Zenith College holds matriculation

“Be the change you want to see”

Zenith College holds matriculation

Yirenkyi Opare-Akuffo

The President of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of Zenith College, Mr. Faisal Ibrahim has advised the youth of the country to use dialogue and non-violence in addressing their grievances for that, he said, is the only way of reaching a consensus and finding amicable solutions to disagreements.

He was speaking at the Sixth Matriculation and “Akwaaba” Week Celebration of Zenith College in Accra on the theme of “Be the change you want to see”.

The SRC President said gone are the days when students used radical and violent means in addressing their grievances which let to mayhem and in the extreme cases loss of precious lives and damage to properties.

He urged the youth to reject any politician who will preach violence in the forthcoming December elections. This he said “is the only way we can be the change that we want to see”.

Mr. Lawrence Nyarko, the Dean of Students said, the theme for the occasion could not have been more appropriate. He said “If the freshmen and women want to be the change that they want to see, they should be serious with their academic work, and go beyond classroom work to acquire more knowledge in order to cause the change that they want to see”.

Mr. Davis Nii Armah, a guest speaker at the celebration, advised the youth to change their attitude and believe in themselves. “If nobody believes in you, you will surely succeed but if you do not believe in yourself, then you are bound to fail, so believe in your capabilities and abilities” he said.

Kwabena Osei Kuffour a musician known popularly as ‘Obour’ said life did not begin at forty of said but life begins now. He said anybody who believes life begins at forty is a failure. “The youth hold the key to our national development”

He encouraged the students to take active part in school activites especially student politics so as to be politically mature to take up higher political responsibilities after school.

He advised the students to be law abiding especially as Ghana decides in December and do away with any politician who does not preach peace. “Be the change that Ghana needs not the change that greedy politicians need” he said.

Traffic lights or Decoration Poles

Away from the politics of running mates to the politics of…

Traffic

Lights

As a measure of our underdevelopment. Why don’t they work? Who is in charge?

Who pays for the accidents caused by faulty ones? No answers from AMA, the Police, Urban Roads and signalling companies…

An Accra Daily Mail (ADM) Special Survey by Yirenkyi Opare-Akuffo and Mary Samini

In this election year, any presidential candidate who can assure the Ghanaian electorate that they can make traffic lights work, would most definitely win many votes from the thousands of motorists and pedestrians who have become victims of the country’s non-performing traffic lights. Traffic lights in the national capital and other cities are often at best mere unsightly decorations and at worst instruments of confusion, destruction and death.

A simple invention, but one of the most inspired in human history, traffic lights are everywhere. They are to cities, towns and villages, what valves are to the human heart. Without them, there would be no controlled pulse to modern human habitation and life itself would be threatened. With only three colours, green, amber and red, traffic lights direct movements of cars, trains, human beings and just about anything that moves in human settlements with motorized means of transport. They were invented in the last century by an African American at a time when modern cities were beginning to experience “jams” between cars, humans, horse-drawn carriages and trains. Traffic lights, without doubt, can be described as the heart of the modern human settlement. In a sense, traffic lights are a measure of a society’s civilized behavior.
They are signaling devices positioned at a road intersections, junctions, level crossings, pedestrian crossings or any location that requires orderly and ordered movement. They are found all over the world and in Ghana there are about 138 signalized systems in the capital, Accra. This number, many transport and traffic experts, say is totally inadequate for a city the size of Accra.

Though the Ghanaian figures are unimpressive, many problems continue to be associated with the few traffic lights in Ghanaian cities which compound human and vehicular traffic in the country. Traffic light locations have become sites of terrible smash-ups leading to serious injury and destruction of automobiles. In a survey conducted by ADM, it was clear that traffic lights in the national capital just don’t work and some have been out of commission for months on end without being repaired or replaced.

When ADM took up the issue with Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Daniel Julius Avorga, Commanding Officer of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, he said the police are not responsible for the installation and management of the traffic lights in the country.

He told ADM that “FACOL and Signals and Controllers Limited are responsible for the maintenance of the traffic light” in the city.

ACP Avorga said the police have been reporting the cases of faulty traffic lights to the two companies but “keep on receiving the same complaints of power fluctuations, hit and run drivers, obsolete spare parts and thieves stealing parts of the lights making replacements very difficult.”

