DID WE GET IT WRONG WITH THE DOWRY?

As a boy growing up on the sandy beaches of Keta and partly in Denu, in the ketu South Constituency of the Volta Region, I witnessed sisters, aunts, cousins, mothers and siblings of friends and relations whose hands had been given out in marriage and the striking variety of items packaged as dowry to the betrothed.

Chit chats from married, single and growing women had been centred on clothes, shoes, scarfs and many feminine items either given out by their brothers or received from prospective bridegrooms by their families. What ran across is the preference for imported textiles and Holland-made fabrics instead of woven kete and Guaranteed Textile Prints from the factories of local industries.

I once asked my late Mother, out of curiosity where Holland was and what they do there. I hardly recollect what her response was. I have since maintained that question until I transited Schiphol in Amsterdam only to be disappointed that it was a place partially sitting on water and surrounded by huge farms.

My curiosity was not only limited to textiles but the names, shape, colour, size of bottles and designs of all kinds of alcoholic drinks used at marriage ceremonies, graduation ceremonies and other rites of passage in our culture. I use culture advisedly with my experiences in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Akpeteshie remains the most popular alcoholic drink in Ghana till date and palm wine is used as the base drink for other equally intoxicating and important traditional drinks within the context of traditional history especially for those of us who belonged to one royal family or the other irrespective of clan and tribe in Ghana.
How then did we abandon our local fabrics, drinks, packaging among others and have religiously cringed to imported ones at the detriment of local businesses and the stagnation of our local economy?

Another industry worth mentioning is the goldsmith and blacksmith industry of the past. I remember precious minerals are bought from merchants and given to these local artisans who transform them into very authentic and stylish ornaments and jewellery for use by clients. Today, that industry is almost extinct. Your guess might be as good as mine; we have abandoned this trend for the Gucci’s, Versaces, and imported ornaments from designers we hardly know but for the media propaganda from their paid publicists.

We are losing the battle or better put, we lost the battle from the very beginning in sustaining our local industries. If palmwine, Akpeteshie and other brewed local drinks like pito, solom, were preferred for such occasions in our cultural settings, I am not sure imported drinks would have crowed the local market as we are witnessing today. Indeed, some local entrepreneurs have been smart enough to generate varieties of local drinks with very interesting names that has caught up with patrons, but I wonder if any family will accept such from a young man over imported Brandy, Whisky and Rum.

Again, I shudder to think if a conscious effort would be made by the Culture and Cheiftaincy Ministry to get back to the basics and agree with traditional authorities to begin encouraging the use of only local textiles as bride price in communities where it is applicable instead of the imported ones from Holland and elsewhere which are far more expensive.

Our local economy deserves a conscious push before we collapse it altogether owing to our tastes and preferences.

I don’t want to believe we got it wrong from the days of our great grandfathers who traded with Europeans, were introduced to Whisky and Brandy and totally forgot the economic bait in these gifts given them by the merchants. Once you get hooked on it, you will pay for it and that has worked since the 18th century and amazingly, we have paid more than was ever negotiated in our time.

Our local industries are collapsing and theories have not help to halt the fast rate of collapse, maybe for a start, our parents should not insist on imported items on the dowry list at the expense of local ones.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

LIFE GETS BETTER ON MALLAM-TETTEH QUARSHIE MOTORWAY

Owing to Ghana’s rising democratic credentials in good governance, the rule of law, fight against corruption and investment in the life of the citizenry under the Better Ghana Agenda championed by able leadership of His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills, Ghana has benefitted from another juicy package under the Millennium Challenge Account.

This second benefit comes at the heels of the just ended package which was began on February 15, 2007 and spanned a five (5) year period which comes to an end on February 16, 2012.

The most obvious project under the $547,000,000 Millennium Challenge Account is the Mallam-Tetteh Quashie Dual Carriage way which is expected to be named after Former President George W. Bush. The Fund also invested a significant amount into supporting rural farmers, market groups and transportation to improve upon their lives. Investments have also been witnessed in the provision of schools, water facilities among others.

The completion of this project has given residents and business entities along the stretch of the 14.1km Highway permanent relief from the heavy vehicular traffic, environmental pollution, loss of productive time spent in long hours in traffic congestion, waste of fuel to drivers, wear and tear on vehicles owing to the erstwhile poor nature of the roads and the fatigue motorists and pedestrians encounter using that section of Accra towards densely populated Kasoa into the Central and Western regions.

