Margaret Amoakohene

“At 57, there wasn’t much time for me to come back and serve the university again so I thought this was apparently the best option for me because since the council of state was a part-time work, I could still be teaching,” she noted. I managed to combine the council of state work with my teaching at the University of Ghana and as I speak now, I have been re-appointed to the council of state in the second term of President Akufo-Addo’s government.”

“I did graduate work and started teaching and some years into the teaching, I went for my PhD and came back so it was like my whole life has been at UG and so I wondered if I had served till I’m 57, why should I just end it instead of finishing?”

“I felt that was the best thing for me because in that year 2017, I was going to turn 57 and for some reason, I have never wanted to abrogate my contract with University of Ghana (UG). I always thought that I should stay committed because I started here as a student and never really left.”

“So I knew I was growing old but didn’t think I was that old to be a Council of State member; [a response she said stunned her caller] but I asked for an opportunity to think about it.”

“My father was educated up to middle school, and with his certificate, he got a job and started off as a bailiff but later had a job with VRA/NED in Tamale so it was from that institution he retired in 1998. He is now the Sanaahene of the Nsawkaw Traditional area. But my mum didn’t have a certificate so what she had to do was to do one job or the other so that she could, together with my father, put food on the table. Seriously, I saw her selling many things growing up and because I was the first child, I was doing most of the things with her.”

“I am pleased to say that even though I have parents who did not advance that much in school, they were determined to educate their children. Sometimes it was hard for them to come by money to take care of us. But one thing we could always say or boast of was that none of us was chased home to collect school fees. My father always made sure he paid our school fees. But of course, the problem was whether you had new clothes to wear or you had three square meals to eat.”

“I used to be part of a team on the breakfast show which happened to be the first morning show so one day, they asked me to interview presidential aspirants. After the interview, Mr Kufuor commended me and signed a copy of the NPP manifesto for me. Along the way, I had to pursue my education in the UK but my mind was always home and I don’t know whether it was because my children were young.”

“Every year, I was in Ghana; I will come in the middle of December and leave middle of January. So when I was finally able to do a complete draft of my thesis, I left the UK.”

“It was my childhood dream to be a Foreign Affairs Minister because I thought traveling would be fun. However, the 1979 coup I indicated, killed that political ambition. Rawlings came into power in 1979 and staged his coup. With the violence and killings that characterised it, I said to myself, the only crime they committed was probably because they were in public office. That was what killed my interest so I said, well, let me just get my certificates.”

“Growing up, I was greatly influenced by my parents because although poor, they were very honest and would always make sure that we did not deceive anybody.”

“I am not sure what happened in 1979 cured the nation of greed and thievery. Sometimes people say the end justifies the means, but to what end was that? Subsequent to 1979, look at the huge amounts people are stealing. They con the state to give them monies and they call it judgment debt.”

“What I liked most about them was that they never pretended to have what they did not, they made me understand the circumstances of my existence and therefore I didn’t compare myself to others and didn’t expect much more than they provided. So with such upbringing, you tend to be content with whatever was available.”

“We shouldn’t forget prayer and right living with God and never try to get ahead of Him because we may hit our heads against the wall. Just be hardworking and leave the rest for God because he knows our frailties.”

“People should know that life is not a race and should not expect to make within a year what someone took so many years to make. Just know where you are coming from and know where you are going and how to get to where you want in life.”

“There are certain traits you learn at home and of course you continue learning in school but what is prevalent in the house is what really influences you. So growing up under such an environment, you learn contentment and whatever you have, you thank God and use it.”