Making 'sense' of the GHC 324 million faulty SSNIT Software

Hearing in the news of a SSNIT payment 'transfiguration', my mind made me feel it was one of the 'normal' government appointee 'choppings' of a $660,000 in the name of a software. Even that I want to ask what kind of software will SSNIT need to cost that much? However I was shocked to the core when I realized that a life-changing whooping $72 million was used to buy a software. No oo, I mean GHC 324 million or 3.24 billion old cedis was used to buy a software. What? Did Bill Gates build gold-plated codes personally for this software? My good Lord!
Now to the crux of my issue. In a country with a 5-star science and tech university like KNUST, couldn't have the Computer Science Dept. helped get such a software at a less amount? I am sure my senior colleague old boy of Ghana National College, Mr. Jeff Bamba of Infoview Data Solutions could have built a better software for far far less? So sometimes don't our appointed government officials think through some of these things? How can you do this to this country? To hear that the software could have been purchased at $ 3.6 million, even beats my mind. Software? Ebei ooo

We are in a country where most pensioners cry foul about their end of service pay yet, the Trust they contribute into which pays them meagre accounts paid a whooping $ 72 million for one software, which is already becoming useless. I'm sure USA which has the Silicon Valley won't even buy a software at this stupid amount (pardon my language). Sometimes, some of these government appointees make us feel they lose their reasoning and bargaining ability, not to talk of patriotic sense, when they get into positions.

This money could have been used to reinforce collapsing existing industries or start a new factory in my Cape Coast North Constituency to give jobs to the youth or build pension club houses across the country to add value to the state of being a pensioner in Ghana. All these could have added to the already 'golden' coffers of SSNIT.

This money has been chopped by a group of people and for me they should 'vomit' it, not like Woyome's convenient 'vomiting' of the GHC 51 million he chopped. Let's begin to hold people accountable for all the 'foolishness' at the expense of the state. 

Source: www.opando

ON AHOMKA-LINDSAY AND 'DIASPORADIC WHINING'......

I will agree with Nana Ansah Kwao IV that indeed, taking the speech in its entirety, there was no wrong done. The Dep. Min pointed out how he could whine yet did nothing until the good old JAK challenged him to.

Now to the following questions:
- Do some people in the Diaspora not whine?
- Is it not true that there is a seeming affinity for Ghanaians in the Diaspora mostly wanting to see the head of an MDA, especially when they want do something?
- Is it not true that some people in the Diaspora come to Ghana and complain about how everything else does not work here yet do nothing about making things work?
- Did Mr. Kofi Koranteng not corroborate the import of Mr. Ahomka-Lindsay's speech by his words and posturing?


And I am hearing something about arrogance..... Unfortunately I can't find it. The speaker is a former 'Diasporan' and he had met his fellow 'Diasporans', how else was he to speak than the 'Diaspora way'. And the disdain with which the Ag. Communication Director of the party distanced the party from the speech is better left to rest.


So all Ghanaians should #StopWhining and help solve the problems we see or encounter as local residents or people in the Diaspora.


#OpandohIndex #GhanaMatters

SOCIOLOGY OF SUICIDE; A case of the recent incidents at UG and KNUST (Part 2)

Special thanks to all who read, shared and commented on the part 1 of this article. It is great to know that a sociological explanation helps in better appreciating a social issue like suicide. The enormous role of society in suicide has been brought to the fore. As indicated, this second part will focus on dealing with the four causes of suicide as postulated in Emile Durkheim's work 'Suicide', pinned on social regulation and social integration.

Anomic suicide occurs when there is low social regulation. Thus, one way suicide can take place is when society is thrown into a state of anomie or lawlessness and carelessness. In this case,  social structures are weakened, failing and inactive to align behaviours of members of a society to the accepted norms and behaviours, resulting in suicidal actions. This therefore calls for strengthening and empowering, coupled with respect, of social institutions by the society to avert anomic suicide. This type of suicide is common with war-torn societies and unregulated coup-d'etats.

