#DumsorMustStop Vigil: Sarkodie is A Prototype of Why Ghana is in A Mess | Individualism Over Nationalism

Far away in the South of France, Cannes, I read with disappointment that Ghanaian musician-Sarkodie who has been one of the strong pillars of the whole #DumsorMustStop vigil will not be partaking in the protest set to bring the plight of Ghanaians to the incumbent government over the unbearable power crisis.

Despite my disappointment—this was short lived and this is because, I know it’s typical of most Ghanaians to forfeit collective struggles or nationalism when such enterprises clash with their individual gains.

Apparently, Sarkodie is currently out of the country working with American rapper-Ace Hood and social media for some hours has been celebrating this as a great achievement—perhaps it is a career milestone but not when weighed against the fact that he let down a whole generation of followers whose collective interest is at stake to pursue his individual career goal.

On the face of it, ‘man must do whatever he has to in order to shine’ but deep down, it’s a reflection of the Ghanaian personality—somewhat confirming the hovering misconception that demonstrations in Ghana are staged by those who have nothing better to do with their time.

Sarkodie has a job to do and as such, all of a sudden the #DumsorMustStop vigil becomes an opportunity cost in relation to his scale of preference. Some of us thought this was paramount and even if it didn’t mean much to him, the fact that he has voluntarily become the mouth piece of millions of Ghanaians who are suffering under Dumsor places him at a strategic position which demands that he sticks his nose throughout the protest. And by this, he should not have excused him self from the vigil no matter the reason—worse, for an individual project.

Do we think Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah and Rosa Park did not have their own private enterprises? Of course they did but they mostly quenched the tempting fire of individualism—the desire to go for money or career—over nationalism and fought alongside the populace as though they did not have anything better doing. I am not literally comparing Sarkodie to any of these great activists but Sarkodie assumed a role similar to them with this Dumsor campaign—unfortunately, he could not go through with it.

How many people will turn up for the #DumsorMustStop vigil if everyone decide to place his or her personal interest and pursuit over the power crisis which is affecting all the different layers of our Ghanaian lives? Imagine if the church goers forfeit the vigil to go to the church, those going to the cinema opt out for that purpose—and those who feel lazy to step out decided to pursuit individualism by staying in bed…What will be left of the vigil?

Though Yvonne Nelson has come out to state that Sarkodie knew he was not going to be at the vigil and as such, he recorded a video to stand in his absence, the question is; is this enough of a commitment from someone who has led several people to join this cause?

Ghana is where it is today because majority of us lack true patriotism, our sense of nationalism is always in doubt and we don’t mind selling out our country for personal gains. That is why we are blessed with a bunch of politicians who tow the individual line of greed and corruption—instead of fighting the national cause of serving the people to improve their lives. In our little corners, our parents even advise us not to take part in national protests because of fear of troubles—it’s just a Ghanaian thing, crippling our country…

For some of us, a leader is that one person who is able to forfeit his greatest individual opportunity for his people and join their suffering—and in this case, the cap doesn’t fit Sarkodie.