Let the Unborn live.

Abortion is when the pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the birth of a child. Sometimes, this is called ‘termination of pregnancy”. This is the deliberate act of destroying the life of a foetus for reasons best known to the mother and those involved. Apart from extreme cases where medically it is discovered and proven that the existence of the pregnancy puts the motherhood in a precarious state of danger, the act of abortion should be shunned by all.

The act is a grievous offense before God, the law, the unborn child and the society at large.From 'Atuguba's  perspective, the right to life is one that everyone enjoys as provided in 1992 constitution of the Republic Of Ghana that states that the right to life is per-eminent.  However,a  very important question is being raised; does an unborn child enjoy the right to life?

Generally, a foetus is regarded by legal fiction as already born and at such enjoys the same right to life as an already born and as such enjoys the same right to life as every living being does. The law went a step further to clothe this law with strict legal implication when defiled. These sanctions are rightly placed in both the Criminal and Penal codes used in the Ghana. This provision is may be found in the Criminal Code and in the Penal Code, but for the specific Act and Section I will adjourn it for another day for hearing to continue.

‘Any person who, with the intent to procure miscarriage of a woman whether she is or not with a child, unlawfully administers to her or causes her to take any poison or other noxious thing, or uses any force of any kind, or uses and other means whatever, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for some years.

However, where a woman herself causes or attempt to cause her own miscarriage, whether she is pregnant or not by any administration of poison, by force or means, she will be guilty of felony punishable by law. This is the position of the law for the punishment of anyone charged with abortion (be it the woman or anyone else that rendered assistance with the full knowledge of the intent of the woman). The exception to this rule is for the purpose of saving the mother’s life and except in the instance as stated above, the life of a foetus is germane to the state and thus must be protected by the state who is charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of its citizen.

 Law aside, from a moral, health and religious perspective, the act of abortion cannot still be justified. Abortion is a rude way of killing an innocent foetus. Abortion claims the lives of thousands of women yearly. These begging questions needs to be asked at this point; the death of all this ladies, is it God’s plan or man’s act? Did God plan for females to die prematurely or through this way?  Does abortion cleanse us from the mistake we made or only complicate things?  Are they no health implications even after the act of abortion has being done?  Can a man play with fire and not get burnt?

The truth is that abortion ought not to be an option if the right is done; this is because abortion is not a mystery that cannot be understood. Before thinking of abortion, the lady must first of all be pregnant and pregnancy involves the act of sex (not unless one proves to us that it is another case of Immaculate Conception as was with biblical Mary, mother of Jesus). People, who are not ready to face the product, must not engage on the process.  Ladies must learn not to engage in actions, that could easily jeopardize their lives, as they must know that sex is a two edged sword; it gladdens  the heart momentary and saddens the heart when the undesirable happens as he who plays with fire must be ready to be burnt as well. 

Parents please enlighten your children and instil some moral and spiritual discipline in them, seek to know your children beyond the surface no matter their ages. Also when the undesirable or the unexpected happens, exhibit maturity in accommodating their mistakes as two wrongs cannot make a right and with the full knowledge that everyone including children deserves a second chance.

Conclusively, children are heritage from God and at such deserve to live and the shame of keeping an unexpected child is always temporary but the guilt of killing it, is one that will remain forever.  Remember that what we do to ourselves is far worse than what any other person can do to us and so we must seek to improve ourselves rather than destroying ourselves alongside with the mistakes we made previously. Let the unborn child live because abortion would cost us more than we are willing to pay and take us farther than we are willing to go. We must put an end to this act as abortion does not stop you from being a mother; it only means you are the mother of a dead child... Either ways, you are still a mother!

 

VENERATION OF MEDIOCRITY, THE TRAGEDY OF GHANA’S LEADERSHIP FAILURE

The Bible says in proverbs 29:18 that “where there is no visions the people perish.” This declaration is very true for a generation that has succumbed to unbelievable levels of mediocrity that they sing and dance for MM/DCES, Members of Parliament and Presidents who build a few roads and then endlessly justify all the other failings of government. 

