Features
Legal education and the 499 students
Persuance of education is considered very important at all levels because of the essential role played by education in sharpening the skill of students and making them more productive for the development of various sectors of the economy. The purpose of education is to equip students with relevant knowledge and skills that would help liberate them from ignorance and make it possible for them to address the challenges or obstacles in socioeconomic development. This explains why all over the world, countries place emphasis on developing the educational sector to make it dynamic and productive in terms of output of relevant goods and services in line with improving upon the welfare of people.
DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS
In Ghana, it is important to encourage the growth of engineering and agricultural students to make it possible for them to help the economy to grow. Apart from this, we also need to encourage other sectors such as transportation, tourism and many other areas to ensure that no sector is left behind. Another area that cannot be forgotten is the health sector because if all sectors of the economy expand while the health sector is weak, people will not be able to get the quality health care they deserve and this would demean that most of the people will remain unhealthy and unproductive for that matter. Every sector in the economy is therefore important and that is why students must be encouraged to take up studies in different areas and blend such different aspect of knowledge for the advancement of society. It is equally important to note that in everything we do we must be regulated by the laws of the land otherwise there will be total choas in society. Choatic situations or disorderliness is not good for society because it doesn’t not help society as a whole to move forward in a common direction towards national development. To be able to move forward in this way we need to ensure that laws are properly enacted to regulate all activities in society. Such laws, once enacted, must be properly interpreted and implemented to guide all actions in society. Laws are therefore very important because they help people to train as lawyers and also make it possible for the law making body or legislature to go about it’s duties in the passage of laws for the country. All such activities cannot take place if lawyers are not properly trained to operate as professionals in our court systems, the legislature and other areas of life. This is what makes legal education very important.
LEGAL EDUCATION
Legal education today has become an important programme for all those who desire to enter the Ghana School of Law for professional training to make them lawyers. Legal education has become an important part of our life because lawyers help us to regulate affairs in society and to carry out our conduct in an acceptable way in line with the laws of the country. It is professional lawyers who help societies to organise their activities in line with accepted principles. Society today is governed by social norms and laws in various aspects of our life. Politically, socially, and economically, it is the implementation of the law that helps to protect the interest of everyone as well as different groups of people pursuing various activities for national development.
LAW AND ORDER
Law and order in society can only be possible if we allow ourselves to be governed soundly and effectively by rules of conduct and laws that have been enacted in the interest of the nation. On the economic front and in the business sector, we are always governed by different laws and principles that help us in the promotion of national economic development as well as business growth
in the interest of all. Similarly, our social behaviour such as obeying traffic rules and so on are also governed by laws in the country. Politically, democracy cannot thrive without making room for laws to govern our behaviour and conduct.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
In the light of all this, it is clear that professional training is very necessary for all those who desire to receive it in line with legal education. If enough lawyers are trained for the country, the country will have the peace it desires to go about all duties and operations necessary for our socioeconomic development.
FATE OF THE 499 STUDENTS
Against this background, it is unfortunate that the fate of the 499 students who desire to entire the Ghana School of Law is hanging in the balance through no fault of theirs. At the same time, the Ghana School of Law as well as the Independent Education Council or Body for Legal Education and also the Attorney-general and other stakeholders cannot be blamed for this unfortunate development. As a nation, what could have been done would have been to institute measures in anticipation of the increasing numbers of students fighting for professional education in law. Ghana has done well in producing quality lawyers not only for the country, but for other countries in the world. We therefore need to expand the facilities for legal education in the country so that all qualified candidates can be admitted without unwarranted restrictions or obstacles.
