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Blaming the Wrong Person
WHEN my bosom friend Kofi Kokotako was awarded a walking stick (Grade 9) in his Ordinary Level mathematics exam, he quickly blamed the maths teacher.
“He taught us the wrong things,” he claimed. I disagreed with him because others had Grade 1. Then he blamed his grandmother. “She is a witch,” he declared. After a while, he confessed, “I just didn’t practice.”
In Sikaman, the average human being blames others for his woes. Normally, the family witch is a stone, you can always swear that there is a spiritual reason behind it. Nothing happens by chance in Sikaman! Never!
If you wanted to wake up at 5.00 am to attend to some urgent business but slept too deeply and ended up getting up at 6.15 a.m., the old lady most probably engineered it electronically, by tuning your mind to a certain frequency far and above 99.7.
No wonder that news have been rife about people butchering, twisting the necks or stamping the buttocks of their mothers and grandmothers for electronically engineering their poverty, “I’ve been seeing her in my dreams telling me I won’t prosper”, they often claim. “Whatever business I do yields nothing. I’ve sold my house and all my belongings in order to survive. She deserves what I did to her. Looks like a bizarre way of judging suspects, you only have to dream and then look for a cutlass, sharpen it properly and detach your grandmother’s nose for no offence committed. And after her death, you still do not prosper!
My former classmate, Sir Kofi Owuo alias Death-By-Poverty, who has a lifelong alliance with Mr Joseph Poverty does not blame witches for his perpetual financial hypertension. He sees the world as one of unequals. ALL MEN ARE NOT EQUAL, at least financially.
Kofi Owuo is not that naive about the nature of the universe and wouldn’t stoop so low as to blame others for his hopelessness. He would rather blame himself for signing that unholy alliance after having refused to prosper. He won’t go and twist the ankle of his grandmother or pull his mother’s ears whether they are long or not.
Neither is he like the 48-year old teacher who created mirth in a Ho Circuit court on November 2 and when he decided not to blame himself. He stole 10 pieces of roofing sheets belonging to a Baptist church and when he was carted he decided to blame something else. He blamed the Economy of Ghana.
In a ‘Times’ report expertly penned by ace-reporter Alberto Mario Noretti, the teacher claimed, both my eldest wife and second child died in February this year, and in the following month, my youngest wife gave birth prematurely.” He ended by saying the prevailing economic situation compelled him to steal and pleaded with the court to deal leniently with him “since the offence was beyond my control.”
The judge was unsympathetic and explained to him that the economic hardships were global and not peculiar to Ghana. He fined him 200,000.
Well, blaming others for our predicament is as old as the beginning of time. When Adam was accused by God of eating the forbidden fruit, he quickly blamed Eve. “The woman you created gave me the fruit and I ate of it.” He didn’t state why he didn’t refuse to eat the fruit. He only wanted to escape blame. A smart guy there!
In Sikaman, blaming others unduly isn’t a new phenomenon. Ex-General I.K. Acheampong became disgusted with everybody blaming him when the rains were not falling that he was compelled to ask Ghanaians whether he was God the rain-maker.
Maybe Ghanaians thought the man was the representative of God on the Sikaman territory and therefore, knew all about the rainfall distribution and why the rains were not falling.
In 1983 when drought and bushfires destroyed our agriculture, many blamed it all on Flight Lt. Rawlings. If Rawlings had not been on the throne, there would have been no drought and no famine, they claimed. When then 1984/85 harvest was good and there was plenty to eat and belch noisily, everyone kept quiet and munched like mad, and never said, “Thank you Rawlings.”
FOOTBALL
Come to football! Any team that is beaten is not actually beaten. It has only been robbed. So the referee must take blame for the loss and if possible given a hefty slap so that next time round he won’t misbehave with the whistle. These days, however, some referees get themselves armed to the teeth before wielding the whistle. Some also engage in macho exercises and can deliver a terrible counter-punch when it comes to it.
In African politics, shifting blame is as old as democracy on the continent. No election has ever been free and fair. Tanzania today is embroiled in an electoral war with blames being apportioned left and right. Cote d’Ivoire has had its fair share and in Sikaman the so-called gurus of Ghana politics are yet to truly ascertain their claim to a stolen verdict. Whether another stolen verdict will be authored in 1996 is only a matter of time.
Well, blaming others for our failures and inconveniences has become part of the social culture. There is nothing wrong when we blame others for our woes so long as it is justifiable and provable. But to go about blaming the President for anything that is not even remotely connected to him is just unfortunate.
CONNECTION
When drivers of floating in Tema were recently being caught and harassed by the municipal authorities, thus causing inconveniences to passengers, some people blamed the government. When one man categorically stated that Rawlings must have ordered the exercise I was overawed. Luckily, another person around asked him whether what he was saying wasn’t stupid. If local authorities engage in an exercise, what earthly connection does it have to the man on top?
It is not strange, though. The President has been blamed for many things he is not culpable for. I won’t be surprised to hear people blaming their failed marriages, inadequate breakfast and natural floods on the President. He may even be responsible when some people constipate or develop kooko.
