THE euphoria of victory, especially in a major sporting event, can be very stimulating. And this explains why the country is still basking in the glory of lifting the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in far away Egypt.
The victory in a way took away the nation’s pains over the Black Stars’ poor showing in the last two World Cup qualification matches.
The young men and their handlers who brought international glory to the country drove home brand new vehicles, which some of our top professionals, including medical officers and engineers, working in the public service would take probably their entire working life to acquire.
Apart from this, the Black Satellites players, having a bright future ahead of them, have been secured a solid foundation by the state with a GH¢10, 000 life insurance package each to mature between 10 and 15 years.
It must be stressed that this is just the beginning, coming from what could be described as locally-generated funds. There is more for them beyond, if they remain consistent and take their chosen careers seriously.
Already we have been told that the star of the Egypt tournament, Dominic Adiyiah, has landed a lucrative signing with Italian Serie A giants, AC Milan.
In a short period of time, the lives of about 20 young players have undergone a dramatic change – a change that will take them and possibly other members of their families from poverty and place them in a world of wealth and prosperity.
If they play their cards well and manage their affairs with stringent discipline, their children will not trod the rough path they came from and their fortune will surely reflect on the lives of other people who are closely associated with them.
A few other sportsmen and women like Abedi Ayew Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Samuel Osei Kufuor, who have taken the lead by undergoing positive social transformation in their lives, have proved that sports is no longer just a game but a profession, which holds the key to the social and economic emancipation of the youth of this country.
We have always heard of various strategies for job creation and poverty alleviation, which at the end of the day leave very little impact on the economy in general or brings just some solace to the large army of unemployed youth roaming the streets like zombies.
We cannot wait for the establishment of big factories to create employment for our youth because that day will never come.
Second, the factories alone cannot guarantee them decent living and a sound wealth since salaries will depend on various factors, including qualification, skills and market forces.
Since most of these young men and women are unskilled, with some of them being stark illiterates, we may give them jobs without necessarily improving their social and economic conditions.
Out of desperation, the youth are engaging in all sorts of dangerous activities with devastating consequences just to make ends meet.
About two weeks ago, the newspapers, including the Daily Graphic, had no option but to bring the full impact and dangers of illegal mining (galamsey) in pictures to Ghanaians. That was when 18 people, 14 of them women, lost their lives in a galamsey operation at Dompoase, near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, which went tragic.
Internet fraud, which has gained notoriety as ‘Sakawa’ in local parlance and armed robbery are some of the evils eating into our social fabric, because as it is said, the devil finds work for idle hands.
Until the oil money begins to flow and the factories begin to spring up everywhere, we , as a nation, still have a pool of talents to exploit to make this nation prosperous and to make the youth useful to themselves and the nation. That is through the magic of sports.
It has now been proven that we do not need to destroy the forests of this country, degrade the environment through mining activities and entangle ourselves in the production of raw cocoa beans to generate wealth and create employment in the country.
A little more investment in our human resources by improving upon sporting facilities will give a tremendous boost to sports development in the country.
We can take the development of soccer in the country to a more scientific level by establishing more football academies in many parts of the country to unearth more talents that abound all over the country.
These talents can be groomed to nourish the national league and later exported to play professional league in Europe and other parts of the world to bring hard cash into the country.
Apart from soccer, there are raw talents in other sporting fields that are waiting to be discovered and developed. What we need is a more serious approach to their development.
A standard basketball court, tennis court and boxing gym in every neighbourhood can turn the scale from joblessness and vulnerability to accomplished sportsmen and women prepared to rake in the millions of dollars beckoning them.
So far our success in football and boxing has been reliant on the natural talents of the young men and women with very little effort to add any scientific grooming. That is an indication that we can do better still on the international stage if we can make investment by way of expanding existing facilities and adding more at the regional and district levels to encourage the youth to take to sports which can easily make them competitive on the international market.
As the success story of the Black Satellites has proved, many years of galamsey, with its attendant dangers, can never bring the returns that a successful footballer, tennis player or boxer could bring to himself and his/her community.
The revival of the Academicals and other college sporting competitions could be the beginning of an aggressive sports development at the youth level.
Facilities at the community level will be a booster. That is why the neglect of the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex at Kaneshie is an apology for a country that claims to have made sports a cornerstone of its youth development policy.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sports and poverty elimination
By Kofi Akordor
THE euphoria of victory, especially in a major sporting event, can be very stimulating. And this explains why the country is still basking in the glory of lifting the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in far away Egypt. The victory in a way took away the nation’s pains over the Black Stars’ poor showing in the last two World Cup qualification matches.
The young men and their handlers who brought international glory to the country drove home brand new vehicles, which some of our top professionals, including medical officers and engineers, working in the public service would take probably their entire working life to acquire.
Apart from this, the Black Satellites players, having a bright future ahead of them, have been secured a solid foundation by the state with a GH¢10, 000 life insurance package each to mature between 10 and 15 years.
It must be stressed that this is just the beginning, coming from what could be described as locally-generated funds. There is more for them beyond, if they remain consistent and take their chosen careers seriously. Already we have been told that the star of the Egypt tournament, Dominic Adiyiah, has landed a lucrative signing with Italian Serie A giants, AC Milan.
In a short period of time, the lives of about 20 young players have undergone a dramatic change – a change that will take them and possibly other members of their families from poverty and place them in a world of wealth and prosperity.
If they play their cards well and manage their affairs with stringent discipline, their children will not trod the rough path they came from and their fortune will surely reflect on the lives of other people who are closely associated with them.
A few other sportsmen and women like Abedi Ayew Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Samuel Osei Kufuor, who have taken the lead by undergoing positive social transformation in their lives, have proved that sports is no longer just a game but a profession, which holds the key to the social and economic emancipation of the youth of this country.
We have always heard of various strategies for job creation and poverty alleviation, which at the end of the day leave very little impact on the economy in general or brings just some solace to the large army of unemployed youth roaming the streets like zombies.
We cannot wait for the establishment of big factories to create employment for our youth because that day will never come.
Second, the factories alone cannot guarantee them decent living and a sound wealth since salaries will depend on various factors, including qualification, skills and market forces. Since most of these young men and women are unskilled, with some of them being stark illiterates, we may give them jobs without necessarily improving their social and economic conditions.
Out of desperation, the youth are engaging in all sorts of dangerous activities with devastating consequences just to make ends meet. About two weeks ago, the newspapers, including the Daily Graphic, had no option but to bring the full impact and dangers of illegal mining (galamsey) in pictures to Ghanaians. That was when 18 people, 14 of them women, lost their lives in a galamsey operation at Dompoase, near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, which went tragic.
Internet fraud, which has gained notoriety as ‘Sakawa’ in local parlance and armed robbery are some of the evils eating into our social fabric, because as it is said, the devil finds work for idle hands.
Until the oil money begins to flow and the factories begin to spring up everywhere, we , as a nation, still have a pool of talents to exploit to make this nation prosperous and to make the youth useful to themselves and the nation. That is through the magic of sports.
