Features
A dilemma called Ghana (Part 4)
Ghana’s coat of arms
In this penultimate edition of my five-part series on the above topic, I seek to discuss the road to what has become wrongly termed the Fourth Republic. I make this assertion because Ghana has never been re-colonised since our independence on March 6, 1957, and our republican status in 1960.
I will look at certain landmarks since the 31st December Revolution that brought Jerry Rawlings back into the saddle, this time with a Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) that ruled for eleven years.
I was on a short holiday in Ghana when 31st December happened and I went through the hassle of chasing an exit permit to be able to fly out of the country. That period saw the harshest hamarttan season I have ever witnessed.
Once again, many Ghanaians supported the return of Rawlings since the PNP administration was bickering within itself instead of focussing on governance. Workers Defence Committees (WDC) and People’s Defence Committees (PDC) were set up to uphold and ensure probity and accountability with revolutionary fervour.
These committees were later to merge as Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR). The CDR were empowered to adjudicate and resolve certain petty litigations. Public Tribunals were set up to fast track legal matters since the courts were considered too slow with justice delivery.
But the Revolution was roundly condemned in the Western media. Nigerian media were vociferous in their condemnation of the situation in Ghana. Their stance was to shift later in 1982, when Rawlings attended an ECOWAS meeting in Lagos. As part of his closing remarks, Rawlings said something to the effect that their deliberations would be meaningless if the conference was just a forum for drinking wine and photo ops and no action was taken.
By that delivery, Rawlings became the darling of the Nigerian media. And that respect has been there to date. No wonder Nigerians kept saying that if we did not want Rawlings, we should send him to them.
However, that country was to deport over a million and a half Ghanaians in 1983. I was reporting on the harrowing experience the deportees were facing in various suburbs of Lagos for the media organisation I was an intern with in that country. Many lost their belongings or gave them away at ridiculously low prices. Some others ran back to Ghana with vehicles belonging to their bosses.
Our compatriots came home to a country that was suffering a devastating drought and bush fires with virtually no food to feed the masses. But the PNDC marshalled a team to get the returnees settled. The National Mobilisation Programme was set up, and that became a rallying point for disaster management.
The Programme was to settle the returnees within 90 days. It later set up Mobisquads that engaged in replanting cocoa plantations burnt by wildfires on a voluntary basis. They were in every corner of the country, helping farmers, and food production was on the mend.
The PNDC encouraged women’s participation in the decision making process. The 31st December Women’s Movement idea, which was originally mooted by the likes of Mrs. Nicol, Cecilia Johnson, Sherry Ayittey, and others, became concretised and put women empowerment on a high pedestal under the presidency of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, wife of Jerry Rawlings.
Rawlings’ charisma and bonding with the people were the rallying points for the national drive to change the direction of governance where the people owned their decisions. But dissent was growing both at home and abroad. As the pressure gathered momentum, the PNDC set up a National Commission for Democracy to collect and collate views on the way forward for the country.
The verdict was that Ghana needed a return to constitutional democracy. As a result, a consultative assembly was elected to draft a constitution that was put to the people in a referendum for approval. The 1992 Constitution was, therefore, overwhelmingly endorsed by Ghanaians.
The fact that constitutional democracy was being restored did not mean the PNDC was a failure. Road infrastructure, schools, health facilities, and some industries were improved to appreciable levels, thanks to Rawlings’ personal hands-on approach to leadership. Professionalism was injected into the Armed Forces, which to a large extent won them the respect they had lost under the SMC regimes.
Many political parties sprang up for Election 1992. The actors of the PNDC formed the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nkrumah’s CPP was splintered into many parties and the Progress Party became the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Rawlings won the presidential election as the NDC candidate against the NPP’s Prof. Albert Adu Boahen. Not satisfied with the result, the NPP boycotted the parliamentary vote.
The NDC again won the general elections in 1996 with the NPP entering Parliament this time. Constitutional democracy was working for Ghana. With this came many structural reforms in education, the judiciary, commerce, and health delivery.
The revolutionary verve was receding as government policies were scrutinised and dissected by the opposition and the media. Though Rawlings’s charisma was intact, democratic protocols impeded his free-spirited leadership style. Ordinary people’s access to him was restricted. Though he found a way to break protocol occasionally, it was very few and far between.
