“Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and higher education positively fortifies it” – Stephen Vizinczey.
It is more than twenty-five years since my father joined his ancestors in Samanfoland, but many of the things he told me continue to manifest. He always told me that ‘book knowledge without efie nyansa (common sense) is tantamount to stupidity’. How wise our elders are!
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 allow common sense to guide all our actions.
I’m currently a master’s degree student at the School of Education and Leadership (SEL), University of Ghana, and I appreciate the importance of higher education to the development of any nation. I’m inspired by the scholarship being displayed by lecturers such as Dr Yaa Cole, Dr Ernest Ampadu, Dr Kingsley Nyarko, Dr Paul Butakor, Dr Abraham Okrah, Dr Samuel Amponsah and the young and dynamic, Dr Rita Yeboah.
Indeed, not only am I inspired by their academic brilliance, but also impressed with 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 erstwhile Zu-za government.
Dr Fitaa used to be a lecturer at the Institute of African Studies. 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.
He has since been silent until the demise of Vice-President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur a few days ago. He was angered by the Okyehene’s comments on the circumstances of the passing of the former vice president.
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.”
Abusuapanin, did you notice the allusions and innuendos in the statement? Did you see how a PhD holder could write such balderdash under the guise of freedom of expression?
Frankly, how such a fine brain could degenerate into “something else” is still a mystery to me and many of my compatriots. How a man with beautiful set of teeth could all of a sudden develop rotten teeth and exude very foul breath is still a wonder to many.
You see, it is such statements from educated illiterates that make some of us refuse to allow sleeping dogs to lie. I had a very good upbringing so I will display common sense and avoid the temptation to join Dr Fitaa in the gutter.
I’ve 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.
A friend who chanced upon me gathering my thoughts for this write-up was surprised that Dr Fitaa’s rant had affected me so much. He said with tramadol currently in abundant supply, such statements from politicians, including PhD holders, no longer surprise him.
My friend may be right. But what he does not know is that I made a little background check on Dr Fitaa before writing this piece; and I can say without any doubt that the man is a genius in his field of study. It is the reason I’m very saddened that such a fine brain had been corrupted by politics.
For sure, Dr Fitaa epitomizes Stephen Vizinczey’s saying that no amount of learning could cure stupidity. It is indeed sad that such a fine brain does not realize that book knowledge without efie nyansa is tantamount to stupidity. Our elders are wise indeed!
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!