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Burning issues Don’t politicise education matters
When it comes to hard working individuals in the country, we need to recognise them and give praise to them where praise is due instead of condemning them simply because we do not understand what they stand for regarding the systems they want to introduce to bring improvement in areas where they have been given a task to operate and achieve success.
Not quite long ago we heard of all kinds of attacks from certain individuals against the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum. These criticisms are not fair to him because certain individuals who cannot manage the educational system in the country attacked him by saying that he was spoiling the educational system in the country and, therefore, should be relieved of his post as Minister of Education.
UNFORTUNATE COMMENTS
Comments such as these are very unfortunate, especially when they come from those who cannot contribute in any way to make the system better. It is important for us to be circumspect in our criticisms of others whenever we have the opportunity to do so.
Criticisms are always welcome and must be offered to anybody who plays a clean role in the public sector for the good of the country. Criticisms are always welcome but they must be constructive rather than destructive. If this is not done, we can create chaos for the country as a whole.
CONSTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Constructive criticism refers to a situation where observers are able to see loopholes in what some other person is doing in the country and pointing out the mistakes in a kind hearted manner. Such an approach is always good for society so we need to encourage people to go by this kind of criticism. Constructive criticism has helped countries to develop rather than destroy them. Places like US, UK and many other countries have benefitted immensely from this kind of criticism.
In the case of Africa, on the other hand, people are more interested in destructive criticism which is meant to destroy people put in charge of matters as away of making them fail in society. If we expect those in authority to fail in what they are doing, then we should not expect progress and achievement in any sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Education is one person who has sacrificed his life to save the country so as to ensure that the educational system is modified to become productive and effective so as to serve the interest of the country. Education always has the purpose to ensure that the needs of the country are identified and explored in a manner that will bring solutions to the people in that country. If solutions are found because of the educational system the end result will benefit all the people in the country and thereby make life better for them.
PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
Many years ago, one leader in Africa Julius Nyerere made a point that “education is like sending somebody from a village to go and find something, a solution, and bring it back to save that village. The person then sets off and goes to look for that solution. After finding what he is looking for the person comes back with what he has found to address the problems and challenges facing the village.”
If the challenges and problems are successfully addressed, then what that person brought has served a good purpose and, for that reason, it would mean that the mission has been accomplished in a manner as anticipated by the village. When this happens, we say that what the person has done is like an established educational system. This educational system is, therefore, good and must be adopted.
For Many years people in this country and in many parts of Africa have pointed out and made it clear that the educational system being operated is not serving the purpose for which it is intended. This is because people come out of our science studies without being able to solve simple practical problems facing the country. If we are unable to use our scientific knowledge to solve our problems, then there is something wrong with the educational system which we are operating.
Again, the unemployment rate is growing higher and higher because we are putting emphasis on grammar or Reading and Writing skills instead of on the development of vocational skills. In addition to vocational skills, technical skills are also important. All these, together with grammar education or reading and writing is needed for the full development of the country.
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS
The country must develop, but this can only come about if emphasis is put on vocational and technical skills. We seem to have realised this under the current administration led by the current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The person in the seat of education is Dr. Adutwum who is doing his best to bring improvement into the country’s system of education.
He is one of the hardworking people operating in the United States and was found by the current president during a visit to that country. Seeing the good work he was offering to the US, the current president persuaded him to come home and he agreed to do so to serve his own country. According to this man he spoke to some of his managers in the US who also agreed with him that he could come home to his country and help in the national reconstruction programme going on in Ghana.
This is how this Minister of Education left his good job in the US to come home and help in the reconstruction of the nation. It is, therefore, reasonable and proper that we see the good role he is playing as a great sacrifice for his country. It is a great sacrifice because he could have stayed in the United States if he were that selfish and sought to feed himself and his family alone. However, because of his patriotic spirit he decided to come home.
Since his return he has been performing wonderfully well and the government is happy with the pace of work by him and his Ministry. We, therefore, need to encourage him to stay on but not to discourage him to go away. If we discourage him to go away, he will readily be accepted back by his former employers and it is our country that would lose the privileges and benefits attached to his role as Minister of Education.
COMPETENCE AND HUMILITY
He is a competent and humble person who must be encouraged by all for the accomplishment of the task given him. If you do not understand any steps he has taken or is taking, kindly approach or consult him for a clearer picture. We must not destroy the good materials we have so that the country as a whole will benefit from his progress and intelligence even though we can criticise incompetent people.
The Minister of Education must be commended. He deserves strong commendation for the good works he is doing so the opponents in the country must learn to appreciate him to rebuild this country. The semester system which he approved for implementation in pre-tertiary schools was meant to bring relaxation to teachers, parents and students, but he was misunderstood. This explains why he said that the country should go back to the old system, that is, the term system.
Let us appreciate him for what he is doing for the good of the country, so that at the end of it all we shall all benefit from his good intentions.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
