Unusual of me, I’m forced under the circumstances to chronicle this piece with the sole aim of unravelling what probably is kept away from the public. _”If truth is hidden inside the vagina of your mother and you retrieve it with your penis, you have not had sex with her”_ I draw inspiration from this popular frafra proverb to speak on the issue many think is too sensitive to mention.
Anyima is the second biggest and developed town in the Kintampo South district of Bono East Region. This town has achieved enviable accolades from many for having produced very prominent personalities who have in diverse ways put the name of Kintampo South district in the limelight. Road network, schools, potable water, health facilities etc, Anyima can boast of having the best. For these reasons I wish I were a son of Anyima.
Unfortunately, the enviable name of this town is making way for a gloomy one! The powerful Anyima is under self-siege. Very unfortunate and probably disgusting, that is the hidden reality.
Well, let me not cry more than the bereaved, but zoom straight to the main issue. Kintampo South NDC if things remain unchanged and she is presenting two parliamentary candidates who both hail from the almighty Anyima; Hon Felicia Adjei incumbent MP and Hon Kwadwo Nyame Datiakwa Former DCE, the NDC candidate and independent candidate respectively. I guess this sounds unbelievable in your ears, right!? Yes. Hon Kwadwo Nyame Datiakwa who was appointed DCE for Kintampo South by the late Prof Mills and again appointed by His Excellency JDM and served 7 years is today contesting as Independent Candidate against Hon Felicia Adjei who is serving her first term. What is particularly intriguing is the fact that these two personalities are not only members of NDC but are both illustrious son and daughter of Anyima. This I know will be practically impossible in most towns in Ghana.
Like I indicated earlier, I don’t fancy crying when the bereaved is calm, but I’m worried that the son and daughter of Anyima are destroying the party that I love dearly and supported in all my life. I’m devastated that, a sister and brother are fiercely fighting while the gates are left open. I’m scared that, a son and daughter of Anyima are helping my NDC give away on a silver plata the seat that has been long held by NDC. There is a popular saying in my language _”you don’t point at your father’s home with your left hand”,_ unfortunately, the son and daughter of Anyima are doing worse to the ancestors of Anyima. How sad they would be!
*Part 2.*
Good Day Hon Kwadwo Nyame Datiakwa! I listened to you with sorrow and excruciating pain when you publicly and soundly announced on Zone FM that, you were contesting the incoming elections as Independent Parliamentary Candidate.
Please Sir, have you changed so suddenly? Personally I know you to be a man full of compassion, you often preached the need to love the party first in the round up to the Primaries! You exhibited great wisdom and maturity when I was your close confidant, you made me proud when you would always be first to greet your supposed rivals with a smile! What has changed, Sir? There is the saying that _”good name is better than riches”_ aren’t you pursuing earthly materials that comes with the MP position than protecting your hard earned reputation? If I may ask, what is so special about becoming an MP? Does that mean a politician is only successful when he becomes MP? Can the over 3 million supporters of the NDC all become MPs if that is the only benchmark for measuring success in politics!? What is really driving you into this mess? Why will you want to subject yourself and your family to the stress that comes with politics these days where we “babies with sharp teeth” will likely devour you? How long can you continue to justify this unwholesome package that you’re bargaining!
*Part 3*
After the successful Primaries held where you unfortunately lost to Hon Felicia Adjei, a lot has happened behind the scenes. I remember after the Primaries, Hon Felicia Adjei visited you at your house located on Dr Patapaa’s street, Kintampo. You granted them no better audience which gave an indication that all was not well. The Region was immediately informed and in the spade of a week, the Regional Chairman had spoken with you on phone and visited you as well. Inspite of the fact that, you were sometimes hostile against them, the Regional Chairman and his team persisted in talking with you with the ultimate aim of preventing what is happening today.
I again remember that some chiefs notably Nana Effah Guakro, a well respected chief of Kintampo Kyeremankoma and a host of others all took turns and pleaded with you to let peace prevail in your party. Hon Otukono our Deputy General Secretary led a team to talk to you on the same subject but when it proved unsuccessful, a high powered meeting was arranged. In this meeting, all the Regional Executives, Constituency Executives, Hon Yaw Effah Baafi former MP and party father of the constituency and Hon Felicia Adjei herself were present in that meeting. Thousands of pleas and offers were put before you. I recalled Sakyi Robert (Slima) the Constituency Chairman knelt to your feet and pleaded for forgiveness. It was really an emotional experience!
