I wish to thank those who read my article about the wrongs that were going on in Ho Polytechnic. I have taken note of their comments, especially those about the grammar usage in the article; I wish to tell them that it would not happen again. This was as a result of the fact that I used a mobile phone in writing the article which made editing very difficult and also as a result of the fact that I was not conversant with its usage. It is about the Queen’s language, thus, all of us must use it as the Queen intended her language to be used. These days when most students, more so use the internet to read materials there to update their knowledge anyone posting materials on the net must be mindful of this to construct the accepted grammar and not to mislead young readers. Once again, I wish to apologize for the inconvenience my grammar usage might have caused to readers of the article. However, I want to state without any reservation that the grammar has not taken away the import of the article, which is the truth and the situation on the ground which I still stand by and will expose more wrongs doings and negligent of duty and responsibility at the place in my next article which will be revealing and mind boggling.
Until the advent of the University Health Allied Sciences, Ho Polytechnic was the only public tertiary institution in the entire Volta Region and it has trained many people who are occupying respectable positions in this country, contributing their quota to the development of Ghana and to their own communities. Similarly, there have several people who headed the various departments of the school and many who have served as rectors and performed creditably. So, if today, things are going wayward, we need to interrogate those in charge.
Talking about the usage of charcoal in the kitchen of the cafeteria, I learnt the Head of the department said it is not a bad thing. She should be ashamed of herself. Does she use charcoal in her house? Not that I know of. If she cares to know, the attempt to get Ghanaian use gas was a policy put in place to avert the rate at which the vegetative cover of this country was been chopped down for fuel. However, today, if that noble purpose is being defeated through the in actions of governments over the years, it must be a cause of concern to all of us and indeed it is a worry to many a Ghanaians. Therefore, Ho Poly as an elite institution that is training people to spear head the development of Ghana should not have made such a serious blander. It has been several years that the gas system has broken down in that department. What stops its repairs? Does it mean that there is nobody available to service the leaking gas pipe? If that is the situation, then I am right to say Ho Polytechnic is a failed institution. My next question is that are there any synergy at all among the various departments of the school at all to enhance service delivery in the school? Or, all the departments are for themselves? Polytechnics have been set up purposely to train the manpower needs of this country and the technical departments are to equip students with skills and be innovative to be able to invent simple machinery to help us solve myriads of our daily life problems. But this has become a mirage as a result of incompetent people like the head of the HTM department of Ho Polytechnic who have nothing to contribute to this noble cause but warms that seat as a head. No wonder, a wayside food joint at Sokode Gborgame is having more patronage than Ho Poly’s cafeteria where food expects with portmanteau full of certificates operates.
In the wake of discovery of oil and gas in Ghana , I think by now the school must have put plans far in advance to have people trained in that field. It takes a leader with the mark of vision to do this. That is why people like Dr Afeti would be remembered. As I said earlier, I am coming out with yet another report that would shock everybody as to the extent to which the Ho Polytechnic has been left to rot. Keep your fingers cross.
Ebenezer Anane Akuley