Next time, make sure that Ghanaweb does you justice by ensuring that they properly format your writings for easy reading.
Your arguments are very valid and have been articulated with zest!
I highly doubt i ... read full comment
Prosper:
Next time, make sure that Ghanaweb does you justice by ensuring that they properly format your writings for easy reading.
Your arguments are very valid and have been articulated with zest!
I highly doubt if Miss Oteng-Mensah could have achieved her feat in the Volta Region. Among the VR's inhabitants, particularly Ewes, ageism is a canker. But push on so that the nation can see what you've got.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
M.D, why this your ethnocentric nonsense here too?!!! Cannot be achieved in the VR indeed! Where does Okudzeto Ablakwa and Fiifii Kwetey come from, you moron?
Andy-K
M.D, why this your ethnocentric nonsense here too?!!! Cannot be achieved in the VR indeed! Where does Okudzeto Ablakwa and Fiifii Kwetey come from, you moron?
Andy-K
Kojo T 8 years ago
Experience is defined as"doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" Let the brilliant youth come out as the aged have let the country down Is it time for Nana to give way? The age arguments is ... read full comment
Experience is defined as"doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" Let the brilliant youth come out as the aged have let the country down Is it time for Nana to give way? The age arguments is there as the NPP believes every one must queue and serve time .There are even prescriptions as to how long you have to be a party member before having access to goodies
Felix Ahiamadzi 8 years ago
Prosper,
this is an interesting piece from you and i believe that people who are concerned should read it careful and understand it. I urge you to continue writing this type piece for the public to read. This type of discrim ... read full comment
Prosper,
this is an interesting piece from you and i believe that people who are concerned should read it careful and understand it. I urge you to continue writing this type piece for the public to read. This type of discrimination on politics i have never seen it before. The youth discrimination is too much in this country. People who you think could know better have also joined to critise the youth. I wander how they manage to accumulate their so called experience. Is it not long service? Some who called themselves so called experience legislators now were like dumb when they entered parliament so what are they talking about? I rest my case i do not want to be annoyed.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
Prosper, a good try in defence of the youth in political leadership roles but I have some objections to some of what you wrote.
Number One: what's happening to English with the youth these days? Take you for example: you b ... read full comment
Prosper, a good try in defence of the youth in political leadership roles but I have some objections to some of what you wrote.
Number One: what's happening to English with the youth these days? Take you for example: you broke many pots.
Number Two: It is indeed a serious matter the charge that the youth lack experience, esp. in the Ghana situation. But some youth from political families with active engagement in gladiatorial roles (hmm! terminology fro, political participation studies) may have considerable experience and above all, essential memory inherited from parents, elders, etc., which put them in far better stead than most adults. This is often the case for advanced countries than an LDC like Ghana.
Number Three: You are factually incorrect on a number of things. First, it was Rawlings who first used the phrase "culture of silence" in criticising what he felt was the plaible nature of Ghnaians and the Press. Adu Boahen simply threw the phrase back at him and accused him of responisibility for creating the culture of silence.
Kufuor, the Ahwois, Ato, etc., you mentioned were no youth at the opportune time frame you referred to. Kufuor was even in the 1969 Parliament and was a Dep. Minister in Busia's cabinet! He was in his early 30s then.
Nkrumah was no youth when he returned to Ghana. He was in his prime. When the average life span was just about 50 for a man, anyone above 30 is no youth. A lot of the historical figures in the past, esp. centuries past, had achieved their great feats before hitting 40!
Andy-K
Theo 8 years ago
Wrong. Kufuor in 1969 when he became deputy Foreign Minister was 29 and not in his early thirties.
Wrong. Kufuor in 1969 when he became deputy Foreign Minister was 29 and not in his early thirties.
Prosper Hoetu 8 years ago
Thank you Andy. I thought that before anyone could criticize that person would have double checked his facts!
Thank you Andy. I thought that before anyone could criticize that person would have double checked his facts!
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
Theo, a good try but not so good either. I wrote from memory that he was about 32 years but it appears that my memory is better than your "research". So I did my own research: he was 31 yrs plus. He was born on 8 Dec. 1938 an ... read full comment
Theo, a good try but not so good either. I wrote from memory that he was about 32 years but it appears that my memory is better than your "research". So I did my own research: he was 31 yrs plus. He was born on 8 Dec. 1938 and so can't be 29 years in 1969. Check his profile in Wikipedia and do the maths.
Andy-K
Prosper Hoetu 8 years ago
Thanks Andy but you did not help me much. in your first point you claimed i "broke many pots" and that's all you could say.
