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Political Communication in an Emerging Democracy: A Framing Analysis of President Akufo-Addo’s 2021 Inaugural Address
(Journal of Communications, Media & Society, 2023-06-01) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Sikanku, Godwin Etse; Adae, Eric Kwame; Osei-Fordjour, Nana Kwame
President Akufo-Addo’s (Ghana) 2021 inaugural address is analysed from a framing perspective. A theory-guided approach anchored by framing as the conceptual framework and framing analysis as the methodological approach were employed. Five major frames were unearthed: (a) “The can-do spirit”, (b) “Ghana beyond aid” (c) “maturing democracy”, (d) “social and economic justice” and (e) “unity, confronting COVID-19 and seizing destiny”. The Presidential inaugural address is the first and most significant speech the President will give after he is sworn in. This research offers insights into the underlying meanings that the president seeks to communicate to the nation beyond linguistic or rhetorical considerations. The research contributes to understanding as well as appreciating the role and nature of presidential communication in a contemporary and emerging democracy such as Ghana.
Global Media and the End of the Nation-State: Myth or Reality?
(Samar Habib, 2014-04) Coker, Wincharles; Opoku, Mensah Eric
Debates about the influence of international media moguls on feeble African nation-states in particular often focus on whether the end of state sovereignty is a hyperbolic myth or a literal truth. This paper argues that, far from being an either/or question, contemplations of the phenomenon can be effectively enhanced if we adopt a middle-ground. Such a posture requires that we examine the dialectic between so-called global media and the nation-state within the orbit of critical theories such as Marxist political economy, in understanding their implications for sub-Saharan African states.
The Metaphor: A Rhetorical Tool in Some Selected Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Kwame Nkrumah
(Language in India, 2011-04-04) Opoku, Mensah Eric
The metaphor, together with other rhetorical figures, was first identified and discussed over two thousand years ago in classical antiquity (Todorov, 1982) and has been effectively used by politicians and has thus become the subject of rhetorical studies in modern times. It is a prominent tool in the political discourse of King and Nkrumah who have been considered as great speakers of their time. Taking a qualitative approach, the study examines the place of metaphor in the political discourse of these two speakers. In particular, this paper is informed by the following questions: What role does metaphor play in the rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr. and Kwame Nkrumah? Are there some major similarities and differences in their use of the metaphor in their political discourse? Is there a relationship between their backgrounds and their choice of metaphors?
The Constraint of a Rhetorical Invention: Kwame Nkrumah and the Organization of African Unity
(Lagos Notes and Records, 2020-06-12) Opoku, Mensah Eric
Rhetorical constraints have the potential to inhibit a successful communication transaction. How they do that sometimes practically remains unclear, especially within the study of rhetoric in the African context. This paper examines Kwame Nkrumah’s rhetorical urgency as an argumentative tool for the establishment of an organization which would direct the political, economic and military directions of Africa. Employing Bitzer’s Situation (1968) and Meyer’s Composite Audience (1999) as analytical framework, the paper takes a critical look at Nkrumah’s rhetorical invention to locate the inherent constraints and how they (constraints) eclipsed the total success of Nkrumah’s invention. This study therefore has implications for the episteme of the different contexts within which rhetorical inventions are created and performed within the pan African liberation sphere.
Perception of Public Relations Practice Among Selected Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) In Ghana
(Communicare : Journal of Communication Studies, 2022-07-17) Tandoh, Isaac; Duffour, Kwame Asare; Essandoh, Mavis; Opoku, Mensah Eric
The study's goal was to find out what some of Ghana's top executives thought about public relations. The goals were to determine the Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs') understanding of public relations, as well as their perceptions of public relations' role in strategic management and the restrictions of public relations' role in corporate strategy. Through an in-depth interview with five (5) CEOs of chosen agencies within Ghana's Ministry of Transport, the study gathered data using a qualitative research technique. This data was then evaluated using theme analysis, which demonstrated that the public impression of public relations practice in Ghana is positive, implying that the technique is effective. Public relations were deemed to be an important role in strategic management, particularly if it was part of top management. It also limited its contribution to business strategy owing to a variety of problems experienced in the chosen firms, including financial limits, a lack of deep understanding of CEOs in public relations, and others. According to the conclusions of the research, Ghanaian CEOs and business leaders should identify and promote public relations practice. The Institute of Public Relations Ghana should speed up its attempts to enact a statute making public relations a regulated profession.
