Features
What a hardworking President! (Part 1)
When we look at the work style of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in terms of his age and ability, it tells us that to be able to go far in any endeavour we need the grace of God to be upon us to advance to very high unparalleled levels that are extremely difficult to attain from the point of view of human physique and effort.
There are those who teased the President when he was the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, prior to the 2016 elections that he would never become President in this country. They humiliated him, attacked, and insulted him and bastardised all his attempts to remain focused and win the presidential elections.
After two unsuccessful attempts in 2008 and 2012, he did not call it quit even though he was advancing in age, decided to take some holidays elsewhere, reflect on his lifestyle, back and front, meditate on God, and then come back in full swing. To say the least, he is the most vilified person in Ghana politics today, but despite this, has embraced everyone into his fold.
THIRD ATTEMPT AND GOD’S PURPOSE
For the third attempt, he still chose Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as his running mate because he strongly believed that God had a purpose for them and so it came as no surprise when in 2016, he emerged gargantuan victorious with the able support of Dr. Bawumia and the people of Ghana who voted for him.
ENORMOUS PROBLEMS
Since becoming President, he has not failed the nation but worked hard, claiming that he was in a hurry to quickly fix the problems facing the country. The enormous problems were lack of good roads, poor health facilities, lack of ambulance vehicles, difficulties in the educational system, abysmal performance of the agricultural sector, low productivity in mining, destruction of rivers which were a source of drinking water, high unemployment rate, looming banking crisis as well as a collapsing economy, among others.
The President of the Republic was not disturbed by these challenges but was rather encouraged to remain focused and see what he could do for the lovely people of this country. Within the first year of his administration, he reiterated that Senior High School, together with Technical and Vocational School, was going to be free so that parents could have the freedom to attend to other needs of their families.
There was one Nana Diasempa of a village in a remote area in the Bono Region. He was so passionate and kind-hearted that despite the numerous problems that faced him and his elders, he gave every assurance to his people and provided meaningful and practical leadership to them, ensuring that their crops became well cultivated while the rivers around were adequately protected to serve as a source of drinking water for his people. This leadership style, provided by Nana Diasempa, is comparable to that of the current President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo for which reason Ghanaians should be proud of him.
FREE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
When Ghana’s President mentioned that we needed a free educational system, some people did not take him seriously. As if this was a joke, the free educational system was put in place by the Akufo-Addo administration in the light of mounting economic difficulties facing the country. Indeed, some members and supporters of his government even doubted whether the government would be able to carry through its promise but, to the glory of God, this was done.
How was the Akufo-Addo administration able to finance the huge debt that was brought about because of the Free SHS, Vocational and Technical School system? This was made possible by hard work and honesty. Instead of putting the money into their own pockets, the little funding available was spread over the educational system to the great relief of many parents. As a result, some village dwellers, who had no hope of making it to second cycle institutions, especially the elite schools, have found themselves there and are also enjoying from the limited resources of the nation.
HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME
There has also been great improvement in the Health Insurance Scheme. People can now renew their health insurance subscription without seeking physical contact with health insurance officers. All that a person needs to do is to sit in the comfort of his/her home and use his/her phone or computer to renew their registration. The good news is that the number of subscribers has gone up tremendously, indicating that many more people are now benefitting from the Health Insurance Scheme.
Having spoken about using the phone or computer to renew a person’s health insurance registration brings in the issue of digitalisation, a move by the Akufo-Addo administration being spearheaded by Vice-President Dr. Bawumia with assistance from the Minister of Communication, Honourable Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. As a result of digitalisation, application for and renewal of passports have been made very easy and convenient for Ghanaians who need such services. Other services like registration for and renewal of driver’s licence have all been made easy. Again, the use of crypto currency instead of real cedi notes and coins is also coming in to modernise the Ghanaian economy. All these show that the economy is being transformed from its old stage to a modernised one.
In the area of peacekeeping, the government has ensured that our military who go on peacekeeping programmes are given better portions of what is paid to them by the United Nations. This has made our soldiers very happy and are more committed to peacekeeping than was the case in the past. Again, new barracks for the military have been built for our soldiers who need decent accommodation to be able to perform their official functions very well. At Burma Camp, Accra, for instance, new accommodation for some of the soldiers has been built while other places in the country have also enjoyed similar facilities for the welfare of our soldiers.
Apart from the President’s achievements in the educational and health sectors, it is also clear that he has done very well in the areas of digitalisation as well as peacekeeping for personnel of the military. Our soldiers are very happy with him because he has been honest enough to pay them higher figures in terms of dollars compared with what was previously given them.