It has now been proven that we do not need to destroy the forests of this country, degrade the environment through mining activities and entangle ourselves in the production of raw cocoa beans to generate wealth and create employment in the country. A little more investment in our human resources by improving upon sporting facilities will give a tremendous boost to sports development in the country.
We can take the development of soccer in the country to a more scientific level by establishing more football academies in many parts of the country to unearth more talents that abound all over the country. These talents can be groomed to nourish the national league and later exported to play professional league in Europe and other parts of the world to bring hard cash into the country.
Apart from soccer, there are raw talents in other sporting fields that are waiting to be discovered and developed. What we need is a more serious approach to their development. A standard basketball court, tennis court and boxing gym in every neighbourhood can turn the scale from joblessness and vulnerability to accomplished sportsmen and women prepared to rake in the millions of dollars beckoning them.
So far our success in football and boxing has been reliant on the natural talents of the young men and women with very little effort to add any scientific grooming. That is an indication that we can do better still on the international stage if we can make investment by way of expanding existing facilities and adding more at the regional and district levels to encourage the youth to take to sports which can easily make them competitive on the international market.
As the success story of the Black Satellites has proved, many years of galamsey, with its attendant dangers, can never bring the returns that a successful footballer, tennis player or boxer could bring to himself and his/her community.
The revival of the Academicals and other college sporting competitions could be the beginning of an aggressive sports development at the youth level. Facilities at the community level will be a booster. That is why the neglect of the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex at Kaneshie is an apology for a country that claims to have made sports a cornerstone of its youth development policy.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
THE euphoria of victory, especially in a major sporting event, can be very stimulating. And this explains why the country is still basking in the glory of lifting the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in far away Egypt. The victory in a way took away the nation’s pains over the Black Stars’ poor showing in the last two World Cup qualification matches.
The young men and their handlers who brought international glory to the country drove home brand new vehicles, which some of our top professionals, including medical officers and engineers, working in the public service would take probably their entire working life to acquire.
Apart from this, the Black Satellites players, having a bright future ahead of them, have been secured a solid foundation by the state with a GH¢10, 000 life insurance package each to mature between 10 and 15 years.
It must be stressed that this is just the beginning, coming from what could be described as locally-generated funds. There is more for them beyond, if they remain consistent and take their chosen careers seriously. Already we have been told that the star of the Egypt tournament, Dominic Adiyiah, has landed a lucrative signing with Italian Serie A giants, AC Milan.
In a short period of time, the lives of about 20 young players have undergone a dramatic change – a change that will take them and possibly other members of their families from poverty and place them in a world of wealth and prosperity.
If they play their cards well and manage their affairs with stringent discipline, their children will not trod the rough path they came from and their fortune will surely reflect on the lives of other people who are closely associated with them.
A few other sportsmen and women like Abedi Ayew Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Samuel Osei Kufuor, who have taken the lead by undergoing positive social transformation in their lives, have proved that sports is no longer just a game but a profession, which holds the key to the social and economic emancipation of the youth of this country.
We have always heard of various strategies for job creation and poverty alleviation, which at the end of the day leave very little impact on the economy in general or brings just some solace to the large army of unemployed youth roaming the streets like zombies.
We cannot wait for the establishment of big factories to create employment for our youth because that day will never come.
Second, the factories alone cannot guarantee them decent living and a sound wealth since salaries will depend on various factors, including qualification, skills and market forces. Since most of these young men and women are unskilled, with some of them being stark illiterates, we may give them jobs without necessarily improving their social and economic conditions.
Out of desperation, the youth are engaging in all sorts of dangerous activities with devastating consequences just to make ends meet. About two weeks ago, the newspapers, including the Daily Graphic, had no option but to bring the full impact and dangers of illegal mining (galamsey) in pictures to Ghanaians. That was when 18 people, 14 of them women, lost their lives in a galamsey operation at Dompoase, near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, which went tragic.
Internet fraud, which has gained notoriety as ‘Sakawa’ in local parlance and armed robbery are some of the evils eating into our social fabric, because as it is said, the devil finds work for idle hands.
Until the oil money begins to flow and the factories begin to spring up everywhere, we , as a nation, still have a pool of talents to exploit to make this nation prosperous and to make the youth useful to themselves and the nation. That is through the magic of sports.
It has now been proven that we do not need to destroy the forests of this country, degrade the environment through mining activities and entangle ourselves in the production of raw cocoa beans to generate wealth and create employment in the country. A little more investment in our human resources by improving upon sporting facilities will give a tremendous boost to sports development in the country.
We can take the development of soccer in the country to a more scientific level by establishing more football academies in many parts of the country to unearth more talents that abound all over the country. These talents can be groomed to nourish the national league and later exported to play professional league in Europe and other parts of the world to bring hard cash into the country.
Apart from soccer, there are raw talents in other sporting fields that are waiting to be discovered and developed. What we need is a more serious approach to their development. A standard basketball court, tennis court and boxing gym in every neighbourhood can turn the scale from joblessness and vulnerability to accomplished sportsmen and women prepared to rake in the millions of dollars beckoning them.
So far our success in football and boxing has been reliant on the natural talents of the young men and women with very little effort to add any scientific grooming. That is an indication that we can do better still on the international stage if we can make investment by way of expanding existing facilities and adding more at the regional and district levels to encourage the youth to take to sports which can easily make them competitive on the international market.
As the success story of the Black Satellites has proved, many years of galamsey, with its attendant dangers, can never bring the returns that a successful footballer, tennis player or boxer could bring to himself and his/her community.
The revival of the Academicals and other college sporting competitions could be the beginning of an aggressive sports development at the youth level. Facilities at the community level will be a booster. That is why the neglect of the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex at Kaneshie is an apology for a country that claims to have made sports a cornerstone of its youth development policy.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
WAITING FOR DISASTER TO STRIKE (NOV 17, PAGE 7)
ON Wednesday, October 14, 2009, Accra residents watched in hopeless awe as the 10-storey Ministry of Foreign Affairs building was in flames. It brought back sad memories of the events of September 11, 2001, during which the twin towers of the World Trade Centre (WTC) in New York came down under the impact of two aircraft which crashed into them.
Ours was a minor event; in fact, it pales into insignificance when compared to the WTC tragedy which claimed more than 3,000 lives in that suicide onslaught on the nerve centre of America’s economic and financial supremacy. All the same, by our standards, the Foreign Affairs building disaster was a national calamity.
The Americans suffered that painful loss not because they did not try. The magnitude and enormity of the problem was just overwhelming and far beyond human capability.
Most of the people who perished in the collapse of the twin towers were actually firemen who were racing to the upper floors of the building with all the accoutrements of their profession, when the vibration of the collapse of one of the buildings brought the other tumbling down in smoke and rubble, consuming all those inside and some of those outside the towers.
In our case, it started as a minor fire on the eighth floor of the 10-storey building. Our firemen and women responded with professional alacrity, got to the building and put all the training they have acquired over the years into display to save a vital national asset from the destructive effects of the inferno upstairs. But, alas, they were helpless.
They were outmanoeuvred and their incapability exposed. Our Foreign Affairs building which was but a dwarf compared with the WTC towers in New York, was too tall for our fire tenders to reach.
