Ghanaian hip-hop artiste, Sarkodie, has made a rare foray into social commentary by voicing his concerns over the lack of discipline, bad leadership, corruption, and nepotism exhibited by the Ghanaian government in a recent series of tweets. The multi-award-winning rapper expressed his disappointment in the government for their inability to offer solutions to the challenges faced by Ghanaians. He believes that the country is endowed with many talented and innovative individuals who should be empowered to help it grow and develop.
Sarkodie’s comments were prompted by a video that analyzed the circumstances leading to the ousting of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The video highlights Nkrumah’s book, ‘Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism,’ which discusses how foreign capital is used for exploitation rather than development in less developed parts of the world. In the video, they also discuss how neo-colonialism breaks up formerly large united colonial territories into small non-viable states that rely on the former imperial power for defense and even internal security.
The rapper praised Nkrumah for his selflessness and called on current leaders to follow his examples. According to him, the everyday politician is only interested in fulfilling their political ambitions and not in building anything for the country. Sarkodie urged Ghanaians to check the track records of the leaders they elect and to demand discipline, commitment, and resilience from them.
Sarkodie’s timely and relevant comments have been met with positive reviews and a few pushbacks from others as Ghana, like many other African countries, continues to grapple with issues of governance and development. His words remind us of the importance of leaders who are committed to building their nations, rather than just fulfilling their political ambitions.