Fatalistic suicide is as a result of high social regulation. Here, the adherence to the norms and ethics of society overwhelm the individual to a point of frustration that results in suicide tendencies. A lot seems to be expected from the individual and when he or she feels the unmatch of reality and expectation, one is likely to commit suicide out of disappointment. This was the case of the KNUST student of the note left is anything to go by. In dealing with this type of suicide, society must be moderate in its expectation of its members. Parents and work supervisors (bosses) must not expect too much from children and subordinates respectively, as unforeseen circumstances and environments (person-in-environment) may affect end performance or behaviour.

Egoistic suicide is as a result of low social integration. Assumed as the most common type of suicide, egoistic suicide takes place when a person ends his or her life because he or she feels 'less-needed' and cared for by members of society. This feeling might be as a result of behaviours such as break-ups, depression, stigmatization and abandonment. In our world today, due to virtual friends on social media, young ones especially are not too interested in making and keeping physical friendships. In this case,  one is likely to suffer from depression when the data runs low and there's no opportunity to interact with 'friends' online. Again due to social media, people are too busy watching snaps or tweeting or reacting to Facebook posts, to attend to the social needs of their friends or family. We look on social media and it suggests that everyone is doing fine, sometimes making us forget we have our own issues to deal with. Surest and simple way of dealing with this type of suicide is to care and show affection to friends, coursemates and family. Availability of a 'listening ear' and a caring or loving heart might go a long way to save us many more young lives. Also, people must cautiously fall in love with people as putting your all in a relationship in a recipe for depression of regrets. Until marriage, dont trust your partner so much to put in your all; have fun and study each other. Bottomline is let's be there for each other....... Have you checked on that colleague or course-mate who was absent today? What about that sick friend?

Lastly we look at altruistic suicide. This is as a result of high social integration. Rather rare in our world today, this suicide takes place when people are over-committed to a social cause of society and lose their lives for that cause. In other words,  altruistic suicide is killing one's self for a social good in a selfless manner. Here, there is the need for people to moderate their selflessness or passion for a social cause or activity. Once it's social, one or two people are involved and a fair share and balance will be good and help overcome overburdening of one person.

Issues of the vibrancy of counselling centres in universities have been raised but I beg to ask, how many students know about counselling centres and where the counselling centres are located on their campuses? What of those outside our university campuses facing issues or challenges? It's about time social work or social welfare services in Ghana are taken serious and encouraged. Also, with the youth of today feeling shy to talk face-to-face about their issues, can't we have a 24-hour call centre (like Vodafone Healthline) to help deal with the psycho-social and emotional needs of people? I will start support groups soon to help different people from deal with varying social issues confronting them through the support group care system. You may drop a mail, if interested.

It is my hope that these two articles have helped you and made you ready to help fight a growing issue in our society today. As seen suicide is not really killing of one's self but society killing a person by using him or herself. Open up and be a friend........

Stay blessed!

K. OPANDOH
BA. Sociology and Social Work (Kumasi)
nanaopandoh@outlook.com

SOCIOLOGY OF SUICIDE; A case of the recent incidents at UG and KNUST (Part 1)......

This will not be a very detailed piece of writing but simple and basic enough to help all appreciate the social issue of suicide.
Much of sociological work is anchored in the Emile Durkheim's work 'Suicide'. According to Durkheim, suicide takes place due to two issues social regulation (if high, fatalistic and if low, anomic) and/or social integration (if high, altruistic and if low, egoistic).
Taking a look at the KNUST case, if the note left is anything to go by, it is a clear case of fatalistic suicide. Thus,  because of the lady's inability to meet certain expectations of her parents, she had to commit suicide to do with the 'disappointment'. As to what the expectations were, it remains untold.
On the latest case of UG, if the bipolar issue resulting in depression is anything to go by, then that will be a case of egoistic suicide. Depression is one of the socio-psychological issues confronting the human race. In depression, the depressed need much attention and care from others which if not met, results in saddening conditions coupled with funny thoughts. Ironically, depressed people hardly make their depressed states known. Bearing in mind that the lady was sick for some time now and hardly frequented lectures this semester, the question of 'Who or how many cared and gave attention?' comes in.
Not to bore you with a lot to read, I will end here. In Part 2, we'll look at best ways to deal with the four causes of suicide as postulated by Emile Durkheim.

Good day!

K. OPANDOH
BA. Sociology and Social Work (Kumasi)
nanaopandoh@outlook.com