We were told that the only tender that came close to what was needed to put off the fire belongs to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority but which, by international convention and the requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO), cannot leave the Kotoka International Airport, under no circumstances.
At the peak of the blaze, the desperate fire service personnel said they could do something if only and only if they could be availed of the services of a military helicopter.
Dear reader, do not laugh. This is a nation that had never prepared for any emergency situation. You can bet that the military will have its own challenges if the country were to come under a sudden attack. The authorities will tell you this would never happen, and that you can be sure of our response.
So it came to pass that all we could do was to wail, scream and rain insults on the innocent and hapless fire service men and women as the giant edifice which took more than 10 years to construct to get consumed by the fire and in a matter of minutes, reduced to ashes vital documents which had been stored on our foreign affairs transactions predating the colonial era.
Very often when there is a fire outbreak, fire service personnel get to the place either too late or with inadequate hydrant to fight the fire. Their lateness is mostly attributed to heavy traffic which impedes their movement or lack of access to the disaster zone because of bad planning. This is evident in most of the fire outbreaks in our major markets.
The greatest constraint on the operation of the Ghana National Fire Service is poor equipment. In the October 14, 2009 fire disaster, personnel of the service arrived at the Foreign Affairs building early enough to save the situation but were handicapped by poor equipment.
We know that over the last few years, a few buildings rising above five storeys have sprung up in Accra and a few other places. Naturally this development should have been factored in when equipping the Ghana National Fire Service.
Typically of us, we might not have even given a thought to it, might have brushed it aside with the excuse that there is no money and simply left everything to nature. Sometimes nature can be very cruel and that was what happened in the evening of Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
The immediate official reaction, as usual, is always to pour out lamentations and proceed with the setting up of committees and indulge in fault-finding.
Promises may be made to overhaul the fire service and to furnish it with modern fire fighting equipment to enable it to match the challenging demands. After the last embers have gone cold, the disaster is forgotten until another one strikes.
One of the objectives of the Volta River project was to enhance inland transportation using the huge man-made lake that has been formed behind the Akosombo Dam.
More than 40 years after the formation of the lake, water transportation is still primitive, left in the hands of a few private boat owners who operate under no rules.
Meanwhile, there are several communities along the lake whose only means of transport to and from the various market centres is via the lake. They have no option but to rely on these private boat operators.
Any time there is a disaster, which is a regular occurrence, the same statements that have been made a million times is repeated.
The first government official to reach the disaster area will not fail to tell Ghanaians the government’s determination to make lake transportation safe. This would be followed with talks of enforcing the rules on the type of boats to be used to ferry passengers and the insistence that passengers use life jackets.
Several times too, we have heard that tree stumps would be removed from the lake to make it safer for boat operators. These things are easily forgotten once the last body is lowered into the grave until another disaster occurs.
By now we should have made transportation on the Volta Lake into very lucrative and viable business to make the bulk movement of goods and people between the south and the north very easy. This could have eased the excessive reliance on road transportation between the south and the north.
Unfortunately, over the years we have paid lip service to lake transportation, just as we have done to other areas of national development.
The Volta Lake and the numerous islands dotted in it are a very important national asset capable of transforming the economic fortunes of this country in the areas of agriculture, fishing and tourism if our political leaders and policy makers will be a little proactive and do the right thing.
For now, the only time the lake comes into the national picture is when a boat capsizes on it and innocent lives are lost. The rains are gone and the dry season is approaching. Soon the country will be plunged into a season of bushfires. Thereafter we would be waiting so we are waiting for the next first rain drops to remind us of our choked drains then the cycle of remedial measures starts all over again.
The Foreign Affairs building is gone. Are we waiting for the Cedi House, the Pyramid Tower or the Trust Towers to suffer the same fate before we act?
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Ours was a minor event; in fact, it pales into insignificance when compared to the WTC tragedy which claimed more than 3,000 lives in that suicide onslaught on the nerve centre of America’s economic and financial supremacy. All the same, by our standards, the Foreign Affairs building disaster was a national calamity.
The Americans suffered that painful loss not because they did not try. The magnitude and enormity of the problem was just overwhelming and far beyond human capability.
Most of the people who perished in the collapse of the twin towers were actually firemen who were racing to the upper floors of the building with all the accoutrements of their profession, when the vibration of the collapse of one of the buildings brought the other tumbling down in smoke and rubble, consuming all those inside and some of those outside the towers.
In our case, it started as a minor fire on the eighth floor of the 10-storey building. Our firemen and women responded with professional alacrity, got to the building and put all the training they have acquired over the years into display to save a vital national asset from the destructive effects of the inferno upstairs. But, alas, they were helpless.
They were outmanoeuvred and their incapability exposed. Our Foreign Affairs building which was but a dwarf compared with the WTC towers in New York, was too tall for our fire tenders to reach.
We were told that the only tender that came close to what was needed to put off the fire belongs to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority but which, by international convention and the requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO), cannot leave the Kotoka International Airport, under no circumstances.
At the peak of the blaze, the desperate fire service personnel said they could do something if only and only if they could be availed of the services of a military helicopter.
Dear reader, do not laugh. This is a nation that had never prepared for any emergency situation. You can bet that the military will have its own challenges if the country were to come under a sudden attack. The authorities will tell you this would never happen, and that you can be sure of our response.
So it came to pass that all we could do was to wail, scream and rain insults on the innocent and hapless fire service men and women as the giant edifice which took more than 10 years to construct to get consumed by the fire and in a matter of minutes, reduced to ashes vital documents which had been stored on our foreign affairs transactions predating the colonial era.
Very often when there is a fire outbreak, fire service personnel get to the place either too late or with inadequate hydrant to fight the fire. Their lateness is mostly attributed to heavy traffic which impedes their movement or lack of access to the disaster zone because of bad planning. This is evident in most of the fire outbreaks in our major markets.
The greatest constraint on the operation of the Ghana National Fire Service is poor equipment. In the October 14, 2009 fire disaster, personnel of the service arrived at the Foreign Affairs building early enough to save the situation but were handicapped by poor equipment.
We know that over the last few years, a few buildings rising above five storeys have sprung up in Accra and a few other places. Naturally this development should have been factored in when equipping the Ghana National Fire Service.
Typically of us, we might not have even given a thought to it, might have brushed it aside with the excuse that there is no money and simply left everything to nature. Sometimes nature can be very cruel and that was what happened in the evening of Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
The immediate official reaction, as usual, is always to pour out lamentations and proceed with the setting up of committees and indulge in fault-finding.
Promises may be made to overhaul the fire service and to furnish it with modern fire fighting equipment to enable it to match the challenging demands. After the last embers have gone cold, the disaster is forgotten until another one strikes.
One of the objectives of the Volta River project was to enhance inland transportation using the huge man-made lake that has been formed behind the Akosombo Dam.
More than 40 years after the formation of the lake, water transportation is still primitive, left in the hands of a few private boat owners who operate under no rules.
Meanwhile, there are several communities along the lake whose only means of transport to and from the various market centres is via the lake. They have no option but to rely on these private boat operators.
Any time there is a disaster, which is a regular occurrence, the same statements that have been made a million times is repeated.
