Of Scandal and other political dramas

I love politics. I am always amused by people who declare they do not "do politics".

VickyLeaks: Late-Breaking Entry into the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician

VickyLeaks*: the unguarded and candid views of a politician that echo the sentiments of many politicians worldwide. These views are a reflection of a desire to use political office for personal monetary aggrandizement as well as to have power and influence over other people. These sentiments are not fit for public consumption since a wholly naive electorate would prefer to believe that politicians are there for the masses and not for their own personal gain. Ramblings expressed in VickyLeaks also recognize who the de facto political  power-brokers are and also how a failure to recognize these may lead to one's political downfall. Vickyleaks can also include seemingly damaging revelations about landmark judicial processes. However, these may be hard to substantiate and are likely to be downplayed by the powers that be.

As an aspiring politician, you may have your own personal agenda which is in direct contrast to the public persona you present. Most successful politicians know that under no circumstances should a dubious private persona that demonstrates complete self-interest in motivating your desire for political office be made public. To preserve your altruistic public persona, every politician should behave like they are a member of the Barksdale crew and McNulty is listening in on their conversations. A certain level of paranoia will go a long way in the quest to be a successful politician.

The Wire: One of the greatest tv series ever with good lessons on how one's dubious intentions caught on tape can be your downfall. Source: Wikipedia.com

*The term "VickyLeaks" in relation to Ghanaian politics, was first seen via social media

Did someone say.....September?

Here I was just adjusting to the idea that the year is 2013 and just like that, I realized that it is almost half-way through. Hard to fathom. Was it not just last month I was trudging through the January snow? Feels like it was just last week I was bathing in the summer sun. The sad reality is that it is already September and we are pretty much well into the JASOND part of the year. I find myself asking the question; where did all the time go? The more worrying question is am I really ready for 2014? hmmm...

One of the highlights of my 2013: A visit to Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Why did I not stay for longer? 

T'was the night before Judgement Day and all through the land...

Thursday 29 August 2013 is going to be a historical day in Ghana. On this day, the Supreme Court of Ghana will deliver its judgement on a petition brought before it challenging the results of Ghana election 2012. This is the first time that such a petition has been brought forward and it has been accompanied by televised broadcasts of proceedings at the Supreme Court. It has also been accompanied by somewhat entertaining drama as would be expected from all things politics in Ghana. 

As I watch from afar, I know that Ghanaians have matured past the point that violence is considered a reasonable response to political discontent. However, I cannot help but be wary of the reactions following the announcement of the outcome. In the meantime, I am listening to Lynx Entertainment's "Yen Ara Asaase Ni
(This is our Land)" from 2011. Great version.

"I have a dream" @ 50

Source:Hulton Archive/Getty Images via The Guardian Newspaper online

Today marks 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King jr.'s famous address at the end of the historic civil rights march on Washington DC for "Jobs and Freedom." From my facebook timeline I gather that quite a few of my friends in the area have gathered in Washington D.C. today to mark this historical event. 

This morning I read over the profound words of the original address. It was delivered to a racially-segregated and charged America of 1963. The speech starts with references to the emancipation of slaves in 1863 and how “One hundred years later [in 1963], the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”

This got me thinking, 50 years on how much has changed? It seems cynical to say nothing has changed but almost naive to say things in America have changed so drastically that Dr. King's words are so alien to the world today. To some extent, Dr. King's dream is fulfilled but yet racial and socioeconomic disparities are still glaring. I remember a decade ago, a friend and I went on a road trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Birmingham, Alabama. What we were struck by was stark poverty in rural Alabama that makes me more inclined towards being cynical about what has changed. However, that was also a road trip a decade ago. 

This afternoon I had the great opportunity to listen to a different speech. This time it was a lecture by United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon. He made references to the Dr. King's speech and in a world ridden in conflict, he called for everyone to "Give peace a chance, give diplomacy a chance." Although not necessarily ground-breaking, the lecture echoed the importance of peace, freedom, democracy, compassion for humankind regardless of race, nationality, creed or sexual orientation. Powerful things to reflect on.

