Professor Goemeone Mogomotsi, possibly one of Africa’s most educated individuals, has garnered attention for his remarkable academic achievements.
A post by We Are Trending Mzansi on Facebook highlighted his journey, showcasing how he became a professor at the young age of 33 in 2021.
With a PhD in Law, five Master’s degrees (including two in law), and three Bachelor’s degrees, Professor Mogomotsi’s academic credentials are truly impressive.
His wife, Patricia Finky Mogomotsi, also achieved the remarkable feat of becoming a professor at the age of 31 in 2020. Together, they form an educated power couple, setting a high standard in the academic world.
The post on Facebook received numerous positive and uplifting responses from netizens, who praised the couple for their academic achievements and viewed them as a source of inspiration for people of colour. They are seen as a beacon of hope for many Africans aspiring to excel in academia.
During Ghana Month, we shine a spotlight on one of Ghana’s greats.
Florence Abena Dolphyne’s journey from selling bread and kenkey after school to becoming Ghana’s first female professor is a testament to her resilience and determination.
Born and raised in Achinakrom in the Ejisu Municipal, Dolphyne was raised in a Methodist home, with her father being a Methodist minister.
Her educational path began at Wenchi Methodist Primary School and Mmofraturo Girls’ Boarding School in Kumasi. She later attended Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast and Mfantsipim School for her sixth form education, which was then a boys’ school with a mixed sixth-form section.
University of Ghana (UG)
Dolphyne’s academic pursuits led her to the University of Ghana in 1958, where she began her journey in higher education. She furthered her studies at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies in the UK.
Her career in academia started as a teacher at Labone Senior High School in Accra. However, her passion for linguistics and education led her to join the academic staff at the University of Ghana in September 1965.
Over the years, she rose through the ranks, serving as the Head of the Linguistics Department on two separate occasions and as the Senior Tutor and Warden of Volta Hall, the university’s only female hall of residence at the time.
In 1996, Florence Abena Dolphyne made history as the first woman to be appointed a professor in Ghana. Her contributions to academia and her leadership were further recognized when she became the first female pro-vice chancellor of the University of Ghana.
Through her dedication and hard work, Professor Dolphyne has not only shattered glass ceilings but has also paved the way for future generations of women in academia. Her story is a true inspiration and a testament to the power of perseverance and education.
Seth Terkper, a former minister of finance, has described the passing of Professor Kwesi Botchwey as another emotional moment.
According to him, the highest point of his relationship with the late former minister of finance was a humble one.
He said the late Prof Botchwey approved his postgraduate studies and never for once dreamt of stepping into his shoes as a finance minister under the government of John Dramani Mahama.
“RIP, Sir. Another emotional moment when a national and global tribute is also so personal. The HIGHEST point in our relationship was a HUMBLE one: approving my post-graduate studies. Never dreamt then that I will ever step in your oversized Minister shoes,” Seth Terkper tweeted.
Kwesi Botchwey died at the age of 78 after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Saturday, November 19.
As part of his political career, he served in the Rawlings’ Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) – military regime – and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – civilian regime – as the Secretary for Finance and Minister of Finance and Economic Planning respectively.
He was described as the longest-serving finance minister in Ghana’s history.
Prof Botchwey attended Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School before proceeding to the University of Ghana to pursue an LLB. He was at Yale Law School for his LLM and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School with his doctorate.
Prof. Kwesi Botchwey served as an advisor to World Bank on the 1997 World Development Report.
He had vast expertise in economic management as he was a member and Chairman of IMF‘s Group of Independent Experts who conducted the first-ever external evaluation of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility under the Fund.
Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in for the late scholar, especially from his close associates and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress.
Born on the 3 September 1944, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey was 78 at the time of his death.
Professor Botchwey is the longest-serving Finance Minister.
He served in office alongside Ghana’s longest-serving head of state, the late former President, Jerry John Rawlings.
He served in the military era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) (1982 to 1991) and the constitutional period of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) (1992 to 1995).
The late economist received his secondary school education at the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School in Ghana.
Prof. Botchwey held an LL.B. from the University of Ghana, LL.M from Yale Law School, and a doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School.
He taught at the University of Zambia, the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and the University of Ghana. Other notable previous assignments of Dr Botchwey were advisor to the World Bank on the 1997 World Development Report.
He was among others, a member and Chairman of IMF‘s Group of Independent Experts who conducted the first ever external evaluation of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility, an advisor to the UNDP’s UN Special Initiative on Africa and an advisor to the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).
An Environmental Scientist, Professor Chris Gordon, has described illegal mining popularly known as galamsey as a “mental problem” adding that if urgent measures are not taken to stop the menace, the country will be mortgaging its future.
Speaking on Citi TV’s roundtable discussion on Galamsey, on Thursday, November 3, 2022, the former Director of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana said Galamsey is a full-time problem that cannot be solved with part-time responses.
“Galamsey is a mental problem, it is a mental problem because you cannot steal today and expect to eat your cake tomorrow,” Professor Gordon said.
Professor Gordon who enumerated some of the dangers of illegal mining said the major danger with galamsey is the destruction of water bodies which makes treatment difficult for domestic use.
“There is no substitute for water, if you don’t eat yam, you can eat cassava, but water may be beer, but there is no substitute for it.”
