Features
Do something before you die
I am an avid reader. I read anything I can lay my hands on. But above all, I love biographies and their auto forms. History as a subject was not my strong point in school but I developed a keen interest in historical narratives when I went to train as a teacher. Apart from textbooks, it was in the early sixties that I first read a book titled, “Beyond Pardon” by Bertha M. Clay. I was so enchanted by the narrative, which kick started the desire for reading in me. And I have never looked back.
I have kept asking myself why people write, why people read and why people do not read or write. The answers, I believe, can be a volume by itself. My focus today is on our politicians, captains of industry and public office holders.
In the United States, for example, it has become a self-imposition for public office holders to write their memoires once they leave office. These memoires become a source of knowledge for up and coming students in leadership, a source of reference for all and they also tell the true stories of the characters that have run affairs of their people.
I have read Bill Clinton’s autobiography, that of his wife, Hillary, and Magdalene Albright who was once a Secretary of State. I have read Barack Obama’s books before he became President of the US.
I have read Nelson Mandela. Lee Kwan Yu and many others I cannot readily recall. They all had great stories to tell.
General Colin Powell, who died just a few days ago, has books to his name after leaving office as the first Black to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and also as the first Black Secretary of State of the United States.
I have also read books by some African leaders. Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia
and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya readily come to mind. These were men who won independence for their respective countries.
Only last week, Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, a member of the Council of State, launched Volume One of a book he has authored. On June 14 this year, my classmate and good brother, Ken Dzirasa, who was a Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, also launched his memoires.
These are very good signs that our history as a people has a chance of not getting lost. At the launch, the current Speaker of Parliament, the Rt. Honourable Alban Sumana Bagbin, who did the honours, stated the importance of public figures to write their memoires for posterity to be their judge. Mr. Speaker pledged to complete his own before this year ends.
It is difficult to understand why public office holders in our parts have not cultivated the habit of writing. Only a few have bothered to do so. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah comes readily to mind. He wrote very extensively while he was even President of this country. I recollect President John Mahama’s “My First Coup d’état.”
Dr. Obed Asamoah has authored a book after he left office. Mr. Sylvester Mensah, who had been a Member of Parliament, also has a publication to his name. Professor Kwamina Ahwoi has one that generated a storm before the death of President Rawlings.
I have spoken to a few people who tell me writing would bring no financial benefits to them because Ghanaians and, for that matter, Africans have not cultivated the habit of reading.
This might be largely true, but if every writer wants economic returns I wonder if knowledge can be shared at all. There is a saying that if you want to hide anything from the black man, put it inside a book; he will never find it. It is about time we disabused our minds of this.
I recollect asking my elder brother, the late Squadron Leader Abraham Armstrong Segbefia, who was enlisted in the Air Force the same day as Jerry Rawlings to consider writing his memoires as one of the people involved in the June Four and 31st December eras. He promised he would, but before he could finish the second chapter, he died.
When I went to announce his death to Rawlings in November of 2007, I impressed upon him to give it a thought as well. He appeared nonplussed, though a few years later he called to inform me he was considering writing. I reminded him he was not growing younger.
Another couple of years later, President Rawlings invited me for a chat and told me he wanted the launch of what he was writing to coincide with his 70th birthday.
The last time I met with him before his sudden passing, he said he needed to review a chapter or two to clear the air on some of the things Professor Ahwoi had alleged in his book.
I am unaware if Rawlings did that before his passing. If he had that project, I will humbly appeal to his family to have whatever the man had done published. Whatever it is will be a best seller.
The man I consider to have the richest recollection of historical facts and whose memoires will be the greatest source of reference for politicians and students of governance in this country is Captain Kojo Tsikata.
I don’t easily recollect the last time I met and spoke with him, but I have impressed upon Dr. Obed Asamoah and Captain Joel Kwami Sowu to convince Kojo Tsikata to write his memoires. Dr. Asamoah told me he had on many occasions asked Capt. Tsikata to write, but Tsikata has made up his mind that he would not put one letter of the alphabet down to his name.
People who know Captain Kojo Tsikata well are not surprised by his stand on writing a memoire. First, they say whatever he writes will be very explosive and, secondly, he is too private a person to want to write anything down.
It is sad for this country. Many prominent Ghanaians have died without leaving any written legacy for generations to appreciate what they lived and stood for. Oral historical narratives are fraught with inconsistencies and embellishments that leave so much to be desired.
I doff my hat to those who have taken the bold step of putting down their own narratives for us to chew on. The question now is what the rest intend to do or are doing. Not only those in the lime light. Captains of industry, retired military officers, medical officers, engineers, journalists and a host of others have their stories to tell. How did they fare in their fields of professional endeavour? What challenges did they face in their line of duty? We want to be enlightened on these. The coming generation will learn to skirt these challenges.
Let us not die with our store of knowledge and experiences. It is to humanity that this must be done. Do it for your children. Do it for the future of this country. Do it for mankind as a whole. Let us not run away from sharing our knowledge. Do something before you die!
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
The discussion lasted only ten minutes. Mr Philip Sampson, Eunice’s father, had asked to see him, and he was led to the sitting room for the first time, and he indicated that he should sit down.
‘Yes, Kakraba. I know that you have been, er, friends with Eunice for some months now, and naturally, as her father, I thought it would be important to meet you, and to reach an understanding with you on, er, some basic issues. So, I hear you are a graduate in building technology. Now, tell me about what you do’. ‘Okay. I worked with the Electricity Company for two years after National Service. During that time I interacted with some lawyers and land surveyors on our project sites, so I suggested to some of them that we take some dilapidated buildings in some parts of Accra, rehabilitate them and find new owners. Soon after starting that I got a job as Project Manager with a group of development agencies who are executing projects in the Northern Region, so I have been balancing the two positions’.
‘I see. That sounds like a bold step. So is it going well, financially?’ ‘Well, sir, I absolutely enjoy what I’m doing now. Financially, I would only say that I am a work in progress. A lot of what I’m doing now involves some risk taking, as it involves trust issues with land and property owners.
I am partnering with prominent lawyers and land surveyors, so I am not taking any serious risks. So currently I doing okay financially, but it will take me some time before I reach the level where I can say I am comfortable financially.
‘Okay. Now tell me about your parents’. ‘My father was an Agricultural Extension Officer, so we spent some time at several locations with him. He is now enjoying his retirement. And my mother is a retired nurse. I have three elder sisters, all married’.
‘So you live with your parents?’ ‘Yes and no. My dad built his home on one acre at Pokuase, so he gave me one plot, and I have done a three bedroom house, where I live’. ‘
Okay, fine. Thanks for the answers. You see, in addition to my position socially, I spent many years in the diplomatic service, so I’m sure you will understand that I need to ensure that my kids, especially my daughters, maintain suitable relationships. For now I think it is fine that you and Eunice are friends. I’m sure you understand what I mean’.
‘Yes sir. I understand perfectly well’. ‘Great, okay, that would be all’. Kakraba stood up, bowed and said thank you to Mr Sampson, and walked to the garden where his girlfriend Eunice, her mother Mrs. Elaine Sampson and her two elder sisters, Yvonne and Emma, were seated, busily discussing some dresses being offered for sale online.
‘So, Mrs Elaine asked him, you and Daddy had a good discussion?’
‘Yes, Ma. We certainly did. I really appreciate Dad for the discussion. It was really good’. ‘Great. Although he has met you here on quite a number of occasions, I think it is good that you have met for a chat’.
‘Yes indeed, Ma, and I really appreciate it. So Eunice, I will be on my way. I will call’. Eunice led him to his car, and after driving off he exhaled and shook his head. Although he had long concluded that Eunice’s family were so snobbish that a future relationship with her would be problematic, this discussion, or was it interrogation, had virtually cancelled any likelihood.
Mr. Sampson just told him, in no uncertain terms, that the Sampson family was so prominent and socially connected that a union between his daughter and him was undesirable. He had a good relationship with Eunice. They shared some beautiful moments together, and often went out to entertainment joints, often with her three friends Marian, Patricia and Amanda. But Kakraba was often uncomfortable with their preferences. Eunice regularly spoke about her family’s experiences during her father’s postings in Europe and Asia, and her three friends were always discussing the latest fashion trends, always noting the importance of placing themselves among the best dressed ladies in town. Eunice, her mother and siblings had indicated in several ways that he did not quite fit into their social standing. They had only said a mild ‘thank you’ when he brought them a goat or sheep and a generous amount of foodstuffs from the north, every month. But Kakraba did not really take it to heart, because they were quite inexpensive up north. And moreover, he always went to the food market and arranged with the truck drivers for a big package which was picked up by his buddy Paa John and delivered to his family and a few others including the Sampsons.
