Ghana has one Northern Region

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Kevin 10 years ago

A bit pedantic aren't we?

A bit pedantic aren't we?
KODJO 10 years ago

What is correct is what is correct. The same amount of energy is expended when learning both the right thing and the wrong thing. Then why learn or teach the wrong thing.

What is correct is what is correct. The same amount of energy is expended when learning both the right thing and the wrong thing. Then why learn or teach the wrong thing.
Hon. Minister 10 years ago

Well written piece. Straight to the point. As journalists we should strive for quality in our work. I have read many times how they say Wa, Upper East regional capital. But Wa is capital of the Upper West region. I have also ...
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Well written piece. Straight to the point. As journalists we should strive for quality in our work. I have read many times how they say Wa, Upper East regional capital. But Wa is capital of the Upper West region. I have also heard them say in the news "Bole-Bamboi" district. But the district is Bole, it is only the constituency that is "Bole-Bamboi ". It does not matter that any one will think they are the same, what is critical is that that is not how they are called. If we want them to be the same then we have to change the names. Until then please keep them as they are.
Fiifi Faidoo 10 years ago

Fantastic piece. We must all learn to be meticulous . The mediocrity in our country is reaching unpardonable levels - and the frightening thing is : many see it as trivial!!!!!

Fantastic piece. We must all learn to be meticulous . The mediocrity in our country is reaching unpardonable levels - and the frightening thing is : many see it as trivial!!!!!
Abubaar M. M. Azindoo 10 years ago

Fantastic piece! Relevant education in clear language and excellent argument!

Fantastic piece! Relevant education in clear language and excellent argument!
P. B. S 10 years ago

Ghanaian journalists, especially those from the south (as they want us to call them) do not want to know anything from within the country. All they interested in is violence.
How can you refer to anywhere in Upper East ...
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Ghanaian journalists, especially those from the south (as they want us to call them) do not want to know anything from within the country. All they interested in is violence.
How can you refer to anywhere in Upper East or anywhere in Upper West or Northern region as simply 'in the north " as if the north is just a small community with one name
fabio 10 years ago

well said fellow countryman, i also have problems with the quality of journalism in this country. can you imagine a journalist who , most of the time uses "eerrmm" "aahm" etc even while broadcasting? i appologise to the few q ...
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well said fellow countryman, i also have problems with the quality of journalism in this country. can you imagine a journalist who , most of the time uses "eerrmm" "aahm" etc even while broadcasting? i appologise to the few quality journalists we have but honestly something must be done.
jo_melody 10 years ago

Spot-on and straight to the point piece of education right there? Ghanaians generally are lazy in reading wide, hence our unpardonable mistakes here and there.I have alwayz said alot of southerners failed to read the history ...
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Spot-on and straight to the point piece of education right there? Ghanaians generally are lazy in reading wide, hence our unpardonable mistakes here and there.I have alwayz said alot of southerners failed to read the history of the northern part of this country and it is not suprising seeing these petty mistakes by an institution if you like, like The Daily Ghaphic. Thanks once again for an excellent article.
mojingles 10 years ago

Ghanaian journalists of today are well known for their mediocrity. They sure cannot write clear and concise sentences and certainly won't know that the northern region comprises of three distinct parts as the writer amply enu ...
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Ghanaian journalists of today are well known for their mediocrity. They sure cannot write clear and concise sentences and certainly won't know that the northern region comprises of three distinct parts as the writer amply enunciated. Sad commentary, but true.
James Jasinfa 10 years ago

Mr Idris, you have made my day. several well meaning Ghanaians have had course to complain, but for going the extra mile to school us this way, many and I are greatful and hope government officials, journalist and "educated" ...
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Mr Idris, you have made my day. several well meaning Ghanaians have had course to complain, but for going the extra mile to school us this way, many and I are greatful and hope government officials, journalist and "educated" Ghanaians will wake up, be responsible and help the younger ones know Ghana better. many thanks

Bombaseng 10 years ago

Well done. When I listen to some of the pronunciations by our journalists, I wonder where they had their education or training. They behave like educated illiterates. They are not ready to learn the correct things after acqui ...
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Well done. When I listen to some of the pronunciations by our journalists, I wonder where they had their education or training. They behave like educated illiterates. They are not ready to learn the correct things after acquiring so many qualifications in journalism. So sad for Ghana.
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 10 years ago

Well argued! Elegant language! Delightful read!