Your point number two: I have have adequately articulated my points on experience supported with a ... read full comment
Thanks Andy but you did not help me much. in your first point you claimed i "broke many pots" and that's all you could say.
Your point number two: I have have adequately articulated my points on experience supported with appropriate illustrations.
Your point number three: I indicated that those in the independence struggle were in their 20s and 30s. Dr. Nkrumah arrived started the anti colonial struggle in the US before coming to Ghana in 1947. At that time Dr. Nkrumah was 38. Please check your facts.
If you refer to Ghana's youth policy and the African Youth Charter you will know that the age definition of youth in Ghana is 15-35 years. When the Ahwois joined PNDC they were in their 20s. Again, check your facts! Your information about Rawlings' use of "culture of silence is worth investigating" But the literature I read attributed it to Prof Adu Boahen but that is not entirely wrong because he used same.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
Prosper,
I have to admit that you made stronger points in the latter part of your piece, and it was comparatively broken pot-free compared to the first paragraphs. Much of that you can detect again upon re-reading, esp. if ... read full comment
Prosper,
I have to admit that you made stronger points in the latter part of your piece, and it was comparatively broken pot-free compared to the first paragraphs. Much of that you can detect again upon re-reading, esp. if you made a hard copy of your article. Yes, I wasn't of much helping in pointing any of your errors, as that may be considered nit-picking and deviates too much from the point. But Here you are: "people like..." is more of an "educated West African usage". Correct Queen's English is "people such as...". Use "seize opportunity..." instead of "cease...". A common malapropism.
You wrote, "have make..." instead of "have nmade...." Those are just examples from the 1st paragraph.
Your examples come from the world of industry and the corporate world. The kind of experience and leadership style required there are quite often at variance to that required in public policy positions. Public policy decision making and implementation are quite a different ball game, and so are studied by different leadership theories in Organisation Theory. Likert's Leadership Theory Y man or Theory X man may not find room in the public sphere. Besides, those young men and women most invariably work under supervision of far older senior staff as the engineers, pilots, doctors, etc., until they learn their onions. The few that showed their mettle then climb the organisational leadership ladder, through the pecking order, to the middle level and even the top by their late 30s and 40s. In the advanced countries, the political parties have well established youth wings through which cadres rose through local and national activism. Can we say same for Ghana, with its toilet seizing and acid throwing foot-soldiers for cadres?
At 38 in the 1940s, you are an old person, considering the life-span. Yes, they had "youth clubs" with even some members in the 50s! Maybe it was partly a throwback to the racist whites calling even grown black men "boys"! Urghhh!
Kwesi Ahwoi was born in Nov. 1946, Kwabena in 1951 and Ato's age seems to be hidden. It all depends on the kind of experiences and exposure they had had prior to joining the PNDC. At 30, some can be very savvy in politics. Alexander the Great died at the age of 33 but had already conquered the known world, from Europe to parts of India! It all depends on the kind of mentorship the youth have. If the current ones were super performing and not contributing to institutionalise the culture of mediocrity in the midst of rabid corruption, not one will be complaining. They appear to be as clueless as their elderly mentors and even more avidly corrupt! And they often make a lot of stupid, daft statements.
Can such people develop me and my house too?
Andy-K
Abeeku Mensah 8 years ago
How is Ghana a democracy? Is it because people vote or beause people think they have freedom of speech? There are core democratic values a country must implement and retain to be on a path to democracy and those core values o ... read full comment
How is Ghana a democracy? Is it because people vote or beause people think they have freedom of speech? There are core democratic values a country must implement and retain to be on a path to democracy and those core values or principles are yet to materialize in Ghana. For starters, Ghana cannot cherry pick which values it wants, ignore others and worst yet intimidate civic organizations or silence other political parties and call it's practices democracy at work. Every nation do engage in some form of voting processes and have some form of speech freedom and thus qualify as democracies as per definition in Ghana.
True democracy require essential branches of government, existence of effective government core institutions free from political shenanigans and unhindered access to petition government by its citizens. How many Ghanaians can say they have been free to visit the residence of the president or allowed to walk the halls of the Supreme Court or other so called institutions of government? Do you know of any nation practicing true democracy where some officials have been indemnified in their constitution? Do you know of a true democratic nation where the president or executive office has unchecked powers to negotiate binding contracts without review or flaunt institutional best practices and procedures without recourse from other branches of government? Do you know of any democracy where governments buy the media through subsidies or presidential self glorification through gold medals? There are no civilized industrialized or even developing nation out in the global community that looks forward to implementation of our delusional democracy and that should tell us something. Do people in Ghana who are in the know not always defer to the British or the USA models when in a bind; why not stand or call on our democracy? Those who seek comfort in aberrant anomalies in the US or British system as consolation to what happens in
Ghana do actually expose and confirm we do not know what we have or do shadow bits and pieces of what we deem to be a democracy.
