GHANA COMMENTARIES, by Anna Esi Hanson

How far has the African progressed since independence? Not so far, would be the appropriate answer! As a Ghanaian, and an African, I would proudly defend my nation and continent whenever an opportunity presents itself but how much can I really boast of? What much can I defend? How far has my country progressed since independence? How far has Africa progressed since its liberation? How liberated are we, in the first place? In our various history books, the story of the struggle for independence by our forefathers has always been a strong point. For most of us, in reading these literature, our hearts boil with determination; the determination to make a change just us others did in the past. Sadly, whenever we look around us, we do not see much progress after all those years of struggle. Each day, by our own actions and perhaps inactions, we nullify the struggle and the sacrifices made by our founding fathers! The story of the underdevelopment, poverty, famine, diseases, the une

Murder has now become the means of conflict resolution in Ghana! Gone are the days when people argued unending, and in the end resorted to the use of arbitration, or the fist as a means of conflict resolution. Although these were sometimes not the best means of resulting conflicts, it was comparatively a better alternative. Overnight in modern Ghana, things have changed! These days, the gun has become the substituting alternative in conflict resolution! Each morning, we awake to stories of murder being committed! The highlight of this story is usually when we are told that a gun was used. Rather sadly, most of these fall under domestic or perhaps marital violence. Couples are killing each other by the gun! Workers are gunning each other down! Rather sadly, the younger populace, our beloved children cannot be left out! They are not innocent! They are now playing with guns! A few years ago, these stories were usually in the movies and more westernized. Rather sadly, we have bec