Asantehene spoke

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has recently spoken the mind of the country about the fee free Senior High School— the agonies about feeding, ac­commodation and infrastructure. And Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu reportedly responded that Government had or was planning intervention schemes.

The FSHS had been close to nine years political controversy. Initial­ly, the sticking point was the con­stitutional advice which cautioned ‘as and when able’. The erstwhile Government [NPP] overruled that. It is recalled that in a budget statement, the then Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in off the cuff remarks during the pre­sentation suggested he thought that going full hog might create problems for the exchequer and some parents. He thought par­ents who could afford might be let or encouraged. The avalanche from his own NPP made him retreat. The ruling NDC commit­ted itself to pursue it, irrespective. The Minister may or not had been caught on the hop by the As­antehene, being so same-opined implicitly.

The system has run unsatisfacto­rily—quality of education, stan­dards and morals and health. The first cause is the rush. It led to a whole paraphernalia of conse­quences: Any level of attainment from the Juniors, overcrowding and curricula, text books, and stay-in periods upsets—feeding, social services-costs, school-year cannot be guaranteed. The second problem is that we did not understand and indeed are yet to learn what “FREE” means. It is our national or ranks in the league of our biggest politically-misled, bearing that we remain carrying a large and immaculate-population which are literate-challenged in degrees—“Literacy Drive” faded out, having failed abysmally and no one or hardly anyone remem­bers. A whole institution must exist in the belly of another, perhaps a Ministry of State until latterly.

The greater natural substance is every one wants free things. The fourth is the total repercussion on the kids. They don’t learn and will not compete. Teachers are suffering; and the both desk-bound people and the “Haves” operate “beggar-my-neighbour”. Within from Saltpond and Cape Coast, this country’s Oxford and Cambridge [Eaton and LSE], February and March are Speech and Prize Giving time. There are numbers of former students who travel in; and its fiesta. But their take-away is the awakening stories of students hurdled in one space of a dormitory like Prisoners of war and virtual ghettoes. Its not the fault of the managements. It is wholesale product of the compulsion of admissions-rule. Health is deficit. There are infirmaries but staffing and med­ications are short. Apart from this tale of sadness the old boys and girls are doing fantastic work with provisions of contributions; cash and buildings and imports of modern state-of-the-art equipment to the alma mater –an irresistible spirit of patriotism as well.

Three things on my mind: taxation exemptions as long as not abused, get the importance of entry levels and the health of the students which translate limiting the overcrowding—rea­sonably fill in human beings with its feeding, environmental and quality of instructions plus discipline or morals, an unsettled issue between successive govern­ments and the orthodox church which led in the education during colonial era. Education in this country was led by orthodox religion. The usurping occurred in 1958. The last heard about the stand-off was an assurance by a Minister in the Akufo-Addo regime that the State was going to return the religious-founded school back. Talks were put on shelf in a prior NDC administra­tion before John Kufuor’s 2000- 2008. An earlier negotiation had stalled on how much the Church was going to pay to relieve the State’s paying up salaries and other subventions. It is not clear today whether both orthodox and the ever proliferating at the other side who also run schools have determined their contributions.

Their [Church]primary stand for restoration was claim of moral turpitude –custodian of morals at which they were ahead of state-controlled education. The validity of that “morality in our pockets” so shattered and seri­ously undermined by the current reports of some of creeping immoral conduct among Church Leadership and the rampant lais­sez faire, strengthening to worse than the immediate post-takeover, 1958.

The Asantehene’s plain talk enfolds a few deeper thoughts to resolve than ad hoc. To cap, he actually complained his concerns implying “let’s go back” to the status-quo-ante if the State can­not meet the bill until can. The or else, is for parents, guardians and philanthropists to resume paying up. That is fully taking up their previous tasks, something the scheme has forced on them behind the scenes and politicians and officialdom had shouted success to date. Elements in that prior: I am alright jack” scenario is a key source of infecting chil­dren of the “have nots” enticed into wrong doing—spoilt. The wisdom to quote for evidence to back, if it is felt as an accusation is in Fantse:”edzidzi kyere she enyiber”—‘one man de chop, causes envy’ (put in piggin). You see the kids share; but how can you continue to be depen­dent? The living then tempts all kinds of way­wardness.

We need a boldness to admit feeding alone is hugely expensive; and equally honest to work out a collective and diligent ways and means braced by sincerity from the kitchen to offices and empty infirmaries. One is not dealing here with just any food. That is inextricable part of Otumfuor’s intervention. I need not to stretch it to health except to sum it “mens sana in copore sano”—’a sound mind in a healthy body’. However, all said, it looks like it’s only the Asantehene when he speaks, shakes the nation; and commands audience-action. It is not fair to him; but where are the others? I believe the question’s response lies in (a) a wake-up call; (b) assert both authority and in a matter that affects their people, if we maintain that Chieftaincy, is our bottom-most bedrock. And in­deed, that is all that we have.

During the arguments about our national failure to speak to authority with the truth or what we felt ipso facto either was going wrong or just unacceptable and or judiciously adjustable within the premise of availability of resources the Press took the brunt, accused for lies, sold out and incompetent. I am firm with great respect to Nana Asante­hene, that collectively, Nananom wield a more powerful resilience than the Press to get together and speak-out unanimous opinion on the fee free SHS. The campaign politics which followed, led to force all the parties to include a commitment to pursue the fee-free stuff without “ifs” or some for few “buts” or general innocu­ous semantics. Any way, it would have been suicidal electorally.

From point of view of the ma­jority literally-challenged, it was ruse that trapped all. I should explain: I have previously in the analysis branded it “cheap”; and therefore, attractive or popular, denying there is nothing for free in this life and at a time of tightest money. That is the global reality. It is not going to be easiest daring at all putting it on hold. That will bring upheaval. The better approach would seem to keep it going but study it for long-term permanent solutions to its operational

deficiencies. It’s all essentially cash problems. There is a chance for second thoughts. It depends on how differently couched, pre­sented and defended.

The ready example in my mind is a former British Prime Minister’s “Pound (Sterling) in my pocket” after devaluation mid-Nov.1966. [The economy of that country’s Achilles Tendon, more than ours today, severer]. Thinking back to its conception, a political decep­tion must have been innocently taken for granted, relative to implementation. I have to repeat that the moot thought raised the festina lente caveat. I remember former President Atta Mills reso­nated that principle in response at either delivering a speech or news conference before he won 2012. Our situation is now we have dipped our hands into the bowl of soup of a ghost.

© Prof nana essilfie-conduah.