The Akan, considered by many as the indigenous of Ghana, constitute about 45% of the country’s population. Despite colonization, Christianity and Western influence, they have protected and maintained their culture, which is transmitted to the youth through songs and drums, expressions of thoughts, feelings and beliefs. The Akan use simple instruments, including flute, horns of animals and drums, to compose folksongs that teach the youth and depict their origin, achievements, identity, unity and for worship and festivals. Selfishness and lack of patriotism among many Ghanaians, including some of the Akan people, are destroying the country socially, economically and politically. The destructive behaviours of some Ghanaians motivated this ethnographic study. The study sought to educate citizens, especially the youth, through folksongs, to put their country first, as they have only one Ghana. The data, which were collected through informal interviews and observations during festivals, revealed that the desire to get rich quickly among many citizens, especially the youth of the country, has made them selfish and unpatriotic. The f indings have implications for moral education in Ghana as an effort to stem the tide of national destruction and to secure the future of the country through quality education.

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Keywords

Akan folksongs, cultural identity, colonialism, patriotism, socio-economic development