GREETINGS FROM ABROAD, THE AKUA DONKOR COMEDY

"Her Excellency" Akua Donkor sitting (L-R, 1st on the second roll) behind Dr. Spio Gabrah

Until now, it never crossed my mind I could ever be drawn towards partisan politics and be that interested in the presidential race. Sincerely, I am surprised that I am getting interested. Now, it has even gone beyond interest to decision to join the presidential race come 2016. The attractions are just becoming too big to ignore. 

Undeniably, my chances at occupying the flagstaff house are bleak; my defeat in 2016 is as certain and can be predicted much the same way you are able to forecast night following day. If I am not lucky, I may not even pull parity with the Arthur Kennedy records in the history of partisan politics and local elections but that will not deter me. My target now may not necessarily be the presidential seat as you are thinking; I have my own priorities.

At least, joining the race will shoot me from obscurity to national prominence and I will enjoy the accompanying fame and privileges. I will become an expert on most (if not all) national issues, — an expert whose opinion and comments the news-hungry media will stampede one another for.

Top of it all, I will be guaranteed a seat in the midst of topmost dignitaries at state/national events and will enjoy the protocol that comes with it. Don’t forget that by that singular political decision of contesting, my slot on presidential trips is locked because I would then be “wielding more power than most of this ministers” who are now doing “paapaaa” here and there. 

From that point, my monotonous Accra-Odumase Krobo trips will change to Accra-Milan, Accra-Johannesburg, Accra-Amsterdam, Accra-Lagos etc. and give me the much needed exposure and international experience by way of presidential excursions. If this is what the decision to contest in the presidential race comes with, I am interested and I am going for it. Don’t ask me of my background/expertise and what the justification is for those special treats I hope to enjoy. If you have any such question, ask Her Excellency Akua Donkor, State Protocol/Presidency or, maybe you may want to find out from the John Dramani Mahama himself.

THE STATE-SPONSORED AKUA DONKOR EXCURSION

Delegations for presidential trips are composed based largely on the nature of the assignment at stake and because this comes with huge expenses and, if you like, security concerns, it is carefully done; you must be trusted and or relevant to the business or high level trip to be included. Strictly speaking, they (such trips) are not for sightseeing, unless the few that are so purposed. But once in a while, we are slapped with comedies on how state-sponsored presidential trips are turned into excursions.

The President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, was with the Pope (Italy) recently to make some business out of an Expo in the city of Milan which is said to be the second most populous in Italy. Among the business opportunities this big event, which attracted over 150 countries, presented, the President and his team were to learn of new technologies in agro-processing, expected to be replicated here in Ghana on their return as we strive to make more gains from our agricultural sector.

You will expect that the team will be a tight one (the best of teams) with people who could make the best of the event like experts in the sector as well as industry players, who will return to pollinate others and get the knowledge spreading to help us make the most of our rather under-utilised agric potential.

Admittedly, one or two people who are justifiably relevant to the assignment like the Trade Minister, Hon Dr. Ekow Spio Gabrah; Food and Agric Minister, Fifi Kwetey, among others, joined in the trip but same were those who clearly were miscellaneous and a needless burden on the state coffers.

Another round of comedy in 2016?

One of those is the Founder and Leader of the Ghana Freedom Party, “Her Excellency” Akua Donkor.  What was she doing in the team and by what criteria was she selected? That she founded a political party that once joined the race to the flagstaff house? That she is a farmer and or the leader of farmers in Ghana? Or that she is multilingual (interpreter) needed to interpret Italian, English and the other international languages that were used at the event? Could it be that she was included just so we will be seen to be moving towards the inclusive government concept many are calling for? Which other party was represented, if that was the basis?  I think I even saw her in the team that graced the swearing in of Nigeria’s President, Muhamadu Buhari.

Given her literacy level and particularly her rather “weird” way of reasoning (bluntly put) on serious national issues which give her out as someone who is unable to appreciate weightier matters, she certainly should not be one of those to front international engagement for a country like Ghana, unless this is our best foot forward.

CONCERT PARTY

Well I listen to Akua Donkor for purposes of comic relief; she has made quite a significant and enviable stride in the area of political comedy and entertainment, in a rather short period since she emerged on the scene and so unless she was added and state-sponsored (air ticket, allowance, accommodation etc.) for same droll and funny reason (at a time when we should be cutting down on wastage), our priorities are regrettably turned upside down and will for a long time, hold us stagnant at the point where our equals have long passed.

