Monday, 23 February 2015

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION THEORY



BACP2016284

The Diffusion of Innovation Theory was developed by Everret Rogers in 1962. This theory shows the systematic step a product or idea goes through before it reaches a given population.

The theory seeks to help change people’s behavior and attitude towards an idea or a product. An individual arrives at a decision to purchase after he has conceived the idea .

Acceptance of a new product does not happen at a time in the social system, rather it is the process where by some people adopt innovation earlier than the others do. Those who accept innovations have different characteristics.

When promoting service or a product, there are differences in the adopter categories.
Everret Mentions the Innovators, The early adopters, the early majority, the late majority and the laggards.

To begin with, Innovators  are the daring people . this group are the first to try a product or a service. They are willing to take risks and are often first to develop ideas. When ‘tico’ car was in Ghana innovators ripped the full benefit of their investment.

Secondly, early adopters are those who represent opinion leaders. They enjoy leadership roles. When there’s new product they are given samples for free. They are already aware of the need to change so they are very comfortable adopting new ideas. Strategies that apply to this population include  manuals and information sheets on how to use a product.

Also, early majority these people are rare leaders but they do not adopt new ideas. They want to see the product work before they are willing to accept the product or service. What appeals to these group is the  success stories, testimonies and evidence of the new innovations effectiveness.

More so, late majority are people who are doubtful of the innovations authenticity and would only change towards a product after it had been tried by the majority. They need information on how other people have tried the innovation and have adopted it successfully without any problem.

Lastly, the laggards are the conservatives’ and are bound by tradition. They are difficult to convince strategies to appeal to these people are fear appeals and pressure from people in the other adopter categories.
Different  strategies are at play in each category before an individual  adopts an innovation and each of these factors play to a large  extent in the five adopter categories.


There are several drawbacks to diffusion of innovation, it does not take into account an individual’s resource or social support to adopt to  the new behavior. It works better with adoption of behaviors rather than prevention of behaviors. It does not foster a participatory approach to adoption of a public health program.

Monday, 19 January 2015

JUST IN, QUANTITY SURVEYORS AND CIVIL ENGINEERS NEEDED URGENTLY


Dear Sanda,
If you get lucky and you are posted to a place that will challenge you to bringing out your best, it will only make you very hardworking and make you fall in love with your job. As for the   clients, well, some clients are not their best, while others make you love what you do.
Before I started working with Dangaskiya Ventures limited, I had negative notions of some of this travel and tour companies who lie to their clients and take their money, or take them to places where what they were promised will not come to fruitions
Dangaskiya Ventures Limited is a travel and tour company licensed by the Ghana Labour Department and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The company’s mission and vision statement reads:
 “To become one of the main contributors to Ghana’s development drive and poverty alleviation program through the building of the capacities of Ghanaian personnel and by facilitating stronger business ties with the Arab Gulf region”.
The company for the last three years has recruited about 300 men and women to travel and work for reputable organisations in the Arabian Gulf countries to better their lives in highly rewarding ventures, in manifestation of the company’s motto “We help you better your life”.
Before a client is employed, he is made to know the conditions he/she will be finding himself in. This is done through a workshop and training to brief candidates about their soon-to-be new working environment.
Some of the terms and conditions of service for every client employed include: The person will be working for two (2) years, renewable at the end of the period with the consent of the two sides.
The person is also supposed to be working for 8 hours a day with the possibility of having additional three hours overtime to make it 12 hours per day for more pay. Some of the free services to be enjoyed by our clients include: accommodation, Health Insurance, Transportation to and fro the duty post.
Furthermore, the candidate is entitled to go on leave and other benefits outlined in the contract agreement they sign before embarking upon the trip.
One may ask what the selection criterion is!
A candidate must be an able bodied Ghanaian between the ages of 22 and 40 years
Must have a proof of what you claim you are. Eg: school certificate, and must have a genuine Ghanaian passport.
The candidate will be required to undergo medical examination at the company's approved medical laboratory to prove the candidate is not suffering from any ailments that may lead to challenges when they start their new job.
The candidate must make full payment of the processing fee after passing an interview which will be organized by the company (Dangaskiya Ventures Ltd) in conjunction with our foreign partners. After passing the interview, a candidate must make any outstanding payment before being allowed to fly out of Ghana to take up the job abroad.
Some of the job opportunities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman available as at now on our list are:
Senior High School teachers for the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Financial Accounting, ICT, Social Studies and Civic Education Teachers, General Science, Health and Physical Education.
Others are: Private Nurses, Financial Accountants, and Administrative Assistants/Secretaries.
There are also jobs for professionals and non-professionals in Kuwait and Bahrain. These include: Traffic Engineers, Airport Baggage Handlers and Airport Cleaners.
There are also job opportunities in Qatar in the construction sector where DVL partners in Qatar need Engineers, Foreman, Carpenters, Charge Hands, Masons and Steel Benders.
Furthermore, Taxi Drivers interested in working abroad can also get the opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates under very attractive conditions of service.
The newest addition to the collection is, Dangaskiya Ventures Limited is URGENTLY recruiting Quantity surveyors and Civil Engineers who must have at least 10 years working experience.
To grab any of the above golden opportunities, one has to call Dangaskiya Ventures office on 0241400727, 0233400727and/or 0265997757.
You can also reach our regional representatives on
KUMASI-0264687051
KOFORIDUA-0277799118
WA-0201016523
HO-0244222684
KINTAMPO-0243887173
TAMALE-0209430526
SUNYANI-0208117303
Sanda, I think this is an opportunity worth grabbing by our youth- especially since we have a team of Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana. If I didn’t know you to be employed already, I would have recommended you apply.
Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to alert your friends and their friends. There is an upcoming screening for persons wishing to work abroad as security personnel. Tell that guy in your neighbourhood who is madly in search of a job.
Tell him,at Dangaskiya Ventures Ltd we help you better your life”