If for a change we could individually look more into ourselves than at others, we would be finding solutions to our problems. The very instance you keep blaming others, it means you’ve lost sight of your problem in the first place. And you’ll keep looking in the wrong direction for solutions that will never come today or tomorrow.
This article was first published on Saturday, November 11, 1995
By Merari Alomele
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Having initiated programs to ensure a foundation of morality, the next step is to have a picture of what success looks like. I keep saying that if you do not have a destination in mind when travelling, you can never arrive.
We therefore as a people, need to set up a development plan which all parties shall ascribe to so that no matter which party is in government, the execution of the plan will not be derailed.
This is the only way that we can make a headway in our developmental agenda. Once we have a plan we are following, it becomes a guiding tool to arrive at the destination we have set for ourselves. It becomes a project that given the necessary key milestones, will help us in monitoring progress.
The next step is to focus on pillars of development i.e. education, health, agriculture and the economy.
The common characteristic of developed countries is the level of education of its citizens.
A highly educated population provides readily available human resource for industrial growth.
A highly qualified population has the potential to innovate, creating value added products for export.
A healthy population is necessary for development. Proactive measures that can prevent epidemics for instance, must be put in place to ensure a healthy populace.
This would require a deliberate investment in health infrastructure as well as training of professionals in the health sector.
Food must be available and must also be affordable and there policies that can ensure the achievement of this objective must be vigorously pursued.
Agro-processing must be prioritised if not completely eliminate post harvest losses and also provide goods for export as part of the effort to stabilize currency.
The power of a nation depends largely on its economic growth. The reason why countries like the US and China wield a lot of influence in the world is because of their wealth.
The way out of poverty as a country, is to industrialise. We need to focus on deliberate effort to promote indigenous control over our natural resources so as to reduce repatriation of huge foreign currency out of the country.
Such initiatives will provide or make available funds for entrepreneurs to access for industrialisation. If we do not prioritise industrialisation, we will permanently not enjoy real independence as a nation because we will have to depend on them to assist in funds for our budget deficit.
Whoever controls how you run your budget literary controls you and therefore the countries who provide budgetary support, controls us. We need to get out of this situation so we can be truly.
The industrialisation cannot be established without companying infrastructure and therefore infrastructure development must be taken seriously into account.
Local expertise must be sought in the infrastructural development. The use of local expertise will help create jobs for the teeming youth the universities churn out every year.
I hope to complete this series next weekend. God bless.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
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AS the world becomes increasingly complex, the role of a president has become more demanding than ever.
The pressure to make life-altering decisions, manage crises, and maintain a sense of calm and composure can take a toll on a president’s mental health.
In recent years, innovative approaches like emotional surgery and emotional elysium have gained attention for their potential to support leaders in managing stress and promoting emotional well-being.
Understanding emotional surgery
Emotional surgery is a groundbreaking approach that utilises art to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
This technique involves the use of colors, geometric shapes, and abstract objects to communicate with the brain and induce a state of calmness.
By leveraging the brain’s ability to process visual information, emotional surgery can help individuals manage anxiety and stress, promoting a sense of calmness and well-being.
The benefits of emotional elysium
Emotional elysium refers to practices that promote emotional well-being and resilience.
This approach focuses on cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude, compassion, and love, to improve overall well-being.
For presidents, emotional elysium can be particularly beneficial in managing the stresses of office and promoting emotional balance.
By incorporating emotional elysium practices into their daily routine, presidents can improve their emotional regulation, increase their resilience, and enhance their overall well-being.
The impact on presidential performance
Both emotional surgery and emotional elysium have the potential to significantly impact a president’s performance.
By managing stress and promoting emotional well-being, presidents can:
- Improve decision-making: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium help presidents make more informed, rational decisions, rather than reacting impulsively to stress or emotions.
- Enhance leadership: Leaders who prioritise emotional well-being are better equipped to build strong relationships with their team and the public.
- Increase resilience: Emotional elysium practices, such as mindfulness and meditation, build resilience, enabling presidents to cope better with challenges and setbacks.
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa’s endorsement
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, a respected figure in the medical field, has endorsed emotional surgery as a valuable tool for promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
According to him, emotional surgery can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall well-being.
Conclusion
In conclusion, emotional surgery and emotional elysium are two innovative approaches that have the potential to significantly impact a president’s performance.
By prioritising emotional well-being and exploring these approaches, presidents can improve decision-making, enhance leadership, and increase resilience.
As global challenges become more complex, it is essential for presidents to safeguard their mental health — and these techniques offer a promising solution.
Recommendations
- Presidents should prioritise their emotional well-being: Recognising the importance of emotional balance allows leaders to manage stress effectively.
- Emotional surgery and emotional elysium should be considered: These approaches may offer promising solutions for high-end executives whose emotional well-being affects their performance.
By embracing emotional well-being and exploring innovative interventions, presidents can optimise performance, build stronger relationships, and promote overall well-being.
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