I have spoken my mind; let the discerning reader make meaning of this piece. The writer is a journalist (an activist writer) and a blogger and can be reached via klonobi2007@gmail.com. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi 

NB: All pictures used in this story were sourced from the net

The story as captured in page 34 of  the July 27, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper

OOOOOOOH ASAMOAH GYAN !!!

Efe namͻ tai shi e kwƐ?

From my own small corner, I have watched with dropping jaws the sensational Asamoah Gyan, captain of the senior national team, the Black Stars bask in his popularity. The man is talented and hard-working and so he is expected to eat from his toil and enjoy the fame that comes with it.

His stardom and recognition in football circles aside, the young man seems to have gained additional popularity for causing a stir and riding on it to add some more layers to his increasing fame without much thought about what the ripples could be or, indeed, are on his reputation. What is of interest to me now is the stunning impunity with which he seems to react to the boos that swirl in response to issues around his personality.

The decision to appear in this shirt is just too bad

The last public evidence of this seeming overconfidence and “I don’t care” attitude was his showoff, amidst all this controversies, in a branded shirt with a mischievously teasing inscription “Efe bo tai shi e kwƐ? ”, literally meaning “You are irritated but you simply can’t avoid watching”, as captured in page 46 of the Saturday July 11, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper.

The name Asamoah Gyan now means too many things to different people. The brand, image, reputation or perception out there is mixed. There is the Asamoah Gyan who, in 2010, drew a dagger into the hearts of Ghanaians when he missed (or rather wasted) the all-important penalty kick against Uruguay that would have pushed his success-hungry side to a debut semi-final berth in the history of World Cups. The disaffection this single event created for him was just too big, virtually neutralising the many good things he has been doing on the quite including (one that personally touches my heart), the adoption of those Okwampa Bawjiase-based motherless triplets.

As a player, missing a penalty kick is just natural and so, though painful, it was relatively easier forgiving him, after all “Pa ya lͻ lƐ e yua did)”, as the Krobos would put it, loosely translated to mean “The person who fills the pot with water is he who often breaks it”. Believe it or not, that event pitched him against the angry Ghanaian population though it also contributed a great deal in making him a house hold name in Ghana and spreading it further beyond borders.

The missing duo, Janet and Castro

It was this same Asamoah Gyan who was blown by the Castro-Janet Bandu whirlwind into a never dying fire and controversy. As a lead figure and a joint organiser of that infamous Ada rendezvous that led to the mysterious disappearance (death?) of the duo, Gyan could not escape criticism, accusation and plain insults particularly because of the myth surrounding it. Castro and the friend remain unaccounted for till date; many are those who are still holding him (Gyan) accountable for the “spilled blood” and will miss no opportunity to demand it from him especially because of the deep-seated feeling (entrenched by his silence) that he has something to hide with respect to the facts.

How about the ‘decision’ by the Gyans to go masculine on Daniel Kenu, a journalist who in his line of duty found an opportunity of coming face-to-face with “the Gyan” to revisit the Castro issue and scoop some more fact? Doubtless, this chain of events did more harm than good to the man, Asamoah.

While this issue was hibernating, he made a quick return into the news again, this time with the accusation (against him) that his zip went wide open on the hunt for short-lived sexual pleasure (in a young girl who is threatening to spill into the public a documentary evidence of the act), resulting in a pregnancy that has since turned a hot cake for public/media consumption. He is said to have admitted “knowing” the lady in question but denied paternity of the foetus and called for a test. This can only subtract from your reputation.

Elsewhere, this could have caused him his captain band like John Terry of England. He may quickly want to hinge his argument on the fact that Terry’s was an affair with the ex of his own team mate while his was a lady away from his profession, but it only tells him what a seemingly private and distant act could stream into your professional life and wreak havoc. 

For someone his stature and who is at the center of all these controversial controversies which are still making waves in the media landscape, the least he should be doing is giving the impression that he is not pinched by what is happening and the attendant criticisms, and that his critics (the public) can go and hug a wet transformer, if they so desire.