There are now large agents of mediocrity across Ghana who have made a career from justifying the inexcusable failure of the past and present governments at all levels and count some mediocre projects as achievements even after some fifty six years (56) of independence; Ghana is a certified failed country in spite of abundant human and material resources.

The phenomenon of mediocrity is not new, it has been with us for a considerable length of time; what is new however, is the extent to which the culture of mediocrity has been consolidated across the Ghanaian society with large sections of the population becoming the defenders and justifiers of the mediocrity of government and opposition parties. This is 2013, where deputy minister can anticipate basking one million dollars before calling the cat for a fight. This is where one will need a million dollars to be able to control humankind, not 1809 where one could only boost of his riches by the limitless number of wives, as well as male children to mould yam mourns. We live in the 21st century, an era that has heralded the most advanced technology ever known to man. From the internet to face book, YouTube to twitter, solar energy to wind energy, GPS to space tourism, the world is navigating through revolutionary technology in all spheres at a dizzying pace. Technology brings with it possibilities and solutions for all kinds of human challenges, it takes away the constraint and arduous task of needing to “reinvent the wheel,”  yet in the age and midst of such possibilities, Ghana has regressed into a failed state lacking the most basic infrastructure. 

Sadly, there abound so many soaked in the muddied waters of mediocrity, willing to applaud and defend the government in the open glare of colossal failings. Most worrying is the well travelled and educated elite who are now either the purveyors, enablers or chief defenders of mediocrity. Ghana is the only country where so called leaders are endlessly praised and celebrated for doing less than 15% of their job even when the 15% is mostly of doubtful quality. This trend is evident all across Ghana as governments construct a several substandard roads, erect some cranky boreholes in a few communities and get treated to dance troupes and praise singers for failing in his job. Same goes for the members of parliament who are toasted and celebrated for patching up a few spots in some badly damaged asphalt roads that continues to kill thousands of victims annually. 

Every year endless hypes and noise is made  about the purported achievement of government; how things are improving; how this and that president is ‘performing,’  but beneath all that deceit  propaganda is the reality of failure across all strata of  governance in Ghana. Neither the neither president nor any of the ministers are successful.  None of them can pass even the most basic test of good governance and accountability. Government in this time is all about scamming and mediocrity. They loot public funds, deceive the public with some mediocre projects and together with a mediocre populace celebrate their failings as success. 

In the era of unprecedented technology and attendant possibilities, the nation has gone back in time.  As a consequence of mediocrity and corruption, there is no remarkable development anywhere in Ghana in spite of a sustained oil boom and consequent availability of financial resources.  After more than twenty years of democracy the nation is littered with bad roads. There is no pipe borne water, no electricity, no functional hospitals, no functional refineries, no functional steel plants, no functional public schools, no national airline, no social housing, no social welfare, no skills and vocational training centers, no functional railways, no waterways, no modern port facilities. The tragedy of Ghana’s leadership failure is further appreciated when we ponder the irony of a nation that is producing crude oil in the world yet imports fuel for local consumption because the refineries are dysfunctional.

Patchiness and its twin of corruption have ensured that there is increasing poverty, unemployment and massive infrastructure deficit at a time the nation is awash with petro-dollars.  It has consigned the president and Ministers   to mediocre projects while ignoring major and massive infrastructural projects that would build capacity for industrial growth and social investments that will insulate the citizenry from poverty and destitution. A country  with the resources,  population and size of Ghana should have a modern rail system with high speed   trains ferrying goods and persons across the nation, state of the art feeder roads in excess of six lanes, inland waterways and state of the art river ports, modern  steel plants and refineries, a  comprehensive  and free high quality  medical system,  twenty four hour uninterrupted electricity,  pure and clean pipe borne water, special economic zones  and cluster industrial parks, subsidized  education at all levels,  basic social security and safety net, job and  vocational training centers  amongst other basic social services and infrastructure that  are  indispensable  attributes  of any  functional nation. 

