Features
Jobless thousands in Sikaman – Final part
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I MY former classmate, Kofi Owuo, alias ‘Death By Poverty’ told me last week that it is a sin to be unemployed in Sikaman.
According to him, every unemployed or redeployed person, whether he is a born-again or not, is a potential suspect when it comes to cases involving missing fowls, disappeared cats and monies that cannot be found where they are supposed to be.
Unfortunately still, the unemployed are regarded as sinful because they are perceived as lazy people who do not want to work, moreso when the Holy Bible is against sloth.
The unemployed are never free from suspicion. It is always predicted that sooner or later he’d impregnate a JSS school-girl and attempt to abort, or deny responsibility, or both.
And no one is keen on inviting an unemployed person to an outdooring, birthday party or wedding. The fear is that with a virtually empty stomach, he’d vent his spleen on the food and devour with all his might, drink to his utmost satisfaction and quietly sneak out without offering a little donation.
Indeed the unemployed person is perceived to be very dangerous person with a long throat and an elastic stomach that can do wonders during outdoorings. He must be kept at bay.
Everyone really forgets that it is no fault of his that he remains jobless. Fact is that it is a taboo to find ready employment in Sikaman.
As I suggested last week, it is only in heaven that getting employed is not a problem. But heaven is quite distant from here. Even born-agains who speak in Swahili and Hebrew simultaneously can only get there after they die. So the problem lies here and must be solved here.
Today, jobs are so scarce that one needs a power- torchlight to find wherever they are hiding. Many well-qualified graduates have no say but to accept jobs as bank clerks which normally is taken by O’ level certificate holders or even those with GCE passes.
But that is better than being a graduate ‘house-wife’. At least such a graduate would not chew stones, neither will he munch grass. But he can’t look after his ageing mother after settling all the bills, has got a cocoa farm, he could go and mortgage it and then he can get some cash and marry.
Graduates who are lucky to get jobs as clerks are better off. There are hundreds of jobless others with equally good qualifications who cannot get employed even as bank messengers. No vacancy, mister!
So many of them have to stoop low, going from one rich man’s house to another soliciting part-time jobs to teach their preparatory school children for a fee. In Tema, this is termed COACHING. Even here, the competition is great because teachers are also all out to get such jobs to supplement their incomes.
Still, are the luckless ones who have nothing doing apart from being always busy writing applications to private companies and public organisations.
The reply to such an application is normally enclosed in beautiful envelop spelling hope of success.
The applicant, however, opens the envelope with trembling hands, fumbling with everything. Awkwardly, he manages to extract the letter, hurriedly opens it to read the good news.
And the good news is this “….. Thank you for showing keen interest in our company…… Sorry, all vacancies are filled….. Wish you luck else-where……. “
When the applicant, however, writes in response to an advert in the dailies, the chances are that he’d be called to an interview. That day he dons his X’mas dress, wears a new haircut (not punk), borrows a decent shoe from a friend and attends the interview with the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 on his lips. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
No one should blame him! He has attended over nine such interviews and none had proved successful. Perhaps on those previous occasions he had forgotten to say the Lord’s prayer, so why be silly enough to forget it this time!
Although he goes for the interview with confidence he is still at a disadvantage. He recalls that the advertiser had been deliberately cruel: “Young graduates wanted as management trainees…… Age limit 26”.
But the applicant is 29 because he completed university at 25, did a year of national service and thereafter became jobless for three years. So, he is automatically disqualified age-wise.
The advertiser may have requested something like this: “Wanted for immediate employment….. Applicants must have not less than five years practical experience.
When it comes to responding to such an advert, the disillusioned applicant would have to be bold enough to state, “Sir, I have five years practical experience in sleeping and snoring at home….. I hope my application would be granted favourable consideration…..Signed!
Anyhow, he is still called to attend an interview. But in most cases he must be smart enough to understand the procedure before-hand. You don’t have to be ‘too-know’.
Understanding the procedure can be a complex issue. But in its simplest terms, you only have to trace the home of one panel member and hand him a fat envelope. That settles it.
So on the D-day, the interview becomes a mere formality, successful candidates are determined long before the interview commences.
With girl applicants, the procedure often becomes different in format, if the boss is unscrupulous. She may not need to attend a panel interview after all. The interview can be held quietly in a hotel room with the boss, while the secretary types out the appointment letter.
Born-again female applicants do not yield to such unorthodox procedure and they cry out to Jesus Christ and Elijah to intercede on their behalf. Sikaman is really a tough ground for school leavers.
At least 3,000 graduates are eligible for employment every year after national service. At least 1,000 do not get employed and half of this number are forced to leave the country to Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe or Germany which is better pronounced as JAAMANI, where they slug it out the hard way.
The other half languish in the capital employed writing applications after application. Each year their number increases in geometric progression.
And I predict that it would soon come to a time when frustrated graduates will start doing what they are not supposed to be doing – for instance joining the ‘stowaway’ gang.
That would not be all. I wouldn’t also be surprise if some die-hards among them start enlisting as armed robbers. In a situation of destitution and acute frustration, anything can happen, even the seemingly undreamt of. The devil finds work for the idle mind.
And don’t forget, man must eat every day, buy clothes to cover his nakedness, pay the bills, get married and have children. They are not supposed to be breathing down the necks of their ageing parents for food thrice daily.
A radical solution must be found to this problem of joblessness. And the saddest part is that while everyone is overly concerned about the plight of workers, nobody is seriously concerned about the plight of the jobless. At least workers have some- thing to live on. The jobless have nothing at all. See the difference?
Admittedly, certain attempts have been made to make available job opportunities. For instance the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) is doing its best to train and equip certain categories of the unemployed and redeployed. But how many of them can they take on in a year? The programme must be expanded.
The National Mobilization Programme has done creditably in the rural areas. In the cities, they have not tackled the problem at all. There is more room for improvement.
As we are all prepared to enter into a new political era, let’s also think about creating a new era for the jobless thousands living in abject destitution. It is only then that they can actively participate in the evolving democratic process.
This article was first published on May 11, 1991
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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