Corruption, the treacherous act engulfing most countries.

All over the world, corruption is known for its enormous implications on government, institutions and individuals.
In the past, corruption is known to have invoked resentment among people thereby triggering the
toppling of many government in coup d'etat especially in Africa where most government are perceived to be corrupt.
Yet, we seem to be ignorant of the history of those government that were toppled in military coups.
Political corruption denotes the use of power by government officials for illegitimate personal gain.
Various forms corruption are known to exist ranging from bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism to patronage and embezzlement.
  
Elucidating few of these, bribery is a payment given personally to an official in exchange of his use of power or authority. it most often than not involves two individuals.
Nepotism means favoring of relatives and favoring close acquaintances(cronyism).
 Embezzlement being filching of entrusted funds.

In the history of Ghana, corruption is known to be one of the main rationale behind the rise of military coups in relation to other significant factors. The National Liberation Council (N.L.C)  that overthrew the Nkrumah's government led by E.K Kotoka on 24th February 1966 had economic hardships, mismanagement and corruption as one of its reasons for toppling the government. Likewise National Redemption Council(N.R.C) led by col. Ignatius K. Acheampong on January 13, 1972 and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (A.F.R.C) led by J.J. Rawlings.
From Wikipedia; since 2006, Ghana's score and ranking on the
Transparency International Corruption Index has improved, ranking higher  than Italy and Brazil. She ranked 64th in 2012 tied with Lesotho.

Currently, it's no news that Ghana is experiencing economic hardships, mismanagement and corruption. Even before that, previous governments both the National Patriotic Party(N.P.P) and National Democratic Congress(N.D.C) is known to have engaged in corrupt activities.
Also cropping out are scandalous corrupt activities that is raging in the incumbent
government.
Some of these revealing activities  are the fraudulent acts that were exposed by the investigative journalist Anas Amereyaw Anas in his documentary "Enemies of the nation|" at the Tema harbor.

Sub sequent to that are the saga erupting from the Ghana Youth Employment
and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (G.Y.E.E.D.A), Sahara Accelerated Development Authority (S.A.D.A), ISOFOTON and Subah Infosolutions relating to corruption at the top hierarchy of the institution.
The recent one which is more disturbing is the Victoria Hammah brouhaha that has being dubbed "vickieleaks of Ghana" in which the deputy minister was heard on a leaked secret tape saying she will not quit politics until she has gotten $1 million.
She was also heard traducing deputy minister of gender, children and social protection, Rachel Appoh, as a "loud, ugly, senseless and egoistic" woman who has been fighting her boss Nana Oye Lithur, wife of the presidents lawyer in the just ended election petition hearing.
Since then she has always being on the headlines of most media in the country.

Having said this, there was news from  the Daily Guide that in 2011, the N.D.C
 paid judgement debt running into several millions of cedis to Alfred Agbesi Woyome to which former attorney general Martin Amidu  popularly known to be a vigilante consistently pursued against the case in court and won in the apex court of Ghana.

In my candid opinion, corruption stems from a number of factors. Among them are the lack of investigative reports from the media.
In this respect, I applaud Anas Amereyaw Anas for his brave efforts in fighting corruption with his investigative skills.

Additionally, serving as a source of corruption is lack of control from the government to which the civil service is so weak, bureaucratic process in the judiciary together with its lack of independence is crippling it in prosecuting those who flaunt the law, and the inability of government to protect whistle blowers.

Furthermore,is the weak accounting practices in our government ministries and institutions enabling individuals to carry out activities that inimical to the economic status of the country.
Others which include lack of information, in respect, citing the delayed legislation on the freedom of information bill in parliament and the negligence of exercising freedom of speech.

The consequence of this act is indeed enormous which continues to be augmented when more of it are engaged.
Prominent among them are undermining the democracy and good governance of a country by subverting formal process. It also reduce accountability and distorts representation in policy making thereby misrepresenting peoples views.

Additionally, it cripples government to finance budget expenditures thus deficit financing. This is so because a lot of revenue is lost through tax evasions by corrupt officials and individuals likewise institutions.
For instance, in Nigeria, more than $400 million was stolen from the treasury by Nigeria's leaders between 1960 and 1999~Wikipedia
The case is not different from what we are witnessing here Ghana.

