THE PHENOMENON OF OUR MALE HALLS.
The university is undoubtedly every Ghanaian student’s dream destination. Over the years, a lot of private universities have sprung up to augment the effort of the few public ones across the country. One phenomenal characteristic of the public universities is the presence of all-male and all-female residential halls on their campuses. There are quite a number of mixed-sex halls but their significance or prominence compared to the single sex halls is quite negligible. Whilst famous female halls like VOLTA HALL and AFRICA HALL seek to support the fight for women empowerment, their male counterparts who prefer to be referred to as SUPERPOWERS seek to defend and protect the rights and interests of students. These male halls seem to have created territories for themselves where they rule supreme. UNIVERSITY HALL, popularly known as KATANGA has KNUST as their territory and they reign supreme. COMMONWEALTH HALL holds the reins in whole University of Ghana, whilst CASELY HAYFORD HALL (CASFORD) dictates the rules on UCC campus.
These three halls especially (VANDALS, KATANGA, and CASFORD) are always in the news. Unfortunately, they are hardly in the news for the good reasons. They have gone through almost all punitive measures that can be found under the strict laws of any tertiary institution but they seem to die hard. The question is why would the university authorities maintain these male halls if all they do is cause mayhem, vandalise properties, harass people and tarnish the hard won reputations of our public institutions as we are been forced to believe?
A careful and objective look into the activities of these male halls will let one know that they play very vital roles in the lives of students and the universities as a whole. It has become very evident over the years that our Students Representative Councils, the National Union of Ghana Students and its local peripherals and others of that caste have become avenues for grooming entrepreneurs, corrupt leaders and political sycophants of the highest order. The interests of students have been traded cheaply than a sachet of salt on a cheap tray. The only beam of hope for students nationwide over the years has been these SUPERPOWERS, as they choose to call themselves. Honestly, they have been able to hold the forts despite all the intimidations, victimization and all other kinds of power plays from the authorities that be.
Typical examples are the fight against the infamous residential policy in Legon, spearheaded by Commonwealth; the activities of Katanga leading to the establishment of a students clinic (the first of its kind) and the increase in the number of taxis on campus from 27 to almost 100 and a whole lot of other changes that the presence and long standing traditions of these halls have brought to bear on the university communities. To sum it up, they have upheld students’ activism. They have equally produced a lot of human resources for this country. If for nothing at all, we should appreciate KATANGA for giving us an IGP and VANDAL CITY for giving us a VICE PRESIDENT.
Despite the un-captured and unappreciated good deeds of the superpowers, their existence seems to face an all time risk in the wake of the COMMONWEALTH vrs LEGON saga. Should the authorities succeed, it will mean the collapse of a strong students’ front in our premier university. Prophetically speaking, should it be successful, the other universities will follow suit with supersonic speed and thread-sized excuses and reasons. Should such unfortunate action take place, it would not surprise me that exploitation and gross abuse of student rights and interest would become the order of the day. I pray that such a day never comes.
This is the more reason why students nationwide must come together to lend a hand of support to our brothers in their quest to make sure the truth stands. Despite all their excesses which I admit are unnecessary at times, their demise means the demise of a formidable students’ front. In these times when our SRCs have become political puppets and money-making ventures, we can not afford to see our only saviours crucified for very flimsy reasons. In as much as one would not condone indiscipline on our university campuses, we must not tolerate the incessant exploitation and frequent abuse of students’ rights.
However my advice to the superpowers is that they should be dynamic and change with time. It is very important that though we have long standing traditions, we polish them to suit accepted standards. It would be very prudent if we use more intellectual approaches when fighting for our rights. The most powerful people in this world are those who are able to operate within the confines of the law without breaking it. When wit and vision are used in the management of these halls which are very volatile, authorities will come to fear and respect students and will not have excuses to use against these halls and students in general. There are very obsolete practices of these halls that are not relevant in today’s world. Until we are ready to do away with some of these not so pleasant practices, we risk being extinguished from the surface of our tertiary institutions.
The case of COMMONWEALTH HALL should also be a well of lessons for all other student bodies that no one is above the law. Indiscipline should not be tolerated in any form. The perpetrators of that alleged disgraceful act should be smoked out and punished. To add to that, it is time we say goodbye to violent rivalries between student bodies. The grey hairs always say a house divided against itself can never stand. It is time we propagate intellectual rivalry and put a stop to nonsensical issues that will draw us to the stone-throwing battlefields. It does not augur well for education in tranquility.
All these happenings should be a wake up call to NUGS and our various SRCs to be up and doing. Students are tired of the boot lickers, the political puppets, the tribal parasites and the intellectual thieves who have invaded our leadership offices and never dream of the interests and grievances of those who put them there. VANDALS, as your motto says, arise and let TRUTH stand on your campus. CASFORDIANS, with truth and courage, defend the cause of students without getting weary or detracted. FELLOW KATANGEES, REST NOT in your quest to see the utopia you always dream of, where students’ right will be respected and not exploited. However, in the process of doing this, do not lose sight of the timeless Biblical counsel; be as gentle as the dove but as wise as the serpent.
NB: This article was originally published in the 22nd July edition of the Daily Graphic.
COURAGE AHIATI.
Courage354@yahoo.co.uk
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
The writer is a former GENERAL SECRETARY of the JUNIOR COMMON ROOM of UNIVERSITY HALL (KATANGA) and a Political Science student of KNUST.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
WAS METHUSELAH EVER WISER THAN SOLOMON?
WAS METHUSELAH EVER WISER THAN SOLOMON?
.... The “wait for your turn hymn”
Ghana is a country with very wonderful stories and captivating events. There is this unsubstantiated general perception that we are the second nation loved and blessed by God aside the state of Israel. As funny as it sounds, a lot of people have strong belief in that. It gets deeper in football seasons especially, when we manage a win through a last minute penalty. That is Ghana for you.
One recurring question I keep asking myself is, do we even pick some few lessons from the great Biblical stories of the nation that we compare ourselves to? Two people in the Bible who normally draw attention on the streets of Ghana are Methuselah and King Solomon. Methuselah is the oldest man to walk the surface of this earth. He lived on earth for almost one millennium (969 years). Surprisingly enough, a glance through the Holy book paints only a faint picture of him. His name was only mentioned in the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Not even a single story was written on any aspect of his life. The only honours he had was the mention of his name and his record-breaking age.
The other personality in perspective, King Solomon did not live up to even a quarter of the years of grandpapa Methuselah. However, Solomon had a number of Biblical chapters talking about him. His unprecedented wisdom, wealth, service to God, good governance and on a low key, love for women were written boldly in the Bible. The 969 years of Methuselah attracted only three sentences to his credit. The rather short stint of Solomon however was credited with several chapters of the Bible. Does this short analysis paint any picture in our minds?