The first government official to reach the disaster area will not fail to tell Ghanaians the government’s determination to make lake transportation safe. This would be followed with talks of enforcing the rules on the type of boats to be used to ferry passengers and the insistence that passengers use life jackets.
Several times too, we have heard that tree stumps would be removed from the lake to make it safer for boat operators. These things are easily forgotten once the last body is lowered into the grave until another disaster occurs.
By now we should have made transportation on the Volta Lake into very lucrative and viable business to make the bulk movement of goods and people between the south and the north very easy. This could have eased the excessive reliance on road transportation between the south and the north.
Unfortunately, over the years we have paid lip service to lake transportation, just as we have done to other areas of national development.
The Volta Lake and the numerous islands dotted in it are a very important national asset capable of transforming the economic fortunes of this country in the areas of agriculture, fishing and tourism if our political leaders and policy makers will be a little proactive and do the right thing.
For now, the only time the lake comes into the national picture is when a boat capsizes on it and innocent lives are lost. The rains are gone and the dry season is approaching. Soon the country will be plunged into a season of bushfires. Thereafter we would be waiting so we are waiting for the next first rain drops to remind us of our choked drains then the cycle of remedial measures starts all over again.
The Foreign Affairs building is gone. Are we waiting for the Cedi House, the Pyramid Tower or the Trust Towers to suffer the same fate before we act?
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
BLAME NOT THE ADVERTISERS (NOV 10)
Occasionally we hear protests from some militant women’s groups complaining about the portrayal of women as sex symbols by advertisers and corporate institutions which exploit the female body for commercial purposes.
There is also this complaint against what has been described as stereotyping that reinforces the perception that the only place for women at home is the kitchen, that is, if they are preparing the meals, or at the far corner of the bed making babies.
The matter would not die any time soon.
Last week, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), in a statement, expressed concern about the use of the media for advertisements that tended to show women as being less competent than men, thus, diminishing the dignity, value and accomplishments of successful women.
The statement blamed advertising agencies and corporate bodies for continuing to highlight those negative gender stereotypes in advertisements on products and services in the media.
These are serious and genuine concerns that deserve the attention of both men and women of goodwill who care for gender balance and equality and who want to see more of our women at the forefront of policy-making and implementation for the betterment of society.
The question, however, is, do we put all the blame at the doorstep of advertisers and corporate organisations for the continued portrayal of women as sex symbols, commercial objects and all other negative perceptions held about them?
No one is denying the fact that in our cultural setting, especially in the past, women were given minor roles to play in societal affairs. Even in that case, some of the decisions were informed by the perceived weaker physical disposition of women.
With better education and modernisation, women have now crossed many of the barriers which served as impediments to their path to emancipation and development.
Admittedly, there are pockets of resistance to this trend in some parts of the country where certain age-old traditions and cultural practices continue to stifle development and suppress the freedoms of women.
However, it must be said that generally or, at least, officially, women have had equal opportunities as their male counterparts to excel in many of the fields of endeavour they aspire to. The laws of the land do not frown upon the progress of women or discriminate against them, and, therefore, it can be said that at the state level, there is a fairly level ground for both men and women to advance in their chosen professions.
In our country, the problems confronting the girl-child are not much different from those confronting the boy-child. Both suffer from poor and irresponsible parenting, low family income and poor or inadequate educational facilities.
What women should seriously address is those psychological barriers which continue to make most of them feel inferior to men. Women, notwithstanding the achievements of some in all fields, continue to make demands for special or extra attention before they could make progress in their lives. With such a mentality, many do not want to go the extra mile in the search of self-redemption and the few that are able to make it sometimes leave clouds of doubt about their capabilities.
A few years ago, a renowned female educationalist, who had attained the highest level of learning as a professor in academia, suggested that the university entry grade for women should be lowered so that more women could gain access to university education.
That was a typical way of downgrading the capability of women and making them look inferior to their male counterparts. If that suggestion were to become a national policy, how do we make a case for equality between the two sexes? Incidentally, there are a lot of women who, in their own right and through their own efforts, have excelled in various spheres of life, including academia, business, public service, showbiz, etc.
On the exploitation of women for commercial purposes, women have to take a critical look at themselves and find out whether they have not directly or by inference made themselves commodities to be bought by the highest bidder?
Why are our women consumed by beauty contests that have so grown in numbers that these days they seem to be part of the academic calendar of our tertiary institutions? Indeed beauty contests have found their way into churches of all places.
Why should our future doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, scientists and many more be so willing to parade on stage half nude to the cameras in the name of beauty contests when they should be devouring volumes of literature that would transform their personal lives and bring honour and development to this nation tomorrow? And why should anybody blame event organisers and sponsors who cash in to market their commodities?
If young women chose to dance naked in video clips for the sake of musical works and alcoholic beverages, they can choose to avoid commercialising their bodies, if they care.
I am yet to see any of the women’s advocacy groups coming strongly against beauty contests, which do nothing but debase womanhood and reduce women to sex and commercial objects.
Those activists at the MOWAC should tell the rest of us what contribution beauty contests bring to national development and in what way they enhance the image of women as our mothers and future leaders.
When an educational institution with a strong religious inclination tried to enforce a dress code for its students, including females, some respectable women in society came out pontificating on human rights, personal liberties and freedoms to do anything, including the freedom to walk half-naked in public and on university campuses in defence of the appalling dressing habit of our young women in the name of fashion and modernity. Visit the university and polytechnic campuses and you will see aspiring intellectuals parading half-naked in the name of cultural liberation.
We still have a long-drawn battle to fight to rid society of certain obnoxious and oppressive cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which inflict severe hardships on women and deprive them of their dignity. A lot of these things cannot be stopped by legislation since they are practices deeply embedded in the cultural beliefs of the people. It is, therefore, up to our traditional authorities to relax the conditions of some of these practices or abolish them completely, whatever their historical origins.
The biggest task, however, rests with women themselves, who must come out of their psychological enclave, where they think their survival must come from outside. That orphaned posture adopted by women, always calling for support to do this or to do that, will only perpetuate their servitude to society. They must come out boldly and assert themselves. There is no need especially for women who want to venture into mainstream politics to continue to live in the shadows of men.
The beginning of this total emancipation and affirmative action should reflect in the manner women view beauty contests and other demeaning enterprises which add very little to their image.
Putting the blame on advertising agencies and corporate institutions will not solve the problem. It is for women to decide whether they want to be displayed as commodities on the open market or not. It is for them to determine whether their bodies are for sale or not.
And unless we are told that the advertised bodies were forced into those adverts, it is entirely the choice of women to be part or not part of commercial commodities on sale to the general public. They must look within and the remedy will not be too far away.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
Kofiakordor.blogspot.com
There is also this complaint against what has been described as stereotyping that reinforces the perception that the only place for women at home is the kitchen, that is, if they are preparing the meals, or at the far corner of the bed making babies.
The matter would not die any time soon.
Last week, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), in a statement, expressed concern about the use of the media for advertisements that tended to show women as being less competent than men, thus, diminishing the dignity, value and accomplishments of successful women.
