Yussif Ahmed Ibn Yussif

No! He is not a government official or even part of any of the opposition parties. Well, that is as far as I know. He is a journalist with Citi FM and Citi TV. Now, he has set the example of not just a talking citizen and a journalist for that matter but an action-oriented one. We always complain about the bad sanitation we have in this country but no one seems to do anything about it. All we do is call on the government of the day to provide dustbins at vantage points across the city to help in curing the sanitation problem. The government also complains of the bad littering attitudes of the ordinary citizens. So, where lies the solution to the problem if both parties are complaining? Well, Umaru Sanda Amadu and his wife Bilqis Binta Umaru Sanda have shown us the way. They have provided not just one but two public bins for collecting waste at two different vantage points. This is a good initiative that if all well-meaning citizens of this country were to follow, our sani...

I don’t really know the actual details of this issue but I have seen news items on various news websites including the government of Ghana website indicating that there is going to be a train service between Tema and Accra. Well, in as much as I am not privy to the fine details of the matter, I commend the government for the good initiative that they have taken. At least, every journey no matter how tedious begins with a step. I really hope that this is a well thought through project. I wish the government well in sustaining the project. Now, to my fellow citizens, let us take part in making sure this train project is well sustained. It is for our benefit that this project has been established. Let us abide by whatever rules and regulations that may come with it. There will be a free service for two weeks starting on January 29, 2019. I know we are all excited about it but I would implore all of us to continue to engage the services of the train even when the free period ...

“We must set up a system to reward hardworking party foot soldiers, and when I say this, that is the duty of our many party executives, DCEs and members of Parliament and so on and so forth. We will go into an election in 2020, the presidential candidate cannot be in every constituency at every time so it is the constituency chairman and the regional chairman and the others who will know who is doing what work so that tomorrow when the party wins  power and you need to reward these cadres, it is the chairmen and the MPs and the others who will say these are the people who have worked hard and should be rewarded…..and so please as we are working, let’s be noting those who are giving their all, killing themselves for the party so that when the party comes into government, the party will also kill itself small for those people”. There is a news story on citinewsroom.com that attributes the above comment to John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana and an NDC flag bearer aspiran...

It is another hectic political season in my school, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). The frenzy that characterizes this period is amazing. Students cling to political aspirants like that is what pays their fees or even ensures their success in end of semester exams. Now, this will be the second time I am witnessing a political season at GIJ and it is a hell of an experience. But the experiences I have gathered over the seasons have raised some indelible questions on my mind. Some students before office holder aspirants even declare what really their intentions, aims, visions, and strategies that will underlie the achievement of their goals when elected, begin to make alliances. Some of the things that compromise Ghana’s political system and its development are inadequate information, no strategic plans and blind uninformed political following. One of the major solutions to these challenges as I see it is the gradual growing level of education among the youth of today. Bu...

I have keenly watched the kind of messages that are portrayed in most Ghanaian movies especially the Twi versions. From witchcraft, poverty, rural-urban migration, etc and in my opinion, it is very appalling. Now, from what I gathered in my Media and Society lectures last semester, it is that the media rebrands and reproduces the realities of the society they find themselves in and the movie industry is no exception to the media. So, is it that there is nothing good about Ghana that the Ghanaian movie industry can exhibit in their movies instead of portraying these horrifying images of the country? Granted that some of the movies contain some good things, there is too much the negative in the movies that are produced for us to watch. Clearly, lessons are learnt from movies. What lessons exactly do Ghanaian movies portray, that the old women in our society are witches, that rural-urban migration should be encouraged or that there is nothing good about staying in these villages? So...

Today is a constitution day of Ghana. Hurray!! Or at least that is what has been declared by this current government. This holiday is said to serve as a recognition of the 4th republican constitutional dispensation of Ghana which started on January 7, 1993.  This holiday is also to recognize the country’s effort to maintain and sustain the 4th republic over the years. But personally, I don’t see why there should be a public holiday to mark a constitution day. But if we really want to make this day a holiday every year to again reduce our productivity level, then I have a few suggestions that I believe will help make this day an educative one. A public lecture is scheduled to take place today, January 7, 2019, the maiden celebration of the constitution day of Ghana at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra. This public lecture will be addressed by the rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Philip Ebow Bondzie-Simp...

There is one too many political gymnastics in this country.  Unsubstantiated allegations are thrown around indiscriminately and so even when substantiated allegations are made, they are treated with contempt just like any other allegations. Without dealing with any specifics, I abhor the way politicians deal with the electoral commission of Ghana. It tarnishes the image of the commission and does not give it any credibility. It is not fair for the electoral commission to be treated with such disrespect and corruption smearing allegations. All political parties in Ghana are guilty of treating the electoral commission of Ghana with so much disrespect. From the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) , Convention People’s Party (CPP), New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress ( NDC) to the People’s National Convention ( PNC) and all the other political parties numbering up to about 24, have wrongly accused the EC, are guilty and owe the commission an apology. The 199...