Too bad a decision, if you ask me

Strangely, that is what he is doing (the impression I get), otherwise, what was he doing in that ““Efe bo tai shi e kwƐ” shirt? Who was he taunting or teasing with that inscription? Ghanaians who are sad that their number one footballer is making too many negative headlines and dragging the senior national team along with him into disrepute or the “bereaved” families and friends of Castro and Janet who are still grieving over the disappearance of their own, or perhaps he found a target in his “partner”, Sarah Kwablah, who is on the way to giving birth to an “illegitimate” child (if the paternity test exonerates him,, Gyan). The decision to spot that shirt was just bad and below him; it couldn't have been coincidence too, not when all three of them as appeared in the picture, (including his brother, Baafoe Gyan and manager, Simon Addo) were in same shirt with same inscription. It must have been specially designed and branded for the purpose.

You see my reasoning? And since he won’t have the chance to explain his actions to me and the many Ghanaians (or his fans), that is even the more reason why he should be mindful of what he does, unless of course that is his way of staying top of mind.

In this man, Stephen Appiah you'll find an example

Many captained the team and many were those who were similarly great at the national and international levels but passed with little or no controversy. Right here in our backyard, we find an example in Stephen Appiah. Even in his retirement, he evokes a lot of respect, arising out of his humility, dignity, exemplary leadership, and carefully couched image, brand and reputation. The PR that came with his testimonial match and the array of high profiled leaders who honoured his invitation could only be an endorsement of his refined brand and aura.

The many high profiled dignitaries who grace Appiah's testimonial match

When he (Asamoah) steps off the pitch, and the spotlight is taken off him, how does he want to be remembered? Image is key and being a well-paid footballer should not put him in a bracket/world of his own where he doesn’t care about what others feel.

Coming from a PR background with a little knowledge in brand and reputation management, I see some things lacking that must be given urgent attention. I am of the view that his manager(s) and or the PR team can give more thought to what he does and says to help rework his image beyond the realm of football. Once again, that shirt was just in bad taste and it is something else watching him in it. I am one of his fans, and even when he hangs his boots and comes back to roost, I still want to be.

The writer is a journalist (an activist writer) and a blogger and can be reached via klonobi2007@gmail.com. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi 

GO SODOMIZE FOR FREE FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS?

Dr. Sulley Ali Gabass (in white shirt) walking away to start his jail term (Pix: Source online)

I was sad, yes very sad. The only people who probably were sadder than I was at that moment were the wife, children and associates of Dr. Sulley Ali Gabass, the senior medical doctor who was sentenced on Monday to a 25-year jail term for defilement (sodomy),  a crime you would least expect a man his status and training committing.

As a doctor of no mean standing, the medical implication of sodomising a 16 year old boy cannot be lost on him, even if he chose to close his eyes on the consequences of his action on himself.

Dr. Gabass, such a decent looking man

When I heard the news of his sentence, I cringed and said to myself, “This must be the work of some supernatural forces”. Witches (or wizards, if you like) must really exist; only they can take away the conscience of a seemingly noble personality like Dr. Gabass to want to stoop to that disgraceful depth without a reflection on what the ripples of the actions could be.

For the next 25 years, the very man on whom his family and the state spent money to train as a medical doctor to heal the sick will waste away in confinement in our stinking, overcrowded and mosquito-infested prisons, leaving his close associates in pain and with a lifetime stigma.

As for his victim, it goes beyond stigma and pain to the feeling of hopelessness at the hands of a dreaded condition such as HIV, which he was diagnosed of in the aftermath of the unhealthy amorous adventure.

What could have moved this man to settle for satisfaction in the anal passage (just to avoid sounding blunt) of his fellow male? What is it that he couldn't find in women and his wife, for that matter, with whom he could have done same or similar thing if they so desired? Is that to say God, the creator of man and of the universe, was not wise enough to have paired man and woman instead of man to man and woman to woman as is now fast becoming the taste of many?.

A PEEP INTO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

But come to think of it why don’t animals of same sex mate? Why are they not attracted to each other? Even animals of lesser cognition are not stooping that low, so why man endowed higher cognitive ability and common sense?  Even in basic science, we are told like poles repel while unlike poles attract, so why the deviation?

ISSUES OF LAW AND THE LAY MAN’S ANALYSIS

I am not a lawyer (at least not yet) and don’t claim to be one; I am only doing my analysis based on my two-by-four appreciation of the law and understanding of the chain of stories that came with Dr. Gabass’ act of sexual indiscretion.

So on Monday, this nice, decent and fresh-looking man, a senior medical doctor with the Effia Nkwanta hospital was handed the maximum jail term for his type of crime (defilement/sodomy) to among others, punish him for his act of carelessness and to deter persons with who might want to toe same or similar lane. 