Asked why the police are not present at the locations where traffic lights do not work, he attributed this to lack of manpower in the police service. This has led to the often dangerous and embarrassing presence of bedraggled unemployed youths “volunteering” and taking over those locations to direct traffic whilst at the same time badgering motorists for money.

On that, he told ADM that such “volunteers” are being arrested and some of them have been prosecuted and made fined GH¢ 60 (600,000 old cedis). Hardly a solution to the problem.

The ACP also disclosed that some of the volunteer wardens were drug addicts. “When twelve of them were put under observation”, he said “they were found to be suffering from withdrawal symptoms.” He advised all road users to be cautious on the roads especially where traffic lights are not working and pleaded with the public and other stakeholders in traffic management to appreciate the efforts of the police and cooperate with them to make the roads safe for all.

The press, he said, should also be circumspect and stop reporting only on the negative aspects of police work.

When then the PRO of the AMA was contacted he lamented saying, “I am sorry we are not responsible for the traffic lights, but go to urban roads and they would help you”. Mr. Theodore Quaye, the Accra Metro Roads Traffic Engineer of the Department of Urban Roads told ADM that most of the traffic lights in the capital are not working because they have outlived their useful life spans of 10 to 15 years.

Because of this problem, he said, their parts are out of production. “Even where you are lucky enough to get some of the spare parts of these obsolete traffic lights, they are very expensive as compared to replacing the traffic lights entirely,” he said.

The Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) frequent and constant power fluctuations, he explained, also lead to the failure of the traffic lights.

The traffic lights, he said, can take 230 volts but sometimes go under voltage and over voltage resulting in the burnout of the circuits of the lights.

“Hit and run drivers” he also claimed “are also a major source of the problem.”

Mr. Quaye, however said, traffic lights in Accra are being changed from the incandescent bulbs to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs which are cost effective and energy saving.

He said so far about 25 of the traffic lights have been replaced with LED and very soon the whole of Accra will be covered.

He revealed that there is a project soon to be started by the Department of Urban Roads where all the traffic lights will be changed under an area-wide signal control for Accra.

The fund for the project, he said, has been secured by the government, and it is expected to be completed by 2012.

“Under this project, all the 138 signalized systems in Accra will be computerized, monitored and controlled from one control room…This means the issue of non-functional traffic lights will soon be a thing of the past,” he said.

Mr. Leonard Casely –Hayford, the Managing Director of Signals and Controllers Limited, one of the two companies contracted to manage and maintain the traffic lights in Accra also confirmed the problems enumerated by the Accra Metro Roads Traffic Engineer, but said technology is leaving Ghana behind “and we should try to catch up with the rest of the world.”

Traffic lights in Ghana should be state-of-the-art technology as in other parts of the world.

“Non-functional traffic lights will soon be history,” he said.

But the question still remains: Who is in charge of Accra’s traffic lights? Who takes responsibility for locations where traffic lights don’t work? Who pays for the accidents that arise due to faulty traffic lights?

Another question, which touches very deeply into the Ghanaian psyche is why don’t Ghanaians respect traffic lights? Ghanaian drivers drive to beat traffic lights not to obey them. Amber to the Ghanaian motorist means “speed up” instead of “prepare to stop”. As the society grapples with the problems of non-performing traffic lights, the indiscipline of the traffic light cheating driver also imposes its own problems. The simple traffic light could after all be the best yardstick of our level of underdevelopment…

WELCOME MARBELL, WE LOVE YOU

Yesterday, 8th July, 2008 was the day AUCC students went gay. The Reason? Marbell was elected S.R.C President that special day. We drunk and danced the whole night with our jubilation knowing no bounds.
May God bless this fine Tuesday when all AUCC went gay. We say Marbell we love akwaaba awaawaatuu.
We say may you find favour with the Lord. May your reign be filled with success. We promise you today of our unflinching support for your Presidency. We say Congratulations. Ayikoo. Mo ne oko pa a woa ko awie. Berima Katakyie ye ma wo amo ne adwuma den. Wo se na wo fata enti ko so ara na di wo hene.
Welcome and we love you

MARBELL IS THE PRESIDENT

Marbell Henry was yesterday, 8th July, 2008 elected the S.R.C President of AUCC for the 2008/2009 academic year in an election held in the school.
Marbell who is also known as IGWE emerged as the winner of the Presidential election polling 139 votes from a total of 251 valid votes cast representing 55.4% with his contender, Asinyo Edem Kobina Antonio managing only 112 votes representing 44.6%
Ironically both men have been the best of friends for some years now.

