Thursday, 1 February 2018

GA EAST MUNICIPAL DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MEETS PRIVATE SCHOOL HEADS



The Ga East Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Bernice Ofori, has lauded the efforts of the Proprietresses and head teachers of the private schools in the municipality for their unrivalled roles they are playing in complementing government effort to provide quality education for all Ghanaian children.

She noted that without them, government couldn't have absorbed the teeming number of children into the public schools

This observation was made known during her maiden official meeting with the proprietresses and head teachers since her appointment last year at the auditorium of the Kwabenya Secondary Technical School on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

While explaining her 2018/2019 vision of ensuring that schools under her jurisdiction provide safe conditions for the children, Mrs Ofori called on the participants to work towards achieving academic excellence for all their children. She also noted that while doing this the schools should also ensure the moral and physical safety of the children.

According to her, it is important for schools to teach the children taking their level into consideration. "Teach at the right level of the child," she advised.

She also addressed issues about the safety of the school facilities. She advised that, "The infrastructure should look strong, firm and spacious, well-ventilated with good lighting system."

The director lauded the hard work done by teachers. She, however, noted that it is important for the schools to set higher academic standards and keep achieving excellence. "Academically, we should keep the standard of our schools always rising. It should never fall," she said.

In keeping on with the success stories of the school, Mrs Ofori admonished that they must eschew the feeling of complacency in their last achievements and work harder to achieve much greater heights.

She observed that some parents move their children to other schools when they feel their children are not getting the right form of education from the school. Therefore, she advised that all schools should ensure that their children are getting right form of education.

She also made a strong appeal that to ensure the moral safety of the children, corporal punishments should be avoided as much as possible. The corporal punishments, according to her, "demoralises the children". She also noted that some children have stopped schooling because of the use of canes in our schools.

She noted that in times past the public schools were the ones noted for administering corporal punishments. However, in recent times, the narrative has changed and the private schools are the culprits of the corporal punishments.

Mrs Ofori urged the heads of schools to use the alternative punishment measures to correct students and pupils who fall foul of the school rules.

Mrs Ofori introduced all the new school's and subject coordinators in the municipal and all the six circuit supervisors to the proprietresses and head teachers in attendance.

There was an open forum where participants asked various questions and made laudable suggestions to which the education director responded appropriately.

NPP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN HOPEFUL DEEPENS CALLS FOR PUNCTUALITY

A National Chairman aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, Fred Amankwah-Sarfo, has called on the youth of Ghana to be punctual at all times. This according to him will propel them to achieve greater heights in all their chosen endeavours.

The Doctoral Reseacher at the Department of Operations and Management Information Systems of the University of Ghana Business School made this call at the grand launch of Vibrant Youth of Africa (VYOA) on Friday, January 26, 2018 at the Osu Ebenezer Church Hall.

He noted that punctuality is a key ingredient in success, therefore urging the youth of Ghana to embrace it in the pursuit of their ambitions. "You must respect time, to succeed. If you don't respect time, then forget about success," he admonished.

Mr Amankwah-Sarfo was of the view that the youth need tenacity of purpose as well since they have all the resources at their disposal to excel. "You need tenacity of purpose. You have all that it takes to become whoever you want to become," the NPP Chairman hopeful charged.

Mr Amankwah-Sarfo who is also the president of the African Doctoral Researchers encouraged the youth to think about issues well before they begin actualising them. This according to him will make them avoid pitfalls that have engulfed many entrepreneurs. "Thinking is free. Avoid making expensive mistakes," he recommended.

He further called on Ghanaian business men and women and the general public to work towards ensuring that our activities are always eco-friendly. This according to him is the way to go in the 21st century so that we can protect the environment for posterity. "We must always make our businesses eco-friendly. We must protect the land and the environment for the next generation. Let's keep it safe and hand it over to the next generation as we were given by our ancestors," he advised.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of VYOA, Benjamin Bosompem Oduro in a speech revealed that the organisation is aimed at reducing poverty and unearthing talents. He also used the opportunity to outdoor the events chairman, Fred Amankwah-Sarfo, and Fadi Samih Dambousi (author of 59 Years To Nowhere) as the two patrons of the group and also introduced all the team members of the organisation.