There is this very worrying trend in this country and others where it is strongly believed that until someone spots grey hairs, he cannot and will not be capable of handling certain positions and making certain decisions. This anti-youth syndrome seems never to go away despite the popular saying that ‘the age of Methuselah has got nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon’. One infamous saying today especially in our political circles is ‘wait for your turn’. As a young adult who believes in youth power, this entrenched stand of our older generation is quiet worrying and the earlier they come to the realisation that the world is changing with supersonic speed, the better it would be for us all.
A very evident generational gap which results from the struggle for power must be addressed as soon as applicable. I would however want to make a point for the younger generation. As biased as my views might be in favour of my generation, any one with objectivity would to a larger extent agree with my inclination.
Despite the conviction that the youth are predominantly reckless and exuberant, and are very naive to handle very vital roles in our society, the youth have proved otherwise. We still give the older generation the benefit to still occupy those positions. The multi-billion cedi question I ask is, have the older generation proved their worth?
Was the African leader of the millennium, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah not a youth when he took the whole world by storm? Are his dreams for a better Africa which was thought to be ambitious and full of youthfulness not the guiding principles of the European Union today? A jump outside the continent will land us perhaps on the famous Bernabue stadium of Real Madrid. Have you wandered where the new excitement in that football club is stemming from? It is just because a young gentleman decided to pitch his youthful exuberance against the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Surprisingly enough he has succeeded and has therefore overshadowed the likes of them.
Another youth worth mentioning, is one man whose magic the whole world cannot resist. The mention of his name or just a slight presence of his face puts the world into a kind of excitement. Was Madiba, as he is popularly called in his hometown, not a young man when he spearheaded the fight against apartheid? Did his youthfulness or tender age prevent him from achieving that ambitious objective? The football legend, George Oppong Weah despite his lack of grey hairs then, was able to unite in his own way a country that has been through one of the worst human atrocities ever. He never won the presidency but he did more than many older people to bring back the people of Liberia together. He was a young man then. Have young people not proven themselves in the past with all these examples?
Currently the world is running at a supersonic speed and it seems our older folks cannot keep up with the race. That is why it is prudent to hand over the baton to the more energetic ones who can keep up with the speed of the world. Most developed nations have received this message already and are putting it into effect.
United States, the most powerful nation on earth with very complex governance system and an integral part of this world have placed their destinies into the hands of a young man who is not even up to fifty years yet. As if that is not enough, perhaps the most conservative country on earth, Britain, just elected an extremely young man to be their Prime Minister. Russia, another force to reckon with in world politics also has a young man for a president, totally deviating from the eras of Boris Yelstin and his contemporaries. Do these trends not ring a bell?
Barclays Bank Ghana has as its Managing Director, a young man who is determined to succeed. If a British originated bank can give a young Ghanaian that opportunity to prove the worth of the Ghanaian youth, which I think he has done, what in God’s kingdom are our own indigenous companies and agencies waiting for? During the 2008 elections, one would realise that the old guards of the political parties had little to do when the rather energetic and ambitious youths took over. Is it not evident even in our present government that the young ministers are performing marvellously well, whilst little is seen of the so-called old political gurus? Does the bell ring louder now?
It is time we give the Ghanaian youth the chance to prove his worth. There is a general attitude in our society, especially our workplaces which is very abhorring. This attitude normally puts its head up when university students are on internship or newly employed. They tend to face all kinds of hostile behaviours from older folks just because of the fear that, these guys might take over their positions. Another trend is how most of our public and civil servant alter their dates of births just to stay longer in their various workplaces, thereby blocking the chances of various graduates coming with fresh and updated ideas. How is it therefore not surprising that in this age of technological advancement, typewriters are still used in our big offices and our law courts?
It is not to say that our older folks have out-spent their usefulness. They form an integral part of the developmental agenda of Ghana. However if we are able to blend the experience of our fathers with the energy and updated knowledge of our sons, we will get a formidable force to propel this wonderful nation forward. In as much as I have touted a number of youthful leaders who made positive impacts, I am not oblivious of the likes of Adolf Hitler, Charles Taylor and the like who plunged the world into untold stories with unguided youthful exuberance. That is why we will need the older generation around to guide the younger ones to steer the ship to dock safely.
This is a clarion call to the youth of Ghana. Let us arise and take up our rightful positions in society. The rather apathetic stand we have taken is a dangerous weapon that will only ruin us. In our churches, educational institutions, companies, chieftaincy and other endeavours of life, let us take up the mantle. With wise counsel from the older generation and with a sense of purpose and determination, we shall live up to expectation. We must not wait for our turn any longer. The water might not be flowing by then. Let us not forget Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy in the Bible, ‘let no one despise your youth’. IT IS OUR TIME!
By: COURAGE AHIATI
courageislove@gmail.com.
Courage354@yahoo.co.uk
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
The writer is a Political Science student of KNUST
.... The “wait for your turn hymn”
Ghana is a country with very wonderful stories and captivating events. There is this unsubstantiated general perception that we are the second nation loved and blessed by God aside the state of Israel. As funny as it sounds, a lot of people have strong belief in that. It gets deeper in football seasons especially, when we manage a win through a last minute penalty. That is Ghana for you.
One recurring question I keep asking myself is, do we even pick some few lessons from the great Biblical stories of the nation that we compare ourselves to? Two people in the Bible who normally draw attention on the streets of Ghana are Methuselah and King Solomon. Methuselah is the oldest man to walk the surface of this earth. He lived on earth for almost one millennium (969 years). Surprisingly enough, a glance through the Holy book paints only a faint picture of him. His name was only mentioned in the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Not even a single story was written on any aspect of his life. The only honours he had was the mention of his name and his record-breaking age.
The other personality in perspective, King Solomon did not live up to even a quarter of the years of grandpapa Methuselah. However, Solomon had a number of Biblical chapters talking about him. His unprecedented wisdom, wealth, service to God, good governance and on a low key, love for women were written boldly in the Bible. The 969 years of Methuselah attracted only three sentences to his credit. The rather short stint of Solomon however was credited with several chapters of the Bible. Does this short analysis paint any picture in our minds?
There is this very worrying trend in this country and others where it is strongly believed that until someone spots grey hairs, he cannot and will not be capable of handling certain positions and making certain decisions. This anti-youth syndrome seems never to go away despite the popular saying that ‘the age of Methuselah has got nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon’. One infamous saying today especially in our political circles is ‘wait for your turn’. As a young adult who believes in youth power, this entrenched stand of our older generation is quiet worrying and the earlier they come to the realisation that the world is changing with supersonic speed, the better it would be for us all.
A very evident generational gap which results from the struggle for power must be addressed as soon as applicable. I would however want to make a point for the younger generation. As biased as my views might be in favour of my generation, any one with objectivity would to a larger extent agree with my inclination.
Despite the conviction that the youth are predominantly reckless and exuberant, and are very naive to handle very vital roles in our society, the youth have proved otherwise. We still give the older generation the benefit to still occupy those positions. The multi-billion cedi question I ask is, have the older generation proved their worth?
