I keep my capacity for disgust

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• Prof. Issifu, UK 9 years ago

  I really enjoyed this thoughtful article. May God have mercy on our deceitful politicians!

  I really enjoyed this thoughtful article. May God have mercy on our deceitful politicians!

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• Kwamea 9 years ago

  Food for thought sister Lizzy please we want more of such articles and keep educating us so will also get there. Bravo and more grease to your elbows.

  Food for thought sister Lizzy please we want more of such articles and keep educating us so will also get there. Bravo and more grease to your elbows.

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• Carol 9 years ago

  Well said, Ms Ohene.

  Well said, Ms Ohene.

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• Kodjo 9 years ago

  Interesting article but when it comes to spelling when do we distinguish between English and American English.Happy you talk little about grammar and punctuation because these days,it is the idea in the content and not the fl ...
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  Interesting article but when it comes to spelling when do we distinguish between English and American English.Happy you talk little about grammar and punctuation because these days,it is the idea in the content and not the flowery nature of the writing,tha is what counts.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  Isn't it interesting how we quickly separate those in authority from society at large, as if those we elect to power are aliens from another planet. We become outraged and discombobulated when we come face to face with our mi ...
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  Isn't it interesting how we quickly separate those in authority from society at large, as if those we elect to power are aliens from another planet. We become outraged and discombobulated when we come face to face with our mirror image in an elected official, and easily forget that we all come from the same rotten society - a society devoid of critical thinking and morals.
  
  Rather than pointing fingers at those we elect to lead us, we should look at ourselves in the mirror and ask how we could be different from the society that nurtured us. As they say, talk is cheap! Ghanaians enjoy pontificating the ills of society, but are always found wanting when they are in the driver's seat. Those people we elect to position of power, went to the same schools as us, eat the same foods as us, and predisposed to the same intrinsic values we cherish and admire. How then can we say 'them and us'? We are ultimately those we elect into authority. It is that simple and straight forward.

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• GORGORDUTOR 9 years ago

  Master borhor biom wai!!

  Master borhor biom wai!!

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• Alligator 9 years ago

  The error of the Independence Brochure was not one of those errors that eventually deaden one's sense of disgust at wrongs or the bad. It is not completely correct for Elizabeth Ohene to present it as such.
  
  The error is no ...
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  The error of the Independence Brochure was not one of those errors that eventually deaden one's sense of disgust at wrongs or the bad. It is not completely correct for Elizabeth Ohene to present it as such.
  
  The error is not also the culmination of our gradually deteriorating education system (so-called). We have had corrupt and incompetent governments in the past (including the ones Elizabeth served in) but they have not produced such a horrendous error.
  
  There is something special about this error. That is why the sabotage theory sounds somewhat plausible. But even a sabotage at that level should be eventually detected by the system before it works itself out. There were many stages at which the errors could have been discovered and corrected. The last stage was the distribution to the guests where the error-riddled brochures could have been stopped.
  
  Often in the production of such documents, many people would be interested in looking at it and seeing how it comes out - the page setters, designers, people whose pictures would appear wanting to see themselves first, etc. So there were lots of opportunities for the errors to be corrected unless the brochures were printed just before the ceremony began and rushed to the grounds. This doesn't seem to be the case. So what really happened?
  
  It is only a thorough and impartial investigation that can uncover the cause of this "national disaster". We are waiting for such a report.

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• Son of the soil 9 years ago

  For once I'm impressed by what our dear sister, Elizabeth, has written. However, it is quite obvious that no degree of incompetence at that level can result in the kind of brochure we saw on our independence day celebrations. ...
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  For once I'm impressed by what our dear sister, Elizabeth, has written. However, it is quite obvious that no degree of incompetence at that level can result in the kind of brochure we saw on our independence day celebrations. You can tell that the errors were concocted and contrived. Anyway, what I would like to ask our dear sister, Elizabeth, is even if the errors in the brochure were genuine errors, which does she consider to be a worse faux pas or gaffe: the 2016 independence brochure or the fact that a whole minister of finance and economic planning could tell this whole nation that he went to Germany to sign a document, an agreement that was written in German, a language he doesn't know or understand and he actually signed it? Was that a sign of competence? Does such action reflect intelligence? Is that one of Ghana's proudest moments? Yes, let us all keep our sagacity for disgust. We sorely need it.

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• Alligator 9 years ago

  Signing a contract in German which the Finance Minister does not understand MAY (or may) not be a disaster. The technical work for a contract is done long before the signing. This technical work is done by the experts in the ...
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  Signing a contract in German which the Finance Minister does not understand MAY (or may) not be a disaster. The technical work for a contract is done long before the signing. This technical work is done by the experts in the ministry and the representatives of Ghana. Discussions are made and an agreement reached BEFORE the contract is signed. The document that is to be signed must have already been read and understood - in whichever language. The official signing is just a ceremonial thing.
  
  It is not the minister who must read the contract at the time it is given to him to sign to see that it is correct before he signs. That must have been done by his staff after an agreement is reached.
  
  The Minister may have known that his work was already done before he put his signature to it.
  
  Remember too that even if the contract were in English, that doesn't mean the Minister understood it. It may be in technical or legal language which his staff must have cleared before he signs.
  
  I don't know what explanation the Minister gave but I am sure this would not be the first time the minister signed a contract in a language he did not speak.
  
  I agree with your earlier view that the errors in the brochure were "concocted and contrived". It sounds plausible.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  All bilateral contracts are produced in contracting parties official languages. There will be one copy in German and the other in English. Under no condition would a contractual agreement be produced in only one language if t ...
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  All bilateral contracts are produced in contracting parties official languages. There will be one copy in German and the other in English. Under no condition would a contractual agreement be produced in only one language if the parties are of nationality. This is some of the falsehood peddled in an ignorant and gullible society.
  
  Bilateral agreements are binding once signed, and in a democracy such as ours, these agreements go through many parliamentary committee readings before the official signing ceremony. As Ghana is not a German speaking country, and none of the parliamentary committee members speaks German, it is highly improbable that the agreement will be in German language. This another DC Kwame Kwakye story - a complete farce!

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• Alligator 9 years ago

  Thanks a lot for the expert answer. Kwabena. It is very illumination. And thanks for all your other informed contributions on this forum.

  Thanks a lot for the expert answer. Kwabena. It is very illumination. And thanks for all your other informed contributions on this forum.

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• asuo 9 years ago

  I asked myself do we get content because there is always a group who see no wrong with what is universally known to be wrong? When you are made to clear your lawn of a plastic bag every single day, I think you get get used to ...
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  I asked myself do we get content because there is always a group who see no wrong with what is universally known to be wrong? When you are made to clear your lawn of a plastic bag every single day, I think you get get used to it as sad as it may seem.

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• samuel villa 9 years ago

  Well said with vested interest, on the I'll prepared brochure.Taking things that are perceived to be minute may become gigantuant just like the probe Ghana@50 expenture where there no records/staff to assist in the audit the ...
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  Well said with vested interest, on the I'll prepared brochure.Taking things that are perceived to be minute may become gigantuant just like the probe Ghana@50 expenture where there no records/staff to assist in the audit the committee was satisfied with the rationalisation that accounting staff at the secretariat were not permanent and that the the CEO had left for London for 3months and that ended the case up to date.

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