Golden Jubilee House or Flagstaff House? None Sacrosanct

Names have significance! Invariably, nothing is named without basis. Particularly in the African setting, names are assigned to people and things for various reasons, which could stretch to religious or historical motivations.

Indeed, names are chosen to reflect the importance and purpose of their referents. The pains taken to select a name for any society’s monument is usually directly proportional to its significance in the life of the people. It takes into consideration the shared values and lived experiences of the people as well as their common aspirations.

To this extent, the propriety of the name given to Ghana’s presidential palace must certainly be based on cultural and historical considerations. In this regard, the collective manifestations of the Ghanaian peoples’ arts and other human intellectual achievements should be reflected in the name of the abode of the president. Thus, the most encompassing and nationalistic name for the Presidential palace is proposed here.

At Independence in 1957, Ghana built an architectural monument to house the president of the new independent nation. This edifice was upgraded in 2007 when the nation turned 50 as a sign that the nation had come far after independence.

However, the construction of the edifice the second time has generated a lot of public debate.

The debate has centred on the very justification for putting up such an edifice at its cost for the president at a time when many Ghanaians found it difficult to put food on their tables. Then the debate shifted to the name of the presidential palace.

The then New Patriotic Party (NPP) government had proposed to rename the re-built palace as the Golden Jubilee House. It was to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the nation’s independence from colonialism at the hands of the British.

The opposition lead by the national Democratic Congress (NDC) took strong exception to the renaming of the Flagstaff House, adducing various reasons.

Reading or listening beyond the reasons given, it was obvious that people were arguing purely on the basis of political expediency rather than objectivity. While it was not difficult to predict that members of the NDC could oppose the new name, one could also expect the NPP members to defend it.

When President Mills of the NDC took over power in 2009, it was not clear if he was going to use the Jubilee House, as he had expressed sharp opposition to the construction of the palace. This uncertainty still hangs in the air.

Now the original name of the place has been inscribed on the outer walls of the presidential palace. Already, this inscription has revived the debate over which name is appropriate for the Ghana’s presidential palace.

Three years after the debate began, the protagonists and antagonists are still arguing on political lines; one cannot tell who is acting with the interest of the nation at heart or, at least, on their lips or at the tip of their pens.

With the Government’s current concentration on projecting Nkrumah, his values and his accomplishments as well as the inscription of Flagstaff House on the walls of the palace, it is obvious that the name is being reversed to Flagstaff House.

Ghanaians are yet to know what informed this decision; who made it and how it was made. It must be noted that the process for making this decision is as important as the decision itself.

The solution proposed here is not meant to be the mid-point or a compromise stance. Satisfying people of all political persuasions is not the purpose, far from that! It has not been triggered by any debate.

Ghana’s presidential palace is best called GOLDEN JUBILEE FLAGSTAFF HOUSE.

Among other things, this name maintains the known identity of the president’s abode at Independence, while indicating that it was re-built to signify the progress made 50 years after Ghana regained her independence from the stagnating shackles of colonialism.

Mobile HIV Counselling and Testing Gladdens Hearts in Dangme West

In the spirit of serving mankind, free, voluntary counselling and testing was given a full meaning on Saturday, March 20 when the people of Kasunya and neighbouring communities near Asutuare in the Dangme West District got to know their HIV status a few steps away from home.

The event, which coincided with the “Know Your Status Campaign Month” in the District, was on the theme “Accelerating Rural Development through HIV and AIDS Awareness and Prevention.” Six nurses from various health centres in the District, lead by Mrs. Monica Obi Yemoley of Osudoku Health Centre voluntarily conducted the counselling and testing.

The session was organised by WillWay Africa, a non-governmental organisation working in rural communities in Ghana, in collaboration with MTV Staying Alive Foundation with support from the Ghana Health Service and local communities.

It was well patronised by the expectant community folk who had been looking forward to the programme after an impressive education and sensitisation campaign last year, which got the people longing to know their status.

Expressing his gratitude to the directors of WillWay Africa, the volunteers and the nurses, Mr. George Lovi Akakposu, Assembly Member for the Kasunya Electoral Area, said, “It is good you have come here with this programme; otherwise, most of the people cannot afford the lorry fare to the health centres, even if the test is free there.”

He added that, “This is the first time many of my people will really know their HIV status, and I believe whatever the result is, it will help them to lead better lives.” He thus encouraged his people to get tested.

In all, 312 people made up of 106 women, 93 men and 113 youth tested and got to know their HIV status at the end of the session. Mrs. Yemoley was happy about the rate of response and praised WillWay Africa for the effective preparation of the people toward the event. She advised parents to protect their young children from early sex to avoid contracting the disease.

She said, “The turnout is great in a community like Kasunya where there is no HIV and AIDS programme. It would have been higher but for the heavy rainfall.” Mrs. Yemoley noted that the programme needed to be repeated every six months.

The people who got tested walked away from the nurses’ desks with radiant faces, fully sure they were HIV-free. Many of them who were interviewed said they would now lead more careful lifestyles to maintain their status.

Mainly, the results were negative, with two positive cases that were referred to the Osudoku Health Centre for confirmation and medical support.

Francis Hamenaya, who led the local wing of WillWay Youth to educate the community people about the disease, outlined his group’s plans to sustain the campaign to fight the disease.

He stated, “We will continue with our house-to-house visits to share the message with the people.”

The community people called for a repeat of the event to allow their neighbours, partners, friends and relations know their status as well, particularly those who could not have their turn because of the rainfall that disrupted the programme.

Samuel Ohene Kwapong, President of WillWay Africa, explained that the Osudoku Traditional Area was purposefully selected for the programme because it was underserved with such programmes. He added that the absence of such programmes rendered the people vulnerable to the spread of the virus because the high level of poverty that afflicted the people already put them at risk.

He said, “Nobody can justify why HIV and AIDS campaigners have ignored the communities in the Osudoku Traditional Area. The difficulty of reaching the area is no excuse since all are at risk, particularly because of the widespread poverty in the area.”

WillWay Africa works with rural communities in the areas of health, economic empowerment, education and the environment. The organisation was founded in 2004 by a group of university graduates to help reduce rural poverty, and bridge the gap between rural and urban dwellers.

The day's event formed part of a series of activities the organisation has planned for the year, and will continue in other communities. Earlier, an HIV and AIDS cultural festival was held for basic schools in the same area. Other scheduled activities include HIV and AIDS quiz competitions for school pupils with the intent of informing the children while young to live safely all their lives.

The year’s programme is targeted to reach 4,000 rural dwellers with HIV and AIDS messages, and also give them the opportunity to know their HIV status right at their doorsteps.

Egalitarian to the Core

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