THE PERFECT NIGHT

Cliiiiiing.... Cliiiiiiiiiing, the alarm clocked sounded. It was morning, 9.40am to be precise. "OMG!", Claudia yelled as she looked at the clock. She was going to be late for the day's activities. She had asked her employer for a day off just to make this special day a memorable one. She had the day's schedule skeptically planned out and was sure there was not going to be any mix up. Adoley, her bosom friend, had called earlier on but she missed her calls. The previous night was so stressful at the supermarket where she worked which made her so tired before she retired to bed. Claudia called her friend back. They agreed to meet at the market as earlier planned the previous day.

Quickly, Claudia came out of the shower and slipped into some fresh clothes which had been ironned and hanged, waiting to be worn. She chose some wrist beads to match her orange blouse and set off for the market after locking all doors and windows. Getting a car at the junction seemed a bit frustrating for a while. Soon, a taxi pulled up and they sped off. It was 12.15pm when she moved.Adoley was becoming infuriated at her friend's delayance. Claudia was becoming fond of this habit. At the ninth or so glance at her wrist watch, she saw a cab pull before her. Her friend came out with a broad smile. "I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting", Claudia said while hugging Adoley. The two mid twenties walked through the market choosing and buying all the items they will be needing to prepare french fries for the dinner ahead.

At 3.56pm, they were at Ephyex Restaurant to take some snacks before going home. Claudia had not eaten anything yet since morning so they took the chance to grab something to eat. Soon, they were headed for Adoley's home to cook the meal they had planned to serve as dinner. By the time they were done, Claudia had eaten half of the fries due to hunger. She rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she was done, she set off to Jeff's house to invite him over for dinner. Adoley would however send the prepared meal to Claudia's house and set the table ready for her friend's arrival.

By the time the cab stopped in front of Jeff's gate, it was 8.05. There was loud music coming from the house, an unusual thing about Jeff. Her boyfriend kept a gentle nature at all times, unlike most guys. Probably there was a party going on, she thought. After several minutes of ringing the bell and not getting any response, she opened the door. It was not locked, rather unusual. She went in. The hall was all messed up and yet there was no party. She began to worry when no one responded while she called out his name. Gradually, but with fear, she moved towards the kitchen, then to the washroom. Finally, as she approached the bedroom she realized the door had been left open. She was shocked at what met her eyes.

On her way home, she cried her heart out. What was she going to tell her bosom friend? How could this happen to her at this very hour? The driver constantly asked her what had gone wrong but she kept mute. As soon as she reached home, she ran out of the cab, forgetting to pay the driver. The annoyed man came out of his car and chased after her. He was peacefully settled at the gate by the security man who wanted to avoid any scandal. She opened the door and suddenly, a loud uproar came from the room, "SURPRISE!". There was Jeff and Adoley and a few other friends. "You coward!", Claudia shouted and ran to her room, leaving everyone in astonishment. The embarassed Claudia could not hide her shame after she had been clarified of the whole incidence. Jeff had been in her home all afternoon preparing dinner for the special night. She went to meet his room mate Paul who had just arrived from his three weeks holiday in UK; and she mistook him for Jeff who was making love in bed with another lady."A toast to a lasting relationship" shouted Jeff. "CHEERS!", came from the guests.

After all the noise had died down and everyone had departed, Jeff sat beside her in the garden. She stared into the clouds, humming her favorite love song. He took her left hand and started playing with them, then she felt him slide something into her middle finger. It was beautiful. As tears began rolling down her cheeks, he whispered softly, "Happy Valentines Day my love".

CIRCLE OF FRIENDSHIP

Just recently, my mom called me to the kitchen and asked, "Anima, do you have friends atall? Apart from Efia, I hardly know most of your friends." I smiled at this rather funny question and had a tangible reply for my mom, who seemed to be scared about the kind of people I might be associating with. Most often, as is the norm, parents are supposed to be protective and I understood her perfectly. Funny but true enough, I do not have alot of friends and that was why laughed over mama's words. Many know me to be outgoing, friendly and warm hearted, which is supposedly the characteristics of one that has many friends. All these aside, I have very few friends and I am picky about choosing them.