Cheers.

Monday, 3 November 2014

Who is a Mallam?

When you look at current happenings in the world, you would realize some countries have had to go to war because of religious differences. Religion is so much a sensitive spot that moves people to act passionately in the spirit of defending what they hold sacred.
 Karl Marx, one of the greatest sociologists of all time is quoted to have said “Religion is the opium of the masses”. 
Ghana is not far from countries within the West African sub region which have been caught in religious violence, the evidence is in what is happening in our sister African countries like Nigeria, Mali, Kenya, Somalia, Central Africa Republic and in other parts of the world.
Most of these wars are borne out of petty misunderstandings of each other’s religion. A little reading on the other’s religion would help a lot in clearing this misunderstanding. My issue is with the usage of the term “Mallam” to connote the activities of a ritualist or a spiritual healer. It is common to hear people say they are going to a Mallam to seek for one spiritual help or another. I have no worries in seeking super natural help from people who claim to have such powers. My worry is when these people are referred to as “Mallams”- an otherwise respected figure in the Islamic religion.
The word “Mallam” has been given different meanings in the Ghanaian context for a very long time. Most Ghanaians have come to understand the word “Mallam” differently from its original context. I will take time to explain the word “Mallam” with the hope that misconception and abuse of that holistic word would stop.
The word “Mallam”, is a distorted Arabic word rightly pronounced "Mu'allim" which means "teacher". The word “Ulama” is the plural of “Alim”, Arabic for "Man of knowledge," teacher or authority. “Alim” is derived from the term “Elm”, (knowledge) but, the word Mallam soon became generally referred to a man with deep knowledge about Islamic religion.
The opposite of Elm is jahl, meaning ignorance, “Jahilia” or “Jahiliyah” refers, usually derisively, to the period before Islam - the period of ignorance, in Islamic teaching. Both terms, “Alim” and “Jahil” appear frequently in the Holy Quran. Therefore “Ulama” are guardians against a return to “Jahiliyah”. Interestingly, the word “Alim” literarily and generally means men of secular science or, simply, a Scientist.
The “Ulama” as a class are men of knowledge in Sunni Islam who have been trained in the religious sciences, such as the Quran, Hadith and other Islamic Religious Knowledge thus qualifying them to exercise authority in the mosque or in the “Madrassas” (Islamic schools). Therefore, an “Alim” may lead prayers and deliver the Friday sermon, perform rituals at marriage, birth and deaths ceremonies and other religious occasions.
I would like to discuss the role of the “Ulama” (Islamic scholars) in Islamic society based on the Al-Qur’an and the Sunnah.
In Islam, no person has the religious authority that require others to submit to his personal view and interpretation. We do have Islamic scholars who are well-versed in the Qur’an and Sunnah and Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah) in general. We know of the national Chief Imam who is regarded as a father and teacher to all Muslims in Ghana.
The excellence of learned people (Ulama) in the Qur’an is manifest in: “Allah (Himself) proffers evidence: and so do the angels and all who are endowed with knowledge - that there is no deity save Him ... “ 3:16.
Imam Ghazali commented on this “Ayah” (Verse) by saying “See then, how Allah has mentioned Himself first, the angels second, then men endowed with knowledge third. In knowledge is honor, excellence, distinction and rank. And again, Allah says: ”Allah will raise up to (suitable) rank (and degree) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge.” 58:11
In “Surat al-Tawba” where Jihad was declared as an obligation, Allah said that even in this circumstance there should be a group of people who should stay behind and study and teach - source people – “Ulama”. The Qur’an referred to them by saying “Li yata faqqahu fildeen.”
“...It is not desirable that all of the believers take the field in time of war: From within every group, in their midst. Some shall refrain from going forth to war, and shall devote themselves instead to acquiring a deeper knowledge of the faith, and thus be able to teach their home-coming brethren, so that these too might guard themselves against evil.” 9:122
This Quranic verse is very clear that there should be a class of people who devote themselves to study and who also teach what they have learned to others.
The Holy Quran had said: “Innama yakhsha Allaha min ibadihi al Ulama…”. This means: ”Of all of His servants, only such as are endowed with knowledge stand truly in awe of God; for they alone comprehend that verily, God is almighty, much-forgiving.” 35:28.:
Our Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) emphasized the excellence of the “Ulama” in many Hadith: Abu Umama al Bahili reported that two persons were mentioned to the Messenger - one being “Abid” (a devout worshipper), the other being “Alim” (a scholar). The Prophet then said: ”The superiority of a scholar (Alim) over the devout (Abid) is like my superiority over a worshiper or like that of the moon in the night when it is full over the rest of the stars, and truly the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and truly the Prophets do not leave behind them gold or silver, they only leave knowledge as their heritage. So whosoever acquires knowledge acquires a huge fortune.” Transmitted by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.
In other Hadith, Imam Ahmad bin Hambal is quoted to have said that the need for these scholars is more important “than air and water”.
Another narration by Tirmidhi is said to be that Ibn Abbas reported the Prophet as saying: “A single “Faqih” (scholar of religion) is more formidable against a devil than a thousand devout persons”.
