The Blood In The Veins Of Suicide

It's interesting how suicide cases are being recorded across the world and Ghana has got its perfect place in that record. It's not surprising however, judging from the fact that within a space of two weeks, five of this glorious acts have been committed.

What we do know is, these cases; KNUST student, Legon student, a JHS 2 student in Akyem, a 30-year-old driver in Half-Assini and a young man from Old Tafo in Achimota were all reported cases. What about those that have not been properly documented and reported? They were perhaps hidden under mercy of shame.

Statistics in Ghana have shown that five persons commit this act every other day. It has been projected to shot up in the coming years.

Another interesting fact of these five cases, as we have know to be, is that most are occurring in the segment of education.

It speaks a lot about our educational sector. There is an incredible positive correlation between education and suicide cases in Ghana.

Look, education is a great adventure which anyone who has taken part in, will be very proud of.

However, the acknowledgements must be given to the challenges it poses to the individual traveling it's path.

Before an individual commits suicide, it is believed to have emanated from the psychological spheres of the person. Some individuals have a high vulnerability to stressors and with a little exposure they resort to such acts.

Undoubtedly, education presents most of such stressors to an individual.

Before you get your first degree in Ghana, you might have probably spend about 16 years in the classroom. The University which was introduced to, as it were, develop intellectual capabilities, has suddenly joined the race with the SHS and JHS for the "sitting in classroom all day" mantra.

Students scarcely have time for themselves to relax their minds. Lecture notes are being packed on them and there is little or no space between lecture hours. Students at this level are being treated us primary kids, where they are always preoccupied with stressful activities.

The most suicidal part of all of these is that, students are required to provide, sometimes verbatim, from the packed lecture notes and the limited time under which they are tutored, preventing them from expressing themselves. The moment they hear of Interim Assessment or quiz, there you will see students becoming so tensed up and jittery.

With all these, it becomes apparent that students with high vulnerability to stressors will definitely resort to commiting suicide. Sometimes you can't help but to think that the University managements deliberately do such things; packed lecture hours.

Gone were the days where you go to lectures, at most, four times in a week. Aside that, you have a lot of time within the day to develop your interest in a particular activity which takes much away the boredom and the pressure; igniters of suicide actions.

Mental health now needs to be told in a better context. What's the use if, lectures are being packed on students yet, they are required to give vivid account of all that transpired in such limited times. Meanwhile, such students will probably be taking a course in mental health, which makes them aware of how dangerous stress can be to their lives. It's such devastating!

The issue becomes worse when students themselves do not take delight in social activities.

What do we see, again, this days?

The moment they say Hall week celebration, SRC week celebrations and the likes, you will find students hiding behind the connotation that, "oh I'm a Christian", "ooh my books". University managements are even kicking against such mind relaxing and social activities. Such programs have been inserted into the school's calendar, for a very useful purpose and so it's surprising how these days the attitude towards such events are dwindling.

It's high time we got to realize that such gatherings help minimize, to the extreme, the boredom of persons and we've got to campaign for it as such.

It has become obvious that, most people embarking on this journey of education wouldn't land at the apex of the path taken.

A good example Komla Dumor of blessed memory, who started as a medical student but ending up as one of African greatest journalist.

In his case, he could have easily committed suicide after failing his final examination as a medical student in Nigeria and was withdrawn from the school.

But you know what, life gives more avenues of possibilities than you can think. That's the more reason extra curricular activities should be much encouraged in our schools.

He moved to Ghana, where he studied a totally different course in Business and later to journalism.

It's all about the excitement or better put, the satisfaction you get from what you do. Ones you get satisfied over what you do, suicide will be your last option to think of. Gradually, we will help to eradicate this canker in the environment.

Help campaign against suicide.

Help transform our educational sector.

Help send Ghana to the permanent site.

By: Richard Mawunyo Dartey - University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS-HO)

Mawunyo Writes: State of discombobulation- Ghana's case

Welcome to Ghana, a country where the peace and the stability is being taken for granted. A country where wrongs are being turned into a civil right. A country where the spirit of truth is far from fetch. A country, as we have come to believe, where the citizens are unconcerned.

Come to think of it, why will a hugely resourced country like ours be dependent on under-resourced countries for financial aid? Gold, timber and bauxite, just to mention few are the resources that this country can boast of. So "I can't think madness" when everyday, we have to be worrying ourselves to understand why we go to borrow. If you tell me you do not care about this, then you have been coffered on with political glaucoma.

Walk the streets of Accra during the day. You will find a number of street lights beaming at your face. Watch carefully beside the Highways, alas, a stream of pipe born water, flowing freely. So you think you don't care about all this? You must be from another world to think so.

Come down to our public universities. Each day, government and university authorities have the displeasure to talk about which of them must foot the utility bills. The first time I heard this, I wondered what the country is being turned into. We have failed as a society, to regulate the usage of this utilities yet we are quick to push the burden on someone else. Can you imagine how judiciously these resources can be managed, should the students be required to pay for their own utilities bills?

We have been practising same methods over and over yet expecting to get a different result. What a world! Thomas Edison, who also played a major role in the invention of electric bulb, once said, he had tried to invent electric bulb using 999 ways but failed. When asked why, he simply said, that gave  him 999 ways of not producing electric bulbs, hence he must try a new method.

Wait, before I digress into other issues, the decision now rests on us individuals to think positively about this country. Imagine how this country will be if we all play responsible roles and take responsibility for our actions. Just extend your little concern to your neighbor next door. You think he or she doesn't need that advice of yours? If he or she tries to ignore you, however, let him or her know that his or her right ends at the doorsteps of someone. In fact, explain to him to understand. We are very careless of our actions in this country. 

Can you imagine someone turning on the fun in his bed room, yet sitting in the hall watching television. While watching the television, he is seen busily reading newspaper with his radio loudly on. This is a complete mismanagement of resources.

We cannot live in a society where one does what pleases him. We must regulate and be regulated. The laws are there but are not being enforced. You think it needs only a competent court of jurisdiction to do the enforcement? No! You can also enforce it. This is done by serving as a watchdog over your neighbour, correct him while he goes wrong. And be ready yourself, to accept corrections.

Interestingly our grandparents never had statutory laws, yet they were able to fairly regulate their available resources. One would say probably because they added some elements of spiritualism. It worked so perfectly that the mother of principle and procedural believes, science, could not explain. The argument is, the dark days are over so those things cannot apply. Yes, we cannot go back to those days but we can manage our behaviours. And only this, can give us the freedom that we want as a country.

The writer of this article is Richard Mawunyo Dartey, a student of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho.