By Fynn Kusi ADJEI
These reflections are among the benefits of living in Canada and appreciating Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life, knowledge, and belief systems. Canada has been a blessing to me in many ways. If one genuinely seeks insight abroad, it is possible.
Those who return to their home countries only to perpetuate injustice and fleece others are, in many cases, simply unethical—and I may agree with those who say so.
The multidimensionality of poverty is excruciating. Anyone with lived experience or a deep understanding of its effects must show empathy and take meaningful action.
At the same time, I recognise that social problems are complex and demand urgent, locally grounded responses. Ultimately, the people themselves must rise to develop and implement solutions.
My early understanding of indigenous belief
Let me first share how I felt about my Akan beliefs growing up, and then explore what decolonisation means to me. For me, decolonisation is not—and must not be—about hatred for a particular group or colour. It is about actions, ethics, and mindsets.
As a child, I envisioned our ancestral home beyond the physical world—a reality shaped by conversation, folklore, and the repeated performance of customary rites.
The good among the dead received a warm welcome and had magnificent abodes prepared for them. In my mind’s eye, the afterlife was quieter and more restful for the virtuous, who were entrusted with an eternal responsibility.
These ancestors, like my late uncle and grandmother, were believed to guide and protect us. My understanding of libation-pouring—an equivalent to land acknowledgements practiced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada—was rooted in such beliefs. Speaking to the dead was not evil; it was reverence.
We acted ethically, believing our ancestors watched over us and punished wrongdoing. We served the land, well aware that it was the land that served us. Yet colonial schooling and rigid Christian teachings demonised those beliefs as primitive. But what, I ask, is so wrong with belief systems that foster reverence for the environment and mutual care?
Colonialism was never just about race
Decolonisation must not be reduced to anti-white rhetoric or racial antagonism. Colonialism was not a singular experience defined only by race—it operated across class, tribe, and geography. Its power came from coercion and complicity. Likewise, resistance to colonialism was multiracial, multiethnic, and global.
History shows that in every region touched by colonial rule—Africa, Asia, Europe, South America—there were both collaborators and resisters. Some groups sold others into bondage. Others fought to preserve dignity. The Akan word nkoa or akoa shows that servitude and dehumanisation existed before European colonisation. In many cases, colonisation grew from warfare among groups and nations.
The role of complicity and hypocrisy
Some argue that African participation in slavery was misinformed. Perhaps—but how differently have we treated one another since? How do some Ghanaians treat domestic workers or the poor? If we cannot love our neighbour, how do we accuse the outsider of lacking love?
Even today, many elites in politics and public service behave worse than our colonial predecessors. Have we managed public resources any better? Or have we allowed citizens to die in poverty while funds are diverted to political rallies—complete with branded T-shirts and boxed meals? These same politicians often table reparations claims, even as they transfer stolen public funds to the same countries from which they demand compensation. The contradiction is staggering.
Nkrumah’s vision – Resistance to all forms of exploitation
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s warnings about neocolonialism were not limited to racial hierarchy. He saw how private and foreign interests could erode national sovereignty. For him, the public good was inseparable from national integrity. Colonialism never truly ended. Internal colonisation lives on, as Ghanaian elites reproduce extractive, repressive, anti-people systems. Though politically independent, many show more greed and contempt for public welfare than the colonisers ever did.
Today, Ghana’s politics centres on private ownership and impunity. Politicians sell state lands, businesses, and properties to themselves under market value and without competitive bidding. Tax waivers are handed to cronies and relatives under the guise of public-private partnerships.
The myth of private-sector superiority
We must stop assuming all publicly run institutions are doomed to fail. Where I live in Canada, there are still efficient public transport – buses, and ferries – still functions efficiently. Local government authorities remain actively involved in waste management through public sanitary workers. By contrast, many so-called public-private partnerships are designed not for quality service but for cronyism.
Why must public funds be used to build private empires? Why are due diligence, transparency, and public scrutiny so often bypassed for political gain? A decolonial mindset demands public accountability—not blind faith in veiled promise of efficiency from private actors without the necessary expertise or capital. This laissez-faire outsourcing—often driven by election campaign interests—must stop.
Environmental ethics – Land as sacred
Why can’t we preserve public spaces for sport, physical activity, and recreation? What role do parks, gardens, and trails play in the health of children, youth, adults, and elders? Why are funeral rites held in the middle of roads, with closures imposed without notice or permits? Why is every green space being converted into commercial or residential use? Why destroy wetlands and pollute serene environments for profit? Even traditional custodians—chiefs, queen mothers, clergy—have joined the transactional culture. This is not our heritage. Folklore once instilled honour and dignity. Where is that now?
Unexplained wealth and declining integrity
Today, unexplained wealth is flaunted and celebrated. Our laws do not even criminalise it. Traditional leaders and public officials amass riches without explanation—and society applauds them. We must restore public service as a noble calling, not a dysfunctional relic. As Nkrumah taught, decolonisation requires rejecting exploitation in all its forms, foreign and domestic.
Toward an ethical and cultural awakening
Decolonisation is not defending wrongdoers because they share your ethnicity or party affiliation. It is about moral clarity, cultural responsibility, and communal justice. It rejects political vigilantism, tribal bigotry, and abuse of authority—these are signs of cultural decay, not pride. Decolonisation must restore truthfulness, decency, and mutual respect.
Honour, reverence, and service
At its heart, decolonisation must restore our indigenous ethos: public service, cultural safety, and moral duty. Land is not a commodity—it is sacred. Our ancestors’ toil must inspire our leaders to integrity and justice. To decolonise is to confront history, yes—but also to dismantle today’s greed, mediocrity, and misrule. It is a call to build accountable societies rooted in reverence, responsibility, and public good.
>>>the writer is a public interest advocate with hands-on experience in tourism destination operations in Ghana. He is currently based in Canada. His interests cut across many sectors of the Ghanaian economy. His current work reflects a strong commitment to inclusive tourism planning and building global partnerships that support local development and sustainable travel practices. He can be reached via adjeikufynn@yahoo.com
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).