There are other important achievements that the Akufo-Addo administration has been able to attain. These include his role in African intra-regional trade, programmes in the agricultural sector, healthcare delivery and the establishment of a commodity exchange to support the agricultural sector, thereby helping to boost up growth in this sector. These and other achievements are to be discussed for all and sundry to know the good works which the Akufo-Addo administration has undertaken and is still undertaking for this country.
Many African countries would wish that President Akufo-Addo was their leader, seeing that he would have worked hard and catapulted them from misery to happiness. For this reason, people in Ghana should pay attention to his achievements as has been discussed here and continue to give him the support he needs to make the country a lovely and pleasant place for all Ghanaians and other people who are staying in Ghana.
The driver stopped the vehicle at the gate of the large, fenced property along the Nsawam Highway, and Kakraba stepped out to meet the several workers who had gathered to wait for him.
He greeted them and went straight to the point.
“Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have almost completed the clearing of the land. I’m happy to report that we have concluded all arrangements with Nana Serebour, and construction of the palace will start in a few days.
“I will need you to go and level the ground, and then come back to start this project. Some workers from a construction company will come and join us.
“My plan is to build twenty houses in four months. Then we will do twenty more until we reach two hundred.
“I am relying on you to help me deliver good-quality work to satisfy our clients and, as I have already indicated to you, I will reward you for your work.”
After an hour’s discussion, he closed the meeting and moved to drive away. Wofa Yaw drew closer.
“Director, can you please spare me five minutes? I would like to discuss a small issue.”
“Why, Wofa Yaw? Your wife has threatened to leave you?”
“No, Director. My wife will never leave me. This concerns a young niece of mine.”
“I hope it’s something I can help with. Please sit in the car and let me hear you.”
“Boss, my niece, Beesiwa, is a polytechnic graduate, very beautiful and with very good character.
“Unfortunately, her parents virtually forced her into a relationship with an idiot based in the US, which affected her badly. She has now recovered from that experience and, Boss, I am respectfully asking if you would find a job for her.
“I promise you that you will never regret it.”
“Well, Wofa Yaw, let me meet her and speak with her. I may be able to help, maybe not in the way you expect, but let me meet her.
“I will not be back here for another week, but I will be at the office throughout next week. You can come with her.”
On Monday morning, Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa were seated at the office by nine o’clock. Three young ladies welcomed them warmly, offered them soft drinks and assured them that Kakraba would be there shortly.
They then returned to their desks and sat behind computers with large screens displaying various building designs.
Kakraba walked in and greeted them warmly. After chatting briefly with the three ladies, he ushered Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa into his office.
“Director, this is my niece, Beesiwa. I mentioned her to you when you came to Nsawam.”
“Yes, indeed. Madam Beesiwa, you are very beautiful, just as your uncle said. Wofa Yaw is my colleague.
“We have just started a building project that will take about three to four years. He mentioned that you have a small problem, so I said I would like to meet you and see how I can help.
“So, Beesiwa, please tell me a little about yourself.”
Beesiwa described her childhood, her school experience, her brief work at the bank and the nasty episode with Sammy Abrokwa, which shattered her peaceful life. She also explained how she had been recovering from the experience.
“I am really sorry to hear this,” Kakraba said. “Now, here is what we are going to do.
“We are a small but very busy company. The three ladies out there spend most of the day on site and come back to report on their work in the morning.
“I have three main projects. The big one is an estate project in Nsawam, where your uncle is one of my main colleagues. I need a personal assistant who can take care of my activities, especially when I am not in town.
“Now, we will have to start with trust. Based on what I know about Wofa Yaw, and based on what you yourself have told me, I think we can start on a sound basis.
“So, Wofa Yaw will take you to my home. You can move into one of the four guest rooms.”
“Sir, I have taken some computer lessons, and I have even done graphics and web design,” Beesiwa said.
“Fantastic! I will give you a good phone and a laptop. I will also arrange computer lessons for you.”
“Now, Wofa Yaw, take her home. My sister, Kuukuwa, will meet you and show you around, and then you can return to Koforidua.
“When would you like to start work?”
“Sir, I would like to start today, but I would need to go and bring my things.”
“No problem. Take a taxi to my house, meet my sister, and let me know what you decide.”
Later that day, Kakraba and the three ladies met with some bank officials to conclude the sale of the three buildings at Adabraka.
They closed at five-thirty and, after rewarding the ladies for their hard work, Kakraba got home just after dark.
He was surprised to find Kuukuwa and Beesiwa sitting at the table enjoying supper.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Beesiwa, I thought you would return to Koforidua.”
“She changed her mind,” Kuukuwa said. “We went to the mall and bought a few things for her. Then we came back to cook. She has made some nice changes to your bedroom and cooked a couple of interesting dishes. Sit down; we will serve you.”
“Well, I certainly can’t refuse that. It’s been a busy day.
