Since its publication, Ms. Akosua Abeka’s essay “Ashesi University—Blackface U.S. College Corporatism Reaches African Shores” has received much public and private debate.
Some readers shed light upon the history of Ashesi University, emphasizing the influence of its current President Patrick Awuah more than its governing board. Hene Aku Kwapong shared: “I worked with Patrick at Microsoft. Idea of Ashesi was born over lunch among a group of Ghanaians at Microsoft just sitting around shooting the breeze before Patrick left for business school. And that is why most of us at Microsoft and our bosses put up resources to make it happen.”
Yaw Djin revealed the frustrations in starting any business venture and expressed empathy for Mr. Awuah’s reliance upon foreign funding: “Having tried several times to get African ideas off the ground and been blocked by fellow Africans who were more interested in either stealing my ideas, humoring me and doing nothing, I can understand why Patrick would extend his network to non-Africans to get things moving. It’s easy to say, ‘Find black women to fill the roles’, harder finding people who won’t waste your time. I have, several times.”
Daniel Appiah held optimism about the increased involvement of Ghanaians in Ashesi’s future: “On the one hand, it seems that you have some good points about the structure of Ashesi’s management team as being Western dominated… But I am confident that in the near future Ashesi’s graduates will be capable of dominating the management of their alma mater.”
In the midst of what could have been an overall healthy and productive discussion about future directions of higher education in Ghana, many commenters could not resist the troubled urge to demean Africans in the process.
In prophetic fashion, Jonas predicted such an outcome, comparing the infusion of an American education in Russia to the current encroachment in Ghana: “The case of Ashesi reminds one of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. It was established and funded with private American money. The graduates they produce are wedded to the neoliberal economic orthodoxy of the US and actively promote western interests in Russia. They are in fact called self hating Russophobes. Ashesi controlled by white Americans might unwittingly produce such graduates in Africa. How clever to produce an African elite suffused with Western thinking and subservient to the metropole.”
To this effect, some self-hating comments came in the form of worshiping foreigners.
Jomens remarked that we should “also remember that the Samaritan who offered this poor man support shared nothing in common with him. I am saying this because it seems you have a problem with the contribution of whites to Ashesi. Though we share less in common with them, I believe they can be likened to the good Samaritan.”
Children too were not spared in the analogy. Nkunimdini Asante-Antwi questioned: “Who has a brighter future, the neglected kids of Gomoa Pinanko Basic D/A primary or the educated Ashesi lad whose best interest is not shared by his Caucasian provost?”
Even further responses uttered negative impressions about African education and people. Nkunimdini Asante-Antwi remarked: “You wrote, “We have to fully understand what the Ashesi Model can unleash on the Ghanaian Educational System.” What does this mean, really? It is your brilliant pre-supposition that the Ghanaian educational system is creating superb educational outcomes? And the Ashesi model will unleash some kind of snag to mess it up? WHAT?” And also: “You think the Ghana Education Service [has the interest of Ghanaians at heart] simply because we are kinsmen?”
With much disgust, Rich Rasta Family-JTN put down African education and students. “You should have a conversation with an Ashesi student and a student from any other university – both picked at random. I will tell you this – there is one thing I know for sure… all being equal, the Ashesi student will be well read than the other student.” A student at Ashesi University, Maxwell Aladago agreed: “Swathmore College’s school fees was exhorbitant, but the quality of education at Swathmore was, and is still far above that of University of Ghana, or any other univeristy in Ghana.”
Perhaps most unsettling was the commenters’ bashing of traditional Africa and rural people. Rasta asked: “Does anyone think Nkrumah would have developed it if he was on the farm with his grandmother since he couldn’t afford an education?” In addition, Yaw Djin asserted: “Education, the kind that allows us to compete with the wider world isn’t one of sitting under a hut and learning crafts.”
Ms. Abeka’s criticism of a neo-colonial perspective rings true in light of these comments, where Africans speak cynically of their own traditional cultures in favor of foreign interventions.
Putting the western curriculum over an African one, Mr. Aladago said: “Yes, those who had their education in the west are always in a rush. You think so?. What I have also observed is, most of the time, they are the people that actually propel Africa forward. I think Nkrumah, Wangari Mathai of Kenya, Strive Masiyiwa of Zimbawe, Dr. Johnson Sirleaf, Kofi Annan, were always in a rush. But they have established some legacies across the continent. On the flip side, I tend not to see many people educated solely in Ghana initiate productive and economically viable ventures in Ghana. What they do is to step on the toes of fellow Ghanaians who are extracting themselves to give Ghana a future.”