Notwithstanding the mechanics of state failure, all too present in Ghana, the justifiers and enablers of mediocrity are everywhere singing praises of government for non performance and giving endless excuses why the much desired basic infrastructure and social services does not exist. A nation where so many are ever too willing to defend visionless and underperforming governments cannot succeed. At a time when so many ambitious and progressive nations around the world are blazing an audacious trail in economic, infrastructural and social development, Ghana is behind in time. A dirty, stumbling, un-ambitious giant of failure consigned to the ignoble depths of penury.

It must be borne in mind that successful societies are constructed through the continuous social pressure put on the leadership by a citizenry disposed to holding their leaders accountable. The choice is clear, it is either we emancipate ourselves from the veneration of mediocrity, and put our leaders under enormous pressure to fulfill our aspirations for economic, social and infrastructural development or continue with mediocrity and be consumed by the social violence of a failed dysfunctional nation.

BISHOP OBINIM PLEADED NOT GUILTY - on all counts in his Hot FM studio demolishing trial.

Bishop Daniel Obinim the founder and head Pastor of International Gods Way Church and two of his junior Pastors; Kingsley Baah and Kofi Akwetey on Friday pleaded not guilty in all eight counts leveled against them.

Prosecuting on behalf of the State Attorney, Joyce Debrah told the court presided by His Lordship Justice Abdulai Iddrisu that the accused persons on the 8th day of August, 2011 at about 9:45 pm unlawfully and forcefully invaded the studios of Hot Fm and vandalized properties of the radio station and caused various degrees of injuries to the Host of 'nyasem hwe' Ntim Katakyie, Kumi and Reverend Amoako Atta Junior both panelists and the producer of the programme Shadrack Adu.

The prosecuting counsel told the court that the accused persons demolished studio equipments such as voice processor, electromagnetic microphone, console, headphone distributor, three (3) sets of telephones, laptops, desk top , a transmitter and sliding doors amounting to One Hundred and thirty thousand five hundred and eighty (130,580).

Counsel for the accused persons Kwame Afriyie in his defense told the court that his clients are innocent of the charges and thus prayed the court to grant them bail accordingly.

Without contest from the State Attorney, Justice Abdulai Iddrisu granted the accused persons a conditional bail of ten thousand cedis (10.000) with two sureties each.

The suit number ST/5/2014 was subsequently adjourned to Wednesday 6th November, 2013 for hearing.

The shame of a profession

If for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a “semi-official” statement. If they have fallen into conversation with a stranger at a bar, they can conscientiously describe him as “a source that has hitherto proved unimpeachable”. It is only when the journalist is reporting a whim of his own, and one to which he attaches minor importance, that he defines it as the opinion of “well-informed circles”

Evelyn Waugh.

Journalism has never been a profession of fan-fare neither is it an all comers affair but sadly enough, it has been a ground where unemployed army of youths pitch their tent. It’s due to its perilous nature that it’s likened to the sword and even said to be mightier. It is little wonder that literature writers and illiterates have found their way into the profession, especially in Ghana with few honest men among them. Haven practiced in Ghana for years, before going on transfer as a member of this fourth estate of the realm, its an appalling knowledge to be told that the number of quacks has increased in the country, especially in Accra.

The above quote by Evelyn Waugh is a replica of what happens in Ghanaian Journalism, with connivance from the state council, led by senior editors, a globetrotting journalist, with the state  owned media house. 

The pen profession I left in Ghana can best be described as public relation agencies, who write basically to make ends meet. Now how do I mean? I hate journalism where names are withheld, except names of sources, as such; I’m going to mention names. It is a common knowledge that a member of the Ghana  Journalist Association must possess a media certificate from a recognized Tertiary institution. It’s an undisputed fact that its only graduates of Theatre Arts, Communication Arts and Mass Communication certificate holder that can be said to have a background of the media profession. This is the crux of the matter in Ghana (narrowed down to Accra) that 85 percent of journalists do not possess any of this certificate, even from a college of education.