Our Prophet warned the Muslim nation “Ummah” that knowledge would be extinguished from the earth and that people would be misled by ignorant leaders and mushroom scholars.
Abdulla bin Umar (ra) reported the Prophet saying: ”Allah will not cause extinction of knowledge by taking it away from the servants, but He will cause extinction of knowledge by taking away the learned ones. When no learned man remains, the people will then take the illiterate as their leaders. They will seek religious verdicts from them and they will deliver those verdicts without knowledge and the people will go astray and lead each other into error.” Bukhari and Muslim.
In view of the above references, Islamic scholars in the society are:
·         The learned people (Ulama).
·          Those who lead Muslim people and who must be followed by the Muslim people.
·         Those endowed with sound knowledge to guide people to the right path.
·          Those who are necessary for the community’s benefit.
Today, the Muslim Ummah is in virtual ignorance. Therefore many mushroom Islamic scholars act as Imams and Sheikhs (Muslim Scholars) without sound knowledge of the Qur’an, the Hadith, the (Fiqh) Islamic jurisprudence and the “Ijma” (consensus of opinion). When such unqualified scholars give religious verdicts, people are led astray. In order to save the Ummah from this predicament, there must be an umbrella of qualified and accredited Ulama who specialize in Islamic Sciences, for the masses to seek their guidance and opinion on Islamic religious matters.
Religious knowledge is more delicate and tougher than for example knowledge of fixing a car or a table. The knowledge of worshiping Allah and knowing his dos and don’ts is the obligatory upon every Muslim. But, if a Muslim does not have the necessary knowledge to make a religious, social or financial decision in a specific instance, then he must ask the Ulama. If that makes them a class of learned people, it is not an evil class.
If you have traveled to some notable regions in Ghana, you will have noticed advertisement on notice boards about persons claiming to have spiritual powers, thus conferring the titles of “Mallam” upon themselves. But digging deep into their knowledge capacity you will be surprised to know that they cannot even read the “Fatiha” (The opening chapter of the holy Quran), which is the commonest chapter in the Muslims’ holy book. How then do you call these people Mallam's?
In Ghana, most people have disrespected Islam and Muslims from time immemorial. Just look at it this way, the word “Mallam”, by definitions provided by the holy Quran and Hadith, is someone who is a teacher and or a learned person. The prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) is quoted to have said that the Ulama (Mlalam's) are his representatives on earth.
In recent developments, some religious leaders and Journalists from other religious faiths have made mention of the word “MALLAM” in bad taste, I have read a publication in a respected news medium in Ghana, written by a journalist, whom I believe has gone through the pre-requisite training and is fully aware of how journalism has caused countries to go to war. The journalist was quoting a pastor who was advising the family of the missing Ghanaian musician, “Castro”, not to visit any “Mallam” to know the where about of their son, which I believe was very insulting to all Muslims in Ghana. (Castro went missing when he went jet-skiing on the Ada River in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana).
Well, you can’t really blame any of them because even most Muslims do not understand the word “Mallam” in its real sense as it has been adulterated, misinterpreted and misconceived for many years now.
We have seen how sensitive journalism write ups and vituperations from radio and TV programs had stirred up troubles leading to bloodshed between people of different faith, ethnicity or race. At least, the sad memory of the blood bath manifested in the Rwandan genocide is still fresh in our minds.
I remember what I heard and read about the Biafran war in Nigeria which killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, scarring Nigeria up to date. That senseless war was based on religion and ethnicity. Religion is one of the most sensitive issues, which we must handle with great care and mutual respect to ensure peace, tranquility and peaceful coexistence, so that our dear Ghana would continue to enjoy the peace, stability, development and progress that made her the envy of all other African states.
I believe prejudice, lose talks, misconception and insensitivity to the culture of others, are some of the main reasons why some countries encountered war that led to bloodshed, pain and anguish. This should not be allowed to happen in our dear motherland, Ghana.
I am not inciting violence against anyone. I’m rather using this platform to urge Muslims and non-Muslims alike to have respect for the word “Mallam” and to clear the misconceptions and misunderstanding that has for a long time now shrouded this noble word and work. I feel very disappointed when I see my Muslim brothers also being misled or misleading others in the understanding or misunderstanding of the name.
I believe that, as one nation, one people with one common destiny, we must make it a point to read more about each other’s religion and to avoid the intentional or deliberate use of certain words or phrases out of context just to make fun of others.
We thank God for the peace our dear country Ghana is enjoying and for the peaceful nature of its people. I believe it’s high time the media houses, who run adverts of fetish priest who call themselves “Mallam this and Mallam that” synchronize the kind of ads they put through their channels. It speaks less of a reputable organization to let ads which speaks less of other religions go through their channel because of the money involved.