Mr. Ban Ki-Moon delivering the Freedom Lecture at the Pieterskerk in Leiden

While we were sleeping, Chinese miners were making millions of dollars from illegal mining in Ghana

Time magazine had an interesting piece recently:

Africa or Bust: Chinese Gold Miners Take Huge Risks

Hundreds of gold miners from southern China face destitution after they were deported from Ghana for illegal prospecting

Read more: http://world.time.com/2013/07/04/africa-or-bust-chinese-gold-miners-take-huge-risks/#ixzz2YCo7vcUc

The article tells the almost sad story of a poverty-stricken Chinese man who borrowed $163,000 to buy equipment and travel to Ghana to engage in illegal mining. Unfortunately for him he was deported about a month before seeing returns on his investment. Note, I say almost sad story. It is hard to feel sympathy for someone who had actively been participating in surface mining activities that are wreaking environmental havoc in Ghana. Not only that. The story goes on to describe other Chinese who returned to their rural communities as far back as 2008 as dollar millionaires. 

Interestingly, the article in Time magazine is also accompanied by a picture of a small-scale mining site near Dunkwa-on-Offin, the capital of the Upper Denkyira East Municipality and just a few miles from where half of my family hails. Coincidentally or not, Upper Denkyira is also the site of the Discovery Channel series Jungle Gold. How is it that foreigners were participating in the degradation of our environment in Ghana and making bucket-loads of tax-free money right under our watch? Aside from mass deportations of Chinese, what is the government of Ghana doing to protect the environment? Is the government addressing the greater problem of Ghanaians engaged in environmentally destructive small-scale mining? So many questions, so few answers.  

I took this picture in December 2010 in one community in the Western Region  close to Upper Denkyira.  It shows small-scale gold miners boarding a truck after spending a hard day ruining the environment for their survival.  

In other news, the AU turned 50

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at the birth of the OAU in 1963
Source: Newafrican magazine via consultancy Africa blog

On Saturday 25 May 2013, the African Union (AU) turned 50 years old. Well, to be accurate, the forerunner of the AU, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) is actually what turned 50 years but that organization was dismantled in 2002 and replaced with the AU. 

Anyway, back to the milestone. In honour of the occasion,  I thought about a blog piece with links to Kwame Nkrumah's rousing African unity speech delivered in Addis Ababa in 1963. Interestingly, I could not find a link to the video or pictures of the event. To be honest, I see no reason for celebrating the AU at all. In terms of the nostalgic value, there are definitely reasons to celebrate. After all, the birth of the OAU in 1963 saw the best and brightest of the post-colonial African leaders coming together in unity to form a formidable organization uniting Africa. It was the dawn of a new era full of hope and the future was indeed bright. According to the OAU wikipedia page, the primary aims of the OAU were to:

• To promote the unity and solidarity of the African states and act as a collective voice for the African continent.
• To co-ordinate and intensify the co-operation of African states in order to achieve a better life for the people of Africa 
• To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of African states.
• The OAU was also dedicated to the eradication of all forms of colonialism

With this list in mind, one can safely say that over the past 50 years, things did not go so smoothly for either Africa or the OAU. There have been military coup d'états, dictators, wars, conflict, colonial and neo-colonial incursions. Throughout the strife,  the OAU/AU has not really had much impact. In reality, the OAU/AU is a case of being brilliant on paper but in reality, an organization without a spine or teeth. At the same time, parallel to the existence of the AU have been various regional organizations that seem to have had more impact. Examples of these include the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and also the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). So as the AU turns 50 years and we celebrate this feat, the question becomes, do we as Africans hang onto the AU for the nostalgic value or face reality that the AU is not really up to the mark? Any thoughts?

The Ben Johnson Effect

Cartoon by Frank Edwards

The Ben Johnson Effect: In good times people will be quick to claim you as their own but in bad times, the distance they will put between you and them widens to an abyss.

After 123 years, the Land of Orange gets a King

Twas days before the coronation and all through the land, the people made ready with their orange robes at hand. 

