Funding universities in Ghana: The way out

A tertiary institution is the citadel of knowledge creation and sharing. The human resource of a country needs to be trained, sharpened and retrained to adapt to changing trends so as to maximise potentials and ultimately, to develop the country. This is the crucial role that tertiary institutions, everywhere, play. In developing countries, it serves as the leveller of improved socioeconomic development between the 'haves' and 'have nots', who pass through it. From these perspectives, accessibility and affordability of tertiary education is paramount not only at the individual level, but at the national level as well. 

Universities all over the world are funded from multiple sources. Many universities are funded hugely, predominantly, through the provision of education or research grants in the national budget of those countries. Others receive such State support in the area of payment of salaries to university staff and provision of infrastructural development. The changing economic situations, globally, particularly in the last decade had occasioned a change in national support of many universities to one in which the universities are positioned to raise funds from individuals, alumni, corporate institutions, benevolent organisations etc. 

In the midst of the self-inflicted, largely profligacy and corruption-induced, and COVID-19-driven economic downturn prevailing in Ghana, the government has indicated a medium-term agenda to wean off universities from governmental payroll and instead provide a "block grant" to such institutions. I must quickly add that the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) during the recent almost 2-month strike action also had cause to invite the government to go along this tangent. This is a policy decision that potentially has enormous ramifications for university education in Ghana. It is, therefore, not surprising that it has gained significant attention among stakeholders in the education sector. Certainly, this policy proposal has implications for the operations of public universities in the country and also raises concern about the issues of accessibility and affordability. The fact that some countries have gone this way, does that mean it is the panacea to funding public universities in our country too? As an academic and a social democrat, these two major concerns are of utmost concern to me. How do we go around this conundrum and settle it once and for all? 

The basis of this policy proposal is for the government to save some money for other activities. This means that universities must raise funds to run their operations. Of course, the major clientele of universities remain students. Universities will be compelled to charge fees that they consider appropriate so as to be able to run effectively. Such fees may turn out to be exorbitant for the parents/guardians of these students. Therefore, the possibility of acquiring tertiary education becoming the reserve of the highest bidder may not be far off. Families that ain't able to afford such likely colossal monies will be deprived of having university graduates. However, some universities and CSOs are also of the view that allowing universities to raise funds to pay their staff and meet other operational costs will enable them to, more appropriately, compensate their workers for the work being done. This may lead to increased productivity. 

To cure the above challenges as well as enabling universities to have access to requisite funds so as to run effectively, the proposed university funding agenda must be revised. Firstly, there must be an agreement on the block grant to be paid by the government and this to-be-agreed fund must religiously be paid and in- or on-time. The government of Ghana's Scholarship Scheme must be retooled to be abreast with the changing trend of providing financial support to students. More financial assistance in the form of scholarships should be given to deserving applicants or students from economically poor backgrounds. Just as it happens, often, elsewhere, corporate institutions must institute well functioning scholarship schemes or chairs in our universities to assist students in paying for their education. The universities must also take up income generating and entrepreneurial activities. Innovation and creativity are ideas espoused by our universities. These must be tapped into urgently. Almost all the universities in the country are already engaged in one or more of such activities. This needs to be urgently increased with the aim of raising more funds for running their operations. To allay the fears of many that should the status quo change, universities will charge exorbitant fees, I am of the view that the fee regulatory mechanism by parliament in terms of deciding the fees to be paid by students that is currently in place will cure that. Even if that has to be changed, State institutions such as the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) can be empowered to perform such a task.

May the essence of having access to tertiary education and the urgency of providing for the smooth administration of our universities be the watch words in this discussion. Our youth deserve the best university education and experience. 'To this call, let us rise'. It's possible! #PossibilityPerspective!

The inescapable junction in you!

At every point in time, we interact with one another. Animals, like humans, also communicate with one another and have helped us in countless ways, through experimentation, to understand ourselves better. It is the means of sending out our preferences, telling others about our needs, our likes and dislikes. It is, indeed, a very basic tenet to our very survival.

