What Arrogant Brats Are We Breeding

“No certificate No minister “ Now that the vetting is over and our new team is in place it is time for serious business. During the vetting process, the Ghanaian population had a field day with their wicked sense of humor. The FM station was awash with satirical jokes. I will let you into a few. Callers to the FM stations were asking Sheikh Quaye “whether the tsunami disaster had washed away his certificate?” And as for Dr Anane he was easy picking. Someone asked whether the white lady helped to build the Kasoa road and if so what section was she in charge of? With Edumadzde some callers were comparing him to Oblitey Coomey others to D. K Poison

First, I would like to dispel any doubts about my views on wrongdoing. I passionately believe that if Ministers are economical with the truth then they must/ should not be appointed.

Second, I wish to congratulate the vetting committee on their excellent work – it showed a matured nation willing to abide by democratic principles.

Third, I believe that education is a matter of human right and that every child in Ghana must have the opportunity of going through our education system. Education opens doors and leads to an enlightened society. I had the privilege and opportunity of having a good start not because I was handsome, clever or sensible than other less privileged children It was a matter of accident that I was born to parents who could afford the best in primary, secondary and higher education -Just a matter of chance.

I could have been born to a poor banana seller and ended up in the streets of Accra selling newspapers or ice-lollies. My heart goes out to those kids and I wish that as a nation we could provide a decent education for these poor kids.

The President has made it his personal goal to place education at the forefront of his second term. He is absolutely committed to the principle of every child having a fair chance a “crack at the whip”. Folks, as a nation most of us are committed to a better education system for our children. As a people we want our leaders to be accountable, intelligent, compassionate, fair, caring and “educated”. Their education could be formal or informal. It could be in any area of life – at Legon (formal), farming. Fishing, industry or selling (informal). . Now to my main point UNGRATEFUL ARROGANT BRATS Folks, there are times when I wonder why sensible, hardworking humble Ghanaians – fishermen, farmers, masons, laborers (people without certificates) pay their taxes to educate arrogant, stupid, uncouth and down right unpleasant characters.

I do ask myself why, should our mothers, grandmothers, uncles, aunties ' sweat, toil labor to grow cocoa under extreme and harsh conditions just to educate some illiterate's swine.

I have never in my entire career read so much rubbish than the comments of some “so-called students from Legon which was published on Ghana web I quote “ majority of students of the University of Ghana were unequivocal in their contention that nominees who had no educational qualifications must not be allowed to become Ministers”.

I am not sure whether these ungrateful little twats understand/know or have been taught the fundamentals of higher education funding. I am not sure whether there have a clue who pays the wages of their lecturers /ancillary staff etc I am not sure where they think the cash for the student loans do come from – maybe the sky. The students who were interviewed and had such views were ungrateful twats. They spat on all of us. NO CUTLASS/FISHING NET NO EDCUATION Good Lord- What sort of students are we breeding at Legon? What sort of lessons is being taught? What sort of future leaders are they going to turn out to be? Have they being taught any civic duties? What sort of environment are they operating in? Listen to one of the idiots “in fact if Jake is allowed to become a Minister …….I think at this stage of our development no certificate no ministerial appointment”. To quote many of the expression in the local Nigerian and Ghanaian films – NONSENSE

Young Adu Kyeremeh, I have news for you. At this stage of our development my criteria for giving out student loans and subsidizing you little ungrateful twats and idiots will be “no cutlass/fishing net no loan”.

My criteria for doling out student loans and offering student accommodation and places will be: any student in Ghana who cannot hold a cutlass properly or tend to a fishing net will be refused “government subsidized loans”. It is high time somebody takes a stand for the long-suffering Ghanaian farmer/fisherman/certificate less people.

The students who were interviewed are they aware that some poor cotton farmer in Tamale, an emaciated fisherman at Nungua, a wretched cocoa farmer at Sankore all contribute to keep you swine's in your ivory tower at Legon? It may be that all their parents are highly educated (formal) but some of them may be attending legon on the back of the blood/toil/sweat of their certificateless parents.

Are they aware that 50% of our mothers, aunties, cousins, and uncles have no “educational certificates”? I am so incensed by the Chronicle reporting such nonsense and loose talk that I would hold fire and get to some serious issues.

UDS Sometime ago I had the honor and privilege to give a seminal lecture to students of UDS in Tamale - “Debt crisis its Implications for Development”, I was impressed at the high intelligence level of the students. I went on a field study with some of the PhD students and was amazed at their humility and rapport with the villagers- God willing they have all developed into fine members of society contributing to the development of our country.

How I wish those who interviewed at Legon could have displayed such level of maturity and a high sense of civic duty.

STUDENT DAYS

When I was an undergraduate and postgraduate student I had to work in kitchens, factories and pubs to make enjoy little luxury in life. After lectures most of us will trod down to the hotels in Manchester and wash pans, pots clean toilets to subsidize our grants. Good friends of mine- siblings of filthy rich businessmen/women all of us washed toilets and collected glasses from pubs. We mingled with people whom these students despise- “certificate less “ people. We respected the other workers and there was no difference between us “taxpayers burden” and the certificateless workers. Most of us are in very responsible positions in the UK some are running big companies and the good news is they have not lost their humility.

We learned from them, they taught us humility and grace. They had no certificates but they had native sense.

I will throw a challenge to the Legon students who were interviewed.

OPEN CHALLENGE

Adu Kyeremeh, please, do write a rejoinder to my piece and convince the whole world the added value that you will bring to the development of Ghana with your BA/MA/PhD in Political Science?

Feel free to espouse your views in any fashion and persuade the readers of Ghana Web how your certificate in Political Science will make you a better Minister than JAK Obestebi Lamptey? .

I want the students to write a job description of Ministers and then state clearly how an intelligent person without a certificate cannot fulfill that role? I just need to be convinced when a “paper certificate “ becomes a fountain of knowledge?

There are times when I feel Ministers must and should address their constituents in their local dialect. It makes no sense for Ministers and officials to grit their teeth and speak the Queens language when they are addressing a huge “certificateless” crowd. No wonder such little brats are casting a slur on people without formal education. WHAT FUTURE LEADERS? I am surprised that the Chronicle with its impeccable credentials gave a platform for such rude comments. As young students and potential future leaders of our country they need to learn from the elders and adults who have PhD in life studies. If that is the sort of people who will be leading our country – God Bless us all. If this breed of arrogant brats is the ones to lead our country then our children and grandchildren need lot of prayers.

My advice to them lot is simple: Please learn from people like JAK who despite the lack of a “paper certificate” (twice) managed the national NPP campaign. Let us look at the evidence. Who were the campaign managers for the NDC/CPP during the 2004 election campaign? I guess the others had certificates – who came up trumps?

Our students need some native sense and home truths. Their breathtaking arrogance stinks. The only encouraging news for our country is, this President will never appoint any Minister who is found to be corrupt or had abused hi/her power whilst in office.

On the same principle this President will never, never, never discriminate against any person without a certificate as long as they are capable of contributing to the development of Ghana

God Bless Appiah Danquah Kufuor (“certificateless person”)