Queen Wilhelmina Source: wikipedia

In a few days time, the Netherlands will erupt into a sea of bright orange as part of the annual celebration of Queen's Day (Koninginnedag). This year, things are going to be a little different. Although many people outside of the Netherlands know that there is a constitutional monarch and royal family with a penchant for biking, not as many people are aware that for the past 123 years, the Netherlands has actually had three queens in quick succession.

Since the ascension to the throne of Queen Wilhelmina in 1890, the famed House of Orange-Nassau has been headed by a matriarch. Reigning through two world wars and a dismantling empire, Queen Wilhelmina was  eventually succeeded by her daughter Queen Juliana who ruled from 1948 until 1980 when she abdicated in favour of her eldest daughter Beatrix.

Queen Juliana Source: Royal Correspondent Blog

Queen Beatrix and her late husband German-born Prince Claus of the Netherlands at her coronation in 1980.                Source. dutchnews.nl

In a surprise announcement in January this year, Queen Beatrix herself announced she would be abdicating in favour of her son, 46 year old Prince Willem-Alexander of Orange.

Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima. 

Source: UK Times

So aside from the usual merry-making and excessive drinking that comes with the annual Queen's Day celebration, the people of Orange will be bidding farewell to their beloved Queen Beatrix as she retires. They will also be welcoming Prince Willem-Alexander as their king and his popular Argentinean-born wife Maxima as their new queen consort. Does it not appear that Argentinean are doing pretty well for themselves this year when it comes to ascending various throne? Did someone say Messi? Pope Francis?

Novel excitement aside, it is somewhat sad that as a new king is crowned in the Land of Orange, his ascension marks the end of 123 years of women firmly at the helm of affairs at the House of Orange-Nassau.

Farewell to The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, 1925 – 2013

"Barack Obama, interestingly, said in his statement that [Margaret Thatcher] had "broken the glass ceiling for other women". Only in the sense that all the women beneath her were blinded by falling shards. She is an icon of individualism, not of feminism"

- British comedian Russell Brand writing in The Guardian newspaper

Baroness Margaret Thatcher as I remember her 
Source: telegraph.co.uk

For children of the '80s and early '90s, there was nothing strange or pioneering about Margaret Thatcher being a prime minister. After all, this was the world we were born into. In fact, in the dying years of the Cold War, we all remember her as the unrelenting and powerful Iron Lady on the stage of world politics.

The Margaret Thatcher I also recall from the brilliant political satire show Spitting Image.
Shown here with 'Ronald Reagan'

Interestingly, as tributes for Baroness Thatcher pour in, contrasting images are emerging of celebrations on her passing: 

An anti-Thatcher celebration in Brixton, London following
her passing. This was captured by the Dutch daily de Volksrant

Baroness Thatcher was indeed a controversial and divisive figure. Particularly memorable for me were her stances on apartheid South African and Mr. Nelson Mandela. Whether you loved her or hated her, one thing is for certain; she was indeed an unforgettable politician who helped shape the direction of world politics at the end of the Cold War.... for better or for worse.

Ghana Politics 101: Ex gratia (New Addition to the Ghanaian Political Lexicon for the Aspiring Politician)

Source: wikipedia.org

Ex gratia: When a low-to-middle income country is completely befuddled and overwhelmed about how to provide water, electricity, jobs and access to health-care to its populace but has absolute clarity on how to dole out masses of money to relatively small numbers of politicians at the end of their tenure. 

Closely related words: Judgement debts, emoluments  

Of Three Reasons to be excited about Ghana and 200 Pastors

American philanthropist extraordinaire Mr. Bill Gates made a somewhat unexpected visit to the Beacon of African Democracy (Ghana) last week. According to his blog, he was there to see first-hand why the Ghanaian immunization system is working so well and the people involved. Whatever Bill Gates saw impressed him enough to write a glowing tribute to Ghana entitled "Three Reasons I'm Excited about Ghana's future". 