Inspite of these efforts, you insisted on going solo! You disregarded all the pleas from these “grey haired” men! You made the Constituency Chairman kneel and plead with you in vain! You made the respected Regional Chairman Unas Owusu who on several occasions confessed his love for you drove several times to Kintampo in vain. Not even the pleas from our traditional leaders could soften your stand. It didn’t end there, a lot more efforts were made.
I’m also aware that, Hon Haruna Iddrisu Minority leader of Parliament, Hon Dr Kwabena Donkor former Energy Minister, Hon Kwadwo Agyekum former Dep Minister of Local Government and a host of other senior persons in the Party have all taken turns to engage you to abort the unproductive venture. To crown it all, our General Secretary, Hon Asiedu Nketia aka General Mosquito was in town a few days ago. He held thorough discussion with you on the need to truncate your plan to contest as Independent Candidate. You admitted on Radio that he did gave you 3 offers for consideration and that you were giving it a thought, but to my shock, you took to Zone FM 101.3 in Kintampo to announce your unwillingness to recind your unfavourable decision.
*Part 4*
People have complained that the Party did not handle things well and that is why we’re where we are today. So after stating the facts surrounding the issue, can we rightly now attribute the blame to Hon Datiakwa!? Can we now boldly tell Hon Datiakwa that he is going too far!? Can we now bring our expertise on conflict resolution on the table and not only lament against the party!? Can we now tell Hon Datiakwa on the face that enough is enough and advice him to consider the supreme interest of the Party!?
There is this Nigerian proverb that says _”The horns cannot be heavier than the head that must carry them”_ is this proverb not a mirage in this case!? Has Hon Datiakwa become heavier than the Party that largely made him who he is today!?
But Honourable how will you respond to the rumour in town that you have been paid huge amount of money to contest as Independent Candidate so that the NPP can win the seat and that you promised them your commitment to the deal? And how do we your students and funs respond to the claims that you have never been a true NDC member but only got the DCE because of some circumstances? Or after all, those people were right about you!
Nonetheless, I’m optimistic that God will soon send the right person to talk to Hon Datiakwa since the people that have already been to him are possibly the wrong ones. I’m very sure that, God will soon reveal the right approach to be used to talk to Hon Datiakwa since the earlier approaches have proven ineffective.
Until then, *I don’t wish to be a son of Anyima*. It will be embarrassing for me to tell my friends that, the MP comes from Anyima and even before she became MP her efforts and others made a son of Anyima DCE when he was little known in the party.
And that the same person who the MP and her family helped to become DCE because he comes from Anyima is that same person contesting as Independent Candidate against the MP. Infact, this sounds like _help me to get life and I will use the life to destroy you_ this world is unfair!!!
My word to Hon Felicia Adjei; remain steadfast and trust in the Lord always! The Lord knows what is destined for you and will always ensure its accomplishment. You have paid your dues and we are proud of you.
Shalom!
*Mathew Atanga*
Communication Officer Kintampo South Const.
Tel. _0247144224_
Email._ _mathewatanga@gmail.com_
On Thu, 23 Jul 2020, 10:25 Atanga Mathew, <mathewatanga@gmail.com> wrote:
*SHE IS A WOMAN WITH EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES* , _HON ALEX KYEREMEH CELEBRATES PROFESSOR NAANA JANE OPOKU AGYEMANG._
If one needed witnesses to gain access to Heaven, I would be the star witness to Hon Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang. From listening and watching her on Radio and TV to working with her in the same ministry; my testimony of the living legend.
I first heard her soothing voice on Radio Gold somewhere in 1996 when she interviewed Fr President JJ Rawlings. I never lost truck following her activities especially when she was appointed Vice Chancellor of University of Cape Coast. Indeed, she was brought closer to me when she co-hosted the IEA Presidential debate with the current information minister Hon Kojo Opong Nkrumah. In all this while, I continued to admire her and wished Ghana had a lot more of her calibre.
Fast forward, Former President John Dramani Mahama nominated me as Deputy Minister for Education. At this moment, Hon Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang had been vetted and assumed duty as education minister.
In effect, I was heading to the same ministry as deputy to the woman that I have been admiring her leadership laurels; this sounds like a miracle right! That was a dream come true. When I first entered her office, she warmly welcomed me and was full of smiles.
Well, let me at this juncture share with you whom the good professor really is haven worked closely with her at the ministry of education; To begin with, she has excellent human relation and a strong advocate for team work.
