‘When will you replace your watch?’
As soon as he sat by me, with a mischievous look on his face, he pointed at my wrist and asked, “When will you replace your watch?” His 1968 Year-Group schoolmates of Achimota School (OAA 1968), and indeed friends, generally call him Oshimpan or “Oshie” for short.
In the military, he is officially Colonel John Armah Okai (Rtd). In previous articles, I called him “Abednego/Abed!”
So, why did Oshie ask me to prematurely retire my beloved old-faithful wristwatch which has served me so loyally? I shall return to that.
Event
The venue that Sunday, March 23, 2025, was the Victory Presbyterian Church, Frafraha, where we had assembled for the launch of two books by lawyer/banker/management consultant/author, Mr Kofi Otutu Adu Labi.
The launch attracted a large number of dignitaries and was chaired by Colonel (Rev) David Adoteye-Asare (Rtd), former Chaplain General of the Ghana Armed Forces, with Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur as guest of honour.
Some of the VIPs were former Justice of the Supreme Court Professor Date-Bah and his wife, Justice of the Supreme Court Professor Henrietta Mensa Bonsu; Law Professor EVO Dankwa and Mrs Efua Ghartey, President of the Ghana Bar Association.
Also present were Dr Akwasi Hanson, my senior at school, and my classmates Professor Henry Baddoo, with his wife Rachel, and Dr Kwabena Smart-Yeboah.
The MC was Dr Stella Agyeman-Duah of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Kwabenya. The Reviewer was Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (Rtd).
Books
The two books launched that day were Gems from the Hilltop and Become an Investor! Not a Taker: Hilltop Secrets.
Gems from the Hilltop is a 12-chapter 122-page book.
In Chapter 1, titled “When Dreams Come True”, I found it intriguing that, of all life’s wishes, the author’s dream should be that of going to the beach to pull nets with fishermen.
Such was his desire that when his first attempt to join fishermen at Teshie got scuttled because of bad weather, he was disappointed.
However, he consoled himself with the lesson he learnt from the skill of the Chief Fisherman who, notwithstanding having had no formal education, perhaps knew more about meteorology and the sea than the classroom offered.
He cancelled the expedition at the last minute because he considered the weather inclement for fishing. The author stated: “I saw it as a call to everyone to appreciate that we do not know everything. Every skill is important to make the world what it is, and a contribution to humanity.”
When eventually the author got the opportunity to pull the net at Prampram Beach with fishermen, he was absolutely joyous, as he titled it,
“At last, a dream come true!”
A lesson he learnt from the fishermen at Prampram was that in spite of their simple lives, they did not complain or blame anyone for their circumstances. Indeed, they showed contentment with life.
Truth/integrity
The author’s discussion of Truth/Integrity reminded me of the saying, “You can fool some of the people all the time, all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
To support this, he has an interesting quote on page 56: “The certainty of misery is better than the misery of uncertainty.” It is better to speak the truth and be damned once than to lie and live in constant fear of being found out.
He buttressed his point on Integrity, saying:
“I was astounded to hear the story on BBC Radio in August 2022 of a primary school football match in England replayed 50 years after the original game. Reason? Graeme Jones, 60, who was one of the primary school footballers, had apparently shoved the goalkeeper on the opposite side with the ball over the goal line in the dying seconds of the match. The referee did not see the shoving and this resulted in Graeme’s team earning a dubious equaliser to the match in a 1-1 draw.”
Graeme went on to become a naval officer. However, unable to assuage the conscience of his cheating, which deprived the opponents of a victory, Graeme, 50 years later, assembled all 22 players, including one from Costa Rica, now an average of 60 years old, to play a return match.
This time, Graeme’s team was comprehensively beaten by 6-2. This was Graeme’s therapy for the guilt he had carried for 50 years.
The author asked readers to eschew negative thinking and talking and be positive about what they think and say! In concluding Gems from the Hilltop, he states in Chapter 5: “The search for meaning in life has engaged the time and energies of sages and ordinary people over the years. Some have sought to amass wealth at the peril of their relationship with God. Others have sought political power, only to get embroiled in endless conflicts.