Dear reader, please note that “Mallam” is not synonymous to a ritualist. These so-called “Mallam's” who claim to have super natural healing powers have no place in Islam and must be condemned and dismissed by all. 

Thursday, 23 October 2014

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Monday, 13 October 2014

NEW OPPORTUNITIES,AT DANGASKIYA VENTURES LIMITED



Dear Sanda,
I enjoyed staying home as a new bride for the past few days so much that I didn’t want to go out and start my life as a national service personnel.
After lazying about for all this while, I finally decided, of course with the help of my husband to move out of my comfort zone and start work as a public relations practitioner.
Sanda, I honestly wanted to miss work today too in order to start tomorrow- the first of October. I however had to move out and acquaint myself with the working environment so I did.
The journey started at 7:10am. Don’t worry. I made it to work at almost 8:06.Miracles still happen with the traffic in Accra, although it was so much this morning that I promised to leave earlier tomorrow. I can’t have my new boss thinking any less of me.
My day began on a good note, as a national service personnel of Dangaskiya Ventures Limited, a travel and tour company licensed by the Ghana Labour Commission and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The company’s mission and vision statement reads:
 “To become one of the main contributors to Ghana’s development drive and poverty alleviation program through the building of the capacities of Ghanaian personnel and by facilitating stronger business ties with the Arab Gulf region”.
The company for the last three years has recruited about 300 men and women to travel and work for reputable organisations in the Arabian Gulf countries to better their lives in highly rewarding ventures, in manifestation of the company’s motto “We help you better your life”.
Before a client is employed, he is made to know the conditions he/she will be finding himself in. This is done through a workshop and training to brief candidates about their soon-to-be new working environment.
Some of the terms and conditions of service for every client employed include: The person will be working for two (2) years, renewal at the end of the period with the consent of the two sides.
The person is also supposed to be working for 8 hours a day with the possibility of having additional three hours overtime to make it 12 hours per day for more pay. Some of the free services to be enjoyed by our clients include: accommodation, Health Insurance, Transportation to and fro the duty post.
Furthermore, the candidate is entitled to go on leave and other benefits outlined in the contract agreement they sign before embarking upon the trip.
One may ask what the selection criterion is!
A candidate must be an able bodied Ghanaian between the ages of 22 and 45 years
Must have a proof of what you claim you are. Eg: school certificate, and must have a genuine Ghanaian passport.
The candidate will be required to undergo medical examination at the company's approved medical laboratory to prove the candidate is not suffering from any ailments that may lead to challenges when they start their new job.
The candidate must make full payment of the processing fee after passing an interview which will be organized by the company (Dangaskiya Ventures Ltd) in conjunction with our foreign partners. After passing the interview, a candidate must make any outstanding payment before being allowed to fly out of Ghana to take up the job abroad.
Some of the job opportunities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman available as at now on our list are:
Senior High School teachers for the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Financial Accounting, ICT, Social Studies and Civic Education Teachers, General Science, Health and Physical Education.
Others are: Private Nurses, Financial Accountants, and Administrative Assistants/Secretaries.
There are also jobs for professionals and non-professionals in Kuwait and Bahrain. These include: Traffic Engineers, Airport Baggage Handlers and Airport Cleaners.
There are also job opportunities in Qatar in the construction sector where DVL client in Qatar need Engineers, Foreman, Carpenters, Charge Hands, Masons and Steel Benders.
Furthermore, Taxi Drivers interested in working abroad can also get the opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates under very attractive conditions of service.
To grab any of the above golden opportunities, one has to call Dangaskiya Ventures office on 0241400727, 0233400727and/or 0265997757.
You can also reach our regional reps on
KUMASI-0264687051
KOFORIDUA-0277799118
WA-0201016523
HO-0244222684
KINTAMPO-0243887173
TAMALE-0209430526
SUNYANI-0208117303
Sanda, I think this is an opportunity worth grabbing by our youth- especially since we have a team of Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana. If I didn’t know you to be employed already, I would have recommended you apply.
Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to alert your friends and their friends. There is an upcoming screening for persons wishing to work abroad as security personnel. Tell that guy in your neighbourhood who is madly in search of a job.
Tell him, at Dangaskiya, we help you better your life” at Dangaskiya Ventures.
Cheers.