The result came as no surprise as Marbell was widely expected to win and it is worthy of note that Antonio gave Marbell a run for his money. The election which was keenly contested, with both candidates virtually sitting on thorns, started at about 8:30am with low voter turnouts in the early hours of the day but later picked up.
By the results of the elections, Marbell becomes the sixth S.R.C President of AUCC with the elections going down into history books as one of the most fiercely contested between two fine gentlemen who are the best of friends.

Meanwhile, Fiifi Ninson Botchway was elected Vice President with 141 votes representing 56.2% against Bertha Eyram’s 102 votes representing 40.6% with 8 rejected votes representing 3.2%. Frederick Takyi also succumbed to his contender managing a disappointing 99 votes of total valid votes cast representing 39.4%. His contender, Bernard Attiah Donkor popularly known as Bananey secured 145 votes representing 57.8% to clinch the Organizer position with 7 rejected votes representing 2.8%

With the General Secretary/Public Relations Officer portfolio, Linda Mireku beat her other three contenders massively, as she secured 167 votes representing 66.5% with her closest contender Wendy Marfo, a late entrant managing 31 votes representing 12.4%. Eunice Raquel Antwi-Adjei and Jonnel Dotse were a disappointment securing 26 and 20 votes representing 10.4% and 7.9% respectively. 7 votes representing 2.8% were rejected. On the other hand, Ruby Azalatey was not able to stand the heat as she gave way to her contender by losing the Welfare Officer portfolio with 109 votes representing 43.4% to Ella Nongo who scored 55.8% translating into 140 votes. 2 ballots were rejected representing 0.8%

The other positions were however contested unopposed. The Women’s Commissioner went to Nana Ama Banful, who polled 204 votes and the Local GUPS/NUGS President going to David Kweku Babayara, securing 220 representing 81.2% and 87.6% respectively. Frederick Duodu however secured 224 votes representing 89.2% to clinch the Financial Secretary.

The election was free, fair and transparent and I commend the electoral Commission for a job well done. At the close of polls 251students out of a total number of 329 on the voters register cast their votes representing a voter turnout of 76.3% which is highly commendable.

LEADERSHIP CREDENTIALS

I was class prefect in primary five and six and a compound over-seer at Oda Wesley Primary School from 1995-1996

I became the assistant class prefect in JSS One, then rose the class prefect position in JSS Two and Three respectively and a sectional leader/house prefect in my final year, at Oda Wesley JSS from 1997-1999.

I became an assistant class prefect for two academic terms at Koforidua Sec/Tech School in the 2000-2001 academic year.

I then became a class prefect from secondary school form one to first term form three at Akim Swedru secondary School. I rose to the position of Head Prefect, became a member of my school’s SRC and subsequently got elected as a Regional Trustee of the Eastern Regional Students’ Representative Council (ERSRC). I was the President of my school’s branch of the National Union of Presbyterian Students of Ghana at Akim Swedru Secondary School in the 2002-2003 academic year.

Currently, I am the Class Rep. of the first year students noon session of the African University College of Communications (AUCC). I am also the Domestic Projects Coordinator of the Journalists for Human Rights Chapter of AUCC.

I am also the Regional Coordinator for Programmes & Administration of the ERSRC and the General Secretary of the Conference of Heads of all Regional SRCs. I am also the ERSRC’S Representative on the Federation of Youth Associations of Ghana (FEDYAG) Eastern Regional Branch.

AUTHOBIOGRAPHY OF YIRENKYI

THE BOY IN HIS YESTERDAYS

Yirenkyi Opare – Akuffo was born on the 11th day of March, 1984 to Akuapem parents, Nana Kwaku Opare - Akuffo and Juliet Akua Obiribea Asante as father and mother respectively, from Akropong – Akuapem and Mamfe-Akuapem respectively in the eastern region of Ghana.

I had a very humble beginning starting from the Local Authority (L.A) nursery school at Suhum also in the eastern region where I stayed in that department for only six months and was transferred to Wamfie in the Brong Ahafo Region to join my father and my step-mother. As a child I was particularly interested in sports especially football but due to ill-health I had to forego my ambition of becoming a great football star.
When I got to class one, my father traveled to Nigeria and my step-mother sought transfer to her home town, a village called Anamase in the eastern region. My step-mother was taken ill short after our arrival in the village and my father also met a lot of misfortunes in Nigeria. Life became so difficult for me and my siblings and the future was so bleak for us. All this while I was just seven years old. But I never lost hope as I had faith in God. And it was the timely intervention of my grand mother that saw my self and my siblings back in school again.