Examining the Level of Public Awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: An Empirical Evidence from Ghana
(Springer Link (Environment, Development and Sustainability), 2023-01-27) Odoom, Daniel; Opoku, Mensah Eric; Dick‑Sagoe, Christopher; Lee, Ka Yiu; Opoku, Ernest; Obeng‑Baah, Joseph
Nations which are part of the United Nations are required to institute appropriate measures to fulfil the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, for this to be possible, all stakeholders including the general public need to be fully aware of the SDGs. This research examined the level of public awareness about the SDGs among Ghanaians based on the views of 431 respondents. Means, standard deviation, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis and Pearson Product-Moment Correlations were used for data analysis. The study found that awareness level on SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger, food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) was high among Ghanaians. However, awareness level on SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 14 (conservation of life below water), and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) was very low among Ghanaians. No significant difference manifested in the level of awareness among male and female Ghanaians. There were statistically significant differences in educational levels of respondents and their overall level of awareness of the SDGs. Also, there was a low, negative correlation between overall level of awareness and the effectiveness of the communication strategies used in creating awareness about the SDGs. Government should re-examine its communication strategies on the SDGs and put in place a more effective communication policy framework which involves grassroots populations and local communities.
Decolonization of Indigenous Language Media Practice in Ghana: Myth or Reality?
(African Journals Online (Arụmarụka: Journal of Conversational Thinking), 2022-10-03) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Aboagye Da-Costa, Caroline
The marginalization of Ghanaian indigenous languages from the media space ceased in the 1990s when the airwaves were liberalized. This was not only a ground-breaking experience for diversification but also a way of getting the majority of the population informed, especially through radio, which is a comparatively accessible medium. However, indigenous language use for radio news broadcasts has come under intense criticism for the extensive use of embellishments like proverbs, which are believed to digress from foreign and acceptable news standards. Using content analysis of Ghanaian media policy documents, sampled news recordings from selected private FM radio stations, and semi-structured interviews with selected news professionals, this paper argues that Ghanaian indigenous language communication forms include embellishments and their accurate use presupposes an immense understanding of the language. Hence, indigenous languages cannot be adapted and appreciated wholesomely in the media space if aspects of it are downplayed.
Covid-19 Pandemic, Personal Hygiene and Dietary Behavior of Ghanaians: From the Perspective of Inhabitants of Burma Camp, Accra
(African Journals Online (Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research), 2022-09-28) Osei-Brobby, Jessie; Odoom, Daniel; Opoku, Mensah Eric; Dick-Sagoe, Christopher
COVID-19 has affected various aspects of life including education and health. This study examined how the pandemic has affected dietary behavior and personal hygiene of people in a descriptive survey. The study was underpinned by the human capital and social learning theories. A total of 133 inhabitants of Burma Camp who were conveniently selected responded to a set of questionnaire. Analytical techniques employed in the study included means, standard deviation and regression. The study found that COVID-19 has affected dietary behavior of people in many ways including paying much attention to their dietary behavior, not eating outside food, often eating warm food, and taking Vitamin C supplements. However, COVID-19 pandemic has not reduced consumption of alcohol, consumption of canned fruit juice, and overall consumption of canned foods. Again, because of the pandemic people now take their personal hygiene seriously, frequently use alcohol based hand sanitizer, wash their hands with soap routinely, observe physical distance at public places, and avoid crowded places. The regression analysis confirmed that COVID-19 has an effect on the dietary behavior and personal hygiene of inhabitants at Burma Camp. The findings have also been discussed in the context of their value for theoretical literature. As a way of recommendation, inhabitants are encouraged to continue to take their dietary behaviors and personal hygiene seriously so as to stay healthy amidst the spread of the virus.
