THEME: THE PARADOX OF THE RARE GEM: EXCELLENCE VS. CULTURAL RESISTANCE 

Why do you make me fall in love with Lucy! Surely, she must have been a gem— a rare gem in Ghana where galamaseyers struggle and die for peanuts. To speak of hard work as manna, to talk of analytical mind, details mindedness, dedication to duty, readiness to assume responsibility, initiative, and a good sense of productivity, performance, and output requiring little or no supervision is a very rare commodity in Ghana where workers work for half the allotted time, perform nonchalantly, produce a quarter to half worth their pay, and businesses operate consistently on overdraft struggling to stay on the bloc.    

Lady Lucy must have been a rare gem, a genius of a worker in our kind of economy.  Geniuses often do not live long in this life where Satan and wicked men rule—where spiritual and cultural arrangements particularly in Africa, resist the good and highly motivated transformative measures, where darkness, backwardness, and poverty are the ruling forces and culture. Even leaders who appreciate such qualities find it difficult to reward such gems, afraid as they are of the dark and evil cultural environment and/or are otherwise haunted by a negative sense of self-protection and vain glory at that. 

Sir, wonderful funeral eulogies do not transform people. They only go to reinforce fear of the evil— owuo sei fie (death destroys the home). Meanwhile, we celebrate and worship death at lavish funerals. With Lucy, can we say that because of the dark and wicked works of spirits and men, God can and does remove the righteous and noble gems out of circulation fast. 

Why should gems live long among a people who hate the good, who resist transformative measures, and who dare God regarding His good intentions and provisions for families, nations, and the human race? Geniuses and good folks like Lucy are a blessing of God to families and nations. But, oh, how people hate them! 

Does Graphic Corporation have a plan to reward quality work and workers like Lucy Adoma Yeboah while alive? And this is written to wipe away tears. Mr. Ayeboafoh’s arrangement of ‘place and space’ for Miss Lucy is not bad at all. While ‘whom you know’ is not a sustainable proposition for a nation, good testimonials and recommendations from the right and the honest are necessary! 

May Graphic Corporation, may the media in Ghana, may all employees seek, find, promote, and reward “gems” of today. They are a treasure—rare gems hidden in the sand at the seashore.  We join the refrain: Rest thee well from thy sorrows, Lucy! Thy good works follow thee!  Amen! 

December 16, 2011