Election 2000 saw the NPP win under the leadership of Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor. The campaign was toxic, with the NPP accusing the NDC of corruption and lacking the economic savvy to continue in power. The NDC, on the other hand, pointed to the political antecedents of the tribalistic divisiveness of the NPP.
The NPP declared Ghana a highly indebted poor country (HIPC), a situation that made lending countries forgive the country’s debts. It allowed for more inflows of cash and grants. The cedi was re-denominated with three zeroes yanked off. A thousand cedis then became One Ghana Cedi. It is instructive that even today, some Ghanaians refer to the cedi in the old terms. A hundred cedis is still One Million, isn’t it?
Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the NDC candidate and who was Rawlings’ Vice President, took the electoral loss in stride and bided his time. He lost again to Kufuor in 2004. With campaign messages of corruption and nepotism against the Kufuor administration, the NDC took the electoral fight to the NPP.=
The HIPC idea had lost steam, and the government took the country out of the programme and began a new journey into the international borrowing market. Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, with John Dramani Mahama as running mate, won Election 2008 against the NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
I recall a private chat he had with me after I interviewed him at the NDC congress at the University of Ghana in 2006. Prof. Mills told me why he wanted to be president. He said, “My brother, as humans, we must abhor greed and selfishness in public office. Birds sing without seeking an audience. Flowers give out fragrances, asking for nothing in return. Trees take carbon dioxide and give us oxygen, but only humans have the propensity to cheat nature and their fellow humans. This must stop.”
Prof. Mills epitomised what the import of his chat with me portrayed throughout his time as President. A deeply religious man, he did not shy away from holding occasional prayer sessions at the presidency, to the chagrin of the opposition. He was visibly furious with state institutions whose staff condoned acts of corruption.
In spite of his health concerns, Atta Mills was on top of national issues until his sudden death on July 24, 2012, at age 68. I was in New York when my daughter called to inform me. At JFK that evening, other passengers on our flight to Accra got to know as I was discussing the sad situation with a classmate of the late President.
John Dramani Mahama was to be sworn in as President that evening in accordance with constitutional provisions.
By Dr Akofa K. Segbefia
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
Features
Preventing the brain’s melting point with BOS
The human brain is a complex and delicate organ, susceptible to damage from various factors, including extreme temperatures.
The brain’s melting point, also known as the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, is a critical concern for individuals seeking to maintain optimal cognitive function.
Fortunately, the Brain Operating System (BOS) offers a revolutionary solution to prevent the brain’s melting point.
Understanding the brain’s melting point
The brain’s melting point refers to the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, leading to irreversible damage.
This temperature threshold varies depending on individual factors, such as age, health, and environmental conditions. However, research suggests that the brain’s melting point is approximately 104°F (40°C) to 107°F (42°C).
The role of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
BOS, a cutting-edge technology, plays a crucial role in preventing the brain’s melting point. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, ensuring that it remains within a safe range.
How BOS prevents the brain’s melting point
BOS prevents the brain’s melting point through several mechanisms:
1. Temperature regulation: BOS continuously monitors brain temperature, adjusting neural activity to maintain a stable temperature.
2. Heat dissipation: BOS enhances heat dissipation through increased blood flow and sweating.
3. Neuro protection: BOS protects neurons from heat-induced damage.
Benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
The benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point are numerous:
1. Prevents brain damage: BOS prevents brain damage caused by excessive heat.
2. Maintains cognitive function: BOS ensures optimal cognitive function by maintaining stable brain temperature.
3. Enhances brain resilience: BOS enhances brain resilience to temperature fluctuations.
Real-World applications of BOS
BOS has various real-world applications:
1. High-performance computing: BOS enables high-performance computing by maintaining optimal brain temperature.
2. Medical applications: BOS has medical applications, such as treating heat-related illnesses.
3. Space exploration: BOS is crucial for space exploration, where extreme temperatures pose a significant risk.
Conclusion
BOS is a revolutionary technology that prevents the brain’s melting point, ensuring optimal cognitive function and overall well-being. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, protecting against heat-related damage.
