Features
Obituaristic and marital nonsense
It was a yearly ritual. Every year, on the day her husband died, she dressed up beautifully, went on top of his grave and danced to her satisfaction. For several hours, she’d boogie up and down, style after style, until she could dance no more. She’d then descend the grave and walk home panting yet contented.
When asked by reporters why she had taken to the yearly open-air disco dancing, the widow said it was in honour of DEATH which took away her husband. “When he was alive. I never had a moment’s peace,” she said.
What an honest confession about a dead person. She minced no words. The man gave her no peace, and that was exactly what she was saying. A widow in Sikaman would dare not say that of her deceased husband. His family members would procure pick-axes, hoes and cutlasses and descend on her with red eyes and tear her to pieces.
It is traditionally not proper to speak ill of people when they are dead, but some people are beginning to feel that the custom of speaking well about even dead criminals at funerals is not helping society either.
They claim that if the living know that all their misdeeds will be recounted at their funeral when they are dead, they will endeavour not to misconduct themselves while alive. I think that is a valid point, because the dead have had it too easy.
When someone volunteered to say that a deceased fellow died of alcohol, his neck was nearly twisted. What right did he have to air the cause of death even if it was true that the guy had died of too much bitters? In any case, did he perform any post mortem to ascertain the cause of death? And for what earthly or heavenly reason did he have to associate their loved one with an evil called ALCOHOL? “Next time you talk nonsense, we shall physically weaken your jaw.
It was at a funeral when a pastor undertook to say nice words about a dead common criminal that he was corrected by the deceased’s own professional comrade.
He raised his right hand to signify that he wanted to chip in a point of order as the resident pastor spoke of how exemplary the dead man’s ways were. When no one bothered to give him the chance, he stood up and raised both hands, meaning that he had the constitutional right to slot in a rejoinder before the lies became over-whelming.
He was heavily drunk. Asked what he wanted to say, he broached the subject that first and fore-most, he would recommend that the pastor be ex-communicated from the church because he was a congenital liar, a quality unbecoming of a clergyman. He then proceeded to say the deceased was a criminal just like himself and deserved no praises in any church.
He intimated that the deceased, when he was alive, cheated him out of a booty, not once or twice, but many times, for which he never forgave him till he died. He said such a person’s body should not be brought to contaminate the holiness of a church room. Before church elders could drag him out, he had spoken his mind.
I guess if the dead man had a soul that was present where he was laid in state, the soul would have repented right in the church room.
Well there are many problems associated with modern-day funerals. One of them which is getting solved gradually is the wake-keeping palaver. The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has banned wake-keepings as a means of cutting down cost of funerals in the traditional area. The Presbyterian Church is also not encouraging its members to opt for wake- keeping in any event of death of a member.
What are wake-keepings for anyway? When there were no mortuaries in the past, wake was kept because family members could not leave their dead bodies and go to bed. Keeping wake has, therefore, outlived its usefulness in present day circumstances.
A wake-keeping today is an occasion where you can get a married woman drunk and seduce her, where young girls elope with married men for amorous purposes, and where people either get married or lose their spouses. Everything is under the cover of darkness, supervised by Jimmy Satan.
A funeral that is without an elaborate wake-keeping can save at least a lot of money. A funeral that is without frivolous eating and boozing can also save a fortune. The dead must not be a burden for the living, just like getting married shouldn’t be any big deal.
The average Sikaman bride is married at least three times without any sane reason. Her Caucasian or Anglo-Saxon counterpart gets married just once in a very simply ceremony.
Why are many young men unable to marry? The fact is that they can’t. They don’t have the dough. They must KNOCK DOOR, ENGAGE and WED-three in one. By the time they are through, they are in debt to a tune of 5 million. No marriage is stable when the foundation is built on a $5 million debt.
I guess my great grandfather married his loving wife with two bottles of akpeteshie, five tubers of yam and a bottle of zomi. Check out how much I have to spend when I want wife. You can’t get a woman with akpeteshie, yam tubers and palm oil anywhere in Sikaman today. Even in the remotest cottage, they ask you to “do wedding”. It is a command, not a suggestion.
