Features
If I were the President…
There are several pertinent issues that must be prioritised if we are to move forward as a nation and therefore if I were the President of the Republic of Ghana…
I would prioritise Town Planning and ensure that, an effective monitoring system of town planning officials are in place. Most of the problems associated with disasters in our country are linked to the haphazard manner structures are sited in the towns and cities across the country.
Flooding in some areas are attributed to the structures that are built on water ways so that when it rains, the flow of water is impeded and it builds up and start entering peoples’ homes, destroying property worth thousands of cedis. Roads also get flooded and occasionally lives are lost.
Stretches of highways get flooded and economic activities are affected due to long queues of vehicles that are generated because the roads becomes impassable for a long time till the level of the flood goes down.
In other instances, the vehicles are restricted to only one lane. The major cause of these floods along the highways are due to filling of wetlands along the highways that are supposed to trap the excess water from the communities, but have been sold to developers and have been filled up and structures built, something that could have been prevented if town planning officials had done their job.
The reported incidents of fire tenders not being able to quench fires, due to lack of access to the place where the fire occurred are countless. This is something that should not happen if efficient town planning is in place and the responsibility falls squarely at the doorsteps of the Town and Country Planning Department.
If I were the President, I would ensure that there would not be anything called ‘kayaye’ in this country. Why should young girls be deprived of the opportunity of pursuing their dreams by obtaining adequate education, in order to unleash their God given talents for their own benefit and the benefit of society at large?
When you go to places where these young girls and women sleep, they are basically condemned to a life of misery. There are numerous cases of attempted rape and teenage pregnancy and a whole lot that happen to these ‘kayaye’ which is clearly a blot on our drive as a country to promote the rights of the girl child.
A deliberate policy should be adopted to address this issue by enforcing the law that makes it compulsory for every child to be in school and also create the enabling environment up north, to motivate people to stay in their communities instead of moving down south for non-existent opportunities.
I would relocate the residents of Old Fadama and Agbogbloshie Market to enable work on the Odaw river beautification project to go on. The Accra Beautification Project which was to have happened by end of 2008 is still in limbo due to lack of political will.
Relocating residents and the market to Adjen Kotoku area, would help in decongesting the central business district of Accra and more importantly be a source of income generation for Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
The perennial challenge of how to resolve the budget deficit would be tackled by initiating an entrepreneurial drive through a closer collaboration between industry and the universities.
There are numerous research projects that have the potential to greatly impact our industrialisation drive but are gathering dust on the shelves in our universities.
The setting up of a system of collaboration between industry and academia, that will sieve through these projects, to identify those with potential for implementation, must be prioritised.
The need for regulating activities of religious leaders, to curtail a lot of anti-social behaviour that has characterised the activities of some so called Men of God, would be prioritised. An acceptable way of licensing must be introduced by a regulatory body, made up of the leaders of the established Orthodox Churches and the Charismatic Churches.
They would determine the promotion and therefore who qualifies to be called a Pastor,Bishop etc. instead of the current situation where people in what is known as one-man churches, ascribe titles to themselves. Such a regulatory body should be clothed with the powers to sanction pastors, whose behaviour goes contrary to sound doctrine.
A system that would reduce the discretionary power of the judiciary as much as possible, would be put in place. Legislation would be crafted such that sentencing of say drug offenders, would be made based on the amount of drugs in terms of weight found on the offender.
I would also ensure that there are undercover auditors who would attend court hearings to monitor the rulings of the judiciary to ensure that justice is served.
The cry for affirmative action would be prioritised and implemented. Legislation would be enacted to compel political parties to reserve most of their safe seats for women as the first step in ensuring enough representation of constituencies by women in parliament.
The positive impact of this on both the social and economic life of the country, cannot be quantified. Shelters for abused children and women would also be prioritised to help protect our women and children.
The funding of the NHIS must be prioritised to ensure a healthy nation to prevent the issue of service providers always threatening to withhold their services due to government defaulting on payment for services rendered. Infrastructure to enable implementation of Telemedicine would also be prioritised to ensure an effective health delivery system and also facilitate the acquisition of cutting-edge knowledge by our health practitioners.
The issue of accidents caused by vehicles left on the roads, would be a thing of the past. Furthermore, heavy trucks that are usually parked on the shoulders of highways, with mechanics working on them, spilling fuel and oil that gradually causes the roads to deteriorate, would also not be tolerated.
In fact, such negligence would be criminalised and offenders would be severely punished. I would ensure provision of rest areas so that such trucks can park off the road for the drivers to rest and also to fix mechanical problems they have so they would not have any excuse to use the main road for such activities.
Laud Kissi-Mensah
Features
The Prophet part 2
“I can see in the spirit, that some of you have been trading for years without seeing any meaningful profits, some young women have been disappointed by men who have either abandoned them and left for foreign lands and forgotten about them, or stopped sending money for the upkeep of their wives and children.
I can see young men who are desperate for visas to travel abroad but have either been duped by visa contractors or refused at the embassies. From tomorrow, I assure you, the visas will be given.