Rich Rasta Family-JTN wrote: “Ashesi decided to give people in Africa a taste of what quality education feels like? #QualityAssurance.”
Surely, they who believe that quality of higher education has just now reached African shores have never heard of the University of Timbuktu, established in 982 and enrolled more than 25,000 students in the 12th century. Tigliwigli Ometahidio advocates for an intellectual journey “on camelback to the Old Songhai empire, to Timbuktu, and to the Pharoahic lands along the Nile” to “gather knowledge from the greatest civilizations the earth ever had the privilege of sustaining.”
Another concern of Ms. Abeka’s was the merits of a university’s engagement with corporate multinationals in the private sector. To this point, many commenters expressed aplomb for Ashesi’s strategic relationships with the world’s global 1 percent.
A former Ashesi student, Kwaku Doobia remarked: “Ashesi is making huge transformations in Corporate Ghana and beyond and corporations and parents are acknowledging this everyday. Talk to corporate Ghana and parents.” Several ex-employees of Barclays, Merrill Lynch, and Microsoft felt pride in Africa’s forging relationships with corporate juggernauts, singing the praises of the credit card conglomerate Mastercard for its involvement in donating a drop of its net worth in scholarships.
Possibly most surprising was readers’ immense praise of high tuition prices in the face of growing global wealth inequality. Readers were fervent defenders of the immoderate costs of the university, among the highest in the country for the undergraduate level. As Ms. Abeka pointed out, millions of concerned students the world over are protesting the rising costs of education, though readers dismissed this anxiety, emphasizing the importance of a quality education, at any cost.
Maxwell Aladago asked: “It is not unfair to say to criticize the CEO of a multinational company simply because he earns higher than an intern in a small business?” Nunimdini Asante-Antwi said: “I would rather pay USD 60,000 for my child to be taught skills like robotics and Artificial Intelligence than pay 5000 for a grind machine that would churn out folks who would join unemployed graduates association after school.”
Later Mr. Aladago insisted: “Only few people actually pay Ashesi’s full fees. But the monies they pay are worth it.” Rasta agreed: “The cost is nothing compared to the facilities they enjoy.” With enthusiasm, Daniel Appiah declared: “The cost of quality education in Ghana is high but they are usually over-subscribed by prospective students who desire nothing short of quality education!”
Likewise, Yaw Djin said: “Perhaps $5000 a year is steep for most, but do we appreciate the logistic of training leaders with the best education available without scrimping on the cost of teachers and teacher-student ratio to achieve it? 40% of Ashesi students are either on a grant or funding, so they aren’t full-fee paying.”
Most price-resistant was Khalid Musah, who reasoned: “Even if Ashesi charges $100,000 per student per year what is the point? Ashesi is a private institution and so can charge fees consistent with the cost of running its programs. As a private institution they can set their prices whatever and let those who can afford apply for admission.”
One exception to the general acquiescence with the influx of foreign influence was a comment by Solomon Azumah-Gomez: “It is possible without foreign money to start something from Ghana for Ghana and by Ghanaians. You just have to wait a little longer… Because Africans travel and see so much, they come home impatiently attacking everything and everybody. Life takes time. It has always taken time. Awuah could or should have realized that a superb University in Ghana can be built. That he could start it. That in a couple of generations it could become something more profound. A thousand miles journey begins with a single step. But western educated Africans, and those who look up to the west are always in a rush. When you are in a rush, you might even make a deal with the devil.”
However, those who are closest to the university portrayed the harmony of education, business, and the corporate world. Mr. Aladago, said: “The truth is Ashesi is engineering the ideal calibre of students Ghana needs, the students Africa needs. The students are happy, the corporate world is benefiting and Africa has started reaping the fruits of Ashesi’s efforts.”
What lies before us are impending encounters between national universities, global multinationals, and world economic stability. The years to come will only further elucidate what fruits such a model of integrative partnership will yield for our posterity.