The discussion touched on the potential effects of galamsey on water bodies, as well as measures to restore these water bodies.
The Citi Galamsey Dialogue dubbed “Galamsey and Ghana’s Water Security” aimed at bringing together important stakeholders in the water sector to deliberate on the state of Ghana’s water resources and examine the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water security.
Dr. Bob Alfa, Director of Planning at the Water Resources Commission; and Dr. Adwoa Yirenkyi Fianko, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) spoke at the event.
Oleg Nivievskyi, a professor at the Kyiv School of Economics where he serves as vice-president of economics education, is encouraging Ghana and other African countries to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked act of aggression.
The aftershocks of the war are being felt by people around the world, including Africa.
Speaking on The Big Bulletin on Monday (17 October 2022), Nivievskyi said: “At the moment we have to find a way to win [over] Russia, otherwise it’s going to be difficult; it’s going to last for God knows how long.
“So, Russia has to be defeated, otherwise the world will be insecure. Because what I would like to stress is we, as a civilised world, we need trustful partners, secured partners that we can trust.
“Russia at the moment is not a trustful partner and it really undermines the world order.”
Rallying behind Ukraine
Nivievskyi said that African countries need a “unified voice” to back Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
“I think African countries can have a stronger voice,” Nivievskyi told Asaase 99.5’s Beatrice Adu. “There was a summit recently in UN in terms of recognising the ‘fake referendum’ which was recently done in Ukraine by Russians, and in that vote there were a couple of African countries that were kind of voting against although the majority were supporting Ukraine.”
According to him, Russia has to be defeated for the world to get back to normal.
“So, I will like for the African countries to be more united so that everybody understands the consequences and who is to blame. So, that’s the purpose of this visit. And by establishing platforms for discussions, we really hope the message is getting through and everybody is on the same page.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted the promise of Africa’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by raising food and fuel prices, disrupting trade in goods and services, tightening the fiscal space, constraining green transitions and reducing the flow of development finance around the continent, said United Nations Assistant Secretary General Ahunna Eziakonwa.
Eziakonwa, who serves as the UN Development Programme’s assistant administrator and regional director for Africa, said the war has put households, communities and countries across Africa in a “very precarious situation”.
While the level of trade between the African continent as a whole and Russia/Ukraine is insignificant, some African countries rely heavily on these two countries for critical imports, particularly wheat, fertilisers and steel. Disruptions to supplies of these imports has adversely affected African countries.
An Associate Professor at the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health, Richmond Aryeetey, has admitted that a significant proportion of the Ghanaian populace is food-insecure.
According to him, this is happening despite the government’s flagship programme Planting for Foods and Jobs (PFJ).
He said there is a difference between food supply and food security, explaining that food supply is a component of food security.
Prof Aryeetey stressed that the government’s PFJ forms part of the food supply chain.
He explained that this is an indication that people may not be eating right.
The nutritionist said 20 to 40 per cent of the Ghanaian population is food-insecure.
In his view, food inflation is making it difficult for people to consume quality food in recent times.
These have health implications for the country, he warned.
For instance, he pointed out that as a consequence, many Ghanaians are taking risks regarding eating right.
“People make difficult decisions on how many times they will eat in a day,” he lamented.
The Associate Professor made these comments while reacting to the World Bank’s report that one-third of Ghana’s population skips a meal a day.
He spoke on the 505 news hosted by Korku Lumor on Class 91.3 FM on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
He noted that not eating right could make people not think right
A JSS1 kid, Miss Jessica Okonye has been granted ‘admission’ as an auditor student into the Admiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa, Delta state.
Miss Okonye’s ‘admission’ came after she was discovered to be exceptionally brilliant by Professor (Chief) John Alizor, a retired American university professor.
How it all started
She was said to have startled the retired Professorat a shop where she served as an intern. The man promptly took interest in her and started mentoring her.
This culminated in the professor giving her academic assignments and then the eventual ‘auditorship admission.’
Before she was offered admission, she interacted with the leadership of the university, who were said to find her academic abilities to be very satisfactory.
Young Ghanaian disc jockey DJ Switch has chalked another milestone in life after starting high school in the United States.
The 14-year-old has been admitted into Chaminade College Preparatory, a prestigious school in Los Angeles.
DJ Switch shared photos from her first day in school as she was warmly welcomed by her classmates who were mostly whites.
A University of Pittsburgh professor on the verge of making “very significant findings” researching Covid-19, according to the university, was shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend, police said.
The research assistant professor, identified as Bing Liu, was found in his townhouse Saturday with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities, according to the Ross Police Department.
Investigators believe an unidentified second man, who was found dead in his car, shot and killed Liu in his home before returning to his car and taking his own life.
Police believe the men knew each other, but say there is “zero indication that there was targeting due to his (Liu) being Chinese,” according to Detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp.
The university issued a statement saying it is “deeply saddened by the tragic death of Bing Liu, a prolific researcher and admired colleague at Pitt. The University extends our deepest sympathies to Liu’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
“Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications,” his colleagues at the university’s Department of Computational and Systems Biology said in a statement.
Members of the university’s School of Medicine describe their former colleague as an outstanding researcher and mentor, and have pledged to complete Liu’s research “in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence.”