SOD CUTTING
It is very good that President Akuffo Addo has already cut sod for the construction of a new training school for professional legal education to cater for the increasing number of students in the country. However, this cannot
help the situation until the completion of this noble and necessary project. Thus, while waiting for the completion of the project, we all need to be patient so that at the right time, not far away from now, more students can be admitted for legal education. Even though facilities are limited compared to the huge numbers desiring to enter the Ghana School of Law, every effort must be made by the authorities concerned to admit more students than is being done now so as to reduce conflicts and afflictions among any group of people who want to enter the Ghana School of Law. The situation can be managed like this until the new law school for professional training is completed to admit more students than we are doing now.
CONCERN OF PARLIAMENT
Parliament, concerned about the situation, has directed the Ghana School of Law to admit all the 499 students desiring to enter for professional training, without failure. This is good but must be intepretated in the right frame of the law governing professional legal education in the country. Even though Parliament has a supervisory role over the Executive, it cannot exercise the power of directing the Ghana School of Law to admit all the 499 students. This has been explicitly explained by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and it is expected that the truth of the matter would be taken in good faith no matter the pain and frustration that may go with it. The country has come to the point where many anticipated problems likely to be encountered must be seriously examined and dealt with in order to avoid crisis situations. Ghana must move on in its quest for political, economic and social development but this must not be done in an haphazard manner to disturb the peace and development of the state. Once we all understand it in this way, we will be able to deal with this problem once and for all together with all other challenges that may come our way so as to be able to surmount them and move to a higher level of progress for the good of the country and Africa and the world as a whole.
AVOIDING POLITICS
In the light of all this, we should not play politics with the issue of legal education in Ghana because if we do, the real purpose of finding pragmatic solution to the problem will escape all of us and when this happens it is the country as a whole that will stand to lose it focus in identifying a purposeful solution for the issue. There is no doubt that legal education is very important because in all aspect of life we need lawyers to guide us in what we do so that we will not go wrong. Even if we go wrong the disastrous effect experienced in this case may not be so much. The point being made is that legal education can help us in a dual purpose. First of all it can prevent a situation of going wrong before being corrected to do what is right. Secondly even where we go wrong the lawyers can help us to minimise demanded caused. This explains why we must all collaborate with stakeholders so that more expansive facilities for legal education will be effected to solve the problem once and for all in line with what the current government spearheaded by President Akufo-Addo stands for.
Contact email/whatsApp of author: Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
When Abigail Fremah steps up to the Armwrestling table, the noise fades, the tension settles, and order takes over.
Despite a calm, but firm and meticulous disposition, she has become one of the quiet forces shaping Ghana’s growing reputation in the sport, not as an athlete, but a referee trusted on the continental stage.
Abigail’s journey into Armwrestling did not begin at the table. Like many Ghanaian sports enthusiasts, she grew up playing several disciplines. Football was her first love, but she also featured in volleyball and basketball during her school years. Sports, she says, was simply a way of life not just for her.
“It runs through the family. All my siblings are into sports,” she stated.
“I was involved in almost every sport in school, football, volleyball, netball, hockey; I did everything,” she recalls.
Her academic background in Health, Physical Education and Recreation laid a solid foundation for her sporting career. While on scholarship at the university (University of Cape Coast), she often used her modest budget to support young athletes, sometimes sharing skills and even T-shirts at programmes she attended. Giving back, she explains, has always been part of her motivation.
However, as she matured as an athlete, Abigail made a critical self-assessment.
“Armwrestling involves a lot of strength,” she admits. “Looking at my body type, I realised I couldn’t fit properly as a competitive athlete.”
That moment of honesty pushed her to a different trajectory but equally important path in sports; which is officiating.
During her National Service, she was encouraged by Mr Charles Osei Asibey, the President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), to consider officiating. He introduced her to a technical official, Mr Hussein Akuerteh Addy, who formally took her through the basics of Armwrestling officiating in 2021.
“I started as a case official,” she says. “We moved from region to region every week, officiating competitions. That’s where it all began.”
By 2022, Abigail was actively involved in national assignments, though she missed the African Championship that year. Her breakthrough came in 2023, when Ghana hosted the African Armwrestling Championship.
