Open Letter to the SRC Preident-Danger Beckoning

Dear Mr. Presdent,

I write to draw you attention to a very fluid situation in this earthly paradise ‘UCC’ that if not nip in the bud has the propensity to act as a catalyst for an outbreak of diseases in this university.

I would first of all comment you and your able leadership for curving a niche, with respect to the myriad of problems that raised its ugly head following the strike action by TEWU and FUSSAG.

I applauded your administration on Monday 30^th September, 2013 for contracting casual workers, all in an effort to rid our campus of filth. I remember filing a story on this bold decision that you took on this platform.

I must confess that I was subjected to barrage of criticisms following that story because for some students this was a sycophantic gesture trying to do the bidding of my master. To them I was bespectacled and failed to see the true picture of the level of insanitary condition on this campus.

Mr. President, I have come to appreciate the fact that, there seem to be an overall general ignorance with respect to the level insanitary condition in our washrooms in particular.

In a bizarre and incomprehensible fashion following the bashing I endured, I decided to take a stroll to some washrooms at the LT’s and the G. Blocks.

My first port of call was the washroom adjacent LT 18 and upon stepping foot inside that washroom, the stench that greeted me could force the dumb to talk in resistance of forcing a bitter tablet down his throat. In fact the whole place has been smeared with human excreta and the choking smell, just unbearable.

My knowledge fleshed out and deepened my appreciation of the graveness of the situation on the ground when I continued my inspection to the G-Blocks. The whole floor in some washrooms have been flooded with faecal matters soaked in urine, and  in fact it takes a brave man to dare urinate in the sinks there owning to the foul  stench emanating from the WC inches from there.

Mr. President, as the adage goes, a sound mind strives in a sound body and in my case, a sound environment. This awful situation can serve as a recipe for an outbreak of diseases and we cannot turn a blind eye and pretend all is well neither can we sit on the fence and watch.

If the TEWU members who have the primary responsibility to ensure cleanliness in our places of conviniences are on strike does it mean we cannot have an alternative means to get these places clean? This is a test case for you as SRC president and you must take the bull by the horn and surmount this challenge. I want to believe that you are not privy to the level of insanitary condition there.

Attending to nature’s call is one of the must in life, just like eating and sleeping. When nature calls, one cannot do anything but answer. The best thing one can do would be to put the call on hold, although that cannot be for long especially after eating science market “gob3”. Not even the Dukes, Monarch, Presidents, or the VC can hold the beep from the call of nature because it can spell doom for any person in question. What if a person suffers a stomach upset while around science, where would the person turn to?

We were all witlessness when your predecessor lavishly spent our monies in the name of bringing the rapperholic, “Sarkodie” to entertain student in the SRC Week Celebration, and the “April fool” Sarkodie displayed to students, only to resurface and perform for five minutes on stage.

The “kelewale” episode still lingers on the minds of some of us. But that is not my mutton.

My beef is that we cannot spend our monies so extravagant while the SRC hostile is sitting down at a deficit of 120billon. We cannot continue to endure this insanitary condition which may end some students at the UCC hospital and wait when it is time for SRC Week Celebration, We would go and bring one so called Artiste who would come and carry our monies away.

Let us not behave like the proverbial vulture who only sees the need to put up his house when it is raining but forgets thereof when the rain subsides. A word to the wise is “in the north”.

I recent my case, I shall return

Yours faithfully

Fayar

Managing Editor: choicism.com

Choicism.com             

Welcome message to Freshmen and Women

Education throughout history has proven to be a key driver in the acceleration of growth and development of individuals, societies and nations.

 As Nelson Mandela said, “A education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that a child of a farm workers can become the president of a great nation”.

I have chosen this omnipotent quote by Cde Madiba to congratulate you on your elevation of being offered the opportunity to study in this great university of ours, the University of Choice. Making a giant stride of a transition from second cycle institution or other professional institution to a university certainly marks an important stage in a person’s life.

Dear Comrades, getting the rare opportunity to have a university education undoubtedly places one in a certain class in a family, society and even one’s nation. The premium placed on university education is no fluke because university is the last step in the educational ladder that a person can obtain a diploma, degree, masters, PhD or even professorship.

Loved ones, I want to challenge you to clear all doubts and weird stories you may have heard about UCC. Make a decision now and here that you are joining the millions of people who have taken the conscious decision to consider learning as a lifelong process that must happen at all time.