Over time, I have learnt to be very careful when it came to friends due to certain experiences. Let me share with you some reasons why I have such lifestyle against many friends... One reason is that I realised some people are with you because of what they want to benefit from you and not what they have to share. Also some associate with you so that it can be easier for them to stop you from reaching the peak of your life. Again, some are with you only because they see that you will be a great person and yet they are not willing to play any role in your life; neither adding nor subtracting from you. These three types persons are definitely not worth having as friends and they are the exact people I am mostly drawn away from. Indeed, true friends are hard to find.

Here are three friends you would never want to miss in your life: the elderly, the knowledgeable and the godly. The elderly are ones that are ahead of you in life. They are mostly wiser than you in a wide range of issues and experiences that you would want to know about. They mostly add up to your life by giving you sound moral advice and sometimes support when the need arises. What you have to do to keep such relationships is to stay humble and also be interested in what they have to teach you. The knowledgeable may not be older than you. They normally have a wide range of information and intelligence base than you do. You must often yearn to tap into their knowledge for the betterment of your life. Do not act jealous over their achievements and mostly shower them with praise, compliments and encouragement. This way, they are sure that you mean good and you are happy with their presence in your life. The godly are ones that have a religious lifestyle and are always active with the things of God. Such people cannot be wiped from our circle of friends because like the elderly and the knowledgeable, the act as a rod of guidance in our lives. They sometimes help us grow spiritual in order to get closer to God. They are also very trustworthy people and are honest with their judgements over some things they think are wrong about you. These groups of people add up to my circle of friends.

I also love the computer(internet), music, inspiring books and the Bible. The computer connects me to a whole new world. Music soothes my soul and mostly gives me joy. Inspiring books teach me most things that the elderly and knowledgeable may not uncover to me. The Bible is my rod and staff which comforts me in my darkest moments. Friends are worth having and keeping. True friendship is what everyone needs in their lives. However, if one does not choose the right friends, they are mostly headed for doom. You might want to think through before making the wrong choice. Remember that being selective with friends is never a sign that you are unfriendly but that you are a strong and wise person. Keep Loving!

Justica ANIMA.

switstica@gmail.com

DEAR NEW YEAR

2013 set in somewhat as fast as you are trying to come. We all anticipated it, expecting big things and goals. When we rolled into that year, things began rolling as people worked tirelessly towards their goals. Everyone wanted to pluck the first fruits and of course the best ones. Let me share with you my outlook of the coming year.
I think 2014 is going to be good and bad depending on how one approaches it. For whatsoever reasons, it doesn’t come with a lot of fears as the previous year did. People seem rather positive and optimistic about it. Friends and families hope to get better relationships while enemies have resolved to stay best of allies.

            Here are three things I expect to see in 2014, thus, in the 12 months of the coming year and in its 365 days:
A positive people. I wish that people around me will be more encouraging and positive towards what they think, say and do. I hate to see people who are naysayers. People who take pride in dampening other people’s spirits are actually not work being with. So to speak, in 2013, most people around me tried to shut down quite alot of my dreams. Others also ended their goals with their actions and speech. It baffles me how some people are just pessimistic about a whole lot of things. They just cannot believe in themselves not to think of others. I hope and pray that people will just stand up to the reality of life and try to tackle each situation with all positivity in this coming year.

Easy flow of money. Hey let’s face it, this year was not a financially sound one (well, atleast for me), so I hope the coming year will be better. People even perceived that the monetary state of the country had dropped making it difficult for money to be “pumped into the system”. As funny as it may sound, it was rather a difficult situation for most of us. We all know how money is an integral part of our lives. For that matter, may the New Year present us with more cash and opportunities that will redirect us to getting something into our pockets.

Dreams come true. Many goals have been set to be achieved this coming year. 2013 left most goals unattained and unfulfilled. I was quite lucky to have just one of mine achieved (not so good). People want to get married, others get admitted in schools and some to probably travel outside of the country to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Wherever you and I belong is for the coming year to grant us luck to get there. Best wishes that were sent out by well wishes during the Yuletide must come to pass. However it might need hardwork and diligence to get us there. For sure we will get there if we put our best to it.

                To the New Year, I say welcome. May you be packed with all the experiences, lessons, opportunities, and memories. We will be expecting all the big surprises that you may come up with, and not forgetting those amazing goodies. Please get along friendly. Be kind and gentle. At each time when we get off track, alert us, counsel us and get us back on track. Bring us new relationships and stir up the greatness within us. Remember, you are even (number 14) so act even.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A "GHANABA"

The year 2013 began with a lot of misconceptions and fear about the unlucky number 13. Though much went on, a lot seem unachieved. Various drama unfolded, lives gained and some lost, heads of states and leaders died and some assigned into power. Indeed, there were many events that were displayed in the year all thanks to the Giver of life. However, much is needed to be done on the African continent and as a matter of fact, Ghana especially. A drive around town in the nation’s city leaves a lot of questions in one’s state of mind. In this article, I shall attempt to draw focus on a few assets that the nation is lacking.