Sad that such a literary gem wil waste his time prancing about as a science teacher. What Bro. Pacas missed most in his entire life is the opportunity to study language in a ...
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Well argued! Elegant language! Delightful read!

Sad that such a literary gem wil waste his time prancing about as a science teacher. What Bro. Pacas missed most in his entire life is the opportunity to study language in a formal setting in order to develop his natural flair. He would have been a great English Teacher. Instead, he was misled to study science, and must forever play second fiddle to well-trained English Teachers.

In any case, Bro. Pacas can still abandon science and enter into the study of law. This is my considered advice because he will forever remain more known for his talent in the English Language than in any of those science subjects. I don't even know the branch of science he teaches, but I have always known him to be an excellent writer.
IDRIS PACAS 10 years ago

Thank you!
That to be considered.

Anyway, were you able to come home during the Xmas holiday period?

Thank you!
That to be considered.

Anyway, were you able to come home during the Xmas holiday period?
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 10 years ago

I was not able to travel home because I got scared with all this noise about Ebola. There were friends here who vowed to run away from me if I traveled.

But I hope to make the trip this coming December. I will let you kno ...
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I was not able to travel home because I got scared with all this noise about Ebola. There were friends here who vowed to run away from me if I traveled.

But I hope to make the trip this coming December. I will let you know when.
IDRIS PACAS 10 years ago

I will be happy to hear from you around that time.

I will be happy to hear from you around that time.
Jato Kaleo 10 years ago

It is far better to be a specialist in Science who happens to be good in English than the other way round.

Often, respected journals look for scientists with a flair for writing and not good writers who happen to be inter ...
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It is far better to be a specialist in Science who happens to be good in English than the other way round.

Often, respected journals look for scientists with a flair for writing and not good writers who happen to be interested in the sciences.

Moreover, our country needs more scientists than English Teachers or Lawyers.

So Idris, stick to the sciences and get your colleague sciene teachers to write better English.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

Dr SAS,

I have been reading your advice to people to study law with amusement. You must be the first lawyer from your extended family or even clan!

For those of us grew up in the culture of lawyers, enforcing the law, e ...
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Dr SAS,

I have been reading your advice to people to study law with amusement. You must be the first lawyer from your extended family or even clan!

For those of us grew up in the culture of lawyers, enforcing the law, etc., from the Gold Coast to the post-indep era, there is no aura or prestige about studying law anymore.

Before your "tribesmen" of the "these Akans" category start throwing their venomous arrows at me, let me say that my extended family and clan started producing lawyers since the colonial times, besides helping to establish and administer the nascent judiciary. I grew up reading some of the huge court ledgers of records my grandfather kept as the Court Register in the Eastern Province, Keta. We at first used to giggle at the word "plaintiff", thinking it was the legal way of writing "plain thief", until we figured out that the plaintiff was the complainant. One auntie with maiden as my surname was the wife of IGP Harlley and one clan woman was the famous Annie Jiagge. I personally have two siblings who read law too. The senior one, a sister, retired not long ago as Chief State Attorney. One of her abiding regrets was that our father asked her to join the public sector in the civil service. She didn't then go to the Ghana Re-insurance as their Solicitor but re-posted to the Attorney-Gen. She head the VR and then Ash/R for many years before being brought to Accra to head a special section for handling corrupt practices which never saw fruition. She even had to find her own table and seat! I won't tell the public the response she got from Betty Mould when she went to complain about conditions. She'd murder me!:-)

Incidentally, the junior sibling was posted to the same outfit, rising to become their Local Manager having specialised in insurance through further courses, (at a time the most qualified insurance practitioner in the whole country but it didn't stop Kofi Coomson and his Chronicle giving him and his boss, Mr Dzikunu, the usual special treatment), before he also left disillusioned to start his own insurance brokerage business at Ramia House.

