From My Lazy Chair

I want to be fair in this affair not because you're fair; I want to talk to your innermost person not because you want to hear; But I want to speak to you because the language is familiar to our hearts. Now if you would open your heart, and your ears, but not your eyes that is born with deception to the unspoken words, that is only felt in our depths, then we can start to unwind our journey from here and time will not elude us.

From My Lazy Chair: Rescue My Land : We have found a new land - Not entirely a new one though: One that has been there before us One that has been dissipated One...

From My Lazy Chair: PURC Lacks Credibility : I think about a year or so ago, utility providers and I mean ECG in particular, made a case for upward adjustments in the electricity ta...

From My Lazy Chair: Divided Voices : Suddenly, after the cracks from guns and reverberating sounds from grenades in France, We have found voice to condemn terrorism. ...

From My Lazy Chair: The Misplaced Priorities of 'HOGBETSOTSO ZÃ' - My... : On the first Saturday of November of each year, the people of Anlo celebrates a traditional festival known as Hogbetsotso Zã. It is celebr...

From My Lazy Chair: Competent or Not Competent Debate - I Am For And A... : A butterfly can never consider itself a bird. So also the saying goes that when a crocodile tells you what is happening beneath the waters...

From My Lazy Chair: The Hypocrisy in The Ghanaian Politics : Politics of division is   not new. It is very common at all levels within and without all the political parties we have in Ghana. And so f...

From My Lazy Chair: 'Half-baked' Graduates? What Factors Account for T... :                                                          Education plays a significant role in producing the needed human capital to dri...

From My Lazy Chair: The Unknown Truth About National Service :   The Ghana National Service Scheme was established by an Act of parliament in accordance with the constitution of Ghana. It is mandate...

From My Lazy Chair: Where's Kweku Ananse? : "When a story-teller dies, a library burns." Ahmed Ezzarghani, Moroccan master story-teller.   A few decades ago families ...

From My Lazy Chair: We Must Blame Government, PURC and ECG : Hey, is it true the Power Minister wanted to be adorned with some fanciful medal for bringing in something call 'power barge' to sa...

From My Lazy Chair: The Dying Spirit of Patriotism : A great political thinker said: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The spirit of patriotism has been lost on our lea...

From My Lazy Chair: Dumsor Tarriffs Lack Sense : Sometimes, it is very difficult to tell what public office holders make of the masses. Even in the face of dumsor you still have the mo...

From My Lazy Chair: Ghana, The New Haven for Ex-Al Queda Detainees? : Let me start with this chiasmus in one of Bob Marley's songs: 'Your worst enemy could be your best friend; and your best friend ...

From My Lazy Chair: Mr President, Could You Please Come Again? : "VRA owes virtually every bank in Ghana and needs help to repay its debts. I don't have that money. If did, I would pay. Since w...

From My Lazy Chair: Kintampo MMT Bus Crush - Questions that Need Answe... : I want to talk generally about transportation in Ghana but in the mean time, I want to limit myself to the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) in vie...

From My Lazy Chair: Importation of S.A-3Justification Needless! : The attempt by the NPP to justify its decision to bring in security experts from outside to train security details for their flag bearer d...

From My Lazy Chair: Ghana Education Service Needs Restructuring : When I started school as a little boy, I had to carry my rickety table and stool to and from school each day. Then at a point, we only h...

From My Lazy Chair: Is Incitement NPP’s Strength? : I do not intend to sound like a prophet of doom. If the saying, ‘coming events cast their shadows’ is anything to go by, then I can seek s...

From My Lazy Chair: ‘Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s Comment Not Offensive’ – Le... : Dr Worlanyo Bansa, a lecturer of Church History at the Department of Religion of the University of Cape Coast was reported to have said in...

From My Lazy Chair: The Woes of the Ghanaian Voter : The Ghanaian voter has to wake up early dawn to join a very long winding queue in order to register. He/she has to endure the harsh weather...