Was the African leader of the millennium, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah not a youth when he took the whole world by storm? Are his dreams for a better Africa which was thought to be ambitious and full of youthfulness not the guiding principles of the European Union today? A jump outside the continent will land us perhaps on the famous Bernabue stadium of Real Madrid. Have you wandered where the new excitement in that football club is stemming from? It is just because a young gentleman decided to pitch his youthful exuberance against the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Surprisingly enough he has succeeded and has therefore overshadowed the likes of them.
Another youth worth mentioning, is one man whose magic the whole world cannot resist. The mention of his name or just a slight presence of his face puts the world into a kind of excitement. Was Madiba, as he is popularly called in his hometown, not a young man when he spearheaded the fight against apartheid? Did his youthfulness or tender age prevent him from achieving that ambitious objective? The football legend, George Oppong Weah despite his lack of grey hairs then, was able to unite in his own way a country that has been through one of the worst human atrocities ever. He never won the presidency but he did more than many older people to bring back the people of Liberia together. He was a young man then. Have young people not proven themselves in the past with all these examples?
Currently the world is running at a supersonic speed and it seems our older folks cannot keep up with the race. That is why it is prudent to hand over the baton to the more energetic ones who can keep up with the speed of the world. Most developed nations have received this message already and are putting it into effect.
United States, the most powerful nation on earth with very complex governance system and an integral part of this world have placed their destinies into the hands of a young man who is not even up to fifty years yet. As if that is not enough, perhaps the most conservative country on earth, Britain, just elected an extremely young man to be their Prime Minister. Russia, another force to reckon with in world politics also has a young man for a president, totally deviating from the eras of Boris Yelstin and his contemporaries. Do these trends not ring a bell?
Barclays Bank Ghana has as its Managing Director, a young man who is determined to succeed. If a British originated bank can give a young Ghanaian that opportunity to prove the worth of the Ghanaian youth, which I think he has done, what in God’s kingdom are our own indigenous companies and agencies waiting for? During the 2008 elections, one would realise that the old guards of the political parties had little to do when the rather energetic and ambitious youths took over. Is it not evident even in our present government that the young ministers are performing marvellously well, whilst little is seen of the so-called old political gurus? Does the bell ring louder now?
It is time we give the Ghanaian youth the chance to prove his worth. There is a general attitude in our society, especially our workplaces which is very abhorring. This attitude normally puts its head up when university students are on internship or newly employed. They tend to face all kinds of hostile behaviours from older folks just because of the fear that, these guys might take over their positions. Another trend is how most of our public and civil servant alter their dates of births just to stay longer in their various workplaces, thereby blocking the chances of various graduates coming with fresh and updated ideas. How is it therefore not surprising that in this age of technological advancement, typewriters are still used in our big offices and our law courts?
It is not to say that our older folks have out-spent their usefulness. They form an integral part of the developmental agenda of Ghana. However if we are able to blend the experience of our fathers with the energy and updated knowledge of our sons, we will get a formidable force to propel this wonderful nation forward. In as much as I have touted a number of youthful leaders who made positive impacts, I am not oblivious of the likes of Adolf Hitler, Charles Taylor and the like who plunged the world into untold stories with unguided youthful exuberance. That is why we will need the older generation around to guide the younger ones to steer the ship to dock safely.
This is a clarion call to the youth of Ghana. Let us arise and take up our rightful positions in society. The rather apathetic stand we have taken is a dangerous weapon that will only ruin us. In our churches, educational institutions, companies, chieftaincy and other endeavours of life, let us take up the mantle. With wise counsel from the older generation and with a sense of purpose and determination, we shall live up to expectation. We must not wait for our turn any longer. The water might not be flowing by then. Let us not forget Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy in the Bible, ‘let no one despise your youth’. IT IS OUR TIME!
By: COURAGE AHIATI
courageislove@gmail.com.
Courage354@yahoo.co.uk
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
The writer is a Political Science student of KNUST
INDISCIPLINE AND ARROGANCE
INDISCIPLINE AND ARROGANCE;
.......The bane of our development.
“Then what happiness will you enjoy, with what delight will you exult, in what pleasure will you revel, when in so numerous a body of friends you neither hear nor see one good man!” – Cicero.
It was a calm but very hot afternoon in an over populated Political Science class stashed in a small room. Mr Mohammed Abass, a very dedicated and inspiring young lecturer takes the class through what development is all about. Majority of this class gets a deeper understanding of what development is and are spurred on and enthused to go out there and make it happen. As we all trooped out of our last Development studies class, we had high hopes that our dear motherland which used to be the coast of gold also has a bright opportunity of becoming like all the other developed nations.
However, like the working of a mirage, one gets out and finds that the realities on the ground are so different and very much bleak. Ghana has gone through a lot of metamorphosis till this point. The torch bearer for a better Africa have been outpaced and outrun. We have tried a lot of method to ascertain which can help us accelerate our development. Try as much as we have over half a century, becoming a developed nation still seems to be just a wishful thinking. We still live the life of that village boy who always dreams of getting all the goodies during Christmas, but who only wakes up on Christmas day and is sent to the stone quarry or the farm for hours of hard labour.
There is this story of a man who fell off a cliff. He is lucky enough to get hold of a tree branch just on the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately, just like the GLICO advert, the branch starts to break. This unlucky man starts screaming for help. Luckily for him, a very strong man appears on the scene and offers to help him if only he will let go of the tree branch and grasp his hand. The falling man ignores the benevolence of this man and starts screaming for another helper. This story might sound quite confusing or absurd, but objectively, that is the very character we are putting up as a nation. We have a burning desire to reach the same pedestals that the so-called first world countries have been placed, but we are very much reluctant to let go of some behaviours which to a larger extent impede development.
Gross level of indiscipline and a rather equally high level of arrogance have plagued our nation and have made our vision and desire of a developed nation just a sort of a fairy tale that we will always repeat to generations unborn. My understanding of development tells me that it can be partitioned into economic development, political development, social development and the like. This makes it a very broad and herculean business not just achieved by spending numerous working hours in the cathedral. Until the whole country is exorcised of these demons of indiscipline and arrogance, then we must as well forget about that utopia that we all dream of.
Indiscipline has clothed itself in a lot of styles and colours in Ghana and has become a canker that has eaten deep into the developmental fabric of our nation. All and sundry are guilty of acts of indiscipline and arrogance that impedes the nation’s development.
In our religious quarters, discipline has vanished from the house of God just like camphor. My Bible makes me understand that the God we serve is a God of discipline, but little can be said of so-called religious leaders and followers of today. Almost all acts of indiscipline in our country now, have its root from our churches. Majority of fraudsters in our country now are people who call themselves men of God. Paedophiles and rapists are all mounting our holy pulpits now. Churches decide to make excessive noise at night when they know very well that there are regulations against noise pollution. An attempt at enforcing this law against a culprit church will see the law enforcement officer described as the first nephew of Satan.
