A Letter to the University of Ghana Female students or maybe “Ladies” by Mavis Asante Appiah

Dear UG Female Students (Current/Prospective),

Dennis a.k.a Kwaku is a fine Christian gentleman, my only biological brother and, a final year student of the almighty Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, a.k.a Legon, PRESEC. It will interest you to know that, Dennis topped his class/school in the B.E.C.E in order to make it to PRESEC some three years ago. A product in the making of Ghana’s Free SHS policy, Kwaku goes through a lot, commuting daily from Tema to school (resulting in habitual lateness to school almost always), he spends not less than 3 hours of productive learning time in traffic daily just to have education with the aspiration of being the Ernest Addison, H.E Bawumia, H.E Amissah Arthur of blessed memory,Maxwell Opoku-Afari, Elsie Addo (a tall list), kind of World Economist. Regrettably, this gentleman gets home to a tall list of chores to help with and endlessly spends sleepless nights burning the candle to study. As aforementioned, all in the pursuit of Economic Excellence to contribute his quota to the World economy and more importantly that of Ghana. I have had to wake up in the middle of the night to force him to put lights off and sleep whilst learning. His usual saying to me is that, in PRESEC, every student is a champion of books therefore he can’t be sleeping whilst others are learning or prepping at school. All these have been consistent, just so you know.

In recent times, I have had sleepless nights, just thinking about my brother’s life to be, at the University precisely the University of Ghana as a prospective student, given the fact that He’s a man now (above 18), has been in an all-male school, pre 18 and will have to be in a mixed tertiary school, he’s a handsome gentleman, calm and collected etc. AND his coming into contact with women. Don’t get me wrong, it is not his contact with women that is disturbing but, how he manages these contacts is what is gradually eating me up.

To confess, I had resolved to make him school from home to University, to reduce the risk of not being able to manage himself and situations he find himself, until recently upon advise, to let him go through every experience, to suggestively make him tough😀... This advice had been taken in good faith, hoping for the best until I saw the infamous and disgusting video of one of your female students, ruthlessly beating a seeming gentleman up, with a flip flop a.k.a chale w)te. Not only did this cause an outburst in me, but awakened my sleepless nights all night yesterday. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it in my nightmares and wondered what kind of planet some of you women are from?

Tell me, was the ruthless assault and battery meted out to this young man by you female students, about potential cheating on a girlfriend? Will you come again on that?

In the first place, have you lost your sense of purpose for which you have been sent to school by your guardians? Why not a fight with your books on the challenges you’re faced with studying? Are your guardians happy with you, sliding your education down the carpet to engage in man assault/battery?

It is my prayer and hope that this young gentleman puts himself up and overcome the emotional stress, your torture and humiliation has left him with. Know that, it is never in your place to discipline any man for cheating whatsoever. You have 2 choices only depending on your level of tolerance. You either leave the relationship diplomatically OR you face the reality. Yes, quote me, the high tendency for men to cheat is their reality which unfortunately will always live with us. You either mitigate this, if it’s a risk for you or avoid it by getting into that serious relationship with your books ONLY. I think that will do you more good anyways than strive to be a record breaker with the Title, “Men Beater”.

Now on my main note to you, my brother hopefully will be in that school by the next academic year and, I will plead with you to possibly stay away from him as a general caution from a loving sister. If you are not able to stay away however, do not make me hear anything about attacking his man for cheating. Remember I said, you either quit or stay, to tolerate. Having said that, I will do well to continue raising my beloved brother in the fear of the Lord which is, the beginning of wisdom to put up with you.

He is our family head and any attacks on him, are attacks on the whole family and in fact, our community. It is in your own interest to pay heed to this short advice from me or face the consequences thereafter.

It is my earnest belief that you are sincerely remorseful about your actions and have rendered an unqualified apology to the gentleman, his family, yourself, school community, women and most importantly, ALL men for the humiliation suffered and on behalf of all these groups, you ladies should go, and sin no more.....

Aurthor: Mavis Asante Appiah (the local Ghanaian girl)