The statement blamed advertising agencies and corporate bodies for continuing to highlight those negative gender stereotypes in advertisements on products and services in the media.
These are serious and genuine concerns that deserve the attention of both men and women of goodwill who care for gender balance and equality and who want to see more of our women at the forefront of policy-making and implementation for the betterment of society.
The question, however, is, do we put all the blame at the doorstep of advertisers and corporate organisations for the continued portrayal of women as sex symbols, commercial objects and all other negative perceptions held about them?
No one is denying the fact that in our cultural setting, especially in the past, women were given minor roles to play in societal affairs. Even in that case, some of the decisions were informed by the perceived weaker physical disposition of women.
With better education and modernisation, women have now crossed many of the barriers which served as impediments to their path to emancipation and development.
Admittedly, there are pockets of resistance to this trend in some parts of the country where certain age-old traditions and cultural practices continue to stifle development and suppress the freedoms of women.
However, it must be said that generally or, at least, officially, women have had equal opportunities as their male counterparts to excel in many of the fields of endeavour they aspire to. The laws of the land do not frown upon the progress of women or discriminate against them, and, therefore, it can be said that at the state level, there is a fairly level ground for both men and women to advance in their chosen professions.
In our country, the problems confronting the girl-child are not much different from those confronting the boy-child. Both suffer from poor and irresponsible parenting, low family income and poor or inadequate educational facilities.
What women should seriously address is those psychological barriers which continue to make most of them feel inferior to men. Women, notwithstanding the achievements of some in all fields, continue to make demands for special or extra attention before they could make progress in their lives. With such a mentality, many do not want to go the extra mile in the search of self-redemption and the few that are able to make it sometimes leave clouds of doubt about their capabilities.
A few years ago, a renowned female educationalist, who had attained the highest level of learning as a professor in academia, suggested that the university entry grade for women should be lowered so that more women could gain access to university education.
That was a typical way of downgrading the capability of women and making them look inferior to their male counterparts. If that suggestion were to become a national policy, how do we make a case for equality between the two sexes? Incidentally, there are a lot of women who, in their own right and through their own efforts, have excelled in various spheres of life, including academia, business, public service, showbiz, etc.
On the exploitation of women for commercial purposes, women have to take a critical look at themselves and find out whether they have not directly or by inference made themselves commodities to be bought by the highest bidder?
Why are our women consumed by beauty contests that have so grown in numbers that these days they seem to be part of the academic calendar of our tertiary institutions? Indeed beauty contests have found their way into churches of all places.
Why should our future doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, scientists and many more be so willing to parade on stage half nude to the cameras in the name of beauty contests when they should be devouring volumes of literature that would transform their personal lives and bring honour and development to this nation tomorrow? And why should anybody blame event organisers and sponsors who cash in to market their commodities?
If young women chose to dance naked in video clips for the sake of musical works and alcoholic beverages, they can choose to avoid commercialising their bodies, if they care.
I am yet to see any of the women’s advocacy groups coming strongly against beauty contests, which do nothing but debase womanhood and reduce women to sex and commercial objects.
Those activists at the MOWAC should tell the rest of us what contribution beauty contests bring to national development and in what way they enhance the image of women as our mothers and future leaders.
When an educational institution with a strong religious inclination tried to enforce a dress code for its students, including females, some respectable women in society came out pontificating on human rights, personal liberties and freedoms to do anything, including the freedom to walk half-naked in public and on university campuses in defence of the appalling dressing habit of our young women in the name of fashion and modernity. Visit the university and polytechnic campuses and you will see aspiring intellectuals parading half-naked in the name of cultural liberation.
We still have a long-drawn battle to fight to rid society of certain obnoxious and oppressive cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which inflict severe hardships on women and deprive them of their dignity. A lot of these things cannot be stopped by legislation since they are practices deeply embedded in the cultural beliefs of the people. It is, therefore, up to our traditional authorities to relax the conditions of some of these practices or abolish them completely, whatever their historical origins.
The biggest task, however, rests with women themselves, who must come out of their psychological enclave, where they think their survival must come from outside. That orphaned posture adopted by women, always calling for support to do this or to do that, will only perpetuate their servitude to society. They must come out boldly and assert themselves. There is no need especially for women who want to venture into mainstream politics to continue to live in the shadows of men.
The beginning of this total emancipation and affirmative action should reflect in the manner women view beauty contests and other demeaning enterprises which add very little to their image.
Putting the blame on advertising agencies and corporate institutions will not solve the problem. It is for women to decide whether they want to be displayed as commodities on the open market or not. It is for them to determine whether their bodies are for sale or not.
And unless we are told that the advertised bodies were forced into those adverts, it is entirely the choice of women to be part or not part of commercial commodities on sale to the general public. They must look within and the remedy will not be too far away.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
Kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Blame not the advertisers
By Kofi Akordor
Occasionally we hear protests from some militant women’s groups complaining about the portrayal of women as sex symbols by advertisers and corporate institutions which exploit the female body for commercial purposes. There is also this complaint against what has been described as stereotyping that reinforces the perception that the only place for women at home is the kitchen, that is, if they are preparing the meals, or at the far corner of the bed making babies.
The matter would not die any time soon.
Last week, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), in a statement, expressed concern about the use of the media for advertisements that tended to show women as being less competent than men, thus, diminishing the dignity, value and accomplishments of successful women.
The statement blamed advertising agencies and corporate bodies for continuing to highlight those negative gender stereotypes in advertisements on products and services in the media.
These are serious and genuine concerns that deserve the attention of both men and women of goodwill who care for gender balance and equality and who want to see more of our women at the forefront of policy-making and implementation for the betterment of society.
The question, however, is, do we put all the blame at the doorstep of advertisers and corporate organisations for the continued portrayal of women as sex symbols, commercial objects and all other negative perceptions held about them?
No one is denying the fact that in our cultural setting, especially in the past, women were given minor roles to play in societal affairs. Even in that case, some of the decisions were informed by the perceived weaker physical disposition of women.
With better education and modernisation, women have now crossed many of the barriers which served as impediments on their path to emancipation and development. Admittedly, there are pockets of resistance to this trend in some parts of the country where certain age-old traditions and cultural practices continue to stifle development and suppress the freedoms of women.
However, it must be said that generally or, at least, officially, women have had equal opportunities as their male counterparts to excel in many of the fields of endeavour they aspire to. The laws of the land do not frown upon the progress of women or discriminate against them, and, therefore, it can be said that at the state level, there is a fairly level ground for both men and women to advance in their chosen professions.
In our country, the problems confronting the girl-child are not much different from those confronting the boy-child. Both suffer from poor and irresponsible parenting, low family income and poor or inadequate educational facilities.
What women should seriously address is those psychological barriers which continue to make most of them feel inferior to men. Women, notwithstanding the achievements of some in all fields, continue to make demands for special or extra attention before they could make progress in their lives. With such a mentality, many do not want to go the extra mile in the search of self-redemption and the few that are able to make it sometimes leave clouds of doubt about their capabilities.
