The Graduate is a Potential and Not a Finished Product

The event of time has met us once again as a nation with the warmth of its embrace. There is a sound of the mighty trumpet of joy for mother Ghana. I hope it is neither an occasional song nor a lullaby to intensify her sleep but rather irritating enough to wake her up to inspire a sense of urgency in her. Our cherished Nation (Ghana), a mother who loves her children, no one can feel what you feel neither can any compassionately manifest your reaction to the SAGA, “Greatly produced but greatly wasted”. The tears of your groan is not seen and the heat of your increased heartbeat not felt by even your closest born. O, how painful it feels to see a danger or stand in awe when everybody is relaxed and unperturbed about the situation. Will this Great News put a smile in your face?<0 /> Great News:- KNUST has graced the mornings and afternoons of June 8, and June 9, 2007 with the event of dispatching a host of graduates. Across the country, similar graduation ceremonies will take place in the various public universities including The University of Ghana, Cape Coast University, University of Education, etc not forgetting the numerous private universities in the country. But the critical question is whether these graduations which have become more of annual academic rituals will this time be better or worsen the well-being of the country. A team of well prepared and skilled graduates have been released into this world of uncertainty and diverse expectations. Is this the first time of witnessing this kind of event or even if it is the second time, then what went wrong? Except those which still remain undiscovered, what are this nation’s demands, what are her needs whose satisfaction cannot be realized? Why then, one may ask, are these needs persisting and even increasing in growth? This is a potent question which sadly enough, has not possibly received a thought or if it has, has been limited by the outer membrane of the brain of that foreseeing and visionary individual.
Well, you will undoubtedly agree with me that this is not and cannot be the first time. There is one trait in Ghanaians, if not in all Africans and even Humans, which I love to hate and I pray every trace of it be taken from me by my maker. We love to celebrate and praise our heroes without highlighting those important aspects that can perpetuate the spirit of these heroes and perhaps give rise to surpassing ones. We fail to ask this question, Where did he start from and how did he get her? This offers enough explanation to why many people focus on becoming heroes and rich overnight. This attempt usually ends them in frustration and disappointment since that is almost, if not absolutely, impossible. Some also with the fighting and undefeatable spirit may resort to dubious means as far as their wish can be realized and satisfied with the hope of gaining societal honor and glorification. Why do we fail to consider the growing process and the supporting ingredients? Most probably: because the nation’s contribution seems insignificant and is therefore not worth celebrating. Hold your breath and let’s discuss that another time? The underlying factor is: Ghana must start from somewhere.<0 /> Where are the graduates now? We are deeply confused and anxious of tomorrow. Even at the very beginning of our tertiary education, we are well informed directly or indirectly that, academics success does not guarantee our life success – well said, well understood but maybe unimportant. Why not needed? It does not inspire, but most often than not curtails potentials. I can feel the hurt of quite a number of students whose indulgence in businesses, which are time consuming and however unrelated to their course of study, has robbed them of their academic excellence. That only adds money but no value to these students. O yes, it is good to think of marketing strategies and others, but in the process of developing there should be a focus. The student who excels academically is sometime not even respected and receives no societal recognition. But one may ask; was it really easy securing a degree’
I thank God for the lives of faithful, diligent and lovely teacher/lecturers who take students and impart them with knowledge to the best of their abilities. However, the unfortunate student (and for that matter almost every student) will encounter at least one frustrating teacher/lecturer who has a job but is not working. It is good to train students to be hardworking but not in a discouraging manner. Every student who enters a classroom has already accepted the fact that, they don’t know and are willing to be taught. There is no point therefore in proving the students’ ignorance or deficiencies but to satisfy them since it is joyous to see that student excel through your impartation. But the first heat of hatred and disregard is sensed in the classroom, where if you rely on people’s opinion, great disturbance and discouragement will hit you and burry your potentials in the pit of negative self-pity and inferiority complex.
The ordinary man is of no different opinion. The caption is that, in no time you will become a cheat. The taxi driver is no exception, Sooner or later, you will become a cheat. The Diploma holder says, you will come and boss over him. Mark their expectation. One thinks you will become like him and share in his glory. Another is bitter because he couldn’t get the chance you got. The next time you hear someone speaks evil about university graduates, never leave without a thorough examination of his background. No one loves you. The public is actually alarmed by your appearance because to them you are a threat and not an asset. The only people to join in the celebration of your degree, if fortunate are your family members. No wonder people end up seeking the best for themselves and their families even at the expense of the nation’s security and peace – Not to approve of the act but to highlight our remote contribution. Ghana must start from somewhere. The graduate actually grows to become our expectation; a cheat, a boss and self-seeking. Why then do we complain if our expectations are met? We could have wished the best for them if we so desired.
On Wednesday May 30, 2007, I took the trouble to approach the Estate Office of KNUST to pay my fee for the congregation. I was highly disappointed by the sight of the cluster of students, most of them confused, others complaining, murmuring and highly disappointment. What was the problem, only one person had taken upon himself to register them making the process to be very slow. I reached the place at 9:00am to join the queue only to finish my registration at 4:15pm. When I appeared at the KNUST Great Hall foyer for my gown, I was again as disappointed as my colleagues. Can you imagine the state of most of the gowns? They were very old, dirty and wretched, not to mention the fact that they were fewer than the number of students to be presented. KNUST had to fall on Cape Coast University for supplements. Can you imagine how one will feel when in Cape Coast University’s gown at KNUST’s congregation? After holding 40 of similar graduation ceremonies, KNUST would not have made this mistake if the congregation was valued and given the necessary official recognition. Surely we have lost sight of its importance. I was disappointed upon hearing the President has recently traveled outside the country. If Ghanaians treat the graduation ceremony with the due urgency, the president would have factored it into his yearly schedules.
What are the precious resources of Ghana? Gold, Diamond, Bauxite, Timber and Cocoa are readily mentioned. We hardly classify the intellect as an asset. The notion is, “What have they done?” The question should rather be what has been given to them that they could not do? We seem not to value what we seek to work for us. For instance, we often hold durbars for TV3 mentor participants, they dominate our news (They are honorable, no wonder some students defer their courses to participate), we organize special church services for them, invite them to programs – that’s not bad, but how many graduates out of the hundreds of thousands have experience or will experience this. There is an incidence of priority misplacement. Interestingly, no professor has been a disappointment to himself or to his family but if any, to the nation as it is wrongly perceived at the moment.
Beloved, can you now understand why the graduates develop a sense of neglect right from the onset. It is difficult and hectic rather than joyous getting a degree (The failures, repeats, trails and sleepless nights) only to receive less attention from the society. The fundamental question should be, how do we make the best out of OUR graduates? The efforts of our universities would be meaningless unless our graduates are made to feel important and acceptable in our society. We should encourage our graduates and give them every necessary support in order to tap the best out of them and not to be apathetic. If we begin to appreciate and accept our graduates, we will reap the fruits of their excellence. I humbly submit that, THE GRADUATE IS A POTENTIAL WHO NEEDS A WELCOMING HAND FROM US.

Daniel Opoku (a.k.a. Smoke)
Formerly of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, KNUST.

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