Features
Honourable Henry Quartey …Dynamic and effective
Some ministers in the Akufo-Addo-led administration are working hard and must be commended by Ghanaians but in the case of Honourable Henry Quartey, his commitment towards hard work, dynamism, effectiveness, zeal and achievement, among others are incomparable as regards what he is trying to achieve as Greater Accra Regional Minister.
His desire to transform the city of Accra into a clean one in line with the vision of the president, is a task that is not easy to achieve looking at the stubborn nature of many Ghanaians residing within the city.
SANITATION
Many people in Accra do not keep to sanitation guidelines, throwing rubbish into gutters and blocking the smooth flow of water in various parts of the city. Other people are also putting up structures in unauthorised places and making it difficult for the flow of water into demarcated drains especially after the rains.
It takes the boldness of a person charged with that responsibility of ensuring discipline in the city to be able to go about measures geared towards sanitising the area. Many people given the responsibility will not be able to perform creditably well due to a number of factors. In the first place, many of them wlll lack the boldness and alacrity to confront a task ahead and bring about the desired results.
The results will be admired by every person in Ghana but taking steps to achieve it is what will be difficult for many people to do. It is in the light of this that Hon. Henry Quartey, determined as he is, must be given every encouragement and support, to achieve the task we have all set for him.
SLOGANS
Slogans like “keep the city clean” have been exhibited in Accra for years yet people or residents never bother to give practical meaning to this slogan. Since the 1970s, when some of us were children and are now grown into old people, such a slogan had been displayed jn places such as Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi and a few other places. In spite of this, can we really say the desired purpose was correctly achieved by city authorities and the people of Ghana?
If the answer may be no, then we have all failed as a people and must, therefore, begin to change our lives for the better as far as cleanliness in our cities is concerned.
GENERAL COMPLAINT
Everyone in Accra complains about the chaotic situation in the capital yet no one is prepared to take up the task and help to solve the problem.
The time has, therefore, come for each and every one of us to recalibrate our minds not just once but on continuous basis so that our mental faculties as a people will start working again to put things in order for the capital so that it will look as one of the best cities on the continent of Africa as far as cleanliness is concerned.
One notable admirable thing about Hon. Quartey was his desire, at the initial stages to involve all stakeholders about keeping the city clean and making Accra work. He consulted all parliamentarians, those in government and in opposition, as well as District and Municipal Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region and also traders and their associations together with other people who operate businesses in the city of Accra.
THOROUGH DISCUSSION
The issue was thoroughly discussed for everyone to see the way forward. This approach is good because no one was left out as far as the entire programme is concerned. For this reason, it’s expected that all stakeholders will collaborate to ensure that the ultimate purpose is achieved.
The regional minister has used the right approach because all stakeholders have been consulted and this is what makes him as acceptable leader for greater Accra. It’s important that other regional ministers emulate him to bring sanity to their areas of control.
UNTENABLE ARGUMENT OF TOO MUCH POWER
The argument that he assumes too much power is untenable and what he’s involved in is in the interest of the entire nation. He is not self-centred, looking for glory for himself alone but collaborating with all entities to achieve the ultimate purpose in the interest of Ghana.
There is no doubt that the regional minister is dynamic. His approach to things is not static but keeps changing in a positive manner to ensure that his solutions become workable.
In spite of the obstacles confronting him, Hon. Quartey is ready to succeed. He has already attained considerable success and should be commended by all.
Seen in this way, we need to continuously support him so that at the end of the day, the national capital will work again as expected not only for him as a regional minister but for the nation as a whole.
HONOURABLE HENRY QUARTEY
Before the appointment of Honourable Henry Quartey, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, little did we know about him as a committed and bold person who was prepared to hold the bull by the horn and work hard to transform Greater Accra into a sanitised area
So far, he has proved himself as a leader who is selfless and willing to serve his country to the best of his ability. Many people appointed into offices first think about their own comfort before creating subsequent impression that they are in to perform their duty.
In the case of the Greater Accra Regional Minster he has so far proved that he is selfless and even prepared to endure some hardships in the course of beautifying the city of Accra. He has often been seen standing in the sun and moving with certain individuals in dirty surrounding areas to get the job done. Some of us keep wondering how many Minsters or officials are prepared to go through such conditions. It is for this reason that the man Henry Quartey must be massively supported to complete the task.
Thus, instead of commending and encouraging him, we shouldn’t discourage and destroy him in a manner that will not get him to beautify the city with other officers. We will continue to support him until his job is done appropriately as expected in line with the interest of our dear nation
In 1 Samuel 8:1-4, we read of the leader of Israel at the time growing old and making his sons judges in Israel. These sons didn’t follow their father’s example but were only interested in making money, there by accepting bribes and going about their duties in a dishonest manner
Some people appointed to serve the people of this country have also succumbed to bribery and corruption but use the media to create the impression that they are working, though false.
For many years to come Honourable Henry Quartey will continue to be remembered for his principles, boldness, dutifulness and fairness to all in an effort to beautify Accra for all Ghanaians. May God bless him abundantly.
Contact email/whatsApp of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
This week I have a very strong desire to put on my Apostolic Cap and talk about the power available to children of God which we can utilise to generate positive outcomes, in our lives.