The original article, by Akosua Abeka, that elicited these responses quoted here can be found here:
Ashesi University – Blackface U.S. College Corporatism Reaches African Shores
Akosua Abeka’s followup essay detailing the issues raised here and in response to various critics, including Mr. Patrick Awuah’s comments can be found here:
Nefetiti reacts to Ashesi public response in this piece. I am all enamored that mighty Nefetiti – of Grandmother Africa fame – would come to my aid to make sense of much of the nonsense from comments.
It was immensely funny reading many of the comments on the earlier piece. It felt like a bonfire of the vanities, intellectualesque entities trapped in programed intellectual cages spewing their programmed talking points. Only a few could offer some constructive counterpoints, most were angry when their programmed talking points drummed into their craniums could not counteract the constructive criticism raised by the article. No one is attacking Patrick Awuah and his vision, people are offering what they believe is corrective advice to fine tune his vision. But the sectarians bloviating had a certain cultic tenor in their asinine comments. I leave them to their delusional catharsis
Ashesi students, who left comments, have shown one thing: they have a strong euphoria about their luxurious Liberal Arts education – which offers nothing, absolutely nothing in terms of an African Development agenda. They are irascible, intemperate and apoplectic in their reaction to the article. How they all miss the point beats me, frankly. But I am sure, the white Xanthippes they have in that school, gallivanting that campus in the name of bringing an American liberal arts education to Ghanaians, are to blame. An Ashesi Education – my God! What an oxymoron after-all. Ashesi – that’s where I thought it was the beginning of something new. Not knowing it’s just a photocopy of a Swarthmore nonsense, a Corporate hegemony streaming into African markets in the name of capital investments, and a naive and capricious bunch who think they are African because they study Africana at Ashesi. How Faustian! How gratuitous!
A single scoundrel is enough to ruin the nation, said Napoléon Bonaparte. Ashesi University seems to have a few scoundrels. Still, One great personality is enough to save the country, said Voltaire. Here I see many – Akosua M. Abeka, Nefetiti, Fifi Orleans-Lindsay, Jonathan Nukpezah, Narmer Amenuti etc. etc. and of course, myself! How can I leave out myself? I am hopeful for a better Ghana.
The article was poorly researched and had a strong confirmation bias. As a stylistic point, perhaps you should take cues from Vonnegut and write as simply as possible; writing is just a medium of communication, when you use your 19 cedi words it really betrays you guys as a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals.
Mr Mahesh Moolchandani
Maybe Kurt Vonnegut is your idea of a great writer, you are entitled to that view whatever it may be worth. But don’t hustle that view on others. Other cultures and writing traditions might have a different view. You have allocated to your poor self the imprimatur of a judge to decide who is a pseudo-intellectual. Maybe in your poorly programmed cranium, a western credential tag of an intellectual is what qualifies a person to be an intellectual. Please take your western programmed snobbishnes to the dogs where they fittingly lie. Maybe write something constructive and debate, then you might have something intellectual to say if you indeed do 🙂
Mr. Gbemela Kobla.
Maybe if you, for even a moment, spoke coherently, without what seems like a need to come across as intelligent, people would take you seriously. That you really think the words you use make you come across as having something intellectual to say illustrates the tragedy of this post. Yes, I anticipate your replying this with equally or even more convoluted writing. But remember, whatever it is you are compensating for by presenting yourself like this on the internet is still there, lurking over your shoulder, waiting for you to log off so it can take hold of you. Oh but maybe I am wrong, and when you do walk through the doors of your home tonight you will shout “God dig-you-den all!”. In which case you have the internet’s full support. Carry on.
Misses Eyamele Koshie,
You intrigue me. When Mr Mahesh, made smug comments, you seem enamored. When Kobla made his comments, and it seems you’ve obviously been outsmarted, you claim being smart is a bane. When does this nonsense stop with you people?
Sigh!
My brow is wet from the sweat of frustration. To completely ignore Mahesh’s comment, err i don’t know..possibly because it wasn’t the reason of my commenting, is to be enamoured by him or his words. But yada yada, the absence of evidence not being the evidence of absence. Oh and if that’s what it takes for you to be intrigued then you should read more. And I claim being smart is a bane? To call him smart because of the words he uses is a bit of a stretch, wouldn’t you say? Sigh , refer to my comment on reading more. Anyway, this is where discontinue engagement because I am obviously dealing with people who have their minds made.
You’re STILL not reading (and understanding), Koshie. Start with the regulars of English comprehension and when you master that, move on. You’re not ready yet. Start at the beginning (way above) and take your time. Read it ALL and THINK about what it says.