Bill Gates' post
Source: http://www.thegatesnotes.com/

A simple but powerful read that it is being shared worldwide via social media. This is the kind of post that fills all Ghanaians with a deep sense of pride at the strides our country is making. 

One fascinating juxtaposition is that around the time Bill Gates was arriving in Ghana to see feasible projects that actually reduce mortality, the fiercest debate raging in our nation was about a government-facilitated trip for 200 pastors to Israel.

What trip to Israel you may ask? Well, it all started in early March when a sensational headline announced preparations underway in Ghana to "[fly] 200 pastors to Israel" for a pilgrimage. Amid the storm that the article ignited, the government communication team came out to say that this was not a 'government-sponsored' initiative but rather a 'government-facilitated' initiative. The plot grew even thicker when it emerged that the sponsor(s) of this trip wished to remain anonymous but were willing to provide $600,000 to fly the pastors to Israel to pray for Ghana. An even more intriguing question is why these anonymous donors would not rather put the money into:

1. Strengthening the immunization system that so impressed Bill Gates

2. Boreholes to provide clean potable water to a few communities

3. Investing in exploring energy alternatives to solve our persisting energy crisis

4. Various sanitation projects around the county including initiatives to convert human waste to energy  

5. Strengthening the education sector. 

Is it a simple case of us Ghanaians not realizing our own priorities? How much money could we actually mobilize in our own country without relying on outside donors? 

These are all questions I cannot possibly know the answers to but like Mr. Gates I cannot help but be excited about Ghana; a Ghana where logic and prudence wins over bad ideas.

Farewell to the Doyen of African Literature: Chinua Achebe, 1930 - 2013

Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat.

Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe

The opening lines of  the great literary piece that is Things Fall Apart (1958) have so much resonance with myself as well as countless generations of Africans. It was therefore with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of the great doyen of African literature, Professor Chinua Achebe on 22 March 2013. 

Aside from the sad news trending on Twitter, my facebook timeline was filled with lovely tributes to a man who was pivotal to our appreciation of African literature. 

Both Chinua Achebe and Things Fall Apart trend on Twitter

Over the past 24 hours, I've had a chance to reflect on where my own love for Achebe's works started. Growing up in Swaziland in the 1980s, our bookshelves at home housed almost the entire Heinmanns African Writers Series collection. As a young child, I would re-arrange these orange/white books without reading them.  One day, when I was 8 years old, a film version of Things Fall Apart was being shown on television. Having watched snippets of the film, I wanted to know more so embarked on reading the book. I devoured it instantly. At the time, the subtleties and underlying themes were lost on me but I was enchanted by the vibrant scenes, colourful characters and how Achebe weaved them all together. 

The dramatic cover of Things Fall Apart I grew up with
Source: alibris.com 

It was only years later on a second reading that I had a better appreciation for some of the central themes of Things Fall Apart such as the struggle of pre-colonial African traditions in the face of colonial incursion and Christianity. The book's sequel, No Longer at Ease (1960) which was set in post-colonial Nigeria, continued on these themes by chronicling the personal conflicts of Obi Okonkwo, the grandson of Things Fall Apart's Okwonkwo.

For me Achebe's real literary masterpiece would have to be the complex Arrow of God (1964) which was compulsory reading for an English class. While Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness managed to mystify colonial Africa with images of native savagery and rituals in the jungle, Arrow God was able to demystify these images. The mysterious drumming in the  forest at night was explained. 

I have never read Achebe's other books Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987) but now seems a good time to discover these other works.

Perhaps the reason Achebe's writing has so much resonance with many of us of the post-colonial African generation is that his work tells the story of the making of contemporary Africa. It reflects our transition from the colonial to post-colonial era. Also, for many of us, our introduction to African literature started with Achebe. His passing is a loss for his family, Nigeria, the entire African continent and the world. 

Professor Achebe, Rest in Peace. 

Thank you for shaping out minds and enriching our lives. 

Source: The New Yorker

While we were sleeping, the Discovery Channel was projecting an image of Ghana in 'Jungle Gold'

@KwakuSpider Protected account18 Mar

@abena_serwaa have u seen #junglegold ?

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To be frank, I had never even heard of the Discovery Channel's Jungle Gold before being asked if I had seen it by the intrepid Kwaku Spider via Twitter. Clearly I may have been too busy getting my brain fried by excessive reality television viewing via TLC. Did you know TLC stands for "The Learning Channel" ? Now that is irony right there.   

Anyway, I digress. Back to Jungle Gold. Apparently it premiered last year on my mother's birthday which is also curious since areas very close to her place of birth feature heavily in this show. 

So here is the Jungle Gold premise according to Wikipedia:

Jungle Gold is an American reality documentary television series on the Discovery Channel.The series debuted on October, 26, 2012.The series follows George Wright and Scott Lomu as they attempt to earn some cash in order to recover from losing everything in the real estate crash of 2008. The series focuses on the duo as they encounter the task of gold placer mining in the Ashanti Belt along the Birim River in Ghana of West Africa. The tools they use to recover the gold are: mercury, a trommel, water pumps, and an excavator. The local village where they extract the gold is across the river, while the nearest town is Romaso, Ghana, and the nearest city is Dunkwa, Ghana.

Source: wikipedia.org

Scott and George in search of "Ghana gold" [as oft repeated by the narrator]
source: nydailynews.com

To be fair I have not watched an entire episode of Jungle Gold and have only had the pleasure of watching clips via Discovery Channel's online site. 

As far as I can see: 

Jungle Gold = 1/4 A-Team + 1/4 Tintin in the Congo + 1/4 Lord of the Rings + 1/4 Reality. 

Snippets of Jungle Gold that I find particularly worrying:

• Environmental degradation being shown in Ghana's rich tropical rain-forest
• Seeming absence of any Ghanaian authorities 
• The adventurers being shot at by a masked gun man who was caught on film
• The heroes of the piece negotiating with a seemingly dubious British land-owner in Ghana for HIS gold-filled land

These clips got me thinking: 

• Where are the Ghanaian chiefs and other authorities in this production? 
• When Scott and George were shot at by a gun-man did the police get involved? 
• How come the news of a gun-man shooting at foreigners never made it into even one newspaper? 
• Was all this gold surface mining done with permits?
• Isn't mass degradation of the environment reserved for Ghanaians only?
• What do Ghanaian authorities have to say about this entire show and the type of image of Ghana it is projecting? 
• Is Ghana really a free-for-all for country where foreigners can simply walk in and do mining?
• Are these the types of foreign 'investors' Ghana is attracting?
• Who is checking the activities of these and other foreign 'investors' in Ghana anyway?

Apparently the duo started this quest for gold three years prior to 2012. So that would be in 2009. I must concede that after watching more of the clips, it seems the entire show is probably 80% Lord of the Rings but with very real environmental degradation.

Interestingly, I could only find one article condemning this show from a Ghanaian media source (GhanaMediaNews.com):

Discovery Channel promotes illegal mining in Ghana - Jungle Gold

This article was from November 2012 and had a link to petition signed by 1,481 people. It seems the premiere of this show in the US last year made few waves in Ghana itself. Was it simply a case of lots of things happening while we were all sleeping?

Rantings of a Procrastinator

How the Gay Debate solved the energy crisis and the water rationing conundrum in Ghana

Seems that a lot is happening in the Beacon of African Democracy from my vantage point. Thriving democracy, popular destination for UK Comic Relief and a populace engrossed with the topic of 'gayism'. Although a shocking football defeat, a president relocating workplaces and goings-on at the Supreme Court have led to a lull in the debate for now, for the past few weeks, radio discussion shows have revolved around gayism.

It all started with the vetting of a ministerial nominee who had been quite vocal about gay rights in Ghana. Aside from the usual uproar,  religious groups came together and attempted to force the President to withdraw her nomination. From then on, everyone given a chance mounted any platform available to express their disgust at the notions that gays may in fact have any human rights. 
Just listening to Ghanaian radio one would be convinced that there was a fierce battle afoot: wealthy and powerful foreign forces invading our rich cultural heritage that has remained untainted since the 10th Century. 

