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Massa say make I bring you
THE earliest known regimented police force in Ghana comprised recruits who were certified illiterates. The British relied on their illiteracy for efficiency. They were called ‘bugabuga’ who took orders without question. Massa say make I bring you.
In those days, there were no short policemen. The ‘bugabuga’ were tall and straight as a pole. They were trained to look unfriendly. And when it came to slapping a recalcitrant for misbehaviour, a single slap was enough to deter other potential offender.
A policeman could single-handedly maintain order in the entire suburb of Bubuashie in Accra. He simply strolled around and his presence was felt in every home, every lane, every nook and cranny. His mere shadow was terrifying to behold.
A trouble maker was always mindful of the powerful delivery of the policeman’s slap at close range. Such a slap could cause a two-week nightmare plus or minus internal bleeding.
BLACK CAP
At that time, the policeman’s uniform was not black. It was brown! The black uniform is a latter-day idea, probably conceived when British suzerainty gave way to self-rule. The policeman was now attired in black outfit, black shoes and black cap, absorbing the heat from the sun.
The black-uniformed policeman looks dangerously hostile even if he is not. Black is for mourning, not keeping the peace. Black means something ominous. The top-ranking policemen managed to attire themselves in a gabardine-like material, looking more human.
Ghanaians have complained about the black uniforms for decades. They have seen British and American policemen on television in blue, smart-looking and professional in outlook, not black and miserably looking. So they complained but it fell on deaf ears.
This week, it was announced that black-uniformed cops will be a matter of the past. Ghanaian policemen will be differently attired, hurray! The cops will look like Yankee policemen and of course, walk like them. They will also be permitted to dance like them. This is not a presidential initiative.
It is my hope that with a change in uniform, there will also be a change in attitudes so that an entirely modern police force will be presented to Ghanaians.
Currently, there are a good number of policemen in the system doing some great job, catching the criminals and bringing them to book. The problem is that there is also a good number, negating the good reports of the dutiful and patriotic ones.
Gone are the days, though, when a policeman shot a warning-shot and the bullet ended in somebody’s nose. In those days, warning shots were aimed at the forehead so that if it missed, it could at least lodge in the nostrils. The idea was to disperse rioters. And how could that be done without bullets finding new homes in the ears and knee-caps of the rioters?
Today, there is a more professional police force. However, some of them have still not purged themselves of the ‘bugabuga’ ways. They still slap suspects, to teach them where power lies. This is not policing. It is an abuse of human rights.
What happens when a suspect is tortured and in the end he is found to be innocent? The police must be re-orientated to understand the importance of protecting rights instead of abusing them.
PROSTITUTES
And the police should stop swooping on people and parading them on television as prostitutes. Do they know what that means? It means, those swooped upon have been tried by the entire population of Ghana (via television) before they even appeared before the judge to be judged innocent or guilty. That is bad policing.
Should any of them be found innocent by the judge, how does she redeem her tarnished image? With certain sensitive cases, policemen should not be too over-zealous in parading suspects before the cameras. Redeeming one’s damaged image is a very difficult process no one should be saddled with.
Now, the most important role Ghanaians want the police to play is to provide personal security so that armed robbers will not continue to have a field day.
That calls into question whether or not the police patrols in the communities and on the highways are taking place. If robbers know that patrols are constantly being done, they’ll stop attacking people.
Even in the ‘bugabuga’ days, a single policeman’s stroll was effective enough to prevent crime. So jeep and car patrols should be the rule if truly we want to stem the tide of crime. In other words, the patrols will make it impossible for crime to flourish.
Finally, policemen should learn to be polite. They should be educated on this before handed their new uniforms. They should not talk like the ‘bugabuga’ people. They should learn consciously to use words like “please”, “kindly”, etc. For example, “Kindly let me see your driving licence.” Not, “Commot your driving licence come here right now.”
The newly-uniformed cops should have a civil tongue.
This article was first published on Saturday July 29, 2006
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I saw a video of two young men mistreating a guy in school uniform. The manner in which a man in a white shirt was stamping on the head of the student on the ground and kicking him, was heart wrenching. It was like a scene from an action movie.
Comments in the video made me to understand that the two people engaged in the dastardly attack on the chap on the ground were teachers. How teachers who had been trained by teacher training institutions could do what they did, defies logic; simply mind boggling.
This brings the issue of screening of would-be teachers to mind. Is there a psychological vetting system in place to identify unsuitable characters like those two teachers so that they are barred from being teachers or are helped to have the right mindset as teachers? We cannot continue to let the status quo remain and expect a different result.
Digitalisation of the economy has brought in its wake a whole lot of ways that seeks to address pertinent socio-economic issues. One of them is the introduction of the TraffiTech-GH system of regulating traffic flow without human intervention.
This clearly is an innovative way of enforcing compliance which obviously would ensure discipline and therefore safety on our roads. The drivers are raising some issues which are legitimate and must be addressed as soon as possible or should I rather say immediately.