Well, with this background, I had heard enough from family sources, outsiders and friends. One is that when lawyers died, they are buried face down in the coffin with a stone tied behind their back! My junior brother thinks it is unwholesome to practise as a lawyer in Ghana (hmm! he now wants to become a pastor!). But then, when I heard that it was the vogue amongst graduates to go to Law School while holding down a job in the public sector and then become part-time lawyers without a chamber and you too can live well in Ghana, or upon return to the country if you are a returnee, I handed over my HP financial calculator to our accountant brother who was relieving same frustrations we saw our father experiencing in the '60s and 70s, accountancy being another family profession, and hinted my jnr brother abt my intention. He took a whimsical look at me and said, "Efo, what's wrong with you? Everything I have told, you don't seem to have heard." That was my last thought of thinking of becoming a lawyer.

I have since then formulated a theory of how the generally conservative Ghanaian lawyers in the public sector, private practice and above all, in politics, are the bane of our society, dragging it down and preventing our modernisation and civilisation. They are intellectually bereft of ideas, are caricatures of their counterparts in the West, since they have ideational values best associated with mostly their peasant origins. Lawyers must be put in their places in Ghana if we must make a head-way into breaking into the civilised world.

Andy-K
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 10 years ago

Did you have to bring "tribe" in this matter before going on your digressive tour? You always amaze me with your inherent prejudice.

How does your post jive with your insult "You must be the first lawyer from your extended ...
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Did you have to bring "tribe" in this matter before going on your digressive tour? You always amaze me with your inherent prejudice.

How does your post jive with your insult "You must be the first lawyer from your extended family or even clan!" What has that got to do with your argument?

Anyway, my fulfillment in life as a very happy lawyer makes me want to encourage those with talent to join the profession and share in its challenges, prestige and joy. And my advice does not have anything to do with those with atavistic hatred of the profession who are prone to label lawyers as "caricatures" or "bereft of ideas". Your cousins made a poor showing of their lives as lawyers; this does not mean everybody will.

Stop your childish hearsay statements that always reference the narrow views of your family circles.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

My statement is no tribal insult of your person or anyone else. It is a direct reference to your mentality about lawyers. True or not? You are so starry-eyed about being a lawyer! Tee! hee! You see, lawyers are just supposed ...
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My statement is no tribal insult of your person or anyone else. It is a direct reference to your mentality about lawyers. True or not? You are so starry-eyed about being a lawyer! Tee! hee! You see, lawyers are just supposed to be like accountants who help CEOs to run a business but have taken over the running of the business without acquiring the requisite management skills! They are therefore running Ghana down playing politicians!

Well, you digressed and brought in study to be a lawyer again and I felt the need to stop you doing so. Tackle that.

Do not understand my statement about lawyers as a sweeping one covering all lawyers, btw.

And then, I wrote siblings, not cousins. And I also mentioned a bit of what they have achieved. My sister retired as Chief State Attorney and one of her summations is considered a classic case and included in the law report for case studies courses.

As for my jnr brother, he became an insurance lawyer - more like a corporate lawyer. He as into conyeancing too, being the lawyer for a very important country when they were acquiring land for the new embassy. Foreign countries of that stature don't retain you if you don't have a reputation.

No, I referenced mates and colleagues from Legon too; not only my rich, unbeatable family circle sources. And they are all primary sources, not hearsays!

Andy-K
kidibey francis 10 years ago

thus great. thanks for correction

thus great. thanks for correction

ONLY ONE. 10 years ago

Great piece. That's fine.

Great piece. That's fine.
Truth Stands 10 years ago

Politically Ashanti is part of Northern Zone

Politically Ashanti is part of Northern Zone
JOHN 10 years ago

No phrase like Northern zone is mentioned in the above article. It is your own coinage. Don't impose it on the writer and needlessly re-correct it.

Which Northern zone are you talking about? Depending on the activity, vari ...
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No phrase like Northern zone is mentioned in the above article. It is your own coinage. Don't impose it on the writer and needlessly re-correct it.

