GHANA DECIDES

Umm! Many! Ghanaians are anxiously waiting for the Election Day which is exactly a week today to elect a new president and various parliamentarians in their constituencies around the country. This elections have been tagged “ a crucial one” which seems to be a straight fight between the ruling party NPP (New Patriotic Part) and the major opposition party NDC (National Democratic Congress) but CPP (Convention Peoples Party) which is another opposition party might pose a threat to the election by causing its to a run off which very likely.

This years elections has been a source of concern to many in the country being it religious leaders, international diplomats have been preaching peace to the masses in the country because of pockets of violence that have cropped up in the past months around the country. Everybody is praying for peace during and after this year’s elections, nobody wants war in this country.

Most Ghanaians are looking for very free and fair elections next week Sunday and may the best candidate win to become the next president of our dear country Ghana.

WORLD OF WORK

I have been having some challenges since mid April when I became jobless due to redundancy exercise carried out by my employer Church World Service (United States Refugees Resettlement Program).

I started working with this organisation as an intern February 2004 and I was later hired as a full time employee in April 2004.I worked on several projects whiles working with them such as cropping, renaming of refugees pictures into a large database called WRAPS (World Wide Refugees Admission Processing System), I also helped in maintaining the computers and network systems of the organisation.

I have an enermous experience in volunteer’s management; I work as part time General Manager for a UK organisation called Africatrust Networks. Organising projects for volunteers, monthly evaluation of volunteers, coordination of volunteers and also meetings with the Vice Consul at the British High Commission in Ghana are some of the major duties that I have been handling.

I have a deep passion for this role due to different volunteers I do meet each year coming from different countries with diverse behaviours; it tends to be a learning environment for me as well as good working experience with human nature. I am looking forward to complete my education with University of Portsmouth, UK which would open up more opportunities in the world of work.

UNIVERSITY WORK @ PORTSMOUTH

Well, well! I am having lots of work @ the University of Portsmouth and carrying out loads of student’s responsibilities as I am the student rep for the Computing and Information Systems department.

My study @ University of Portsmouth is top up Bsc programme after completing my professional course in Information Systems Management with IMIS, UK.I am done with semester 1 and preparing for the semester which starts next year February, and would be taking Patterns in Software Development and Advanced Networking. Both units are challenging and need extra work and dedication.

I am also doing my final year project work in Database development to capture information of rural farmers in West Africa. It’s one interesting piece of work which involves frequent interactions with stakeholders like the monitoring and evaluation unit, farmers, surveyors’ etc.I have to involve all these people to enhance the systems requirement gathering to make the project successful and I am really grateful to have a wonderful supervisor called Mrs Penny Hart. So far she has been helpful and supportive throughout my project plan development, information gathering and other necessary information that would enhance my work.

I meet with Penny Hart once every week for discussion and also catching up with any lost items in the past weeks. Our meeting is 100% virtual (I mean online), using a system called victory which unique to University of Portsmouth staff and students. We all use the system (victory) for every activity being it lectures, board of studies meeting, chatroom session etc.

Infact, my university experience with Portsmouth is very fantastic, I have been learning a lot and also meeting well experienced course mates from all over the world. But I am very close to one man called Michael Cheuk; he’s a British and works with British Telecom.

So far university work has been wonderful and for now I am doing much work on my project work with the help of Penny Hart my supervisor. It’s lot of work but I know I will catch up pretty soon and it’s keeping my busy as I am in the house currently without any job.

GHANA'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Yesterday,was another historic day for good democracy in Ghana politcal scene.It was the second time that all the major four politcal parties eyeing for the presidency come December 7th 2008 came to together to debate on various issues that have for the people of Ghana.

The second debate was help in Tamale,the Northern part of Ghana as the first was held in Accra some weeks ago.It was good thing for the general electorates to know the kind of candidate they want to vote in some few weeks time.The parties represented were national democratic Congress (NDC),a major opposition party in Ghana and have been in power for two terms under the leadership of JJ Rawlings,the Convention peoples part (CPP),a party of the first President of Ghana Dr kwame Nkrumah,the peoples national convention (PNC),which also a party of one time head of state Dr Lihman and the new patriotic party (NPP),the ruling government's party who are seeking for another four year term in office.

The political tension is quite high as there have been several pockets of violence in some parts of the country especially in the northern Ghana.These development have generated various questions whether Ghana can hold a peaceful,fair and transparent election as it has been done 16 years ago.

GHANA'S NEW PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

Today many Ghanaians witnessed the commissioning of the new presidential palace which was formally known as the flagstaff house during the Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s era. This new palace is going to be the official seat for the next president of Ghana, with residential facility, offices and other businesses.

The building was built by the Indian government loan facility, and the Ghanaian government contributing 35% of the total cost.Infact, there is an ongoing debate surrounding the overall cost of the presidential palace and interestingly, the ruling government is not able to give any figures concerning the huge edifice.

Most Ghanaians especially, the opposition parties in Ghana did opposed to the construction of this presidential palace with their views being that it’s a misplaced priority.Infact, everything surrounding the presidential palace seems to be in a rush even the commissioning of the palace today, the building is not that finish but may be the ruling government would like to use it before going out of office.

GROWING UP

I grew up in a small town called Agona Swedru in the central part of Ghana,which is about 45 minutes drive from the capital city Accra.In my early childhood days,i lived in a big compound house with different families from different cultures in Ghana.This was sort of great experience in it on way,as one tend to learn different behaviours and languages in just one scene :).

My early childhood education started with a local private school called Swedru Happy Home,this is where i developed my first english language skills as well as its writing.I enrolled in this school for the rest of my basic and juniour high school education,infact i had a good time there by making new friends,sharpening learning skills,being part of the school athletetics team and also excelling in my final year basic education examination that jumped me into the senior high school.It was an amazing feeling to see myself in the senior high school level at that time,though there were few challenges in the beginning of my senior high school days.

Swedru Secondary School (SWESCO),was my school during my senior high school days where i read Horticulture,Chemistry and General Agriculture as my major areas aside English,mathematics etc.Senior high school days were very exciting as meeting all kinds students from various junior high schools in Ghana........infact..!! it was an experience that prepares you for the real world.