Like most of you, I attended a mixed-school during my brief stay in Ghana. Of course, one of the many advantages of a mixed-school is that, as a boy, you get to learn a lot about girls. I remember sharing the classroom with, at least, ten girls and twelve boys. To tell the truth, all these girls were simply brilliant. Some of them were brilliant in mathematics, others were magnificent in literature. As for the boys, some were good, others weren’t too good academically. I, for one, excelled in philosophy and literature. Later on, I fell in love with mathematics. Our school was a private one. The owner of the school, who also happened to be the headmaster, wanted to create a school for the elite. As a result, he made sure that the quality of the school was well kept. We were taught by brilliant teachers, who were in love with excellence. They made sure that we were taught well. In time, however, the school-fees became unpayable for some. Regrettably, some were forced to leave.

During my brief tutelage at that school, I witnessed, firsthand, that girls do have beautiful minds. Tough, I don’t know what becomes of their minds, when they do fall in love. I had the good fortune of sharing the classroom with a girl by the name of Lily Akos Ambrose. In terms of knowledge, this girl was simply amazing. She was very well versed in everything. Her curiosity, without a doubt, exceeded that of a cat. For sure, the teachers appreciated her wits. As consequence, she became their darling. Sometimes, Lily would be called to stand in should a teacher call in sick. We the boys used to tease her a lot, but she couldn’t be bothered. She knew that we were no good. Ama Ampadu was one of those girls at our school, who displayed mathematical brilliance. She was, perhaps, the closet to the word genius. This girl calculated everything using her head. This is how remarkable she was. In secret, I had a crush on her, but I kept it well hidden. I was too shy, a fellow, back then.

Whilst at school with these girls, I had a feeling that these girls would move Ghana forward someday. After all, I had no cause to believe otherwise. Their brilliance was exceptional and evidential. Regrettably, my premonition has yet to come to pass. By now, I was expecting some of these old school mates of mine to be active in our political arena. I don’t see them, needless to say, when I look. Ghana’s political arena has become a playground for men. The sad thing is, most of these men don’t know what they are doing in spite of their education. For years, they have been displaying sheer incompetence and unprofessionalism. As a result, our country continues to retrogress. Our women, I believe, deserve to be put in places where they could have the most positive impact on our society. In my opinion, co-governance of this country should be opted. I mean, male and female. For instance, the trend of a male presidential candidate choosing another male as his running mate should be abolished.

To me, this trend is nothing short of gay. A presidential candidate, if male, should choose a competent female as his running mate, and vice versa. Folks, we need to strive for balance in all things. In Ghana today, our parliamentary seats are occupied by mostly men. Men who cannot govern properly because of the disproportionate amount of women in their midst. In other words, men who talk more and do less due to the absence of check and balance. The record has shown. It’s time, therefore, that we strive for balance, wouldn’t you say?