Then, and only then, read my “standard concerns” of your vituperative support for an Ashesi Model in Ghana above, and try it for yourself. It works every time.
If I had you in a 6th grade English class, I’d have you seeing it in no time. I’d make you do what I say or I’d send you to the principal’s office. You’d get it.
Thank you Mahesh. Write simply so the so-called lower class, less-educated, can read and understand. Secondly, do your homework. That’s all. Worse case scenario, Ashesi alums together with other alums, both educated and uneducated, will build a better Africa. I can’t wait for that day!
What she fails to explain is: 1. What is inherently flawed about having diversity in the leadership of Ashesi (except of course there’s value simply in blackness). 2. What is flawed about establishing a foundation with roots in the Unites States? Her thesis fails because she does little into detailing her allegations by backing them up with effects of why things shouldn’t be as she wishes. In the 21st century we can no longer stand firm on arguments of racial exclusivity simply for the sake of it. We cannot live in a globalized environment as we do now and claim national/race purity in all we do. We cannot claim do enlighten our next generation by continuing to stoop ourselves in ignorant exclusivity!!!
Sometimes exclusivity is good when no one else reciprocates… How many US universities do you know of where 80% of the management are Ghanaian?
1. There is value in building your own for yourself. You tend to appreciate it more. You can tailor it for your needs. Who knows your needs better than you do? “value in blackness” — a very odd comment. In some places, the people who benefit the least from diversity are Black. I will not go further… will only say that the comment is sad and disgusting.
2. The United States is notorious for its anti-black, Anti-African policies. Is there anything else that needs to be said?
Marcia Mamaa Kayie Ashong I’m lost. Any help? I prided myself in what i felt was the intellectual and handiwork of a an enterprising Ghanaian. The articles seems to dispute that sole Ghanaian ownership. Is it true that Ashesi is co-owned by foreign interests who claim to be non-profit?
Again, it appears the writer’s beef isn’t about Ashesi having a leadership from diverse backgrounds; she seems to have a problem with the huge percentage of its leadership that is sourced from the US’ white population.
While this may be true, the observation only schemes the surface of the point being made. Why not ask about the implications of having majority foreign management/ownership. Where do their loyalties lie? Where will their large salaries go? Will their influence in students create Pro-African or Pro-Western graduates?
Arrimeh Debwan-yir I think it boils down to what the writer really wanted to achieve. Ashesi University Foundation is a not-for-profit organization based in the US where most of the donations to fund Ashesi is received. That is a strategic move I imagine. Doing transfers into Ghana is a hell of a process so you dont want your donors to be frustrated at every turn..make it easy for them to donate to the cause in the system they are used to. Ashesi has always been an open book. Hell the writer could even simply walk into Patrick’s office and ask him what she wants to know. The writer does not actually remain objective and you can see a lot of bias in the tone and language.
Please check out the foundaton and let me know if it is something other than what I have just said or what Ashesi has always said it was. It was created to lead the funding for Ashesi. Patrick could not have built Ashesi alone. The history of Ashesi is there for anyone with interest to read. Even when we say Nkrumah founded Ghana, do we mean he owned the country or that he did it alone? Will be interested in your views when you confirm for yourself what the Foundation stands for in the scheme of things.
The reason why the Foundation is based in the US and most trustees are American citizens is PLAIN SIMPLE. American law allows generous tax-deduction benefits for philanthropists. GHANA LAW IS — USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO SPURRING PHILANTHROPY, and at any rate since most donors presently are in the US, it makes no sense to base the Foundation in Ghana. Until Ghanaians are willing to fund excellence (or even to support and promote it) visionaries have every right to look anywhere they can find support for their dreams. It is plain ignorance to write authoritatively about the legal-geographic dynamics of philanthropic internationalism (or shall I say, ‘nativism’, or even ‘localism’?) when you are clueless about HOW THIS KIND OF STUFF WORKS, which is exactly why the likes of H Kwasi Prempeh have taken a dismissive tone. Before you seek to take down such an eminent institution as Ashesi, you better have a clue what you are on about. That’s why folks are reacting the way they are. No one is seeking to diminish the worth of Ms. Abeka.