It is refreshing that the highway is complete with street lights, road signs and markings, artillery roads and overhead foot bridges to help both motorists and pedestrians maintain discipline and sanctity on this endless speedway.

It is also expected that transport fares and taxi fares will reduce significantly on the express way due to an efficient fuel management and the absence of traffic congestion that has become a thing of the past.

I look forward to the implementation of the new pact under the Millennium Challenge Account which is expected to focus on energy production, generation, distribution and expansion under the Better Ghana Agenda.

His Excellency President Mills is expected to commission the Mallam-Tetteh Quarshie Highway to mark a successful end to the project.

Life indeed has improved on the Mallam-Tetteh Quarshie Highway under the Better Ghana Agenda.

God Bless our Homeland Ghana.

4 NEW MRI MACHINES AND IMPROVED MEDICAL DELIVERY IN A BETTER GHANA.

It is refreshing and highly commendable on the part of the Atta Mills led administration under the Better Ghana Agenda to engage Toshiba to manufacture and install state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facilities for regional and teaching hospitals across the country.

Equally more pragmatic is the training of medical personnel and engineers who will ensure that these equipment are maintained and operational across the beneficiary medical facilities.

Already four [4] of the MRI machines are being installed in the Volta, Central, Ashanti and the Northern Regional Hospitals as of now. When complete, Ghana is set to join South Africa and Egypt as the only countries in Africa where such facilities are accessible albeit the high cost of accessing these equipment.

The installation of these equipment brings broad smiles to the faces of our hardworking medical practitioners who can render better care to the public with the use of latest technology available in other parts of the world.

Hitherto, patients from Ghana including politicians were flown to Europe, Egypt and South Africa to use such facilities and this has been an indictment on the commitment of the ruling class to promises of providing effective and efficient medical facilities to the masses that pay the taxes. I am happy that the Mills administration has stood the test and has taken the step to make practical the promise of providing better health facilities under the there [3] year Better Ghana Agenda.

Ghana stands to benefit from these equipment in diverse ways. Foremost, they would serve as a centre for medical training for physicians and doctors while undergoing their studies or housmenship in the various hospitals. Cases from other medical centres and health posts dotted all over the country can be referred to the nearest Regional Hospital for further attention as and when the need arises. It gives assurance to the public that they can get better and improved medical treatment in our hospitals. This has a high propensity of retaining our medical doctors who, out of frustration owing to inadequate medical equipment, are forced to travel outside the country to practise their trade and even worse refuse posting to some hospitals and regions in the country. A step closer to addressing the brain-drain situation.

Again, the installation of the RMIs provide that golden opportunity for Ghana to earn some money and foreign exchange from other nationals within the sub region who would patronise the services of our hospitals. Money generated from the operations could be a financing source to government’s free medical care policy to the good people of Ghana as payment of premium on health insurance amounts to only 5% of cost.

The aviation industry would equally witness an interesting boost as light aircrafts, medical helicopters and areal ambulances would begin operations in Ghana. This rejuvenation will automatically call the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to take another look at ex President Jerry John Rawlings’ vision of creating at least air strip in all regional capitals in Ghana. These airstrips and possibly helipads would act as landing points for inter-regional medical evacuations among others.

These strips could subsequently be developed into airports for the transport of goods and passengers so as to ease the pressure on our roads and prolong their life span.
The opening up of the aviation industry will create jobs for our young men and women who would take an active interest in the sector. From pilots to cleaners, hundreds of our people will have sustainable jobs and earn a living.

The pressure on our doctors would be greatly reduced as the RMIs are credited to handling about 70 cases a day. In effect, the doctor-patient ratio could see some reduction and the stress put on our doctors could equally be reduced as they give out their best to the good people of Ghana.

Besides the placement of our medical staff on the Single Spine Salary Structure, I believe this comes as a major boost to the people of Ghana and it is timely so as to support the improved health services in Ghana as we inch closer to attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

Kudos to the Mills Administration for making this possible and this is another great reason to give the Mills government another term in office.