follow @BilkisNuhu on twitter

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

NUGS MUST WAKE UP FROM ITS SLUMBER!!!!

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is a democratic, non-partisan and progressive Mass Movement comprising of students in Ghana and Ghanaian students abroad. The primary aim of NUGS is to protect and safeguard the rights and interest of Ghanaian students, as well as inculcating in them a high sense of responsibility, patriotism, discipline and above all nationalism, with the ultimate aim of integrating them and ensuring their maximum participation in all activities relating to National Development.
The organisation is made up of various students irrespective of their gender, political persuasion, ethnic origin, social standing and cultural background. NUGS represents over 7 million students in Ghana. The organisation acts with democratic principles and also embraces the situations of students ranging from progressive, democratic ideals and principles which includes racism, hunger, poverty, tribalism, corruption, ignorance and illiteracy.
NUGS, as an embodiment of the democratic rights of Ghanaian students and the mother body of all student associations in the country, is charged, among other things, with the responsibility of promoting unity among Ghanaian students and championing the welfare of Ghanaian youth in general without prejudice to any cause.
To a very large extent, NUGS has been one of the finest reservoirs and preparatory ground for the production of some of the requisite human resources that the nation can boast of; many of whom have become the crème de la crèmes of our past and contemporary social, economic, and political milieu.
 The likes of Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Shamima Muslim, a media practitioner, Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, General Secretary of the NPP, Hon. Okudjeto Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. Maxwell Kofi Juma, and Dr. Omane Boamah, Minister of Communications,  among several others are all proud products of NUGS.

That notwithstanding, it is regrettable to note that the NUGS of today is comparatively becoming less famous and is hardly able to hold the fort for Ghanaian students as its antecedents professed. More disturbing is the observation that contemporary NUGS seemingly appears to have relinquished its hitherto enviable influence in shaping educational policies and it is gradually becoming what can best be described as ‘a political breeder’ for some ‘unscrupulous persons’ hiding behind political parties to perpetrate their own parochial agenda at the expense of the Union.
 This development has only but negatively affected the corporate image of NUGS, with the ordinary Ghanaian students being the ultimate brunt bearers for no fault of theirs.
In view of the foregoing, it is my contention that the leadership of NUGS over the recent past has ‘failed’ to effectively discharge one of its primary responsibilities of shaping governments’ educational policies in the country to succinctly cater for the interest of students because as already indicated, the Union has itself been embroiled in several controversies, pettiness and intransigent partisanship at the detriment of focusing on its core mandate of constructively critiquing educational policies and offering the necessary suggestions as might be required for the benefit of its constituents.
For instance, the silence of NUGS has been very loud in the fight against some injustices and acts of maladministration that have characterized many of our educational institutions today and of course the unimaginably outrageous hikes in the cost of education at the various levels of the ladder, and the nauseating sectionalism and religious fanaticism experienced in many of our schools.
There is no denying the fact that the Ghanaian media landscape of late has been overwhelmed with negative reportage about problems bedeviling the educational sector; which range from lack of basic teaching and learning materials like teachers’ notebooks, chalks, textbooks, etc to issues of industrial unrests and the precarious state of GETfund, to that of astronomical hikes in school fees, collapsing state of the school feeding programme coupled with the imminent closure of all government assisted Senior High Schools among several others, including government’s apparent failure to make do with its promise of building 50 SHS each year, converting polytechnics into technical universities as well as the construction of 10 new colleges of education in the country and the withdrawal of teacher nursing and teacher trainee allowances.
Mention can also be made of the plight of our brothers and sisters who are schooling in the three regions of the north; precisely, at the second cycle institutions relative to government’s failure to release feeding grant and subventions to their school authorities.
In the face of all these myriad of problems which have overwhelmed the nation’s education front and their associated repercussions on the ordinary Ghanaian student, one would expect that the leadership of the various student Unions in the country who are in a better position to act; would rise up to the occasion in providing the much needed voice to the silent majority of students who are overwhelmed in such quagmire.
 I am afraid that the occasional issuance of press releases which we see every now and then cannot be enough in arresting the conundrum. Student leaders need to adopt a better form of constructive engagement with authorities and broaden its consultative horizon to include more and more stakeholders who might be of help in providing possible solutions to these deleterious cankers.