I wondered how a man with his kind of expertise (limited as they are in Ghana) should be made to rot in jail but then, I realised the very laws with which we govern our society  (Ghana), would not permit otherwise. In Ghana, our statute books have no provision for non-custodial sentence- so I hear- which otherwise would have allowed for Dr. Gabass to serve mother Ghana “more profitably” even while still serving his sentence.

If a man his age (mid-forties) is to languish in jail for the next twenty five years, by simple arithmetic, he will be retiring while still in prison. In a country with a disgraceful and substandard doctor-to-patient ratio in our hospital, I am tempted to suggest that he is made to serve in the remotest of our villages as a form or part of his punishment, may be under some surveillance or that he works for half or one third the salary he otherwise deserves for some reasonable period? The argument is that “law is law” and must be treated as such, even if seemingly better alternatives are emerging which are not yet covered in law.

Ok so now that he is finally in prison, I am also tempted to suggest that he is turned into a resident doctor in the prison yard to serve his colleague but with restricted movement? May be what we should first do is to convince ourselves that he is first and foremost mentally sound and that together with some deep counseling should turn him into a useful convict. Or as usual, this is a matter of law and it must be applied to the latter without discrimination in order to give meaning to the concept/phrase- equality before the law?

I thought laws were made for man and not man for laws. Is it not time for us to revisit that aspect of the laws to make room for options that will prove more beneficial to the community and mother Ghana, particularly when our never-expanding prisons are bursting with convicts with attendant high cost of feeding and upkeep.

Dr being whisked out of the court yard (Sourced online)

GO SODOMIZE FOR FREE FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS

Another reason why a non-custodial sentence is worth considering in instances like this is that, we are dealing with the same man who was convicted for “sodomy” and yet for the next 25 years he is going to be locked in the dark room with people of his taste, (males) all of whom have had and would have to bottle up their sexual feelings, and yet he is expected to tame the very hormones that caused him to seek, rather perilously,  libidinous ecstasy in that young boy’s “arsehole”, unless of course we agree that all those in there are misfits (criminals, if you like), who should be left to do whatever they wish to themselves.

Or are we going to lock him up with the females whom he seems not to be interested in? Sarcastic but legitimate question, I believe. May be he will have his one-in-one cubicle just so he doesn’t end up visiting his “penile recklessness” on others once more.

I believe in cracking the whip and also in the concept of “equality before the law”.  Much the same way, I also believe in the saying that “laws are made for man and not man for laws” for which reason they must work in the best interest of mankind. At this point, what will best serve the interest of the state- his stay behind bars or a more judicious use of his expertise? Let us toss the options around and see which one proves more forward-looking.

Any regret ?

While we are at it, I pray Dr. Garbass will reflect on his action, show some remorse, sincerely ask God (Allah) for forgiveness and hope for a second chance to do something better with his life.

The writer is a journalist (an activist writer) and a blogger and can be reached via 0266 000 747 or klonobi2007@gmail.com. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi 

Don't hesitate to give your comments.

ONE ONE DRAW; THE "BUGA BUGA" CAMPAIGN MESSAGE FOR 2016

My personal view of some events, how they played out and are likely to influence the upcoming elections and future events is the subject matter of this piece.

When the voter dictates the tune

The next turn on our right and we are in 2016, the year most of our politicians are dreading.  That is the year in which they virtually dance to any tune you call as a voter especially when you flag your voters’ ID in their faces. The government and all persons in positions of authority gained through the ballot box tremble at the mention of election year.  

As we approach the election year, I am reminded of a virtual noose around our neck. Much as many Ghanaians wish for the emergence of a third potent and marketable force that will widen the options and possibly take our necks out of this NPP-NDC albatross, there is something called reality which is difficult to escape, especially for people who house objective minds in their skull. It is sad but the fact is, “No such dependable force seems to show in the horizon, at least none I have seen yet.

The situation at hand is like a coin; it is two sided. You turn left and you are facing the spine-tingling devil, you turn right and you have the deep blue sea to contend with. The politicians are retreating to the drawing board to craft and execute workable strategies if the hope of “occupying their seats” (and the flagstaff) house from 2017 is to be achieved. Active campaign will start in earnest and will gradually hit third to fifth gear as December 7, 2016 inches closer.