Felix Mawulolo Amegashie
NDC Youth Activist
elolo.elolo@gmail.com

FRAUDSTERS ON THE LOOSE @ XMAS

At about 9:15am today December 29, 2011, I heard my dogs bark and was drawn to the gate by the incessant barking of the dogs only to be met by a gentleman with a knapsack on his back curiously taking a study of my features. We exchanged pleasantries and I asked him of his mission. He smiled and spoke in Broken English that he was from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation [GBc] and that he is a member of a ‘Task Force’ moving from house to house to inspect TV Licences.

I asked him what License he meant and that if he was unaware of the Public announcement from the same Ghana Broadcasting Corporation [GBC] somewhere in the middle of the year suspending the payment of TV Licenses till further notice? He admitted he was aware BUT they are just going from house to house “gathering data on all those who have Television sets and the CODES of their Licences”.

I was disconcerted and told him I could not comprehend his arguments. I advised him to go back to GBC and pick up either a letter of authority or an Identity Card before I grant him entry to my compound.

Immediately after this exchange, I made a few calls to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to ascertain this unusual exercise. Interestingly, I was informed to let the Police pick up any person who comes again purporting to be from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and on such a mission.

My ephemeral encounter with this odd young man aroused my sense of curiosity and security and I wondered how many homes he had been before finally making it to my place and where he was going from there and how much money he had extorted from these innocent residents in his attempt to threaten them with one action or the other.

We are still in the festive season and I recall the Ghana Police Service warned the public that we should be in the lookout for suspicious characters that might come by our homes and offices under the guise of fixing broken pipes, checking utility bills or to deliver parcels from unknown persons. These people could be thieves or armed robbers who are on a scouting mission to identify possible targets.

In as much as we should be conscious as citizens not to fall for such tricksters and fraudsters, I think it is equally important that we drum home the sophisticated modus operandi of these hoodlums walking about neatly dressed and in some cases with fake ID Cards.

These institutions that mandate others to carry out such duties on their behalf must duly inform the public on these operations and their timeline so residents are not taken by surprise.

In this particular case, I expect the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and well as other media houses to repeat that announcement to the public to avoid situations as I found myself in this morning.

I wish all my readers Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

“okhada bizness” in Ghana @ the Crossroads

According to CitiNews at 11am, on Tuesday February 1, 2011, a group of young men numbering about 500 besieged the House of Parliament seeking the House to heed their call to legitimize the use of motor cycles for Commercial transport services in the capital.
Inasmuch as it rests within their rights granted under the 1992 Constitution, I believe their reported invasion of the House of Parliament to virtually intimidate the august House to do their bidding leaves much to be desired.

Beside the security breaches that their actions have posed the members of parliament and the staff, I am yet to understand how any individual or group of people can just organize themselves in a mob and then go to that area let alone enter the House of parliament without any notice to the Police. The Public Order Act mandates this group of young men to have notified the police in advance before they rushed to the House of Parliament to make their case.

Maybe they are unaware of the existence of such a law or they cared less about it anyway or they were just not ready to use the appropriate channels to seek redress to their grievances. I wonder what that House of Parliament would be reduced to if any group of persons can defy the Public order Act and rush there to intimidate our MPs into doing one thing or the order. Judging from what happens in other parliaments across the globe vis-à-vis threats of terrorist activities, it is only appropriate that we took security of the august House and these who work there more seriously before we are overtaken by surprise.

Commercializing motor cycle activities is not a new phenomenon in Ghana. Indeed there are many places in the Northern parts of this country that depend heavily on motorcycles for reasons which are not too different from the situation in Accra.

Foremost, commercializing their activities could be an income generating venture for those who might be attracted into the business. Motorcycles are cheaper to maintain than vehicles owing to the fact that their spare parts are readily available on the market with ever-waiting mechanics to fix a broken down motorcycle.

Indeed, it would have a direct effect on technical and skill training for those who would want to go into apprenticeship after dropping out of the mainstream educational system.

Second, commercial motorcycle users will pay tolls or taxes to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies. Payment if insurance premium would also be mandatory. It might be marginal but it will be additional revenue to the insurance firms and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies all over the country. This will ensure that only properly insured and licensed motorcycled would be operational our roads.

Third, the cost of transport fares might come down due to stiff competition between the vehicles and the motorcycles. It is noticeable that soon after the NPA review prices of petroleum products in the country, many commercial drivers take advantage of the situation and make huge profits by arbitrary increases in fares while passengers are left helpless.