????????? 8 years ago
Stupid idiotic rantings of a fool.
Stupid idiotic rantings of a fool.
MARCUS AMPADU 8 years ago
Mr. Hoetu I find your article timely, that our nation should give our youth the voice in expressing themselves. I want to remind you, however, that democracy is not antithetical to gerontocracy, the two terms are not mutually ... read full comment
Mr. Hoetu I find your article timely, that our nation should give our youth the voice in expressing themselves. I want to remind you, however, that democracy is not antithetical to gerontocracy, the two terms are not mutually exclusive.
Whether you are young or a gray haired elderly person you should know the difference between cease the opportunity to and seize the opportunity to: the latter - 'Carpe diem" is the correct usage. Maybe you have to be an elder to appreciate "Seize the day", from Horace's Ode.
You are right to say that young people have to study science, technology, engineering, mathematics, innovations, communications (STEMIC), politics & business. They have to make haste while the sun shines or in dumsor.
NOKWARE ASA 8 years ago
Too much time on social media, and making quick money every which way. No time to hit the books.
Too much time on social media, and making quick money every which way. No time to hit the books.
Nana Antwi 8 years ago
Kobby Acheampong of "Cocoase Korasini" fame, now we understand your foresight in asking Sir John to " broaden his horizon now that he is in Accra". Damn right his chauvinistic and arrogant effusions on the candidature of Fran ... read full comment
Kobby Acheampong of "Cocoase Korasini" fame, now we understand your foresight in asking Sir John to " broaden his horizon now that he is in Accra". Damn right his chauvinistic and arrogant effusions on the candidature of Franscisca and the Kwabre BOP delegates smack of nkurasisem kwaa kwa
Prosper:
Next time, make sure that Ghanaweb does you justice by ensuring that they properly format your writings for easy reading.
Your arguments are very valid and have been articulated with zest!
I highly doubt i ...
read full comment
M.D, why this your ethnocentric nonsense here too?!!! Cannot be achieved in the VR indeed! Where does Okudzeto Ablakwa and Fiifii Kwetey come from, you moron?
Andy-K
Experience is defined as"doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" Let the brilliant youth come out as the aged have let the country down Is it time for Nana to give way? The age arguments is ...
read full comment
Prosper,
this is an interesting piece from you and i believe that people who are concerned should read it careful and understand it. I urge you to continue writing this type piece for the public to read. This type of discrim ...
read full comment
Prosper, a good try in defence of the youth in political leadership roles but I have some objections to some of what you wrote.
Number One: what's happening to English with the youth these days? Take you for example: you b ...
read full comment
Wrong. Kufuor in 1969 when he became deputy Foreign Minister was 29 and not in his early thirties.
Thank you Andy. I thought that before anyone could criticize that person would have double checked his facts!
Theo, a good try but not so good either. I wrote from memory that he was about 32 years but it appears that my memory is better than your "research". So I did my own research: he was 31 yrs plus. He was born on 8 Dec. 1938 an ...
read full comment
Thanks Andy but you did not help me much. in your first point you claimed i "broke many pots" and that's all you could say.
Your point number two: I have have adequately articulated my points on experience supported with a ...
read full comment
Prosper,
I have to admit that you made stronger points in the latter part of your piece, and it was comparatively broken pot-free compared to the first paragraphs. Much of that you can detect again upon re-reading, esp. if ...
read full comment
How is Ghana a democracy? Is it because people vote or beause people think they have freedom of speech? There are core democratic values a country must implement and retain to be on a path to democracy and those core values o ...
read full comment
Stupid idiotic rantings of a fool.
Mr. Hoetu I find your article timely, that our nation should give our youth the voice in expressing themselves. I want to remind you, however, that democracy is not antithetical to gerontocracy, the two terms are not mutually ...
read full comment
Too much time on social media, and making quick money every which way. No time to hit the books.
Kobby Acheampong of "Cocoase Korasini" fame, now we understand your foresight in asking Sir John to " broaden his horizon now that he is in Accra". Damn right his chauvinistic and arrogant effusions on the candidature of Fran ...
read full comment