Taking a cursory look at our political arena, one would notice an unprecedented level of indiscipline and a resulting level of arrogance in these agencies. From our security agencies to our utility companies, none can come out clean on these charges. Soldiers who are paid with the taxpayers’ money decide to take advantage of the popular saying that “soldiers are no-nonsense people” and brutalise these same taxpayers and commit all kinds of acts without any reference to the laws of the land. The high command also feels they must protect this kind of ‘respect’ by not exposing these anarchistic soldiers. This is sheer indiscipline. Our law-maintaining officers are worse-off. The word ‘police’ have become synonymous with bribery. An early morning drive along the lake road of Kumasi, one will see a bunch of police officers pretending to be inspecting vehicles. In actual sense, they stand there to take GH¢1 bribe or whatever they choose to call it, from every trotro driver who plies that road. If officers will take this meagre amount and overlook the road worthiness of our vehicles, how will we prevent the carnages on our roads?
Mores so, our ‘honourable’ political figures and traditional authorities have also descended into the gutters of indiscipline. There is this evident case of a suburb in Kumasi, where the traditional authority in that neighbourhood has decided to place sand meant for the renovation of their palace right on one part of a single road. This is absolutely incorrect but no one dares raise a voice against this lawless and irresponsible act. They will go all length to flaunt their royal powers been oblivious of the fact that, that act alone, impedes the development of the nation to an extent.
Sadly enough, our educational institutions, which are supposed to be places of good orientation, have become places where indiscipline has become the head of state. Today, the whole nation is lamenting about how long our students should be in school. Others are also of the view that, the number of years is quiet irrelevant compared to the provision of adequate resources. In as much as I would not debunk these view points, the main problem plaguing our schools is the lack of discipline. If senior high schools in the country are upgraded to the status of Oxford University or even MIT, with a ten year duration, nothing will change with the kind of abhorring behaviours we put up. Teacher absenteeism is so alarming. Throughout my last academic year in a so-called first class senior high school, which is deemed one of the best in Ghana, if not the best, I saw my Integrated Science tutor only three times. Our universities are now seriously inventing various prototypes of indiscipline.
Furthermore, our radio stations are now full of partisan political argy-bargies which do not necessarily contribute even a hair to the development of the nation. Our elders can no longer be disciplined and circumspect in their choice of words. You can hardly get a thing line between a statesman and a hoodlum. The rather rising nuisance being created by the activities of these so-called political party foot soldiers is worth mentioning. These hooligans have become the ambassadors and crusaders of indiscipline. It is so sad to note that they go away easily with these lawless acts.
Our elders say, it is only the child who learns to wash his hands, who is fit to eat with elders. Until all Ghanaians eat our humble ‘abolo’, and drink our humble ‘pito’, with deep introspection and make a strong resolve to change our attitudes for the better, the predicaments of those foolish virgins in that famous Biblical parable will keep visiting us. It will be foolhardy on our parts to engage in the blame game. We are all responsible for the state of our nation. No politician with sugar-coated and honey-garnished words will ever take us to the land that flows with milk and honey. Our destiny lies in our own hands. He who this smelly snail shell fits should either wear it and suffer the consequence or clean it up and make it an ornament. A bright future lies ahead. Let us not lose it to that gifted thief, INDISCIPLINE.
NB: This article was originally published in the September 6 edition of the Daily Graphic.
By: COURAGE AHIATI.
courageislove@gmail.com
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
.......The bane of our development.
“Then what happiness will you enjoy, with what delight will you exult, in what pleasure will you revel, when in so numerous a body of friends you neither hear nor see one good man!” – Cicero.
It was a calm but very hot afternoon in an over populated Political Science class stashed in a small room. Mr Mohammed Abass, a very dedicated and inspiring young lecturer takes the class through what development is all about. Majority of this class gets a deeper understanding of what development is and are spurred on and enthused to go out there and make it happen. As we all trooped out of our last Development studies class, we had high hopes that our dear motherland which used to be the coast of gold also has a bright opportunity of becoming like all the other developed nations.
However, like the working of a mirage, one gets out and finds that the realities on the ground are so different and very much bleak. Ghana has gone through a lot of metamorphosis till this point. The torch bearer for a better Africa have been outpaced and outrun. We have tried a lot of method to ascertain which can help us accelerate our development. Try as much as we have over half a century, becoming a developed nation still seems to be just a wishful thinking. We still live the life of that village boy who always dreams of getting all the goodies during Christmas, but who only wakes up on Christmas day and is sent to the stone quarry or the farm for hours of hard labour.
There is this story of a man who fell off a cliff. He is lucky enough to get hold of a tree branch just on the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately, just like the GLICO advert, the branch starts to break. This unlucky man starts screaming for help. Luckily for him, a very strong man appears on the scene and offers to help him if only he will let go of the tree branch and grasp his hand. The falling man ignores the benevolence of this man and starts screaming for another helper. This story might sound quite confusing or absurd, but objectively, that is the very character we are putting up as a nation. We have a burning desire to reach the same pedestals that the so-called first world countries have been placed, but we are very much reluctant to let go of some behaviours which to a larger extent impede development.
Gross level of indiscipline and a rather equally high level of arrogance have plagued our nation and have made our vision and desire of a developed nation just a sort of a fairy tale that we will always repeat to generations unborn. My understanding of development tells me that it can be partitioned into economic development, political development, social development and the like. This makes it a very broad and herculean business not just achieved by spending numerous working hours in the cathedral. Until the whole country is exorcised of these demons of indiscipline and arrogance, then we must as well forget about that utopia that we all dream of.
Indiscipline has clothed itself in a lot of styles and colours in Ghana and has become a canker that has eaten deep into the developmental fabric of our nation. All and sundry are guilty of acts of indiscipline and arrogance that impedes the nation’s development.
In our religious quarters, discipline has vanished from the house of God just like camphor. My Bible makes me understand that the God we serve is a God of discipline, but little can be said of so-called religious leaders and followers of today. Almost all acts of indiscipline in our country now, have its root from our churches. Majority of fraudsters in our country now are people who call themselves men of God. Paedophiles and rapists are all mounting our holy pulpits now. Churches decide to make excessive noise at night when they know very well that there are regulations against noise pollution. An attempt at enforcing this law against a culprit church will see the law enforcement officer described as the first nephew of Satan.
Taking a cursory look at our political arena, one would notice an unprecedented level of indiscipline and a resulting level of arrogance in these agencies. From our security agencies to our utility companies, none can come out clean on these charges. Soldiers who are paid with the taxpayers’ money decide to take advantage of the popular saying that “soldiers are no-nonsense people” and brutalise these same taxpayers and commit all kinds of acts without any reference to the laws of the land. The high command also feels they must protect this kind of ‘respect’ by not exposing these anarchistic soldiers. This is sheer indiscipline. Our law-maintaining officers are worse-off. The word ‘police’ have become synonymous with bribery. An early morning drive along the lake road of Kumasi, one will see a bunch of police officers pretending to be inspecting vehicles. In actual sense, they stand there to take GH¢1 bribe or whatever they choose to call it, from every trotro driver who plies that road. If officers will take this meagre amount and overlook the road worthiness of our vehicles, how will we prevent the carnages on our roads?