A Comparative Analysis of Hillary Clinton and John Mahama’s Concession Speeches in the 2016 US and Ghanaian Presidential Elections
(Taylor & Francis Group (Howard Journal of Communications), 2022-06-22) Sikanku, Godwin Etse; Fordjour, Nana Kwame Osei; Opoku, Mensah Eric; Kwansah-Aidoo, Kwamena
Comparative research contributes to knowledge by providing a better understanding of how a phenomenon manifests in different socio-cultural contexts. In this present study, we examined the concession speeches of Hillary Clinton (United States, Democratic Party) and John Mahama (Ghana, National Democratic Congress, NDC) in the aftermath of their 2016 electoral defeats. Findings indicated that three similar frames emerged between the two candidates. Hillary Clinton’s frames included: acknowledging pain and acceptance, democracy, values and nationalism, and gratitude. John Mahama’s frames had: acceptance and concern, appreciation, unity, democracy, and nationhood. Both candidates accepted the electoral outcome, showed gratitude, and reaffirmed their belief in democracy and unity. However, there were slight differences. Hillary Clinton’s frame on acknowledging pain and acceptance had a more open, forthright recognition of being hurt in a way that enabled her to process the loss and pain. Findings from this study provide insights into recent concession speeches across two socio-cultural and continental divides, which builds on literature in framing and political communication.
Guilty in Whose Eyes? Student-Teachers’ Perspectives on Cheating on Examinations
(Journal of Education and Practice, 2016) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Amua-Sekyi, Ekua Tekyiwa
The study explored student- teachers’ views on cheating during examinations. A mixed method approach which involved a survey and focus group interviews was employed. Nine hundred undergraduate education students from a public university and three colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed. Focus group interviews were held with six students from each institution selected. A total of 942 students participated in the study. The findings indicate that fear of failure seem to be the main motivation for cheating; students perceived cheating acts treated as minor offences as ‘helping’ peers; the severity of the punishment applied if students are caught cheating negatively influence their propensity to cheat; students’ perception of ethical values does not determine the level of prevalence of cheating; peer loyalty or fellow feeling is dominant; and students perceive a correspondence between social corruption and cheating. It is recommended that the risk of detection should be increased and the penalty for the ‘less serious offences’ reconsidered. If students perceive cheating within the context of their social experience, the overall quality of student experience needs to be considered if the likelihood of cheating is to be minimised. It is suggested that more attention needs to be paid to institutionalizing academic integrity instead of managing cheating.
The Global Imperialism Project: Lessons from Television, Movies and Radio
(International Multi-Disciplinary Journal Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2018-09) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Owusu-Amoh, Stephen; Nyarko, Jacob
Old and latest trends in discussions in the sphere of the role of mass communication in media and cultural imperialism have centred on cultural hegemony and cultural colonialism among other such lines of ideological debate. Some debates have also pointed to globalization as the only way to spread development across the world. Others see globalization as portending some dangers for the cultures of developing countries as they will end up being annihilated. Based on the premise that mass communication and mass media have led to cultural imperialism in the world, the essay uses the cases of music, television programming, television news and films to discuss how United States of America, especially, has dominated the cultures of other countries through the latter’s consumption of American cultural products. Pivoted on the cultural imperialism theoretical framework, the discussion moved a step further by looking at the concept of cultural/media imperialism as Americanization of both the media and the cultural landscapes of the world and no more a generalization of Western countries dominating the cultures of developing countries – this is because some of the Western countries themselves have become victims of this phenomenon of Americanization. It is now therefore the issue of Americanization of the cultures of the world.
The Yutong Bus: Representations of a New Ghanaian Political Metaphor
(Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2012-01) Opoku, Mensah Eric
Over last decade, the Ghanaian political discourse has been characterized by insults. This has been of major concern to media commentators, civil society, and other stakeholders in governance in Ghana. One fundamental key in Ghana’s political discourse has been the use of metaphor. Using Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) theory of metaphor, the study examines a bus metaphor in recent Ghanaian political speeches. The analysis of the metaphor reveals that the use of metaphors can minimize direct vilification in Ghanaian political communication. The analysis also demonstrates that features of conceptual sources can be manipulated by politicians to achieve positive rhetorical ends. Furthermore, the study supports the fact that positive or negative associations of source domain over a period of time can become a natural part of any given source domain The study has implication(s) for the relationship between political language and human cognition.