Young women, I have news for you. You will receive telephone calls, and you will hear very good news. Handsome young men with money in their pockets will come and marry you, and take care of you. Traders, you will get big business and big profits from today. From today, you will see that I am a true prophet who has come to deliver you.”
Shouts of “Amen,” “thank you Prophet” and “I receive it” greeted his sermon. After a final prayer, he asked the congregation to come early the following day, and bring others, because there would be many testimonies.
There would also be “special anointing” for great miracles. Although he did not ask for an offering, most of the people came and dropped notes, and coins at the “pulpit.” When they left, Antobam counted the money.
“GH¢900!” he almost shouted, ‘and I did not even ask for an offering. This is fantabulous!’ Going to the Nana Kofi Broni shrine, he told himself, was a very wise move.
He started making plans……He had to choose a few assistants who would carry out his orders……. He had to hire some chairs as soon as possible……He had to find a suitable piece of land and, if possible, build his own church……. He had to start looking for a nice car, befitting the status of a popular preacher …… And, most importantly, he had to select two, three or four nice, young women to take care of his needs, apart from the servants who would cook, wash, iron and do other errands for him.
Abruptly, he told himself, this hungry, scruffy Kukurantumi boy was being transformed into a man of power and money, with some of the most beautiful women in town at his beck and call. Wow!
After a shower and supper, he shut the door to the very small room that served as his bedroom and dropped on the bed. Almost immediately, the shrill sounds, like whispers, began.
This time he did not express any fears. He realised to his great surprise that even though the sounds were not in the form of any language, he could understand them.
Tomorrow there will be testimonies……they will give money……. some rich people are being prepared …….they will bring big money ………. we will give them what they want, and they will bring money ……. big money …….big, big money……the women will also come, a number of them. ‘
He went to sleep smiling and whispering to himself, ‘big, big money, and women!’
He woke up at 5 and took a shower. After a breakfast of tea and several slices of bread he set off. On reaching the venue he saw to his great surprise that the place was full.
Very full, and quite a number of people rushed to embrace him and give him the wonderful news. The excited people narrated the testimonies about big sales, telephone calls from relatives directing them to go to Western Union, and impotent husbands who had miraculously rediscovered their magic powers.
He was truly glad that Nana Kofi Broni’s magic had already started working, but most of his attention was focused on the ladies in the congregation. He noticed to his great delight that some of them were really nice. I must start making my selection, he told himself. Today!
“Give a mighty clap offering to the great, mighty one for his wonders among us!” he started, and the response was very big.
“I said yesterday that you were going to see signs and wonders, and I am very happy that my word has been fulfilled. Even though we have taken allowed one hour for testimonies, many more of you would like to testify.
Tomorrow, I promise you that there will be ample time. I will only preach a short sermon. The rest of the time will be taken up by consultations, after which I will give directions on what to do to ensure that you defeat your enemies, secure your marriage and, most importantly, continue increasing your profits in your business.” His sermon was interspersed with ecstatic shouts of “Amen,” “it is true,” “God bless you” and “I receive it.”
His final word was emphatic; “Big miracles are coming your way. Keep attending church, and don’t forget to give thanks to God.”
By Ekow de Heer
Features
Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship launches project to transform young lives
The Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Ghana has launched the Senior High Schools and Colleges Project (SCP) aimed at empowering and transforming the lives of young people.
Speaking at the launch, Professor Mike Ocquaye, the former Speaker of Parliament, emphasised the need to catch them young and train them as the current times were challenging.
He lauded the project, calling on all to support it, saying “In fact, it’s very important to catch them young, train them, lead them, guide them, and mentor them because the times are indeed rough,” Prof. Ocquaye said.
Mr Ekow Egyir Dadson, the Director, Schools and Colleges Directorate, stated that since its inception in 2018, the SCP had reached over 70 educational institutions with countless testimonies of transformation.
“We began with the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC) Legon, and now in 2024, we have visited 74 schools and impacted the lives of over 100,000 students, some of whom were personally mentored and now have graduated from the universities.”
He explained that the SCP, a vision by FGBMFI Ghana, was a bold outreach programme designed to call young people to Christ, train and equip them for the future.
He cited testimony-sharing, mentorship, career guidance, entrepreneurship and counseling as some of the unique approaches to be used in reaching out to the targeted students.
Mr Emmanuel Baba Mahama, the National President of the FGBMFI Ghana, launched the SCP Manual, which would help the FGBMFI Zonal Family Chapters across Ghana in order to adopt schools and colleges within their catchment areas.
The Schools and Colleges project is making a great impact; we have had first-hand testimonies from school heads, teachers, and students (mentees) about the SCP. This project has come to stay, Mr Baba Mahama assured.
He, therefore, called for more volunteers and partners to help the SCP shape the next generation of leaders and citizens.
Findings by the FGBMFI revealed that Ghana’s senior high schools, colleges, and university students face growing challenges like addictions, indiscipline, poor academic performance, pornography, homosexuality, broken homes, and a lack of godly guidance.
That had been a concern to many parents and society, “but the FGBMFI believes there is hope to rescue and restore these young students,” Mr Mahama said. –GNA