NUGS promotes the social, economic, educational and, cultural interests of Ghanaian students at the national level towards all relevant bodies and in particular with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports. The National Council for Tertiary Education, Ghana Education Trust Fund, National Accreditation Board, Student Loan Trust Fund and Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools and the Association Of African Universities. NUGS seeks to champion the interests of Ghana students and makes sure students’ access to quality education is made progressively free by providing students with infrastructural and logistical equipment, more computer labs, Libraries equipped with books up to date, affordable but quality education, expansion of lecture halls, provision of accommodation and shelter and a practical curriculum for schools.
It also helps to seek the developmental, independence and socio-economic progress of the welfare of the country. It has been able to inform and train all students (SRC) on what could promote developments through seminars, campaigns, trainings, conducting research and partnership projects.

From the foregoing, it can safely be concluded that the NUGS of today is not living up to its mandate as compared to the NUGS they inherited from their forebears. There is the need for the new executives to wake up from their slumber and distance themselves from the beck and call of politicians in order to live up to the mandate given them by the generality of Ghanaian students.



follow @BilkisNuhu on twitter

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Savings


little drops of water........................................................................
The spirit of saving is one important discipline that a parent can instil in themselves and their children. Having money and doing humanitarian activities is good, but without savings, it is a very irresponsible practice that could have grave consequences.
Imagine what will happen to the rich philanthropist who is all along engaged in humanitarian activities but saves nothing for the future, and all of a sudden collapsed and  failed to get back to his feet again or passed away?
Death is a journey we cannot run away from. As some people die at a very young age, others live to their old age, whiles others die at birth.
In any case our scriptures have stated that: it is appointed on to man to die once, and after death there will be judgement. In other verses, it stated that “Each soul shall taste death”. One thing we must therefore keep remembering is the fact that death does not sound warning when it is coming.
One doesn’t really need to be sick before death visits him or her. It is a matter of death visiting you when it is your time, not adding a minute more or less. It could happen through accidents, sicknesses or just when you retire to bed.
As to how ready you are to meet your maker is between you and Him. But how have you prepared your children to meet the challenges of the unknown future is a question that all parents must ask themselves often. As long as they live, it is a core duty of good parents to prepare their children for a better future.
Some of these kids are orphaned while they are just foetus in the womb of their mothers, whiles others get lucky to enjoy parental warmth and care for some years. But with death lurking around, waiting to pounce on us at any time, the legitimate question to ask here is if we have indeed planned for our children.
We cannot say that some of our mothers are financially sound to take up the sole responsibility of looking after their children. This is because most of our fathers keep some of our mothers as “housewives”, thus not allowing them to work so as to help with the upkeep of the family. Only few men see the importance of giving their wives capital to start small businesses of their own so as to become financially stable, or even to give their daughters education to help them have better future.
Even in the scenario I have just mentioned above, death could lay its cold hands on both parents, leaving their offspring as orphans. How they live the remaining of their life is left in the hands of their Creator.
Some orphans get lucky to be taken care of by their maternal or paternal family members, who take this responsibility in addition to their own responsibilities of caring for their nuclear family, in spite of the harsh economic situation of our world today. Although most of them can hardly keep up with the new additional responsibilities they have taken, they struggle to do their best under the circumstances. But in the cases where some parents have insured the lives of their children, it eases the burden on the one taking such a huge responsibility.
Great men have fallen, leaving their off-springs to suffer to make ends meet in their day to day lives. This is because they only lived for today, forgetting that life must also include the future. Some of the children they leave behind end up in different kinds of vices, not really what every parent might have foreseen for their children.
It isn’t all orphans who get lucky to be adopted by benevolent spirits. Some of these persons (fathers’ friends or relatives) come to the funeral grounds and make a lot of promises to the dead, but once they are lowered into the graves the kids are left to their fate. What they do with their lives is literally nobody’s business.
I have never attended any funeral in my life, but this time around, my own class mate and brother lost his dad and I promised I will be there. Indeed I was able to keep my promise because I got there very early and took my seat among the mourners. No sooner had the ceremony began. The pastor gave his sermons and reminded the people of death as an ending for each one of us. It was time for people to pay their last respect to the dead and everyone in the congregation went and came back crying. I was still seated and kept watching. The collection of offertory was done, and after that, the pastor called the man’s three children, and lined them up. He told the people gathered there that the man was gone, and had left the three innocent kids, who have no idea of what to expect in life. He spoke at length and was able to convince the people there to each donate money for the upkeep of the children, at least, until their mother completed widowhood period. But one thing the man did that made me so happy and proud was even before his death, he had built a house for his family. So I said to myself: These lucky kids have a place to sleep. What is left is their school fees and feeding fee.