The Ghanaian voter has to wake up early dawn to join a very long winding queue in order to register. He/she has to endure the harsh weather conditions of scorching sun or rain... He/she has to remain on feet as long as it takes to have his turn to register... After going through all these, he/she has to wait patiently until it's time to cast ballot to choose who rules this country... And when it’s time to cast the ballot to choose who rules this country The poor voter would have to remain on his/her feet for hours to cast the ballot Again in the harsh weather conditions – be it sunny or rainy When the politician comes to cast his ballot or even register his name as a voter He has the audacity to jump the queue… Apart from being brutalized by macho men and intimidation from security forces Just to exercise his/her civil right After enduring all these, someone would want to change the verdict of the people Then the winner turns round to insult the poor v

Dr Worlanyo Bansa, a lecturer of Church History at the Department of Religion of the University of Cape Coast was reported to have said in an interview he granted to Citi FM, an Accra based radio station, that Dr Bawumia’s call for ‘religious balance’ at the seat of government was not ‘offensive’. I’m not sure anyone is contesting whether or not the comments attributed to Dr Bawumia were offensive. The substance of Dr Bawumia’s comments is that it carried religious connotations which the constitution of Ghana frowns upon! Ghana is governed by laws. There’s nowhere in our constitution where it’s explicitly or impliedly stated that appointment to public offices must ensure ‘religious balance.’ At least I know of regional balance for a fact but not ‘religious balance’. Or could it have been a genuine slip of tongue on the part of Dr Bawumia as some of us often mistake religion for region?   Come to think of it, Ghana as a secular state doesn’t have only two religions. We have th

I do not intend to sound like a prophet of doom. If the saying, ‘coming events cast their shadows’ is anything to go by, then I can seek some refuge in that though. The Electoral Commission of Ghana, a few days ago has embarked on a limited voter registration exercise to enable those who have attained the age of eighteen since the last registration and those who couldn’t register during the previous registration exercise, to have their names entered into the electoral roll. This exercise has recorded pockets of violence on the part of the two major political parties. The two parties, as usual, have been at each other’s throats trading accusations and counter accusations in respect of the registration exercise. Macho men have reportedly been brutalizing purported opponents over registrants they perceived to be below the age of eighteen and aligned to their opponent’s party. This conduct has taken the shine from an exercise that’s supposed to be peaceful at any rate. If a mere

When I started school as a little boy, I had to carry my rickety table and stool to and from school each day. Then at a point, we only had to send the table and the stool to school when it reopened and again had to send it home at the end of the term. It was much more convenient. This was the practice when I started school but things changed along the way. A school in the northern region has been in the news for lack of furniture. The situation compelled the pupils in that school to learn and write laying prostrate on the ground. People are blaming the government but I will blame the GES for their lack of proper supervision. There is also ineffective communication between the heads of schools and the District Directorate of Education. And mind you, the GES has a structure such that a head of a school cannot jump one structure to the other to have a pressing issue dealt with the urgency it deserves. If a head of a school dares do so, he would enter the wrong books of the District

The attempt by the NPP to justify its decision to bring in security experts from outside to train security details for their flag bearer does not speak well of them. Making references to the two ex-Gitmos and the error-ridden brochure as a way justify their action is neither here nor there! In any case, the reason for the public outcry over the presence of the two Gitmos in Ghana simply has to do with the threat   (in terms of external attack) they pose to the country and I am not sure any law has been broken in that arrangement by the government. As for the error-ridden brochure is simply irrelevant to this matter. Has the NPP forgotten they are government in waiting? Are they, by this action, suggesting to Ghanaians that they would have no issue at all if the NDC in opposition had done so? The NPP came into power in 2000; the question I want to ask is that was it the same arrangement they followed? If not, why this time? If a government in waiting can import external security

I want to talk generally about transportation in Ghana but in the mean time, I want to limit myself to the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) in view of the recent road crush that occurred at Kintampo on the 17th of this month involving one of their buses. Some lingering questions on my mind need good answers. My condolences to those who have lost relatives and loved ones. I listened to an interview granted by a Director of Communication at the MMT to one of the local television networks after that crush. In the said interview, she sought to create the impression that the bus was in good condition to embark on that journey. She added that the crush would be investigated to ascertain the actual cause. She also hinted of fastracking payment of insurance claims to the victims. It sounds good, huh! There are two main causes of road crushes: mechanical - tyre burst, brake failure being some examples and human factor - overspeeding, careless overtaking being a few examples. Whereas human

