration but our turn. We have seen Africa been called names that it doesn’t deserve. They say we live on the very edge of existence, extreme poverty, growth disorders, infant mortality, war and crisis, squalid unplanned ghetto-like houses
I write this piece to touch every soul who feels there is impossibility written under the African situation that it is the year of our turn. The world has given so much to the 21st-century generation, and with the tools, technology, opportunities, and empowerment at our disposal, Africa is taking a turn with smart people to touch lives and solve problems in Africa. Although we have our generational set of challenges our ideas can leverage this new Africa and become the best that has ever existed
What happens beyond 2019 depends on us. African leaders, we are tired of the boundaries. We must integrate into one African market and that will make us succeed. Fragmentation will make us poor and we need to remove these artificial barriers since we are one people. We also need to improve our poor connectivity with neighbouring countries which will improve proximity.
Now to African entrepreneurs, we are tired of trying to solve out of our continent problems whilst opportunities abound on this continent from the very problems that we cry about daily. We can transform traditional activities to mega businesses that will churn millionaires. And put it bluntly, the oppressors, who cannot acknowledge the shameful acts of your grandfathers for the hurt they caused mother Africa.
Although it’s been centuries-long, your apology is never late. Anyways, we are being told that your countries relationship with Africa is a story of benevolence. The same way you have cameras to capture your relationship of generosity with Africa, we expect the same on what you take out of Africa.
If our brothers and sisters who helped built these wealthy economies are returning, then is our turn. It’s our turn not to depend on aid but trade. It’s our turn to create a need with modern tools to solve an African problem. It is our turn to turn it up.
Many Thanks to the Government of Ghana for this fantastic marketing campaign themed year of return and truly is our turn. So our arms are truly open to our brothers and sisters. This is a birthright journey home to your African families. Come and support the advocacy for government departments to work, Roads that work, access to market and strong administration.
The streets of our towns are buzzing and we cannot wait for our turn to play host to diasporans in the upcoming events, parties, and concerts. Even the average Ghanaian has a role to play and it’s our turn. There is a saying that a few bad apples are no reason not to visit the orchid. Usually, greed and selfishness brings a bad apple in every barrel and confidently am not sure any bad apple intends to take advantage of such a joyous occasion. This is a New Africa.
Source: Yaw Owusu
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