Mores so, our ‘honourable’ political figures and traditional authorities have also descended into the gutters of indiscipline. There is this evident case of a suburb in Kumasi, where the traditional authority in that neighbourhood has decided to place sand meant for the renovation of their palace right on one part of a single road. This is absolutely incorrect but no one dares raise a voice against this lawless and irresponsible act. They will go all length to flaunt their royal powers been oblivious of the fact that, that act alone, impedes the development of the nation to an extent.
Sadly enough, our educational institutions, which are supposed to be places of good orientation, have become places where indiscipline has become the head of state. Today, the whole nation is lamenting about how long our students should be in school. Others are also of the view that, the number of years is quiet irrelevant compared to the provision of adequate resources. In as much as I would not debunk these view points, the main problem plaguing our schools is the lack of discipline. If senior high schools in the country are upgraded to the status of Oxford University or even MIT, with a ten year duration, nothing will change with the kind of abhorring behaviours we put up. Teacher absenteeism is so alarming. Throughout my last academic year in a so-called first class senior high school, which is deemed one of the best in Ghana, if not the best, I saw my Integrated Science tutor only three times. Our universities are now seriously inventing various prototypes of indiscipline.
Furthermore, our radio stations are now full of partisan political argy-bargies which do not necessarily contribute even a hair to the development of the nation. Our elders can no longer be disciplined and circumspect in their choice of words. You can hardly get a thing line between a statesman and a hoodlum. The rather rising nuisance being created by the activities of these so-called political party foot soldiers is worth mentioning. These hooligans have become the ambassadors and crusaders of indiscipline. It is so sad to note that they go away easily with these lawless acts.
Our elders say, it is only the child who learns to wash his hands, who is fit to eat with elders. Until all Ghanaians eat our humble ‘abolo’, and drink our humble ‘pito’, with deep introspection and make a strong resolve to change our attitudes for the better, the predicaments of those foolish virgins in that famous Biblical parable will keep visiting us. It will be foolhardy on our parts to engage in the blame game. We are all responsible for the state of our nation. No politician with sugar-coated and honey-garnished words will ever take us to the land that flows with milk and honey. Our destiny lies in our own hands. He who this smelly snail shell fits should either wear it and suffer the consequence or clean it up and make it an ornament. A bright future lies ahead. Let us not lose it to that gifted thief, INDISCIPLINE.
NB: This article was originally published in the September 6 edition of the Daily Graphic.
By: COURAGE AHIATI.
courageislove@gmail.com
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
Monday, August 23, 2010
NANA'A WELCOME MESSAGE
KONKONSA IS BACK AND DEEPER.
It is always a pleasure and happy moments when I see handsome and elegant young ones troop to my kingdom in search of knowledge. Do you know why I become happy? It is because I will get my voluminous mouth busy with both clean and dirty gossip. As I mark my last moments on the throne as the overlord of the Kingdom of NUST, I vow to make use of my professorial laurels in konkonsa as never before. For those of you who are new to me and my underground dealings, let me introduce myself. Is it even worth it to do that? Anyway, I am NANA ANOKESE ANOPEASEM, overload of the land that you trample on, watcher of your dark deeds and backlasher of your irresponsible acts. Above all, I am the father of all gossip, an expert in lips flapping gossip. Just have a second look at my name and you would know me better.
I take this opportunity to welcome all freshmen and fresh women to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Serious Trouble. Hmmmmn! I don’t even know why I referred to you as fresh men and women. Some of you are dried up more than the back of Baba Fuseini (oldest crocodile at Paga). Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay on this land of our death and reincarnation. As the royal custodian of the land, I have some few words of advice for you. I know some of you have thrown away the ones your parents forced into that thing you call your head. I hope you will not throw away what I will give you.
My lovely daughters in AFRICA HALL, it’s nice to be in the only female twin towers on campus, but please your porters are also thinking human beings. The shout of your predecessors have made them partially deaf. Please I beg you, do not worsen their plight by perpetuating the scream slogan “PORTER, PLEASE PUMP THE WATER”. They know that already.
Those of you in Queens hall or whatever you call it, please I beg you to be content with your lot. Stop trooping to other halls. I don’t want to remind people of those sad moments but let the two beautiful “gobe” sellers be enough for you. Tell your leaders that building more accommodation units is more important than using money to build a lawn tennis court where four and half people including some semi-mad white man will go and throw tennis balls. Royals, do not also forget that your television always gets spoilt as a result of attack from mad people. Tell your president to paste a notice banning mad people from using your TV room. Also do not forget to close all computers, all laptops and switch off all electrical appliances before doing what mum and dad do at night. There might be a camera hidden inside the microwave. Ask your forefathers to tell you the legendary Botuo fairy tale.
My lovely kids in the hall that claims to be independent, welcome to the premier hall. You are lucky because all the prayers emanating from Paa Joe seems to pass through your hall. However try and convince your leaders to go in for sponsorship from GHACEM instead of TIGO. Your buildings do not have enough cement in them. I do not want to shed my little royal tears again. I am reserving them for my death, so that I can cry for those who will come and shed hippopotamus tears there.
Oh my lovely REPUBLIC hall, how thou welcometh all my children. Mongols, human beings are supposed to learn from humans, not inanimate objects. Never copy the habit of those shameless sculptures in your hall. They have exposed their nudity for years now. Kindly shun their company. At least, put on something. For that reason, I have ordered that panties be included in the souvenirs that will be provided to you. At least your leaders heeded my caution and have stopped cultivating the REFUSE DUMP farm. It was a joint project they had with THE DOMITES. Please those executives who keep entering the female rooms almost every micro-second, the ladies are complaining of nightmares. Please I don’t want to go far, so stop work with immediate effect. Even chicken is being spared nowadays during Christmas.
Continentals, you are lucky to be in the largest hall in the whole of West Africa. I don’t even know if that is true. Anyway, take very good care of yourself and be united as the name of your hall says. I don’t even know why the hall was named after the continental unity of Africa. The continent itself has never been united. Hope it is not already having its effect on you. However, you must form search parties to go and look for your missing goddess. Wonders will never end. I thought those things happen only in Nigerian movies, where people steal a whole god and it doesn’t even resist. Now I know it can truly happen on the land of Thrillers and Surprises.
To those of you in the black and yellow hall, I don’t even know why you love black so much, is it because of evil or you are just proud of your colour? I paid a royal visit to your bathhouses and I thought I was dreaming. It’s really nice. I hope it will not turn out to be the story of APONKYE and CAKE. Eeeih, what will you celebrate this year after that controversial HALL FESTIVAL. Is it not so strange? When everyone is celebrating hall week, only you want to celebrate what? FESTIVAL? Please the SOS was too terrifying last year. I beg you with my royal sandals to stop. You are lucky enough to have lots of bush around you, can’t you transfer some there? Greet your president for me. Eeih as for that man and his English, hmmmn!! Did he school in Afghanistan?
