tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post8823609296214171980..comments2023-12-18T22:02:39.776+00:00Comments on Ramblings of a Procrastinator in Accra: Reflections from the Obama Ghana Visit as seen on TV: He came, He saw, He Conquered... all in under 24 hoursAbena Serwaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-89424251316060106092009-07-16T18:10:39.005+00:002009-07-16T18:10:39.005+00:00Hehehehe! Indeed Edward...but what about Fanti Dok...Hehehehe! Indeed Edward...but what about Fanti Dokonu/Kenkey?Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-44558071503042120892009-07-16T10:56:05.998+00:002009-07-16T10:56:05.998+00:00I think Obama eating Kenkey is a vote for Ga dishe...I think Obama eating Kenkey is a vote for Ga dishes. Hurrrray. Osei Accra boys and girls!!!Edward of PathGhanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03658161411819002944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-59811986874952568902009-07-16T10:54:31.446+00:002009-07-16T10:54:31.446+00:00Indeed, N.I.M.M.O.; I agree that the speech was al...Indeed, N.I.M.M.O.; I agree that the speech was all about the delivery and not necessarily the content. In fact, a CNN reporter the next day said that President Obama had delivered a major policy statement" which left many of us perplexed as to whether we had watched the same speech. <br /><br />However, I wouldn't write off the content of the speech completely and certainly would not call him a demagogue! For me, it was very much a "state of the continent" address..identifying key areas that will be important for the US Africa policy direction.... Would love to hear your take..Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-42464132333674952372009-07-16T10:10:25.442+00:002009-07-16T10:10:25.442+00:00Thanks Novisi! that is so interesting you followed...Thanks Novisi! that is so interesting you followed it on the 'net! I'm sure you got better coverage compared to what the rest of us were subjected to. Well, in true Ghanaian fashion there is now fall-out over the coverage.<br />Love the way you speak your mind on issues...not sure I entirely see eye to eye on the Zimbabwe issue. Indeed the West had a role pre-independence and of course leaving important agreements hanging after the Lancaster House agreement...However; I think it is time as Africans we stop looking to our colonial or neo-colonial masters to blame for our woes and take responsibility for own destinies! It is time we did less of crying foul and rather play the game to perfection..<br />As for the Saudi situation; a real slippery slope in International diplomacy...Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-27709400591905962332009-07-15T14:29:52.478+00:002009-07-15T14:29:52.478+00:00I really wonder why Africans are so impressed with...I really wonder why Africans are so impressed with Obama's speech in Ghana. Contextually, the guy did not say anything new really.<br /><br />Read the speech again and you will find that even the '.. Africans solving Africa's problems...' was probably lifted from Kwame Nkrumah's speech more than forty years ago!<br /><br />Its a trick Obama uses, he simply repeats those things you have heard before, that's why it sounded so familiar and seems to resonate with us.<br /><br />He did the same thing in Cairo and in Germany before that.<br /><br />He's just a demagogue.N.I.M.M.Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04495100036040996719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-28124015078323213762009-07-14T20:23:38.691+00:002009-07-14T20:23:38.691+00:00i only followed Obama's Ghana visit mainly on ...i only followed Obama's Ghana visit mainly on over the internet! even the address to parliament i watched live online! The only TV i watched was part of the departure speech! i hardly love crowds! i love to be clandestine instead! <br /><br />those are nonessential to me though, i prefer content analysis!<br /><br />anyway, Obama, sense some and nonsense some!<br /><br />i'm yet to get the full feed of the departure speech but the one at the Ogua Castle for me is what i would call a complete approach to issues! <br /><br />all sides involved: Evil by man against man! he didn't say black against white and he didn't say white against black. very universal and real.<br /><br />but the speech in parliament was partly nonsense! it was more of an insult (the nonsense part i mean, not the whole) borne out of pretense or lack of appreciation of core issues or just blatant lies (i'm not sure which!) to say that Zimbabwe cannot blame the west for its current woes! <br /><br />you may want to inspire people to take their destinies into their own hands but that cannot mean sacrificing the truth! The west (Europeans, UK especially) contributed to the failure of Zimbabwe and Obama cannot rub that off the book of truth no matter what point he intends to drive home!<br /><br />then also there is the grand banner about him coming to Ghana because of democracy! and i wonder what else amounts to childishness with serious issues! what was Obama doing in a non-democratic Saudi Arabia? how else could a contradiction be defined?