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)
Features
Fix It Fast or Lose Them Forever: The Ever-Rising Importance of Service Recovery in Competitive Industries
Yes, in literature and in practice, differences exist regarding customer service, service failures, and service recovery.
But have you ever considered the latter (service recovery) and its potential impact on service experience, brand building, and sustainable growth?
Well, in today’s fiercely competitive service economy, customer experience has become one of the most powerful determinants of business survival and long-term success.
Across industries, from aviation and banking to telecommunications, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and digital platforms, customers now expect fast, seamless, and reliable service delivery at every touchpoint.
Yet despite technological advancements and operational improvements, service failures remain inevitable.
Systems experience downtime, deliveries are delayed, reservations are misplaced, payments fail, customer inquiries go unanswered, employees mishandle interactions, and digital platforms experience disruptions.
In the midst of these, what increasingly separates successful organisations from struggling ones is not whether failures occur, but how quickly and effectively they recover when they do.
Service Recovery
Simply put, it is the process of fixing a service problem and restoring customer confidence after a failure has occurred.
Examples of service recoveries are; an airline offering compensation after a flight delay, a telecom company restoring interrupted service and providing bonus data, a restaurant replacing a wrongly prepared meal at no extra cost, a hotel upgrading a guest’s room after a booking problem, and finally a bank reversing an erroneous transaction and apologising promptly.
As competition intensifies and customer expectations continue to rise, service recovery is rapidly evolving from a routine customer service function into a critical strategic capability.
Businesses are discovering a hard truth of the modern marketplace: fix customer problems quickly, or risk losing them permanently.
Customers are More Powerful Now Than Ever
Customers now possess more power than at any other time in business history. Digital technology, social media, online reviews, and mobile connectivity have fundamentally changed customer behaviour.
Consumers now easily compare competitors instantly, publicly share negative experiences, switch providers with ease, and influence the purchasing decisions of thousands of others online.
This evolution has made customer loyalty increasingly fragile. A single poor experience can quickly damage years of brand-building effort.
In highly competitive sectors where products and pricing are often similar, customer experience has emerged as one of the few sustainable competitive advantages.
Modern customers no longer evaluate organisations solely by product quality or pricing. Increasingly, they judge businesses by their responsiveness, reliability, transparency, empathy, and effectiveness in resolving problems.
Why Service Recovery Matters More Than Ever
Failures are no longer viewed as isolated operational incidents, especially in competitive service sectors. They are moments that directly influence customer trust, brand perception, and future purchasing behaviour.
Research across service industries consistently demonstrates that customers are often willing to forgive mistakes when organisations respond quickly, communicate honestly, show empathy, and resolve issues effectively.
Conversely, poor recovery experiences frequently create stronger dissatisfaction than the original service failure itself.
For many businesses, the greatest reputational damage does not arise from operational errors, but from delayed responses, poor communication, lack of accountability, and unresolved customer frustrations.
This has elevated service recovery into a central component of customer relationship management and competitive strategy.
Speed, a Competitive Weapon
In the modern service economy, speed is no longer merely operational efficiency; it is a basic customer expectation.
Consumers increasingly expect: immediate responses, real-time updates, fast complaint resolution, and proactive communication. Delays are often interpreted as incompetence, indifference, or organisational inefficiency.
Consequently, organisations are redesigning their service recovery frameworks to prioritize rapid intervention and customer reassurance.
A cursory assessment revealed that some businesses now operate dedicated customer experience teams, 24/7 support systems, AI-powered service platforms, automated escalation systems, and real-time issue monitoring dashboards.
The ability to resolve customer problems quickly is now a major source of competitive differentiation.
Technology Is Transforming Recovery Strategies
Technology is fundamentally reshaping how organisations manage service recovery. Across industries, companies are leveraging artificial intelligence, customer analytics, chatbots, predictive monitoring systems, and integrated digital support platforms.
These tools allow organisations to identify service failures earlier, monitor customer dissatisfaction, automate responses, personalize engagement, and accelerate resolution timelines.
Some organisations now proactively contact customers before complaints are formally lodged, using analytics to identify service disruptions in real time.
This means that the future of service recovery is increasingly preventive rather than purely reactive.
Service Recovery as a Brand Strategy
Forward-looking organisations are now treating service recovery as part of brand management strategy rather than operational damage control.
The logic is straightforward because, acquiring new customers is expensive, dissatisfied customers influence others, and loyalty is increasingly experience-driven.
Businesses are therefore measuring customer satisfaction, response times, complaint resolution rates, customer retention, and net promoter scores more aggressively than before.
In many industries, service recovery performance is now discussed at executive and board levels because of its direct relationship with profitability, reputation, and long-term growth.
A call to action
As industries become more digital, interconnected and customer-driven, service recovery will likely become even more important.
Therefore, organisations that succeed in the future will likely be those that respond rapidly, communicate transparently, empower employees, leverage technology intelligently, treat customers fairly, and place their (customers’) trust at the centre of recovery strategies.
Remember, customers now have more choices, less patience, and greater influence than ever before, a clear message to forward-looking organisations that when service breaks down, recovery is everything. Fix it fast or risk losing customers forever.
Writer: Mohammed Ali
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.
