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Teacher Trainee’s association of Ghana

HISTORY
Historically, teacher trainees organize agitations in 1970s and
early 1980s on grounds of fair treatment and recognition both by
the government and college authorities.
It is on record that in the 1970s, teacher trainees organize
meetings to petition the government when they felt threatened as
a result of their uncertainty about their status and qualification.
Again, there was a similar agitation fir the recognition of trainees
allowances in the early 1980s.
However, many beneficiaries of teachers of education afterward
had a deep seated conviction about what a union of teacher
trainees could do for its members and nation at large. Many were
of the view that, even though the National Union of Ghana
Students (NUGS) existed, their focus was more on issues
affecting university students.
Many also agreed that teacher trainees need an association for the
benefit of co-operation as expected in every human endeavour
and some teacher trainees welcomed the idea as a very important
tool whiles others were indifferent about the decision.
In the early 1990s teacher trainees forged to form the Teacher
Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG). This attempt faced stiff
opposition from college authorities. Some employed all kinds of
strategies before its germination. Apparently their contention
was that such a union formed will make colleges of education,
the then teacher training college ungovernable.

This notwithstanding, as also said by Nathanael Greene that
―we fight, we get beat, arise and fight again‖ between the end of
the 1994/95 and the beginning of the 1995/96 academic year, the
ground became fertile for the formation of TTAG.
Subsequently, the association was officially, inaugurated colourfully
on 3rd February, 1996 at the Presbyterian College of Education by Mrs.
Elizabeth Addabor, the then Director of Teacher Education Division of
the Ghana Education Service. Mrs. Addabor is equally on record to
have offered her unflinching support to the founding fathers of the
association.
It is worthy of notice that before TTAG was inaugurated, teacher
trainees in the three Northern Region had a union called
Association of Teacher Training Colleges in the Northern Sector
(ATTRICONS).
TTAG has its motto as “A model for development” with the slogan
TTAG – We mean well!
Its logo id the resemblance of “Nyansapo” store of Knowledge as the
Akan tradition signifies that teachers are intelligent folks.
The pentagonal shape of the logo also shows the five administrative
sectors of the association, which comprises Colleges in Ashanti and
Brong – Ahafo (ASHBA), the three Northern Regions (ATTRICONS)
Volta Region (VOLTA), Eastern and Greater Regions (EAGA),
Western and Central Region (WEC).
In 2001 at the 6th Annual Delegates’Congress at St. John Bosco
College, Navrongo, congress then approved a written document
as the association’s constitution

(Poem) Cries of the globe by Smith

**Mr. Smith (Author and a student of Enchi College of Education)**

We heard the screaming from afar
But it reached us within a twinkling of an eye like an unexpected rain
Making us feel hopeless,homeless,loneliness and captives on our own motherland
Making citizens quarantine themselves like a refugee
Mourning is our morning devotion and our pillows are deeply soaked with tears
How wicked you are

You are a real monster causing our early days in this twin year a regrettable one
Ravaging the world
Causing a great felt nightmare
Separating cords between parents and children and close relatives and friends
WHO classify you as a Global pandemic and emergency
How deadly you are

Sylvia Browne prophecy in her END of DAYS Predictions and Prophecies that in around 2020 a severe pneumonia like illness will spread throughout the globe
Attacking the lungs and bronchial tubes
Resisting all known treatments
Almost more baffling than the illness itself will be the fact that it will suddenly vanish as quickly as it arrived
Attacking again ten years later and then disappear completely
How prophetic you have be

Nostradamus wrote in the year 1551 that there will be a twin year(2020)
From which will arise a queen(Corona) who will come from the east(China)
And who will spread a plaque(virus) in the darkness of night
On a country with seven hills(Italy) and will transform the twilight of men into dust(death) to destroy and ruin the world
It will be the end of the world economy as you know it
How predictable you have be Covid-19

In His time he makes all things beautiful
It is well with our soul when sorrows like sea billows roll
We have lost control and we have killed the epidemic physically and mentally
Cannot understand what more we can do,all solutions are exhausted on ground
Our only hope remains up in the sky,God rescue the perishing
How hopeful we are living souls

Poem: Title: Cries of the Globe By: Abakah Smith Matthew Student-Enchicoe(Addison Hall President)

A day before today’s covid19 – Fmr. TWJ Chair writes

**Mr. Nasrullah Ibn Mutawakil (Former Editorial Board Chair, TTAG Weekly Journal**)

Olalashie,

After listening to reggae in Ekow Djan’s home, the feeling is now contagious. I must profess! This can affect anyone at all just like covid 19.

I feel so much like Bob Marley seated on a desk scribbling a song. Like Nesta, He finishes his write ups and pulls out his seventh but half burnt roll from his mouth. Smoke coming out of his mouth and nose, he closes his eyes as if he is about to receive some revelation. Then boom! The words below, explodes from his mouth.

“this is a little song I wrote.
You might want to sing it note for note.
Don’t worry! Be happy!
In every life we have some trouble.
When you worry you make it double .
Don’t worry! Be happy!”

I wonder how many people are worried about the current crisis the world is facing. Certainly, there may be some exception. I have chosen to be one of the few people who are not worried. Like the lyrics from Nesta, when we worry, we make it double.

Instead of worrying about the current situations, we need to commit ourselves to fighting the problem; Just as others are/have been doing. They know they have a story to tell some day.

Oneday, when all is over and we have grown old, we shall tell the stories of the past. We would share them with our grand children and if we are lucky, we may share the same stories with our great grand children.

We just have to tell them that, as far back into the year 2020, there was no need for us to get a ticket for the exposé video from Anas or Manasseh or some investigative journalist.

All we had to do was to be observant. Observation had been the key to the knowledge impacted to us by the pandemic.

After the covid-19, we would come to understand that, almost everything had been exposed by the virus. From our government, religion, colonial masters, movie industries and military.

We would come to understand that, our leaders had been left clueless in the wake of the pandemic. It mattered not the country they led. It mattered not whatever resources available to them. They could do nothing to save the dying masses. For some, you would understand that, they really did not care about their citizens. The case of our NIA was evidence on how some of our leaders cherished elections to the lives of the electorates.

We would come to understand that, our so called miracle performing mallams and pastors who once claimed to be angels were immune to the virus. Those who have announced earlier before the arrival of covid 19 that they had the cure, were left with no other choice than to wash their hands and apply sanitizers. They did so while taking their weekly dues from their followers through momo.

We would come to understand that, even though our colonial masters were experiencing higher death mortality rates than Africans, they preferred testing their vaccines with Africans. You would understand that, they still think we are under their control.

Today, we live in a different world. A new world where the media do not report news on Talibans, Al Qaeda, ISIS, nuclear weapons and other weapons of massive destruction.

Today’s media is full of reports on Covid 19 and how its vaccine can be found. Today, our media report on the death toll and how this virus has killed our health officers.

Today, the media and health officers tell us that our kisses, hugs are weapons of mass destruction. We can’t kiss in Paris and anywhere no more. Though it may come with no romance, we would be charged.

Today we cannot travel around the world anymore. Airports have been locked up.

Sadly, before Today’s world, Harry Potter had a magic wand. Maleficent had created a beautiful world for her daughter. Alice was in the wonderland. Cinderella’s mother had been able to turn 6 scurrying mice into beautiful horses. Merlin was still protecting King Arthur from Lady Morgana . Disney had been filled with so much beauty. Thanks to the avengers, Thanos could not destroy the world and Disney has exhausted all their supernatural powers.

Unfortunately today’s world have been left in despair. Snow White has refused to come back alive after many kisses from Prince Charming. Reddington has been left clueless on how the virus came to exist. Superman has gone back to krypton for fear of getting disgraced. Prophesies from our modern prophets have proven futile.

Today everyone is nobody. Today, everyone is focused because our slightest negligence might lead us to the virus.

The only rule we all obey, is washing our hands with soap and water. Until we tell our stories someday, washing our hands with soap and water is the only way to keep us alive.

Even Muhammed and Jesus (peace be upon them) would have washed their hands if they were alive today.

Just STAY SAFE!!!

#Alhamdulilah

COVID-19 SCARE: Level 300 Knust student donates hand sanitizers, nose masks etc to selected communities in Ashanti Region

**Mr. Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh with a beneficiary**

A level 300 Chemistry student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and a NUGS Secretary for Education aspirant hopeful, Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, affectionately called KOD has donated safety precautionary items to members of some selected communities in the Ashanti region.

The items include alcohol based hand sanitizers, protective hand gloves, nose masks and veronica buckets. These items were donated to aid the fight against Coronavirus.

Asenua, Ahwiaa, Buokrom Estate and Asorenkwanta in the Kwabre district were some of the communities that benefited from this donation exercise.

Speaking to Mr. Daniel, he explained the reason for his donations as,”an act of citizenship and an active participation in the sensitisation and fight against this deadly pandemic”.
KOD

Supported by some colleague students from his institution, Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh also engaged in a community sensitization exercise to educate the people on what Coronavirus is, globally accepted measures to prevent the contraction and spread of the novel Coronavirus whilst urging the people to be calm and not panic.

As a Chemistry student, KOD noted that the alcohol based sanitizers which were distributed were prepared by himself with support from members of his team.

KOD further appealed to all corporate bodies to aid in his campaign by all means possible as he aims to continue both the distribution and sensitization exercises he and his team has began.

For interviews, please contact Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh on 0543169495

Pictures and video of the exercise are below;

A short on the exercise

Reporter: Efua-Bedu Hayfron

Voluntarily Stay At Home: Letter To Lockdown Advocates

Dear lockdown advocates, I initially felt unconcerned on the subject of lockdown now or later, but I changed my mind due to what I am reading on our social media platforms particularly facebook and how shocking the number of advocates are multiplying.

I must first admit that this discussion is borne out of sincerity and our love for mother Ghana, nothing personal or emotional about this debate.

Wikipedia online defines a lockdown as an emergency protocol that usually prevents people or information from leaving an area. It further adds that, full (total) lockdown usually means that people must stay where they are and may not enter or exit a building or rooms within said a building. If people are in a hallway, they should go to the nearest safe, enclosed room. Inferring from the definition, we can all agree that Ghana is already on certain kind of lockdown because schools are closed and students are not allowed there etc.

Enormous progress has been made in responding to the coronavirus pandemic internally and internationally. However, more needs to be done in order to understand
the social repercussions that the measures taken or to be taken have on citizenry and their well-being.

Let’s us now avert our minds to some staggering statistics and how lockdown will impact us. But we should also note that the impact of a lockdown will depend on how extensive it is and the period concerned.

All my statistics are coming from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 7) compiled by the Ghana Statistical Service, the mandated body for collection of statistics for our country.

Over 6.8 million persons were
deemed poor in Ghana in 2016/17, about half a million are from the Upper West Region (574,794.9), while the Northern Region with a poverty incidence of 61.1 percent accounts for one-fifth (20.8 percent) or 1.8 million of the poor in Ghana, making this region the highest single
contributor to the number of poor persons in Ghana. And with a lockdown, the number is expected to double because businesses both private and public except essentials like medicine and food etc will be closed. Restaurants and bars will be expected to offer take-away services if they are to operate. The over 2.4 million people are in abject poverty and depend on others for survival are most likely to be affected much than the middle class.

Percentage of households using flush or KVIP toilet by region in 2016/17, only 13 percent of households in Upper East region had access to flush or KVIP toilet, Upper West 25%, Northern region 36% etc.

35.7% of households across the country using public toilet. 19% of households across the country resort to open defecation. With a shocking 81% of Ghanaians lacking access to improved sanitation or are entirely without toilet facilities. How would all these people ease themselves during a total lockdown where stepping out of their homes will not be tolerated?

It is an undeniable fact that millions of Ghanaians rely solely on surface water to meet their daily water needs and wells are mostly used in the North as a source of drinking water for majority of our people so what happens during a lockdown? Can government afford to distribute food and water to approximately 6 million people in Ghana?

Dear advocates of lockdown, I have put this forward not to downplay the role of a possible lockdown in the containment of covid-19 but rather highlight some effects of such an action on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian. Let’s remain calm and optimistic that, this, too, shall pass.

It is my prayer and hope that the interest of the nation will guide our decision. Nonetheless, let us continue to practice regular hand washing, social distancing and community education as little contribution to the fight against covid-19.

I end with this, “If prolonged, the shutdowns will lead to business failures and layoffs, exacerbating the economic downturn,” said Dr Yeah, who is an economics professor at the Sunway Universiti Business School.

May God grant our leaders the grace to take us through these turbulent times successfully.

Written by: Issah Toha Shamsoo

Ghana my country: TTAG Dep. Secretary writes on covid-19

**Miss Efua-Bedu Hayfron (TTAG Deputy Secretary)**

GHANA MY COUNTRY

My country was one of freedom, one of peace and one without fear and panic.

A country with a trying government and a set of interesting citizens who found a way to calm themselves through all trying times. A country that could calm even the most dangerous of situations which could lead to bigger problems.

What happened to the Ghana I knew, the Ghana I know and the Ghana I thought I will know? But who can blame the citizens of my country? Is it their fault? That a certain COVID-19 hunts the entire world which Ghana happens to be part of.

Fellow Citizens, COVID-19 which was once of only Wuhan is now of alot of countries including Ghana. I entreat all to follow the precautionary measures given to us and contribute what ever we can to overcome this world wide crisis.

Let us keep our cool and go through this together.

TogetherWeCan.

Efua-Bedu Hayfron
A patriotic citizen .