Ramblings of a Procrastinator in Accra

2012

2012-01-29T09:30:00.001Z

Fireworks illuminate the night sky in The Hague not in December but in August 2011

2012 started with such momentum that I forgot to even acknowledge that we entered a new year. This year literally started with a bang all over West Africa. First there were the sad and unfortunate Christmas bombings in Nigeria even before the new year had started. Also in Nigeria the astronomical increase in fuel prices led to civil protests that surprisingly got the government to concede and reduce the price of fuel. The implications for the ability of people power to bring about change are tantalizing. Sadly, still in Nigeria, mid January then saw more violence with coordinated bomb blasts in Kano killing more people.

Further west, in Senegal, a court has just ruled that octogenarian president Abdoulaye Wade can seek a 3rd term in office. This has led to violent protests and unrest in the country. It appears the writing is clearly on the wall but whether President Wade chooses to read it is another matter.

Meanwhile in Ghana, the first month of the year has been marked with quite a lot of activity. There have been major ministerial changes; one fired, one resigning, a number shuffled in, a number shuffled out and quite a few shuffled around. In the background has been the incessant humming noise of the (so-called) 'Woyome Saga' that just does not seem to go away. 2012 will be a momentous year for Ghana since at the end of the year, Ghanaians will decide who will govern the country for the next 4 years. Well, here's to 2012. May it be a peaceful and productive year that lives up to everyone's expectations.

Ghanapolitics 101: How to End an Action Year with a Bang

2011-12-30T09:19:00.003Z

In January 2011, the government of Ghana declared that 2011 was an "Action Year". Indeed, the government hit the ground running with the first order of business being a 20-30% fuel price increment which came into effect on 4 January 2011. This and other swift actions that characterised the first full week of 2011 were captured in "Ghanapolitics 101: How to Start an Action Year with a *Bang*". It seems that Action Year 2011 has also ended on a similar note with a 20% increase in fuel prices that came into effect yesterday.

Apparently the fuel price increase was necessitated by international crude price increases and depreciation of the cedi. The ripple effects of the price hike have also been rapid with transport operators having also swiftly increased their prices. It seems public engagement is lacking and already the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) is asking the government to explain the fuel price increment since it is coming at a a time when "the cost of living in the country is high".

On Peace FM this morning it was pointed out that the government does not have control over the fuel price increments and it is up to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA). Therefore it would be great if the NPA would hold a public forum to interact with the public and explain in detail the justifications for the hike.

Also on Peace FM this morning, the deputy secretary-general of the ruling asked people not to "play politics" with the issue. Finally, could a ceasefire on playing politics with fuel prices be in the offing? That would be great since for the entire decade that I've lived in Ghana, one thing that has remained a mainstay of Ghanaian politics has been playing politics with fuel prices!

Well, the jury is still out on whether 2011 was indeed an Action Year in Ghana. The government insists that the Better Ghana Agenda is underway while the main opposition insists a Bitter Ghana Agenda is in full effect. Ordinary people seem ambivalent to the situation but do lament that prices are going up from utilities to fuel. Hopefully the government will release a pamphlet soon with a listing of the successes chalked in 2011 to remind the populace that things are indeed getting better and not bitter. Alas, some may also then say that pamphlets are unfortunately not edible.

Dutchliving: Of Push-up Bras and Male models

2011-12-29T21:01:00.000Z

Dutch department store Hema has a rather interesting new push-up bra advertising campaign that has not only stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversy but is likely to generate interest in a brassiere that may have actually passed unnoticed. The lastest Hema adverts use an androgynous Bosnian-born Australian male model Andrej Pejic to advertise the push-up bra. Aside from the somewhat disturbing fact that the male model looks alot better than many females in female clothing, Hema has opted for this route possibly to get everyone talking. Indeed it appears that Hema has succeded. The launch of the campaign a few weeks ago had Hema trending on Twitter worldwide and it was not long before the story was picked up by international media outlets.

An advert I ran into showing Hema's new push-bra modelled by Andrej Pejic

After hearing about the push-bra controversy via Twitter, I was excited to see a Hema billboard advertising the bra outside my local supermarket.

I love the way the Hema ads have “Andrej Pejic voor Hema (Andrej Pejic for Hema)” at the bottom right-hand corner just in case one was blissfully unawares that the model was a male. Whether Hema is aiming to challenge social norms and sell bras or just primarily to sell bras still remains to be seen. However, it does appear they are succeeding on both fronts.

The Cameron Gambit

2011-11-03T22:06:00.005Z

Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

gam·bit noun \ˈgam-bət\

Definition of GAMBIT

1: a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position
2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2) : topic
b : a calculated move : stratagem

David Cameron
Source: wikipedia.org

British Prime Minister David Cameron seems to be the most discussed person in Ghana this week. In fact, Mr. Cameron appears to be in serious contention for a Ghanaian national award. The award being "Special citation for your ability to unite Ghanaians in hatred across diverse religious and political divides". The last recipient of this award being the Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez whose World Cup 2010 antic is ingrained in the Ghanaian national consciousness.

It all seems to have started with Mr. Cameron’s appearance on the popular BBC Andrew Marr show where he stated:

"British aid should have more strings attached"

In the end Mr. Cameron basically threatened to withhold UK aid from governments that do not reform legislation banning homosexuality.

The anti-Cameron backlash in Ghana has been huge. Aside from vitriol being spewed in the media by callers, serial callers, politicians and religious leaders, the Ghanaian president has come out to say unequivocally:

"I, as president, will never initiate or support any attempt to legalise homosexuality in Ghana,"

While many Ghanaians have been celebrating a defiant stance where advocating violence against gays has somehow been deemed acceptable, I've been contemplating this whole Cameron debacle. Is Mr. Cameron really interested in human rights for gay Africans? From his statements alone, I’m pretty sure life for gays in places like Ghana and Uganda just got a whole lot harder. Well, Mr. Cameron is a smart man. He did not get a first class in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University for nothing. There must be more to this all.

The fact of the matter is that these are hard and economically uncertain times for the United Kingdom. The past few years have seen massive cuts to all sectors of the UK government's spending. In this current budget cut climate, could this Cameron debacle be a carefully thought-through gambit to justify future aid cuts to African countries? I present to you...

The Cameron Gambit:

Stage 1. Call for reforms on an explosive and emotive issue that you know African countries will be outraged over and make sure you threaten to withhold aid over this emotive issue

Strage 2. Ensure the countries you are threatening are appropriately vexed over the suggestion of reforms on the emotive issue and hope one of two things happen:

The country refuses all concessions and

declares they can manage without aid. Future aid is rejected.

The country refuses all concessions and remains defiant although future aid is not rejected

Stage 3. In face of refusals to reform, the UK government obtains the perfect justification to enact cuts to future foreign aid budgets

Stage 4. The UK is saved a truck load of money

That my friends, is 'The Cameron Gambit' in practice. Checkmate in 4 swift moves.

Farewell to the Brotherly Leader

2011-10-30T17:14:00.003Z

Colonel Gaddafi
Source: African politics.com

Nine months after vowing to fight until the very end, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, 'Brotherly Leader and Guide of the [Libyan] Revolution', met his demise in his hometown of Sirte on 20 October 2011. I should point out that the Revolution he was the guide of was not the one in 2011 that led to his demise but rather the one in 1969 that saw him topple King Idris before installing himself leader of Libya.

A lot has been said about the circumstances surrounding Gaddafi's death. Many people were horrified by the images of a battered and bruised Gaddafi being shown captured and alive followed by images showing him dead. Events took a turn for the macabre when Libyans lined up outside a cold storage unit in their hundreds to take pictures of their former leader's body. Interestingly, amid the sounds of jubilation coming from Libya, the only voices lamenting his passing appear to be from sub-Saharan Africa where he is heralded by many as a great African leader. This is despite the fact that just last year, Colonel Gaddafi sought to cash in on illegal African migration to Europe by asking the EU for 6.3 billion dollars per year to prevent a "black Europe". I stumbled across a very interesting op-ed piece in The East African online that examines Sub-saharan African love for Gaddafi entitled "What secret do Africans know that the majority of Libyans don't?"

Regardless of his record, one cannot escape from the fact that the circumstances surrounding Gaddafi's death are questionable and unsettling to say the least. However, after all that is said and done, the reality is that Libya faces a long arduous road to rebuilding a nation.

It is fascinating to note that since 1 January 2011, the list of African-leaders-still-in-power-when-I-was-in primary-school, has lost three entries. Time will only tell who is next to vacate that list. In the meantime, may Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi Rest in Peace.

Occupy [Insert City]: Global 'Spring' of Discontent or Universal Boredom Spawning Rebels without a Cause?

2011-10-15T21:56:00.003Z

An iconic Time Magazine cover depicting the spirit of the Cold War in the 1980s
Source: time.com

It was about 20 years ago that the Cold War officially ended. For those of you too young to remember the Cold War, all you have to know is that it made for some great James Bond films. On a more serious note, I am sure there are history books out there with glossy chapters about how the epic Cold War ended with Western Democracy/capitalism victorious over the evil menace of Eastern Communism /Marxism. However, back in 1991, would anyone have predicted that two decades later, the mighty machine that is Capitalism would implode plunging the entire planet into an economic crisis of grave proportions? Moreover, would anyone have known that a global wave of socio-political discontent would lead people of all ages and walks of life registering their disaffection with Capitalism?

I must admit it is hard to decide whether the Occupy Movement is a real expression of global popular anger and discontent spurred on by the World Economic Crisis and the Arab Spring or just a case of universal boredom spawning masses of rebels without a cause. The latter view comes from listening to interviews with some protesters at Occupy Wall Street many of whom articulated the fact that the protest had no clear-cut goal or targets. Is it all about bank bail-outs and corporate greed?

Anyway, until this afternoon, I was under the impression that the Occupy [Insert City] protests were restricted to the US. This impression crumbled when I came across two notices.

Occupy Den Haag (The Hague) and Occupy Amsterdam:

This is our land.We occupy these our streets, we occupy them. We are here. We are increasing in number

A global movement has indeed been born and you can follow its activities at www.occupytogether.org. I am still yet to decide what it is really all about but the words of that popular Buffalo Springfield protest anthem from the 1960s For What It's Worth are ringing in my ears:

"There's something happening here

What it is ain't exactly clear

There's a man with a gun over there

Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound

Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong

Young people speaking their minds

Getting so much resistance from behind....."

Death of an Iconic African Activist: Professor Wangari Maathai goes home

2011-09-26T19:28:00.002Z

The cover of Prof. Maathai's memoir published in 2006
Source: www.greenbeltmovement.org

"A Mighty Tree Has Fallen !"

-KBO, Facebook

These were the profound and apt words expressed by KBO on his Facebook wall as he shared an article on the sad passing of Professor Wangari Maathai. Not only do these words capture her personality but also embody the cause to which she was devoted to for most of her life.

Prof. Maathai was an environmental activist extraordinaire who did not pay lip-service but rather took pro-active concrete steps to effect change. In 1977, through the National Council of Women of Kenya, she started the Green Belt Movement focused on environmental conservation through community mobilization and empowerment. With humble beginnings, a green revolution was started in Africa. Through the Green Belt Movement, over 40 million trees have been planted in Kenya with the organization still going strong today.

Prof. Maathai was also a staunch women's empowerment advocate and was heavily involved in the pro-democracy movement in Kenyan politics. In addition, she served as both a Member of Parliament and minister. Prof. Maathai was a role model to many and the epitome of the African Icon. She will be missed.

Camfed Camfed

RIP, Wangari Maathai - the1st African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. May there be many who follow in your footsteps!

A tweet from Camfed (Campaign for Female Education) that could not capture my sentiments more aptly.

"Education is for the masses, not just for ruling classes"

2011-09-17T21:14:00.002Z

On BBC news last night, I watched a report about students at the University of Edinburgh occupying a building on the university campus to protest an announced hike in fees for the "Rest of UK" students attending the university. This hike would make the University of Edinburgh the most expensive university in the United Kingdom. This afternoon it was such a delight that our tour of Edinburgh unintentionally included the very occupied building I saw on the news last night. It was like walking onto the set of a film. Speaking of which, another news item was on how Halle Berry is in Glasgow making a film set in San Francisco! Apparently the falling pound is making Scotland an attractive destination for film crews. Alas, I digress. I was talking about student protests. Interestingly, students at the University of Ghana have also recently been protesting against fee hikes. Also, back in my undergraduate days in the US a long time ago, students at my college occupied a building during a harrowing protest over fees. It does seem like as time changes, somethings never change....all around the world.

Occupied building at the University of Edinburgh. Prominently displayed in the windows are signs that say "Education is for the masses, not just for the ruling classes".

REPOST - Postcard from the Edge

2011-09-11T08:45:00.045Z

Its hard to believe it has been 10 years since that fateful Tuesday morning in September but the emotions are still raw and events still fresh in my mind. A decade later, I still find it hard to piece words together to describe that day and find myself speechless. I did find my post from 11 September 2009 which captured the emotions then and now. So here is the re-post of 'Postcard from the Edge':

It is strange to think how a quiet Tuesday morning can start with your biggest worry being the fact that your roommate took too loooooong in the shower finishing all the hot water and making you late for work. As the day progresses, this concern completely evaporates as you wonder if you will ever get to shower again. You are also griped with panic and fear that the very roommate you were snappy with earlier in the morning over a shower, may be buried under the rubble of her work building. As night falls, you are still coming to terms with the very bitter realisation that the world is not a kind place after all.

