Ghana is in shambles, singer and rapper Sister Derby has bemoaned.

She observed it was so because of “mismanagement of funds and resources,” stemming from greed and adopted religious practices.

Born Deborah Owusu-Bonsu, she spoke to Zeal Nana Kweku Bliss on Class 91.3 FM’s Class Xtra.

Compared to Christianity, Islam and other forms of worship, “our traditional religion actually protects the environment,” singer and rapper Sister Derby argued.

Appealing to history, she said, “We started civilisation, in the sense that our villages were always clean, there was no plastic and rubbers, people were not polluting the rivers, people actually cared and were not looking for fast ways to make money that would destroy the earth.”

“So that’s why I’m saying it [Ghana] is in shambles,” she said, bemoaning further: “We don’t care enough for our environment as Africans.”

She advocated, “We need to go back and tap into our own roots and culture” learning from African ancestors who “valued trees, plants, rivers”.

Sister Derby noted “our traditional religion holds such [natural resources] in high esteem”.

She regretted “colonialism” and “foreign religions” adopted by most Ghanaians had “painted our culture, our roots and stuff bad” robbing the people of a consciousness that cherished and protected the natural environment.

Nicknamed the African Mermaid, the Ghanaian-Romanian humanitarian and environmental activist said she preferred worshipping trees to “worshipping an imaginary White floating man with a long beard, because I know the tree brings oxygen and gives life; provides shade for little kids playing after school and old people who need to rest while walking home; and for animals which need shade”.