Being perhaps the chief executive officer of the human body, that exquisite and elegant spongy mass of tissue called the brain is responsible for this all time vital aspect of our daily lives – communication. The brain uses its basic unit of composition to achieve this purpose. That minutest unit or building block of the brain is called neuron. This is an adorable unit with its own segments with which it uses to assist us to communicate our preferences; being it about the development of relationships, inclination towards a political ideology, the choice of a career path, aversion to an activity and virtually any and everything we may as humans think of. There are billions of these neurons in the human brain. Really? That’s powerful! We are, in fact, fearfully and wonderfully made! This brain part is so important that it has almost everything it needs to live a comfortable life. In fact, it has ‘servants’ in charge of keeping its gate. Yes, it has gatekeepers! Need I say it even has those in charge of removing its waste? To my friends in Ghana, it has a real ‘comfortable lead’… lol.

When at least two neurons or some parts of them come into contact, a junction is created. This is where it all happens. This junction is called the synapse. Each neuron can make about ten thousand of these synapses. Collectively, there are, therefore, trillions of synapses in the human brain. This is incredible! Unbelievable amount of power! Indescribable ability to communicate! You know what? You are at that junction right now.

The events which occur at the junction (synapse) account for why you are able to read this. Generally, it is deemed the basis of how you can learn and remember what you have learnt. This implies that if there is a dysfunction or damage to these junctions in your brain, you are likely to have challenges with learning. Indeed, damage to these junctions, in most parts of the brain, is the basis of many brain diseases. Luckily, the brain has an inherent ability to be able to repair itself, at least to some extent, in such bad circumstances under certain conditions. It can also develop compensatory means of adjusting to some of these bad states. What an awesome mass of tissue we have up there!

I hope next time when you interact or communicate with someone or during learning, you will remember the neuronal synapses in your brain. Remember, It’s happening live, right now, at a junction inside you! ☺

Best among equals: Barack obama’s presidential victory speech of November, 2008!

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

THE LIGHTED VIGIL THAT LIT A NATION IN DARKNESS …#DumsorMustStop!