We did survive that day and the months that came after. My roommates, our friends, coworkers and families all managed to pull through. New York survived. The city was completely shaken but bounced back more resilient, more vibrant and (strangely) friendlier. But not everyone was so fortunate. Over 3,000 people perished as result of the September 11 attacks. It took just one fateful day to change the world forever. Eight years on, I'm still in awe and still lost for words at the complete senselessness of the event. I'm also trying to remember what New York was like before 11 September 2001 and then I find a reminder in a drawer at home. A postcard:

Postcard from the Edge...of Manhattan: The New York Skyline at night before 11 September 2001 with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center seen clearly

We laughed, we cried, we fought but we were there for each other. The dear roommates from Steinway Street, Astoria, Queens, New York
(Left to Right ) Nabyna, Wendita, (Me) & Laurena
I just hope they don't kill me for publishing this picture online

Art Garfunkel - Heart in New York

When I was around 4/5 years old, my father played the Simon and Garfunkel - Central Park Reunion Concert album everyday for about a year. Many of their songs were inspired by or are about New York. It is no wonder I fell in love with New York city then and forever.

Wikileaks: Late-Breaking Entry to the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician

2011-09-10T11:10:00.003Z

Wikileaks are definitely the cables that keep on giving. For almost a year now, the leaked confidential memos from the United States diplomatic missions abroad have caused an uproar in the world at large.

For the past week, the latest revelations from Wikileaks have been subject for discussion on Ghanaian radio, television and printed media. Wikileaks has definitely proved it merits an entry in the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician:

Wikileaks Cables: Revelations based on suppositions, rumors, opinions provided by local politicians, security experts and seasoned journalists to US embassy officials and compiled in cables sent back to the US State Department. Given their source, these cables are likely to be consumed wholesale by the Ghanaian public so it imperative that the aspiring politician uses them to their advantage. It is important that the politician quotes from and uses all cables that indict your political opponent while ignoring or downplaying any cables that are detrimental to your own party.

The Wikileaks fiasco in Ghana has come with some interesting questions:

How much time can Ghanaians spend discussing issues that may not have any factual basis and will not create jobs, bring down inflation or reduce utility prices?

What does the way in which the cables were compiled say about the startling trust and affection public officials/politicians may have for foreign partners/donors with whom they share their opinions freely and without hesitation or discretion?

What do the Wikileaks revelations around the world say about how the public personas presented by politicians/political players contradict or contrast private personas?

Food for thought.

Ghana Politics 101: New Additions to the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician

2011-08-27T11:32:00.010Z

Class, it has been a while since we have had a lesson in Ghanaian politics. This is simply because this particular roller-coaster is hard to keep up with. Today we will discuss some new additions to the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician. These entries have been culled mainly from radio and television emanating from the Beacon of African Democracy (BAD):

1. Inherited: All the perplexing problems a newly-incumbent government is faced with often receive the label 'inherited'. In most cases, this is because these pesky problems were passed on by a previous administration. Solving 'inherited' issues is crucial for any government's success. Also, please note that good things are never 'inherited'. It is also key to downplay any good passed on from a previous administration. However, it is imperative to occasionally give credit to your predecessors but this has to be done swiftly and preferably, inaudibly.

2. "I have in my hand.......": On any political panel discussion programme, this means that the person making the statement has supporting evidence to buttress their point. The term appears to have been originated by veteran journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. Lately, it appears others have developed a perchance for the phrase which is clearly a good sign since it shows careful examination of the issues.

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. Source: Joy FM online

3. "I would like to interrogate the issues": On any political panel discussion programme, this means that the person making the statement would like to examine the issues in depth. The term also appears to have been originated by veteran journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. Lately, others have also developed a perchance for the phrase. Please use this phrase with extreme caution because grammatically, can inanimate things such as 'issues' really be 'interrogated'?

4. Promises/Pledges: Lofty assurances made by all political parties on the campaign trail. Hope to God that everyone forgets these if you ever have the chance to be in power.

5. Party Manifesto: Lofty assurances made by all political parties on the campaign trail but (unfortunately) captured in writing. Once in power, hope to God that everyone loses their copy of your manifesto. Any good Ghanaian politician carries their opponent's manifesto in his (or her) briefcase to be whipped out during panel discussions and quoted from as if it were The Bible.

6. Roads: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 'A Road' is an "open way for vehicles, persons and animals". In our part of the world, roads are pathways on which our nation's future are built. When in government, highlight and herald all the roads that you are constructing. Ensure that road construction projects open with much-publicized sod-cutting ceremonies. When in opposition, emphasize that roads cannot be eaten. Once in power, be sure to revise your former stance on the inedible nature of roads. Likewise, once out of power, be sure to revise your former stance on the edible nature of roads.

Descriptive cartoon of inflation.
Source: Greekshares.com

7. Inflation : Something from economics that no one really understands but we all know it is really, really, very important. It is key that this thing inflation is kept as low as possible. When in government, highlight and herald that you are ensuring inflation is down. When in opposition emphasize that inflation cannot be eaten. Once in power, be sure to revise your former stance on the inedible nature of inflation. Likewise, once out of power, be sure to revise your former stance on the edible nature of inflation.

Asempa FM literally lives up to their tagline
Source: sportlife.ghana.com

8. 'Ekosii sen?'. Political panel discussion programme in the Akan language broadcast on Asempa 94.7 FM between 3-5pm daily. It is partly concert party, partly debate and often times a worrying indication of the base nature of partisan politics in Ghana. Ekosii sen is fast-emerging as an essential ingredient in the daily political diet in Ghana. If you don't think so, check out the speed in which high-ranking politicians call in once a libelous statement has been made about them. Shows like this are perfect for the aspiring politician. Although it is perfectly okay to make wild, unfounded statements on this show, if these can be backed by facts, even better.

Also, all political party footsoldiers are welcome to post insults on Asempa fm's facebook page which is usually done in atrociously bad English. Some of these comments are read out by the show's hosts.

A snapshot of Asempa FM's (in)famous facebook page. All profile names have been removed. Click on this picture to read the comments properly and also to weep for Ghana's educational system

9. 'My good friend [insert name]': If any political opponent refers to you on the radio or television as a "good friend", be aware that they mean the opposite. To be referred to as a 'good friend' is a good thing. In Ghanaian politics it means that you have been flagged and identified as a dangerously capable adversary.

Class, do you have any additions for the ever-expanding Lexicon?

Of Bent British Coppers** and Life on Mars

2011-07-20T09:00:00.007Z

Life on Mars - Sam Tyler (John Simm) in the centre

Back in 2008, I blogged about my fascination with the UK TV series Life on Mars. Quick recap: The year is 2006 and the setting is Manchester where a high-ranking police officer (Sam Tyler) gets hit by a car while listening to the David Bowie classic Life on Mars? (great song, horrible video...orange hair and a pastel blue suit? Seriously...like what was David Bowie thinking back in the early 70s?). Anyway, Sam Tyler wakes up in Manchester in 1973, is he in a coma? Has he traveled back in time? He is completely clueless and so are we.

So Sam Tyler is stuck in a 1973 nightmare without the internet, mobile phones or computers. He is also forced to put up with dinosaur police colleagues who are sexist, racist and smoke too much. The best character on the show is Sam's whiskey-swigging wise-cracking boss from hell Gene Hunt; an expert at making sexist comments, planting evidence, carrying out grievous bodily harm and of course taking bribes. Since Sam comes from 2006 where all policing is followed strictly by the book, he feels like he "landed on another planet" [part of the show's tagline],

Modern British policing all strictly by the book? Hahaha! The recent phone-hacking scandal in the UK revealed (among other things), that journalists bribed several police officers over an extended period of time in order to get information about criminal investigations. As appalled as I was about the revelations, the fact that policemen in a model western democracy took bribes gives me ample satisfaction. Why? Well, over the years, us in the [so-called] Third World have been preached to, patronized, and admonished by the West about our weak and corrupt institutions. Turns out people who live in glass houses.....

However, I cannot be rubbing my hands with glee for too long. One thing I know is that once the problem has been identified in the UK, swift corrective action will follow. Indeed, as I type, heads have already started rolling. Alas, that is the difference between our part of the world and the West. On a few occasions, we actually identify the rot but we are either slow to act or choose to ignore the problem for various reasons. So in the end who gets the last laugh?

By the way, someone better tell Sam Tyler that he may be better off staying put in 1973. After all, things may not have changed that much between then and now.

**Bent British Coppers= Corrupt British Police officers

Memories of my Father and Debates over Seal

2011-07-19T05:14:00.002Z

Whenever I hear any song by the unique talent that is Seal, I think of my father. Back in the 1990s I was a huge Seal fan. I think it may have started with Kiss from a Rose from Batman Forever.

In my teen know-it-all days, my father and I had a heated debate about Seal's origins. Mind you, this was long before Wikipedia, Google or even Altavista could have solved any argument within seconds. I insisted that British-born Seal was of Jamaican descent which I had read in either Smash Hits or Number One magazines. My father begged to differ. He insisted Seal had distinctly Yoruba features and half-jokingly suggested that his facial scars could be as a result of Yoruba scarification. This was an argument that could not be won. my dad stood his ground and so did I. I think I was more perturbed that parents were not supposed to even know anything about contemporary pop music. They were supposed to be listening to classic highlife, the Beatles, Fela and Osibisa!

As it turns out, my father was halfway right. According to Wikipedia, Seal was born Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel in London. With a name that includes 'Olusegun', 'Olumide' or 'Adeola', one can only be of Yoruba descent! However, the jury is still out on the scars.

Seal is probably one of the under-rated musical geniuses of our time. Those amazing lyrics and that atypical singing voice. Seal first hit the scene as a vocalist on Adamski's Killer in 1990. Which raises an even bigger question; like where is Adamski these days? Then there was Seal's 1991 unforgettable hit Crazy. I must say I was glad when Seal finally chopped off the dreads.

Seal in the Crazy video with the dreads

Interestingly, at the height of my Seal adoration, I had the surreal experience of walking between him and his model girlfriend (at the time) in Heathrow Airport. Its a true story I used to tell anybody who would listen. I had just gotten off my flight from Johannesburg and had a few hours to kill before a connecting flight to the US. I could not believe my eyes as I walked between Seal and his German model at the time, Tatjana Patitz. As they towered on either side of me I was in awe. I was so shocked that I went back and followed them wanting to ask for an autograph. In the end, I did not have the nerve. I turned around and went back to look for my gate. Oddly, the real-life encounter led to a cooling off of my appreciation for Seal but I was still a fan.

Recently I have re-discovered my appreciation for Seal with the beautiful song The Right Life.

Well, its my Father's birthday today and I'm celebrating with my Seal collection. I just wish I could have told my father in the living years that he was right about Seal; he is indeed a (super-talented) Yoruba man.

Fun and GAMEs with FONKAR, OLONKA and GARI

2011-07-07T15:54:00.006Z

The Cocobod House in Sunyani, the capital of Brong-Ahafo. Source: www.panoramio.com

Apparently, all roads [in Ghana] lead to the capital of the Brong-Ahafo region, Sunyani this weekend. From all accounts, these roads are already congested and laden with heavy traffic transporting ruling party faithful to the congress to elect a party flagbearer. Over the past 6 months, there has been much discussion about the hotly-contested race between the incumbent president of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and an unlikely contender in the person of the former first lady of Ghana, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agygeman Rawlings. I will not even want to delve into the much-dissected reasons why Mrs. Rawlings is challenging the one-term incumbency of President Mills and the implications of such a move.

Rather, what I find fascinating is the proliferation of grass-root pressure groups supporting each side.

It all started with the emergence of FONKAR (Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings) which burst onto the political scene with a glossy website, beautiful portraits of Mrs. Rawlings and a list of her achievements. With the birth of FONKAR came the first real indications that Mrs. Rawlings had her eye on the presidency not in the distant but rather the immediate future.

As time went on and the whispers of Mrs. Rawlings running started to become a reality, the FONKAR website suddenly became filled with President Mills' pictures and a strange "we was wrong" disclaimer that they (FONKAR) had been supporting Mrs. Rawlings for a 2016 bid and not a 2012 one. The plot grew even thicker when FONKAR emerged to say their website had been infiltrated by the Mills camp. Clearly an easy chair and popcorn were required to follow all the action.

Eventually, the incumbent side kicked off their own game-plan with the wittily-named GAME (Get Atta Mills Endorsed) campaign. This launch was followed by curious radio ads by Friends of President Mills in the Eastern Region** declaring their love for the President and deep gratitude for the new roads, school uniforms and abolishing schools under trees. With the GAME campaign in full swing, came accusations by the FONKAR side of intimidation and abuse of incumbency. There was also talk of a GAME budget running up to 90 Million Ghana cedis ($60 million) and an elusive tape (that never surfaced) to supposedly buttress the accusations. The twists and turns were becoming riveting.

