IS the CD ROM Alterable?
10/03/2008 by Justice Odei Som.
Ask me who gave the CD-ROM to the NDC and I will say it was the EC. And again, why the EC did also give a CD ROM to an opposition party like the NDC without write-protecting it. I mean “write”. I believe you understand all these abbreviations but if not wait a while I will direct you to the appropriate directory. The emerging issues relating to the voters’ data CD is quite funny and I think as a country (
GHANA), we need a national working IT policy to safeguard every citizen interest. Also, how our politicians are educated would be my first questions, others to follow might be like, are they up-to-date with IT and when did they start using computers. The answer to these question will help us understand how they communicate in the way they do.
What went wrong with the CD ROM.? A CD ROM is a Compact Disk Read Only Memory. This means that one can only read information on it but can not alter its content while working on the CD ROM. But could it be copied and recopied? The answer to this is YES. So, Mr. and Mrs. NDC what the hell is this confusion. The solution to this is the returned of the said CD ROM for verification which the country is endowed with the basic human skills to do this.
Election 2008
22/12/2007 by Justice Odei Som.
“Long time no hear from me”. Well, I was busy trying to locate some of the gold under the Bank of England. Though I found none, trust me when I tell you this, I have attained some experiences that have and will continue to shape my views on life and make me a better person then when I first arrived. I think I can call it “good ingredients for life”. By the way, did you know that most leaders in
Africa had similar and even some better quality experiences than what I have just had,
yet the continent is in a mess.
Please, do not ask me why I am not writing about Enterprise Resource Planning, Information Technology or Information Systems issues or things that concern Business Innovations Group (B.i.G). I have to speak, because people are not doing it.
I have seen man being treated like a cow of ancient days while modern man’s life is the reverse of the scenario. I have also seen that being black is a sin and this is punishable by death. May be you are not observant, so the grim in your face but if you should have dug deeper than I have, may be you would have come to terms with me. Life is a mess but not for those that own the “cold”. I mean “Mr. White” and his descendants. I hate life but also don’t know what death has in stock for me, so let me live no matter what the situation. I am troubled. I wish one day, man will be more sensible, be able to read between the lines and in fact see with more than two eyes. This I belief could be achieved through divine spiritual gains and mental correctness. To be frank, the attainment of this is not above our gift. The idea is based on who is wise, there you will find the best of fools. The search for more has brought about the confusion. Meanwhile, the lack of more is a misery. What do we do then? I know of a day and a time that life will be better for the “Blackman”. This day could be will be so short that it could pass by without anyone noticing it, meaning another opportunity to regain
Africa’s identity could be lost. It appears that we from the sun lack the zeal and focus. It is depicted in us not as leadership failure, but rather the lack of knowing who we are or want to be. Currently, the youth blame the old for the failures, forgetting that these old chaps were once blaming their predecessors for the woes of
Africa. Slavery was a mess, more than the holocaust, but you can see that more emphasis is laid on the later. The reason is basic and I expect you to know, but if you don’t then just understand that some are more important than others. To be recognized as important, a nation or continent should have the capacity to transform ideas into products and services. This capacity,
Africa lacks. Leadership is poor right from the home to all institutions. Creativity is encountered with fear driving innovations into the ditch. This is a recipe for disaster. Also, resistance to infiltration into our domestic policies and strategies (am not sure even if we have a strategy) are lacking.
In a recent research, I found out that the
Ghana vision 2020 cum the vision 2015 are just paper bundles and hold no strategy for national development. Ideally, these documents do not state anything practical towards a developmental agenda, and to be specific they were look alike of either an NDC/NPP manifesto. What we have lost are the strategic planners for national economy. Economic development should start from basic education, where pupils are made aware of the basic tools for national development-politics, economy and citizenship. These components of our daily lives define who one is. In
Africa, this is lacking. Talking to a typical Nigerian, one will hear: Am from the north, south, Uroba, Oil rich, etc regions. On the other hand, some one from a “country “
will just say that he/she is British, Irish, German, Finish or American. If Africans should continue in this manner, we will never be free from the three pillars of development- social, economic and political. We are villagers well educated yet wear pointed shoes in swimming pools of poverty. I think we better stop the madness. In
Ghana, I have heard educated people saying things like: “Am a Fante so vote for me” or “it was the Fantes who made Atta lost”. These distributed patterns of national identity create holes in our socio-national responsibilities thus reducing our national identity attractiveness and also, our ability to deliver on a global scale.
Our woes as Africans are being created by us and the earlier we recognize this, the better. Can I just ask who sold those slaves for alcohol? It was our own chiefs, kings and tribal lords. Bear with me for a minute,
it was these same people who gave the settlers land and also allow them to settle disputes. Never blame “Mr. White” again, they were just smart. I belief in the principle that ‘poor people failed to take basic decisions’. Africans are poor because they have refused to use their heads and even don’t know what a decision is, period. After all, an Apple IPod-nano cost more than a bag of cocoa. “Mr. Black”, just consider the man hours in producing
Cocoa and an Apple IPod-nano. I know by now you want to come out with an answer but don’t .This is just to stimulate your thinking. Our continent is in a mess. I spend most of my time trying to figure out which options are available and where we should position our priorities. I belief, by the close of this blog, which comes in sections, we will come to a common conclusion on some of the economic pillars that we need to place our strategies upon in other to develop.
To develop, a country needs to rely on not more than four strategic options; and not more than three strategic products. This helps to narrow the scope thus bringing the layman into an understanding of the national agenda. Though, this writing is intended to highlight general developmental challenges across Africa, its strategies are based towards the developmental agenda of
Ghana and the West African sub region. The reason is simple, a Nigerian man will say, “like me, am an African, a West African, a Ghanaian, and an Nzema”. I have been educated narrowly so allow me. The last three are the most important. However, I wish this thinking could be changed soon. Nevertheless, am aware of what “Mr. White” has done and wish to emulate.
Just to get you thinking and observing. Have you notice what is going on in the NPP campaign to elect their presidential candidate for 2008? May be not. Am marveled where these guys got their monies? Actually, I saw them in 2000 and during the Great Alliance days. Remember, I was a Youth Organizer for the Great Alliance in the Elembelle constituency. The only good thing about them was the slang “I mean accent” from Dr. Apraku. Man, this guy was an American, but this has been converted into black cash so he has forgotten all these slangs. No problem. What ever they achieve tomorrow, that will not change people’s perception. What I keep asking is what is their strategy towards national development. General Mosquito was in the news describing these guys as thieves, may be they are stealing more than the NDC did. NPP, elect the chief thief we will welcome him. I wish you all well…….