It was a fortnight full of what looked like a shaky planning but has its climax that shall remain a historic march in the annals of Ghana. I dare say it may be our modern version of the March on Wall Street in our struggle for light. About a week ago, I had a chat with a Zambian acquaintance during which the usual suspect of African interactions (the Continent’s development) came up. He talked about an experience he had at a lecture during which the lecturer (of European descent) said Ghana is the light and star of Africa in development and democracy. He suddenly observed that the Ghanaians in the class started laughing after that statement was made. So after the lecture, the Zambian approached his Ghanaian colleagues and asked what the cause of the laughter was? Well, your guess is right… With a history of power outages which has been traced to the ‘70s, Ghanaians can be said to have gone through different stages and varied experiences associated with this menace. Certainly, there’s no need to recount the very essence of electricity in today’s world. Being it in health, economy, agriculture, education, entertainment and indeed all spheres of human engagement, power is critical. This implies that regardless of one’s background: being it social status, age or whatever distinguishing factor, an individual will be faced with some amount of a challenge with power outages. As expected, the cancerous impact of our partisan politics could not allow us to express the challenges we go through as a result of “dumsor” (a local word in a Ghanaian language for frequent power outage). Arguably, it may be competing with corruption as the foremost word on the lips of the Ghanaian in the past decade. Despite the availability of alternatives such as generator, solar panel or inventor, lots of us cannot afford any of these. These remain the luxury of the rich, at least from the perspective of the huge majority of Ghanaians. Surprisingly, those who use these alternatives are also complaining about the seriousness of the problem: the alternatives cannot run their businesses since comparatively, these alternatives increases the cost of production hence reducing profit. Oh! Yeah, that reminds me; those who could not afford the “I pass my neighbour” sets (the more friendly name used in Nigeria, our seniors in darkness), also have an option. Yes, the “bobo” (“akanekpui”) and lanterns will come in handy. But don’t forget that fuel prices have just been increased few hours ago and so they are faced with another complication. The proverbial blame game of our Ghanaian society took centre stage even in this national moment of crisis. While the main opposition political party accuses the governing administration of being incompetent in rectifying the problem, the latter reminds the former of doing same or less while they were confronted with same in the past. We cannot continue to delude ourselves, even while at the point of death, all in the name of politics. The government keeps giving reasons why we are in this doom-like situation today. Quite unexpectedly, the reasons ain’t coherent. This, to me, is the greatest part of the anger in most of us. For instance, on daily basis, we hear government communicators compelling us to believe that saboteurs, either being members of the main opposition party or their loyalists, are those causing the blackout. Well, let’s assume for once that that is true. So if an opposition party can control a governing administration’s ability of managing a critical national entity such as power for at least 3 years, then why should the governing administration still be in power? Wait a minute! How about this: Is it the opposition party that has made the government spokespersons tell us the outage will be reduced with the importation of power barges by the end of last month, April? Certainly, I cannot say I have not heard these same spokespersons say government has not given the improvement deadline of April and that that was a machination from the media. Isn’t that interesting? Where were these communicators when this “filla” was in the country for several weeks (indeed, months) prior to the expiration of the ‘deadline’? Why should they keep mute (and indeed, some even echoed same during the period) only to come to deny this after the ‘deadline’? A government in power ready to solve a power crisis? Yes, the government may be doing some things to “fix” the