Glossary:
1. BOS: Brain Operating System.
2. Brain’s melting point: Temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade.
3. Neural interface: Connects human brain with digital devices.
Contact Information
virginvtech@yahoo.com
Additional resources:
1. BOS research: Explore scientific studies.
2. Neural interface resources: Discover books and articles.
3. Brain-computer interface communities: Join online forums.
Future directions
As BOS technology continues to evolve, we can expect:
1. Improved temperature regulation: Enhanced temperature regulation mechanisms.
2. Increased cognitive enhancement: Advanced cognitive enhancement capabilities.
3. Expanded applications: New applications in various fields.
By harnessing the power of BOS, individuals can safeguard their brain health and maintain optimal cognitive function, even in extreme environments.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Lotto wahala and Tuobodom palaver
In Sikaman lotto is not a game. It is a profession, a noble career which people aspire to. It is the highest paying profession after armed robbery and the most widespread job on this side of the Atlantic.
In places like China, lotto is a disease that has no cure. Once you are infected, no doctor on earth can cure you. May be Kofi Larteh, Ghana’s most celebrated magician, can help ease the symptoms, but no definitive cure will be forthcoming.
Coming back to Sikaman, lotto has been the financial messiah of many. That is how people look after their large families, pay school fees, marry two wives and do their own ‘monkey things.’
If you are very poor and you win a lottery, chances are that you will die before you even collect the money. You’ll die out of excitement or you’ll start day-dreaming in the streets and an articulated truck will hit you.
As such, very heavy wins are not recommended for poor people, lest they get listed too soon in the obituary columns.
The sad story is told of a heavy-duty caterpillar driver who had a very heavy lotto windfall of several millions, his first big win after several years.
CATERPILLAR
He was driving the caterpillar home when he saw his son running towards him, shouting. “All your numbers have dropped! All your numbers have dropped! He could not believe his ears.
All the four numbers he had staked had dropped and his son, who had gone to stake them for him, was himself over-excited. The poor caterpillar man just could not handle the good news. He suddenly stepped on the brakes and the caterpillar jolted him a trifle too violently, throwing him off. He landed right in front of the still moving heavy-duty machine and it crushed him flat.
I don’t think the bloke would have died if he had won a smaller amount. Sometimes too much cash is not good for the health.
Seldom, people get too confident and that can also result in a wake-keeping, like that of a man who used his lifetime savings and borrowed extra money to crack the machine with a two-sure that the compiler must compulsory drop or the world will end.
Even the shadows of the numbers or their counterparts were nowhere near the winning numbers. His shock-absorbers crumbled under the weight of the heavy disappointment. He crashed to the floor and started foaming at the mouth. He was declared dead on arrival at the nearest clinic.
WINDFALL
Recently, there was a countrywide lotto windfall, and in Kumasi it was more than a festival. Most stakers had between ¢30m and ¢40 million on two-sure that the lotto magicians had predicted at least three weeks earlier,
Kejetia chop bars were besieged with overnight millionaires, carrying huge appetites induced by Opeimu Bitters popularly called Opeimu Peters. All the meat and mudfish got sold out within an hour and procurement agents had to double up to restock.
While some were celebrating, others were weeping and gnashing teeth. The problem was that, three weeks beforehand, the two sure numbers were declared by all the lotto sorcerers, dreamers, magicians, tellers and all the self-appointed and self-promoted forecasters.
Everybody including 10-year-olds, who staked and lost. The following week, they were advised to continue staking. The faithful did continue but the faithless stopped. All of them lost. In the third week or so, a good number of confident stakers had lost faith in the two numbers. That was when the number landed.
So the windfall was for only those who had the unshakeable faith in the numbers. See what faith can do? It can move dollars. Don’t waver, so saith the holy scriptures.
The faithless indeed gnashed teeth. The winners on the other hand celebrated with a song that is as controversial as the business of lotto. It is a song played by the group called Nkasei and has something to do with a town in the Brong Ahafo Region called Tuobodom whose capital we hear is Jinijini.
I hear it is a derogatory song and the queen mother of Tuobodom got charged and breathed out electric current during her protest on air. She allegedly ended up demanding a mobile phone from Nkasei so that she could communicate with them to settle the matter peacefully, lest wahala.
Well, the song is rising up the charts and Nkasei are making the dough, but should it be at the expense of a whole townsfolk, their forebears and generations to come?
WATERPROOF
Waterproof, the famous comedian, was allegedly given hefty slaps at the Kumasi rail station by some Frafra jingoists who felt he was deriding their tribe. And Bob Okala had to run with his tail between his legs when he was confronted and realised that slaps were going to be visited on his lean face.
Let’s not use words and lyrics to cause discomfort to others.
This article was first published on Saturday July 9, 2005