Well, the President laughed off the astronomical budget claims and I mean literally laughed it off. His rich laughter can be heard on an audio clip from an interview first broadcast on Asempa FM. Of course I was hoping the laughter would be followed up with an actual budget outline since having the Friends of Atta-Mills in the Eastern region ads in heavy rotation on the radio cannot come cheap!

Aside from the very active FONKAR and GAME, there are other pressure groups in operation:

GARI: Get Agyemang Rawlings in
FOAM: Friends of Atta-Mills
OLONKA: Original Ladies of Nana Konadu Agyemang.
SADAM: Sons and daughters of Atta-Mills

The clear overlap between the mandates of some of these groups could only lead me to one conclusion; the real battle is about which side can come up with the wittiest acronyms!

Meanwhile, over in the main opposition camp (yes, there ARE actually opposition parties in Ghana and not just opposition from within one's own party), a nationwide campaign by the presidential candidate Nana Akuffo-Addo has kicked off. This Listening Tour/Campaign sounds mysteriously like then-candidate Mills' House-to-House Campaign in 2007/2008. Ironically, this very strategy was laughed off (literally laughed off) by the then-incumbent and now-opposition New Patriotic Party. Well, I guess it is true what they say that "he who has the last laugh, laughs longest" since the house-to-house campaign proved that it indeed had GAME. After all, it Got Atta Mills Elected (GAME).

**Not sure why I heard only ads by Friends of Atta-Mills in the Eastern Region. If anyone heard ads by other friends in other regions, please let me know.

How the BBC Jailed the Former Tunisian President....in absentia

2011-06-24T08:41:00.008Z

I trust the BBC. From the age of 7, I can recall that every morning started with the Lilliburlero blaring from my father's Grundig radio which announced the start of the BBC World Service News at 7am. In those days, most of the news revolved around war games between the erstwhile USSR and Reagan's USA. Although most of the content of the news was beyond my understanding at the time, my siblings and I played a game with my dad where we would guess the name of the presenter for the morning.

Later on in the day, there was the almost ever-constant "This is Chris Bickerton with Focus on Africa" that marked our evenings and announced the start of the BBC flagship programme often presented by the late BBC journalist Chris Bickerton.

From the Cold War to the end of the Cold War, from apartheid South Africa to the end of apartheid South Africa, through famine and strive in the horn of Africa, the BBC was there.

Aside from a commitment to journalistic integrity, I have long-associated the BBC with impeccably spoken English language and grammar. That is why, a headline I first heard on the BBC and later saw on their website this past Monday, left me completely perplexed and befuddled:

"BBC News - Tunisia's Ben Ali jailed in absentia for 35 years".

Former President Ben Ali and wife Leila....."jailed in absentia"
Source: myjoyonline.com

Former President Ben Ali is in exile and clearly not in Tunisia so how could he have been jailed? Also, what does being "jailed in absentia" mean anyway? This headline had me heading for the dictionary definition of jail from the Merriam-Oxford Dictionary online:

²jail

verb

Definition of JAIL

transitive verb

: to confine in or as if in a jail

Still perturbed, I put the question to the wise people of the Twitterverse.The best response I got was:

elidot

@abena_serwaa Perhaps they're speaking figuratively? Or in reference to his soul, which is already in captivity?

So perhaps they were speaking figuratively but the BBC online was sure to correct the headline later on in the day and also remove all traces of the original faux pas:

BBC New: Tunisia's Ben Ali sentenced to jail in absentia

Sadly for the BBC, due to its reputation as an authoritative and trusted news source, the original logic-defying headline has been reproduced on other sites world-wide including on Ghana's Joy FM online as you can see here.

Nobody is infallible and we all make mistakes, grammatical ones included. But it is fascinating how this grammatical lapse gave the sentence a whole different meaning. Now...can someone tell Joy FM?

Death of an Iconic Activist and Matriarch: Albertina Sisulu (21 October 1918 - 2 June 2011)

2011-06-11T07:25:00.001Z

Mrs. Albertina Sisulu, 1918 - 2011
Source: AP via bbc.co.uk

It was with great sadness that I learnt that on 2 June 2011, Mrs. Albertina Sisulu, wife of the late South African anti-apartheid activist Walter Sisulu, passed away at the age of 92. In the dying days of apartheid in the mid-90s, I had the priviledge of hearing Mrs. Sisulu speak at my school in Swaziland. To a packed auditorium, she addressed the audience with a written speech which she read. I remember it being quite formal and not too inspiring. At the end, she folded the speech, put away her reading glasses and proceeded to completely blow our minds with a powerful, unscripted talk. We were left in awe and spell-bound. Although her exact words are now a distant memory, I do recall a heartfelt, rousing account of her experiences in the fight against institutionalized racism in South Africa. Like many wives of jailed anti-apartheid leaders of the time, circumstances forced her into the role of leadership of the struggle and at the same time being primary caretaker of her family. She rose to the challenges with strength, humility and selflessness.

From the brief encounter with Mrs. Sisulu that evening, we not only gained insight into this anti-apartheid stalwart and iconic activist but were truly inspired by her words. To quote South African President Jacob Zuma on her passing:

"Mama Sisulu has over the decades been a pillar of strength not only for the Sisulu family but also the entire liberation Movement as she reared, counselled, nursed and educated most of the leaders and founders of the democratic South Africa"

Source: AllAfrica.com

May Mrs. Sisulu's soul rest in peace and may her legacy continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations of South Africans and Africans.

Of Black women being less attractive and expending energy on pseudoscience

2011-05-18T21:33:00.006Z

Firestarter: Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa

Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has left a lot of people irate. It appears Kanazawa has a regular blog on the Psychology Today website which is ironically entitled The Scientific Fundamentalist: A look at the Hard Truths about Human Nature. In his latest post, Kanazawa put forward his views on why he feels Black women are less physically attractive than women of other races. Within one day, his inflammatory comments set the blogosphere, twittersphere and world-wide web alight. The result was an avalanche of comments from across the globe.

His views have left me pretty much unfazed. This is not because I have the powerful backing of the Union of Blue Collar Workers of the World (UBCWW) whose members rate my looks highly regardless of their race, colour or creed but rather because one can hardly expect a publication in an online magazine's blog to be taken serious.

Did any of the irate people ask themselves why this so-called academic did not submit his observations to Nature, Science or ANY peer-reviewed journal of note? Could it be that scientists publishing their findings on blogs instead of in journals is the new sign of a failed academic? Food for thought.

After the furore created by the article, I sought to find a copy of Kanazawa's fine piece of academic research. Unfortunately, it had been taken off the web but the snippet I did read showed:

1. No clearly defined sampling strategy or outline establishing who were the target population for his study

2. No clearly defined sample or sample size

3. No clearly outlined methodology

In summary, regardless of the conclusions he reached, this piece of research is not fit to be published in the Journal of My 3 year old Nephew's Kindergarten Class so its no surprise that it made it into a blog post. In his article, Kanazawa conveniently bypasses the scientific methodological process which states that to be
"termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning."

I hope Kanazawa realises that positions of academic tenure are not won by shameless attention-seeking, media blitz and sensationalism. In addition, research funding does not come from being featured in tabloid newspapers. The interesting question is whether the LSE, recently rocked by controversy over links to the the Gaddafi family, is at all concerned about their reputation and perceived falling standards.

Quick Snapshots of Antwerp as I breezed through one Wednesday afternoon

2011-04-30T10:46:00.002Z

Tintin: Probably the most world-famous Belgian on the planet

I've always been fascinated with Belgium. Perhaps it was growing up on the Tintin comic series or the alarming number of Jean-Claude van Damme action films I consumed in the 1990s. Maybe it was learning about King Leopold's atrocious colonial record in the Congo and its negative impact on Congo's history.

However, it is most likely my Belgium fascination stems from having successive French teachers who were all Belgians from the Dutch-speaking Flanders part of the country. So this past week, I had the chance to visit Belgium for the first time for a meeting in Antwerp. I took the opportunity to take a few snapshots of the city as we breezed through.

Our point of arrival: Antwerp Central Station. About 4 levels of train platforms

Belgium is world famous for its waffles. It was great to see a stand just as we got off the train

Arrival hall at Antwerp Central. Amazing architecture. Reminds me of Grand Central station in New York City

The Gothic architecture of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. A UNESCO World Heritage site


	I had no idea what this was but was fascinated by a reference to the fly that causes trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness). Turns out, Tsetse is a bookshop in Antwerp


Dinner time. I had wanted something typically Belgian so this delicious salmon fillet was accompanied by Belgian fries

The 9pm train to Amsterdam was mysteriously canceled. This meant we had to while away our time at an Irish Pub. Strange choice since Belgium is also well-known for its 100s of beers. Interestingly, at Kelly's Pub, we got to see part of the controversial 27 April El Clásico match between FC Barca and Real Madrid. The match ended in bans, fines and an on-field punch-up!

Antwerp is definitely a beautiful city. I was really impressed to see so many Africans, loved the vibrant shopping opportunities and was really charmed by the architecture. I am definitely looking to make a return visit. This time, I will definitely take time to get to know this captivating city better.

Brief Musings on Cote D'Ivoire via the music of Espoir 2000

2011-04-24T08:50:00.004Z

It has been quite an eventful past few weeks in Cote D'Ivoire. Actually it has been quite an eventful past few months and one could argue years. I've written a few blog posts on the crisis in Cote D'Ivoire but chose not to publish these since they can best be described as frustration-filled rantings on the selfishness of African politicians.

Moving right along. I was just listening to the 22 April BBC Africa Today podcast from the Focus on Africa daily show. It appears there are attempts to normalize life in Cote D'Ivoire. President-elect Ouattara says that with assistance from France (?), two months salaries will be paid. There are plans for Nigeria to supply crude oil as well as cooking gas to prevent breaks in supply. It is hoped that by the end of April, normalization should be a reality.

Despite efforts at normalization, what has been on my mind lately is how a very-much polarized Cote D'Ivoire will once again be united. In the meantime, I've been listening to one of my favorite Ivorian music groups Espoir 2000 (Hope 2000). Their 2006 album Gloire et Dieu (God and Glory) is not only laden with infectious 'zouglou' tracks but with lyrics full of wisdom and a little prescience. Well, that could just be my rusty French speaking!

My favorite track from the Gloire et Dieu album would have to be Abidjan Farot which just makes me want to head out to Abidjan and party:

In fact, the entire Gloire et Dieu album has some interesting gems such as Année 80 (1980) which starts with the (translated) line:

"In the time of Boigny, there was joy, in the time of Boigny there was peace".

Aside from tracks harking back to a nostalgic and idyllic past under the late President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, there are also tracks relevant to the Ivorian future. Well, the future after 2006 that is.
The opening lyrics of the track Trop C'est Trop offer food for thought for not only Ivorian but African leaders in general:

"Coute que coute vaille que vaille je serais president

J’y tient tellement que je suis prêt à tuer

Schéma classique d’une comédie politique

Aujourd’hui on tue des gens qu’on veut gouverner demain.."

Source: http://www.greatsong.net/

"At all costs somehow I would be president
I feel so strongly in this that I am ready to kill
Classic plot of a political comedy
Today we kill the people we want to govern tomorrow.."

Sadly, the official Espoir 2000 video on YouTube has really poor quality sounds but interesting images that capture the spirit of the song.

Despite my sounding quite pessimistic, I'm actually filled with hope that Cote D'Ivoire will rally again. In the meantime, I'm heading back to listen to Espoir 2000, Meiway, Magic System, Alpha Blondy and all other artistes who capture the irrepressible spirit of the Ivoiran people.

Four girls and a mouse in a Dutch Apartment with Pre-fab Walls

2011-04-02T21:21:00.002Z

I have relocated yet again. I'm back in the Netherlands but this time I'm no longer staying in the centre of town but in a large complex on the border of two municipalities. Being on the border means that you get to be close to open fields and what resembles farmland on one side of a road and biotechnology companies on the other. A little strange.

Until this morning I was one of the stars of a popular hit series Four girls and a mouse in a Dutch Apartment. This was the long-anticipated sequel to last autumn's unforgettable hit series Three Guys and a Girl in a Dutch House with Steep Stairs

Well, the series lost one of the main characters this morning. The intrepid and fear-inducing mouse was finally caught. For the past 2 months, our rodent resident has ensured screams and cringing throughout the apartment. The various traps littered around did not seem to have made a difference. But in the end, our friend found himself stuck in a trail of glue.

So back to the housing complex. Its a massive place housing countless numbers of students that one never sees. I heard from someone that it is all pre-fabricated buildings that were situated in Northern Holland and transported to South Holland en masse. The veracity of that story is yet to be confirmed. So this is where I will be over the coming months. I'll be observing Ghana from afar and adjusting to that thing I call 'Dutch living'.

The Blinged-up MP with Swagger

2011-03-06T18:01:00.004Z

No, this is NOT the MP!
This is the undisputed King of Bling the (Veteran Rapper) Slick Rick

Lets face it; news from Africa these days is particularly bleak. There's Gaddafi to the North engaged in a tragic battle against his people, there's Gbagbo and Ouattara to the West still wrestling over control of Cote D'Ivoire and there's the never-ending battle in the East for the control of the Horn of Africa. In the face of all this mayhem, there was one news item this past week that managed to make me laugh out loud. It was the curious case of the 35 year old Kenyan law-maker Hon. Gidion Mbuvi who was thrown out of the august Kenyan House of Parliament for wearing diamond ear studs and shades. Hon. Mbuvi not only sees himself as the representative of the youth who voted for him but feels that this representation should be manifested in his personal style. Apparently the hummer-driving Mr. Mbuvi is known for his flamboyance and love of all things bling.