This article was extremely poorly researched. She talked about the fees being too much, but with the facilities that come with these fees, I am even amazed at how they do not ask for more. In this dum-sor era let her name even one public university that is able to provide electricity for their students 24/7. The number of times I’ve travelled to legon to see my friends and hear them complain about this dum-sor nonsense. How many universities provide textbooks to every student for every course they have to study for? How many universities make it so easy for you to walk into your Deans office to discuss matters that bother you? I’ve had so many friends In both Tech and Legon that paid their lecturers off for good grades. And yet you compare? I rest my case..
Your article was libel at best.
How can you talk about education in Ghana without talking about how bad our public education systems are? And about how bound our governments are already bound to Aid? Our country is imperfect, and when a citizen attempts to build something that supplements our failings, you write a poor article about them. There are critiques that can be talked about with regards to Ashesi, but your analysis of structural inequality that ignores neo-patrimonialism (how un-African of you!) and corruption and poor educational structures in Ghana are so pathetic. You cannot simply lift US-based results and impose them on to Ghanaian systems. How do you know the work those white women have done/not done? Shame on you for such a poor analysis. No research, baseless claims and speculation.
It is amazing how so many commentors have completely ignored the possibility that a sizable portion of the Ashesi revenue will not remain within the borders of Ghana. Every Ghanaian should be concerned about that. Every dollar that leaves your country is one that will not benefit you. Education is nice to have if you have infrastructure in place that allows you to utilize that education. If you are not using those skills that you spent so much money to learn, then what is the value of those skills? If the plan is to take those skills to the U.S. where they can be put to use, that may not be the wisest choice. Why would you work to build someone else’s house when you can be working on your own?
Duveda, Ashesi’s values transparency so you can actually check what it does with its money.
Ashesi is a not for profit venture meaning no money actually leaves the business. And as it stands, it is receiving a lot of non-Ghanaian money to subsidize it’s education for students who cannot afford it. Your theory about the possibility of Ashesi’s revenue not remaining in Ghana is unfounded.
I am however not surprised by your opinion if everything you know about Ashesi is from Akosua’s article.
Nefetiti, I thought as the editor of this site you were going to correct Akosua’s many factual inaccuracies (and maybe apologize).
At this point, I am doubtful of your integrity but I’m still going to point you in the right direction (just in case I’m wrong).
Here are two ‘facts’ that Akosua got wrong and that you as the editor should verify:
– The relationship between Ashesi Foundation and Ashesi University
– The Actual composition of Ashesi’s board of directors
Read through the comments and I’d have to say that all the points raised against the article are very valid seeing as the article seemed to be a bit biased in pointing out only what the writer in her point of view saw as a neo-colonial educational system. However, it would not have sparked much of a debate if all the facts raised were based on empirically evidence and information which some commentators did not already know. We have to be honest that the black man has not been capable of handling his own affairs as Nkrumah may have thought. Look at our governance and how it so much depends on western funds and multinational companies. Public education is nothing to write home about and most if not all public companies collapse and settle for private public partnerships mostly with multinational companies or if not a blackfaced leadership with foreigners at the backbone of its affairs.
For one who is against white capitalism, imperialism and racism the article would immediately keep you nodding and saying to yourself, I knew it but for whatever the agenda of the Western world may be, be it for our good as Africans or for their sole benefit we can only speculate without evidence. As one commentator said, we cannot live in a global environment and claim national/race purity in all we do. You won’t simply stop using Google if you found out its owners were let’s say funding wars in Africa. The benefit of the education those at Ashesi enjoy is evident regardless of any hidden agenda in the establishment of the institution. Let’s be honest, if I would pay tuition to attend a Ghanaian public or private university and would be applying for jobs in multinational companies with a narrow chance of employment, when I can pay tuition to attend Ashesi (though exorbitant) to get employed in the same multinational company whether due to my affiliation with a well recognized institution or my skills set, I think the latter would be costly but worth it in the long term. At the end of the day the truth is certificates are of less value in the job market whereas experience and affiliation (network) is much more important. To find yourself in an institution where you can rely on an effective network of alumni and the prestige it carries is an added advantage which many unemployed graduates would bear witness to. One aspect of your article which I so much agree to is how Western universities admit Ghanaians students into programs of little value to the Ghanaian educational system but then again the agenda is to retain our bright minds which is something that would continue if we as Africans fail to make our educational system more diverse and offer a wide range of opportunities as opposed to the everyday doctor, lawyer, engineer cliché career paths. If all the assertions in your article are indeed true without a doubt I won’t be surprised but then again that would only prove how smart the whites are in implementing such an agenda and we have to give them credit for that and be more vigilant and smart. They would always be who they are and would continue with their agenda whether good or bad. We as Africans need to do much for ourselves. Regardless of the agenda behind Ashesi, if its graduates came out and setup businesses to employ more Ghanaians I suppose it wouldn’t really matter how much fees they paid. You can make a follow up on your article suggesting how we can take advantage of Ashesi’s education irrespective of any neo-colonial objective..