When the floodwaters swept through parts of Ghana on Monday, June 29, they carried away more than furniture and household belongings. They washed away years of hard work, children’s school books, market goods, and family savings and, tragically, claimed lives.
For the families that lost loved ones, no amount of assistance can replace the pain of the silence left behind by someone who got lost during the torrential rains.
For many other survivors, the ordeal did not end when the rains stopped, but rather will have the Herculean task of rebuilding their lives from almost nothing.
Mothers searched through debris for anything they could salvage. Children stood quietly beside damaged homes, unsure of when life would return to normal. Traders who lost their wares stared helplessly at soaked goods that represented their only source of income.
This is the situation whenever it rains continuously for hours, yet, once the waters recede, many of the behaviours that contribute to these disasters return.
Drains once cleared become clogged with plastic waste. Waterways are treated as dumping sites, while buildings continue to spring up on wetlands and natural drainage channels.
Effects on women, children
For many women, particularly market traders, farmers and owners of small businesses, the floods had erased years of hard work in a matter of hours.
Merchandise have been destroyed, equipment damaged, and incomes disappear overnight.
With many women working in the informal sector and having limited financial protection, recovery is often slow and difficult.
Beyond the economic losses, women frequently carry the added burden of caring for their families during and after disasters. They clean flood-damaged homes, care for children, older relatives and the sick, secure food and water under difficult circumstances, and help restore a sense of normalcy while coping with their own trauma.
Children are equally vulnerable. Floods disrupt their education by damaging schools and making roads impassable. Many children are displaced from their homes, exposing them to health risks, emotional distress and unsafe living conditions.
For children from already vulnerable households, a flood has deepened poverty and interrupted their development in ways that last long after the waters have receded.
Human activities
The scale of destruction witnessed during floods is often magnified by human behaviour.
Drains designed to carry storm water are clogged with plastic waste, discarded household items and other refuse.
Wetlands and natural waterways are encroached upon through unplanned development, leaving floodwaters with nowhere to go.
Although floods affect everyone in their path, women and children often suffer the greatest consequences.
Climate Change
Climate change has made rainfall more intense and unpredictable, but it is the actions of humans that often turn heavy rains into humanitarian disasters.
As the nation reflects on the devastation caused by the recent floods, one question demands urgent attention: How much of this destruction could have been prevented?
Climate change and increasingly intense rainfall are undeniable factors, the uncomfortable truth is that many of these disasters are worsened by human actions.
Choked drains, indiscriminate waste disposal and the encroachment on waterways continue to turn heavy rains into avoidable tragedies.
Climate change has undoubtedly increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, but it is only one part of the story.
UNICEF report
These concerns are reflected in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, which warns that hundreds of millions of children worldwide face multiple climate hazards, including flooding.
According to the report, climate-related disasters threaten children’s health, education, nutrition and protection, with children in vulnerable communities facing the greatest risks.
The report also highlights how existing inequalities often compound the impact of climate emergencies on women and children.
Floodwaters contaminated by waste also increase the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea and malaria. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children, older persons and people living with disabilities are particularly susceptible to these health threats.
United Nations (UN) Women notes that women and children are often disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters because they are more likely to experience poverty, carry greater caregiving responsibilities and have fewer resources to recover from disasters.
When floods destroy livelihoods, existing inequalities become even more pronounced. The painful truth is that many of these losses are avoidable.
Way forward
No drainage system, regardless of how well designed, can function effectively if it is filled with refuse. No flood prevention programme can succeed if wetlands continue to be reclaimed for construction or if sanitation regulations are ignored.
Preventing floods is therefore not the responsibility of government alone. It requires a collective commitment from every citizen.
Proper waste disposal, regular community clean-up exercises, respect for planning regulations and the protection of waterways are simple but powerful actions that can save lives.
Government must equally strengthen waste management systems, enforce environmental and building regulations without compromise, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and ensure that disaster preparedness and response strategies address the specific needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has repeatedly emphasised that reducing disaster risk is far less costly than responding to disasters after they occur.
Investing in prevention, strengthening institutions and promoting responsible environmental practices remain among the most effective ways of protecting lives and livelihoods.
The recent floods should serve as more than another headline. They should be a national wake-up call.
Climate change may be beyond the control of any one individual, but how we treat our environment is not. Every plastic bottle thrown into a drain, every illegal structure erected on a waterway and every act of indiscriminate dumping contributes to a cycle of destruction that claims lives and undermines national development.
If Ghana is to break that cycle, environmental responsibility must become a shared national value.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