                 Children playgrounds seem a thing of the past. It is rather appalling that children, the future leaders of the nation, do not have a place in the country prepared specially for them at vantage points. Just a few places have been marked as playgrounds for our children for instance, the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra. However, these places lack recreational facilities that may catch the eyes of the children who visit there. Also, before children could gain access to such places, they mostly have to pay which should not always be the case. A suitable place for children is also well established at the Accra Mall around the Tetteh Quarshie round- about but as usual and typical of Ghana, it is luxurious and rather expensive for parents and children to afford. So what can be done to ensure that children have fun and build their physical and mental well being in the coming years? I leave that to you and I to answer.

                Cinemas are places where good films are showcased for public viewing. It is indisputable that televisions and video electronic gadgets are in use in our homes. However, cinemas will be centers for socialization, outdooring and dissemination of good movies for audiences. Again, the well known cinema house in Ghana, Accra to be precise, is the Silver Bird Cinema located inside the Accra Mall. This place is the maiden name on most minds in the city of Accra. My questions then are, what about those in the rural areas? How many people can the Silver Bird house? Do patrons need to pay large sums to watch a movie which mostly lasts in a short period of time? Ghana needs to rise up in this aspect of entertainment and recreation for its people to enjoy. More cinemas must be built especially in rural areas to showcase educative and cultural movies to citizens, and to provide an avenue for socialization among people.

                Waste bins are an answer to our filthy state. Ghana is noted to be among the filthiest places in the world today. It is not surprising why this is so if you live in a country where little or no waste bins is found in town. Waste bins are seen mostly at homes where individuals have a sense of ownership for the rubbish they make and collect. The case is therefore different when you reach the towns and cities, even sometimes the communities lack waste bins at regular check points. Again, I ask myself why that is so. This condition leaves citizens no choice than to drop waste materials on the ground. The only accessible waste disposal joints are in heaps alongside roads, and are mostly stinky and unhygienic. I strongly believe that this could be resolved quickly to promote a healthy and filth-free environment in the coming year. Zoomlion is making great efforts but they could extend their litter bins into the towns and cities and markets where people mostly meet for transactions, travelling and other purposes.

                Community libraries would not be a bad idea at all. Lack of effective reading and comprehension is killing the current Ghanaian, specifically the child. Ask Ama, a primary three pupil to read a simple sentence and that may be a very big problem. This stems up to the fact that the necessary resources to improve the child’s reading is lacking. Story books and other reading materials are not much available for keen readers because they are either stuffed in the book shops for sale or are just sitting on shelves unannounced about their existence. What I mean is that, quality books must consistently be announced and reviewed to students during forums and conferences. Teachers can also deliberately recommend books such as the African Writer’s Series to their class during lessons. One library I still remember and hope to be checking up on is the George Padmore Library somewhere in Ridge, Accra (though I think it needs some restructuring and restocking). How many books are advertised through our media these days as compared to the liquors and condoms? Is that a mark of a nation seeking after a Better Ghana? Wonderfully, all the answers to our miseries are hidden in these books that we fail to read as citizens.

                Science laboratories and workshops will be another step to greatness. This can be set up atleast in the capital towns of each region. By this, people can visit at their own convenience (especially science lovers) so that they can be trained in the practical application of science and experiments involving our physical world. The level and pace at which science is evolving is fast and must be tackled with a lot more experience and research. A resourceful science centre accessible by the large portion of the people may serve a good purpose. Timely workshops can also be set up to educate the people on the usefulness of science and its application in the country. A lot more hands can be pushed into our manufacturing, mining and agricultural industries with the introduction of this initiative. Also, more minds will be broadened to introduce great inventions and to explore unique opportunities in and around the nation.

                I could have gone on and on if only time was on my side. All these notwithstanding, we are making great efforts in other areas such as sports, education, tourism and culture and agricultural development that are highly commendable. A lot more work however needs to be done to relieve ourselves of the greater stress that we are lashed with currently. I take this time to congratulate Ghanaians on their peace and stability, Mr. President for his effortless governance, the Black stars on their remarkable performance, the Miss Ghana on her outstanding qualification, and you reading for your time and interest in this piece. I wish to continue some other time. Kindly leave your comments and opinions (or visit switstica@gmail.com).