There is a phrase in the Bible that if Christians meditate on, can immensely transform their lives. In Matthew 28:6 there is a phrase “… as he said…” according to the King James Version.
Thus phrase forms part of a statement declared by an angel of God to two women who were disciples of Jesus who had gone to his tomb early in the morning on the third day after his death.
According to the Biblical account, the stone covering the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and an Angel was sitting on it and he made the statement to the effect that the Jesus they are seeking is not there and that he had risen, as he said before his death.
His resurrection affirmed the authenticity and dependability of the word of Jesus and therefore the word of God.
Christianity has to do with faith in the word of God. Pastor Mensa Otabil said if we view Christianity as an inside out view, you would go inside to operate the power that is in you.
As a Christian, the spirit of God and therefore the power of God, dwells in you. Anyone who is aware of this truth, does not go around seeking to have a so called powerful person resolve his or her spiritual issues.
Most Christians who move from prophet to prophet, do not believe that the spirit of God which operates in a Pastor or Prophet, is the same spirit that dwells in him or her.
In fact , that Christian may be more ‘powerful’ than the Prophet or Pastor he is going to for prayers because he is living a holy life, which is pleasing to God, for God is no respecter of persons according to Acts 10:34-35.
God does not give out his spirit in different measures to indwell believers. The spirit of God that dwells in a new convert, is the same spirit that dwells in a Bishop or a Prophet or an Evangelist or an Elder or a Deacon.
All you need to do as a child of God is to believe in the word of God and know that it works and that according to 1 John 4:4 we, Christians, that the Spirit of God dwells in us have overcome the world and Jesus in us, is greater than the Devil who is out in the world, wrecking havoc all around.
If we realise that we have overcome the Devil and everything he controls, then we can believe and act in faith and make declarations and just as Christ declared that he will die and on the third day, he will rise from the dead and it manifested as he said, there shall be a manifestation of our declarations also.
The problem of modern day Christians is that, a lot of them, do not study and meditate on the word of God, so they do not witness the manifestation of the power of God, in their lives.
Such an experience over time, give them the impression that the spirit of God dwells in different dimensions in believers. This then leads them to seek solutions to their challenges from so called powerful men of God.
Some Pastors also fall into this misconception of the measure of the spirit of God in believers. When the size of a Pastor’s church for instance, is not increasing the way he had been praying for self-doubt sometimes begin to set in.
Especially, if he begins to compare his church with that of say a colleague from the same Bible School, then he begins to wonder if there is not a spiritual secret he is not aware of.
This is when, if care is not taken, fellow Pastors who appears to be very successful in the ministry but are using occultic powers, could sway them from the narrow path and get them trapped in the Devil’s clutches and eventually and inevitably, destroy their lives. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Introduction
You have been there. Twenty tabs open comparing laptops. A blank page for an email you’ve been “thinking about” for three days. A menu with 30 options and you leave hungry.
This is decision paralysis: the state where the volume of information, options, or perceived stakes prevents you from making a decision at all. It’s not laziness. It’s a cognitive overload response.
In a data-rich environment, it’s becoming the default mode for both individuals and organisations.
This article breaks down why it happens, how it shows up, what it costs, and how to break it.
1. What decision paralysis actually is?
Decision paralysis is a failure of the decision-making system to convert information into action. Psychologists call it ‘analysis paralysis’ or ‘choice overload.’
It has three components:
1. Cognitive overload: Working memory can hold between four to seven chunks of information at once. When you try to track 20 variables, the system freezes.
2. Anticipatory regret: You overestimate the pain of making the wrong choice. The brain avoids the emotional cost by avoiding the choice.
3. Ambiguity aversion: Humans prefer known risks over unknown ones. When outcomes are uncertain, we stall.
The result is not neutral. Not deciding is a decision. It costs time, momentum, and opportunity
2. Why it’s getting worse now
2.1 Infinite options
Amazon has 350 million products. Netflix has 6000+ titles. Dating apps have unlimited profiles. The paradox of choice: more options increase initial satisfaction but decrease final satisfaction and increase regret.
2.2 Information abundance without synthesis
You can find 50 studies on sleep. Each one has caveats, conflicting results, and different methodologies. Without a framework to integrate them, more data creates more confusion, not clarity. This connects directly to the “data-rich, wisdom-poor” problem.
2.3 Reversibility anxiety
In the digital age, most decisions feel permanent. A bad post goes viral. A bad hire is public on LinkedIn. A bad career move is visible. The fear of irreversible error makes people delay.
2.4 Algorithmic mirroring
Platforms show you what you already engage with. This creates an illusion that there’s one ‘best’ option you are missing. You keep searching, convinced the optimal choice is one more scroll away.
3. How it shows up
Personal Level
Cannot pick a career path after six months of ‘research’
Spend two hours choosing a movie and watch nothing
Delay sending an email because it ‘isn’t perfect’
3.1 Organisational level
Teams spend 80 per cent of time in meetings gathering data, 20 per cent deciding
Product teams delay launch waiting for “one more data point”
KPIs multiply but no strategic choice is made
3.2 Common cognitive tells:
Endless comparison tables
Asking for one more opinion
Reframing the problem instead of solving it
Feeling drained after thinking but not acting
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
