Features
Hajia Mariama Bawumia, rest in peace!
From experience in life, we know for sure that death is inevitable for everyone but the passing away of Hajia Mariama Bawumia, mother of our current Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, came as a shock to everyone in Ghana, members of both government and opposition, sending sorrow to everyone who heard of the unfortunate news on Monday, September 13, 2021.
At the birth of a new baby when a new life is encountered or experienced, everybody expresses joy but when this life goes through the rigours of life and must return to the Creator, we all become sad at the loss of this life. This is not surprising because having lived closely with such life, we become so familiar with this life that when the time for departure comes at the point of death, it saddens our hearts.
Familiarity with a Person on Earth
Once we become familiar with a person, it becomes almost unacceptable for such a person to move on from this life and when this happens, we know for sure that we will not see him/her again in this life hence, the pain and grief that come over everyone in society. Matters even become worse when the person concerned is good and lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation by others in society. Once this is the case, we always find it difficult to forget about such a good person. This deepens the grief and pain that we encounter in the world.
It is this experience that has come over the people in Ghana including officials of political parties and government thereby making it difficult to accept that Hajia Mariama Bawumia has, indeed, left us behind. At this time, even though what has happened is true, it will be difficult for Ghanaians to forget entirely about this unfortunate event. Our hope is, however, in God who made the heavens and the earth and all the things that dwell in them. These bitter experiences, that occur from time to time to mankind, tend to go beyond human comprehension. But our faith in God encourages us to accept things as and when they happen to us in this way.
Departure of Loved Ones
From time to time, we experience this situation when we lose dear ones in our communities, societies, or nation. The departure of such people from us cause devastation to us and sometimes it calls for the grace of God to be able to stand firm and control ourselves. No matter who you are, the loss of a dear one always brings a devastating blow to society and our close associates, and this explains why the loss of our precious mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia, came to us as a shock even though death, as we know, is inevitable.
Our mother was a devout Muslim who never joked with her religion and for this reason, we will make some attempt at what the Holy Qur’an says about death. There is one most frequently quoted verse in Qur’an about death which states that “Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgement will you be paid your full recompense.” This shows that death is inevitable. The same Qur’an emphasises that mankind “Should not die except in a state of Islam” because “Truly, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam”. Since our mother died in her religion, we believe, (both muslims and non-muslims), that Allah will embrace her into His kingdom and show mercy to her.
Death and Life
There is no doubt that it is God or Allah who created death and life. If this is the case, then we cannot blame Him for death that comes to us. Being the Most Merciful, Most Forgiving and Almighty, we pray to Him at this time to have mercy on our mother who we believe has been received into His kingdom.
The way numerous tributes poured in for our late mother shows that she was not only a mother to the Vice President and his siblings but to all Ghanaians who believe that we should care for one another in this world. People who testified about her, pointed out that she was a kind and lovely person who mingled with any other people she encountered. The presence of the Chief Imam at Kperiga, Walewale, as well as many other dignitaries including the various political parties shows that people saw her as a dependable mother who cannot be easily forgotten in this life.
Delightful Lady
Hajia Mariama Bawumia was a delightful lady who catered for all the people she met at Walewale for which reason we ask for God’s mercy for her. As was pointed out by President Akufo-Addo and the First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, we ask for God’s blessings for her. We believe that she will have a peaceful rest in the bosom of God. In the same way as was pointed out by the President and his wife, we want to urge Vice President Bawumia to be firm to beat the challenges in the days ahead. At this time, the Vice President and his siblings will need to be encouraged for strength so that they can stand firm in the challenges ahead. People from all over the country have been touched by the death of Hajia and expressed their condolences to the family and the Government of Ghana.
For the people of Ghana, if there is nothing to remember at all, we need to know that it is Hajia who gave birth to Dr. Bawumia and together with other members of the family nurtured him to grow up and become a responsible citizen, shooting up in life across all challenges and difficulties to become the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. The good virtues seen in the late Hajia – her beautiful temperament, smiles, laughter, friendliness, kindness, warm attitude towards others etc. – have all been exhibited by the Vice President and this shows why Dr. Bawumia is always smiling and caring for people in need.
Motherly Figure to All
The late Hajia Mariama has not only been a motherly figure, but also a great source of inspiration to her children and to all members in the country. It is not possible for mankind to bring her back to life otherwise many people would have struggled to do so. As has been pointed out, death is inevitable, so God knows why He allowed it at this time. May we continue to follow her life exhibited not only in the northern part of the country but in all parts of the country where she stayed so that as much as possible, people will follow her and do what is right as they encounter other people on this planet.
May the soul of our mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia, rest in perfect peace. Amen!
Contact email/whatsApp of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
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.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