               

STRIKE ACTIONS IN GHANA

                                    Today in Ghana, most government workers, I must say, are too money conscious. True, hardwork needs to be rewarded but in the case where workers expect huge rewards for every work they do, there will be clashes. Strikes are indeed one way by which workers, mostly in the government sectors, put their grievances across to be addressed. The strike actions are mostly to seek redress of their salaries. For some reasons, I really wonder why it always has to do with money. Could it be that these workers are generally corrupt or that they are just discontent with the salaries they receive?

                                 

                                 Recently, the National Security Advisor, Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, reacted towards the nearly insane strike actions. I cannot agree less with his suggestion that, whoever is not satisfied with the salaries should pack their bags and go to a country where their needs will be met. Why should workers constantly embark on strike actions when some salaries have been increased to a double or more of what they used to receive? Even the Single Spine Salary Structure addresses the issue of salaries to some extent that it makes these actions among workers rather irritating. I agree that, when salaries are not quantitative enough they need to be redressed. However, at the point where workers use that as a platform to drain money from the nation’s coffers is an area of concern.

                                   For Christ’s sake, Ghana is a developing nation and she needs a lot of money and dedicated workers to push her forward. In the case where workers seem to be so much interested in money and are unwilling to work, even under harsh conditions, will not set us at the pace that we have targeted to be. Workers in various sectors should have in mind that there are indeed so many ways of killing a cat. If the government is failing to pay enough monies to us as salaries, we must not use that as grounds to temporarily stop work. That attitude shows unprofessionalism and less dedication tone’s field of work.

                                The way forward is that, workers can set up small or large scale businesses that could support them financially without having to solely depend on government for monies most term as “peanuts”. Aside that, we should have the zeal to leave a legacy in our field of work by being dedicated, hardworking, service-oriented, and reliable. The issue that has to do with money all the time only generates bad working practices such as, bribery and corruption, pilfering, poor attitude towards work and low productivity in our work places.

                               Strikes are necessary but not when they become persistent and hinder national development. Government already owes huge debts. Where then do we expect the huge sum of monies we demand to come from? This scenario can be likened to that between a poor parent and the child. The child, when he over burdens his parent with a lot of demands, will either push the parent into debts, or draw him eventually to his early grave. What the child can do is to support the parent through menial jobs (if the child is matured enough), or reduce his level of demands so as not to over burden the parent.

                              In conclusion, I am trying to say that money should not be the prime objective for our actions. Whatever we do, we must think of humanity first and ways by which we can provide our services whole-heartedly and genuinely for the betterment of those around us. Ghana would be a better nation when it devoid of all the numerous strikes and unnecessary demands from her own workers and professionals.

switstica@gmail.com

LOW PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN GHANA- The Role of Teachers and Authorities

                        In recent times, the academic performance of most students in Ghana after final examinations has been a cause to worry about. This problem arises due to various factors which have been put across board but are yet to be tackled. Different people have shared varied ideas concerning the above topic and I stand to share my own opinion on the situation at hand. The field of education and the academia bring along multiple hands on board such as teachers, government, parents and the students. My focus however will center on how well the teachers and government can play their roles effectively to reduce this social canker.

                        In view of this, my first problem will base on poor teacher-student relationship. Most teachers in Ghana I must say are authoritative. They always want to put their instructions and views across while mostly denying students the platform to share their ideas as well. This causes students to fear them and sometimes lose concentration in their class. For some reasons, students term such teachers as “unfriendly” and decide not to join their class or pay attention to whatever they teach. I must say that, this behavior of some teachers puts off students’ zeal for learning and in the end reflects in their performance. Teachers must therefore learn to create a friendly atmosphere in their classroom where students can freely ask questions and contribute the quota to whatever lesson they are receiving. They should also make friends with students in order for them to openly tell their problems and the teachers’ shortfalls during class hours. In so doing, we are sure to boost students’ performance by a higher percentage.

