This year is exactly three decades plus two years since my father joined his ancestors in Samanfoland, but many of the things he told me continue to manifest.
He always told me “having ‘efie nyansa’ (home sense), not book knowledge, is what proves one’s level of wisdom”. How true the saying is!
Don’t get me wrong! My late father loved and appreciated education. He was an Islamic scholar himself. Though an illiterate in secular education, he did his best to educate his children in both secular and Islamic education.
But he always cautioned us not to forget to make ‘home sense’ guide all our actions.
I hold a master’s degree from School of Education and Leadership (SEL), University of Ghana, so I appreciate the importance of higher education to the development of any nation.
I’m desirous of pursuing a doctoral programme because of the inspiration from the likes of Dr. Yaa Cole, Dr. Ernest Ampadu, Dr. Paul Butakor, Dr. Abraham Okrah, Dr. Kwaku Darko Amponsah, Dr. Kosi Kumassah and the dynamic Dr. Rita Yeboah.
Indeed, not only am I inspired by their academic brilliance, but also impressed by their display of ‘effie nyansa’. By that I mean their speech and action show that they were well brought up.
Sadly, not all PhD holders display both academic brilliance and ‘efie nyansa’. Some display behaviours that support the belief that no amount of learning could cure stupidity. And one of such is Dr. Fitaa of the opposition Zu-za.
I had the occasion to expose his lack of ‘efie nyansa’ somewhere in 2018. He has since confirmed through his actions that I was spot on.
Dr. M. K. Fitaa is a Research Fellow with the History and Politics Section at the Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ghana, Legon. Many used to value his contributions on radio because of his neutrality and forthrightness, until he revealed his true colours by openly associating with those under the eagle-headed umbrella.
He worked at the Presidency and later became head of the National Service Secretariat until Zu-za was dethroned by the Elephant at the 2016 polls.
I took Dr. Fitaa on in 2018 because he exhibited lack of wisdom in his criticism of Okyehene’s condolence message on Former Vice-President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur’s demise.
Please listen to his rant, “Elsewhere, the man who claimed to be a witness to the sudden death of the former VEEP would have been invited by the police to assist with investigations, particularly when this man is a family member of a vicious sitting president and a political opponent of the late VEEP.”
The allusions and innuendos were too glaring to ignore. I tongue-lashed him because it was unwise for an academic of his stature to vomit such balderdash under the guise of freedom of expression. Many others also wondered how such a fine brain could so easily descend into the gutters.
I watched the Okyehene video many times and all I could see was a concerned citizen lamenting the loss of a friend, who could have been saved if an ambulance had been around. I did not see a family relation of a ‘vicious’ sitting president gloating over the death of a political opponent.
Fast forward to 2021 when Zu-za lost the election petition case at the Supreme Court (SC), where Dr.. Fitaa was a witness for his party.
He did not show emotional intelligence in his reaction to his party’s loss as he called the SC Justices names. He only made a U-turn when his attention was drawn to the contemptuous nature of his comment.
Following the order by the SC to the House of Honourables to expunge the name of Mr. Canadian MP from its records as MP, Dr. Fitaa once again went on an insulting spree. He called the SC “Stupid Court” and averred that “common sense” was a scarce commodity at the highest court of the land.
Having been cited for contempt, he is now shedding crocodile tears and apologising to the SC.
Come to think of it, for a man accusing the Justices of the country’s highest court of not having common sense, is it not ironic that he did not show an iota of same in his political outburst?
For sure, Dr. Fitaa epitomizes Stephen Vizinczey’s saying, “No amount of learning can cure stupidity, and higher education positively fortifies it.”
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!