A Comparative Study of Challenger-Incumbent Strategies in Ghanaian Presidential Campaign: The Case of John Agyekum Kufuor
(International Journal of Arts and Humanities (IJAH) Ethiopia, 2018-09) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Sarfo-Adu, Kwasi; Afful, Joseph Benjamin Archibald
In recent years, growing research interest in challenger-incumbent campaign communication has provided illuminating insights into the kinds of strategies favoured by challengers and incumbents in presidential elections. However, most of these studies tend to focus on two or more presidential candidates. This has resulted in little knowledge about the rhetorical strategies of the same candidate who contested as a challenger in a previous election, became president and won again as an incumbent in the next election. In this paper, we explore and compare challenger-incumbent strategies as they manifest in the presidential campaign of John Agyekum Kufuor’s (JAK) who won the 2000 presidential elections as a fresh candidate and, for a second term, won in 2004, as an incumbent. A qualitative analysis of four of his campaign speeches in both elections revealed that as a challenger, JAK presented himself as an agent of change and resorted to negative campaigning rooted in bellicose rhetoric. He marketed himself with can-do optimism that portrayed him as the quintessence of the cure-all for Ghana’s socio-economic problems. Conversely, as an incumbent, JAK adopted temperate rhetoric amidst self-promotion on the wings of his accomplishments and personal qualities. He appropriated the ethos of traditional rulers to present a viable image of himself as a performing president. The findings of the study have implications for presidential candidates, particularly, for challengers who are eager to win elections and incumbents keen to maintain power.
Donor Aid and Private Investment: Their Interplay With Media Development
(SAGE, 2020-06) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Nyarko, Jacob; Hamusokwe, Basil
Media development requires substantial funding, and therefore, donors, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and foundations have found a way to play an influential role through their financial support. However, it appears that the donors are also fighting a losing battle considering the rapidly changing political-economic structures of contemporary society spearheaded by the very private sector they enhanced. This study generally presents a systematic review of “foreign aid” to Africa as a base “to explore how donor funders and private investment impact media functions.” The work also sheds light on the extent to which donor support impacted the governance system within the media political economy of Africa. It establishes that donors, who are the very saviors, are also a threat to media freedom because they set the agenda for content, resulting in undue influence on the type of stories that are told. As a result, media development becomes constricted.
Establishing Ethos and Envisioning a New Africa: Kwame Nkrumah’s Invention at the 1958 All-African People’s Conference
(Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, 2015) Opoku, Mensah Eric
In 1958, Kwame Nkrumah, the Prime Minister of Ghana, called for a conference of independent heads of state in Africa. It was a novelty in Africa. The conference was to provide a formal continental platform for the political deliberation of Africa by Africans. The paper carefully focuses on the nuances and purpose of Nkrumah’s invention. First, the work argues that Nkrumah strategically invented a rhetoric which sought to establish his ethos as a Pan Africanist whose leadership was crucial in the quest to free Africa from colonial domination. Secondly, the paper examines, through Nkrumah’s rhetoric, how the deliberative nature of the Accra conference was turned into an epideictic one. This paper has implication(s) for the role of rhetoric in the decolonisation of Africa.
Collective Memory, Merging Enemies, Consistency of Word and Place Nkrumah’s Rhetorical Artefacts in the “Positive Action” Protest.