<br /><br />all the same, Obama is king of Pop or Rock because most of the leaders in the world only carryout idiotic actions! else these things he says are just fundamentals that should be the norm than the rarity! but i'm glad he admits himself that these are age-old ideals!<br /><br />we have the world turned upside-down! damn!<br /><br />Abena, nice report!<br />cheers!!!novisihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06144548155567055364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-58279590203741538012009-07-14T17:17:03.202+00:002009-07-14T17:17:03.202+00:00Thanks Johannes! I'm really impressed....seein...Thanks Johannes! I'm really impressed....seeing as I don't even know how to get to the La General Hospital!Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-82374651085241480022009-07-14T17:01:13.303+00:002009-07-14T17:01:13.303+00:00Thanks for the thourough account! I've recentl...Thanks for the thourough account! I've recently spent a lot of time in Ghana, and I wish I would have been there during Obama's visit. I've actually been treated at La General Hospital where he went. <br /><br />Johannes, SwedenJohannesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-1275839874546938372009-07-13T18:49:12.518+00:002009-07-13T18:49:12.518+00:00You are most welcome Maya! Unfortunately, it was a...You are most welcome Maya! Unfortunately, it was all the way I saw it. <br />Accra misses you too!! After all the power outages, water and petrol shortages in store, you will want to head back to Sweden super-quick..<br />I do like the cool weather though...Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-69954872908267454852009-07-13T18:44:38.824+00:002009-07-13T18:44:38.824+00:00*Wow* Nana Fredua, I'm impressed that you were...*Wow* Nana Fredua, I'm impressed that you were able to combine reading with Obama-mania! Actually, I should have tried that too...would have been more productive. I like the headings you gave the visit:<br />The Tea Party<br />The Conference<br />The Cape Coast Issue and <br />The Departure..<br />I guess like me you also missed <br />The Hospital Encounter<br />Indeed, the content of the speech may not have been a major policy announcement as some are touting but the delivery and message were amazing.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-47638395276490135262009-07-13T18:15:35.461+00:002009-07-13T18:15:35.461+00:00*LOL* Kwegyirba, The Daily Guide picture really ca...*LOL* Kwegyirba, The Daily Guide picture really captured the mood! I was expecting fireworks after the interview Mr. Rawlings granted to Tv3 the night before and the interview Mr. Kufuor did on Net2 TV some days earlier! Seems they stayed out of each other's way the whole day. Pity you missed all the *excitement* while enroute to Obamaland. You could very well be related to Mrs Obama! Strange, I never saw her after the castle tour, she may have been quite shaken. <br />Having a charismatic, energetic leader for Ghana? Seems a long way away...unless Mr. Rawlings can be president again? *LOL*<br />Enjoy Obamaland!Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-67468252210133637922009-07-13T11:20:32.178+00:002009-07-13T11:20:32.178+00:00Abena, thank you sooooo much for such a detailed a...Abena, thank you sooooo much for such a detailed account of the weekend that passed. Due to no choice of my own, I haven't been able to follow the Obama Ghana visit at all, but your post tells me everything I needed to know. I hope is CAN do speech inspires us all, the little that Swedish TV allowed me to see was uplifting enough. <br /><br />ECG's Sunday "present" has me laughing but unfortunately it also reminds me of what I'll be coming back to in a few weeks time.Maya Mamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12285625732016505054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-79686601032051617392009-07-13T10:46:06.694+00:002009-07-13T10:46:06.694+00:00I also watched him intermitently whilst reading my...I also watched him intermitently whilst reading my novel. I think the only part I missed was the Tea Party. I saw the Conference, the Cape Coast issue and the Departure...<br /><br />I like his demeanour when he was talking and I loved what he said, though it isn't different.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-65907215045577198872009-07-13T10:32:47.523+00:002009-07-13T10:32:47.523+00:00I love the Daily Guide picture! Rawlings and Kufuo...I love the Daily Guide picture! Rawlings and Kufuor are as far away from each other as possible. Hahaha. <br />Thanks for the recap of activities Abena missed a lot of it as I was on my way to Obamaland. I wonder what Mrs Obama's take on the castle was. I heard her DNA tests say she is from Cape coast. She's probably my cousin.;-) <br />I wonder what he ate the kenkey with. Hot pepper and crabs?<br />I pray I live to see a distinguished man like Obama lead Ghana.Kwegyirbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06042345883151081420noreply@blogger.com