“So, what’s the plan now? Will Beesiwa go to Koforidua tomorrow, gather her things together and come down?”
“No, I will stay here for a while,” Beesiwa replied. “Kuukuwa bought me the things I need, so I may go back next week. I’m ready to start work. What would you like me to start with?”
“Well, you can come to the office tomorrow morning, meet the three girls and get a feel for what we do.
“Since you are living here, at least for now, we can discuss the plans for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes there are gaps when I travel up north. You can take care of things from now. I think the girls would like having someone like you around.”
By Ekow de Heer
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A frequent question following breast surgery is whether human tissue possesses the regenerative capacity to restore an excised organ.
From a strict physiological standpoint, a completely removed breast cannot regrow. Unlike certain organisms that can regenerate complex limbs or organs, adult human tissues—particularly specialised glandular structures—lack the cellular machinery required to rebuild an entire organ after its total surgical removal.
Instead, the body heals the surgical site through processes such as scar tissue formation and re-epithelialisation rather than complete cellular regeneration.
What a mastectomy actually removes
To understand why natural tissue regeneration does not occur, it is important to examine the surgical scope of a mastectomy.
Depending on the type of procedure and the medical reason for surgery, a mastectomy may involve the removal of:
Glandular architecture: The milk-producing lobules and ducts that form the functional core of the mammary gland.
Adipose tissue: The fatty tissue that contributes to breast volume, projection and contour.
Other breast tissue: The extent of tissue removal varies according to the type of mastectomy and the need to achieve appropriate surgical clearance.
Because specialised breast structures are physically removed, the body does not rebuild a complete mammary gland. Instead, healing occurs through tissue repair and scar formation.
Distinguishing residual tissue from “regrowth”
Patients or observers may notice changes in the chest area after surgery, sometimes leading to misconceptions about tissue regeneration.
Skin- and nipple-sparing procedures
Modern breast surgery may preserve the outer skin envelope or, in selected cases, the nipple-areola complex. Small amounts of breast tissue may remain depending on the surgical technique. Any changes in remaining tissue due to hormonal fluctuations represent residual tissue responding to the body, rather than the regrowth of a completely removed breast.
Adipose accumulation
Weight gain after surgery can increase the amount of subcutaneous fat across the chest wall. However, this is part of general body fat distribution and does not represent the regeneration of a mammary gland.
Modern reconstructive pathways
Because a completely removed breast does not naturally regenerate, modern medicine offers reconstructive options aimed at restoring physical symmetry, contour and body image.
The two main approaches are implant-based reconstruction and autologous, or tissue-based, reconstruction.
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant-based reconstruction uses synthetic medical devices, typically filled with silicone gel or saline, to rebuild the breast mound following a mastectomy.
The two-stage process: This approach may begin with the placement of a temporary tissue expander to gradually create space and stretch the surrounding tissues. A later procedure may then be performed to place a permanent implant.
Recovery profile: Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter initial surgery and recovery period compared with procedures that require tissue to be harvested from another part of the body.
Long-term considerations: Breast implants are not lifetime devices and require ongoing medical monitoring. Some patients may need additional procedures over time because of complications or changes in the implant or surrounding tissue.
Autologous or tissue-based reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own living tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue may be transferred from another part of the body, commonly the lower abdomen, using procedures such as a DIEP flap.
Natural look and feel: Because the reconstruction uses living tissue, it can provide a natural warmth, texture and softness. The tissue may also change with the patient’s body weight over time.
Long-term durability: Once healing is complete, autologous reconstruction can provide a long-lasting result without the need to replace an implant. However, some patients may still require further procedures.
Complex surgery: This option usually involves a longer operation and recovery period. In microsurgical procedures, surgeons may need to reconnect tiny blood vessels to establish blood flow to the transferred tissue.
Direct comparison
When choosing between these two reconstructive pathways, patients and their surgical teams must consider several physical, medical and lifestyle factors.
Surgical burden: Implant surgery is generally less invasive, while flap reconstruction involves surgery at both the chest and the donor site.
Foreign material versus native tissue: Implants involve the use of a medical device, while autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
Recovery: The recovery timelines and rehabilitation requirements differ significantly between the two procedures.
Recovery and physical rehabilitation
Recovering from breast reconstruction requires patience, careful pacing and, in some cases, structured physical rehabilitation.
Because implant-based and autologous tissue-flap procedures involve different surgical techniques, their healing timelines and physical therapy milestones can vary considerably.
Understanding these differences is important for patients considering reconstruction, as the choice involves more than restoring physical appearance. It also requires careful consideration of recovery, long-term monitoring, lifestyle and individual medical needs.
Part 2 will examine recovery timelines, physical therapy milestones and other factors patients should consider when choosing between reconstructive options.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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