Good morning your Excellency. My name is Kojo Essel and I am a wellness entrepreneur.
I wish Ghanaians and all people of the republic of the world will realize that “their dreams and goals of a healthy life are possible.” I will continue to create awareness (and form habits) that eating right and increasing our physical activity is the safest and most foolproof way of growing a healthy world and automatically increasing our wealth.
A few things have been bugging me and if you do not mind Mr. President, I will run through them in fifty (50) seconds.

1. “keeping healthy to grow wealth”
Healthy citizens are the trump card to wealth creation in a country. The money lost paying hospital bills for diseases that could have been avoided, quantifying the losses from days off work due to common colds, back pain, fatigue and lack of drive while we are at work is really alarming.
Starting with the public sector, could we institute workplace wellness programmes and as part of this I recommend mandatory thirty minutes daily breaks at work for exercising. I know people will rant and rave but trust me sir it will do us a world of good.
2. “Starting Right”
• I really can’t believe that these days children as young as six years spend hours on end sitting in class studying. How practical is this. I pray that physical education will be strengthened as early as in the nursery schools.
• All drinks that we call “minerals” should be banned from schools. PERIOD. This should not even be debatable. The harm many of these drinks cause is unimaginable. I hope that when these children are at home, parents will supervise what they drink and the quantities consumed
• Children should be taught what, how and when to eat as early as nursery school and the benefits that will accrue to us as a nation will exceed our wildest imagination.
3. “Road Safety”
• No hands to ears while we drive – this should have been enforced years ago. To grow wealth we need all shoulders to be put to the plough. We can’t afford to have people die in senseless road accidents or people maimed because of the same culprit – a driver handling a cell phone with one hand and driving with the other. These days we are getting extremely ambitious – we even send texts while driving. Sir, I promise that I will no longer indulge in this atrocious crime.
Hmmm! We also have the pedestrian who crosses a road totally oblivious of his surroundings just because he/she is chatting on a phone as if there is no tomorrow.
• Your Excellency, I know we are working on this, but can we speed it up. There is so much traffic in especially Accra that people arrive at work already tired, stressed out or may have been angered beyond measure by most likely a commercial vehicle driver. How can anyone in such a state of mind work optimally. We are stabbing ourselves by not finding instant and permanent solutions to this serious issue. I know the use of routes for commercial vehicles and that for private ones have been discussed. It is great but can we add penalizing drivers of private cars who enter the commercial district with less than four people in a car during peak hours. Imagine how this is going to encourage car pooling, which will reduce the number of cars on the road and reduce traffic and fuel. The bonus here is we get to know our neighbours better as we ride together daily.
Then I saw an arm stretch across my chest. I took the cue, my time was up. I turned to walk away and hit my head against the wall. I woke up with a jolt and a swollen forehead. IT WAS JUST A DREAM.
It is my prayer that those who have the clout to let these things happen will not overlook them. We can make our country healthy and then we will create wealth.
As we begin the 2011 journey I have a simple message for you – Ghana can grow healthier and wealthier if we show commitment and discipline. This starts with YOU!
Dr Kojo Essel
Moms Health Club
www.healthclubsgh.com