"VRA owes virtually every bank in Ghana and needs help to repay its debts. I don't have that money. If did, I would pay. Since we all use the power, we should contribute something small. I don't see that we have done anything wrong. I'm not here to make popular decisions. If that were the case, our nation would be in the ground by now." -President Mahama. I can't believe this is coming from the president. He may have sounded sincere to some of us but not some of us. Frankly, I am surprised. Here are my reasons: How did the debts arise in the first place? Obviously if you climb a tree, you don't begin to look for different ways to come down except the same way you climbed up. So I believe the VRA knows this just as the president, I guess. And what time frame are we looking at to finish paying up the debts so that we wouldn't be shortchanged? We need clarity on this. And would the new taxes be removed from our neck once we pay up

Let me start with this chiasmus in one of Bob Marley's songs: 'Your worst enemy could be your best friend; and your best friend your worst enemy.' Accepting to keep former Guantanamo Detainees from US is simply a clear case of the fact that our current leadership has completely lost sense of responsibility! In fact, I think it is the worst form of disservice any government can ever do to its people! By that single act, we have exposed Ghana and that can make us become a target. The consequences may not come now, trust me, but we will see it in the long term. I just want to ask these few questions: Which criteria was used in deciding to resettle those guys in Ghana? Is there any economic benefit attached to it? If yes, can Ghanaians be told about the benefits? In any case, we value our peace more than the supposed benefits if there is any at all. Do we have the surveillance system to monitor those guys? And let me say here that, our border systems and other

Sometimes, it is very difficult to tell what public office holders make of the masses. Even in the face of dumsor you still have the moral right to increase tariffs to this level!   For me, this does not make any sense at all. It is a gross expression of insensitivity to the masses. In fact, tariffs have been increased against the will of the masses all in the name of improving the supply of power and water on many occasions. But the situation has not changed at all! It has gone from bad to worse yet we are being forced to pay higher tariffs. How long are we going to pay for the inefficiency of those who have been put in public offices to manage our affairs?   Couldn't the increment have been put on hold until something is done about the current terrible dumsor situation? I think that would have been morally acceptable! This is how it is done around the world where the masses matter.  

A great political thinker said: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The spirit of patriotism has been lost on our leaders. The kind of patriotism we see today carries a lot of connotations. And it has created a lot of cognitive dissonance for many of us. In the past, politicians and public office holders adopted a subtle way of stealing from state coffers. The subtlety in which it used to be shrouded made it difficult to see. But the rule of that game regarding stealing of our money has changed. It's now done openly and nakedly. We see and smell reaping of the state. We see our country bleeding before our very eyes. When you say it, you are tagged as working for the opposition. But is this new to us? Absolutely no! Same and similar things happened when the opposition was in power. People who had the courage spoke against it and were tagged as working for the opposition. The two major political parties that have alternated power in the fourth republic ha

Hey, is it true the Power Minister wanted to be adorned with some fanciful medal for bringing in something call 'power barge' to salvage the worsening power crisis? I even learnt when the ship carrying the power barge arrived, members of government went to worship it with a lot of fanfare because they're seeing the first of its kind. Hmmm...I can't really say much or ask much   but they said the ship will consume some thousands of tons of fuel a day, right? In fact, we have to clap for ourselves! That's just by the way. I am just as angry as I supposed you are at the increment in utility tariffs. So let's talk about it a little - especially about the fallout. I read some new news on some of the online news portals about the dumsor tariffs. In one of the news article, ECG is claiming that the tariff that has been approved for them by the PURC was far below what they asked for. And the reason behind their demand for higher tariffs is that it would help the

Not too far from the distant past, families gathered around log fires to teach wisdom, learn values and entertain each other; all through oral storytelling. Today, we have somewhat forgotten Kweku-Ananse, a notable character. So where is Kweku-Ananse?   Nostalgia is a wishful longing for the past. But life is for the living, and its purpose is to expand and increase in whichever way possible. So, for a whole generation to have forgotten about the immediate past is nothing bad, but a sign of positive increment and a happy present moment. Simply put, we have moved forward as a generation into a more sophisticated way of living; so have our education, entertainment, and the preservation of culture and values which were the main purpose of Kweku-Ananse stories. To make this clear let’s look at the following experiences.   To teach the values of hard work and the evil of laziness my class one reading book had the story of the Hawk and the Hen . To further entertain and teach value