perennial power crisis but of what use is medicine to a dying person when the medicine will only come after his death? Isn’t it a basic principle in project development and management that solutions proffered to tackle a critical and very pressing problem should be three phased: short, medium and long –termed based? Well, I cannot, also, forget ever hearing the joke that the government is waiting to solve the problem next year so that the assumed short memory of Ghanaians won’t be lost before the presidential and parliamentary elections in the same year since that will mean gaining more votes from electorates. What a serious joke! How else can we be backward when we continue to think or assumed to be thinking about only the next election all the time when people have power powering their country without interruption for even a second? Well, I did not say we can become like them overnight but we will NEVER become like them if we continue to think ONLY about the next election. We are capable of becoming like them or even take a shorter duration to attain their current status and even surpass them but that can happen if and only if we change our ways of doing things. Enough of the jokes, fellow countrymen and women! What has become of the Power Ministry created as a response to solving the outage? Well, I agree it is still ‘young’ and we ought to give the Minister and his people time to ‘grow’ the Ministry. But don’t forget what our elders say: a chick that will grow to become a cock is spotted right from the day it is hatched. Well, am not an energy expert but it baffles me to accept the fact that we cannot develop our hydropower despite the huge potential available for that, that is, assuming that what some so-called experts say about solar power being too expensive to develop in Ghana is true. How about wind and gas (expansion)? Is it that, as a people, we are still yet to realize that power (electricity) is as basic as water, air and food in today’s world? Yeah but what was the much hullabaloo prior to the vigil about? Do we now have a town in Ghana called “NPP Town” where the power outage is more intense than other places in the country? How about “NDC Town” where the inhabitants are enjoying the now extinct goody called electricity? Need I say no one can blame the main opposition political party for any potential benefit they may accrue from the vigil? Well, if you care to know; whether there was a vigil or not, they are already making political capital out of it. Why not? Isn’t the purpose of leadership being to work to solve the problems of one’s followers? But come to think of it: our main opposition is in a state of eternal internal shreds. What a country! How about the hypocritical nature of our people? We intentionally do illegal connection of electricity in our various homes and places of work. We either do it ourselves or know people around us who do it. Certainly, we also do not pay our expected electricity bills in full or on time. How then do we expect the government to develop the power sector? People blame the workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for not being effective and efficient. Some of these workers, sad to say, are ready to take tips or “tsobo” instead of the right electricity bill that a consumer has to pay for. For me, the administration has been voted for to solve this and other challenges of the people and so here again the buck stops with the government specifically the presidency. Indeed, the illumination provided by the different lighting equipment used for the vigil lit Ghana (Accra as is used in the diplomatic arena). The “dumsor” vigil brought about the much-needed light to the people of Ghana. Yes, it did. I know the flickers of illumination that marked the Legon – Tetteh Quarshie road disappeared after 9pm on Saturday, May 16 but the illumination it provided by the thousands who marched has given light to Ghanaians. The #DumsorMustStop vigil has lit Accra by lighting the conscious of the people. Certainly, whether this vigil is repeated or not, it has made a legible mark that should get any serious government thinking. Should I say we should not forget how the Arab Spring started? I saw a post on Facebook that says this may as well be the beginning of our version of the Arab Spring. Watch out! Ghana Spring may just be springing up! Lawer Egbenya (www.laweregbenya.blogspot.com / laweregbenya@gmail.com)