Which Northern zone are you talking about? Depending on the activity, various organizations, eg, GFA do classify Ashanti, BA and the three regions in Northern Ghana as Northern Zone. This classification reflects not our political history right from the then colonized Gold Coast to present-day Ghana.

If your needless point holds, do we call Asantes Northerners?

Learn correct things first.
NOWATI 10 years ago

We are in a democratic society so anything which doesn't even require criticisms, we try to do so in the name of freedom of speech.

The writer should have channelled his energy to something else. Headlines in newspapers i ...
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We are in a democratic society so anything which doesn't even require criticisms, we try to do so in the name of freedom of speech.

The writer should have channelled his energy to something else. Headlines in newspapers in any part of the world can't be subjected to any scrutiny, they give quick insight about the news, so normally the competent newspapers in the world ignore even article usage (a, an, the). So in the first place, the issue being a headline of newspaper makes him ignorant to put anything sensible for readers.

Secondly, communication is about letting a listener or reader to UNDERSTAND a message put across. If a listener/reader understands the message put across, communication has taken place, this is the reason why a language is dynamic. As a matter of fact, there is nothing wrong with the THREE NORTHERN REGIONS. It has come to stay and it will be continued to be used by the good people of Ghana until another term/name is emanated. Everybody as a Ghanaian understands that "Three Northern Regions" refers to the Two Upper regions (upper West and Upper East) and the Northern region. Do people get confused when THREE NORTHERN REGION is mention? If no, then there is no need to get worried about it. Your criticism is just like somebody saying "I am going to Obama land" and you want the person to say "I am going to USA."

Talking about Asante and Asanti (or kufuor and kuffour), also there is nothing wrong with these two words, they are used interchangeably. They have come to stay and you must accept or else you will be taken to a psychiatrist for help, I repeat here again, language is dynamic. Consider US and USA, or consider Elmina and Elimina the use of "i". Consider Akyem and Akim. My advice to you is if you can't accept dynamisms in languages and spellings, very soon you will be doing strange things like somebody staying on a different planet other than the planet earth.
JOHN 10 years ago

The write-up has no political connotation. Your comments only reflects where you're.

The writer is a teacher. A student who writes Asante in place of Ashanti Region loses a mark for wrong spelling.

Language dynamism has ...
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The write-up has no political connotation. Your comments only reflects where you're.

The writer is a teacher. A student who writes Asante in place of Ashanti Region loses a mark for wrong spelling.

Language dynamism has timeline. A phrase or word begins as being informal. Whilst being informal, such a word or phrase has no place in formal writing until it is formalized and recorded in mainstream text.

One need not be a newspaper journalist to spot an error and correct it. Bow down your head in shame.

If you write WASSCE as KOUFIE KUFFOUR but assume that both KOFI and KOUFIE are the same, fill your university admission form as KOFI KUFUOR and see whether you may not be charged for impersonation.

What you fail to understand is that in any given write-up, one spelling of a word is used throughout. Thus, if you write Akyem and then maintain Akyem throughout your document, no reader will be confused but using the two words is what irritates or confuses readers.

Many English words are formed as such, eg, dAiry & diAry, lIon & liOn and patIos & patoIs. Only care is required to distinguish such words. Thus, it not by choice to write what you want.

This issue above is even more relevant to local names which can hardly be cross-checked in dictionaries. Newspaper or online stories are not meant for only local users.

A reader from Japan who sees Akyem as an ethnic group in Ghana in Paper A cannot assume that Akim in Paper B is the same as that in Paper A. This is the reason that justifies the use of single or same spelling.

Continue your assumption and keep expressing your feelings. By the way, have you read through the comments made by the other readers?

US and USA are weird comparisons. Even where a dictionary offers two or more spellings of the same word, the lexicographer places emphasis on the first one. Nonetheless, which one to use depends on your field of study.

So what you loosely consider as dynamism in language actually reflects your misunderstanding of language use, which depends on the tone and context of writing.

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Ghana has one Northern Region

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