Never lose sight of your prime purpose in this university. Many came here like you have come, but they were pruned out, and had to take an early shower because of poor academic performance probably because they did not get good counsel or by sheer fate.

University is a place where everybody dances to the tune of his own choice. You live your life your own way and style like the jungle without any torturous thought of a cane or other heinous forms of punishment either from a teacher or prefect. 

I know many of you who share the same story line with me, this is the first time we are given room to operate freely and take our own decisions as regards to whether to go for a lecture, attend a pool party, join the “jamma” spree or even eat what not.

Besides the multi- million freedom and opportunity that abound for you as university student, it is also an integrity test for you to be able to cross your “t’s” and dot your “i’s”well so that you would stand out among the crowd and cruise your way to the dream land.

We here at www.choicism.com welcome all freshmen and women to the finest university that pride and blossom with excellence s. A place where raw and unrefined products are taken through the mils to come out shining and glittering like the precious jewellery.

Your choice of UCC above all other universities can never be by accident but through divine providence.

          Welcome to the coastal land, enjoy the coastal breeze.

Visit us on: www.choicism.com or like our facebook page: facebook.com/choicism.com

Choicism media: your campus companion

     

     By managing Edior of choicism.com:Abdul-Karim Mohammed (Fayar)

An Open Letter to the President

                   

 
Mr. President,

I would first of all congratulate you on being vindicated by our Supreme Court of the land as the rightfully elected president of Ghana in the eight months long legal battle challenging your legitimacy.

It is a fact that our country has gone through some stretches of darkness in the past months most visibly in key sectors of our economy most especially in the labour front. I have no slightest of doubt in your illustrious leadership and firmly believe as you have promised; you would create conducive environment and a just society where opportunities abound for all manner of persons.

Sir, education throughout history has proven to be the drive of accelerating development of every nation. Owing to the premium that is placed on education, our 1992 constitution in its wisdom states categorically in article 25 (1) (c) that, “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view of achieving the full realization of that right; (c) high education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education."

Contrary to this provision in our constitution, tertiary level education in Ghana has undergone political manipulation and vilification and has thus being reduced to political football. Some politicians are bend on frustrating the whole system to make political capital out of it.

Besides the mundane annual surge in fees which is disincentive to many students from poor background and therefore disenfranchise them the right to education, the limited job opportunities in our labour market is already a migraine to many students in our tertiary institution. I have asked many of my colleagues the kind of job they would do after graduation and the answer I often get is that the person would scratch his or her head and say miserable that, “I may be a politician”. The question that I often ask myself is, “is politics a profession?”  With due respect Sir, these problems have already hung many students future in the balance, but constant strike by university teachers has become a slap in the face and gives us a great cause to  worry.

Mr. President, last academic year students in our public universities forfeited close to twenty days in their academic calendar owing to the strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). As if that is not enough, we have just begun another academic year only to be greeted by yet long protracted strike. We are about twenty-five days into the new academic year but our fate is still in a standstill because of this strike action.

Sir, it appears the institutions in this country that are mandated under our constitution to uphold the rights of the Ghanaian students are heartless about their welfare. Sorry, but I cannot help but employ a little blunt and brash words. 

It is reported that the Vice Chancellors Association of Ghana (VCG) have tried to negotiate with UTAG members to rescind their strike but that has not yielded fruit. I would also commend the University of Ghana UTAG members for calling off their strike. It is my hope that the other universities would follow  suit.

Sir, in as much as UTAG members may be inconsiderate in their demands; must we students pay that price? Of course not, sir, I am appealing to your high office to intervene and help save the situation.  Your outfit and the Fair Wages Commission must fast–track measures and reach amicable agreement with our lectures to get them back to the lecture halls. The continuous tug of war because government and UTAG members are beginning to reach intolerable level and must cease to save the future of students.

 I am with the utmost hope that, this letter would meet your kindest consideration

.

               GOD BLESS UCC, GOD BLESS GHANA

                                       Writer: Abdul-Karim Mohammed A

                                                      B.A. Communication Studies,

                                                      University of Cape-Coast,

                           Email: Abdulkarimmohammed@yahoo.com

                                                                             

facebook.com/Abdulkarimmohammeda@yahoo.com

Skin Bleaching Among Africans:The Silent Killer

The Europeans penetration into the land of Africa did not only see the acculturation and proselytizing of Christianity and democracy but also saw the wanton looting of the rich mineral resources of Africa, slave trade, breakdown of African values, and even the portrayal of black skin as inferior.