Once again I welcome all of you to my kingdom. Though I was born at a time when we stroke stones against each other to get light, I am very much IT inclined more than most of you. I will prove that to you very soon. I leave you with one of my father’s popular sayings “In a zongo community, no one wins a fight once”. Think about this and apply it to your life on campus.
YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS
NANA PROF. ANOKESE ANOPEASEM
PhD GOSSIPIOLOGY
MSc ROYAL DISSING.
You can read THE GOSSIP online through the following medium –
www.konkonsa-thegossip.blogspot.com.
Join me on the facebook fan page - THE GOSSIP.
You can also email me through courageislove@gamil.com.
It is always a pleasure and happy moments when I see handsome and elegant young ones troop to my kingdom in search of knowledge. Do you know why I become happy? It is because I will get my voluminous mouth busy with both clean and dirty gossip. As I mark my last moments on the throne as the overlord of the Kingdom of NUST, I vow to make use of my professorial laurels in konkonsa as never before. For those of you who are new to me and my underground dealings, let me introduce myself. Is it even worth it to do that? Anyway, I am NANA ANOKESE ANOPEASEM, overload of the land that you trample on, watcher of your dark deeds and backlasher of your irresponsible acts. Above all, I am the father of all gossip, an expert in lips flapping gossip. Just have a second look at my name and you would know me better.
I take this opportunity to welcome all freshmen and fresh women to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Serious Trouble. Hmmmmn! I don’t even know why I referred to you as fresh men and women. Some of you are dried up more than the back of Baba Fuseini (oldest crocodile at Paga). Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay on this land of our death and reincarnation. As the royal custodian of the land, I have some few words of advice for you. I know some of you have thrown away the ones your parents forced into that thing you call your head. I hope you will not throw away what I will give you.
My lovely daughters in AFRICA HALL, it’s nice to be in the only female twin towers on campus, but please your porters are also thinking human beings. The shout of your predecessors have made them partially deaf. Please I beg you, do not worsen their plight by perpetuating the scream slogan “PORTER, PLEASE PUMP THE WATER”. They know that already.
Those of you in Queens hall or whatever you call it, please I beg you to be content with your lot. Stop trooping to other halls. I don’t want to remind people of those sad moments but let the two beautiful “gobe” sellers be enough for you. Tell your leaders that building more accommodation units is more important than using money to build a lawn tennis court where four and half people including some semi-mad white man will go and throw tennis balls. Royals, do not also forget that your television always gets spoilt as a result of attack from mad people. Tell your president to paste a notice banning mad people from using your TV room. Also do not forget to close all computers, all laptops and switch off all electrical appliances before doing what mum and dad do at night. There might be a camera hidden inside the microwave. Ask your forefathers to tell you the legendary Botuo fairy tale.
My lovely kids in the hall that claims to be independent, welcome to the premier hall. You are lucky because all the prayers emanating from Paa Joe seems to pass through your hall. However try and convince your leaders to go in for sponsorship from GHACEM instead of TIGO. Your buildings do not have enough cement in them. I do not want to shed my little royal tears again. I am reserving them for my death, so that I can cry for those who will come and shed hippopotamus tears there.
Oh my lovely REPUBLIC hall, how thou welcometh all my children. Mongols, human beings are supposed to learn from humans, not inanimate objects. Never copy the habit of those shameless sculptures in your hall. They have exposed their nudity for years now. Kindly shun their company. At least, put on something. For that reason, I have ordered that panties be included in the souvenirs that will be provided to you. At least your leaders heeded my caution and have stopped cultivating the REFUSE DUMP farm. It was a joint project they had with THE DOMITES. Please those executives who keep entering the female rooms almost every micro-second, the ladies are complaining of nightmares. Please I don’t want to go far, so stop work with immediate effect. Even chicken is being spared nowadays during Christmas.
Continentals, you are lucky to be in the largest hall in the whole of West Africa. I don’t even know if that is true. Anyway, take very good care of yourself and be united as the name of your hall says. I don’t even know why the hall was named after the continental unity of Africa. The continent itself has never been united. Hope it is not already having its effect on you. However, you must form search parties to go and look for your missing goddess. Wonders will never end. I thought those things happen only in Nigerian movies, where people steal a whole god and it doesn’t even resist. Now I know it can truly happen on the land of Thrillers and Surprises.
To those of you in the black and yellow hall, I don’t even know why you love black so much, is it because of evil or you are just proud of your colour? I paid a royal visit to your bathhouses and I thought I was dreaming. It’s really nice. I hope it will not turn out to be the story of APONKYE and CAKE. Eeeih, what will you celebrate this year after that controversial HALL FESTIVAL. Is it not so strange? When everyone is celebrating hall week, only you want to celebrate what? FESTIVAL? Please the SOS was too terrifying last year. I beg you with my royal sandals to stop. You are lucky enough to have lots of bush around you, can’t you transfer some there? Greet your president for me. Eeih as for that man and his English, hmmmn!! Did he school in Afghanistan?
Once again I welcome all of you to my kingdom. Though I was born at a time when we stroke stones against each other to get light, I am very much IT inclined more than most of you. I will prove that to you very soon. I leave you with one of my father’s popular sayings “In a zongo community, no one wins a fight once”. Think about this and apply it to your life on campus.
YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS
NANA PROF. ANOKESE ANOPEASEM
PhD GOSSIPIOLOGY
MSc ROYAL DISSING.
You can read THE GOSSIP online through the following medium –
www.konkonsa-thegossip.blogspot.com.
Join me on the facebook fan page - THE GOSSIP.
You can also email me through courageislove@gamil.com.
Monday, September 28, 2009
LOVE FOR CASSOCK
LOVE FOR CASSOCK.