My father returned from Nigeria three years later and we moved from Anamase to Akim Oda. In a new community, and a town for that matter I could not find my bearings until some months. At the Birim LA primary school I became the main topic for discussion as a boy from the village, I settled so fast and begun to dictate the academic terms of my class thus class four. Unfortunately, the school was just to see only one year of me as I was transferred to another school, Oda Wesley Primary school.

In my new school my academic prowess began to show as I was nominated class prefect of my class thus class five three weeks after reporting. My interest in extra curricular activities saw me joining the drama troop. That same year my school joined other Methodist schools in the district and in fact Ghana to celebrate John Wesley Day. My school was asked to perform a play depicting the calling of John Wesley-the founder of Methodism. I was given the responsibility of acting the role of John Wesley. With my quest to make an impact everywhere I find my self, I acted it so well that I was quickly called John Wesley even by The Reverend Ministers right after the programme.

In primary six, I was nominated by my teachers for the post of compound over-seer a position I handled to the admiration of all my teachers. I also became the overall second best student that same academic year thus the 1995-1996 academic year. I graduated to Oda Wesley Junior Secondary School (JSS) now Junior High School (JHS). There we were asked to write an entrance examination, and yet again I came out as the third best student out of 150 applicants. After two weeks in JSS/JHS 1 I was elected the assistant class prefect. In JSS/JHS 2, I was unanimously elected the class prefect due to my hard work and the desire of always making an impact and serving as role model to my colleagues. It was therefore no surprise when I was elected house prefect/sectional leader in my final year while I was still the class prefect. Yet again my academic prowess showed when I was the joint best student of my school after the release of the results of the 1999 Basic Education Certificate Examinations.

I gained admission to Koforidua Secondary/Technical School in 2000 to purse General Arts. As fate will have it, the long and icy hands of misfortune caught up with me once again as my father lost his job. This made it impossible for me to pay my school fees and as a result spent only two academic terms in the school. I then went to stay at home with the idea that I have become a school drop out and my dreams and aspirations shattered. It air worth noting that even with my short stay at Koforidua Secondary/Technical School, I was the assistant class prefect and a member of the school’s drama troop. I was also part of the contingent that represented my school and won the 43rd Independence Day March Past Award in the Eastern Region.

Lady luck however smiled on me the following academic year as my grand father secured a scholarship for me. This enabled me to get back to school again, however to repeat the class and in a different school-Akim Swedru Secondary School (AKISSS) in 2001. I immediately announced my presence in the school as soon as I was admitted by contesting in the then weekly debate organized by the Junior Graphic and won the first prize. That made me the toast of both teachers and students and was immediately elected the class prefect. Few weeks later, I led a team of first years as a Principal Speaker in a debate contest against the second years and won handsomely. I was then given the huge responsibility of leading my school’s debate team into challenging the best debating school in the Birim South Distict now Birim Central Municipality, Oda Secondary School. My resolve to always be among the best if not the best, and the desire to always make an impact motivated me into the battle. This time around, the status-quo changed and we emerged the victors. It is also worth mentioning the record I set in the in the school and still hold. I came out tops for two unprecedented academic years only dropping to the third position in my final year.

In my third year, I had to resign as the class prefect because I was elected the head prefect or school prefect and by default became an executive member of the students’ representative council. I was also elected the President of the National Union of Presbyterian Students’ of Ghana (NUPS-G) branch in my school. The student activism in me wouldn’t let me rest until I contested and won emphatically as the first Zone Five Trustee of the Eastern Regional Students’ representative Council (ERSRC) with eleven secondary schools under my jurisdiction all in the 2002-2003 academic year. I also led my school’s team into a constitutional week celebration quiz organized by the District Directorate of the National Commission on Civic Education of the Birim South Disrict Assembly now the Birim Central Municipality for all the seven secondary schools now senior high schools which my school came out tops.

I taught as a pupil teacher after secondary school at Mawuli International School at Akim Oda from September 2003 to May 2004. There again my leadership instincts showed as I was nominated to act as the secretary of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). I was nominated as the staff secretary and as the head of the examinations committee.