A few years ago, a renowned female educationalist, who had attained the highest level of learning as a professor in academia, suggested that the university entry grade for women should be lowered so that more women could gain access to university education. That was a typical way of downgrading the capability of women and making them look inferior to their male counterparts. If that suggestion were to become a national policy, how do we make a case for equality between the two sexes? Incidentally, there are a lot of women who, in their own right and through their own efforts, have excelled in various spheres of life, including academia, business, public service, showbiz, etc.
On the exploitation of women for commercial purposes, women have to take a critical look at themselves and find out whether they have not directly or by inference made themselves commodities to be bought by the highest bidder? Why are our women consumed by beauty contests that have so grown in numbers that these days they seem to be part of the academic calendar of our tertiary institutions? Indeed beauty contests have found their way into churches of all places.
Why should our future doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, scientists and many more be so willing to parade on stage half nude to the cameras in the name of beauty contests when they should be devouring volumes of literature that would transform their personal lives and bring honour and development to this nation tomorrow? And why should anybody blame event organisers and sponsors who cash in to market their commodities? If young women chose to dance naked in video clips for the sake of musical works and alcoholic beverages, they can choose to avoid commercialising their bodies, if they care.
I am yet to see any of the women’s advocacy groups coming strongly against beauty contests, which do nothing but debase womanhood and reduce women to sex and commercial objects. Those activists at the MOWAC should tell the rest of us what contribution beauty contests bring to national development and in what way they enhance the image of women as our mothers and future leaders.
When an educational institution with a strong religious inclination tried to enforce a dress code for its students, including females, some respectable women in society came out pontificating on human rights, personal liberties and freedoms to do anything, including the freedom to walk half-naked in public and on university campuses in defence of the appalling dressing habit of our young women in the name of fashion and modernity. Visit the university and polytechnic campuses and you will see aspiring intellectuals parading half-naked in the name of cultural liberation.
We still have a long-drawn battle to fight to rid society of certain obnoxious and oppressive cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which inflict severe hardships on women and deprive them of their dignity. A lot of these things cannot be stopped by legislation since they are practices deeply embedded in the cultural beliefs of the people. It is, therefore, up to our traditional authorities to relax the conditions of some of these practices or abolish them completely, whatever their historical origins.
The biggest task, however, rests with women themselves, who must come out of their psychological enclave, where they think their survival must come from outside. That orphaned posture adopted by women, always calling for support to do this or to do that, will only perpetuate their servitude to society. They must come out boldly and assert themselves. There is no need especially for women who want to venture into mainstream politics to continue to live in the shadows of men.
The beginning of this total emancipation and affirmative action should reflect in the manner women view beauty contests and other demeaning enterprises which add very little to their image.
Putting the blame on advertising agencies and corporate institutions will not solve the problem. It is for women to decide whether they want to be displayed as commodities on the open market or not. It is for them to determine whether their bodies are for sale or not. And unless we are told that the advertised bodies were forced into those adverts, it is entirely the choice of women to be part or not part of commercial commodities on sale to the general public. They must look within and the remedy will not be too far away.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
Kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Occasionally we hear protests from some militant women’s groups complaining about the portrayal of women as sex symbols by advertisers and corporate institutions which exploit the female body for commercial purposes. There is also this complaint against what has been described as stereotyping that reinforces the perception that the only place for women at home is the kitchen, that is, if they are preparing the meals, or at the far corner of the bed making babies.
The matter would not die any time soon.
Last week, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), in a statement, expressed concern about the use of the media for advertisements that tended to show women as being less competent than men, thus, diminishing the dignity, value and accomplishments of successful women.
The statement blamed advertising agencies and corporate bodies for continuing to highlight those negative gender stereotypes in advertisements on products and services in the media.
These are serious and genuine concerns that deserve the attention of both men and women of goodwill who care for gender balance and equality and who want to see more of our women at the forefront of policy-making and implementation for the betterment of society.
The question, however, is, do we put all the blame at the doorstep of advertisers and corporate organisations for the continued portrayal of women as sex symbols, commercial objects and all other negative perceptions held about them?
No one is denying the fact that in our cultural setting, especially in the past, women were given minor roles to play in societal affairs. Even in that case, some of the decisions were informed by the perceived weaker physical disposition of women.
With better education and modernisation, women have now crossed many of the barriers which served as impediments on their path to emancipation and development. Admittedly, there are pockets of resistance to this trend in some parts of the country where certain age-old traditions and cultural practices continue to stifle development and suppress the freedoms of women.
However, it must be said that generally or, at least, officially, women have had equal opportunities as their male counterparts to excel in many of the fields of endeavour they aspire to. The laws of the land do not frown upon the progress of women or discriminate against them, and, therefore, it can be said that at the state level, there is a fairly level ground for both men and women to advance in their chosen professions.
In our country, the problems confronting the girl-child are not much different from those confronting the boy-child. Both suffer from poor and irresponsible parenting, low family income and poor or inadequate educational facilities.
What women should seriously address is those psychological barriers which continue to make most of them feel inferior to men. Women, notwithstanding the achievements of some in all fields, continue to make demands for special or extra attention before they could make progress in their lives. With such a mentality, many do not want to go the extra mile in the search of self-redemption and the few that are able to make it sometimes leave clouds of doubt about their capabilities.
A few years ago, a renowned female educationalist, who had attained the highest level of learning as a professor in academia, suggested that the university entry grade for women should be lowered so that more women could gain access to university education. That was a typical way of downgrading the capability of women and making them look inferior to their male counterparts. If that suggestion were to become a national policy, how do we make a case for equality between the two sexes? Incidentally, there are a lot of women who, in their own right and through their own efforts, have excelled in various spheres of life, including academia, business, public service, showbiz, etc.
On the exploitation of women for commercial purposes, women have to take a critical look at themselves and find out whether they have not directly or by inference made themselves commodities to be bought by the highest bidder? Why are our women consumed by beauty contests that have so grown in numbers that these days they seem to be part of the academic calendar of our tertiary institutions? Indeed beauty contests have found their way into churches of all places.
Why should our future doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, scientists and many more be so willing to parade on stage half nude to the cameras in the name of beauty contests when they should be devouring volumes of literature that would transform their personal lives and bring honour and development to this nation tomorrow? And why should anybody blame event organisers and sponsors who cash in to market their commodities? If young women chose to dance naked in video clips for the sake of musical works and alcoholic beverages, they can choose to avoid commercialising their bodies, if they care.
I am yet to see any of the women’s advocacy groups coming strongly against beauty contests, which do nothing but debase womanhood and reduce women to sex and commercial objects. Those activists at the MOWAC should tell the rest of us what contribution beauty contests bring to national development and in what way they enhance the image of women as our mothers and future leaders.
When an educational institution with a strong religious inclination tried to enforce a dress code for its students, including females, some respectable women in society came out pontificating on human rights, personal liberties and freedoms to do anything, including the freedom to walk half-naked in public and on university campuses in defence of the appalling dressing habit of our young women in the name of fashion and modernity. Visit the university and polytechnic campuses and you will see aspiring intellectuals parading half-naked in the name of cultural liberation.