She demonstrates deep understanding of issues. Indeed, if there were an ideal person who genuinely love others and would at any day anytime place premium on the welfare of others around her, it is Hon Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang. I will summarise her attributes to say, the good professor is a transformational leader in our contemporary society.
Let me seize a bit of space to talk about her work attributes and the successes that she chalked at the ministry of education. I will attempt to lay to rest the propaganda that members of NPP are desperately peddling with the sole aim of denting the incredible record of my former boss;
ISSUE OF TEACHER TRAINEE ALLOWANCE CANCELLATION
Since her appointment as running mate to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the NPP issued a statement alleging that Hon Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang unilaterally cancelled the teacher trainee allowances among other things.
The facts surrounding this cancellation brouhaha are that, during Former President Kuffour’s regime the ministry of education and other stakeholders in education had begun a process of transforming colleges of education to tertiary institutions capable of awarding degrees.
The conversion processes in 2008 gave birth to the education Act, Act778(2008). Clause 1(4) of the Act made colleges of education tertiary institutions. The implications of this Act are what eventually brought the scraping of the allowance and replacing it with the students loan scheme. Following the change of government in 2008, the government of NDC continued the processes. During this time, the conference of principals of colleges of education and colleges of education teachers association as well as the students themselves were putting enormous pressure on the government to implement the Act passed.
Eventually, in 2013 at National Education Annual Review (NESAR), all the stakeholders in education comprising of CSOs, Donor partners, Acadamia agreed to the request of the conference of principals of colleges of education. From the saying “you cannot eat your cake and have it”, upon attaining that status as tertiary institutions, they would henceforth be treated as such. It is common knowledge in Ghana that, students in tertiary institutions in Ghana do not receive allowances.
It must be added that, implementation of the Act was not all gloomy as the naysayers are desperately trying to make it look. It is through the implementation of this Act that made it possible for teachers from colleges of education to do top up courses to be awarded with degree instead of having to go and do full time 4 year course at university to get degree.
Other achievements of Hon Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang includes;
- Secured funding of GHC102 million from Japanese grant. This fund was used to enhance teaching and learning in all 38 colleges of education in Ghana. This program was dubbed T-TEL.
- Under the watch of Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, the quota system which was the prevailing status quo was abolished. This paved way for a lot students get access to college of education. This is evident in that, enrolment in colleges of education rose from 9,000 to 15,400. The burden of parents having to pay huge monies as bribe to get admission for the wards was reduced to the minimum.
- Under her leadership, there was unprecedented infrastructure development in the colleges of education. The old looking building that characterised our colleges gave way to modern buildings.
OTHER MAJOR THINGS
- Operationalisation of the 3 agencies set up under the education Act, Act778(2008). Namely; National Inspectorate Board (NIB), National Teaching Council(NTC) and NCCA.
- Teacher absenteeism which was a major headache in our schools was reduced from as from 27% to 7% by 2016.
- 24 ultra modern District Education offices were build and handed over. President Akuffo Addo’s hometown, Kyebi benefited from this project.
- She secured $156m for Secondary Education
Improvement programme(SEIP).
- $24m Kuwait fund for rehabilitation of existing 26 SHS.
- Procurement of Core textbooks for all students in SHS. My checks have revealed that the much touted Free SHS students are currently using those textbooks.
- Supervised the construction of Ho University of Health and Allied Sciences(UHAS).
Conversion of Polytechnics into Technical Universities.
- Prof Nana Jane not only played role in securing funding for the establishment of university of Environmental and Sustainable development.
- Supervised the construction of 124 Community SHS also known as E-Blocks.
- Under her leadership Ghana received the ultimate best performance award from WAEC and WASSCE for 4 consecutive times.
Infact, it may take me a lot more days to put together all the achievements of Hon Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang at the ministry of education. I will try and compile the part 2 of achievements in the coming weeks. Hopefully, the 3 months pay policy for teachers will be address extensively in my next chronicle.
With all these achievements as a minister, it is evident that, given the mandate as Vice President to the tried and tested incorruptible John Dramani Mahama, Ghana will be the best place to live in this continent.
The calamities that we are witnessing in all sectors of the economy are largely attributable to poor leadership of President Akuffo Addo and Dr Mamudu Bawumia. The time to salvage Ghana is now or never!
I leave you here! See you again next time.
Hon Alexander Kyeremeh
Deputy Education Minister(former)
Source: Thepressradio.com
