Features
NPP national elections: Are ‘they’ listening to what ‘the voices’ are saying ?
• President Nana Addo Dankw Akufo-Addo (middle) with the new NPP National Executives
Political parties recruit, nominate and campaign to elect public officials; draw up policy programmes for the government if they are in the majority: offer criticisms and alternative policies if they are in opposition.
Political parties also mobilise support for common policies among different interest groups; educate the public about public issues and provide structure and rules for the society’s political debates.
In some political systems, ideology may be an important factor in recruiting and motivating party members. Elsewhere, similar economic interests or social outlook may be more important than ideological commitment.
Political parties are as varied as the societies in which they function. The election campaigns they conduct are often elaborate, usually time-consuming, sometimes silly.
But the function of election campaigns is deadly serious; to provide a peaceful and fair method by which the citizens of a democracy can select their leaders and have a meaningful role in determining their own destiny.
The voices of democracy include those of the government, its political supporters and the opposition.
But they are joined by the voices of the labour unions, organised interest groups, community associations, the news media, the social media, scholars and critics, religious leaders and writers, small businesses and large corporations, churches and schools.
All these groups are free to raise their voices and participate in the democratic political process, whether locally or nationally.
That is the more reason why the national delegates, conference of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), held on the 16th July, 2022, at the Accra Sports Stadium, is still attracting “voices” from far and near.
Over 6,000 delegates from all the 16 regions of the country, plus delegates from the diaspora voted at the conference to elect 10 new national executive officers of the party, out of the 46 candidates who contested the positions.
The positions contested included; National Chairperson, National Vice Chairpersons, General Secretary, National Organiser, Women’s Organiser and National Youth Organiser.
Amidst bribery allegations and injunctions, new officials were elected to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.
And the new national officers of the party include, Stephen Ayesu Ntim (Chairman), Justin Frimpong Kodua (Secretary), Henry Nana Boakye (National Organiser), Salaam Mustapha Mohammed (National Youth Organiser), Kate Gyamfua (National Women’s Organiser) and Dr Charles Dwamena (National Treasurer).
Some of the diverse ‘political voices’ ‘crying in the wilderness’ and seeking to be heard are saying: “To foster unity in the NPP and to achieve the desired collective results, the government must ’embrace’ the new national executives of the party and work with them.
“The tag of family and friends of certain key people in government filling employment positions with their numerous kith and kin, to the neglect of others in the party who also contributed to sustain it, is dragging the party in the mud and must be curtailed.
“The allegation of inflated contracts skewing to certain people who are not even delivering such contracts to expectation, is a source of worry to party faithfuls and must be investigated and quickly addressed.”
Readers, expectations from the new national executives by some ‘agonising’ party members include a complete overhaul of the party’s communication machinery, describing it as ‘very weak’, in responding to the urgent needs of the times.
In its place, some of the ‘agonising’ party members are calling for a very strong and effective party communication machinery to deliver on its established mandate.
They contend that those to be recruited and employed to man the communication machinery of the party, must be tried and tested communication professionals who must deliver per the terms of their engagements.
They state that the party must have ‘adequate’, ‘solid’ and ‘liquid’ communication budget to prosecute the communication agenda of the party and government ‘at all levels’; claiming that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made ‘useless’, the communication machinery of the NPP at all levels of governance.
The ‘agonising’ party members are also asking the new national party executives to draw a programme to meet all ‘abandoned’, ‘neglected’ and ‘disused’ groups in the party by the erstwhile NPP national executives; including former Members of Parliament, former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, former Ministers of State and former party executives at all levels, insisting that to break the EIGHT, ‘all hands must be on deck.’
They are also alerting the new national party executives to ensure that “henceforth, money must not be extorted from party members before certain jobs are allocated to them” and called for swift investigation into such matters.
They are also urging the new national executives to devise a system to monitor and evaluate the performance of all government appointees, including Ministers, Chief Executive Officers and MMDCEs to ensure that their delivery meet the expectations of the party, government and the people of Ghana; so that come the 2024 general elections, they can acquit themselves.
Additionally, they are alerting the new national executives to roll out sustained orientation programmes for all party executives across the country, particularly for Regional and Constituency Chairmen “since some of them constantly embarrass the party with their weird utterances and general behaviour.”
Readers, from what “the voices” are saying; will “they” really be listening ?
By G. Frank Asmah
Contact email/ WhatsApp of the author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
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