We still have a long-drawn battle to fight to rid society of certain obnoxious and oppressive cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which inflict severe hardships on women and deprive them of their dignity. A lot of these things cannot be stopped by legislation since they are practices deeply embedded in the cultural beliefs of the people. It is, therefore, up to our traditional authorities to relax the conditions of some of these practices or abolish them completely, whatever their historical origins.
The biggest task, however, rests with women themselves, who must come out of their psychological enclave, where they think their survival must come from outside. That orphaned posture adopted by women, always calling for support to do this or to do that, will only perpetuate their servitude to society. They must come out boldly and assert themselves. There is no need especially for women who want to venture into mainstream politics to continue to live in the shadows of men.
The beginning of this total emancipation and affirmative action should reflect in the manner women view beauty contests and other demeaning enterprises which add very little to their image.
Putting the blame on advertising agencies and corporate institutions will not solve the problem. It is for women to decide whether they want to be displayed as commodities on the open market or not. It is for them to determine whether their bodies are for sale or not. And unless we are told that the advertised bodies were forced into those adverts, it is entirely the choice of women to be part or not part of commercial commodities on sale to the general public. They must look within and the remedy will not be too far away.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
Kofiakordor.blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
IS THE NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME DRIFTING OFF COURSE? (NOV 3)
THE beginning of every national service year witnesses a frenzy of activity at the National Service Secretariat.
The reason being that postings are taking place and parents and prospective national service persons apply all the tricks up their sleeves and pull all the strings available to them to get postings to areas that will make them comfortable or to avoid areas that have become more or less like prison camps.
The exercise of making postings is not something anyone should envy as every officer, from the Executive Director to the district directors come under severe pressure to satisfy ministers, board members, neighbours, friends, relatives, church members and of course party bigwigs whose big eyes and long arms are always watching and pulling strings in the whole process.
The question is, why should national service postings become such a huge burden for the managers of the scheme? On the other hand, why should national service postings to certain parts of the country or to certain institutions be seen as wicked and callous acts on the part of the managers?
In trying to answer these questions, we need to trace the origins of the scheme which was introduced by the National Redemption Council (NRC) under General Ignatus Kutu Acheampong. This was backed the National Service Scheme Decree, (NRCD 208) of 1973. This was later repealed and replaced by the Ghana National Service Scheme Act (Act 426) of 1980, which was enacted by Parliament under the Third Republican Constitution.
The principles and objectives of the service, however, remain the same. Right from its inception, the scheme has as its core objectives, been encouraging the spirit of national service among the youth in the effort of nation-building; to undertake projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease and unemployment; help provide essential services and amenities particularly in towns and villages of the rural areas; to develop skilled manpower through practical training; and to promote national unity and strengthen the bonds of common citizenship among Ghanaians.
Initially, the law made it compulsory for students of the three state universities, namely the University of Ghana, Legon; the University of Science and Technology (UST), Kumasi, now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to do one-year national service after graduation.
The duration of the service persons changed to two years after disturbances in the country’s universities in 1983 forced the authorities to close them down for nearly one academic year. Since there were no fresh admissions in 1984 when the universities were re-opened, Sixth Formers were also drafted into the national service scheme. This was a tactical move to clear the backlog of sixth form students who were stranded because they could not enter the universities.
The number of service personnel has swelled up over the years as a result of the addition of graduates of other tertiary institutions including the new state universities, the polytechnics and the numerous private universities that are springing up everyday. This year for example, the scheme is deploying 60,700 service personnel throughout the country.
With the passage of time, the scheme started to make a gradual shift from its core objectives stated earlier to become more or less an employment avenue for the thousands of youth who graduate each year from the country’s tertiary institutions. The scheme, it is becoming clearer by the day, is no longer a call to national duty, but an opportunity to make money and possibly gain employment after the service period. That is why there is that mad scramble for juicy places in the towns and cities where national service duties are least needed, as against the rural communities and other depraved sectors of national development which are drained of human resources.
The scheme, if we are to go back to its core objectives, exists to mobilise and deploy young people of 18 years and above on national priority development programmes that contribute to improving the quality of life of the ordinary Ghanaian. How do we attain this national goal, if service personnel are deployed in offices in Accra and other big towns where they do very little during their service period?
Another important aspect of the objectives was the promotion of national unity and strengthening the bonds of common citizenship among Ghanaians. How do we achieve this noble objective of national integration if Ghanaians are not prepared to do national service in certain parts of the country?
In a press statement to mark this year’s national service postings, the Executive Secretary, Mr Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, reiterated that, “The development issues which ignited the spontaneous response of students and the general public to readily accept the concept of national service four decades ago and availed themselves to offer service to the nation are still very relevant”.
Mr Kuagbenu stirred the hornet’s nest recently when he declared that newly-trained medical officers are also to do national service as demanded under the Ghana National Service Scheme Act. This was apparently to address the deficiency in health personnel, especially nurses and doctors in most of the country’s health facilities in the rural areas.
The Executive Secretary of the National Service Scheme was only stating the obvious as prescribed by law but which has been ignored over the years, and many were those who were quick to raise issues with his position.
Life in the rural areas is not only stagnant but very repulsive because of the harsh conditions there. Many of their schools lack qualified and good teachers. Many of their medical facilities are without the full complement of staff.
There are a lot of classrooms, clinics and other social infrastructure which need to be constructed. These need not necessarily be put to tender and create room for corruption, delays and shoddy work. Communities in the rural areas are ready and prepared to do anything to improve their lives if only the government will give them a slight push. They will welcome the supply of building materials and the presence of national service personnel and with local artisans in abundance; build their own classroom blocks, clinics, community centres and many. They can even build their own small irrigation canals for their farms with the support of national service personnel. The Dawhenya Irrigation Project which was executed by students when Colonel George Bernasko was in charge of agriculture proves that point.
If the dream of the originators of the national service scheme about four decades were allowed to crystallise, a lot of our rural communities would have been transformed with better infrastructure including classrooms, clinics, water systems, recreational facilities and many more. Then the national service would have served its purpose of inculcating the spirit of nationalism and patriotism in the youth; it would have garnered the skills and energies of the youth into national development and by settling among the people, working with them, sharing in their communal life and by mixing with the youth from other parts of the country, the target of national integration would have been in sight if not achieved already.
The recent outcry over the national service postings only goes to illustrate how the scheme has been prostituted over the years to become a mere employment agency with very little touch of national service.
How do people do national service working in the banks and hotels in Accra and other big towns? What is national about those services? So if we allow some Ghanaians to work in glittering offices in Accra and the big towns, how do we justify the posting of other Ghanaians to rural communities to work under harsh conditions when at the end of the day, the national service certificate will be the same for the two categories of service personnel?
We are all guilty for the various roles we played in steering the scheme off its original course. Those to take the biggest blame are those powerful men and women in government and other high places who do not want their children to leave the comfort of their homes to do national service where their services are crucially needed.
Many Americans, Europeans and Japanese have left their relatively far better conditions in their countries to come here and serve our people in their poor communities. Why do we have many excuses for not rendering national service where it is needed most?
This year, a bold attempt was made to come close to what the scheme was originally meant to be, for which the Executive Director needs to be commended even though this was met with the chagrin of some people. An attempt to introduce military training into the scheme in the past was met with resistance, even though, today, as we battle with the menace of armed robbery many Ghanaians would wish that they were in a position to defend themselves when they come under attack from these miscreants.