Ice in his ears and wrapped in Ray Bans, Hon. Mbuvi steps out
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Although not quite a spring chicken at 35, Mr. Mbuvi appears to recognize where power lies. In Sub-saharan Africa, the vast majority of individuals in any population are likely to be that elusive group called "The youth". Therefore, the youth, even though they do not realise it themselves, represent a very important and powerful constituency. The youth could in fact make or break elections. Sadly for Mr. Mbuvi though, most of these societies hold age, respectability and wisdom in very high esteem. Although it was a powerful gesture on his part, I cannot help but also wonder:

Wouldn't it be more powerful if Mr. Mbuvi represented the youth by championing legislation that would make a positive impact on their lives such as job creation?

How on earth can youth be expected to be taken seriously when their youthful ambassador in parliament is too busy trying to be a baller, keeping it real and strutting with the bling, ice and chrome?

Nonetheless, Hon Mbuvi's stance was a welcome relief from the numbing effects of over-exposure to conflict in the news. Plus the man proved that He got swagger!

P.S. Happy Birthday Ghana; 54 years of Freedom and Justice with some bumps on the way. The best part is that we have made it thus far and we are still going strong.

P.P.S: My 200th post and I did not even notice!

The King and I: Reflections on the Brotherly Leader as he hovers on the brink

2011-02-26T11:52:00.002Z

I have never met Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi but unlike some, I remember very clearly the first time I heard his name. It was not during his dramatic visit to Ghana for an African Union summit in 2007 when he led a convoy of 109 cars across the Sahara desert and set up a tent camp in Accra for the duration of the summit. No. The first time I heard his name was when I was 8 years old and my family (then resident in Southern Africa) were on holiday in Ghana for Christmas. In the sweltering December heat, we found ourselves stuck in traffic for a few hours all because a certain "Colonel Muammar Gaddafi" was visiting Ghana. It seemed like an eternity in hell. To this day, I'm still not sure why a state visit by Colonel Gaddafi had halted traffic but at the time, the seeds of bitterness and suspicion were firmly implanted in my 8 year old mind.

Over the years since, I caught glimpses of the eccentric and mercurial Gaddafi as he has drifted through the international news for:

Curiously, in recent years, Gaddafi has taken a more than active role in African politics. As chairman of the AU, he led a clarion call for a united Africa.To me his real agenda remained unclear. Was he thinking of a fortified and strengthened Africa? Did he have our interests at heart? Did he envisage himself as the leader of this united Africa? Perhaps a King of Africa?

Gaddafi and Berlusconi in 2010: Both making negative headlines in 2011

Last year, Colonel Gaddafi true feelings about Africa became more transparent. In a state visit to Italy, he called for 6.3 billion dollars a year to stop illegal African immigrants. He was sure to make his case by pandering to base racist elements by calling for a prevention of a “Black Europe”. He tore the last shred of African dignity left by painting a bleak picture of invading and barbaric black hordes assembled outside the pearly gates of Europe. Interestingly, Gaddafi asked for the money not to reduce push factors within African countries that lead to migration but for money to beef up Libyan security.

But that was last year. In 2011, the world has watched in awe as the once-strong Gaddafi is unraveling before our eyes. His very sudden decline would be more than comical if it was not having such tragic consequences.

Final Stand: Gaddafi in February 2011

Gaddafi is currently waging war against his own people and blaming his current woes on everything from the youth fueled by drugs from the West and now even Al-Qaeda has been fingered. After almost 42 years in power it appears that Gaddafi is confused as to where he ends and Libya begins. He appears to see attacks on Libya as attacks on him. He is promising to go down fighting and wants to take Libya down with him. The world is watching horrified but hopeful. Are we going to bid farewell to the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi? Can I finally cross off the current occupant of the Number 1 spot on the list of African-leaders-still-in-power-when-I-was-in primary-school?

Of Winds of Change, Domino Effects and Irrepressible People Power

2011-02-13T11:20:00.002Z

"....Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change..."

'Wind of Change' - The Scorpions

Almost twenty years ago, the 1990 power ballad by the German hard-rock group The Scorpions 'Wind of Change' hit the charts worldwide. Perhaps its the whistle prelude coupled with the guitar intro that still makes this song so popular but its powerful lyrics celebrate the political changes that had swept rapidly across Eastern Europe leading to the collapse of the Communist bloc in the very early '90s. Although it was probably inevitable, the eventual decimation of the Eastern bloc started with irrepressible people-inspired revolutions that spread rapidly like wildfire across Eastern and Central Europe from Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia to Romania. The final nail in the coffin for the Communist bloc was the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991. In the end, it was NOT Western capitalism, Western democracy or James Bond that won the Cold War but irrepressible people power.

Yes James; part of me always thought 007 would win the Cold War!

Twenty years on, similar people-inspired revolutions are sweeping across the Middle East/North Africa. The world witnessed in amazement how events of December 2010 in Tunisia led to the toppling of the once-strong Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime. Could anyone have predicted that a domino effect would lead to protests in other countries within the region? A year ago, could anyone fathom that irrepressible people power would result in the resignation of one of the stalwarts of Middle-Eastern politics over the past 30 years, Hosni Mubarak?

Former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak. I still find it bewildering to be typing "former"
Source: bbc.co.uk

Although Egypt's immediate future is fraught with uncertainties and the stability of the region hangs in the balance, for the moment there is jubilation and celebration. It is becoming apparent that a strong wind of change is blowing across the Middle East/North Africa, the entire African continent and perhaps the world. Suddenly, the possibilities of people power are becoming endless.

As the list of African-leaders-still-in-power-when-I-was-in primary-school becomes shorter, one wonders where the next point of call for the wind of change is:

Libya?
Equatorial Guinea?
Zimbabwe?

One thing is for certain, autocratic leaders and dictators across the globe should be quivering in their boots. The people they take for granted and govern with impunity are growing weary of accepting the status quo. They are now facing forward towards a future filled with liberty, peace and democracy.

"...The wind of change

Blows straight into the face of time

Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell

For peace of mind...."

'Wind of Change' - The Scorpions

Now you see him, Now you don't: The Exit of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia after 23 years in power

2011-01-17T09:01:00.000Z

I have a very simple barometer to decide whether an African leader has been in power to long. If you are STILL on the list of African leaders I had to cram in primary school, then you have over-stayed your welcome! It was against this backdrop that I was stunned by the sudden exit of someone on this list; President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia who had been in power since 1987. It appears his grip on power started to unravel recently after weeks of angry protests over unemployment, food prices, corruption, freedom of speech and poor standards of living. No one expected that the president would resign and within one day would be on a plane out of the country for an unknown destination. Well, it appears that he has been taken in by Saudi Arabia but many Tunisians are still reeling over his sudden departure. Not only does this exit have implications for African leaders grasping onto power but also implications for the Arab world. So who is left on my primary school list? With the help of Reuters, I bring you the list as it stands in January 2011:

LIBYA - Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution, Muammar Gaddafi, in power since 1969
EQUATORIAL GUINEA - President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo. Although he was curiously omitted from the Reuters list, President Mbasogo has been in power since 1979
ANGOLA - President Eduardo Dos Santos, in power since 1979
CONGO REPUBLIC - President Denis Sassou Nguesso whi first came to power in 1979. He took a break from 1992 but was back at the helm of affairs in 1997
ZIMBABWE - President Robert Mugabe came to power as prime minister in 1980 and took over the presidency in 1987
EGYPT - President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981
CAMEROON - President Paul Biya, in power since 1982

SWAZILAND - King Mswati III crowned king in 1986 (Reuters says 1987 but trust me, we had a holiday that day!)
UGANDA - President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986
BURKINA FASO - President Compaoré, in power since 1987. Mr. Compaoré did not quite make the Reuters roll-call but he certainly did make my primary school list.

One thing is for certain, this list is getting shorter. Also, there's a growing number of leaders not featured who are clearly overstaying their welcome across the continent. Did someone say...Gbagbo?

Toilet Talk Continues: "No Sanitation facilities in 91% of homes, Accra Metropolitan Assembly reveals" - Daily Graphic

2011-01-15T11:37:00.002Z

Daily Graphic: 15 January 2011

Whether we like it or not, toilets do appear to be on the lips of many in the fair metropolis of Accra lately. Following my brief foray into the murky world of water closets, pan latrines and night-soil collectors, the 15 January 2011 issue of the Daily Graphic newspaper has an interesting article on its front page. According to the article, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has revealed that 91% of homes are without any sanitation facilities. The article states:

114,521 residences are without any place of convenience
9,149 have water closets
1,842 have Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pits (KVIP)
315 are using outlawed pan latrines
79 are using pit latrines

These figures are extremely alarming and I am still unsure exactly how the Public Health Unit of the Assembly arrived at the numbers. Regardless, they do indicate that the proper disposal of human waste is a serious problem for the burgeoning metropolis of Accra. Time for some serious toilet talk.

"Knock, knock...", "Whose there?", "The Mayor....", "The Mayor Who?" ,"The Mayor of Accra"

2011-01-14T10:16:00.005Z


A Nightman's Calling Card. Source: Wikimedia Commons

One the unfortunate characteristics of rapidly urbanising cities across the globe, is the issue of waste disposal. Although we never want to think about it, human waste is no exception. How does one deal with it? Apparently Georgian London had the "Night-Soil Men" or "Night Men" who were paid to remove excrement from cesspits/privies to be taken out of the city at night. In Victorian times, there was the aptly named Great Stink in the summer of 1858 when apparently the smell of untreated human waste reached overpowering proportions in central London. Not sure where the Night Men were then.

Quite recently, the spotlight has been on the Safai karamchari in India who have the unenviable task of collecting and disposing of human waste in towns all over India. Apparently the practice has been banned but still continues.

An Urban Centre. Country unspecified. Source: Ghanaian Times

In Ghana, we have a similar history of night-soil carriers or bucket latrine collectors. They have also been banned and the emphasis has been on having a water closet (WC) in one's home or accessing public toilets for a fee. Perhaps I had been living on Planet Naivety too long but very recently I was rendered speechless when I heard that some landlords in Ghana rent out accommodation without necessarily providing toilet facilities! It gets worse when such houses are in places without public toilets and tenants are left to their own devices. In case anyone is eating, I will refrain from mentioning some of the more colourful waste disposal methods I have heard of.

Last year apparently, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) issued an order that all landlords in Accra should have toilet facilities available to their tenants or riskfacing fines.

The Mayor of Accra, Dr. Alfred Vanderpuije , has started his own "Action Year" with an interesting initiative deserving of a gold star. In the company of glamorous Ghanaian celebrities, the Mayor embarked on unannounced house-calls a few days ago to inspect toilets. I can't think of anything more embarrassing for non-complying landlords than having the Mayor, actor Majid Michel and a swarm of journalists at your door to inspect a non-existent or sub-standard toilet. By the way, in case you are unfamiliar with the talented Majid Michel he's is known for his lead roles in contemporary Ghanaian cinematic gems such as Agony of the Christ. If you missed that one, you may recall his uncanny ability to deliver his lines exactly like Al Pacino in the epic Ghanaian Scarface "remake" Crime to Christ. Well, to be honest not 'exactly'. Hmm...in fact, not even close. Anyway, now that the Mayor has somehow tackled one aspect of the toilet issue, I hope he will act on decongesting Accra Central and finding creative ways to deal with waste disposal in general. Hope.


Ghana's Finest: The smoldering hot Majid Michel.

GhanaPolitics 101: How to start an Action Year with a Bang

2011-01-10T00:02:00.004Z

The Ghana government has definitely done something very right. It has declared 2011 to be an "Action Year" and already in the first week of the year, we have witnessed some unforgettable action:

Tuesday Morning: Biting the Bullet...hard

Early on the first working week of the year, a 20-30% increase in fuel prices was announced. Well, it was unavoidable and as former President Kufuor said of the fuel price increase in 2003, we had to "bite the bullet". I only wish that someone had hinted that there would be a fuel price increase as I swerved past a petrol filling station on Friday 31st January with an almost empty tank. On the bright side, I did learn on Tuesday morning that it was possible to drive at least a mile with the "Empty tank" light on.

Tuesday Evening: Do the Ministerial [Re]-Shuffle

Just when the Ghanaian populace were reeling with the news of the fuel price hike, the government fired yet another salvo the SAME day. This time, the long-awaited ministerial reshuffle had finally come to pass and 2 ministers were shown the door. The government called it signs that the President had hit the road running with his Better Ghana Agenda while the main opposition party called it "Musical Chairs". One man's meat...?

Wednesday: "Kufuor Ministers were Taxi Drivers"

Wednesday morning saw the eruption of a new brand-new storm in a tea-cup. In response to criticism that the ministerial reshuffle was merely a case of musical chairs, one of the Deputy Ministers for Information stated that:

"unlike the [erstwhile] Kufuor administration which was reputed for giving taxi drivers ministerial appointments, the Mills administration has appointed competent people to manage the nation's affairs...".