The result is that the young men can’t get married, and once they are virile and not impotent, they continue impregnating the young and unmarried girls, littering communities with kids born out of wedlock, many ending up as the street kids we see everywhere hawking barefoot instead of studying in school.
This article was first published
on Saturday, April 18, 1998
Features
Artificial Intelligence in Ghanaian workplaces: Opportunities, concerns, and the way forward
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no more a remote concept for organisations in Ghana. Recent research has highlighted the significant impact AI is having in remodelling workplaces in Ghana, unveiling a mix of opportunity, anxiety, and a pressing call for coordinated national response. A study focusing on a Ghanaian service organisation in the advertising industry investigated how AI influences employee skills development. The results paint a picture of a technological shift that is rapidly gaining ground in the local workplace, albeit with mixed implications for the workforce.
AI and employee upskilling: A double-edged sword
The study found a statistically significant, though moderate, positive relationship between AI deployment and employee upskilling. Employees exposed to AI technologies were more likely to enhance their capabilities—particularly in areas such as data analysis, digital literacy, and continuous learning. This finding aligns with global trends where AI is facilitating learning adaptation and professional growth.
However, the research also pointed out a sobering reality that AI adoption often comes together with workforce downsizing. The data showed a strong correlation between AI implementation and employee redundancies, raising red flags about job security for many Ghanaians.
“While AI can help employees do their jobs more effectively, it also automates tasks that previously required human effort”, the author noted. “This duality—simultaneously empowering and displacing workers—is at the heart of the AI debate.”
Organisational relevance and the AI imperative
Despite these challenges, organisations embracing AI are seeing positive results in terms of relevance and competitive advantage. The study confirmed a statistically significant relationship between AI adoption and organisational effectiveness, though the influence was not overwhelmingly strong. This suggests that while AI can enhance efficiency, it must be strategically integrated into business models to be fully effective.
Yet, many Ghanaian companies, especially SMEs, remain hesitant. Barriers such as lack of technical infrastructure, fears of losing control to algorithms, and low digital literacy rates hamper widespread adoption. This is echoed in South African and broader African contexts, where similar patterns of resistance and slow uptake prevail.
Current AI issues in the Ghanaian workplace
Ghana faces several unique challenges in integrating AI into its workplaces:
Unlike Kenya or Rwanda, Ghana lacks a clear national AI policy or roadmap. This absence of legal frameworks and guidelines hinders sustainable, responsible AI implementation.
The study revealed that while some staff have received training— primarily on Microsoft 365 Copilot— many are limited in their exposure. This creates a lopsided workforce where a few benefit, and many lag behind.
The largest demographic in the study (27.5 per cent) was aged 18–25. Without deliberate interventions, this youth cohort faces a high risk of being left behind by AI-driven changes.
Employee sentiment toward AI is mixed—13 per cent expressed enthusiasm, while over 20 per cent were wary or pessimistic. This shows the emotional toll and uncertainty surrounding AI’s future role in jobs.
The way forward
To harness AI’s benefits while minimising its risks, Ghana must adopt a strategic, inclusive approach:
The government should develop a comprehensive AI framework that supports innovation while protecting workers’ rights. Such a policy should include data protection laws, ethical AI guidelines, and incentives for private sector adoption.
Organizations must invest heavily in upskilling and reskilling employees. These programmes should not just focus on technical skills but also foster soft skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and digital literacy.
Educational institutions should embed AI and digital economy topics into basic, secondary, and tertiary curricula. Producing AI-literate graduates is key to future-proofing the workforce.
Collaboration between government, industry, and academia is essential to pool resources, share expertise, and drive AI readiness across sectors.
As AI transforms work, employers must provide psychological support and foster inclusive environments. Change management strategies are essential to guide employees through this transition.