FIVE YEARS OF SPLENDID YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN LESS PRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES

“We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs.” – Bill Clinton (42nd President of the United States of America) It’s been a dream driven by the strong desire to bring to reality the inalienable aspirations and burning desires of many youth to excel in life. With this, the now flagship youth development NGO called the Beyonders Foundation commenced in 2009. The Beyonders Foundation is a youth focused, non-profit organization registered with the Registrar General’s Department of the Republic of Ghana. We believe with conviction that youth development is at the heart of those concerned about the future of a healthy humanity because in this 21st Century, young people need a sense of direction and inspiration to be able to make it in life. Indeed, five years in the life of every great organisation is a milestone worthy of celebration. In line with her vision of inspiring Young People to discover and pursue their God-given potentials, the Foundation had held many value added, life-enriching, highly educative and informative programmes including human development seminars and provision of financial assistance to poor but really needy students. Over the last five years, our programmes and projects have reached about three thousand young people mostly in less privileged communities. These programmes namely the Startrite®, Focus®, Choice®, Visioneer® and the Library® were held for participants from Sogakope Senior High School (SOGASCO), Adidome Senior High School (ADISEC), Mafi-Kumase Senior High School (MASEC), Christian Youth Groups in Mepe, Tefle Junior High Senior, Sogakope Junior High Senior ‘B’, Manna Mission School (Teshie), Ebenezer Senior High School (Dansoman), Sogakope Junior High Senior ‘A’, Mafi-Gborkope Junior High Senior and Christian Youth Groups of Mafi-Kumase. Participants at these programmes are making great strides in various fields of human endeavours. They have on countless occasions commended the Foundation for assisting them to make better, bigger and brighter choices at some vital stages in their lives. Bringing smiles onto the faces of these young people is what has kept us going over the last five years. What else could be more rewarding and a lifetime achievement than to see a young man or woman approach you in a place you think you won’t know anyone and s/he goes: “You have inspired me. Since that day in our School, my life has changed for the better and I am here because of that experience at your Seminar”! In marking our 5th Anniversary, I cannot forget that one thing which has driven us to this immeasurable height: our Principles. Our incontrovertible believe in our unmatched core Principles of God-given Purpose, the Potency of Inspiration, Diligence, Integrity, Creativity and Serviceability still reigns high. The Anniversary which starts this Saturday, 5 July, 2014 will be climaxed on Saturday, 12 July, 2014 with a durbar @ the District Assembly Hall, Sogakope in the Volta Region @ 11am. Various activities including blood donation, donation of stationery and medical equipment, and seminar will be held during the week of celebration. Yet to see the day light is one of our heartbeat projects: the Skills Training Centre which will train young people who do not have the privilege of following formal education to discover their vast potentials that the world has been earnestly waiting for. Learners at the Centre shall be taken through a series of courses that will prepare them to be efficient managers of small businesses that they will set up from the development of their skills. The inability to get this through in the last few years is as a result of inadequate funds. As we aspire to attain a decade in the next five years, we believe with conviction that this Centre will be set up and will become the Centre of Excellence in Skills Training in the Country and beyond. Certainly, the much assistance offered by each and every one during the 1st 5 years of our operation is well appreciated. We thank you and look forward to an even greater and better cooperation as we help develop our fellow young people. To my comrades who have lighted this flame some five years ago, I salute you this day for standing out to be counted as those who in the passage of time felt touched by the plight of humanity especially those who live in the forgotten corners of our world. Dear ones, let’s in this atmosphere of deserving celebration and uncontrollable ecstasy renew our unflinching support, commitment, dedication and the ever present burning desire to attain even greater heights in the next five years. You are, indeed, awesome! To God be the Glory! Congratulations on our 5th Anniversary. Long Live Beyonders Foundation, Long Live the Youth of Tongu, Long Live Ghana.