It was her first experience officiating at a major international competition and it changed everything.
“That was my first national and international exposure at the same time,” she says. “It really opened my eyes.”
Today, Abigail is a World Junior Armwrestling Referee, a status earned through performance, consistency and discipline. She explains that progression in officiating was not automatic.
“It’s all about performance, your appearance at African Championships, your conduct, how you handle pressure; that’s what takes you to the world level,” she stressed.
As a referee, Abigail’s priority is safety and fairness. Armwrestling, she notes, comes with risks, particularly injuries to the wrists, elbows, shoulders and arms.
“If athletes don’t follow the rules or refuse to listen to officials, injuries can happen,” she explains, adding that focus was everything.
Before every match, she ensures that all equipment which includes elbow pads, hand pegs and table alignment were properly set. Athletes are not allowed to cover their elbows, must grip correctly, and must follow the referee’s commands precisely.
“We make sure everything is fixed before the grip,” she says. “Once we say ‘Ready… Go’, there should be no confusion.”
She is also firm on discipline. Warnings are issued for infractions, and repeated misconduct attracts penalties.
“The referee must be respected, if you don’t listen, the rules will deal with you,” she says.
Abigail credits her confidence partly to her sporting family background. Her mother was a volleyball player, while other family members also participated in sports. Though they were initially concerned about her safety, her rise to the top reassured them.
“They were afraid at first,” she admits. “But they were also very proud, especially because some of them never got the opportunity to reach this level.”
Looking ahead, Abigail is optimistic about the future of Armwrestling in Ghana. In less than a decade, the country has produced African and world-level medalists, a sign, she believes, of great things to come for Ghana.
“Whenever we go out, we come back with medals such as gold and silver,” she says, and to her that was a sign of growth.
In the next five to ten years, Abigail sees herself rising to become a World Master Referee, the highest officiating level in the sport. Until then, her routine remains intense, training four times a week, working closely with athletes, standing on her feet for hours, and constantly refining her understanding of the rules.
“I love this sport,” she says simply. “That love is what keeps me going.”
Abigail encouraged women to be bold and intentional about their place in sports saying “don’t limit yourself because of fear or stereotypes.”
She also urged women to invest in learning, discipline and consistency, stressing that respect was earned through performance.
For Abigail, as Ghana’s armwrestlers continue to make their mark, she will remain where she is most effective at the table, ensuring the game is played right.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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As he had promised Aperkeh, the elderly man and his wife and three daughters stopped by Aperkeh’s parents’ house. Mr Amando and his family were preparing to settle in for the night.
“Brother Ben and family”, Mr Joshua Amando said warmly, “although I know you are here on a matter that can hardly be described as joyous, it is still good to see you. You are welcome. Please sit down while I bring you water”.
“Yes, we will take water, even though we are hardly thirsty, because this is our home”.
“Okay, Ben”, he started after they had drank, “Let me go straight to the point. My daughter Priscilla has told me about the goings on between her brother Aperkeh and our daughter Stella.
Before informing me, Priscilla had expressed concern to Aperkeh about some habits he is adopting, especially the late nights and the drinking. She tells me that one Saturday morning, she was there when Stella complained about his drinking and some girls who had come to the house to look for him, and he assaulted her.
I called him and complained, but all he could say was that I don’t know what caused him to react that way, so I could not judge him. Now he does not answer my calls.
I have sent Priscilla to his house to call him, but he has refused to come. Unfortunately, Ben, my son is a much different person than the young boy who completed university and started work at the bank. I am really embarrassed about his treatment of Stella”.
“Joshua, let me assure you that even though what is happening is very unfortunate, it will not affect our relationship.
We have been friends since childhood, and I thought that with their parents’ blessing, the relationship between Aperkeh and Stella would grow to become a blessing to all of us. But there appears to be a real challenge now.