The team at the latter part of the programme launched its flagship business enterprise, Kenkey Republic, which is due to commence full operations in March, 2018. Mr Bosompem Oduro said that when the enterprise starts, the general public will get to make orders for their pack of hot Kenkey or banku with fried fish, grilled tilapia or chicken with fresh juice and bottled water for lunch. The orders will be placed mainly via the organisation's social media handles and through voice calls.

Saturday, 11 March 2017

HOMELESS HOME

I
Started lovely, began smoothly
All the loving accolades we shower
Relishing every bit knowing no bitter
Corking the ears to any dissenting view
Always whispering, “I love you”

Moved humbly
The wedding bells from the corners chime
Then exchanges of rings the affection crown
Clothed in such alluring and radiant gown
The clergy's hand on the couple lay
On such colourful, effulgent day
Then comes the all-time favourite, “You may kiss the bride - Mwah”

And to this, every attendant excitingly exclaims
To live happily ever after
The brides flaunt their rings
Then relive for the most part the joy that brings

The home is built afterward
The home to be an oasis of peace, expects the Lord
Promising serenity and tranquility
Providing warmth to the cold​
Giving comfort to the young and the old
That welcoming ambience into which ourselves fold

Is that not enjoyable,
Refreshing and soothing?
Then what’s so eating the home, I ask
No more shielding like porridge in flask
Crippling the home
Blindfolding and leading it to destruction
Stagnating it in the doldrums of annihilation
Our homes
Yes, that’s our home today

Started lovely
Moved humbly
And so thought a house is a home
Until many crumbled like burning foam

Homeless in a home
Unbelievable, yet real
The home’s lost its ‘home-ness’
Incomprehensible, yet so real

I still thought a house is a home
Till many disintegrated like burning foam
The problems fester like cancers
And almost without answers
I still thought a house is a home
Until many disintegrated like burning foam

II
When children become burdensome, troublesome,
Who’s to blame?
Our actions and inactions so contribute
Spending indiscriminately every dime
Every time
On the unplanned, useless
Even reckless
Creating continuous mess

When children become stubborn, rotten,
Who’s to blame?​
We consciously and unintentionally shirk our responsibilities
Affecting negatively their sensibilities
Becoming social liabilities
Then they dread less the forbidden
Such are life’s realities

When children become truant, violent
Who’s to blame?
We pamper and flatter even in wrong
Because we claim they are young
Oblivious they are inching into the dung
Fading away to the point of no return

When children become recalcitrant, rebellious,
Who’s to blame?
Daddy sets off dawn and returns dusk
Only to fill his stomach with a heavy dose
And straight to bed he goes
Mama, dines all day at the salon
Dotted with all the gossips in and gone

So when children become social misfits,
Who’s to blame?
When daddy’s always drunk as a skunk
And the gutter becomes that Latex foam mattress
Then alcohol becomes the money sucker
Hand to mouth, an afterthought ​
School fees payment now the least to consider

Indeed, I thought a house is a home​
Until I beheld many disintegrated like burning foam

III
Again, I thought a house is a home
Until I saw many disintegrate like burning foam
A home must be a haven
It’s what I believe in
But not just given on a mere silver platter
Let’s strive to right the wrong
Admittedly, the road seemingly very long
Perseverance and determination, the keys
For the house becomes home
When gradually built like the city of Rome

Considering every situation a correctional moment
But for us parents, a word of advice
Let’s keep our relationship healthy and clean
Avoiding quarrels with the flimsiest excuses
Spending more on the needs, not wants
So the home indeed must comfort
Must lull and shelter
Must give the cold, warmth
And the despair and depressed, hope
Therefore, together our hands on deck
For the house becomes home
When gradually built like the city of Rome

To my friends, some nuggets of wisdom;
Let’s obey our parents unconditionally,
Then enjoyment of longer life our portion
And as they shower their love, so shall they rain discipline
Noting, no discipline seems for the present, joyous,
But painful, yet afterward,
Yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness
And wisdom by those trained by it.
Still, the house becomes home
When gradually built like the city of Rome