A tall young gentleman swung off the bus terminal and walked hurriedly up the first dusty street. He was an extremely handsome catholic priest. He had strong, well chiseled features, curled hair and fine and attractive eyes. He walked with assurance as if this was something he had planned years ahead. As he had driven himself into sacred duty, he planned to do this before leaving for missionary work. He cast a cursory look up the street, and gosh! She was coming towards his direction. She still seemed to be like the angel she had been to him. The same light movement as if her feet had wings. The same fat cheek and the same grace of movement. She had a protruding belly. His heartbeat quickened as she got closer. The hug was that old soothing one with both hands rubbing his back. She had forgotten that he was in cassock. The look in her ever sexy eyes seemed so genuine that his initial plans for distant courtesy vanished. For a moment, he could only gaze at her glowing beauty and admire how beautifully she has grown, as she spoke, “I’ve missed you. Where have you been?” Conrad saw this as very sarcastic but gathered enough courage and answered, “In the seminary”. Suddenly he was himself again. “Aboagyewaa, I came to finish what we started some years back on KNUST campus”. Memories of yesteryears out of the blue flashed across Aboagyewaa’s mind and she felt like passing out. Conrad Villars and Aboagyewaa Marfo were course mates in school. Their first day in class, she gave him a smile, he returned it and that was how one of the most captivating love stories on campus began. Had Shakespeare been alive during this age, he would rethink writing another love story about this thin, fair gentleman and that dark, fat damsel, far enhanced than the legendry Romeo and Juliet. Like the pulling down of the twin towers, Conrad realized it too late that h wouldn’t be able to marry the nicest woman ever in his life. Ohyiren Kankam, a school mate of Conrad, came from nowhere promising Aboagyewaa more than Disney world. By the time Conrad realized that it was not a dream, Ohyiren was gone with his love. He then resolved that, if he has lost her, then he will turn to the seminary for solace. He knew his mother will never forgive him or such a decision, but he will not be able to love any other woman. He left campus in the middle of his second year. Every attempt by Aboagyewaa to get in touch landed on hard rocks. Exactly two years after that, she got married to Ohyiren and is now pregnant. She came out of her trance of a sort. He continued, “I am departing for my station in Uganda. But when I looked the fact in the face, I might not be coming back. I found that there was one person I wanted to bid goodbye. There was one person I wanted I wanted to see for the last time and that is the only lady I ever and will forever love and that is you”. Tears started trickling down her face. The only man she truly love, now a catholic priest had the impertinence to come and rekindle old love flames. She broke into uncontrollable sobbing and started striking his chest, “why did you do that to me? You never proposed to me all those years. I thought that we would come together one day and here you are in cassock and here I am pregnant for another man. I thought you didn’t love me after all. I thought I loved the wrong person , but I still had hope that one day…..” the sobbing seem to choke her very words. Conrad couldn’t hold back the tears as they reluctantly filtered down his cheeks. He was heart-broken himself. He didn’t get the courage to propose to his only sweetheart. He didn’t know the attraction could get stronger after all these years. All his life, Conrad has been self righteous and promised not to hurt anyone. But now, Aboagyewaa is hurt. His mother is also hurt. Above all, he is also hurt because he was human enough to love a woman but not man enough to propose and fight for his treasure. Separation has made their love keener, time has consolidated it. Maybe it wasn’t his for the keeping. Maybe the seminary was his place of service. But now, he can only love his priesthood and not his charming fairy. The End.
Written by: COURAGE AHIATI
A tall young gentleman swung off the bus terminal and walked hurriedly up the first dusty street. He was an extremely handsome catholic priest. He had strong, well chiseled features, curled hair and fine and attractive eyes. He walked with assurance as if this was something he had planned years ahead. As he had driven himself into sacred duty, he planned to do this before leaving for missionary work. He cast a cursory look up the street, and gosh! She was coming towards his direction. She still seemed to be like the angel she had been to him. The same light movement as if her feet had wings. The same fat cheek and the same grace of movement. She had a protruding belly. His heartbeat quickened as she got closer. The hug was that old soothing one with both hands rubbing his back. She had forgotten that he was in cassock. The look in her ever sexy eyes seemed so genuine that his initial plans for distant courtesy vanished. For a moment, he could only gaze at her glowing beauty and admire how beautifully she has grown, as she spoke, “I’ve missed you. Where have you been?” Conrad saw this as very sarcastic but gathered enough courage and answered, “In the seminary”. Suddenly he was himself again. “Aboagyewaa, I came to finish what we started some years back on KNUST campus”. Memories of yesteryears out of the blue flashed across Aboagyewaa’s mind and she felt like passing out. Conrad Villars and Aboagyewaa Marfo were course mates in school. Their first day in class, she gave him a smile, he returned it and that was how one of the most captivating love stories on campus began. Had Shakespeare been alive during this age, he would rethink writing another love story about this thin, fair gentleman and that dark, fat damsel, far enhanced than the legendry Romeo and Juliet. Like the pulling down of the twin towers, Conrad realized it too late that h wouldn’t be able to marry the nicest woman ever in his life. Ohyiren Kankam, a school mate of Conrad, came from nowhere promising Aboagyewaa more than Disney world. By the time Conrad realized that it was not a dream, Ohyiren was gone with his love. He then resolved that, if he has lost her, then he will turn to the seminary for solace. He knew his mother will never forgive him or such a decision, but he will not be able to love any other woman. He left campus in the middle of his second year. Every attempt by Aboagyewaa to get in touch landed on hard rocks. Exactly two years after that, she got married to Ohyiren and is now pregnant. She came out of her trance of a sort. He continued, “I am departing for my station in Uganda. But when I looked the fact in the face, I might not be coming back. I found that there was one person I wanted to bid goodbye. There was one person I wanted I wanted to see for the last time and that is the only lady I ever and will forever love and that is you”. Tears started trickling down her face. The only man she truly love, now a catholic priest had the impertinence to come and rekindle old love flames. She broke into uncontrollable sobbing and started striking his chest, “why did you do that to me? You never proposed to me all those years. I thought that we would come together one day and here you are in cassock and here I am pregnant for another man. I thought you didn’t love me after all. I thought I loved the wrong person , but I still had hope that one day…..” the sobbing seem to choke her very words. Conrad couldn’t hold back the tears as they reluctantly filtered down his cheeks. He was heart-broken himself. He didn’t get the courage to propose to his only sweetheart. He didn’t know the attraction could get stronger after all these years. All his life, Conrad has been self righteous and promised not to hurt anyone. But now, Aboagyewaa is hurt. His mother is also hurt. Above all, he is also hurt because he was human enough to love a woman but not man enough to propose and fight for his treasure. Separation has made their love keener, time has consolidated it. Maybe it wasn’t his for the keeping. Maybe the seminary was his place of service. But now, he can only love his priesthood and not his charming fairy. The End.
Written by: COURAGE AHIATI
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I AM SCARED
I am scared.
I am scared of the world I live in. It has become a perilous world.
I am scare of the people I walk with. They have become venomous snakes.
I am scared of the friends I talk to. They have become gossips overnight.
I am scared of my religion. Intruders have taken over.
I am scared of my community. It has become contagious.
I am scared of my school. Bad influence rules.
I am scared of my country. We have lost focus and are aimless.
I am scared of my brother. He is full of envy.
I am scared of my sister. She is full of hatred.
I am scared of my leaders. They are extortionists.
I am scared of my girlfriend. She will break my heart tomorrow
I am scared of myself. I am scared to fail.
I am scared of my generation. We are all scary folks.
Written on 2nd July, 2009. By Courage Ahiati.
I am scared of the world I live in. It has become a perilous world.
I am scare of the people I walk with. They have become venomous snakes.
I am scared of the friends I talk to. They have become gossips overnight.
I am scared of my religion. Intruders have taken over.
I am scared of my community. It has become contagious.
I am scared of my school. Bad influence rules.
