Public Disclosure By KNUST Lecturers; A Case Of Intellectual Honesty Vrs Intellectual Hypocrisy

We have followed with keen interest the recent public declaration by a group of KNUST lecturers in support of N.P.P. The open declaration has however been received with mixed reaction. While some analyst have welcomed the idea, others have criticised them for their open declaration.

While we are prepared to accommodate the criticism coming from some Analyst like Dr Ransford Gyampo from the university of Legon, what beats our imagination however is the criticism coming from the N.D.C, notably Kofi Adams and also the sarcastic comments by Aseidu Nketia who welcomed the idea and also asked the religious( pastors) to follow suit. Aseidu Nketia should have rather asked those lecturers who support the N.D.C to also take their turn or is it our understanding that there are no lectures who support the N.D.C?

Some analyst criticised the decision on the ground that they did this as a group and there is nothing wrong if it were to be on individual base. This cannot withstand careful scrutiny because when something is bad, it is bad and does not matter whether it was done by an individual or a group. For instance; rape is a crime and does not vary be it committed by an individual or a gang!

What is even more feeble is the argument by some that their political orientation is likely to influence their teaching. Wait a minute, Are we to believe that the likes of Frimpong Boateng and Professor Badu Akosa are likely to be influenced by their political orientation when treating their patience? Recently, the founder of N.D.C Jerry John Rawlings engaged the services of Lawyer Atta Kyea who is an N.P.P member of Parliament. Did his political affiliation influenced the discharged of his duties? Obviously no, these are professionals and are capable of separating professional issues from a political one. In the same vain, the lecturers are capable of separating their professional work with their political activities.

Now let us address the second aspect of our question; do we prefer the above intellectual honesty or the hypocrisy? Some leading members of N.D.C today were lecturers and some still are. For instance, when N.D.C lost power in 2000, the likes of Gilbert Iddi and Alhaji Hamidu Sulemana (now Upper West Regional Minister) went back to U.D.S as lecturers, Elvis Afriye Ankra, Kobby Acheampong, among others were lecturers. Are we then to believe that their political orientation influenced their delivery as lecturers? Were they also not attending N.D.C activities on Campus during these period?

Let’s finally look at some people today who were once considered as independent analyst. Dr Kpesah White was potrayed as an independent analyst and was treated as such by all Ghanians. We quite remember clearly that Kpesah White was among the first if not the first to describe Kennedy Agyapongs comment as Genocidal and no wonder the government charged him as such. It was this same Kpesah White who in given his ‘independent’ view said the comment by President John Mahama (that the people of the north should vote for him because he is one of them) as not ethnocentric. As for Dr Apark, the least said about him the better. Didn’t their comments those days as ‘independent’ analyst influenced people’s political decisions?

Today as we speak, we still have some lecturers from the various tertiary institutions who still phone-in to TV/radio discussions calling themselves independent financial analyst, political analyst, charted economist, among others. We will not be surprised to here very soon that some of these hypocrates are given political appointments. So for us, rather than praising the KNUST lecturers for their bravery, we are rather hailing hipocrates. What a paradox. If the NDC’s style is to porch lecturers and train them to pretend to be independent and to do the kind of dirty works they know best, we will well come these fine, bold and right thinking lecturers of KNUST for displaying intellectual honesty. You are indeed our role model and may God bless you as you embark on this crusade of saving mother Ghana.

Fellow Ghanaians, which one do you prefer? Is it the KNUST Lecturers who have been intellectually honest with you or these hypocritical people like Kpesah White and Apark who only revealed their through identity to you after the ‘job’ has been done? The choice is yours.

Thank you!
Signed
Ibrahim Bashiru
(Upper East Regional Youth Organiser, N.P.P)
0208039285/0243145922