What’s it then we get when we shirk our responsibilities?
Regrettable situations stare us in the face
Let’s work tirelessly to avoid them
Make the house a home
And keep the home’s ‘home-ness’
Therefore, together our hands on deck
For the house becomes home
When gradually built like the city of Rome

...By Joseph Appah
(English Teacher & Acting Headmaster of Start Rite School, Dome)

Facebook: Joseph Onwona Appah
Twitter: @MC_SirJoe
Instagram: @mc_sirjoe
Whatsapp: +233 242 673 002
Email: pcmc.josephappah@gmail.com

Friday, 21 October 2016

DEEP DOWN WITHIN...

Deep down within me
Is a deep desire to see prosperity of humanity
Deep down within me
Is an unquestionable passion to see a world of success
Deep down within me
Is an inordinate affection for the afflicted and vulnerable
Deep down within me
Is a burning desire to make knowledge spread across the globe

Deep down within me
Is a voice of conscience signing a moral covenant with my physical self
Deep down within me
Is a plenitude of gratitude for my multitude of well-wishers
Deep down within me
Is an unqualified apology to all I've wrongly wronged
Deep down within me
Is a song to soar the depressed and distressed

Deep down within me
Is an agenda to share the truth with the youth
Deep down within me
Is an unfettered love for nature
Deep down within me
Is an unflinching zeal to decry global crime
Deep down with me
Is an uncompromising instinct to heed conscience

Above all, deep down within me
Is a voracious appetite for the word of my maker, creator
So deep down within me
Is an unconditional love for Otwedeampon Nyankopon and onua Nipa Dasani
Now, your turn... What's deep down within you?

- MC Sir Joe ©October, 2016

Follow me on Social Media...
Facebook: Joseph Onwona Appah
Twitter: @MC_SirJoe
Instagram: @mc_sirjoe
Whatsapp: +233 242 673 002
Email: pcmc.josephappah@gmail.com

Monday, 4 July 2016

OMNIBUS: 10 PC&SMC's SECRETS (GREAT MC TIPS)

You may have missed some or all the 10 Professional Corporate & Social Master of Ceremonies (PC&SMC)'s Secrets (otherwise known as Great MC Tips) as serialised over the past few weeks. I generously bring you the omnibus of the 10 tips.

1⃣I take to heart💚 Dale Carnegie's 👨sage advice, "... a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound🎶 in any language." In view of this, I have devised strategies that help me to remember the names of my guests👩👴 and pronounce them appropriately much to their surprise...😆

2⃣ Getting to the venue🏫 not less than an hour before the event starts is not optional. This helps me to familiarise myself with the venue and get to know the other staff of the event.

3⃣ I pledge to entertain my guests or better still  let them enjoy the event. However, I do not strive to be funny😷 since I'm not a comedian🎭. I only mirror my guests' feelings😆😅.

4⃣ I give the audience further reasons to be appreciative👏✌️ of the message📜 delivered by a speaker. This I do by listening attentively👂 and jotting down salient points✏️📋 which I emphasise after the speech. This strategy does not only remind the audience of what was said but also gives the speaker reason to believe that someone listened to her or him.

5⃣I forge instant cordial relationship👫 with all the persons who have roles to play at the event. Most importantly, I get to know the DJ by name and as I mention🎤 it and praise him as well, he feels flattered to give off his best.

6⃣ Since most of the events I emcee use music🎼🎶, I do not only listen 🔊 and make a selection earlier but also keep these selection on my pendrive in case the DJ👲 does not have them.

7⃣ To stay relevant, I employ this time-tested three-in-one📚 approach: Continuous Researching📰, Continuous Reading📖 and Continuous Rehearsing...

8⃣ I avoid using the speakers' biography as their introduction during that important event.
How creatively effective it is when I fashion out the introduction answering these four questions taught by Ron Tacchi & Winston Marsh:

1. Why this speaker?👴
2. Why this subject?📜
3. Why this audience?👪👬
4. Why now?🕧

9⃣No two individuals are the same. So every MC must be unique. One of my uniqueness is how in most cases I employ my unique writing ability✏️📋.