Besides, this insidious act causes inflation and reduced investment leading to reduced goods and services.
This is apparent in the increase in inflation from single digit to double digits.
We also have inferior infrastructure with substandard materials and so is reduced commitment from donor agencies because they believe that funds are diverted through other channels rather than its intended purpose.

For me, if only government would revise the red tape procedure in issuing permit and obtaining other documents to carry out simple tasks, at least the rate of corruption would decrease by some margin.
It is equally my hope that the media carries out its duties effectively and independently to uncover any act of corruption. This would in effect go a long way to reducing corruption in the country to some extent.

Strengthening the judicial system would also aid in the fight of corruption. Prosecuting offenders and speeding up the process in doing so, would probably help curb the menace.
Likewise formulating and implementing stringent policies by government to help fight the act that sometimes even cost the life of people, cost a nation  millions and billions of money and undermines the integrity of the country.

There is an adage that says a piece of broom can easily be broken but a group of them is hard to even bend. So if the fight against corruption will be victorious it will be the efforts of you and I.

The Pride of the Ghanaian Society "Festivals"

Ghana indeed has a colorful, rich and a vibrant culture.
Festivals specifically being essential part of the Ghanaian culture is chiefly celebrated throughout
the year in the country by every community to solicit the ancestors for protection and blessing to usher them into a new traditional year with confidence and hope.
These festivals also reunite the people, brings developmental projects for the various communities as
well as renew allegiance.

     From the north to the south, festivals are celebrated every month with grand durbars to climax it.
Some of these festivals include the odwira of the Akuapems(thus harvest/purification), Dipo of the Krobo(rite of passage), Aboakyir( deer hunting), Bakatue(fish hunting), Hogbetsotso of the Anlos, Damba and Fiok(war festival).
The Dipo of the Krobo for instance celebrated in February apparently is a rite of passage entailing ushering of young girls into womanhood.
The puberty ceremony allows the girls to parade the principal streets cladded in amazing  traditional  attires amidst drumming and dancing.

The Aboakyir festival celebrated by the people of Winneba in the central province is commemorated by sending two clans on a hunting expedition.
The clan to return  the animal(deer) first is regarded as brave and thereof purification.
The odwira festival (harvest) and purification is equally commemorated by the Akuapims to purify the society.It is mostly celebrated in September. The festivity commences by cleaning the community and the royal mausoleum believed to be the paths that would be used by the ancestors to grace the occasion.
It is then followed by the lifting of the ban on eating of new yams, mourning to remember the dead, preparation of the sacred mixture which is presented to the paramount chief and cleansing of the black stool which takes place in the evening of Thursday then on Friday, chiefs are carried in palanquins to parade the principal streets to which a grand durbar is held.

The significance of all these festivals transcends across every aspects of the Ghanaian life from social, political, economical, moral, to religious.
In the religious sense, the chiefs and the people solicit prosperity and protection as well as thank the ancestors for what has being done in the preceding years.
Socially, families reunite, freinds are made and mostly its serves as periods when family issues are settled.
Politically, the citizen get to asses the efficiency of their leaders where as the leaders also initiate developmental projects at durbars.
Sub chiefs also engage in the renewal of allegiance to the superior aiding unity.
Recently the Akuapem state was in a chieftaincy dispute for two decades after a communal violence between the people of Akropong and Abiriw.
Consequently some of the chiefs specifically Aburi chief, Larteh and Adukrom broke away from the Ofori Kumah stool at Akropong to form their own paramountcy, but  the five divisional chiefs of the area on August 27,2013 reunited by signing an accord and declared that they were reunited.

Historically, youths are enlightened about their history thus origin and how various communities hitherto came to settle at their present  settkement.
The Homowo festival distinguihes this feature.
Economically, most festivals have become scences of attractions. Visitors contribute to the development of the towns.
Besides, businesses are established in the process.
All these numerous benefits establishes the reason why our cultural festivals and heritage should be maintained and promoted.