(African Yearbook of Rhetoric, 2016) Opoku, Mensah Eric
The 1950 riots in the Gold Coast which prefaced the first general elections under the British Colonial Government were called forth by a plethora of rhetorical performances of Kwame Nkrumah. On the 8th of January, 1950, Kwame Nkrumah, the Leader of the CPP, declared ‘Positive Action’ in the Gold Coast. After the aftermath of the 28th February 1948 riots which shook the colony, the Watson Commission1 was set up by the Colonial Government to examine the causes of the nationwide unrest. Amongst its proposals, the Commission indicated the need for a constitutional review of the present Gold Coast constitution. In response to the latter proposal, the Coussey Commission was set up in December 1948 to review the constitution accordingly2. When it finally published its report in October 1949, it indicated an increase in African (referring to black Gold Coasters) representation in colonial governance but did not indicate a time frame for the independence of the Gold Coast.
In Response to the “Wind of Change”: The statecraft of Kwame Nkrumah
(African Yearbook of Rhetoric, 2020) Opoku, Mensah Eric
During the first ever tour of Commonwealth countries in Africa, the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made his first stopover in Ghana on 5 January 1960. On 9 January, Macmillan, at a State Dinner organised on his behalf in Accra, made a momentous speech. A speech that is regarded as a rehearsal of a key British foreign policy statement Macmillan was to make a month later in Cape Town. This speech would later be referred to as the “wind of change” speech. The South African version of Macmillan’s speech was delivered on 3 February in Parliament in Cape Town. The Cape Town version completed Macmillan’s key rhetorical invention which expressed a new paradigm of Britain’s foreign policy in Africa. In the end, the speech resonated differently in the two countries where it was heard, for obvious reasons. That is, there were significant differences between the political contexts in Accra and Cape Town, rendering the speech rhetorically significant in terms of its effects and responses, both immediately and later.
Pan Africanism and Civil Religious Performance: Kwame Nkrumah and the Independence of Ghana
(Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 2016-07) Opoku, Mensah Eric
Kwame Nkrumah’s Independence declaration speech was widely seen as a key rhetorical moment in the fight towards decolonization in Africa. The purpose of this essay is to unravel reasons why the speech was not only quintessential to Ghana’s transition into an independent nation, but also crucial to Africa’s long journey towards freedom from Western imperialism. Hence, it is argued that the significance of Nkrumah’s rhetorical invention is in the symbolic birth of a new nation, providing rhetorical force to the Pan Africa agenda, and in performing the role of a high priest in a civil religious ceremony with citizens of a new nation.
A Hybrid Image Classification Approach to Monitoring LULC Changes in the Mining District of Prestea-Huni Valley, Ghana
(Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 2017) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Salkushu, Wapaburda; Frank, Hammond
Mining and other anthropogenic activities are increasingly destroying forest cover in tropical forest areas of Africa, threating to deplete the entire forest reserves. These depletions not only affect the ecosystems but also have dire implications on global ecological balance and climate. Using Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite images, the study used a combined unsupervised and supervised classification methods to determine the rate of change of the various land use and land cover classes in the mining district of Prestea Huni Valley. The method produced very high accuracies with the least overall accuracy being 95.4272% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.9339. A change detection analysis revealed very significant loss of forest cover as a result of direct mining activities to be 96.78 square kilometres between 2002 and 2015. The results also suggested an overall forest cover loss rate of about 71.63 square kilometres per annum for the periods between 2002 and 2015 which poses a threat to the 493.55 square kilometres of forest cover left in the study area study, if proper monitoring and rehabilitation programmes are not put in place.
Actions and Reactions to the Evacuation of Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Ghana: A Content Analysis of Daily Graphic Online Reporting
(Aussie-Sino Studies, 2019-03) Opoku, Mensah Eric; Jacob, Nyarko; Albert, Bossman
The Guantanamo Detention Camp was a facility created by the US government to house enemy-combatant captured from war fronts in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Amid controversies surrounding the legality of their detention, the Obama administration pledged to shut down the facility. Since terrorism has become a global menace, efforts to combat it have been approached from a multilateral perspective than unilateral; the US transferred some of the detainees abroad recently to close it. Ghana is one of the countries that accepted two inmates. Through content analysis, this study examines media coverage of their evacuation to Ghana as expressed by sections of the Ghanaian public. Overall, society resented their arrival on fear and panic, insecurity and illegality grounds.

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