Features
Free SHS “wins” presidential election
Wonders, they say, shall never end. With just two days to the national elections, free-SHS is now the talk of many communities across the country. Interestingly, many of the rural communities seem to be salivating the flavour “oozing” from the national kitchen of free-SHS.
So free-SHS, free-SHS, free-SHS is now on the lips of many parents and beneficiaries of President Akufo-Addo’s poverty alleviating and human resource-incubation national policy. Indeed, for some parents, free-SHS is now the tooth brush with which they seem to be brushing their teeth each morning to remind themselves and their beneficiary children of voting age, the urgency to vote for free-SHS, come Monday, December 7, 2020.
A clear example of the wonder-name, free-SHS? Yes. Just last Monday, 30 November, a “trotro” driver in Elmina in the Central Region asked a passenger to quickly get off from his vehicle just because in a political conversation in the vehicle, the passenger said: “Akufo-Addo has done nothing for Ghana.” Readers, the response in the “trotro” was very quick and surprising!!!
The “trotro” driver parked his vehicle, which was moving from Edina Essaman to the Elmina Fish Market, stood up while holding the steering wheel and asked the passenger: “Have you paid school fees before? Do you know how difficult it is to look for money to pay school fees? Do you even have a child in any SHS? Do you know the value of Akufo-Addo’s free-SHS to some of us who could not continue our education because of poverty in our homes?”
The “trotro” driver says, he has three of his children enjoying the fruits of free-SHS and for him, if President Akufo-Addo is even using all the nation’s money to fund free-SHS, he will vote for him to remain in power. Indeed, the “trotro” driver was not alone in shouting at the passenger.
An elderly woman of about 65-years, who claimed to be an NDC sympathizer, urged the “trotro” driver to exercise patience, contending that some of her own grandchildren are also enjoying free-SHS and that she will also vote for President Akufo-Addo to continue the policy. She, however, said in respect of the parliamentary election, she will vote her NDC parliamentary candidate, stressing that “the free-SHS policy has removed the fee-paying burden on the shoulders of many parents in the country.”
The elderly woman then appealed to the “trotro” driver to tolerate the young man, assuring that free-SHS will win the presidential election for Akufo-Addo. According to the woman, she knows some party supporters of the NDC, PPP, CPP and GUM who have confided in her that because of free-SHS, they will surely vote for Akufo Addo to retain him in power.
“This is because their children, nephews, nieces, sisters and brothers are enjoying Akufo-Addo’s free-SHS, thus, removing the fee-paying burden on them,” the elderly woman said, adding that even though President Mahama has promised to continue the policy, “it is better to be enjoying what we have now under Akufo-Addo.”
The driver then resumed his seat. As he powered off to the Elmina Fish Market, the young man kept mute in the vehicle while some of the fish mongers chatted above their voices, claiming that they now know the value of education because some of their children who are beneficiaries of free-SHS are exhibiting “polished tendencies” to their surprise when they returned home from school.
In the 2012 campaign season, however, many fish mongers along the coastal belt of Elmina gained notoriety for claiming that they preferred ‘hweaseambo’ to free-SHS. ‘Hweaseambo’ is a pan or container usually used by fish mongers to carry fish from canoes to sell in the fish market.
During the 2012 campaign season, while the NPP was preaching it’s free-SHS policy along the coastal belt, the NDC was allegedly distributing thousands and thousands of ‘hweaseambo’ freely to the fish mongers to influence them to vote for the party.
In the process, some of the fisher folks composed a song titled: “Yepe hweaseambo, yennpe free education,” meaning “we prefer hweaseambo to free education.” And this became a common song among many of the fish mongers.
Surprisingly, the tables are turning and the chickens seem to be coming home to roost. The contention is that the ‘hweaseambo’ will be arriving very soon for free distribution but they will be there effectively be competing with the free-SHS policy which now firmly rooted in the minds and souls of many parents and beneficiaries.
Now, in each of the 16 regions of the republic of Ghana, we have what they call, Association of Free-SHS Students. They have their national leaders and regional coordinators. And interestingly, members of the association are canvassing for votes across the country so that free-SHS wins, particularly, the presidential election, come Monday, December 7.
Many parents of beneficiaries of free-SHS are also said to be vigorously campaigning for the retention of President Akufo-Addo in power, so that they will continue to harvest the hanging fruits of the policy.
What some election watchers also say, however, is that for the presidential election, free-SHS will win the race for Akufo-Addo, contending what will be left to be decided is the parliamentary election.
Readers, we have barely two days to go to the polls, so let’s cross our fingers and wait to see whether or not, the free-SHS policy will particularly win the presidential race for President Akufo-Addo.
Meanwhile, readers are encouraged by this column to go out and exercise their constitutional mandate in peace, come Monday, December 7.
By G. Frank Asmah
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