If a Bus Stop is occupied by traders and therefore the drivers cannot stop for passengers to alight or board, they would have no option than to park in the road, blocking traffic flow, which would be an offence that TraffiTech-GH would capture as a violation and punish accordingly, by imposing a fine.
A very sad incident occurred last week resulting in the senseless murder of an uncle and her niece in the Greater Accra Region. The story making the rounds on social media was that, the uncle took a loan from the suspected murderer but failed to honour his obligation to pay back the money.
The suspect accompanied by a lady, went to the residence in the Sakumono area and a heated argument ensued, resulting in the suspect shooting the Uncle and her niece in the process. The first question that came to mind was that “Why did they not allow patience to carry the day?” If it is true that the uncle indeed owed the man, he ought to have maintained a certain demeanor that portrayed a willingness to pay the money and not to enrage the suspect in any way.
Again, if someone owes you, you do not take the law into your hands by going to confront him with a loaded gun in your pocket. The proliferation of small arms must be given serious attention.
The leaders in the educational sector need to sit up to address the misbehaviour of both students and teachers, especially the teachers who have been sexually harassing students. The fallout, in the recent Obuasi Senior High School (SHS) issue, has been an official statement directing teachers not to ask students to work in their bungalows.
This code has been in the books of the Ghana Education Service (GES) all this while. It is nothing new and so like everything else in this country, the issue is not the lack of laws but the enforcement. What I find surprising is that after breaking this code of ethics, the GES has not sacked the notorious Headmaster who evidence has been established beyond reasonable doubt that he had grossly flouted this regulation, repeatedly. This is a gross failure on the part of leadership, from the ministry level down to the school level. This must not be allowed to repeat itself. God bless.
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Implant-based reconstruction recovery
Implant reconstruction is generally less invasive during the initial phase, allowing for a quicker return to baseline daily activities.
Initial healing window: Most patients resume light, non-strenuous daily tasks within 2 to 4 weeks.
Activity Restrictions: Heavy lifting, intense upper-body exercises, and high-impact movements are typically restricted for four to six weeks to allow the chest tissues to secure the implant or expander.
The expansion phase: If a temporary tissue expander is used, recovery includes periodic office visits over several months where the surgeon gradually adds sterile fluid to stretch the skin.
Physical therapy focus: Gentle arm and shoulder stretches begin early to prevent stiffness, frozen shoulder, and tight scar tissue formation around the implant pocket.
Autologous (Tissue-Based) reconstruction recovery
Autologous reconstruction (such as a DIEP flap) is a more complex, major operation because it involves two distinct surgical sites: the reconstructed chest mound and the donor harvest area (usually the lower abdomen).
Initial healing window: Requires a hospital stay of two to five days, with an overall recovery period of six to eight weeks before resuming normal routines.
Donor site management: Because abdominal muscles or tissues are involved, patients must avoid bending, twisting, or lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk for at least six weeks to protect the deep facial repairs.
Mobility milestones: Recovery starts with short, gentle indoor walks immediately after surgery to promote circulation and prevent blood clots, gradually building up distance each week.
Physical therapy focus: Postural retraining and cautious core re-engagement once the surgeon gives medical clearance, ensuring the abdominal wall heals securely without strain.
Essential rehabilitation practices
Regardless of the chosen surgical path, effective physical therapy incorporates specialised techniques to restore physical freedom:
Scar mobilisation: Professional massage techniques to soften surgical scars and prevent tight binding of underlying tissues.
Lymphatic drainage: Gentle massage protocols to reduce swelling and encourage fluid movement through the lymphatic pathways.
Let’s pull together everything we have talked about into one simple, easy-to-understand guide.
Here is a summary of the complete journey-from understanding what breast cancer is and busting myths, to managing emotions and navigating surgery and recovery.
1. Is surgery a “cure”?
What it means: A mastectomy (removing the breast) is a powerful tool to take out the local tumor, but it isn’t an automatic, guaranteed cure on its own.
The Example: Think of it like pulling a weed out of a garden. You got the main plant out, but if tiny seeds or roots already spread elsewhere in the soil, you still need extra care (like medication) to make sure they don’t grow back.
2. The cancer’s “personality” (Biomarkers)
What it means: Not all breast cancers are the same. Doctors test the cancer cells for specific “locks and labels” (like hormones or proteins) to figure out how fast they grow and what medicine will stop them.
The Example: It’s like figuring out what kind of fuel a car engine takes (gasoline, diesel, or electricity) so you know exactly how to fix or run it.
3. Busting common myths
The Reality: Many rumors about breast cancer are false.
Men can get breast cancer too (about one per cent of cases) because everyone has a small amount of breast tissue.
Most lumps are harmless (like a harmless pebble in your shoe, not a dangerous nail).
Underwire bras and deodorants do not cause cancer.
Most people diagnosed (about 85 per cent) have no family history of it, which is why regular checks are vital for everyone.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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