Unfortunately for the minister, it appears his canon was aimed squarely at his own foot. His tongue-in-cheek swipef ailed abysmally and not only did he present the opposition with a sound byte that could be replayed, he gift-wrapped it and attached a card!

Thursday morning: The Wrath of Taxi-Drivers

Perhaps the deputy minister's words were taken out of context but Thursday saw taxi drivers all over Ghana calling into radio stations to express their anger. Perhaps now Mr. Agyenim-Boateng has learnt that one has to think carefully before issuing jibes into the highly-charged political climate that is Ghana.

Friday Morning: The President meets the Press

On Friday, the President of Ghana held a session with editors and journalists of major press houses. This was supposed to be the opportunity for them to ask any questions they had. Fellow blogger Nana Yaw Sarpong gave an interesting perspective on the interaction complete with some of the questions. You can read that here.

I thought the president preformed well. He was decorous, humorous and self-deprecating. Not only did he charm the whole room but remained relaxed.

Here are some of the things I learnt from the interaction:

Airconditioning in the castle is not at its optimum. As cameras panned the room, a number of shirts could be seen drenched in sweat. Or was it just the questions that were inducing heat?

The President is not a Cat Hunter. I'm sure kittens all over Ghana were rejoicing at the revelation by the President that he was not a cat hunter but I'm still not sure if this answered the question on whether he was making moves to remove the Chief Justice of Ghana.

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako is probably the most powerful journalist in Ghana. Did anyone count the number of times the name of the Managing Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper's was mentioned? At least 5 times. Indeed, the man himself was present to deliver his own salvos that seemed to induce quite a far amount of heat.

Ghana has a different position from ECOWAS regarding Cote D'Ivoire and nobody knew about it. Within minutes of the President delivering his revelation on minding one's own home vis-a-vis the Cote D'Ivoire crisis, BBC Africa Have Your Say tweeted this position all over the world. Technology can be scary like that.

There's a junction on Spintex Road called "Naadu Junction" named after our first lady. Apparently the traffic light at the junction is contributing to the never-ending traffic woes on the infamous traffic-magnet Spintex Road. The president said that this light had been a special request from residents of the area. Hmmm, I wonder if my neighbourhood can petition the president over the use of classroom blocks as churches during weekday evenings.

Finally, the action-packed 4-day week came to an end. With all this action, who knows what next week will bring. I'm definitely excited already!

Death of an Iconic African Artist: Personal reflections on Malangatana

2011-01-07T12:28:00.001Z

The late Malangatana at work
Source: www.foundation-partnership.org

It was through Twitter that I learnt about sad passing of the iconic Mozambican artist Malangatana aged 74 years on 5th January 2011. Sadly, many Africans may be scratching their heads wondering who exactly Malangatana was. However, for those who had the humbling honour of coming up close and personal with his work, it is indeed a tragic loss.

In the 1990s, Malangatana came to my school in Swaziland and alongside some art students, painted an amazing wall mural. The mural was full of rich, vibrant, warm colours. It was typical of Malangatana's style but also represented the racial diversity that my school had long been associated with. Indeed, my school is still known for its provocative political stance in the face of apartheid South Africa just next door to us. But that is another story. The mural was an apt celebration of the principles of diversity and can still be found at the school.

The Malangatana mural from my school's website with part of the school's creed. Unfortunately, I could not find other pictures of the mural

Some of us were completely artistically deficient were not part of the mural-painting activity but did observe from a distance; green with envy. Malangatana himself was larger than life, down to earth and full of humour. He charmed us all.

Years later, while at a conference in Maputo, my late father met Malangatana and was given an original oil painting which we still have. Interestingly, the painting was lost while my father transited through South Africa but it was thankfully found.

Our Malangatana

As I look on the painting, I will always remember the artist behind it and the lives he touched and his amazing ability. He was indeed an African icon.

Rest in Peace Malangatana.

Annus Horribilis comes to an end

2011-01-03T21:34:00.000Z

Fireworks in Bratislava
Source: Wikimedia Commons

The year 2010 was ushered out a few days ago. As it was on its way out, I hope the door swung back and hit it really hard on the backside. Good riddance. Indeed, 2010 was not a year that I will look back on with a smile. As Queen Elizabeth II described of the year 1992, 2010 was a real Annus Horribilis for me.

The interesting thing is that I started 2010 excited by all the new beginnings and possibilities that come with the start of a new decade. Looking back, I cannot think of any merits of 2010.

Anyway, keep the champagne on ice, do not ignite the fireworks and please hold back those streamers, 2011 is finally here.This time, I have zero expectations and have also made zero resolutions. However, I do know that this year I have a lot of things I want to get done. My To Do list for January is already a page long.

For Ghana, 2011 is supposed to be a great year. It provides the opportunity for the government to really prove itself and fulfil some of the many campaign promises made in Election 2008. This is vital since the next election is just under 2 years away at the end of 2012. Well, maybe the oil will help with this endeavour.

Speaking of expectations for 2011, I saw a billboard in town that declared "Judgement Day; May 21, 2011". This date seems strangely specific. It almost made me not notice that the date was given in 'American' and not 'English'. I am not sure who is behind this campaign but they are sure to be disappointed when May 21 comes around and the world does not come to an end.

Anyway, let's see if by this time next year I do not declare 2011 Annus Horribilis Maximus. Well, that is, if the world does not come to an end on 21 May 2011.

TP Mazembe: The Boys from Lubumbashi who are the Toasts of Africa

2010-12-17T15:51:00.004Z

Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo

Something about the Congolese city of Lubumbashi has always fascinated me. Maybe its because of its prominence in the Congolese civil war from 1960-1963. In colonial and post-colonial Congo, Lubumbashi was called Elisabethville and was the centre of power in the mineral-rich province of Katanga. As we learnt in history, Katanga attempted an unsuccessful (in?)famous secession from the Congo in 1960 which lead to a series of unfortunate events.

Many years ago, before I went to college, I became BFFs (Best Friends Forever) with a guy from Lubumbashi I met in Cape Town, South Africa called Hugues. In an eerie coincidence, while in college in the US , a random chat with a Haitian-American woman revealed that not only had she grown up in the Congo but her's and Hugues' family were very close acquaintances. This was really beyond happenstance!

But I digress. I was talking about Lubumbashi. The fair city has been in the news recently for reasons that have little to do with civil war, mineral-wealth or irrelevant 1 degree of separation stories. This time its all about 'The Beautiful Game'.


TP Mazembe Football Club

Tomorrow, the Lubumbashi-based football club Tout Puissant Mazembe (All-punishing Mazembe) will face F.C. Internazionale Milano in the FIFA Club World Cup. This is the first time an African team has reached the finals and in case you were in doubt, Internazionale Milano go by the popular name of 'Inter Milan'.

Inter Milan are the current holders of the UEFA Champions league and can boast of the likes of Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, Javier Zanetti of Argentina, Sulley Muntari of Ghana and former player Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden. Quizzically, nobody I have spoken to seems to be able to identify even one TP Mazembe player.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The (former) pride of Inter Milan.

Although the match may just be a case of David up against Goliath, TP Mazembe have done very well for themselves in recent years. They are currently the holders of the CAF Champions League for a second year in a row. The fact that they have reached the FIFA Club World Cup is not only a credit to African football but to Africa as a whole. Let's face it, club football in Africa is in the doldrums and with the popularity of the English, Spanish, Italian , French and German premier leagues on the continent, you are more likely to find people in Accra who are fans of Chelsea of London than Hearts of Oak of Accra.

TP Mazembe is boldly opening up a world of possibilities and showing us all what African club football can be. Tomorrow I'm firmly behind the boys from Lubumbashi all the way. Allez TP Mazembe - may you indeed live up to your name!!

Let it flow, Let it flow, Let it flow : Oil pumping starts in Ghana today

2010-12-15T11:00:00.002Z


Cover of the book Black Gold by George Orwel

Today oil in large commercial quantities starts to flow for the first time in Ghana. There's a big ceremony full of pomp and pageantry underway off the shores of Takoradi. We are being told not to be overly optimistic and also not to order our range rovers just yet. Frankly, I am yet to fully appreciate what positive impacts the oil can have for Ghana. In addition, the picture on the front cover of today's Daily Graphic showing whales washed ashore on a beach close to the oil zone is far from comforting. My oceanography knowledge is set to zero but beached whales can never really be a positive sign. Despite my skepticism, if we have the right policies in place governing how we handle our oil, we could potentially reap positive benefits from this gift. The question is, do we have policies already in place?

Ghana Daily Graphic Newspaper 15 December 2010: Beached whale in oil zone

Saluting Ghanaian Farmers: Happy Belated Farmer's Day!

2010-12-06T23:05:00.002Z

Up close and personal with beautiful cocoa pods

December 3rd marked the annual Farmer's Day Holiday in Ghana. It is supposed to be the day that Ghanaians congratulate farmers and fishermen for the hard-work they are doing in feeding us and basically keep our economy afloat. Did you know that agriculture accounts for 37.3% of Ghana's GDP? Anyway, back to Farmer's day. While I'm sure many of my urban contemporaries:

Partied on the beach
Partied at home
Partied at the mall
Caught up on sleep or episodes of Grey's Anatomy

I actually went farming! It's a long story but this past weekend, I was in the rural hinterlands of the Central and Western Regions of Ghana and so decided to take the opportunity to try my hand at farming. I should state that the 1.5 hour trek to the farm (on the top of a hill) was the hardest part and near killed me! Despite being of farming stock, I was an abysmal disaster but I certainly learnt a thing or two. I have always had a profound respect for farmers but now I have deep admiration for not only their stamina but also their knowledge.

The long trail to the farm

I'm beginning to think it would be good to integrate a compulsory fishing/farming component into the national service training for all young people in Ghana. It would not only build character but foster an appreciation for agriculture.

Skills up a pawpaw tree

Can you name this plant?!

Freshly picked tomatoes

Forget Third World Living, We're Middle Income Baby!

2010-11-23T19:18:00.000Z

A lot has happened in Ghana since I've been away from my blog. The last time I checked in, I was the proud citizen of an impoverished 'Third World' country. Fast forward one month and Ghana is now being touted as a "middle income" country". In case, you are wondering where the TARDIS that took us to the year 2100 is parked, it has something to do with re-working (fudging ?) by the Ghana Statistical Service in what is called 're-basing'.

I would love to take you through a thorough exploration of re-basing but to be honest, it is all a tad over my head. For an in-depth analysis, check out the Ghana Statistical Service newsletter here. My main question is why someone forgot to tell my paycheck about the change from Third World to Middle Income status.

Hmm...upon closer reflection, there may actually be something to this middle income reality. I have noticed:

The number of Range Rovers burning my retinas at night have gone up exponentially
Luxury apartments are springing up everywhere
Marina Mall by the airport is nearing completion
The Hilton Hotel is apparently "Coming soon".

Villagio Luxury Apartments in Accra

However, I also look around me and still see mounds of rubbish, desperate people begging outside churches and a complete lack of access to toilet facilities for a significant proportion of people in Ghana's capital. *Sigh* it all still feels pretty 'Third World' to me.

The caption for this 2006 picture from the BBC website says "...Here, residents in Nima in Ghana's capital, show how debris is spoiling their community." Source: www.bbc.co.uk.

Art at Work: Works of Art

2010-10-10T18:12:00.003Z

I'm not an artist. In fact, my artistic creativity is in negative numbers. I do appreciate art though. Well, I should add that 30 minutes in any museum is bound to drive me crazy!One thing I find fascinating is how the Parasitology Department where I'm currently working in is adorned with art work. Not just any art work but images of parasites and vectors captured on film. This is quite in contrast to the blank and bare walls that stare back at me in my own department in Ghana. This has really gotten me thinking, doesn't a little art work in the work-place add colour and warmth?

Aside from the parasitic art, if you wander throughout the hospital where the department is, you find wonderful permanent thought-provoking art pieces on display on every single wall. These are great for a hospital since hospitals are always associated with sterility, sadness and death.

Aside from the permanent pieces of art on display, there is also an art gallery on the hospital's ground floor that houses temporary exhibitions all year round. This month's exhibition stopped me in my tracks in awe a couple of weeks ago. Among the art pieces on display, are 4 vivid beautiful pictures of black children. Funnily enough, I first saw the images just days after watching the Kings of Leon video for Radioactive where the band appear to be out picnicking with black children in uniforms in rural Tennessee (??). I seriously began to wonder if I missed the memo saying "Attention World, it is time to celebrate Black children in weird and wonderful ways!"

Later I found that the art pieces in the hospital are the works of Dutch artist Ruud van Empel. His official website has many more images. I am completely at a loss about what to think of his art work. Are these Black children being objectified? Why does this art leave me a little uncomfortable? Regardless, I still think Ghanaian workplaces could all benefit from colour and art.