The national service scheme is a noble one and many countries have used it not only for nation building but also for social integration. Our national service scheme can also achieve the desired effects if we can go back to its core objectives which are as relevant today as they were yesterday.
The scheme must, therefore, discourage posting service personnel to the cities and big towns and concentrate on rural development. That also means the scheme must aim at becoming an autonomous institution that could camp its personnel at specific project sites so that service personnel do not use lack of accommodation and other logistics to avoid serving their nation.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
The reason being that postings are taking place and parents and prospective national service persons apply all the tricks up their sleeves and pull all the strings available to them to get postings to areas that will make them comfortable or to avoid areas that have become more or less like prison camps.
The exercise of making postings is not something anyone should envy as every officer, from the Executive Director to the district directors come under severe pressure to satisfy ministers, board members, neighbours, friends, relatives, church members and of course party bigwigs whose big eyes and long arms are always watching and pulling strings in the whole process.
The question is, why should national service postings become such a huge burden for the managers of the scheme? On the other hand, why should national service postings to certain parts of the country or to certain institutions be seen as wicked and callous acts on the part of the managers?
In trying to answer these questions, we need to trace the origins of the scheme which was introduced by the National Redemption Council (NRC) under General Ignatus Kutu Acheampong. This was backed the National Service Scheme Decree, (NRCD 208) of 1973. This was later repealed and replaced by the Ghana National Service Scheme Act (Act 426) of 1980, which was enacted by Parliament under the Third Republican Constitution.
The principles and objectives of the service, however, remain the same. Right from its inception, the scheme has as its core objectives, been encouraging the spirit of national service among the youth in the effort of nation-building; to undertake projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease and unemployment; help provide essential services and amenities particularly in towns and villages of the rural areas; to develop skilled manpower through practical training; and to promote national unity and strengthen the bonds of common citizenship among Ghanaians.
Initially, the law made it compulsory for students of the three state universities, namely the University of Ghana, Legon; the University of Science and Technology (UST), Kumasi, now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to do one-year national service after graduation.
The duration of the service persons changed to two years after disturbances in the country’s universities in 1983 forced the authorities to close them down for nearly one academic year. Since there were no fresh admissions in 1984 when the universities were re-opened, Sixth Formers were also drafted into the national service scheme. This was a tactical move to clear the backlog of sixth form students who were stranded because they could not enter the universities.
The number of service personnel has swelled up over the years as a result of the addition of graduates of other tertiary institutions including the new state universities, the polytechnics and the numerous private universities that are springing up everyday. This year for example, the scheme is deploying 60,700 service personnel throughout the country.
With the passage of time, the scheme started to make a gradual shift from its core objectives stated earlier to become more or less an employment avenue for the thousands of youth who graduate each year from the country’s tertiary institutions. The scheme, it is becoming clearer by the day, is no longer a call to national duty, but an opportunity to make money and possibly gain employment after the service period. That is why there is that mad scramble for juicy places in the towns and cities where national service duties are least needed, as against the rural communities and other depraved sectors of national development which are drained of human resources.
The scheme, if we are to go back to its core objectives, exists to mobilise and deploy young people of 18 years and above on national priority development programmes that contribute to improving the quality of life of the ordinary Ghanaian. How do we attain this national goal, if service personnel are deployed in offices in Accra and other big towns where they do very little during their service period?
Another important aspect of the objectives was the promotion of national unity and strengthening the bonds of common citizenship among Ghanaians. How do we achieve this noble objective of national integration if Ghanaians are not prepared to do national service in certain parts of the country?
In a press statement to mark this year’s national service postings, the Executive Secretary, Mr Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, reiterated that, “The development issues which ignited the spontaneous response of students and the general public to readily accept the concept of national service four decades ago and availed themselves to offer service to the nation are still very relevant”.
Mr Kuagbenu stirred the hornet’s nest recently when he declared that newly-trained medical officers are also to do national service as demanded under the Ghana National Service Scheme Act. This was apparently to address the deficiency in health personnel, especially nurses and doctors in most of the country’s health facilities in the rural areas.
The Executive Secretary of the National Service Scheme was only stating the obvious as prescribed by law but which has been ignored over the years, and many were those who were quick to raise issues with his position.
Life in the rural areas is not only stagnant but very repulsive because of the harsh conditions there. Many of their schools lack qualified and good teachers. Many of their medical facilities are without the full complement of staff.
There are a lot of classrooms, clinics and other social infrastructure which need to be constructed. These need not necessarily be put to tender and create room for corruption, delays and shoddy work. Communities in the rural areas are ready and prepared to do anything to improve their lives if only the government will give them a slight push. They will welcome the supply of building materials and the presence of national service personnel and with local artisans in abundance; build their own classroom blocks, clinics, community centres and many. They can even build their own small irrigation canals for their farms with the support of national service personnel. The Dawhenya Irrigation Project which was executed by students when Colonel George Bernasko was in charge of agriculture proves that point.
If the dream of the originators of the national service scheme about four decades were allowed to crystallise, a lot of our rural communities would have been transformed with better infrastructure including classrooms, clinics, water systems, recreational facilities and many more. Then the national service would have served its purpose of inculcating the spirit of nationalism and patriotism in the youth; it would have garnered the skills and energies of the youth into national development and by settling among the people, working with them, sharing in their communal life and by mixing with the youth from other parts of the country, the target of national integration would have been in sight if not achieved already.
The recent outcry over the national service postings only goes to illustrate how the scheme has been prostituted over the years to become a mere employment agency with very little touch of national service.
How do people do national service working in the banks and hotels in Accra and other big towns? What is national about those services? So if we allow some Ghanaians to work in glittering offices in Accra and the big towns, how do we justify the posting of other Ghanaians to rural communities to work under harsh conditions when at the end of the day, the national service certificate will be the same for the two categories of service personnel?
We are all guilty for the various roles we played in steering the scheme off its original course. Those to take the biggest blame are those powerful men and women in government and other high places who do not want their children to leave the comfort of their homes to do national service where their services are crucially needed.
Many Americans, Europeans and Japanese have left their relatively far better conditions in their countries to come here and serve our people in their poor communities. Why do we have many excuses for not rendering national service where it is needed most?
This year, a bold attempt was made to come close to what the scheme was originally meant to be, for which the Executive Director needs to be commended even though this was met with the chagrin of some people. An attempt to introduce military training into the scheme in the past was met with resistance, even though, today, as we battle with the menace of armed robbery many Ghanaians would wish that they were in a position to defend themselves when they come under attack from these miscreants.
The national service scheme is a noble one and many countries have used it not only for nation building but also for social integration. Our national service scheme can also achieve the desired effects if we can go back to its core objectives which are as relevant today as they were yesterday.
The scheme must, therefore, discourage posting service personnel to the cities and big towns and concentrate on rural development. That also means the scheme must aim at becoming an autonomous institution that could camp its personnel at specific project sites so that service personnel do not use lack of accommodation and other logistics to avoid serving their nation.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
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