The National Development Planning Commission’s (NDPC) held its 9th forum in Accra, devoted to: “Societal Values And National Development: Consolidating The Gains”.
A senior lecturer, department of psychology, University of Ghana, Dr. Charles Wiafe-Aketen delivering the keynote address said in those days when a person exhibit a negative value such was corrected before a community affected by such.
“And that values must be part of the individual, and they must be accepted by a majority”.
He emphasized that the axioms in the national anthem were worthy for the people to emulate.
He again stated that those who were managing the resources of the country, and politicians were role models and they should behave in order to influence the people positively.
He said values were been stemmed from the individual, family system, ethnic group, and institutions.
“Attitudes guide and regulate thoughts, decision-making and actions–private and public.”
He noted that we-feeling/ communal life/brotherhood, unity, hospitality, and honesty, in the past, were core values in the life of the Ghanaian, but today such had been taken for granted.
The rest, he mentioned, respect for the family, the elderly, humility were as well core to the Ghanaian.
He said with such values it was easier for people to galvanize for community, and even development purposes.
Again, he noted that with such values people would be willing to contribute to the development of other people in the area of the economy, and education.
“Unfortunately, for the past few decades it is difficult for me to argue forcefully that we have a clear, dominant and manifested values”.
“And this trend had contributed to the current political status of the country”.
He said there was therefore the need to enhance sensitization for the rekindling of the eroded values in order to bring the development that the country was yearning for.
“A society without a solid value system is an endangered one, and we there need to make a conscious effort to restore our lost values”.
The chairperson for the occasion, National Commission for Civic education, Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah said the cultural values that had guided us were been eroded gradually.
“Great and strong nations do not come from countries without strong values”. Mrs. Josephine hinted.
She noted that mistrust, immorality, instant gratification had been fast eroded, and integrity and honesty and patriotism were been thrown out from the country.
She likened Ghana to Singapore, and that the people of Singapore trust in their brand, hardworking, truthfulness and honesty.
“It was a high time the country championed the course of positive values only for the present generation, but the future ones as well”. She stated.
Credit: Nii Okpoti Odamttem