But like cars which run on fuel, political campaigns revolve mainly around messaging. The more relevant and appealing your message is, the more your chances of making disciples which could eventually translate into the much needed thumbprints that vest you with the mandate of the people.

Tactically perching here on my rooftop, armed with my quill (pen) and old-fashioned telescope, I see two “buga buga” type of messages that promise to appeal to electorates in the Krobo region, one each for the two leading parties, the NPP and NDC and I can bet my bottom cedi that these messages will feature prominently during the peak campaign season.  Any attentive politician down there should long have spotted these hot messages that could easily work on the minds of my people.

Tasty hamburger for NDC communicators and propagandists

A few days ago, Krobo youth sprang up in a near spontaneous outburst against the minority in parliament and the NPP in particular for its plan to frustrate the passage of a bill that will cause the establishment of a university in the Krobo area. According to the minority side, championed by the NPP, they were dissatisfied with and disappointed in government’s perceived politically-informed choice of Somanya and Donkorkrom for the siting of the university.

From the look of things, if they had their way, they would have scooped the palm wine out of the “Krobo calabash” and given it to the people of Koforidua in the New Juaben municipality, riding on the argument of precedents which have shown that most of the public universities took off in the regional capitals, and so must this new one.

If you ask me, the NPP created some disaffection of a sort for itself among a section of the Krobo citizenry. For a party which is still struggling and hoping to break the dominance of the NDC in that zone, (bare fact and not fiction) any sense of opposition (which is the unfortunate signal sent to many) to a project like this that has the prospects of developing the area is sure to affect its fortunes, and for a long time to come, the party would struggle to explain its action and intention to the people.

Whether the Elephant folks like it or not, their rather unfortunate last minute actions and utterance on the project was a free tasty hamburger for NDC communicators and propagandists who are surely going to package and trumpet that to the Krobo community come 2016. May be the NPP must start thinking about a response.

The Umbrella’s weak point, a counter message for the NPP

I have a message

The NDC has an Achilles heel too and any smart shooter in the NPP would aim nowhere but that weak spot, at least it will appeal to a number of Krobos. It is common knowledge that the Manya Krobo state has, over the past years, reduced in size under PNDC/NDC government-made laws. As if Manya Krobo was too big to be administered as one traditional area and two constituencies, its communities were always the target any time government (under the NDC) thought of creating or adding onto a district, not new in Manya, but outside. 

At different points in time, government cut well known Krobo communities like Asedja, Meryiwa, Osubeng, Kakama SK, Miaso and Klumhe Akontaa to help create the Fanteakwa district and followed in a rapid succession with similar acts that saw known Krobo villages like Adjina Dornor, Sapor, Manya Yoyim, Sedorm, Yerniama and Dawa Toklo (the last two of which are prominently featured in some Klama/Dipo songs) cut away and aligned to the then newly created Asuogyaman district. 

Who said Manya Krobo too should not have three or four districts and constituencies and, for that matter, three or four MPs if its land size and population permit that? Wouldn’t that have increased our share of voice in parliament and influence in the corridor of power, if for nothing at all?

As if that was not enough, the same government continued what seems like (or perhaps rightly so) a deliberate policy to reduce the size of the Manya state and attempted illegally ceding Akuse (and all of its seven electoral areas) from Manya in the Eastern Region to the Shai-Osudoku district in the Greater Accra region, this time under a disguised Electoral Area re-demarcation exercise. Ask yourself why this is happening this number of times and repeatedly under the same government.  

First it was Manya Krobo losing lands to Fanteakwa and then Asuogyaman and now Shai-Osudoku. And who said government will ever cut another district (if it is the practice) and add to Manya to help meet the requirement for a third district/constituency? It can only suggest that the NDC, after all, is not as caring as it portrays. Could this be a deliberate (wicked and if you like anti-Manya) policy to reduce its size and influence as is wildly perceived?

Till date, the dust that was stirred by that veiled government-back exercise at Akuse is yet to settle and in fact may even be stirred again as we approach the September assembly election during which the two sides (Manya and Osudoku) are sure to lock horns again over Natriku, the last of the seven electoral areas yet to be returned to the former.

I am not moving an inch from my current position just so I can have a good view of the drama that will unfold between now and the elections. I shall return but until I do so, be reminded that these are my thoughts and not yours. Let the objective reader make meaning of this piece.

The writer is a journalist (an activist writer) and a blogger and can be reached via klonobi2007@gmail.com. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi