By Prof. Nana Essilfie-Condua
When I read Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom had donated $64,000 to five Roman Catholic Church Institutions cross country, I remembered the advice which I overhead his Dad gave to Standard Seven Pupils who had just then sat for an Examination which was called “HALL” in 1942. One of those Pupils became a popular Sub-Chief for some and a controversial Person for others in Cape Coast. Over all, he did well for himself, dabbled in politics generally on the peripheries, shared some of his wealth investing and “Father Christmas” too as discretely and or similarly.
Master Yorke had been their teacher at the Catholic Jubilee School. “HALL” was shorthand for Town Hall. This was where all Elementary Schools final years wrote their examination for Standard Seven Certificate, a veritable ticket for employment in the colonial public service and the private Sector too.
By the way, most of this country’s “great Civil Servants” came from that level, Secondary Schools being five – expensive and quasi-exclusive – Mfantsipim,[Faithful “8”] Achimota, [Prince of Wales College] , Adisadel [St Nicholas Grammar School] and St Augustine’s where Dr Nduom had schooled. Master Yorke,[ Pa Kwesi’s father] told his pupils what his son has done recently as Press report unfolded. He was not there at the time.
Widow’s mite
The essence of that fine man’s stricture to his leaving Pupils and I guess rightly for the rest of us kids is the spirit of “giving back”. Christianity describes it at the lowest level as “widow’s mite” – contributing that.
The trouble I find with that “mite” is it confines it to the Church quite specifically. Beyond that sentiment I believe it is understood by recipients and Church that even the minutia benefit and beneficiaries bring about something of a tiny but significant change which runs the gamut of lifestyle through Institutional to Community, Society and spread to State.
At the end of the line, however in this country, this sort of doing good tags a rumpus which has clung three derogatory stickers from time in memoriam: show off, status seeking and corruption – smoothing a path for favour(s). These three have glued to raise questions about genuineness of gifts or donations to any cause here.
A generous view though has always prevailed. However, the aftermath usage of and accounting for the generosity frame what starts as clique talk and grows into populist perceptions alleging “chop chop” which harangues all Churches today. The longer rumour festers, the more difficult it becomes for the Church to quell. I am afraid this exactly is where the Catholic congregation is wresting throughout Parishes relative to projects’ funding via levied subscription, the collection bowls, special events to raise the cash and donations or gifts, even the political as recently during the campaign for “Ballot 2016”.
Accounting System
I find it unacceptable to cover up the following: usually the accounting system is shoddy, there is always a buck passing to the prior PPC, the Archdiocese took a loan [not made good yet or it is doomsday because it is sika ko ahenfie a, onsan mba [money sent or taken to the Palace is not returnable] a member borrowed this or that and the contractor did not deliver, the works stand still. A state of such muted consternation, turns off the “do-gooders” and results in the plenty of “Red Notes” [One Cedi] in collection bowls which a really a collective protest. Were that the end of the story, perhaps some other means might be constructed to in and out source funds soliciting. This for me rationalizes reasons for several uncompleted development works at several Parishes dotting the country.
Catholics and Development
There are three truths in terms of Catholics and development: Generally apart from the kick start that put the Basel Mission ahead, the contributions of Roman Catholicism to and in this country has such a large inventory, superior until hitherto as the other Faiths play catch-up.
The second is that the Church as a norm completed a project at home before ground is broken to unveil a start outside or in public – Romanfo dze, wosi hon adan wo dan mu ansaana woepuei aboano, the popular praise said when I was growing up. Mind you it was a superb boast because there was no comparison.
Thus, as school kids, we enjoyed head-pans of sand, water and whatever including pushing mortar wheel barrows to sites, never minding the walking distances, the fatigue and sweat.
The third is help from Rome had augmented the local effort. That tap ceased to flow after gradual turn off since independence though a drop trickles in occasionally. It was back in that time that first explanation emerged on being left on a limb as the wedge enlarged and the stand-on-ledge shifted wobbly.
Somehow because it is difficult to explain, a sudden impetus engulfed the Church and its implicit encouragement replaced the dependency for Catholics – individuals and the collective [not in the Communist sense] to support building, rebuilding and sustenance of Church and influence country-wide.
The Nduom example typifies the willingness which spews consummate zeal in this area of giving back to God at the behest of the Church, outside the kind of compulsion in the sixth Church Commandment to ‘contribute to the upkeep of your Priests’ – keka wonsa adze fa hwe wo asofoe.
Internal Societies
But the years since and with the balance of responsibility plus power swung home, that new fervor started a waning and in a quiet separating of members from the hierarchy stealth itself into the Church. The Cape Coast close-to-schism during the late Archbishop John Kodwo Amissah’s tenure, becoming perhaps a model, altered the cohesion or oneness into “son of the locale to be our Bishop-demand” spread and won. Catholicism started this fashion, seemingly populous and innocuous then but now firmed in other Churches, rippling intense in-fighting all over.
The same also broke with precedent which added a certain aura to the position and confirmed universality of the Church. Two results ensued: Roman Catholicism grew ethno-centered; and the congregation with tails up started showing bit to more inquisitive about the running of the Church at Parishes and now generally as the internal Societies strengthened into National Unions – CYO, the Marshalls and Knights.