Many Africans have for time immemorial suffered the constant abuse of being referred to as “monkeys”. The worst culprits of such abuse are our sportsmen and women who ply their trade in Europe and other parts of the world. Many African players have in the past reduced to tears by slurs from on-field opponents and spectators. Players like Mario Balotelli, Kelvin Prince Boateng, Samuel Eto, Julio Cesar, Sule Muntari and many others have had their fair share of this racist taunts.

 Because of the constant racial discrimination that many Africans are often subjected to, there has been a mad-rush by many Africans to look just like the white. Many therefore resort to applying toxic creams that bleach their skins. This craze for a lighter skin is dangerously recording an alarming proportion of which African women are the worst culprits.

According to the 2005 Ghana Health service report, approximately 30% of Ghanaian women and 5% of Ghanaian men were actively bleaching. This statistic has shot-up, and currently 50% - 60% of adult Ghanaian women are currently or have at one time or the other actively used bleaching agents.

The World Health Organization defines bleaching as the intentional alteration of one’s natural skin colour to one relatively if not substantially, lighter in colour, through the use of chemical skin lighting agents, either manufactured, homemade, or the combination of the two.

There has been proliferation of wide array of bleaching products or creams on our Ghanaian market bearing names such as skin toners, carrot light, skin light, lightening shampoo and other steroid soaps with enticing advertisement featuring celebrities with the aim of attracting gullible Ghanaian women. Many Ghanaians patronize these creams oblivious of their harmful effects.

The greatest victim of skin bleaching was the late Pop star, Michael Jackson who met his premature and untimely death. Reports indicated that the Pop star had the upper layer of  his skin peeled off, destroying his skin ability to produce menalin that protects the skin against ultra-violent rays and exposes the skin to blood cancer such as leukemia and cancer of the liver and kidney.

Ghanaian boxer Percy Oblitei Commey also suffered the same fate when he lost his national super-featherweight belt to his challenger Smith Odoom in 2001. International report indicated the boxer suffered several punches on his face, opening deep cut on his right cheek, and his nostril bleeding with blood because his skin was too light due to excessive bleaching.

It is not uncommon to see many Ghanaian women including some men who have lost their natural skin colour and have exposed their bodies to deformities such as burnt skin, wrinkles,   skin blemishes, damaged skin and red spots on skin which is normally referred in our local parlance as “Nanso Obaa yi”.

The devastating effect of skin bleaching leaves a lot to be desired and ought to be abhorred rather than encouraged in our Ghanaian society.

Besides the fact that bleaching is an endorsement of self-hatred and mental slavery, most bleaching products and creams contain a toxic chemical ingredient called hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is one of the worst ingredients used in personal care products, and may disproportionately affect the colour of the user. This product has been banned in the United States and United Kingdom.

Reasons why people bleach their skins may be informed by several factors.

Cultural influence precipitated by colonial mentality of beauty as determined by Europeans is a major factor. The Europeans through their incessant racial abuse has informed many African people that black skin is inferior. The Europeans through beauty pageants, fashion, modeling, TV, Magazines etc were able to promote whiteness as the benchmark of beauty, something many Africans are blindly copying today.

Many other African women bleach their skin because of marriage marketability. Many African men are turned on by fair women and therefore many women would prefer to bleach their skin to entice men. The Akan expression, “If a fair skinned lady lies on bed and there are light-outs, the room brightens” has erroneously gotten into the heads of many African women.

I doffed my hat to TV3 on Monday 2^nd September, 2013 when they discussed extensively the dangerous effects of skin bleaching in their maiden edition of the rebranded morning show “Newday”. Government must intensify efforts to educate the public on the dangerous effects of this practice and also pass a bill that would ban hydroquinone-based products that are dumped into our Ghanaian market today.

Beauty is not defined by only outer looks but the entirety of one’s personality and therefore light skin cannot set the benchmark for beauty.

Black is beautiful and until we begin to reason like Africans and take pride in ourselves, we would continue to remain mentally imprisoned by this imperialist tactics.

                                     Writer: Abdul-Karim Mohammed A.

                                                 University of Cape-Coast.

                                   Email: Abdulkarimmohammeda@yahoo.com

                                    Blog: Abdulkarimmohammedawaf.blogspot