Dr. Nana Oppong, 2 Others Honoured by Distinguished Scholars of Africa

The auditorium of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was filled with joy and admiration last Thursday as some three members of the Distinguished Scholars of Africa (DISTINSA) were honoured.

The three, Dr Lawyer Nana Oppong, Prof. Martin Gyambrah and Prof. Nicholas Nicodemus Nana Nsowah-Nuamah were honoured for their extraordinary talents and contributions to the development of the African continent in the area of academics.

The trio was honoured by DISTINSA, a group made up of African intellectuals and cultural leaders with the aim of building the capacity of individuals in both private and government sector for socio-economic development at an Extraordinary Wisdom Forum.

Dr Lawyer Nana Oppong who is the president of DISTINSA was honoured with the title of Professorship while Prof Gyambrah and Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah were made Distinguished Fellows of DISTINSA.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Dr Lawyer Nana Oppong said that Ghana has a problem of intellectual poverty which is dominating almost all of its institutions.

He said there are a lot of people who masquerade as intellectuals just to get power and when such powers have been given them, they create confusion which retards the growth of the country.

Linking this concept of intellectual poverty to recent happenings in the country especially the 2022 Budget brouhaha in Parliament, Dr Oppong opined that portions of the 1992 constitution clearly states that “the constitution shall be interpreted for the welfare of Ghanaians” and questioned if the heated arguments that has ensued between Members of Parliament will inure to the welfare of the citizens.

Speaking specifically on the Electronic Levy (E-Levy) component of the budget, the Distinguished Scholar said he does not believe that the government should take money from the citizens when there are no jobs to even put monies in people’s pocket for them to be able to pay these taxes.

He said what the government should focus on is the creation of jobs so that the citizens can work and earn monies to live decent lives and then pay taxes without grumbling.

Clearing the notion that government needs such taxes to develop the country, the astute lawyer indicated that it’s not only money one can use to develop a nation. He said what the country needs to do is to cut down on incompetence and corruption and use competent people to develop the country.

“I don’t agree that the government should be taking money all the time from the people. E-levy or no E-levy, we are tired. We need jobs. Are the jobs coming so that people can get some to do and be able to pay taxes? The answer is no. So government should take it easy on Ghanaians. We want the government to come and help to develop and not to make us tired and confused. So I will say no levy at all, let us relax… Let’s learn to collaborate and work together because no one person can make change on his or her own.”

Prof Nsowah-Nuamah on his part indicated that the woes of Africa are as a result of bad leadership.

He said that any good leader should be able to know what the people want as well as what will lead to the development of a country and opined that it is prerequisite for the practice of democracy.

He explained that if a democratic leader does not know how to discern and know the wants of the people, such a leader becomes autocratic in that he or she decides what the people want.

He indicated that this has been the problem of the African since time immemorial. He therefore called on African leaders to change the narrative and let Africa become the continent that God has in mind.

About Distinguished Scholars of Africa (DISTINSA)

DISTINSA is a not-for-profit super elite organization of the very best of African intellectuals and cultural leaders.

The group exists to lead, educate and assist Africans and African leaders towards sustainable and healthy development in freedom and dignity.

They also seek to create intelligent, sustainable and pro-development institutions in Africa as well as help reform weak educational and intellectual cultures in communities to enable Africans compete at the highest levels.

By Agnes Ansah