Check this out...

http://josephappah.blogspot.com/2015/05/joseph-appah-hosts-cprs-maiden-edition.html?m=1

🔟In my line of duty, I know who I am🚶. I am not just an announcer nor just a compere (talking head)🎤. I am the Master of Ceremonies, so I take charge of the whole event!! (Exhibiting my little 'Do you know who I am' attitude😜😄👮)

Thank you for reading. I hope it will be helpful if you get this rare opportunity of being the MC for a friend's event.

Still, MC Sir Joe, the PC&SMC u can trust... For event booking: +233 242 673 002
Twitter: MC_SirJoe
Instagram: mc_sirjoe

#ThePCSMC #Fireworks

Friday, 1 July 2016

THE SWITZERLAND EXPERIENCE: Passport Renewal Wahala - Part 2

Unperturbed about the earlier experience, I mustered the courage for the second phase of the passport renewal. This was when I had to submit the application documents at the Tema station passport office. As usual, early morning on Friday I was there. The long queue was always the same🚶🚶🚶🚶.

But now I began to see many familiar faces; ones which I saw about 2 weeks before the day. These were the 'Goro boys' or 'Connection men' 👬 I mentioned in part one. They had devised many ways of making money at the place from unsuspecting passport applicants🙆.

Quite seriously funny the modus operandi of one of them as I really observed👮. He gets there very early (Well, I don't know if he sleeps there😴). He is first in the queue and after after being followed by about five people, he excuses himself making the second person aware. He now goes to hide somewhere and watches as more people join. When about 3 or 5 more join, he comes quietly to stand behind and the last person, who never knew that he was already in the queue.

In some few minutes, when about two more people join behind him, he whispers something into the ear of the one in front of him, and moves away to his hiding place. He process continues. Now he gets about four or five different positions in the queue. I can feel surprise already welling up in you and the obvious question is why will he do that. Is the answer not obvious? Cash💵.

Now, this is the point of time when selling is done. Now, when the queue is very long, he goes to the ones who are really at the bottom of it and sells his positions. Of course, the price will vary by position; the first position is certainly not the same as the middle one. Unfortunately, I didn't need one. I didn't want one. So I don't know the price.

Tell you the truth, it's only real observers who could see what was going on.

There were those who were parading the place under the guise of assisting applicants with their application. For those applicants who did not have their forms endorsed had among the connection men those who could endorse their forms for them. But then I thought, 'How could someone buy the form and leave such important part blank only for someone he or she did not know to endorse?'.

All these and more were ongoing but I needed to be calm and focus on my mission. Nothing must cross my way in the application. At all cost my application must be successful, I thought.

At 6:30 🕡 the gate was opened after a quick look at our documents by some passport officials. We entered and made our way to the place dedicated for the forms vetting and submission. Gradually, it was my turn and everything went on smoothly. The form with the other documents was collected and straight I left the place with my transaction number and a promise of getting my new passport exactly a month later, that is March 18. Any Wahala? No Wahala!🍀

Certainly, the passport wasn't the only document needed. I started working on the Letter of Introduction, the work leave letter and spousal consent letter among others.

Early Wednesday morning, (March 18) was the day🌻. As usual, early arrival was a must. I had my Transaction Number for the collection with me. No Ghanaman time. The usual long queue was on but this time round for the collection.

I cannot be too sure here, but I think just about a quarter of those who were ahead of me had their passports ready😭. Obviously, that was my cause for alarm. Some of them flared up 😵😫 in the process and began counting the numerous times they had been at the office for collection of their passports but to no avail.

Then it was my turn. She took my transaction number and pressed a few keys on her keyboard💻. She looked at me and the answer was obvious; NEGATIVE! Chai!😂... Her quick advice was for me to check on it in a month's time. Really? I didn't have a month to wait for the passport.
I had a sponsor who was working with time 🕚 and any delay meant a cancellation of the entire plan❌. Of course, cancellation. And you read that right.

Now, leaving the passport office, my thoughts were just to do something to get that new passport. And it MUST be fast🏃💨!

How I went about it and the frustrations too that came along with it, Part 3 will say it all...