YOUR VOICE STILL LINGERS ON, BRO!

“Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men” - Quintus Ennius. It was only some few days after the October, 2002 admission to SOGASCO that I met you, Wisdom Amediku (aka Lord Zih). This became pretty quick and easy because we were both Science students despite being in different classrooms as well as your readiness to reach out to others. As we journeyed through the first term of the academic year, we got closer and closer and eventually became friends. Apart from being in the same academic programme, we later found another deeper sense of togetherness when I got into the boarding house: I joined the Scripture Union (SU) on campus in which you were already an active member. As fate would have it, in our final year, you became the President of this venerable Union and I became its Secretary. Wisdom, I can’t forget about your leadership abilities which came forth blossoming right from our early days in School like the ever beautiful sun rays of the African weather. Indeed, the glorious leadership acumen you and your team exhibited compelled me to make that statement which to date is used by some of our classmates anytime we meet to indicate how frustrated I became at a time with their behaviour. On one such hectic occasion, I advised my colleagues to emulate you and your mates because your class exhibited an admirable sense of comportment contrarily to what pertains in mine. One leadership lesson which you have re-echoed almost always, to me, is the focus on one’s core competence. There were countless instances when you insisted that each of us engage in specific tasks based on one’s individual competitive advantage at all times to ensure higher productivity. I must hasten to add that great results had almost never eluded us in such circumstances. Our friendship grew stronger by the years. It was a great time we shared in the company of other colleagues. Certainly, I can’t forget the GT Clan members! The Clan whose name discovery was courtesy Paramuzu’s then ‘kindergarten’ Ewe knowledge wants to hear from you, Zih! Lord Zih, your demonstration of immeasurable energy at any group activities can never elude our thoughts. Despite your average body size, you always prove to be the man to beat in the performance of communal school physical activities. When your physical strength could not carry you, you cannily brings on board the power of the spoken word. Oh yeah! Your voice has never failed you in such instances. Awizzy, it is you I mourn this day. Lord Zih, on the 1st of May, 2014, I was preparing to leave for the airport en route to Ghana when I decided to check up what's trending on Facebook. Only to my greatest shock and dismay, your not only sudden but also untimely and devastating demise greeted me. As expected, I couldn't believe it and so had to contact some close friends back home. That morning, I was having some difficult emotional challenges that I was grumbling with only to be worsened by this nothing but highly unpalatable and shattering news. Until that morning, I knew we will have the opportunity to meet when am home since we couldn’t make it at the last time (about 3 months ago) when we planned to meet. Bro, little did I know you won't be around for us to have that chat about our collective future plans. Many are the dreams we shared and the aspirations we hoped for. Lord Zih, why should the light dim so early? It's too early in the day of our life for you to go. No, this is certainly not the time despite my belief that our day of death slowly beckons us after our day of birth has been announced on earth. I know Elizabeth Kübler-Ross once said that: “Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever” but I thought yours will be exceptional and that you will still come back after a stint in the so-called endless night. Lord Zih, do you know why I am that optimistic? It is because both you and I have learnt during our Science lessons that to every rule, there’s an exception! Lord Zih, I have waited patiently that you will be the exception in this case but till this day, my hope kept diminishing and in just some few hours from now, you will be sent to the city of the dead. What a catastrophe! Lord Zih, you have left behind pointers of trust, a forgiving spirit, the enviable attitude of discipline and above all unity and love for one another. Your call for discipline, indeed, comes to the fore anytime you were on week. Worthily, Scapula will often assign you to be on week because of his trust in you to deliver! Undoubtedly, your times as senior on duty almost always brought most students on their toes since they know you are the no-nonsense boss of the week. Death, it is said, “is a distant rumour to the young” as thought by Andrew A. Rooney. However, you have heard this rumour too early. Lord Zih, why was yours so close? Certainly, not now, Lord Zih! A kind heart he was. A gem of our time has heard this rumour too young. A jewel he was. In him, we saw a great soul. In this moment of this great lose, I can't think of anything else but to keep hoping that you will Return If Possible (RIP). As the days pass by without hearing your ever huge and buoyant voice full of life, I heard an older version of it. In this you were saying “God is good” and as I did during our SOGASCO days, I can only reply “All the time”. Certainly, your death is beyond our comprehension but the reverberation of your sound bites in my ears reaffirms, to me, that the Lord our God is always good and has done onto you what in His thought and sight, a good thing. I believe this because you have served our Maker in the days of your life. I see you having greater laughter, much joy and sporadic happiness because you are enjoying the fruit of your labour on earth for Serena rightly asserted that “the day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity”. As Jean Giraudoux Amphitryon aptly asserted “I'm not afraid of death. It's the stake one puts up in order to play the game of life”, I am of the greatest believe that you were not afraid to die. What you were afraid of is the fact that the world will not have the opportunity to behold the greatness that will follow your trail on earth. Indeed, very soon, all the momentous aspirations and dreams you have will be carried and laid peacefully in the Agbeve Cemetery. What a tragedy! What a loss to the world! Lord Zih, since you took in your last breath on earth, our eyes and hearts have been filled with uncontrollable and endless amount of tears and sadness. It has been so hard-hitting for us but we take solace from the admonition of George Eliot that; “Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them”. Lord Zih, you will always be on my mind and heart. Forever, you will be an epitome of what a determined person is. As Dr. Richard Mawuli Letsa who you gladly call "twin bro" suggested, we will endeavour, in the coming years, to build on your impressive legacy by celebrating you through the Wisdom Amediku Asthma Foundation. To us the living, Mignon McLaughlin in The Neurotic's Notebook, posited that “The death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive - perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine”. Wisdom has rightly finished his race set before him by our Maker. Let us, the living, re-examine ourselves today since the lifeless body of Wisdom speaks to us of the possibility of us following him any time soon. Wisdom Kofi McBilson Amediku, I hear your words of caution to me this day through our elder brother Timothy that: “I have fought the good (worthy, honourable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. [As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [Victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day-and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return) – 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (Amplified Version of the Bible). Wisdom Amediku, Return If Possible. If not, Rest in the Perfect Peace of our Lord! Fare thee well, worthy comrade! Hede nyuie!

