2011 Goodwill Message

This message was part of my Goodwill Message delivered on Obimanso Radio in Atlanta, Georgia on January 1, 2011.

Greetings my fellow Ghanaians, it is a pleasure as well as an honor to have the opportunity to offer this goodwill message on Obimanso Radio. First, As we witness the beginning of a new year, we must all thank God for the peace we have in Ghana and also for keeping us and our families alive and healthy. We pray for all our friends and loved ones who are unwell.  Most importantly, we pray for our unfortunate friends who are in conflict zones. Let us remember our brothers and sisters in Cote d’Ivoire who at this time are going through a transition that will determine their very national survival. Borrowing from the ideas of Dr. Nkrumah, our peace and economic prosperity in Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked to the peace and prosperity of our neighbors and the continent.

2011 promises to be an exciting year for our beloved Nation on many fronts. Our oil production will be in full swing and it will put us in line to receive a full year’s revenue from the oil production. We hope that the public officials who are in charge of managing our oil production and its revenue will see their jobs as a privilege and an act of service for the benefit of the people. Ultimately these public officials will have to know that we the people have put all our trust in them that they will put our interest first in every decision they take.  

2011 will also be exciting for our political development as we prepare to for the general election in 2012. This is yet another opportunity to tell the whole world that we are a mature nation and we can manage our own political system. On the road to the general election, it is certain we will encounter problems and disagreement. Let us express our disagreements and challenges in a civilized way putting the interest of the nation first.  We should always count it us a blessing that we have a system that allows us to freely sell divergent ideas and criticize others on their ideas. Through it all, we should remember that we are one people, we all have dreams and aspirations and we are all fighting for a common destiny. We should therefore be circumspect in the way we deal with our political opponents. 

Obimanso Radio and all the other media houses should recognize the important duty they have to help protect our political institutions and our body politic and you all should discharge this duty to the best of your abilities. Obimanso and other Media houses must not forget that although they have the rights to disseminate information, such rights also come with great responsibilities.

Finally, although we still have a long way to go as a nation, let us take time to count our blessings and pat ourselves on the back for the progress we have made as a nation so far. As we begin the year we should remember that as citizens we have a responsibility individually and collectively for the wellbeing of our country. There is nobody called government, let us therefore contribute to the economic, social, political and cultural development of our beloved nation. It may be just simple acts of kindness like being polite on radio, paying our taxes voluntarily, buying two exercise books for your local deprived school or volunteering at an orphanage for a couple of hours.

Happy New year my brothers and sisters. May you all live to see 2012. Thank you