Ruud van Empel's more than eerie pieces on display at the hospital ground floor

Three Guys and a Girl in a Dutch House with Steep Stairs

2010-09-25T11:19:00.003Z

Just a couple of months ago, I was in Ghana making last-minute plans to come to the Netherlands for a brief sojourn. Things were so last-minute that I only found accommodation one week before I flew out. I was so grateful to have a place that I did not even know (or care) whom I would be living with. So when the landlady ushered me into my new digs and I met Tenant #1 (a guy) , Tenant #2 (a guy) and heard Tenant #3 was also a guy, I was calm on the outside but in my head I was bouncing off the walls in surprise. Don't get me wrong; I've had plenty of room-mates, housemates and flatmates in the past but they have never been exclusively male. So this was going to be interesting! The second shock was the stairs - the steepest I had ever seen before in my life! I still have visions of me tumbling down the stairs one of these days. Anyway, its been 2 months and I have settled into my Dutch digs.

I love my room; it has large bay windows and a wonderful street view. The street below is very narrow and the large windows across the way remind me of the film Rear Window. Luckily, curtains and frosted windows are a deterrent against scary voyeuristic tendencies! In fact, Dutch houses tend to have large windows at street level so its quite common to peer in on a family dinner as you walk down the street.

Playing with the Boys: Dumpling-making and Mooncake-eating as part of Chinese Mid-Autumn festival

Have I learned anything from living with guys? *Yes* guys are a-okay as housemates! At first the toilet seat remaining up used to drive me crazy but last week something occurred to me. If you live in a house where the vast majority of the tenants prefer toilet seats up then am I not the weirdo for wanting the seat down?

The narrow street of cobbled stone below as seen from my window. I sometimes wonder how people manage to park on this street.

"There are Homosexuals in Ghana's Parliament - Derrick Adjei" - Observing Ghanaian news from afar and SMH**

2010-09-18T21:10:00.004Z

Being away from Ghana for a few months, one of my favorite activities is checking up on the news either through Joy FM online, Twitter, Citifmonline or occasionally Ghanaweb. Last week, I concluded that there was clearly nothing newsworthy happening in the whole of Ghana. How could I possibly reach such a conclusion? Well, a headline from earlier this past week led me to that very conclusion:

There are Homosexuals in Ghana's Parliament - Derrick Adjei

According to the article, the aforementioned Mr Adjei has a list of purported homosexuals and they all happen to be members of the opposition.

At first I thought April Fool's Day had come early (or late?) and that this article was a prank. I was a little surprised to hear it was actually a serious article. I was even more surprised that some of my Twitter buddies in Ghana actually took it seriously! Fellow blogger Osabutey Anny has a colourful and interesting take on this debacle in his piece Rubbish Politics.

Out of morbid curiosity, I listened to the interview where Mr. Adjei first mentioned his list. His revelations only came at the end of an ironic diatribe on lies in Ghanaian politics. It appears the young man was reacting to being called a homosexual by members of the opposition at some point in time. He said nothing would deter him from publishing his list on Wednesday 15 September. Well, it appears that the Wednesday outing for the mass outings came and went without any such publication. Of course from what I have observed from afar, it did cause entertainment and distraction.

Perhaps Mr. Adjei was saved by the publication of excerpts from the autobiography of former British diplomat Craig Murray. In his book, Mr. Murray makes curious and potentially damaging claims about Ghana Election 2000. However, many have since come out to say that Mr. Murray's claims are not entirely accurate. So aside from the hot pink list and the Murray revelations, other tantalizing tit-bits from Ghana news include:

Boakye Djan's intelligence is 'fufu-based' -Kofi Adam

Dan Botwe upset by Boakye Gyan's "kindergarten" analysis

Clearly it's time for me to give up on the belief that there is a modicum of seriousness still left in Ghanaian politics. So instead of observing from afar and being rendered speechless by utter ridiculousness, I have decided to devote a little blogging to the world around me. Watch this space for chronicles on #Dutch Living!

Dutch Living exemplified: The Bikes of Leiden

**SMH = 'Shaking My Head'. For some of us over the hill, all this LOL (laugh out loud) language is sometimes hard to keep up with!

The 100 Most Powerful Black Men on Twitter List: Heavy on sport and entertainment but Light on intellectuals

2010-09-06T11:44:00.007Z

Last week I saw a tweet directing tweetheads to the list of The 100 Most Powerful Men on Twitter:

"These men have the ability to drive massive traffic with a single tweet of a link, are constantly retweeted by their loyal followers, and exist on thousands of lists created by their fans."

I scanned the list quickly and noticed a trend. Here are the first 5 entries on the list:

LeBron James: High profile basketball player

IamDiddy Music mogul and artist

Kanye West: Music mogul and artist

BarackObama: 44th President of the United States. According to BarackObama's twitter profile, this is not President Obama's account but run by a grassroot organization

Tyga: I have no idea who this is but according to Wikipedia, he is a young rapper signed to Young Money entertainment.

The rest of the list is pretty similar; great representation from the world of sports, rap, R&B and entertainment but very little from academia, science, technology, health-care, business or even politics. Okay, I concede, Twitter is a social-network mainly associated with the entertainment industry. With the 140 characters limit, it is hardly the meeting place for deep intellectual discourse! However, Bill Gates and several other innovators from a plethora of other fields have accounts. Therefore, this list has really gotten me to think: are black men with the most impact on the planet likely to be rappers and sportsmen? Granted there are black men who have risen to the top of their respective fields outside of entertainment but are these people known or really recognized? Is the world learning to identify prominent black people with rap and sports rather than anything else? To me this is a troubling and very sad phenomenon.

P.S. I should add that philosopher and intellectual Professor Cornel West of Princeton University does feature on the list of 100 Black men on Twitter at Number 50. By the way, did you know that Cornel West was in The Matrix Reload and The Matrix Revolutions? Hmm... maybe it is all about entertainment.

Kenya on the move with a New Constitution: Implications for Ghana's own review process?

2010-08-29T11:19:00.030Z

Picture from the Kenyan Daily Nation Online showing "Mr Simon Wachira of Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit [being] assisted to climb Mt Kenya, where he placed a copy of the new Constitution on Friday"

Let's face it; as soon as some of us hear "Constitution", we automatically go into snooze mode. That's exactly the attitude I had when I heard that Kenya had a new constitution. I knew there had been a referendum on the constitution, I had even caught glimpses of a glitzy ceremony and was sure there had finally been consensus between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga but frankly, it did not seem too exciting to me. I could not have been more wrong. Shamefully, it was only after I had listened to young Kenyan points-of-view on the constitution aired on BBC World Have Your Say that I actually became interested in the process and its implications.

New Constitution Day: Kenyans Jubilating (Hmmm...where are the women at?)
Source: AFP via the BBC

Not only is this Kenyan constitution cutting-edge for an African democracy, it is particularly poignant coming from a country with a long history of ethnic tension and a very recent history of post-election violence. The constitution also paves the way for similar processes in other African countries. Did you know Ghana is currently undergoing a constitutional review process? In 2010, a Ghanaian Constitution Review Commission was set up. They have commissioners working hard already and also have a pretty helpful website (www.crc.gov.gh).

According to their website:

"The Constitution Review Commission was set up by a Constitutional Instrument 2010 (C.I.) 64 as a Commission of Inquiry to conduct a consultative review of the operation of the 1992 Constitution."

*Sigh* All those 'C's in that one sentence above may elicit instant boredom but we often forget that a constitution provides the sets of laws/rules by which we are all governed and protected in any democracy. Therefore, it is imperative that we take more interest in any constitutional review.

Did you know that the Ghana Constitution Review Commission:

Has a radio promo?
Is on Facebook and Twitter?
Has a blog?
Has been criss-crossing the country hearing views and suggestions from ordinary people regarding the constitution?
Has an online submission form on their website?

Apparently 31,000 submissions have been made so far. This surprises me since I am not sure how seriously people (especially young people) are taking this process.

I do have questions of my own regarding this constitutional review process:

Young people (0-24 year olds) form the vast majority of the Ghanaian population and are also those who are going to be most affected by any constitutional changes. How seriously engaged are they in this process? I am talking specifically about the 18-24 year olds?
How are all the submissions being sifted through and narrowed down?
Which suggestions will be deemed worthy to be part of the new constitution or a referendum ?
If a suggestion is not in the government's interest but comes from a sizeable number of people what happens to that suggestion?

Anyone out there with thoughts on constitutional reviews and amendments? What suggestion would you have for a new constitution?

Today on Twitter: #RIPAaliyah

2010-08-25T20:49:00.002Z

Today one of the hottest topics on Twitter, or what we tweetheads call "trending topics", was #RIPAaliyah. In my spaced-out state of mine, I had first thought people around the world had only just realised that the amazing RnB singer Aaliyah Haughton had passed on. It eventually occurred to me that today marks 9 years since the sad death of Aaliyah.

I always remember Aaliyah's death for two reasons:

1. She was super-talented and was one of my favorite female RnB singers

2. New York was just recovering from Aaliyah's death (she was born in Brooklyn and raised in Detroit) when chaos rained supreme exactly 17 days later.

Aaliyah Haughton: January 16 1979 - August 25 2001

So here's to always remembering that special talent that was Aaliyah Haughton. She may be gone, but just as Twitter proved today, she has never been forgotten.

"It's been too long and [We're] lost without you/ What [are we] gonna do.." #RIPAaliyah; We still miss you!

Ghana Politics 101: To avoid unnecessary damage, control your loose cannons

2010-08-23T09:57:00.006Z

Cannons at Fort Antonio in Axim in the Western Region, Ghana
Source: My personal album of fabulous pics

In military history, cannons transformed the art of warfare and were essential artillery for some key battles dating back to Ancient China. Cannons were also vital to naval combat and the phrase 'loose cannon' alludes to the fact that if your cannons were not secure, they were likely to roll about on deck and cause damage to your ship. It is not surprising therefore that modern English has adopted the term:

Main Entry: loose cannon

Function: noun

: a dangerously uncontrollable person or thing

Source: Merriam-Oxford Dictionary Online

Over the years, a number of colourful 'loose cannons' have dotted the Ghanaian political landscape and just like improperly secured cannons, these are usually from one's own armoury. For some reason, some chairmen of incumbent parties have demonstrated uncanny propensities towards mis-speaking in public.

A few years ago, the chairman of the previous administration's party was caught on tape making damaging disclosures that appeared to amount to corruption and graft among his party members. Just this past week, the chairman of the current ruling party made statements about cleansing the judiciary that supposedly could be interpreted as inciting others towards violence.

It is not surprising that these comments have sparked a real storm in a tea-cup.

Class, the take-home message is simple: if you do not want your political opponents to make mischief of ambiguous statements emerging from your camp, then control your loose cannons. If you are unable to do so, the ensuing damage could be serious. You would then be forced to field spokespeople who have the excruciating task of explaining the indefensible to the general public. At that point, you just have to hope that the spokespeople are able to use enough circular logic to dazzle the populace and prevent further questions.

Sign of the Times: Close Elections

2010-08-22T13:50:00.005Z

Sunday morning and the world woke up to find that the just-ended Australian election was inconclusive with no party likely to emerge with an outright majority. At the moment, the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard is attempting to form a coalition government.

Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard (left) and her main contender Tony Abbott
Hmmm Tony Abbott looks mysteriously like Tony Blair in this picture
Source: BBC Online

Interestingly, this outcome was very similar to the British election of 2010 that resulted in one of the strangest marriages between liberals and conservatives that the world has ever seen. Closer to home, the 2008 Ghana election was the closest in Ghanaian history and probably one of the closest in world history.

The BBC Focus on Africa magazine cover that aptly predicted the outcome of
the 2008 Ghana election

So are close elections the new sign of the time? What do they indicate? Are they a sign of a vibrant democracy or perhaps apathy and ambivalence of electorates across the globe? Food for thought.

Is Young Mario Balotelli part of the Ghana-Deniers Club?

2010-08-16T08:03:00.011Z

The victorious Italian national football team (Azzurri) hoisting the World Cup at Germany 2006
Source: http://www.i-azzurri.com/

Even if you are not a football fan, you may know that a certain Mario Balotelli of Italy has just been scooped up by the millionaire football club, Manchester City. Just in case you did not know, Mario Balotelli is the 20 year old Italian footballing whizz-kid known to have a little attitude on and off the pitch. Mr Balotelli is also known for his smouldering exotic looks. In fact, he is so exotic that if you saw him, you may be inclined to think he looks alot like:

That trotro* mate who refused to give you the correct change on your way to work last week
The guy selling DVDs at Adum Market in Kumasi who tried to get you to buy The Ultimate Steven Seagal collection
A cool young guy hanging out with his buddies at Accra Mall

Mario Balotelli (nicknamed 'Super Mario') in football action
Source: www.goal.com

So how does a guy that looks so typically Ghanaian end up with such a distinctly Italian name? Is he part of the Ghana-Deniers club that has featured prominent personalities such as pro-wrestler Kofi Kingston formerly of Jamaica now of Ghana?

Well, according to the folks over at Wikipedia, Mario Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah in Palermo Italy to Ghanaian immigrants. Due to his childhood health-problems, his struggling immigrant parents eventually turned him over to social services where he was fostered by an Italian family named the Balotellis. He later legally took the Balotelli name and formally became an Italian citizen in 2008. His contact with his real family is apparently minimal.

Recently, Mario’s real parents featured in the Italian press explaining how they lost their son and how they had tried to get him back over the course of 10 years

Super Mario came out blazing to lambast his biological parents in an official statement:

“I have no other recourse than to repeat what I said two years ago: if I hadn’t become the football star Mario Balotelli, they wouldn’t have cared what happened to me."

