A few years ago, as minister of state, I conducted an exercise where final year SHS students (in a Category B school), were asked about their future job aspirations. What job would you like to do in future? Here is the trend of answers: ‘Police, business, police, soldier, immigration, customs, soldier, customs, soldier, prisons, fire service, customs, customs, immigration.’ Later came isolated cases of doctor, engineer, nurse, teacher.
Then came the boy at the back seat whose response nearly brought down the roof: ‘In future, I want to do ‘Galamsey!’ He shouted. That boy had proudly opted for illegal mining, as his job reference.
Looks to me there are limited job opportunities in our dear country beside the forces; partly driven by a proliferation of cadet corps in schools. Note also the impression that jobs with the forces are low hanging fruits, if you know somebody who knows somebody.
But there are specific popular perceptions, where a vocation is preferred only because it may be the shortest route to a fanciful pot-belly.
It could be Customs or Immigration Service officer, who is perceived as routinely carrying an extra bag in his armpit. If it’s the police, pray to be assigned to MTTU where you can chat with drivers on the blind side of passengers. As for the Fire Service, one Kotokoraba woman in Cape Coast summed it up, pouring her frustrations on her just recruited son. ‘If I knew you would end up as ‘odumgya,’ merely extinguishing fire, I would not have sent you to school: nkye mamfa wo annko sukuu. The poor mother reduces his son’s new job to the dousing of flames in a coal pot, where a pair of crooked jaws and a deep breath, are all you need to qualify. Education is irrelevant.
As for a soldier, I never dreamed to be one even if my uncle those days was the commander in chief! Physical features alone would have given me away. Was it 2019 when several trainee soldiers were rushed to 37 Hospital during their first endurance drills? Some collapsed, others gasped for breath, and one recruit died. Apparently, the Almighty looking down from above exercised His powers to betray all ‘Daddy Ba’ who had been recruited by protocol, while others were suffering at El Wak.
But blame also the culture of march past in Third World countries that were once colonies of the British Empire. 6th March is simply a moment for children and teachers to reinforce the colonial military culture: swinging arms off their shoulders, and learning how to obey before you complain.
‘E-e-e–eyes Right’ and they incline their bodily frames and salute an upstanding government official whose post retirement knees are trembling. The next day is an extra holiday for pupils for a good job done, imitating the colonial master. School children’s morning parades follow the same routine.
The El Wak disaster on hand is such a case of literally dying to get a job. Lessons could have been learned except that even before burials, a committee is often formed to pacify crying babies into slumber. The Committee report on a recent plane disaster came after several months, and blames no one except ‘bad weather,’ ‘poor visibility,’ ‘technical issues,’ ‘sudden loss in altitude.’ No human agency, no human dismissals, no human reprimand, no human resignations. If anyone should resign, it is perhaps the weather man.
Why would another officer then not mass up 21,000 ‘human sardines,’ in a 4000-capacity ‘gas chamber’ called El Wak stadium: a mob not to watch a match, but to literally run and chase a handful of jobs, to demonstrate a new era of transparency. Within four months, another national disaster: this time six precious girls trampled to death, several others critically injured.
A primitive application process in a world of technology, and a scary precedent likely to deter females aspiring to be soldiers. Parents waiting to see appointment letters of wards that day, rather received mangled human remains.
Oh how I miss Dr. Dampare who for all his sins, showed shortlisted applicants for police the human face of government, seating them and even serving water to quench their thirst while awaiting their turn.
Let’s wait with bated breath for the physical drills new recruits will soon endure. Stand by, fellow pressmen for busloads of Almighty’s own casualties. Watch out for protocol patients, who suffered no stampede now limping and gasping for breath, while on their way to the emergency ward.
Indeed, any public committee formed this week to investigate El Wak, need not waste public funds drinking tea and enjoying stampede allowance. Their findings are likely to see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.
The report could even point accusing fingers elsewhere.
It is the fault of the previous government. Their Free SHS!
By Kwesi Yankah, kyankah@ashesi.edu.gh