Bla Ace oo, Long Lege, Naabu Commando,

You dey? I am so elated and it is best summed up in this modified Baptist hymn

Joy like a river Joy like a river Joy like a river in my soul I have joy like a river Joy like a river Joy like a river in my soul.

I hope you don’t start your too known things by trying to flex your piano skills.

Charle, Olu has done it oo. He made my month this week, in fact my year! We have lived in a country raped and plundered by various characters from politicians, public servants, corporate thieves, amidst many masquerading as priests and Church Elders. Yes, church elders, indeed! These occurrences of loot beg the question why on earth we should endeavour to pay taxes.

As mentioned in one of our late-night talks, many have lost faith in governance and questioned how so imbalanced they benefit from it. They struggle to access water, hustle to pay senseless electricity bills and for every theft, they know it is a waste of time to report to the police.

Quite embarrassing but true to say that our security services protect the wealthy more than the downtrodden. You always see MTTU officials extorting a cedi or two from helpless taxi, trotro and truck drivers while those of us in black SUVs toddle past traffic as though the idea of excreta is alien to us.

Ghanaians, at least, after December 7, 2016 ought to be reckoned not as tokens, dumb or benign to be taken for granted. The gap between the rich and poor continues to widen and many doubt the truth in the commitment of government to improve their socio-economic welfare.

These days, as in the recent past, when we hear of contracts being awarded, we are convinced it is not aimed at our good but more towards the MUNCHENDIOLGY motivating public and corporate officials. Alas, many realise the disconnect that the Elected have for the Electorates.

I must be honest with you, being excited about Free SHS 5 years ago was not a possibility I ever envisioned. I had witnessed first-hand the failings of the school feeding in a school nearby Dixcove. I observed kids play all day but well queued to take their share of free food.

I queried why and was told there were no teachers nor books to read. My heart broke. The intent of this policy was to use feeding to encourage more kids to attend schools and to be educated but here we were, there was no education. My contention was that policy first ought to have focused on quality by prioritising teachers’ motivation and learning logistics, including school supplies and educational tools.

As you know, I pride myself of being a ‘Saito’ (public school) product, an alumnus of a school in Pantang. But I must admit that the current free basic education has failed to live up to expectation as quality has badly dipped. My driver who I expected to be a major subscriber of free basic education breaks his back to educate his kids in a private school.

For him, schooling his child in a public school is a sentence to a bleak future.

I was convinced that our expenditure on education as a people was yielding less than commensurate if not negative returns. We had been engulfed in chasing the optics for political benefit, rather than driving real solutions for a positive change in the capacity and employability of our country’s human resource.

As an employer, I can confirm that the quality of education is awfully poor. I am pretty sure many have seen the 2013/2014 video which shows a JHS student translate cemetery as snail in Twi. Just in case you missed it, check out this link to your naughty little brother’s facebook page – https://goo.gl/pi5iU5.

The last time I asked a JHS graduate to write Ghs155,000 in a driver job interview, I got this (see below).

one-fifty-five-thousand

Now I think differently. Considering all the create, loot and share we see, it is high time that we-the-people began to also chop some. After all, ‘chop make I chop no dey bring fight!’ This week Olu gave me hope that we-the-people will ‘feel’ our government.

We will experience honest democracy and a reason to consider dying for a nation. This week he gave us FREE SHS! He did not come saying, “I am introducing a Free SHS tax” as though we looked like cars to tow for another MUNCHENDIOLOGIST. He did not come saying pay extra VAT for free SHS, after all we contribute to the GETFund.

He told us that if thieves like Gyeedaists, Subahists, Sadaists etc can be allowed to plunder our existing wealth from God’s blessings and our taxes, we-the-people can be given a truly free SHS. It was clear, FREE SHS, ARREST MUNCHENDIOLOGY.

Olu’s journey I bless, but may it not be exchanged for real quality, else all he has done would be moot, counterproductive and another political dribble if not the biggest of all time.

I am very clear in my mind that, if we fail to get our education right, we will have failed the prosperity and future of our nation. The world’s development models today are dependent not on just labour but effective labour, which refers to the extent to which labour is enhanced.

This comes primarily from education. There is no doubt that, for an under-developed nation as ours, education is a necessity and not a luxury or privilege for our own sustenance and viability, hence Olu can surely count on my support.

I am, however, more inspired by Olu’s assurance that quality will not be compromised. I pray him well!