Some may ask, what is materialism? In my previous article entitled “The scramble for materialism”, the concept of materialism refers to the belief that, money and material possessions are more important than art, religion, moral goodness among others.
In fact, the inordinate and mad desire for people of all ages to acquire wealth or get rich quick at all cost in today’s highly sophisticated technological world is really unwarranted and a source of worry to all well meaning citizens across the globe. This unscrupulous vulgarity has totally relegated to the background the precious African belief that “a good name is better than riches”.
Interestingly it appears even a sizeable portion of the clergy has lost the battle against this unfortunate immorality and vulgarity today as some self proclaimed prophets, Bishops and Mallams have constantly turned a blind eye to the popular biblical warning that ‘it would be easier for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle than for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God.” Funny enough, some contemporary “men and women of God” continue to preach only on miraculous ways of acquiring material wealth as the only panacea for ending human suffering in society.
Also it is important to note that most sophisticated violent crimes such as armed robbery, terrorism, drug trafficking, cyber fraud, illegal mining activities which pollute and degrade our environment as well as bribery and corruption are committed due to the greedy and materialistic nature of humanity. God help us!
In Ghana today, strike actions and demonstrations have virtually become musical chairs. As for court cases resulting from these actions and their adverse effects on our society, the least talked about them the better. Not even a single week passes without the cacophony and hullabaloo about strike actions by workers in the public sector. The worrying aspect of these frequent and prolonged strike actions is that many innocent people die at our hospitals and several students fail their examinations in schools. Is it the best way to go as a nation? Some say that is the only language well understood by “ the powers that be”. Posterity will judge us all! Ghana spends a staggering 72 percent of her entire revenue on paying public sector salaries which means we have very little left for development. Is the single spine salary structure a blessing or a curse?
John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. I am looking forward to seeing Ghanaian public sector workers demonstrate and go on hunger strike for not doing enough for mother Ghana. In whatever materialistic action that we undertake as a people, we should remember the fact that, “naked we came and naked we shall go” A word to a wise, they say, is enough. Ghana deserves better! Thank you and God richly bless you all.
By
David Banaaleh (King – Dave)
BSC. (Psychology)
02471113859