Conclusion
AI is here to stay, and Ghanaian workplaces are beginning to feel its presence. While the promise of enhanced productivity and competitiveness is real, so are the threats of job loss and exclusion. The research findings make it clear: the future of work in Ghana must be one where technology and human development evolve together. Without deliberate, inclusive policies and strategic foresight, the country risks widening inequality and stifling innovation. But with the right investments and political will, Ghana can turn AI from a threat into an engine of inclusive economic growth.
By Esther J.K. Attiogbe (PhD)
Features
Five ways God guides you (final)
2.COMMANDING Scripture
Be extremely careful to avoid any situation in which ministry is being used for personal gain. Jesus sees people who are trying to make money off the back of spiritual activity. He confronts the activity with the word of God. He says, ‘It’s written in Scripture, My house is a house of prayer; You have turned it into a religious bazaar’ (19:46, MSG). Jesus’ understanding of the will of God came from studying the Scriptures very carefully. This is the supreme way in which God guides us all.
3. Compelling Spirit
When Jesus is questioned about His authority He challenges the ‘religious police’ with a question about John’s authority. Jesus is suggesting that John received his authority ‘from heaven’, that is, from God Himself. The clear implication is that Jesus’ own authority also came ‘from heaven’. It came from His close relationship with God. Even His opponents recognised ‘the truth’ in Jesus’ teaching. Jesus was not willing to curry favour or to show partiality. He was guided by what He knew to be the truth. He spoke the truth fearlessly.
Jesus challenges the premise behind their question: to what earthly power should we give our primary allegiance? The key issue, He explains, is whether we give God the primary allegiance we owe Him – whether we count ourselves as citizens of His kingdom before any earthly one. We should ‘give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’. They were astonished by Jesus’ answer and became silent.
Luke tells us that Jesus was ‘led by the Spirit’ (Luke 4:1). Presumably it was the Holy Spirit who gave Jesus His answer. As Jesus walked in this close relationship with God, studying the Scriptures and teaching the truth, the Holy Spirit (‘the Spirit of truth’, John 15:26) prompted Him with words of extraordinary wisdom.
Prayer: Father, help me to follow the example of Jesus, to stay close to you and to hear your voice as I read the Bible and seek to be led by the Spirit.
a) Example of guidance – Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52
As Moses comes to the end of his life he reflects on the way that God has guided his people throughout his life, and has been their rock. He is your rock. He is solid, stable, dependable, always the same and totally reliable; He does not have His ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ as we do. You can trust in his unwavering faithfulness. He will always be there for you.
God is not only ‘the rock’, He is also ‘your Father’.
Moses described how God guided and led His people (Israel) with a father’s love: ‘In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; He guarded him as the apple of His eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. The Lord alone led him’. – Deuteronomy 32:10-12
4. Circumstantial Signs
He goes on to describe how God, in His providence, looked after His people. He ‘fed him… nourished him with honey… oil… curds and milk… lambs and goats… the finest grains of wheat… the foaming blood of the grape’ – Deuteronomy 32:14. These were the providential signs of His presence with them on the road.
However, God’s people, here described as ‘Jeshurun’ (meaning ‘the upright one’, that is, Israel), ‘abandoned the God who made [Jeshurun] and rejected the Rock His Saviour’. It was this rejection that led to God saying, ‘I will hide my face from them’.
Sometimes, it is sin that prevents us from hearing God’s voice. Sin can lead to disaster. Now we have a remedy in the death and resurrection of Jesus: ‘the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:7, 9).
5. Common Sense
When we fall, as we all do, the sensible thing is to get up quickly. Part of guidance generally is doing the sensible thing. This was Moses’ complaint: ‘They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them. If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!’ (Deuteronomy 32:28–29). God made us thinking beings. He guides your mind as you walk in a close relationship with Him. Avoid a super-spirituality that expects an inward voice to guide every little detail of your life.
Moses returned at the end of his song to the word of God, ‘Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. Yes. This is no small matter for you; it’s your life’ (Deuteronomy 32:46–47, MSG).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way that you have led me through all these different ways at different times. Thank you that you have had compassion on me. Help me to take to heart all the words you have spoken and to obey them carefully. Help me to reach my destination.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