I am scared of my country. We have lost focus and are aimless.
I am scared of my brother. He is full of envy.
I am scared of my sister. She is full of hatred.
I am scared of my leaders. They are extortionists.
I am scared of my girlfriend. She will break my heart tomorrow
I am scared of myself. I am scared to fail.
I am scared of my generation. We are all scary folks.
Written on 2nd July, 2009. By Courage Ahiati.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
KATANGA IS THE GREATEST
REST NOT.
That is the short but ever powerful motto of the UNIVERSITY HALL (KATANGA). Katanga is the beacon of KNUST that shines every running second. This is a hall I love so much and will not exchange for anything. Had it not been for KATANGA, where would KNUST be? A hall of valiant men who rest not. Even the greatest coward ever was metamorphosed into a brave warrior.
Do you know why KATANGA is the greatest of all? Some people claim to be called SPARTANS and say they are always a step ahead. In actual facts, Katangese are the real Spartans. We are not just a step ahead but miles ahead of the other halls. They all look up to us for direction and protection. When people were denied their positions, was it not Katanga they came to for justice? Is KATANGA not the first hall to walk on asphalt?
Some call themselves, MONGOLS and claim to be pacesetters. KATANGA is the only pacesetter on KNUST campus. The first hall to have an anthem, the first hall in every competition from academic to social issues. The only mouthpiece of Ghanaian students.
Some call themselves royals. But my understanding is that, its only people who are in a kingdom with a present royal family who can call themselves royals. KATANGA happens to be the powerhouse of UST and for that matter, Katangese are the only true royals. Some paradoxically call themselves UNITY. Impudence of a dying housefly. They are more divided than anyone. The most united hall on campus with a common sense of purpose is indisputably KATANGA.
The black and yellow are two wonderful colours you can’t resist. When the bombardier resonates across the hall and shakes the very foundation of KNUST, the others panic, whiles the men respond to duty. That is the mark of a true fellow. Look at how they all beam with hope when they are in trouble and hear the voice of MEN of WAR chanting our home made war songs. Truly, the legend will never taste death
If you can’t beat us, capo, join us. We are the great fellows. To give the university an image when it was not recognized in Ghana, they had to name the hall UNIVERSITY HALL. For those of you who still doubt the strength of KATANGA, it is synonymous to you doubting the VENOM of a puff adder. THE LEGEND LIVES ON!
That is the short but ever powerful motto of the UNIVERSITY HALL (KATANGA). Katanga is the beacon of KNUST that shines every running second. This is a hall I love so much and will not exchange for anything. Had it not been for KATANGA, where would KNUST be? A hall of valiant men who rest not. Even the greatest coward ever was metamorphosed into a brave warrior.
Do you know why KATANGA is the greatest of all? Some people claim to be called SPARTANS and say they are always a step ahead. In actual facts, Katangese are the real Spartans. We are not just a step ahead but miles ahead of the other halls. They all look up to us for direction and protection. When people were denied their positions, was it not Katanga they came to for justice? Is KATANGA not the first hall to walk on asphalt?
Some call themselves, MONGOLS and claim to be pacesetters. KATANGA is the only pacesetter on KNUST campus. The first hall to have an anthem, the first hall in every competition from academic to social issues. The only mouthpiece of Ghanaian students.
Some call themselves royals. But my understanding is that, its only people who are in a kingdom with a present royal family who can call themselves royals. KATANGA happens to be the powerhouse of UST and for that matter, Katangese are the only true royals. Some paradoxically call themselves UNITY. Impudence of a dying housefly. They are more divided than anyone. The most united hall on campus with a common sense of purpose is indisputably KATANGA.
The black and yellow are two wonderful colours you can’t resist. When the bombardier resonates across the hall and shakes the very foundation of KNUST, the others panic, whiles the men respond to duty. That is the mark of a true fellow. Look at how they all beam with hope when they are in trouble and hear the voice of MEN of WAR chanting our home made war songs. Truly, the legend will never taste death
If you can’t beat us, capo, join us. We are the great fellows. To give the university an image when it was not recognized in Ghana, they had to name the hall UNIVERSITY HALL. For those of you who still doubt the strength of KATANGA, it is synonymous to you doubting the VENOM of a puff adder. THE LEGEND LIVES ON!
WAS HE A REAL HERO?
Was he a real hero? In mid life, he lived the life of an affluent and celebrated star. In the last hours of his life, it was a controversial story and the lifestyle of a pauper. Wacko Jacko did it all. He served his generation well and earned an enviably accolade as the undisputed entertainer of all time. His death rocked the entertainment world and the whole universe. It brought the world together as well. But the multi million cedi question is, did he die a real hero?
MJ as he was popularly known made it big in life but died with a whole lot of snail shells around his neck. Are there not some vital lessons to pick from the novel-like life of MJ?
At least he taught us that no one is too small or too young to do something big. Didn’t he become a world star at a very tender age? He also taught us that the colour of your skin should not be a limitation. He broke bounds and became the greatest entertainer at a time that racism was rife in America. Unfortunately, he didn’t learn this lesson himself. So sad enough.
Didn’t Michael Jackson also elaborate on that adage of climbing to the top? So hard to get there, but more than hard to remain there. He was once worth over 700million dollars in the early 80s. he however died somehow bankrupt. It just proves that we should be weary of how we trust our wealth. We can lose them in a split of a second.
Above all, Michael taught us to be content with how our maker created us. He tried to change his original a bit and what happened afterwards is history. To crown it all, despite all his flaws in life, Michael Jackson still earned the respect of all and still remains the greatest entertainer of all time. That I suppose should be the greatest lesson. Do not give excuses for your shortcomings. He truly explored and exploited his talent to the maximum even on his way to his graveside. Will we ever have an entertainer so influential as MJ? The big question however still remains. Was he a real hero?
MJ as he was popularly known made it big in life but died with a whole lot of snail shells around his neck. Are there not some vital lessons to pick from the novel-like life of MJ?
At least he taught us that no one is too small or too young to do something big. Didn’t he become a world star at a very tender age? He also taught us that the colour of your skin should not be a limitation. He broke bounds and became the greatest entertainer at a time that racism was rife in America. Unfortunately, he didn’t learn this lesson himself. So sad enough.
Didn’t Michael Jackson also elaborate on that adage of climbing to the top? So hard to get there, but more than hard to remain there. He was once worth over 700million dollars in the early 80s. he however died somehow bankrupt. It just proves that we should be weary of how we trust our wealth. We can lose them in a split of a second.
Above all, Michael taught us to be content with how our maker created us. He tried to change his original a bit and what happened afterwards is history. To crown it all, despite all his flaws in life, Michael Jackson still earned the respect of all and still remains the greatest entertainer of all time. That I suppose should be the greatest lesson. Do not give excuses for your shortcomings. He truly explored and exploited his talent to the maximum even on his way to his graveside. Will we ever have an entertainer so influential as MJ? The big question however still remains. Was he a real hero?
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