THE RACE FOR POLITICAL SUPREMACY IN GHANA: THE DAY AFTER 29 AUGUST

Just as nature would have it, Thursday the 29th of August, 2013 was so calm and serene with cloudy weather conditions across most parts of the country symbolising peace. Need I say the same was on both Tuesday, 24th July, 2012 during which Prez. J.E.A Mills joined his ancestors as well as the day on which the one year anniversary of his death was marked. It all began on that fateful day of 28th December, 2012 when three leading members of the NPP led by its 2012 standard-bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, filed a petition at the Supreme Court (SC) of the Republic challenging the validity of the election of the incumbent president, John Mahama. Indeed, this case dragged on for eight months with half of this duration used for the live broadcast of the entire court proceedings on the State-owned television. One cannot forget the intense moments, the legal drama just as seen in the Boston Legal series, the statistics and the sheer ‘home-knowledge’ exhibited by all parties in the case. Oh yeah! One can’t forget about the legal jargons on display… amicus curie et al.! Finally, the judgement has been delivered by the eminent nine justices of the highest court of the Land upholding the legitimacy of the election that led to the declaration of Mahama as the president by the Electoral Commission (EC) of the Republic. In all these, I wish to salute that rare gem of a man in the name of Dr. Kwadzo Afari Gyan, the EC boss. May your kind live long in our great Republic. As I have always stated, the election petition in a democracy is a right once a person disagrees with the result of an election. However, any winnable petition must be water-tight (not as ascribed by some) because rejecting a national electoral result has serious diverse socio-economic implications hence such a decision cannot easily be taken by any court of law worth its name. I need not remind you of the negatives of this petition? Of course, it has its own positive namely the possible reformation of our electoral processes. As a progressive, I believe in reformation. However, the needed reformation of our electoral system does not need such a rigorous activity to activate it. It is a fact that almost after every election in Ghana, some amount of reformation is done. For me, the main people who caused our nation this immense dissatisfaction and unnecessary anxiety aren’t the EC but the political parties. This is because if the political parties had serious people as polling station agents unlike the uneducated “macho-men” they used in most instances, these agents would have identified almost all the issues raised in the petition. Having identified those stuff, they would have prompted the presiding officials to correct same. Yeah, in this instance, not just the NPP but also the NDC is implicated. If you think otherwise, why wouldn’t the NDC polling station agents identify these mistakes of filling wrong columns with correct numbers and prompt the EC officials to effect the needed corrections? Come to think of it; lots of the presiding officers of the EC (doing the wrong entries) were submitted to the EC by these main (2) political parties. That’s the reality. I just hope the EC will assert its power and get serious people for such jobs in the future. Certainly, in the future, I hope all national assignments involving numbers etc. will be taken more seriously and not left in the hands of incompetent individuals. Now, what’s the future of politics in Ghana? I do not intend to consider individual future political ambitions especially that of Nana Akufo-Addo. I strongly share in the belief that only the two major political parties will be on the political stage for a significant period. However, the NDC could have a stronger hold on politics in Ghana for a longer period than the now acclaimed continuous two terms for each political party administration. Yes, NDC can stay in power for a pretty long time before NPP can take over. Firstly, the key factor on which lots of Ghanaians cast their vote is their quest for development. Interestingly, the pursuit for development isn’t about rocket science development but rather the provision of potable water, electricity and good road. It is always difficult to comprehend why a country like Ghana with all its resources, both natural and human, cannot provide these very basic things for her people. So if the NDC can capitalise on the current resource endowed environment that has recently added oil to its immense resource base, there’s no way the NDC cannot continue to hold on to power legitimately for a pretty long time. This is it: provide these basic things of life and win power. An enormous drop in corruption among government officials is a key avenue to get much money to implement this developmental agenda. It is possible! One cannot run away from the tribal voting pattern in Ghana. Of course, it is not healthy for politics in any part of the world especially in the developing world. Remember even in the most advanced democracies such as that of the United States, there are “tribal” voting pattern which per the composition of that country is christened racial voting pattern. Hispanics and Latinos are more likely to vote for the Democrats while the Whites will easily go for the Republicans. By virtue of votes obtained across the Nation, the NDC seems to cut across the whole nation. Why does it seem the NDC is speedily increasing its votes in traditional NPP tribal areas? The answer is simple: most of the natives of those areas have top positions in the NDC hence their people feel being part of the NDC administration anytime the NDC is in power. Is it strange that the NDC is protecting its main stronghold (the Volta Region) by electing their standard-bearers (after JJ) from regions other than the Volta? It is simply to protect that which seems intact and go look for more. Will you get a flag-bearer in either the NDC or the NPP and his family members and towns-people won’t vote for such a candidate? Remember, democracy (election) is about numbers. Certainly, it is easy for the NPP to reverse this trend if and only if they can give highly top positions to other people especially those from the NDC strongholds. I dare say anytime the NPP will present a non-Akan (Asante, Fante, Akwapem, Bono) as its standard-bearer in an election, it shall win that election hands down. Also, despite the school of thought that the petition as brought before the SC by the NPP is bound to strengthen the nation’s democracy, there are many out there who still believe that this petition has placed the country into some unnecessary tension for the past several months. The economic loss which continued to be counted by all players in that sector is another obstacle argued by many others. This, to some people, will create an unlikely to be forgotten aversion towards the NPP in the next few elections especially that of 2016. Don’t forget that those making such arguments also have votes to cast in subsequent elections. The cards highly favour the NDC to lead the race for political supremacy in Ghana unless the NPP will initiate and implement some radical changes into its folds. It must be stated that it won’t also be as easy as you might think for the NDC because most African politicians, not excluding those in Ghana, always fail to be counted when it matters most. On this great day after the 29th August SC judgement declaration of the electoral petition, let’s all celebrate this beautiful country of ours. Folk, remember your thought today can make the world better tomorrow. Think about it!