For most Ghanaians, the thought that Ghanaians could be refugees in another country was far-fetched.
Reality, however, came home when in late August/early-September 2025, Ghanaians fled Gbinyiri, Savannah Region, and Sampa, Bono Region to neighbouring Cote d’ivoire, following deadly clashes. Sadly, a canoe carrying fleeing Ghanaians from Gbinyiri capsized with the loss of about 20 lives.
During the period, a judge in an Accra Court, also put himself in the firing-line for allegedly suggesting in a trial before him, as George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm that, some Ghanaians are “more equal than others.”
Perhaps, unsurprisingly, statistics of RTA deaths last week, came in quietly as they involved no known-name or celebrities/big-men/women!
In an RTA involving 15 nursing students in Kumasi, four were critically injured.
Students of the Tamale Technical University (TUTA) clashed with the police while demonstrating against management for dereliction of duty, forcing them among others, to do open-defecation in near-by bushes because of insanitary toilets!
“Headline-News”
However, “Headline-News” during the week was the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) comment on the President’s answers to questions on “galamsey,” during his Media-encounter the previous week.
In a press statement on September 5, 2025, the GCBC expressed its disappointment in the President for saying that, he was reluctant to impose a state-of-emergency because all options have not been fully exhausted.
They stated as reported by the Graphic Online that, he “appears not to grasp the existential threat of the illegal mining menace confronting Ghana.”
The President’s response and the judge’s statement reminded me of my April 14, 2023 article titled “Spine and testicular-fortitude,” (Patrick Rothfuss) quoted below.
QUOTE
At a recent conference, former President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma stated categorically that, “Africans must learn to speak truth to power.”
Based on his experience, some leaders stray from whatever well intentions they may have had, because they were not told the truth when they were going wrong.
Like Squealer in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” a ring of sycophants around African leaders prevents them from hearing criticisms/reality they think they should not hear. Ironically, many such sycophants are handpicked by leaders themselves to do their bidding.
When the young mosquito came back from its first solo flight/mission and happily told the mother that everyone was clapping for it, the mother simply replied, “nobody clapped for you.
What you took for claps were actually slaps of death meant to kill you.” Unfortunately, such hard truths like mama-mosquito told her child are warded off leaders by a retinue of praise-singers, whose only aim is to amass wealth using their office.
So, even when they are booed, leaders are told by their sycophantic handlers that, what they perceived as booing is actually cheering.
But if it turned up to be booing, then notwithstanding its spontaneity, it was planned many years earlier, and executed by the enemy.
Speaking Truth to Power
It is often said that, the truth is bitter! Therefore, the idiom “speaking truth to power” means telling a superior the bitter truth, irrespective of the consequences. It is the expression for “courageously confronting an authority, calling out injustices, and demanding change!” (Wikipedia). It is also called moral courage.
When King David, not only slept with his General Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, but had him killed in battle when he realised he had impregnated Bathsheba, Nathan the prophet confronted the King and told him in the face he had committed a heinous sin/crime.
In a show of humility, David admitted his crime and begged Prophet Nathan to intercede for God’s forgiveness for him.
Unfortunately, such “Nathan-ic” boldness is in short supply in Africa.
Indeed, sometimes such boldness is frowned upon as disrespect for authority and could be expensive.
Similarly, “David-ic” humility as shown by the king is lacking in African leaders.
Patrick Rothfuss
President Koroma’s admonition reminded me of the American author Patrick Rothfuss (born 6-July-1973.) Among the many quotes attributed to the award-winning author Rothfuss is;
“You lack the requisite spine and testicular-fortitude to study under me!”
What did he mean by lacking spine and testicular-fortitude?
The spine is the backbone in our bodies that enables us walk, sit, squat and perform all physical activities.
Without it, one cannot do any of the mentioned locomotive functions.
The idiomatic expression, to have spine, is ,therefore, synonymous with courage, determination and strength/sincerity.
To be spineless is to be weak, ineffective and cowardly. Testicular-fortitude includes “courage in the face of adversity” and “showing strength, courage and sagacity in challenging situations.”
Leadership and management
In a 2020 class on “Leadership & Management” with final year medical students of the Family Health University Medical School, I stated that while “Leadership” as an art can be traced right back from the beginning of man with Moses/Joseph/David, “Management” is a more recent invention as a social science started after the First World War (WW1.)
So while management ensures that “things are done right,” and the status quo is maintained, leadership goes beyond ensuring things are done right, to ensuring that, “the right thing is done!”
While the Manager’s job often entails ensuring improvement, growth and development, a leader must have the spine and testicular-fortitude to go beyond peacefully managing organisations, to breaking barriers and the status-quo.
In the process, a good leader will often step on toes as he disturbs the equilibrium.
In the words of American President Woodrow Wilson who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919, “if you want to make enemies, try making changes!” In spite of the fact that, change is the most permanent thing in life, human beings tend to resist change. This is particularly so when the status-quo favours leadership.
President Koroma’s advice for followers to speak truth to power suggests that, he knows from experience that, many African followers, and indeed some leaders, are spineless and lack testicular-fortitude.
Whatever it is, leaders including President Koroma are not totally blameless in the actions/inactions of the people they surround themselves with.
Leaders may delegate authority, but certainly not responsibility. Failure to check Animal-Farm Squealer-type sycophancy can only occur and fester if the leader endorses it.
Until African followers learn to have spine and testicular-fortitude, President Koroma says, leaders will continue taking followers for granted, while trumpeting meaningless poverty-enhancing democracy! In any case, were Ghanaians not told to be “citizens and not spectators?”
UNQUOTE Comments
On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) shut down its headwater plant on the Ayensu River at Kwanyako, Central Region, designed to produce 35 million gallons of water/day, because the unthinkably high turbidity level of the muddy water, the result of galamsey upstream in the Eastern Region, was impossible to treat. Commenting on the President’s response, the GCBC stated, “this is profoundly troubling.
The hour is late. Delay is betrayal. Now, not tomorrow, not later, is the time to act!”
Mr President, how many treatment plants have to shut down with accompanying deaths/diseases/destruction before a targeted state-of-emergency becomes an option?
You know the old English proverb “a stitch in time saves nine!”
You know the Biblical saying, a good name is better than silver/gold! You know also Geoffrey Chaucer’s quote in The Canterbury Tales , “Radix
Malorum est cupiditas,” ie greed/the love of money is the root of all evil.
Finally, why has the promised repeal of LI 2462 become an intended amendment now?
Leadership, lead by Example/Integrity! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!
The writer Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (Rtd), is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya and Council Chairman Family Health University, Accra
Email: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com
Source: graphic.com.gh