Ghana can turn declining fortunes around — Rawlings
Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has given an indication that the country can turn its current decline around.
Advertisement
He commended authorities of Achimota School in Accra and others such as Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast for the special efforts they had made not only to maintain academic excellence but also to preserve and develop their physical structures and natural habitat and noted that “the standards some of these schools have upheld give hope that we can turn Ghana’s current decline around.”
According to the former President, he recently visited Achimota School when he was feeling dispirited about the situation in the country and was very impressed with the greenery, the gardens and the good structures and that gave him hope.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was amazed at the structures, the greenery, the gardens surrounding the structures, the houses. It was as if Achimota had risen out of the ashes. The place gave me so much spiritual satisfaction that it just sparked some hope in me and I thought that if Achimota could do it then Ghana can do it,” Flt Lt Rawlings said.
The former President who was speaking during a recent meeting with the 1995 Year Group of Wesley Girls High School in Accra called on old students of such institutions to pay back what they took from their schools in terms of academic and moral excellence.
“What we need to preserve, money cannot buy – that sense of patriotism, sense of fairness, self respect and sense of dignity. We should pay back in order to maintain the standards for the benefit of the country.”
Corruption
The group which was led by its President, Asibi Ofori and patron, actress Anima Misa told President Rawlings their destiny had been influenced by him because of the senior secondary school system his government introduced.
“Twenty years down the line, we have come to pay our respects and pick your mind on a couple of things,” Madam Ofori said.
Other Trending Stories
The former President described Wesley Girls as known not only for its academic excellence but also for its sense of discipline. He said it was important that such schools were insulated from being corrupted by current trends such as the protocol allocation that seems to override students of merit.
“Corruption,” the former President said, “is no longer a practice but has become a pervasive culture. The challenge we face is to preserve that sense of discipline and responsibility that goes with academic excellence.”
President Rawlings said people are becoming immune to corruption, and are now unable to decipher the difference between right and wrong. He added that there were many sensible people who saw what was wrong but dared not voice it because of the partisan nature of our politics. He charged the visiting Wesley Girls old students, who included his daughter, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,to speak out on pressing national issues.
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings
Former President Rawlings' daughter, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, a member of Wey Gey Hey 1995, had described the junior and senior secondary system as a broad-based education that had benefited them immensely.
“Most people will look at great institutions such as Achimota, Wesley Girls, Mfantsipim and take them for granted. But they cannot be what they are unless the values are maintained and I think that is where we have a problem because some students are being admitted to schools not on merit and we have situations where people are allowed to abuse the system and disrespect members of staff because they come from families who are privileged or have political power,” Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings stated.