Patrick Awuah
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To:
Ashesi Community; Wed 11/4/2015 3:06 PM
Fellow members of the Ashesi community,
Yesterday, I received messages from friends and members of the Ashesi community about a blog criticizing our institution and characterizing our institution as some kind of neo-colonial project. Because of the number of comments I am getting in email, on social media and in the hallways, I feel compelled to share a few thoughts about this matter.
Quite a few students and staff members asked me whether I had read the blog and if so, how I felt about this article. They seemed genuinely surprised when I said it didn’t bother me. My only regret is that five women on our team –Provost, Associate Provost and Ashesi Foundation staff– were singled out and personally attacked by the author of the article.
The author does not know the sacrifices that these women have made –and continue to make– on behalf of our institution. The author has no idea how hard these women work, nor does she have an inkling about the contributions that these Women of Ashesi are making to our cause. The author does not know which one of these women grew up in Cote d’Ivoire, whose first words as an infant were spoken in Akan, and who feels very connected to West Africa. The author does not know these things because she did not do what good journalists do. She did not dig deeper.
The article does not bother me because I know our purpose. I know what motivates me and the rest of the Ashesi community. The article does not bother me, because I have seen and am humbled by the tremendous impact Ashesi has had on the lives of many of our students. Above all, the article does not bother me because I believe that the work we do will make a positive contribution to our continent and the world. I consider it a privilege that my work has such meaning.
We should take pride in the fact that 90 percent of the University Board of Directors are Ghanaian and that 40 percent of the board are women. We should take pride in the fact that 24 percent of the Foundation Board of Trustees are African. We should take pride in the fact that 55 percent of our students receive some form of scholarship and that 29 percent of our students pay nothing at all for tuition, room & board, or textbooks. We should take pride in the fact every building on our campus is wheelchair accessible. We should continue to be an inclusive community and a group of Africans who choose to collaborate with the world.
I have intentionally not included a link to the blog in question in this message because I do not believe it deserves to be distributed any further. Having read the commentary on other articles on the blog, in addition to the Ashesi attack article, I have the impression that this blog received far more traffic yesterday than at any other time prior to the Ashesi attack. I think it is time to stop.
I see that many people who know Ashesi or are part of our community are infuriated by this author. Let us spend our energies elsewhere. If you absolutely feel compelled to comment on the blog, please be polite. Frankly, I would rather have us focus on our work.
If the author ever reaches out to visit our campus, let us host her warmly. Until then, this blog does not deserve any more of our time or space on our Facebook timelines.
Patrick
Patrick Awuah | Founder & President | Ashesi University College
1 University Avenue, Berekuso
PMB CT 3, Cantonments
Accra, Ghana
T: +233(302)610-330
This was said in a closed ground and I’m not sure he’d appreciate it being shared here. I made a simple comment to this post in a closed group moderated by the blogger and I had to find out from a friend that my post is now being quoted as further ammunition for her argument for all to see.
Let’s not be confused by the comically-bombastic words, you aren’t dealing with people that are faithful to the discipline of logic. They will twist whatever facts you give them to whatever ends they deem best suits their argument.
This is a mud pit, and you just dragged Patrick Awuah’s discrete post exclusively to the Ashesi community into it.
I would strongly advice you engage no further. Results speaking volumes louder than words.
Let’s keep working on that and let the loudest critics be silenced by our achievements.
The author has been subjected to some of the most vicious insults to ever depart the lips of people who otherwise introduce themselves as lovers of the free society, of free speech and western type liberal democracy. They thought they were rising to defend Patrick Awuah. But they misunderstand this piece. The author’s critique goes beyond Mr.Awuah. The author confronts no human but an idea. The idea, and the rapidly emerging reality, of education as an expensive, imported comodity controlled by a few and available only to the very elite. The trolls should read the article again.