Source: Ghanasoccernet.com via Joy FM online

It appears that young Mario has some deep-seated feelings of abandonment. Interestingly, he was courted persistently by the Ghana Football Association to join the Black Stars, but always stood firm that his dream was to play only for Italy and never for his country of origin. This was despite the fact that some Italians had serious objections to him joining the Azzurri.

But what about his real parents? Is it a case of giving away a lottery ticket with a winning number or parents' honestly yearning for the child they gave up only thinking about his welfare?? It's quite impossible to know now. In the meantime, I would love to see how Balotelli gets along with his Ghana-loving Togolese team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor. Perhaps Adebayor can teach him a thing or two?

The always charismatic Emmanuel Adebayor
Source: Daily Telegraph online

**Trotro: A commercial mini-bus that operates in most Ghanaian cities and towns

The Beauty, The "Dirty Stones" and Urgent Curriculum Changes needed at Supermodel Finishing School

2010-08-05T22:53:00.127Z

Let's face it; model Naomi Campbell's long-anticipated appearance at the Charles Taylor war crimes tribunal in The Hague is akin to life imitating art. It is the stuff that actual movies are made of. I can just imagine the synopsis for the upcoming blockbuster...

The Beauty, The Despot and the Blood Diamonds

Our heroine, the forever radiant, always weavelicious international superstar model Miss Rayomie Rambell escapes the hustle and bustle of life as a jet-setting supermodel to sojourn in the blissfully enchanting African Kingdom of Zamunda. While in Zamunda, Miss Rambell attends a grand banquet hosted by the benevolent King Jaffe Joffer. One of the other guests at the dinner is the evil, conniving dictator of the nation of Mogambo, Kunta Kinte. Mr. Kinte is charmed by the sultry supermodel and presents her with a gift of sparkling diamonds. She graciously wears these on a necklace. Years later, Mr. Kinte is implicated in fuelling a vicious and ferocious conflict in Mogambo's peaceful neigbour, Narnia. This conflict revolves around the control and extraction of diamonds.There is no evidence linking the cunning Mr. Kinte to the vicious civil war and he is just about to get away with his heinous crimes. In the closing scene of the film, Miss Rambell bursts into the international tribunal that is trying Mr. Kinte and demands to be heard by the panel of judges. In a cinematographically dramatic moment akin to the courtroom scene in To Kill a Mocking Bird, our heroine tears the diamond necklace off her neck and holds it up declaring that the diamonds were given to her by Mr. Kinte and that they are proof that he was involved in the deadly conflict. There are cheers of joy in the courtroom as victims of the conflict mouth the words "Thank you" and tears of joy roll down Miss Rambell's high sculptured cheekbones. The film closes with Nkosi Sikelel' iAfriKa (God Bless Africa) playing in the background. Justice prevails as good triumphs over evil.

CAST

Rayomie Ramble ----------------- Kerry Washington

King Jaffe Joffer ------------------ James Earl Jones

Evil Kunta Kinte ------------------ Denzel Washington***

***Yes, Denzel Washington as the evil despot. After all, we know Denzel can play bad people. Did someone say Training Day? Besides, what's a big black blockbuster movie without Denzel?? What's any blockbuster movie without Denzel?

Unfortunately, real-life is more complex and far less polished. As it turns out the 'diamonds' were hardly the proverbial "girl's best friends". Ms. Campbell herself described them as "dirty stones". Moreover, Naomi Campbell is not quite the Hollywood heroine by blockbuster standards. She is stunning but however, is also notorious for her ability to deliver a mean bitch-slap to her employees as well as a perchance for throwing tantrums and assaulting various people. Who can forget that she actually refused to appear at the tribunal and eventually did so only when subpoenaed. According to excerpts of her testimony available on the BBC news online website, she said her appearance was "an inconvenience" I think Ms. Campbell must have gotten that word lost in translation! She also went on to explain that she feared for the safety of her family.

Perhaps the most surprising revelation that may have stunned Africologists and Afrophiles alike, was the following excerpt from BBC online:

When asked if she had also believed Charles Taylor had sent the Diamonds;

"I assumed it was. I don't know anything about Charles Taylor. Never heard of him before, never heard of the country Liberia before. I never heard of the term 'blood diamonds' before. So I just assumed that it was."

Clearly, Supermodel Finishing school needs to expand its curriculum to include a little geography, current affairs, decorum and above all altruism. This way, highly successful alumni will not go out and make complete asses of themselves in public.

Naomi Campbell oops I mean Kerry Washington

Source: Star.media.com

The Temporarily Relocating Procrastinator

2010-08-02T07:32:00.011Z

One thing I will always regret is that that I took up blogging AFTER my trip to Gabon in 2008. After all, Gabon's beautiful green rolling hills, warm tropical environment and colourful people provide ample fodder for anyone's blog. As did the surreal research commune I was living in where at some point, I was convinced we were participants in some twisted reality television show being broadcast on German television. Moreover, the Gabonese culinary approach i.e. anything-that-moves-in-the-forest was *erm* fascinating. I admit that indeed, I did enjoy the little python I had.

That's me at the official Equator line in Gabon. Standing between the hemispheres

Anyway, I digress, for the next couple of months, I will be leaving the fair shores of Ghana for the Netherlands. Another regret I have is that I was unable to complete a piece on foot-soldiers before I left. Ghanaian political foot-soldiers that is NOT Dutch ones. Speaking of Dutch soldiers did you hear they have pulled out of Afghanistan? Alas, I digress again. The foot-soldier post has proved challenging because this group is probably the most dynamic and fluid aggregation on the Ghanaian political landscape today and thus very hard to pin-down and characterise. I can still complete that piece from the Netherlands but it does seem a little disingenuous blogging about Ghana from elsewhere. After all, I need to be surrounded by inspiration from the tropical sun, traffic, flavours and the wonderful glow of Ghana living.

So what could one possibly blog about from Holland?

Is it true that it is mainly Western foreign tourists that smoke marijuana in The Netherlands while the Dutch are largely uninterested?
Is it 'Holland' or 'The Netherlands' anyway?
Leave your bicycle unlocked and it WILL be stolen
Why are Dutch people so tall?
How long does it take a tulip to grow?
Do people still wear clogs in the Netherlands?
Dutch Politician Geert Wilders is popular among some and it is not only for his *shocking* blond hair

Okay, I'm being facetious. I'm sure I will find interesting things to blog about! In the meantime, I'm dreaming of Dutch pancakes already. *Hmmmm*

Delicious Holland Style Pancakes

Third World Living: Mesmerized by Roadworks Part 3

2010-07-25T11:50:00.000Z

I just found out yesterday that Wes Craven is filming the 4th installment of his teen-slasher horror film franchise Scream. I must admit I was quite a fan of the Scream films. Scream 1 poked fun at the whole teen-slasher genre but managed to be entertaining and had a brilliant twist-ending. I was pretty sure it answered all dangling questions but then came Scream 2 which sought to prolong the drama while making more money. Finally, there was Scream 3 which for me was like beating a very dead horse with a stick. So you can understand why I was perplexed to find yet ANOTHER Scream film was in the pipeline. Speaking of perplexing horror sequels, early Saturday morning, I was awoken by the deafening sounds of machines working hard on our street. What?! Roadworks again??!

If you happen to follow my blog, you will recall that in September last year, our untarred road was finally tarred. Well, not quite. It was indeed too good to be true.The road contractor managed to complete half the road leaving us with a bizarre Yin-Yang pattern:

RoadWorks Part 1: The Half-baked Yin-Yang

The road contractor mysteriously disappeared and we were left to wait with bated breath for the sequel. Finally, in January this year we were given Roadworks Part 2; the memorable sequel:

Roadworks Part 2: The Mysterious Yang-Yin Dusty Trail

Roadworks Part 2 was strange and completely unsatisfying. Alas, yet again before any questions could be asked, the road contractor had evaporated into thin air! Life went on and seasons changed. Heavy rains came and the shoddy nature of the first two installments of the Roadworks franchise were becoming apparently. Suddenly, this past Saturday, the roar of engines signalled the 3rd installment in the horror franchise:

Roadworks Part 3: All Yin and some zen

Finally, after almost a year, it appears our street is finally uniform. There is zen on our street. But here's a thought; instead of half-baked shoddy work, wouldn't it be better to do a really good job the first time around? Or like horror film franchises, do we have to keep waiting for yet another installment? Sad to say, but that is why I call it "Third World Living".

When everything has to be # -ed: Confessions of a Twitter Addict

2010-07-18T19:21:00.007Z

How well do you know any of the following:

Twitter
Tweet
Followers/Following
Unfollow
Retweet
Trending Topics
@username
DMs
Twitter is Overcapacity
Verified Account
Justin Bieber
Tweetphoto/Twitpic
Twitlonger
Snaptu/Hootsuite/Nimbuzz/Pixelpipe/Gravity/TweetDeck/UberTwitter/Twaitter
#nowplaying
#MusicMonday
FollowFriday (#FF)
Hope140
Jack Dorsey/Biz Stone
Who.unfollowed.me/Qwitter

So....how well did you fare?

Scores

0 : Clearly you are not into social media and have never heard of Twitter. Looks like I have to break it down. According to the folks over at Wikipedia; "Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers."

1- 5: So you have heard about Twitter? You probably had a peek at a friend's account but still do not see the use.You are convinced that people join Twitter to find out what Demi Moore (Kutcher) had for breakfast and so you think its pointless.

6-12: You have a Twitter account. You joined out of curiosity but yet you still fail to see the use. You can't even remember your username and password.

13-18: You are on Twitter. You enjoy news updates or occasional words of wisdom from people you follow. You check your account from time to time but can go days or weeks without being on Twitter. You are in a good place.

more than 18: You are a complete Tweethead; an absolute Twitter addict who craves a Twitter fix morning, noon and night.

Symptoms of Twitter addiction may include:

Panic at your inability to log on to Twitter either through phone network malfunctioning, internet downtime or the dreaded ""Twitter is over capacity. Please wait a moment and try again" message

Your number of Tweets exceeds 2000+ even though you have only been on Twitter for a few months

You are on Twitter at odd times of the day: 1am, 3am or 5am

No one around you understands why you are on Twitter and is still hooked on Facebook or even (tragically) hi5

You use Twitter to find directions to places or get recommendations for movies, restaurants or software

You send messages to friends on Twitter instead of texting them

You start to # everything on #Facebook. You refer to your friends in text messages, facebook or emails as @James and start to restrict your facebook status to 140 characters

What I'm desperately trying to understand is how I went from seeing Twitter as futile and useless to being a complete Tweethead. I now have 4,485 Tweets to my credit and counting. Anyway, I have accepted it and I'm off to get my fix. If you are looking for me, you know where to find me!

My Twitter homepage

**Fever Pitch: Ghana on the brink of making World Cup history and other tales

2010-07-02T09:09:00.005Z

Source: Daily Guide newpaper

For football fan-atics like myself, the World Cup is panning out to be deliciously interesting. All expected outcomes are not coming to pass and there have been surprises abundant. The drama is never-ending and its even reaching soap opera-esque dimensions.

Here are some delightful headlines:

*English goal keeper Robert Green and the ball that got away

*Nigerian midfielder gets over 1,000 death threats over his sending off

*France's World Cup fiasco - The Curse of the Irish perhaps?

*The Curse of the Nike Advert?: All footballers featured never made it past the World Cup quarter finals

*A strangely disallowed American goal

*A strangely disallowed English goal

*An off-side Argentinian and a strangely allowed goal

*The media-hyped tale of Two (Boateng) brothers and their over-hyped epic encounter on opposing sides on the pitch

Not only is it drama-filled but it is (supposedly) our time...Africa's world cup. The fact that the Black Stars remain the only African team in the actual competition may make it hard to believe that it is indeed the time for the continent. Currently, our Stars have the incredible burden of the whole of Africa on their shoulders. It has been an absolute delight getting emails and text messages from friends all over the continent and the world declaring their support for the Black Stars. I just heard that Kenyans are flying Ghana colours and it appears South Africans are affectionately referring to the Black Stars as "BaGhana" - a witty take on their not-so successful football team "Bafana Bafana". Of course in the case of South Africa, we have to contend with the fact that as soon as we lose Ghanaians will probably be back to being not-so affectionately referred to as "Makwerekwere" (derogatory SeSotho/SeTswana term used to refer to Black African foreigners in South Africa).

Back to the Ghana-Uruguay encounter slated for tonight. Is there hope? Could Ghana be trailblazer in Africa yet again? Is it really "Our time" ?

BBC Focus on Africa magazine July - September 2010 edition

**Fever Pitch: Okay so I borrowed the phrase from Nick Hornby 1992 novel of the same title which apparently is an autobiographical account of his lifelong love / obsession with (my beloved) Arsenal football club (The Gunners!). Fever Pitch was later made into a movie starring Colin Firth in an unforgettable lead.

When Life Imitates Art: Little Nikita for the 2010s?

2010-06-30T09:53:00.001Z

Before young female adherents to western popular culture swooned over Robert Pattinson, before their predecessors were swept away by Leonardo DiCarprio in Titanic, there was River Phoenix. Nobody seems to remember River Phoenix these days. After all, he was the super-talented older brother of Joachim Phoenix and was phenomenal in the film Stand by Me. Sadly, River died from an accidental (?) drug-overdose in 1993 at the age of 23.