These issues have made me very emotional, especially when it involves kids who become orphans by fate. When one loses a parent and has no one to fall unto, the path ahead becomes gloomy and murky, full of uncertainty. Most orphans have ended up in alleys of vices of prostitution, armed robbery, drugs and many others. If life hasn’t been so harsh on make them orphans, their parents would have given them a better life for them to be useful to their nation and people.
That is why I’m pleading with parents and urging them to take seriously the issue of saving money and insuring their children educationally. It is very important to learn to insure the lives of these kids we bring forth to the world right from the beginning. Perhaps this must begin as early as at the time you even decide to start a family by saving to ensure the life of your kids. Insuring the lives of our children with as small amount of just 20 Ghana Cedi a month will not take anything significant from our monthly earnings, although its effect would be very huge advantage in the unforeseeable future, as insurance for the children, unto which they can fall for their education and upbringing.
Some of our parents might think that they have enough properties that can take care of their children once the unfortunate happens. What we do not realise or failed to understand is when we die and we are no more around to make sure our families are treated well.
Let me try here to draw a scenario of what some families go through after their bread winners are dead.
Your wife and children are thrown out of the house you proudly owned after years of toiling and struggling to build it during your lifetime. More painfully, the little money they might be living on is also taken away from them. Some uneducated or less educated mothers who do not know their rights will not seek redress, neither at the police nor at the court of law. Those who know their rights may not have money for the court. Even if they do, they’ll have to use all or most of it to pay for the services of a lawyer only to be frustrated by the bureaucracy of receiving justice in our country.
In situations where they are able to retrieve what is rightfully theirs, the family members might have stolen or misappropriated a chunk of the property if not all almost all of it. This means there will be nothing substantial left to be able to cater for them for the kind of future they would have wished for themselves. They will have to struggle throughout life to develop themselves into successful individuals, and this rarely happens to only the lucky ones.
These are just some few instances that one should expect his family to face when he is dead in our society. There is nothing one can do, absolutely nothing, in these circumstances, to defend your children and wife. But with good savings of money in the names of these children in the form of insurance, coupled with the spirit of responsibility one instils in them, one can be assured of a good life for his/her children in the future.
Because of my Islamic religious background, I’d like to refer here to the principle of inheritance according to the teachings of my religion. The inheritance procedure reserves for the deceased’s living spouse, children and parents greater portion of his/her properties and wealth. Although some of the family members of this faith respect the law stated above, others do not. You would surprisingly hear some of the latter group sarcastically saying they are ready to take the worst from God on the judgement day.
Like the Muslim faith, Christianity also promotes a will so relatives and children can have what is rightfully theirs. But only few from the followers of these two great heavenly religions adhere strictly to have their will written before they die. For soon after death has laid its cold hands on the family head or breadwinner, you see a hitherto very happy nuclear family later shattered and dispersed into oblivion because of this negligence not having a written will, forcing the children of the deceased to become a shadow of their past.
Suffering from deep grief of losing a dear spouse, coupled with the harsh treatment being meted out to the widow and her children who have been “robbed” of any valuable thing that would have sustained them in their long road to survival, the widows eat their heart away in grief and sorrow, gradually dying from this heartache and leaving their children totally orphaned with grim future.
Therefore, it is my humble plea that parents upholds the culture of saving for their children and also instil this culture in their off-springs.
Below are two pathetic stories about how death can bring misery to a happy family. Once upon a time, a man lived a life of affluence. He was always there for his family and community. His belief was that education was very important and therefore takes the initiative of educating his children well, supporting those who are interested in higher education to go as high as they can, while assisting those who are less interested in education to learn a vocation.
He acquired vast properties, but as human as we are, death is not one of our shortest term goal. No one actually plans for death, so when the elephant falls, everyone at the scene gets a sharp knife to cut a share of the huge flesh.
Another story is about a young woman who lost her husband. Shocking, the relatives of the husband asked her to pack and go back to her father’s house because her mission is accomplished after the stipulated period of mourning her dead husband. 
I plead with all parents to embrace and adopt the culture of saving, not just for their own sake but for also the sake of their children. My mum always has this to say: “Death has no age. It comes for everyone irrespective of age, and when it is coming it doesn’t sound the alarm bell. The Holy Scriptures say: Like a thief, death comes to steal what we hold very dear to our hearts.
Let us learn to save

