How The Minds Of Some Ghanaians Got Ruined: A Case Of Kitchen Stool Challenge

January was undoubtedly, a wonderful month, as it is the first month of every year, with 2018 been no exception, as was declared by most religious leaders across the globe. Some declared the year as; 'a year of success', 'power', 'determination', 'fruitfulness', 'year of the Lords', among others.

For most Ghanaian workers, the month of January is the longest month among other months, since they practically live on the 'grace and mercies' of God, because December salaries are spent for Christmas, schools are reopened and fees need to be paid; only waiting for the month to end which appears creeping.

Just before the month of January ended on Wednesday, January 31, the Ghanaian populace woke up to consume news on social media trolling and was agog about one Mr Robert Sepey, Headmaster of the Breman Edumanu District Authority Basic School, seen in a little over four minute video having sex with a 19-year-old senior high school student kneeling on a kitchen stool.

Though some investigations conducted on the video claim it was an old video leaked into the public domain recently, social media as we know, are at its best. Some users have taken the opportunity to jab the headmaster and the lady, while others called for his removal and prosecution.

Citizens living in all parts of the nation condemned the act, and the mother body that the headmaster belongs to has also not relent on their efforts.

So, in order to install some hope in the public, the Ghana Education Service(GES) stepped in and said the headmaster did no wrong. Whether it's wrong or not, that is not important on my radar.

My concern, is the comical nature of the whole situation adopted by Ghanaians, and has now been termed as the 'kitchen stool challenge' that Ghanaians has sort to emulate.

Though teachers are to be role models to those they teach in the socialisation process by inculcating good and acceptable norms and behaviours of society, that relationship has rather been turned to "sex mate" relationship, as described by many.

The talk continues, as some social analysts has condemned the situation but hinted that the nation's social structure is dwindling bit by bit, thus loosing our identity.

The act again, took the center stage of parliament, as the Majority Leader of the legislative body and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu condemned the act, calling for such tutors to be jailed.

Several interesting suggestions were made by all and notable among them is when a social analyst suggested that such people should be castrated.

Right after all have espoused their views, individuals took upon themselves to emulate the 'kitchen stool challenge'; taking pictures and videos of themselves doing same as was seen in the video of the headmaster and the student and sending it viral.

An interesting one among them was when friends of a groom at a wedding ceremony decided to present to a couple a kitchen stool, figuratively telling them to practice such an act.

That notwithstanding, their involvement in the challenge and sharing it on social media to create fun, producers of kitchen stools have capitalise on such an unfortunate act to increase the price of the kitchen stool. One of them in an interview with TV3 narrated that because of the trending challenge, they have increased the price of a kitchen stool from GH¢20.00 to GH¢35.00, an increment of about 75%.

Inadvertently, the kitchen stool as the name indicates, is for the kitchen, but now loosing the cultural importance of it because of substitutes like plastic chairs and tables.

It appears individual minds has been robbed and ruined such that some prominent people including journalists, -who have large medium to educate the public as part of their core mandate- have also took to social media to mock the act, thus advising 'would-be suiters' on the type of the kitchen stool they should buy before getting married. The movie industry is also not left behind, quickly they are about launching a movie titled 'Kitchen stool'.

Ghana is in a situation where unimportant things such as sex videos and pictures see the light of the day. Unlike getting a challenger to compete someone who invented bicycle that can float on a river; it has never been on our radar as Ghanaian!

Such a good idea that can help give the country a graphic recognition in the world finds it difficult to survive or trend on the social media with the least likes, shares and comments.

If indeed the deeds by the headmaster is wrong as widely speculated and condemned, then why are these same people taking it to the social media again to emulate?

Could it be that we are suffering from dementia on the part of those emulators?

Interestingly, the phones and technologies used to facilitate such recordings to share such videos on social media is said to be made by Chinese children.

It's high time we nip some behaviors in the bud to promote good ideas. Using the social media to promote or emulate good ideas will positively position Ghana far beyond where we are now.

Rethinking is not bad. It would help us share fascinating and invented ideas, videos, pictures and others. Promoting the positive image of our country must be part of collective responsibility and behavioral change.