Why are Ghanaians Scared of Their Highly Educated Ones?

In Ghana, it is a sad tradition that when one is educationally highly qualified, possessing especially, a Doctorate degree (PhD), those either less qualified or are without any formal education tend to be scared of them. The highly qualified individuals do usually have less respect for their compatriots who could not make it up to the same rung of education ladder as them.

However, are the ten fingers on the human hands not of different sizes with each having a defined special job to do, although always working collectively to complete any given task? Without say the thump, the index finger, middle finger, the ring finger or the baby finger (Pinky), certain tasks cannot be completed perfectly well by the hand. Each finger has a specific role to play in completing any job assigned to the hand to perfection.

In the same manner, everyone in the Ghanaian society has a role to play in making life worth living in Ghana. We cannot all become highly educated people each possessing a PhD (abbreviation for doctor of philosophy: the highest college or university degree, or someone who has this).

The society requires farmers to produce food to feed the nation. Without farmers there will be no food to eat and without food people will die of hunger. The society needs people to keep our streets and markets clean without whom rubbish will accumulate in public places to create insanitary conditions that will result in diseases, sicknesses and deaths. The society needs security forces to keep the nation and every citizen safe from unnecessary aggressions and attacks. The society needs teachers to educate our children in schools. Can all these persons be PhD holders and without them can we survive as a nation of individual human beings? To me, the son of the soil of Kumawu/Asiampa, the answer is a BIG NO!

Why then do our Ghanaian formally educated ones, especially those with Masters Degrees and PhDs have no respect for the less educated or non-educated ones in the society? With the little said about the teeming non-educated or less educated ones and the finger analogy above, have we realised the importance of those that the society often looks down upon?

It has always been my personal aspiration to meet a mouthy Ghanaian PhD holder so that I can use common sense and little questions to cut them down to pieces. I personally do not see the comparative value and importance of the Ghanaian PhD holder outside the fact of being a member of the society to help play a part as said above.

Most of them when they talk, you will think they are like the Nigerians who believe they are one inch taller than the Ghanaian or like Jamaicans who think they are two inches taller than the African. They disrespect their less educated Ghanaian fellows. I really detest that deplorable attitude of theirs.

After all, are they able to invent things or create jobs for us to do like my fellow Kumawu compatriot, Dr Kwabena Dufuor of distinguished qualities; honest, respectable and respectful, dynamic and dedicated to duty and is of service to Ghana and Kumawu has done? If they are not creating jobs or inventing things that will better the standard of living of Ghanaians and humanity, why should we allow them to bluff their way into superiority that is less meaningful to society?

I am taking the Ghanaian PhD and other highly certificated-degree holders to task today. I will want to see them put their heads together to solve the problems facing Ghana as a nation that are making us laughing stock internationally or regionally in West Africa.

Ghana is overwhelmed with corruption, incessant power outages (dumsor), armed robbery, and collapse of both large and small scale industries, joblessness and insanitary conditions. How do you solve them for us, as intelligent and book long persons as you are?

If you are unable to assist as requested but keep on blowing your horns, I will dare you to a contest, drawing on my overflowing fountain of wisdom to bring you down to earth from that high horse you are riding full of yourself.

Following this publication, our educated ones who keep blowing their horns too loud will cease doing so but will rather do something concretely beneficial to all members or most members of the society.

They should not conduct themselves as empty vessels making most noise. Until they do something to benefit society but not only their limited families, they must cease conducting themselves as King Kong, disrespecting the less educated ones who are in majority in the society. It is not all about using their acquired paper qualifications to intimidate people or using it to acquire illegal wealth as done by Alfred Agbesi Woyome that makes them successful and powerful but rather, to help people if they cannot invent things as done by our contemporary Whites.

Ghanaians, please stop being scared of your highly educated compatriots. By being needlessly scared of them, you are making them into monsters. Once they become monsters, they will turn on you to devour. See them as normal human beings and friends. Approach them as you will approach your friends, although with a little respect and all shall be well.

My role models are Dr Kwabena Dufuor, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, Brother (Hon) Martin Amidu, Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Mr Kweku Baako. They are honest, selfless, and dynamic and dedicated to the duty of serving Ghana with all their heart, mind and soul in their own defined ways.

Rockson Adofo