Guilt

There are things that we have done in our lives. Some, nice and some very aweful and weird but that doesn't mean you don't deserve a second chance.
Even Yahweh has given man a second chance to repent.
The fact is we really can't change who we are but sometimes our past catches up with us. Probably because they're not the things we are proud of doing. Sometimes you  want confess but seriously you can't because you fear you'll be cast away like a devil of your time but presently the remorse that you have can't be seen by those around you. Nonetheless you try as much as possible to right your wrongs by letting them go. That's a good thing!! You also have to bear in mind that man can never be perfect no matter how hard you try but there has to be an improvement. Mistakes are made in the process and as time goes on we all learn from our mistakes

Deception

Have you ever asked yourself why people lie?
Maybe not, maybe yes but to be exact, what do we define as a lie or deception? Well it can be elucidated as the deliberate act of deviating from the truth. If you are curious as I am and inquire why people lie, you may find interesting stuff.
Those who lie to protect themselves and others, those who lie for their selfish and parochial interest but when do you consider a lie as appropriate?
I believe that can be determined by the plight one finds himself. Lies and deception are things that the society frowns upon but its something that we encounter mainly through our lives.
The Bible even forbids it.
However people have built their entire livelihood on lies. The question ones needs to ask is that how long can your deception catch up with you.
Truth are indeed bitter herbs but they heal illness faster most people don't like taking it.
For those who lie to protect others, there is one thing that one needs to be aquainted with and that is they feel extremely horrible when they have to do it but because its to protect the fellow being it has to be done. Nonetheless when found out it causes misunderstanding which most likely mars relationships.
I know how it feels because I have being a victim.
My preposition is that always inquire why people do things they do because it maybe as a result of the uncontrolable and invitable plight they might find themsleves.

RESTRUCTURING OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Ghana's educational system has over the years been a topical issue that is always being addressed in the media but very little is being done about it.
In brief, Ghana operates on a 6-3-3-4 system. Thus primary school -6 years, senior high school-3 years which was subsequently changed to 4 years and then reversed back to 3 years. Amounting to no WASSCE being written in 2010 making two cohorts graduate in 2013 and university bachelor's degree-4 years.
     Apparently, Ghana being a member of commonwealth, uses the English as it official language throughout their educational system.

Admission to senior high starts with the writing of Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) at the end of JHS form 3 which invariably ceritfies them to be admitted with good grade. After the examination students are required to offer a core curriculum of Integrated science, mathematics, social studies and english language and any other four or three electives chosen from one of these groups: science, arts(social science and humanites) vocational( visual arts or home economics), technical, business or agriculture.

At the end of Senior High, all students are required to take the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in each of the subjects annually in May-June but the results are available the following October.

Grading is exceptionally tough I must say.
The minimum university standard for admission to post secondary education is a "C".







With all these stringent process one has to go through before becoming a university graduate, the quality of education is beset with enormous problems not forgeting the disadvantages associated with its structure.
In relation to its quality, inadequate infrastructures and logistics used in educating the populace invariably is a major blockade of the Ghanaian government in archieving its goal of improving the quality of education.
But what steps has been taken to mitigate the problem?
One can not imagine that in this day and time, we still have one teacher teaching seven to eight subjects with students of 70-75 in a class.
How pathetic!!!.

 This would take us to another problem of poor remuneration for which youth of this age are refusing to engage in the teaching profession together with poor conditio0n of service.
Far from this, our system is more of the theoretical than practical thus being more knowledge based than technical.
Our education system continues to produce graduates for non-existing white collar jobs rendering the majority of our youth unemployed.

Consequent to this, moral crack down is on the increase, so is social vices such as armed robbery, prostitution, vandalism and all sort of abominable acts one could think of.
The question we need to ask ourselves is; what are our leaders doing about this canker that has plagued our educational system.


And it would interest you to know that these problems do affect our economy directly and indirectly. It retards  productivity which invariably slows down the rate of economic acitivities going on in the country.
What fascinates me the most is the gross examination malpractices that goes on in our institutions. It really makes me wonder whether  such red-tape procedures of examination really matters when accessing students to be elevated to their next level of study.
This is evident in the cancellation of examination questions in recent exams conducted by the examination body. We are always being told of measures being put in place to curb the menace yet the malpractice is still in existence.

 Most students graduates with execellent grades yet still do not know anything. You will meet them and you'll question yourself whether they really attended a school.
          As a concerned citizen, it is my wish that our educational system be restructured to avoid this problem of churning out unemployed graduates who turn out to seek non-existing white collar jobs

More technical and vocational institutions should be established to meet the demands of the growing larbour market.
Other methods should be instituted in accessing students togethe with the currents method.
Teachers should be provided with good condition of service and provided with the prerequisite logistics to work with for the better of all.
I believe voices of the people shall be heard.