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Friday, 24 January 2014

Nudity is Sacred



Painting by Elaine Kantar Williams 
Dear Sanda,
Before I start running my mouth on this issue, I want to believe you are doing well. Each one of us comes from different homes, and obviously our lives will never be the same, judging from the different upbringing and the different environments we find ourselves.

The topic that has caught my attention is about Nudity. Nudity can be explained as a state of not wearing a dress. What is called nudity varies from cultures, each culture is different from the other, but as Africans or Ghanaians, we have great reverence for our nudeness, nudity is sacred and so therefore the notion of protecting it.

African women in general are a group that have so much respect for their nudity and do not expose it so often, except when they are with their husbands, when they are in labour, or are about taking their bath.

Having that at the back of my mind, I pray all those who read this piece will not find faults in my complaints but give the issue a very critical look and advice themselves as women and men alike. We might have sisters who might have being culprits, or it is our daughters doing it.

I was speaking to a colleague on campus who was completely against sharing nude pictures of any kind, he said, even if the individual is your husband and you have kids with him, it’s just not right to share nude picture, adding that what will happen if the phone gets stolen?

My friend traveled to the Middle East not long ago, and the first batch of complaints he had about his roommates was that the young man was receiving nude pictures and videos of his girlfriend from Ghana, yes you read it right. Some of our sisters send nude videos and pictures of themselves to their boyfriends because they have being promised marriage or something else; I have no idea, probably money.

The young man indeed complained, probably he got to see the pictures and videos too, but being the responsible man that he was, he did not encourage his friend to show the young lady’s picture amid their circle of friends.

Indeed as young women and men, our desires and prayers is to get married to good men or women who will take care of us, and together create a very strong bond and start producing our own children. That is almost every average girl’s dreams-- to be successful and finally end up with a responsible man.

I believe entirely, that any man who really loves you and wants to make you his wife will not demand sex from you because after everything, you will finally become his wife, so no need to rush into getting into your panties, vis-à-vis, any man who demands you to send him nude videos or pictures of you does not have the best interest of you at heart.

Far from that, what assurance do you have that he will see the video or pictures alone? Or even if he does watch them alone, what assurance will you have that his friends will not try to steal the phone just to have a look at your pictures.

More often than not, each of us date a man and we believe that our future and fortunes are with them and so therefore we will do everything to make that relationship work, as my friend will tell you, even on the day of the marriage ceremony, the marriage can be called off and you guys may never even reach that process of being called husband to be or wife to be, than to be called husband and wife.

What next, he might have already seen your nudeness and will go ahead to marry the supposed “good girl” or will even tell you that his mother has given him a wife and there is nothing he can do.

Will that video or picture you sent him still be in safe hands? What is the assurance that the next friend who sees it will not upload it to YouTube? Or put the pictures on photo bucket? Or even Instagram.

We are not perfect and might have made many mistakes, we would wish to correct, but that is why we humans and always ask God to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

My friend just didn't understand why a beautiful young woman with a great future may behave in that fashion, but I want to believe and understand that it was a sphere of a moment decision which will not repeat itself no matter the situation.

And to these young men who demand nude videos of our sisters, you should not forget that you have sisters, and somewhere in the near future will be fathering daughters; will you be okay to see your daughters or sister sharing their nude pictures with some random guy who has promised them the heavens and the earth?

A heaven and earth which he is most likely to draw the carpet from under their feet or keep his word without trusting her?

I plead with my sisters that a good man who loves you dearly will not need your nudity for anything because he knows in the long run, you will be his wife.

As I stated in my earlier comments, we are all humans and might have done lots of mistakes in the last few years. Does it mean we won’t get our maker’s forgiveness, of course we will when we return to him with repentance and submission, but not to repeat the same mistakes again.

I will end by remembering our brothers that you might think she is a cheap girl who you have at your disposal and can have at your beck and call. Just remember that certain things are mysterious, God is watching you, you may not have sisters today, but you will have daughters in the future.

Just before I go, did any of you read the news making rounds that a young man had placed nude pictures of his girlfriend on Facebook because she broke up with him? That is just by the way, do enjoy your day.

God bless our homeland Ghana and make our men and women more responsible towards each other.
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