I was intrigued that religious leaders in Ghana were particularly worried about threats to morality. Sometime last year, I was writing a post on Men of God Behaving Badly in the B.A.D. This post was never published but came about from the alarming number of reports in the media that centered around pastors. Here are some articles I found for my piece:


**Pastor nabbed for robbery

**Bishop XXXX arrested for beating radio panelists

**[Bishop] XXXX seduced my wife with evil spirits - Pastor

**Pastor dupes a woman of GH¢ 840


I hope religious leaders in Ghana have also correctly identified that some of the major moral transgressions committed in Ghana may be perpetuated from within their ranks. Time for a little introspection and house cleaning of their own?

But I digress. I have really been pondering what makes Ghanaians so eager to discuss gayism. While my fellow Ghanaians were engaged in the all-important gay debate on social media, radio and television, I found some interesting articles in fine print:

**Doctors serve notice to embark on nationwide strike


**Load shedding until after March - Volta River Authority

**Water crisis likely to end in 2014, says GUWL

**Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) authorities threaten possible closure due to congestion

Can someone please tell me how the incessant obsessive discussion on homosexuality has provided any solutions to tackling any of this aforementioned problems? Is it time to wake-up and smell our priorities?

While you were sleeping or Ghanaians and the Great Gay Distraction

Anyone seen the film "While you were sleeping?"  Its a mid 1990s film where Peter Gallagher ends up in a coma and his brother gets to hang out with his brother's supposed fiancée Sandra Bullock all while Peter Gallagher's character is indisposed. The moral of the story, well, aside from a movie where Bill Pullman's character doesn't quite end up getting dumped on a la [other 90s gems] Sleepless in Seattle and Malice, the bottom line is that a lot can happen while you are totally distracted and/or unaware.

Seems that alot is happening in the Beacon of African Democracy from my vantage point afar. Thriving democracy, popular destination for UK Comic Relief and a populace literally obsessed with 'gayism'. For about two weeks, radio discussion shows have revolved around the vetting of one particular minister who has been quite vocal about gay rights in Ghana. Not only have religious groups come together attempting to force President to withdraw her nomination but everyone given a chance has mounted any platform available to express their disgust at the notions that gays may in fact have any human rights.

Let's just ignore the fact discussion of the topic among Ghanaians is now bordering on obsession especially since not many Ghanaians actually know a single openly gay person. Let's know even laugh at the arguments about upholding morality where a number of pastors have been caught red-handed with other people's wives or yielding offensive weapons at radio stations.  Although it is somewhat amusing to read people's views on gay people and find the similarities to the arguments used by die-hard racists when it came to black people and racial integration in the American South.

I have really been pondering what makes Ghanaians so eager to discuss gays issues. Also, why are the vast majority of those spewing vitriol and promising violence mostly males? Could it be that the perenial gay debate is a symptom of just frustration? Is it being used as an emotive issue by politicians to rile and unite the general public? I am yet to work it out but while the Ghanaian populace are expending energy expressing their outrage and fear of our culture being eroded there seem to be alot of things making the news small print:

Doctors serve notice to embark on nationwide strike


Load shedding until after March - Volta River Authority

Water crisis likely to end in 2014, says GUWL

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) authorities threaten possible closure due to congestion

Unemployment worsening in Ghana- KNUST Arts and Sciences Provost

Unemployment worsening in Ghana- KNUST Arts and Sciences Provost

Unemployment worsening in Ghana- KNUST Arts and Sciences Provost

Unemployment worsening in Ghana- KNUST Arts and Sciences Provost

Ghanaians need to wake up and smell our priorities.

GhanaPolitics101: Could trend analysis in ministerial nominations be possible?

When I am not too busy procrastinating, I am an epidemiologist or more like an epidemiologist in training. Big word but what it basically means is that I am most likely to be knee-deep in some dataset analyzing trends, patterns and associations between variables/factors related to health or diseases.