Anyway, back to my original point. In the dying days of The Cold War, River Phoenix starred in a blockbuster film called Little Nikita which also starred the quintessential veteran actor Sidney Poitier. The tag-line for the movie was "He went to bed an all-American kid and woke up the son of Russian spies."

Super quick plot summary: River Phoenix plays an all-American regular teenager named Jeff Grant. Young Jeff has no clue that his all-American suburban parents are actually Russian "sleeper" spies! Definition of "Sleepers": spies who have assimilated into a society under deep-cover awaiting orders from their country of origin.

Back in the day, this film seemed riveting and exciting. Of course in this post-Cold War era, I'm sure it would induce snooze in young teens everywhere. However, just like life imitating art, US authorities have revealed they have uncovered real "Russian" sleeper cells all over the US!

According the breaking news, 10 people have been arrested accused of "conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of a foreign government". From intercepted messages, it seems these sleeper spies were tasked to find out information on topics including "nuclear weapons, US arms control positions, Iran, White House rumours, CIA leadership turnover, and political parties." Apparently they were not really doing a great job on their assignments either!

So it appears that just for a brief moment we have been transported back to the '80s when the Cold War was raging between the East and the West. To the days when Russia was still the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia as well as East Germany still existed and the late great actor River Phoenix was Hollywood's brightest star with great future promise. Speaking of the '80s, where's Michael Dudikoff?

River Phoenix: Frozen in immortality

Source: Palazoo.net

2010-06-04T21:12:00.002Z

To describe May 2010 as 'difficult' would be an understatement. It was memorable in the sense that I was pushed towards my maximum endurance limit in many aspects of my life ie work and family. Losses in the family, a challenging and almost impossible to execute fieldwork regime and strains on friendships meant this May was far from mundane. As I type on my mobile phone hundreds of kilometres from Accra, I'm reflecting on how I've become much older and wiser in such a short time. I'm also announcing my return to the blogosphere. After all, life's tragedies and comedies have created ample fodder.

Moments Only to be seen In Ghana

2010-04-18T19:53:00.009Z

The BBC had this feature called "Only in Africa" which had amusing tales of uncanny encounters from across the continent. At first I thought it would be denigrating and full of stereotypes but I ended finding it quite entertaining.

The feature reminded me of when I first came to Ghana to live and everyday encounters were 'Only in Ghana' moments. Some left me amused, perplexed and others downright disturbed! Although these moments have become second nature now, a few new gems have come up recently:

1. A puzzle that defies logic

You are working late on some mundane task with a young man who hasn't eaten all day. The nearest eatery is situated a 10 minute walking distance away. The hungry young man opts to head over to the eatery. You decide to help out and hand over your car keys. This would also speed up the process and allow you to leave earlier. The young man sets off. He returns to the office 45 minutes later!

2. Beware: our approach to punctuality MAY be contagious!

The other week I had a meeting scheduled for 2 pm on a

Friday with a young gentleman of Asian persuasion. Around 1:55pm on the day of the meeting, I get a text message from him saying he was coming from the beautiful port city of Tema (about 30 minutes by road) so would be running late due to traffic. I then call up the young man only to find he hadn't left Tema yet (at 1:57pm) for a meeting in Accra at 2:00pm! Eventually, we rescheduled the appointment for 2pm on another day. On that day, the young'un shows up at 3:15pm with a barrel full of excuses! Later I found out he has lived in Ghana for 6 years. This got me thinking; is our rather flexible approach to punctuality infectious?

3. Planes, trains and fear of the witches
Some individuals in Ghana are mysteriously hesitant to tell you when they are planning on traveling abroad. I have always joked that people don't like to announce their travel plans lest they be jinxed , cursed or literally have planes blocked by witches flying alongside on their broomsticks. I'm beginning to think I may be right!

Just last week I was looking for a young lady who occasionally works on our research project to discuss an upcoming field trip. She was nowhere to be found. She was last seen doing some "Bumper to Bumper" moves at our office retreat so I figured she may have taken ill during Easter. Turns out Sister-girl had boarded a plane and had jetted out of GH indefinitely two days after the retreat! Well, if she ever comes to me for a recommendation letter, I would definitely have to put down somewhere "...displayed an inability to articulate her future plans".

4. Riding in cars with Policemen + Machine guns

Source: www.ghana-net.com

Have you ever seen a Ghanaian policeman with semi-automatic rifle flag down a commercial vehicle (trotro) at a busy bus-stop in Accra? Chances are our man in blue is not out to inspect brakes, check passenger satisfaction or glance through vehicle papers. Most likely, he's out to hitch a ride! If that's the case, our policeman and his machine gun are given 'special passenger status' up in front with the driver. I'm quite certain most of these rides are free. After all, who would like to ask a fully-armed policeman for 50 pesewas in fare? Besides, he may just start inspecting brakes, check passenger satisfaction or glancing through vehicle papers.

5. Taxis that defy understanding.

Please consider the two following equations:

*Taxi - Passengers = Dangerously slow-moving obstacle on the road travelling at 15km/hour
*Taxi + Passengers = Possessed hell hound dangerously weaving through traffic travelling at 80km/hr

If you try adding Passengers and then subtracting Passengers to the same equation, all you get is a stationary taxi. That's probably the safest taxi to have!

6. Grumblings at the Visa Centre

Speaking of punctuality and jet planes, I recently went to pick up my passport from one of those Schengen Visa centres. I got there 30 minutes early only to find EVERYBODY else had already assembled there anxiously. The centre started calling names 5 minutes late causing the masses to grumble. So the only time we observe time rigidly is when it has something to do with leaving/escaping form Ghana??! *Sigh* You would thinking we are living in Saigon in 1975 and the Viet Cong are approaching the city!

*Sigh* All these scenarios could happen anywhere in the World but alas, I've experienced them "Only in Ghana". Do you have any to share?

DISCLAIMER: This post is in no way meant to tarnish or denigrate the image of the warm, beautiful, vibrant country that is Ghana. I have many "Only in New York" moments to share but I feel these may traumatise and permanently scar my readers.

The 2010 Ghana Music Awards: Biased and Prejudiced Observations from an Onlooker who accidentally turned on the television halfway through the Award Show

2010-04-11T20:28:00.001Z

Source: modernghana.com

I had no idea the Ghana Music Awards (GMAs) were going to be held this weekend. I literally stumbled upon the show being telecast live on Ghana Television (GTV). Here are some snippets as seen by me:

1. 70% Female Audience (as per usual):

I'm continually amazed that the GMAs are oestrogen dominated. When the cameras pan across the audience its usually an array of well-dressed (sometimes tragically under-dressed) females mainly in their 20s. Why so many females? I have a couple of theories to explain the female dominance:

Theory A: Women are likely to be the recipients of the freebie tickets that always seem to float around each year

Theory B: Small boys can't afford to pay for two tickets so they buy one ticket for their girlfriends and stay home to watch the event on television

Theory C: Big men cannot afford....to be seen on TV by their wives in the company of their girlfriends so they buy tickets for their lady friends as well as all her friends!

Just from what I saw of the audience, I would not be surprised if weave-ons and nails on display actually ran into millions of dollars!

2.The inalienable truth: Ghanaian audiences are hard to sway
Since I moved to the shores of my dear Ghana some years ago, I have observed that a Ghanaian audience being treated to new, exciting and unfamiliar music usually responds with yawns, phone-playing and tepid clapping. I saw this first hand when my childhood idol Brenda Fassie took to the GMA stage way back in 2004.The audience went into a comatose state only to be revived later by the local flavour of the moment.

Sadly, things have not changed much. At the 2010 GMAs, the audience were treated to the South African group Jozi straight from Ejozi/Egoli/Johannesburg. Almost instantly, coma set in and revival only came later in the form of gospel starlet Ohemaa Mercy who was mysteriously clad in military camouflage. The Jozi guys were such good sports that when they came up later to present an award , they actually said that the GMA audience was the "best [they] have ever performed for".Either these guys are polite, sarcastic or have not performed in front of ANY crowd before. Bless 'em!

3. Vision in Progress (VIP): Return of the Prodigal sons?
You put three veterans of Ghanaian hiplife (hiphop + rap) into dashing suits and they can actually look like they are on their way to a corporate meeting. I think VIPs performance was probably the one that left me most impressed. Not only were VIP on fire but I was more surprised about how the audience were really into them. After all, I have been to a few performances in the past where these three plucky guys from Nima were not shown much love at all.

Sarkodie

Source: Ghanaweb.com

4. The King of Tema: Sarkodie

The biggest winner of the night was the "fastest rapper in Ghana" the self-titled "King of Tema". Young Sarkodie should have also gotten an award for largest entourage.
It appeared that the King of Tema actually brought the whole of Tema with him including Dr. Duncan of Adom FM. One couldn't have overlooked Dr. Duncan. He was the guy who had to say something every time Sarkodie won an award. Now that Sarkodie has signed up with Akon and Konvict music, I'm sure he is either going to have to change his name or risk being called "Sar-Cody" for the rest of his career!

5. So that's who R2Bees are?!

A clear sign I'm so not rolling with the times is that it was only at the award show that I was finally educated on who exactly R2Bees (Refuse to be Broke) were. Heard their song
but didn't put two and two together. Apparently they are representing the Tema Metropolitan Area (TMA) along with the King of Tema. Maybe that's why Mugeez from R2Bees features in Sarkodie's Baby. Finally education!

6. Asem: Ambassador for.... Education??

Speaking of education, bright young thing Asem got an award from the government for his song "School Dey Be" and was installed as an 'Ambassador for Education'. Very impressive! Alas, it appears that the good 'ol public servants have not educated themselves on some of the other fine works in this young man's portfolio. Asem's lyrical contributions to Richie's song "When I get U" are far from being educational! Well, unless the class is Sleaze-filled songs for a New Generation! Check out the enlightening video here.

7. Did someone say Jon Germain???

For song of the year, the last nominee in the category was the TV presenter Jon Germain who has released an album of his own. As a young friend on Twitter said "How does Jon Germain fit into this picture?".It was like he read my mind. I have never been a fan of Jon Germain's presenting talents so I looked him up on YouTube and was actually impressed by his song. Check it out.

Jon Germain

Source: www.juizemag.com

8. Phrase of the evening "That remembers me.."

*Sigh* When one of my favorite hiplife artists of all time was approaching the podium to present an award, his very first hit was playing in the background. Clearly overwhelmed by feelings of nostalgia, my hero had an English language slip-up and declared: "That remembers me blah-blah-blah-blah....". This vocabularly slip was met with roaring laughter from the unforgiving crowd. Poor guy. This is not going to be forgotten for a long time especially since he was looking so hip, happening and fresh from London.

So there you have it. My Ghana Music Awards experience for the year 2010; overlooking many things in my completely biased, slanted and one-sided perspective. Any gems anyone has to share that I missed? Wande Coal? Becca's nonchalant acceptance speech? The ever gorgeous Chris Attoh?

GLO Literary Event in Accra- Strictly by Invitation

2010-04-04T22:23:00.003Z

The Nigerian telecommunication giant, Globacom Limited, which touts itself as "Africa's fastest growing telecommunications company" is on the brink of storming Ghana. Well, I should add that they have been on this very brink for a while now! 'Glo' as the company is called, is probably one of the most advertised companies in Ghana that does not actually sell any products on the Ghanaian market...

Despite the lack of availability of Glo products, they are really making their presence in Ghana felt. Apparently, they are a major sponsor of the Ghanaian premier football league and lately, eye-catching Glo billboards are splashed across town featuring some popular Ghanaian celebrities endorsing Glo. Speaking of popular, there's one woman in the billboards I had never heard of and at least 3 different people have asked me who she is. Her name starts with an 'S'. Any clues anyone?

This past week, Glo caught my attention once again. This time, the Thursday edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper had a full-page advert about an Evening with Wole Soyinka & Ghanaian Literary Giants with performances by the Senegalese great Youssou N'dour and many others. Sounded tantalizing to me.

The Glo Advert

Some years ago, I had the privilege of partaking in an evening with Wole Soyinka at my undergraduate college. I was held spell-bound by this African luminary with his unapologetic views on African governance, corruption and literature. At the end of the evening, when I had the perfect opportunity to approach Wole Soyinka to gush about the genius of the poem Telephone Conversation or how I got to play Sidi in our English class production of the Lion and the Jewel, I literally froze in my seat.

The Glo evening promised to combine the literary prowess of Soyinka with his Ghanaian counterparts such as Atukwei Okai and Ama Atta Aidoo. Perhaps it would also be an opportunity to (think about) approaching the literary giant for an autograph. As my mind drifted off to the happy reunion, I failed to see the small print at the bottom of the advert with the curious proviso "Strictly by invitation". I say 'curious' because I cannot understand why Glo or any other company would go through all the trouble of publicizing an event that was already closed to the public? Can it really count as a Glo publicity gambit?

Luckily, fellow Ghanablogging blogger Golda was one of the privileged invitees. I cannot wait to read her blog posts on the event. In the meantime, I'm Glo-ing green with envy!