Stella thinks that Aperkeh wants her out of his house, and indeed Aperkeh himself told me that, about an hour ago.
So I’m taking my daughter home. I suggest that you do what you can to straighten him out, but if it does not work out, let’s accept the situation and continue to be one family.
I am sure that being the well behaved girl that she is, Stella will meet a young man who will cherish her. Fortunately, this problem is happening early in the day, so they can sort things out if possible, or move on with their lives if they are unable to stay together”.
“I’m really grateful for that, Ben. I will do my best in the next few days to reason with him, because apart from the relationship with Stella, Aperkeh is risking his job and career with this lifestyle.
A good job and salary offers an opportunity to gather momentum in life, not to destroy yourself”.
“Okay Brother Joshua. We will say goodnight. I hope to hear positive news from you”.
As he descended in the lift from the fourth to the ground floor, Aperkeh wondered who would be waiting at the reception to see him at nine on Monday morning. He had spent good time with both of his new girls during the weekend, so it had to be someone else. He got out of the lift and pulled a face when he saw Priscilla.
“Priscilla”, he said as he sat down by her, “what do you want here? You know Monday morning is a busy time at the bank. I am a very busy person, so say what you want, I have work to do”.
“You are very funny, Aperkeh. You are telling me, your sister, that you have work to do, so I should hurry up? Okay, Dad says I should advise you to come home tonight, because he wants to discuss the issue of Stella with you. He sent me to you twice, and you did not come.
He has tried to call you quite a number of times, but you have refused to answer his calls. He says that if you do not come tonight, you will be very surprised at what he will do. He says you will not like it at all, so better come.
“What is all this? Why won’t you people leave me alone? Stella is very disrespectful. I told her that if she wanted to continue to live in my house, she must obey me. It is that simple.
She chose to continue ordering me about, controlling me in my own house, so I told her that if she could not live under my conditions she should leave. And she left. In fact, her own father came and took her away. So what again?’’
“How did she disobey or control you? Was she complaining about your continuous drinking and late nights? And did you slap her on several occasions because of that? Did you tell her that if she could not live under your conditions she should leave? You actually said that to her father? You have forgotten that before she came to live with you, our two parents met and agreed, and gave it their blessing?’
“Why don’t you leave, Priscilla? I don’t have to listen to all that”. “Okay, I will go. Your father who gave birth to you and educated you to university level sends me to you, and you ask me to leave? I wish you would defy him, and refuse to come home as he’s telling you, because he is planning to give you the discipline you badly need. Let me tell you. Stella is such a beautiful and decent girl, and I assure you that someone will grab her before you say Jack. You are only 30 years old, and you have already become a drunkard”.
As he walked towards the lift, Aperkeh decided on what to do. He would go home, and calmly listen to what his father had to say. The old man was very unpredictable, and he wouldn’t dare ignore him. So he would take all the insults and threats, but as for Stella she was history. According to Priscilla, Stella was beautiful and all that, but she had not seen the two curvaceous princesses who were all over him, ready to do anything he asked. And these were not barely literate waakye girls, but university graduates from wealthy homes, really classy girls. With stuff like that, who needs a waakye girl? He smiled as he took his seat.
A few minutes to five, Aperkeh was packing up to leave for home to meet his dad when his phone rang. It was Priscilla.
“Aperkeh, Dad says you don’t need to bother to come. Stella’s dad says she came to him early this morning to plead that she would rather stay at home than return to your house. She thinks you are already decided to be rid of her, and she does not want to risk being assaulted again. So it’s done. You can go ahead and enjoy the nice life you have started”.
Before he could tell her to go to hell, Priscilla hanged up the line. He was partially stung that his dad had virtually cut him off. The last thing anyone would want was to fall out of relationship with his own family, which had always supported him.
But the truth was he was no longer interested in Stella. What was wrong with going by one’s feelings? He could only hope that one day, his parents and sister would try to reason with him.
By Ekow de Heer
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