Thursday, 23 June 2016

THE SWITZERLAND EXPERIENCE: Passport Renewal Wahala - Part 1

About a year ago, I was just left with a month to embark on that journey of a lifetime. After a long rest after returning, I bring you excerpts of the experience...

I vividly remember the day. It was Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at the University of Ghana in front of the Balme Library🏦. We sat on the wall and my inviter (my Swiss mum) discussed with me the invitation to visit Switzerland. Throughout the one week remaining her stay she demonstrated her commitment to her invitation in diverse ways (cash 💰inclusive). Please don't ask me how much it was. I beg, I chop am dadaaaada.

Unlike those who will do anything just to travel abroad in search of greener pastures, I was just a tourist🚶. However, I had my fair share of the numerous frustrations 😪 that one has to go through in order to travel✈️.

So in February I started to renew my passport. Make no mistake about it, my passport was not expired. Authentic information from the Swiss Embassy in Ghana states clearly that the expiration of ones passport must not be less than three months after the expiration of the visit duration. I was to visit in July and return on August 19 and my passport was due to expire in September (just a month after I'm due to return). So obviously the renewal was very essential and a must.

I bought a new form and filled just like the process of acquiring a new one. I was not perturbed at all since I knew that that was the regulation. After filling the form and with our school headmaster's endorsement, I went to the passport office on Friday, January 30, 2015 very early in the morning. The number of people who were there by 4:30 when I got there and the many 'Goro Boys' or better still, 'connection men' who were parading the frontiers of the passport office indeed is a subject for another discussion.

At 6:30, some officials came round to check our forms and when satisfied to some extent gave out a number to the applicant. When it got to my turn, the officer realised that I was 'just' renewing my passport and so asked me to go to the Passport Office at Ridge first. According to him, that was where to start such application from since all the previous data are stored. So what I was in effect going to do was what they referred to as 'Release to Scan'. Indeed, I was just angry inside and I tried not to show it since I thought that such a process should have been known somewhere either on a notice board or elsewhere just so that people wouldn't have to come and waste time just like I did. But as I intimated, I swallowed it and made my way to Ridge. Little did I know that that was the genesis of my woes.

I arrived at the Ridge office only to be told at the security point cum reception at the gate that the office is not opened to the public on Fridays. I thought I heard him say the office is not opened to the public only on Fridays.

Ha! Why didn't I know this one too. Well, I had no choice than to go back to work and plan for another day. On the way, I decided to do it the next Wednesday since I was less busy on Wednesdays, hoping that no frustration will come my way again.

Early Wednesday morning about 4:15, I got to the Passport Office and waited and waited for about two hours. One of the police officers who saw me later at the frontiers of the building inquired about my mission and upon hearing told me that the office is only open to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. What! I nearly blurted out.

Why couldn't someone tell me the whole truth if there is no mystery surrounding this whole passport renewal? Chai! Who am I to challenge a GH security officer with all their "Do you know who I am" attitude? Quietly, with all my thought buried in my head I headed to the workplace.

I was there again the next Monday morning. Indeed, there were many people applying too. With all self confident that nobody dares tell me that the day is not right for me, I was quiet in the queue for those of us applying for the release of our data. Then for a moment something struck my attention. I heard some people discussing their frustration with others and some in the process showing their application document. Attached to their passport forms were their receipts. Quickly, I rummaged through the polythene bag containing my documents and nowhere was my receipt. Then I asked one of the officials at the gate and she clearly explained that without the receipt I could not get my application through. Why has success so eluded me in the passport renewal process? Why? I wish I knew where it was. Without wasting much time I set off straight to the house and lo and behold, there it was in my drawer.

It was so obvious that if indeed I was bent on getting the application done, then the following day was the day to go there again. I went to work.

Tuesday morning I was there and now everything went through. I mean my documents were briefly scrutinised by the officials and I was asked to submit it in one of the offices in the building. I did and I was asked to return the following day at 2 O'Clock for it. Now I could heave a sigh of relief after clearing step one.

I went for my application form with my old passport the following day as said. Another smile creased my face.

Part 2 soon... Please!!