My bid to excel in communication motivated me to enroll at NIIT in 2004 to study computer networking since I believe communication and Information Technology go hand-in-hand. I graduated in 2006 with an Honors Diploma in Network Engineering.
For me, I have always maintained that position is not an end but indeed a means to an end.


THE BOY IN HIS TODAYS

My desire to cause a positive change in the lives of students in Ghana and the eastern Region in particular sent me back to the region in August 2007 to contest the post of Regional Coordinator in charge of Programmes & Administration which I won convincingly. Barely two and a half months later I was unanimously elected the General Secretary of the Conference of Heads of all Regional SRCs. By dint of the fact that I am the Regional Coordinator of ERSRC, I represent the ERSRC on the Federation of Youth Associations of Ghana (FEDYAG). I was a member of the team that represented all Regional SRCs at the 41st National Congress of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in August last year at the University of Education, Winneba. This I did in my position as Regional Coordinator-Programmes & Administration.

As a student of the African University College of Communications (AUCC) where I have enrolled to pursue a two-year diploma in communications, I have equally paid my dues as a student in activism. In just two weeks of admission, I was unanimously nominated as the class representative a position I am still holding. Just a little over one month after my admission, I was identified by the Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) a club in the school and subsequently nominated to the position of Domestic Projects Coordinator. A position I have held till now and have discharged my duties effectively and efficiently. I was also identified to be a member of the committee that drafted the constitution of JHR. This I did with the support of people like Henry Marbell as the chairman, Dela Odoo a member, Susuana Ago as the secretary and Fiifi Botchway also a member. The work was done within three weeks. People both internally and externally including Mr. Kofi Attoh, an Accra based Lawyer and a Lecturer of AUCC has described the constitution as one of the best he has seen.

I have fairly represented AUCC on several students’ platforms including the Ghana Union of Professional Students (GUPS) re-union night at NAFTI in Accra, the GUPS central committee meeting at the Trans Africa College also in Accra and the Emergency NUGS congress at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. Also worthy of note is that I was part of the first year debate team that beat the second years’ in a debate competition during the “Akwaaba Week” celebration to formally welcome the freshers into the university fraternity. I was also a member of AUCC’S debate team that trashed JAYEE Institute during the SRC’S Women’s Week celebration of the former.

I have participated in some club activities. These clubs include the Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) and the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) AUCC Chapter though I am yet to join the later.

I was a member of the students’ delegation which attended the funeral of the late Phidelia Alornyeku a student of AUCC who died after a short illness.








MY TOMORROW

I stand at the bank of the river and shout “floret” “floret” for the today I see shall be seen no more. What I welcome is my tomorrow and with a beam of smile, I embrace it with all the goodness it brings. I also say when you dream, dream big. For the dream may come true.
Yirenkyi Opare - Akuffo

Yirenkyi believes the future is today’s contribution and that what one does in future is only the completion of what one has started yesterday. This conviction has necessitated why I believe I am going to continue with my student’s service. I wish to cease the opportunity to state here that I am neither an opportunist nor seeking my selfish desire, but partisan I only desire to cause a positive change wherever I find my self and to make a strong impact as well as be a source of inspiration and motivation to others...

My greatest desire is to become a communication expert in human rights reporting, an international lawyer, and work with any international organization that is into human rights issues. I wish also to be a great and vibrant politician to continue causing positive change in people’s lives.

Personal Ideologies: Personally I believe that the African is his own enemy as a result of the number of coup de tars which only retard development and progress. But I also do believe Africa’s problems have been blown out of proportion and that we, are just like other people, on the earth surface. Every country and continent has challenges. Those challenges of the African continent could be solved by the very Africans and that the Brotonwood societies are only helping us to compound our challenges whiles they whitewash their own. I am a socialist and do believe there should be an equal access to national assets and worth.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL.

U beautiful girl you must be vigilant. Always take care of yourself. For men have only deceptive tongues. Their sayings are not consistent with their characters. Their tongues are as sweet as honey and you are like a big drum every one wants to beat. Boys will pretend they love you but deep, deep in their hearts they don’t love you. They only want to have their way with you. Wait upon the lord for the right time. For sure, God has a project for your life. And remember the motor of men and boys; thus love is the name and sex is the game so forget the name and play the game. Be wise my beautiful girl.


When life makes you to put up with mean and hateful people, just think of them as sand paper. They may scratch you and rub you the wrong way, but you end up smooth and polished; and the sun paper would be worn out and ugly. Beautiful girl, love your enemies it will drive them crazy.