There is a popular Akan proverb “Wo de wano do nwere3 aa ebi nwo wo” translated crudely as if you weed thorns with your mouth you are safe.
Ghana has being promoting the patronage of made in Ghana for a long time yet we have gone nowhere with the idea. The reason is simple the leaders who are at the forefront are like the proverbial “Kwaku Ananse” the spider. They give you something with their right and take it back with their left. They talk about it but do not mean a word of what they say.
Unfortunately that is the difference between the successful India business in Ghana and the retrogressing Ghanaian businesses. I once had the opportunity of working for Melcom and what I saw there is what I call the India solidarity. Indians in Ghana promote and celebrate everything India. I realized that all or most Indians shop at Melcom and all or most Indians drive Tata vehicles.
I’m very sure that the Indians have come to a point of promoting everything India wherever they go. This has never being the case in Ghana. Our leaders preach made in Ghana but everything they use is foreign. Rice, chicken, toothpaste, shoes, belts, carpet, chairs, beds, toilet roll you name them.
Super Paper Industry, producer of Rose toilet rolls can expand its capacity to provide jobs but low demand is not allowing them, Ghana Textile Print (GTP) can do more. Our local leather workers can match every standard if we are prepared to pay good price for their work.
I didn’t want to blame parliamentarians because some of them like Muntaka Mohammed and the women have tried on the made in Ghana agenda but for allowing our parliament to be filled with China made chairs makes them blamable. How about job 600 everything is imported.
We have trained loads of engineers yet India, China, Brazil and the rest continue to build our roads. All high rise building in Ghana are built by foreign companies. What is the use of Ghana trained Engineers if we can’t trust them with contracts.
I’m looking forward to government falling on our domestic private sector to be at the forefront on our export drive. Why can’t the president and his executives have official Ghanaian tailors and seamstresses? Why will the president and his ministers wear Mark and Spencer outfits when they can draw their clothing from any region of the country depending on the weather and the country they are visiting? Let me acknowledge honourable deputy trade minister for his commitment to Ghana wear, well done sir.
Those who think Ghanaians are not good enough should come again, India and China have become better in auto manufacturing over time. Japan stole the technology yet today they are market leaders.
Government should encourage Apostle Sarfo by at least ordering all departments and agencies to get at least 2 Kantanka vehicles. Am aware the president wear made in Ghana shoes but where are his socks from, under wear and the suit he wears them on.
Anybody who means well for the made in Ghana goods should bring back the Friday wear and show commitment. All items given as prizes by either the state, MMDAs, and private organizations should be made in Ghana.
Imagine the best farmer getting a Kantanka pick up or our textile companies producing cloth for our MMDAs and the presidency.
Our taste and preference as a people should be promoting our own first. If Indians can go to Melcom to buy made in China goods it should tell us something. Ghanaians are over critical of our own yet we fail to see how inferior some imported products are.
Let’s stop the Ghanaian rejection and show solidarity to our own.
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