But I digress. What has this got to do with Ghanaian politics anyway? Speaking of Ghanaian politics, the entertainment never ends there is:

1. Continual drama at the Supreme Court

2. A minority in parliament quizzically boycotting the vetting of ministerial nominations and

3. The newest Ghanaian president on the block busy with the business of forming a new government.

Well, given the speed of the wheels of justice, I am predicting that the Supreme Court petition(s) and drama will probably conclude around 2018 so nothing can be said about that. 

On the other hand, the new ministerial appointments are looking quite interesting. So far, five batches of names have been released with one group having gone through vetting by the appointments committee of parliament.

PeaceFM Online has some up-to-date information on the New ministerial appointments
source: peacefmonline.com

Aside from some new ministerial designations, there are also completely fresh faces on the list. In Ghanaian politics, there are always the questions as to whether the ministerial list fulfills unspoken quotas. One such question is whether there is gender balance. Attempts to supposedly ensure gender balance always makes me laugh because if we were to really go according to actual population figures wouldn't 50%+ of ministerial appointments be women?

Other questions include whether there is regional balance and sometimes what the religious affiliation of the minister designate is. This is where my epidemiological mind starts kicking in. Wouldn't it be handy to have a database with all this information? Something like this: 

Data analysis could then be used to get a good descriptive analysis of the characteristics of the ministerial nomination list and allow one to answer some of these questions about balance. Sadly, I do not have time to put together such a database. Now, if someone could compile this list in excel, I would gladly analyze it! Anyone?

President John Dramani Mahama: Fourth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana

The President of Ghana- His Excellency Mr. John D. Mahama
Source: JoyFM online

It is Monday 7th January 2013 and the city of Accra is abuzz. This is simply because a new president, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, has just been inaugurated into office. He becomes the 4th President under the Fourth Republic of Ghana and the 7th President of Ghana overall. It seems fitting that in the age of the smartphone, netbook and tablet computer, President Mahama read his first address to the nation from an iPad. My warmest congratulations to President Mahama and best wishes for a successful tenure. May you work hard to fulfill the pledges and promises you have made to the Ghanaian populace. The Ghanaian people are watching closely.

Of #Ghanaliving and the latest Menace(s) to Society

"AMA recieves (sic) motorcyle" - From the Accra Metropolitan Assembly  website ama.gov.gh
The webmaster seems to have forgotten 'I before 'e' except after 'c''

Being back in Accra after an almost 12 month hiatus, I am keenly taking note of changes to the Beacon of African Democracy (BAD) especially since Ghana is the poster child for Africa. One thing that I have noticed that makes Ghana December 2011 very different from Ghana December 2012 is the exponential proliferation in the number of motorcycles on the streets of Accra. I must admit that the first time I actually noticed these motorcycles was when one sped comfortably through a red light almost colliding with oncoming traffic. What surprised me most was the fact that there was a policeman at the junction and not only did his presence not seem to raise much concern with the cyclists but he did not do anything about them speeding through the aforementioned red light. Later on that day, I was amused to be passed by a motorcycle weaving through traffic with a passenger with a goat on his lap....I kid you not....a goat.

Very quickly however, I have come to realize that motorcycles on the streets of Accra appear to be the latest essential ingredients for accidents. Not only do motorcycles weave through traffic and overtake on the left side, they also ignore traffic light rules and not too many riders seem concerned with helmets. I am not only ranting because I met a motorcycle rider on a deserted street in Kokomemle driving on the left side of the road and angrily gesturing for me to shift to the wrong side of the road. I wanted to stop my car and ask the clearly confused man if he had just arrived from the UK and somehow forgotten that we drive on the right side of the road in Ghana but alas, he had sped away at the same dangerous speed at which he had shown up in the first place. So, if any one is reading this, I do have a couple of random questions:

1. Whose brilliant idea was it to allow these dangerous motorcycles to proliferate without being checked?

2. Or am I wrong and is someone actually monitoring these motorcyclists and their dangerous activities?

3. Anyone keeping a count of the number of accidents caused by motorcyclists?

Over to you all.