The Journey...How it began...the darkest days...

MY JOURNEY TO THE UNIVERSITY—HOW IT ALL BEGAN INCLUDING THE DARKEST DAYS..

My purpose has since 11th November, 2008 been to emerge as an outstanding and one of the rarest world renowned international figures with expertise in literature, business and information technology.

As part of this dream I want to contribute to change the world’s thoughts and thinking through my pen.

I wish to therefore reflect back to my plans since 1998/1999. The final exams of my high school education at Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast was written in November/December 1997.

Immediately after my 1997 SSSCE Examinations I felt I should improve upon the strength of my English Language via building upon my word power and by reading a lot of novels and literature books. I started working towards this dream.

Then in 1998 when the SSSCE results were released I switched my dreams from targeting to read English in the university to pursuing the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) programme and this was because I realised I had the talent for writing corporate letters and had wanted to eventually complete the course to become a high profile secretary for a very big organisation like Unilever Ghana Limited serving next to the Managing Director of the company.

I was introduced to this course by one of the tutors of Saint Anthony’s Preparatory School, Odorkor, Accra where my dad did some teaching and was appointed to the board of the council of elders for the school before he completely pulled out of teaching. Having vacated his position as the ( he served as Headmaster of the Government Assisted Ningo Secondary School for some time)  Acting Headmaster for Ningo Secondary School, Old Ningo prior to government’s takeover in 1995.(By May/ June 1995 our family then had moved completely to settle in our home at Tabora, Accra)

My dad then met one Mr Ampem – Darko who help my big brother Samuel and I freely without charging us money to build upon the strength of our mathematics and helped us to prepare for the 1999 Universities in Ghana Entrance Examinations in February 1999.Another tutor then also assisted me to build my mathematics spinal cord his name I cannot recollect as at this time of writing.

Mr Valentine had around this time briefed my dad of blessed memory into details about some excellent professional programmes like Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Bankers(Ghana)—for it was around the same time that a number of the high profile heads of the Bank of Ghana were impeached for questionable dealings in the course of running the duties with the Central Bank of Ghana and their credentials , their academic and professional backgrounds were published all over in the national newspapers.

Mr Valentine who was then a ACCA( Association for Certified Chartered Accountants) UK student as well as a student pursuing Business Administration (Accounting Option ) at the University of Ghana,Legon ,Accra, Ghana  advised that I should come to Legon , try and excel in my first year so I could easily switch from any course I was offered upon entry to pursue Business Administration from my second year upwards in the university.

I had a love for Banking and Finance option course of the University of Ghana although I did not know what the course entailed.

Right upon the day I went to the Registry of the University of Ghana to submit the university application forms I had completed ( as I was climbing the hills a lady descending the hill upon sighting me said a spell—specifically a herbal demonic leaf had been placed upon my manhood or penis---- she said “ake ba efo no” pointing to my manhood ---and straight away I knew I had to fast and pray. Right from my final year at Botwe I was determined that upon gaining admission to study there I would spend half of my time there behind my books and the other half praying in the university gardens for God to help me achieve the very best in life and for the purpose of soul winning) upon my return or so right in front of the main road in front of Akaufo Hall or Legon Hall (main halls) a Legon student/staff member on campus there met me and entered into a brief conversation with me. It seems that day I was accompanied by my day and that my dad taught him in school some time ago and he said to me that I should not entertain any worries if I was not able to gain entry directly with my SSSCE into the university immediately because there was an option for entry into the university as a matured student at age 30.

Deep down within my spirit I prayed against his interjection because I knew 30 years from 16 years old the point in time when I completed Mafantsipim School was in the very distant future. And I began to shed tears within my spirit about the unknown future.

Another option I was introduced to was the Chartered Institute of Bankers(CIB) , Ghana programme since some of the teachers in St Anthony’s Schools being managed by Mr Kojo Liang, the literary writer and his brother of the “Che Che Kule “ fame ,were then pursuing the CIB programme.

I even went to study in the CIB library at GCB Towers building at Kwame Nkrumah Circle on a number of occasions poring through their course outlines and some of their books right there in their library there. I eventually got acquainted with the librarians there after a while and they got to know that I wanted to pursue their programme.

My dad’s closest friend , Bishop A K Morkeh also of Blessed memory ( the founder of Revelation Church of God, Ghana) had prayed for some time about my ambition to pursue the ICSA programme initially and said I should study French and acquire an in- depth knowledge in French so I could be an excellent high profile bi lingual multi- national corporate secretary. Naturally my instincts after high school was that I could be a very good secretary in a very big conglomerate owing to the sterling performance I was able to exhibit ,by God’s grace, while I served as the secretary for the science club of Mfantsipim School (Nature Fan Club) in the year 1997. Because I was eventually given a special award for being the Most Dedicated Member of the Science Club during the 7th November, 1997 Mfantsipim School Awards Night.

I started teaching in some private schools at the Primary and Junior High School level right from the beginning of the 2000 Academic Year in September 2000.

Then in the year 2001, my younger brothers ,James and Festus were then schooling at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Cantonments, Accra(Joseph my youngest brother was still at St Anthony’s School when James and Festus left St Anthony for senior high school education) when some past students from St Augustine’s College, Cape Coast from the IACE(Institute of Advanced Computer Education), Abeka , Accra the erstwhile computer training school visited their school for a programme briefing about the IMIS(Institute for the Management of Information Systems) UK programmes handing over to them leaflets about the Dipolma and higher Diploma pragrammes.

So I felt why not I change my mind and pursue IMIS since it had a promising future career.Bishop Morkeh who had earlier on told me to add French studies to my dreams of becoming a Corporate Secretary and an Administrator or (Managing Director of a company) was consulted in this matter too. From hindsight his worries about my IMIS programme was about the possibilities of me having brighter chances of working and having very good job opportunities. He prayed about this course before I started to pursue the programme.

I started the IMIS programme embattled with various health challenges including headaches, waking up from sleep problems, dizziness among others and I just could not fathom or understand why.

There was a particular point in time my dusk I felt sleepy whether I slept early for days or whether I woke up very late from bed for days. I could not wake up early naturally except I was aided by an alarm watch and this affected my final teaching job at Golden Child School, Nii Boi Town, Accra. This happened when I lost a special expensive watch after an IMIS evening class at the Annex Campus of the then Atlantic Computer Training School, Accra near Trust Towers, Accra.

I therefore eventually had the chance to sit in class to represent my big brother and take lesson notes for him at CASSIG, located at the then Christian Methodist High School Campus at Kwame Nkrumah Circle  when he could not find time to be present at his lectures.

My IMIS’ Accounting and Financial Quantitative Techniques Diploma module demanded that I get strong foundational ideas in business and the ACCA programme was an easy way out so I registered ,paid and joined my