By Nannah Aba OFORI -DANKWA
“Arise Ghana youth for your country,
the nation demands your devotion.
Let us all unite to uphold her and make her great and strong
Refrain;
We are all involved
We are all involved
We are all involved
In building our motherland…”
This is a song I remember marching to most mornings during assembly. We sang it out loud as we marched to our classrooms, the meaning completely lost on us as children. But today, as I reflect on it, the true significance of this anthem comes alive. Many years later, we are witnessing our nation’s youth rising, not just to recite lyrics, but to take real action against the menace of illegal mining aka galamsey.
The future of any nation lies in the hands of its youth. It means that every investment into education, infrastructure, or health, is ultimately for the benefit of the youth. As inheritors of this nation, we are the rightful heirs to its resources, its promises, and its future. So, why would any Ghanaian youth settle for less, especially when today’s leaders hold their positions in trust for us?
This is why the song, “Arise Ghana Youth for Your Country,” resonates so powerfully in our time. It is more than just an assembly song from our school days. it’s a call to action. This is a reminder that we, the youth, have a responsibility to rise, stand for our nation, and claim the inheritance that rightfully belongs to us.
I want to remind you, my fellow youth, of who you truly are as Ghanaians. To be a citizen of this great nation means more than just living here—it means embracing the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship. It means embodying loyalty, patriotism, nationalism, character, identity, culture, and allegiance. These are the pillars of true citizenship, and they are the standards by which we must measure ourselves.
In the words of our own president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we must “be citizens, not spectators.” It is a call that has resonated with so many of us, as we take ownership of this nation’s future. Yet, the irony cannot be ignored. The very leader who urged us to act as citizens now looks on, seemingly unconcerned, as fellow citizens are arrested for standing up against galamsey, for fighting to protect the land we are supposed to inherit. How do we reconcile this contradiction?
As I look around today, I can’t help but think of the great men and women who fought for our independence. Kwame Nkrumah and the leaders who sacrificed for our freedom must be turning in their graves. Osagyefo, is this the Ghana you envisioned? A Ghana where our land, our resources, and our future are at risk? A Ghana where the youth are yet to fully claim their inheritance?
It’s time to rise. It’s time to reclaim our nation’s destiny and uphold the values that will make her great and strong once again. The call to “Arise” is now more urgent than ever.
I may not have a sword, I may not have a friend in power, but I have a pen, and that no one can take away from me. With my pen, I arise.
…We are all involved.