"When a story-teller dies, a library burns." Ahmed Ezzarghani, Moroccan master story-teller.   A few decades ago families gathered around log-fires or in bright moonlight to hear oral stories told until they retired to bed. As an art, story-tellers employed many techniques to ensure stories are lively, entertaining and educative. Through story-telling, values and cultures have been passed on from one generation to the other. And many story-tellers have been trained in the process. Today, as technology gives way to new forms of entertainment, this once adored art is gradually fading away. And it appears any fight to keep it is a fight long lost.   When education was a mastery of one’s culture and values, oral story-telling was indeed significant, if not the only means of acquiring knowledge. It was an art of enormous importance, and still is, as is demonstrated in modern forms of oral communication by presenters on radio, teachers in classrooms, orators in seminars

  The Ghana National Service Scheme was established by an Act of parliament in accordance with the constitution of Ghana. It is mandated to provide newly qualified graduates the opportunity to have practical exposure on the job, both in the public and private sectors, and as part of their civic responsibility to the State. It is worth knowing that every citizen of Ghana of at least 18 years of age has to, by the law; partake in the national service program before engaging in any kind of economic activity within the country.   Thus, national service is not only for citizens who have gone through formal education and want government or mainstream employment. In fact, if there was strict adherence to the mandate of the scheme, it would have been better understood than it is now. For example areas of concentration for the scheme include agriculture, cooperatives, education, health, local government, rural development, youth programs and a compulsory military training for each serv

                                                         Education plays a significant role in producing the needed human capital to drive the wheels of national development. But over the years, industry experts have expressed worries over what they consider to be a disconnect between university graduates and the job market. Their claim is that most graduates that are turned out from the universities are “Half-baked” and lack the necessary skills and attitude for the job market.  This has been closely attributed to a number of reasons. The first being the competitive structure of the university admission process. Enrollment has seen a significant increase as more students graduate from the senior high schools each year to compete for very limited slots at the tertiary level. As a result, some students who survive the tussle may have to compromise on programs they originally applied for. They end up taking classes for courses they are not passionate about or have long term intere

Politics of division is   not new. It is very common at all levels within and without all the political parties we have in Ghana. And so for one to speak as though politics of division is so new to the Ghanaian politics, is a clear hypocrisy! There is no sanity in our politics. We have seen gruesome manifestation of politics of division all around us spearheaded by our political actors. It has not started with the sitting President and it will not stop with him! It will certainly outlive him. So it has become a reality that we either have to embrace or annihilate completely from our politicking. But it will be very very difficult because tribal factors have always influenced the outcome of our elections. In fact, our politics is so bad to the extent that the health status of opponents have become a new trend in our politics. It has come to be accepted however very worrisome. In the run up to the 2008 elections, the health status of the late President Prof. JEA Mil

A butterfly can never consider itself a bird. So also the saying goes that when a crocodile tells you what is happening beneath the waters, one cannot doubt it. If I put these axioms together, then I can only agree with the president for people calling his competency into question. The president of our dear country said it's only former presidents who are qualified  enough to question his competency. Yes it is true. I very much agreed with him. Because 'xoxoanu wo gbia yeyea do' ( Leadership by example). If, as a nation, we have not set a benchmark for assessing how competent a president is, then how can we say he is competent or incompetent? Wait a second. In the game of football, many of us are not coaches but we are able to tell what makes good team/coach even though we do not have the technical competency of a coach. And so people believe the same logic can be used by any ordinary Ghanaian to assess the competency of the president. In fact, assessment is su

On the first Saturday of November of each year, the people of Anlo celebrates a traditional festival known as Hogbetsotso Zã. It is celebrated to commemorate the migration of the Ewes from Notse in Togo. This festival brings all the people in the 36 states of Anlo together. Government officials and other dignitaries are never left out of the celebration. However, having done some retrospection and introspection, I dare say the significance of this festival has been lost on us. Significance in this context is not about our traditional values/culture nor has it to do with just commemoration. Festivals are important occasions to lure government, development organizations and businesses to help bring development to the area by showcasing what  (resources) we have that can create wealth. Yes we have failed to do so! So each year, we dress nicely, and gather ourselves on the durbar grounds to watch cultural displays and listen to well composed speeches and then depart home with smiles