Our heroes, our pride

With cautious steps they warmed their ways into our bosom memories. They touched, infected and affected many hearts and tasted our passionate reverence as they walked our dusty paths. They kissed the roughness in our gentility and endured our pleasant recklessness when their unpalatable words or actions or indifferent principles scratches or disturbed the order. Yet they never relented in the pursuance of their dreams, visions and aspirations.

They may not necessarily be the saintly characters of religion but are like that next door neighbour whose tenacity to duty, passion for excellence has brought honour to our society.

I cannot stop listening to their inspiring thoughts or even think of erasing their memories from my mind. Some were very close associates and friends of the friends but I admired them not because they were sinless supper humans but because they understood their calling and activated their enthusiasm in pursuance of those ideals.

I cannot name them all, because the list is endless. Some of them are interred in our subconscious mind and are part of our living memories. But a lot more are out there walking and breathing a dignified silence of their maturity and perhaps nursing future torchbearers.

The mere mention of their names adds a distinction of stateliness to the presence of a people, especially when special courtesies are accorded to their fellow countrymen because of the esteem in the names of those heroes and heroines.

We may know some, but it’s not enough to just know them. We must not just honour them but celebrate them while they live, and not wait to pay glowing tribute to their memories when they join our ancestors in the hereafter.

The demise of Prof. Kofi Awonoor, one of Ghana's finest and erudite Poet, a Nationalist who evoked the Pan-Africanist Spirit in his thoughts and works, died tragically in Kenya when terrorists of the al-shaabab sects in Somalia marred the beauty of The Founder's Day on Saturday September 21. It's a sad day indeed to loss such an academic gem and a nationalist of our time.

The torrent of messages that poured in after his death are enough to pacify the dreadful death to reinstate his soul in his mortal frame, if there should be a chance. But it goes to confirm the fact he and perhaps others gone before him were illustrious sons and daughters worthy of celebration.       

It is not enough to name them after national monuments, institute memorial lectures in their name or declare a national holiday in their honour, rather we should strive to learn the lessons they sought to live or preach when they lived. And resolve to better and improve our lots and engender the common good.

Let every town name, honour and celebrate the deeds of their illustrious daughters and sons for, what use is it to celebrate them after they’ve silently left the scene? It is important to celebrate them today and tomorrow. 

May their lives and stories inspire us to be diligent in our strive for national unity, progress and the enhancement of the lives of every Ghanaian.

God bless us all.