Can you imagine walking to the same place every day, to meet your loved one. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting for ten years without seeing him or her? This is the story of Hachiko. He was a dog who lived in Tokyo, a dog who faithfully waited for his owner at the Shibuya train station long after his owner could not come to meet him. He became famous for his loyalty and was adored by scores of people who passed through the station every day.
In 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachiko, a golden brown Akita dog as a pet. During his owner’s life, Hachiko greeted him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return. The professor had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachiko was waiting. Each day for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days, Hachiko awaited Ueno’s return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station, and anxiously scanned through the disembarking passengers for his master!
Isn’t this amazing? I think what can trigger such loyalty is the trust and mutual respect that exist in a relationship; but we have not done enough as a people.
It is not unusual for example to see civil servants of institutions using paper and printers in their offices to print documents for their private businesses. Some also spend hours on end engaging their friends in needless conversations on office phones. The cumulative effect of such practices is that more money is wasted on logistics and bills, creating shortfalls on income meant for salaries and allowances of workers and other national needs. And woe betides the government for delaying in its attempt to look for money to solve the issue, the same workers who caused the problem would threaten government with strike actions.
In another vein, the story is told of a farmer who brought his perishable food stuffs from the Brong Ahafo Region to Accra; the Market Queen knowing very well that the produce will go bad by the next day, and that the poor farmer is at her mercy, decided to pay an unrealistic price for the food stuffs to the detriment of the underprivileged farmer.
Since the implementation of the deregulation of petroleum products, fuel price has been reduced on several number of occasions, but interestingly, transport operators have refused to reduce transport fares, and I’m yet to see anyone demonstrating on this. During rush hours, “trotro” operators use all kinds of tactics to profit by the misery of the poor. For example the trotro fare from Ofankor to Accra Central is about GHC1.80P. A driver’s mate shouts: Achimota, Achimota, and collects 80P. At Achimota he begins by shouting: Circle, Circle and takes another 80P; then at Circle he shouts Accra, Accra and collects yet another 80P.
So, eventually, the mate collects GHC2.40P instead of GHC1.80P from a passenger who wants to go to Accra Central; a whopping 75% increase. The effect of this is that the poor Ghanaian who had budgeted for about GHC90 a month for transportation to and from work, ends up paying GHC120 making life more unbearable. Surprisingly not a single voice has been raised on this by any section of the public.
Let’s begin the year by seeking the interest of our colleagues and our motherland; let’s give honour to those whom honour is due, and let’s give the needed support to those who need it. Against this background, there is the need to love and support our President. He is what God has given us as a nation. God must have a reason for His choice – Ghana’s interest of course.
You may love or loathe President John Dramani Mahama. Yes, he is not perfect, and no one is. But there is one thing I know for sure: he is hungry for a better Ghana. And what he needs is our unrequited love and unflinching support. As a citizen it is my fervent desire to see a better Ghana; my spine is tinkling this year with expectation; the patriotism in me is crying to be unleashed. The loyalty in me wants to break loose. I want to, therefore, emulate and copy Hachiko the loyal and faithful dog; I pledge my unstinting allegiance to the young man from Bole. What about you?
We are one people, one nation with a common destiny. There is no need to hate or kill each other because of our political party affiliation, this coming General Elections. Life, is after all, for rent, and we cannot deserve more than we get because nothing we have is truly ours. God is the owner, and can take them back anytime He wants. That is why we shouldn’t be conceited, and throw our weights about as if tomorrow belongs to us. Let’s learn to be humble, let’s learn to love one another, and appreciate the good things people do.
For our New Year relaxation let’s enjoy Dido’s “Life is for rent”:
I haven’t ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologise that once again I’m not in love
But it’s not as if I mind that your heart ain’t exactly breaking
It’s just a thought, only a thought
And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
I’ve always thought that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone and live more simply
I have no idea what’s happened to that dream
‘Cause there’s really nothing left here to stop me
It’s just a thought, only a thought
And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
While my heart is a shield and I won’t let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won’t even try
Well how can I say I’m alive
And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
‘Cause nothing I have is truly mine
Wish you all a Happy and a Prosperous New Year.
