13 November 2009
editorial
Accra — A Senior Linguistics Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Kofi Agyekum, has expressed concern over the proliferation of ethnic student unions on the campuses of the various levels of education in the country, particularly at the Senior High School and the University levels.
He holds the view that the existence of such groups in the country's schools, would give credence to the occasional ethnic violence being witnessed across the length and breadth of the country, since it tends to breed division, instead of unity.
In a recent interview he granted The Chronicle, Professor Agyekum (Opanin Agyekum) noted that if the issue of ethnicity is not handled with care, it could plunge the entire nation into chaos.
Though he admitted that there was nothing wrong with one associating with where he or she comes from, it becomes a problem, "when the practice is carried to educational institutions."
The University Lecturer expressed worry that the phenomena was infiltrating into our tertiary institutions and the secondary schools, where there are the mushrooming of ethnic groupings, such as Ashanti Students Union, Volta Students Union and Western Students Union among others.
Prof Agyekum further lamented the formation of sub-ethnic groupings like the Sekyere Students Union, Amansie Students Union, and Navrongo Students Union, among others. This, according to him, "is a bad precedent that is being set," and he asked rhetorically - "if we go on like this, how can we also guarantee that our lecturers will not be ethnocentric in examining students " To him, it is better to put an end to this phenomenon, before it degenerates into something else.
The Chronicle perfectly agrees with the arguments put forward by the Legon Don, even though some people tried to ridicule the idea, when we first published the story.
Ghana has remained one united piece, largely because of the boarding school system introduced by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) government, a novelty that cannot be found in most countries.
Under this system, students from different ethnic and tribal backgrounds sleep, study, eat and interact together, irrespective of tribal affiliations. This cordial relationship was carried on after school into adult life.
This kind of bonding among students was evident during inter-schools and colleges sporting competitions, where students' allegiance to their schools, was stronger than to their fellow kith and kin in rival schools.
Unfortunately, this beautiful bonding system is in danger of being destroyed, if the ethnic groupings of Kussasis, Ashantis, Ewes and Akyems are allowed to blossom in our schools.
It is about time we put an end to this 'timebomb' before it explodes in our face.
Unlike, in the olden days, where students in boarding institutions regarded each other as one people, the youth are now aligning themselves to their own kith and kin, and this is where the danger lies.
The Chronicle thinks that instead of the students, and those who share their view, attack Professor Agyekum, for what we at The Chronicle consider a good opinion, they should rather reflect and ponder over the suggestion. We should not create the situation where people will identify themselves with their tribes first, before seeing themselves as Ghanaians.
Countries where ethnic identity is so pronounced, have never known peace, and we can cite Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, La Cote d'Ivoire and a host of others.
Ghana also went through the bitter experience of ethnic identity in the colonial era, resulting in the Ashanti, Denkyira and Fanti wars.
In the recent past, Nigeria also went through this experience, when the people of Biafra tried to construct their own identity, instead of seeing themselves as Nigerians.
As we write this piece, the Kussasis and Manprusis are at loggerheads in Bawku, because each party is trying to maintain its ethnic identity.
We must learn from our past experience, otherwise, we will end up following the path of countries that have been run down by ethnicity and tribalism. We strongly support Professor Agyekum's views, and we advise government to take the matter up.
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