Yet insulting it is to the union that they all have valid GJA identity card. In a bid to unravel how they came about parading the ID card, investigation reveals that during the last Ghana Journalists Association election, the incumbent vice chairman, who was then an aspirant took various names to the head quartes, ID cards emerged which validated them to vote for him.

The media practitioners in Ghana can be likened to parliament of vultures, a market place where poor written stories are sold to the highest bidder. This is a state where assignments are a call to eat the national cake, with a minister ready to dole out millions after every press briefing. 

 

As the Affail Money's led executives’ moves to sanitize the industry, there will be no better place to start from than Accra, beginning with the private media, and until this is done, we can all bid goodbye to this noble profession in the Ghana.

LET THERE BE SEX

You’re probably reading this article because the title got you curious, offended or slightly infuriated. If that’s the case, I’m glad I got your attention. However, my intention is not just to arouse your curiosity but to remind you of some fundamental truths which we all know — at least intuitively — but often

Choose to ignore. So please read on. Whenever sex is mentioned, especially in religious circles, most people put on a “what-are-you-talking-about” look as though it doesn’t affect them. But we all know that it does. No matter how religious you are, you have to admit that sexual urge is natural and you cannot satisfy it by fasting and prayer or any other spiritual discipline. So, rather than turning a blind eye, we must learn to address it within the right context.

I was moved with compassion as I read the story of Aseyie, recently reported by Ghanaweb. She explains how sex addiction took hold of her life for more than 14 years. Recounting her ordeal, she says “It was a craving and a fear of how I’d feel if I couldn’t get it. Once I did, it was a huge relief, like a weight was lifted. It’s like any addiction. It made me selfish, self-destructive and depressed but it was a cycle I couldn’t escape. When I started having sex with my boyfriend I thought it was the answer and would stop me feeling so lonely. But it wasn’t enough.” Like many people, Aseyiewas using sex to replace her feelings of loneliness. Aseyie lost her virginity at 13 and struggled with sex addiction until she sought help when she hit rock bottom at 30.

On the other hand, some people treat sex as taboo. Most of us were not told the truth as children and teenagers whilst some of us were told ninety-nine percent truth plus one percent lie. But ninety-nine truth plus one percent lie is equal to deception! Quite unconsciously, many people have imbibed the lie that God is against sex — that He doesn’t want people to enjoy themselves. But really, this is not true. God created sex and even blessed it! He owns the trademark and it bears His signature. And like any manufacturer or service provider, He included terms and conditions – sex is meant to be enjoyed and protected within the context of a committed and loving relationship, between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

After having 40 partners and bedding 370 men, Aseyie has apparently realized this. Now, she says “I don’t plan on having sex any time soon. If the right guy comes along and I feel I’m in a stable, loving relationship, I’d feel safe to do it.” Sex is best enjoyed in marriage. In marriage, a man and a woman can enjoy intimacy with each other without fear of abandonment, betrayal, or disease; and within this type of relationship with a stable mother and father, children can be best cared for and raised to healthy maturity. God created sex to be enjoyed between a married man and woman; not between individuals who are not married to one another as in pre-marital sex, free love or extramarital sex; and not between members of the same sex, as in homosexuality.

These restrictions are not meant to spoil our fun. Rather, they are meant to shield us from avoidable grief and devastating heartaches. Sex outside of marriage comes with many problems, a few of which include disease, unwanted pregnancy and uncared for children, guilt and emotional trauma. Consequently, it is in our best interest that we heed the gospel of abstinence, fidelity and sexual purity. However, for those who have caused themselves a lot of grief before realizing this, there is still hope. I have great respect for people like Aseyie who have boldly stepped out to tell their story. Our attitude towards such people should be compassion, not condemnation.

Charles McCarthy is a teacher, writer and campaigner of empowerment.