                      Again, most students have a poor command over the English language. One reason to this is that, there are not sufficient English language textbooks and teachers in schools. Most qualified teachers shy away from the subject due to reasons best known to themselves or for fear of misguiding the students. The supply of government English grammar and reading textbooks too are not enough. This is why you will see two or more students sharing one textbook and they begin to play instead of following the lesson. At the end of the lesson, the student is unable to read properly not to think of answering a simple comprehension question correctly. This aspect of concern is more worrying because, most subjects in schools today are based on reading and understanding to able to give meaningful answers to questions. In this bid, where there is poor command over the language could be suicidal to students’ performance. Among the reasons to poor command over the white man’s language is also the problem of speaking vernacular in school. Most teachers speak the local language to students who in turn reply them in the same manner. This too can affect students’ performance since speaking the English language can make room for corrections and new words. In all, teachers must muster courage to teach the language since that will make room for them to learn as well. Government must do well to supply enough (English language) textbooks to help our future leaders have command over the language. The school should also be good English speaking grounds for teachers and their students for effective communication and learning process.

                          Additionally, lack of basic facilities in schools and communities is another problem. Most public and private schools these days lack facilities that will challenge the minds of their students. How many schools have well stocked libraries, laboratories, theaters, studios, just to mention a few? Yet, it is obvious that these facilities help to ensure sound and happy learning experiences among students. Where these facilities are lacking, students are dull and cannot have healthy competition with fellow endowed schools. This also makes learning theoretical and boring for students. However, a more practical atmosphere will enable students to gain retentive memory on the lesson quicker than a theory-based class. The libraries in the communities too are either stocked with archaic books or not functioning at all. Youth clubs these days seem old fashioned in most communities while recreational facilities such as zoos, botanical gardens and national parks seem a thing of the past. We lack all these things as a nation and yet we strive to attain the same level of development as some smarter countries who know the essence of these facilities. We end up bringing up inexperienced students into job markets and when they fail, we try to apportion blames. Ghana must wake up from the slumber and tackle the problem of insufficient learning and recreational facilities in communities and schools, if it will thrive and produce whiz kids and gurus for itself.

                             Also, there is the problem of lack of motivation. Students in most schools are no more given the motivation to want to learn. Awards and scholarships that motivated brilliant students have been withdrawn in most schools. What has however been implemented is caning.  Where both brilliant and dull students who fail to perform are whipped and punished instead of at least being told their mistakes and corrected. This behavior has rendered most students relaxed and complacent. It also generates low competition in the classroom and during examinations. Teachers do not motivate their students through little rewards or encouraging words, schools refuse to hold award ceremonies for their wards, while government will not provide job avenues for graduates. These entirely sum up to making students less motivated and in the end, performing less at examinations or on the job market. Brilliant but needy students can be helped and motivated with scholarships and funds to enable them soar higher in their academic pursuits. Also, schools should frown from not organizing speech and prize giving ceremonies where deserving students can be awarded and put on the urge of doing more. Government should also organize workshops and seminars where students can be inspired and talked to on effective ways of becoming successful in their various areas of interests. Quizzes and award winning competitions such as “British Council’s The Challenge” and “(the almighty) Science and Mathematics Quiz”, should also be put on the rise to enhance healthy competition among various schools and students.

                       Finally, retrogressive practises are another problem. For instance, teachers still hold on to old methods of teaching such as what I call the “lecture process”. By this I mean that, most teachers are interested in coming to class and talking till the end of the period without imparting anything meaningful especially to students of basic and second cycle institutions. What these teachers must know is that students at that level need references to whatever they are taught. Students must however be given notes and textbooks where they can refer to and make private studies on their own. Also teachers do not give room for students to research but go along and “spoon feed” their students. When this happens, the learning process becomes incomplete and students are found wanting when they face questions. Students who are allowed to do their own research are given the chance to learn new things on their own which makes answering questions easier. Also as a country, we must learn to adjust to the technological advancement in our new world. The time where notes are written and compiled and teachers write with pens on board everyday is fast changing. We should cultivate the use of appliances such as laptops, tablets, projects and computers in our system of education. For instance notes can be put on a pen drive for all students to copy onto their computers. Also, some assignments can be typed for teachers to enhance typing skills in students. All these will help put us on the global market and enhance the academic performance of students; it will also help save time and make teaching and learning easy and fun for both teachers and their students.

                        I hope these few concerns and solutions of mine will reach safe hands and will be adhered to so that Ghana can be a better place for students and academic excellence. Then, we can shy away from having to travel to foreign lands for better education. A journey of a thousand miles as is always said begins with one step.