We should never forget that God brought us into being for a purpose. There can be no fulfilment in life outside the will of God. It is in him that we find peace, joy and victory!”
In a recent UK publication on March 27, 2025, titled, “UK publishes details of unclaimed estates belonging to 58 dead Nigerians,” it states:
“The estates have been classified under ‘Bona Vacantia’, a legal term indicating that no valid claim has been made for the assets, thereby rendering them property of the Crown.”
To Ghanaians who have converted public monies stolen with impunity into “box/square-buildings” in Ghana, and buildings in the UK /US, remember the Greek goddess of divine retribution and vengeance, Nemesis! Indeed, the Bible says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19).
Book 2
The second book reviewed was “Become an Investor! Not a Taker <\a> Hilltop Secrets. This is a 13-chapter book with 159 pages. The author states:
“According to the late Dr John Edmund Haggai of Haggai International fame, there are two kinds of people in the world, ‘Investors’ and ‘Takers.’
What I have learned from him is that you must be willing to invest time, energy, labour and seed if you want to be an investor. Investing in any venture, relationship or undertaking requires sacrifice, patience and pain.
Takers, on the other hand, tend to reap where they have not sown. They have a sense of entitlement and are not prepared to pay the price for investment. They have a fast-food mentality!”
Adu Labi states that such people “are obsessed with power and being at the receiving end of attention. They feel the world revolves around them. They have a sense of self-importance, which demands respect.”
Indeed, self-aggrandisement is their way of life and every project, though undertaken with public funds, must be named after them. What they forget about the reality of life is that respect is earned and not demanded. Sooner than later, they become a nuisance to society and get rejected for their selfishness, when they lose power/authority.
‘Hall-of-Famers’
Chapter 3 is titled “Hall of Fame of the Greatest Living Ghanaians.” Here, he has a select group of eight “Investors” whose lives he believes are worthy of emulation by Ghanaians.
They are Dr Felix Konotey-Ahulu, a renowned medical doctor; former Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood; Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chancellor of the University of Ghana; Mr Cameron Duodu, a renowned Journalist; Dr Victor Lawrence, an International Scientist; Professor William Abraham, a Philosopher; Justice (Prof.) Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, and Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a renowned Heart-surgeon and Politician.
Chapter 7 is titled “Bees, Investors of the most unusual kind.” The author writes about his chance encounter at a 70th birthday party with Prof. Peter Kwapong, an Entomologist at the University of Cape Coast.
From him, he learnt about bees, as the unsung heroes of human existence. Until the meeting, all the author knew about bees was what most of us know. They make honey and they sting.
However, he learnt that bees pollinate plants, contributing to, perhaps, the most important part of food production in the agriculture value chain.
Discussion
In summary, the two books are heavily spiced with Biblical quotations that espouse morality as the compass humans must use. The author discusses leadership, vision, humility, knowledge and integrity, among others, as a necessary condition for any society to develop.
Unfortunately, these qualities are in short supply in Ghana. Hence, galamsey destroying our environment, intemperate language/disrespect, road traffic indiscipline/deaths, blatant stealing and corruption.
For those who misuse the power/authority vested in them, remember Martin Luther King’s statement, “The arc of the moral universe might be long, but it bends towards justice”. Evil never pays!
Wrist-watch
I started the review by reading out the author’s WhatsApp invitation message to me. It read: “General, may I ask you to do a 12-minute review of my two new books at the launch?”
I chuckled as I asked myself, “12 minutes to review two books?”
That Sunday, knowing I had done well over twice the 12 minutes given me, I concluded by saying, “By my watch, I have done only 11 minutes so far. So, I will use the remaining one minute to sum up!”
It was during the uproarious laughter my innocent statement triggered that Oshie heard someone remark, “This General’s watch is spoilt.
He needs a new one”. Hence, his question: “When will you replace your watch?”
Leadership, lead by example! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!
The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya/Council Chairman, Family Health University, Accra.
E-mail: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com