In some cases, open fights erupt on-board vehicles and lorry stations over disagreement in charges. The introduction of commercial motorbikes will therefore offer a choice to the passenger as to what mode of transport one could take at a cost one will bargain for. Short distances would be covered at cheaper fares than hiring taxis for same service.

Forth, many areas that are difficult to access by road will be quite easy to reach on motorbikes.

Conversely, commercializing motor cycles might expose us to many dangers across the country. Already armed robbers use motorcycles to engage in their unholy activities including maiming their victims. More motorcycles on our roads will thus witness a rise in such case as many of these hoodlums might become motor riders overnight and rob their unsuspecting victims in their homes, in dark areas, churches, among others.

It might equally worsen the traffic situation in the capital. During the rush hour, many of these riders might incur the wrath of vehicle users as they criss-cross the traffic lights, change lanes without ample notice and clog the limited spaces on the walkways, bus stops and lorry stations.

We might just brace ourselves up for more accidents on our roads. Children, the elderly and women would be the victims. In short, lawlessness and crime might actually increase on our roads and in our neighborhood once the activities of the motorcycles are legalized.

The numbers might look manageable from the onset, but as many young men and women begin to join in the business, the police might be overwhelmed by the numbers and enforcement of laws and regulations. Chaos will be the direct outcome and frustrations on our roads might even escalate.

As it stands, I presume Parliament will take time to review the petition and engage in a wider national consultation on the matter so that as many people as possible can consider the issue and a final decision taken in the interest of the people parliamentarians represent.

Anything done in a rush today in that respect will only create more problems for road users if time is not taken to discuss this matter and broader interests sought in spite of the advantages that come with legalizing the operations of the motor cycle users.

I wish my readers a Happy New year.

I love it “naked”!

I must confess, the first time I tasted it “naked” was in 1995 at Sakyikrom, a village near Nsawam at the 3rd All African Scout Jamboree. I have since fallen in love with the salt-less taste of the” Fante kenkey”.

As leader of the “Elephant Troop” at the Jamboree, I was expected to show leadership in making the best out of what was available at the 10 days camp in the tickets of the Nsawam forests and as a first timer in the area too, I had initial difficulties with eating some of the local food. I however found it an opportunity to learn the best from other communities I have never visited outside the sandy beaches of Keta, my hometown.

I threw myself to the challenge and encouraged my troop members to do same as many of us were new to this kind of salt-less kenkey boiled in plantain leaves, called the “fante kenkey”.

Many years on, I have come to love this kind of kenkey as a better alternative to others owing to the nutritional value contained in the plantain leaves that gives the kenkey it’s the dark brown colour and acts as a good preservative.

This distinct colour and taste of the fante kenkey has however changed and worse of all, becoming dangerous and cancerous to consumers lately.

Almost everywhere on the streets, kiosks, shops, supermarkets and along the main Tarkoradi-Accra Highway where it is produced in abundance, a strange and recent development that confronts any consumer of the product is the unholy sight of polythene bag wrapped around and boiled with the kenkey before it is sold out.
In as much as some might find this new packaging trend a “sexy” innovation, I think the inherent danger it poses to unsuspecting patrons of the fante kenkey consumed as “mashed-kenkey” or for regular breakfast , lunch or supper cannot be over emphasized.
I am informed that the contact of polythene to anything edible under high temperatures and worse still, at boiling point renders the food substance toxic and dangerous for human consumption. We are encouraged to avoid as much as possible taking hot porridge, tea, hot beverages and anything edible from polythene bags and wrappers as the contact to polythene poisons the food.

I am sure many of the cooks and sellers of the fante-kenkey are ignorant to the dangers they are imposing on us as consumers.

A few weeks ago, I had to dispose of some balls of fante kenkey I bought off the Cape Coast-Kasoa road because the polythene bag wrapped around the kenkey would not just peel off. I got so alarmed about the millions of toxins I might have already consumed from earlier meals and was just about to consume that I opted going to bed famished than to eat something that is obviously poisonous.

On a daily basis, quantities fante-kenkey are sold to the public, we are then forced to consume what is available to the public and unconsciously draw ourselves closer and closer to the life-threatening scalpel of the surgeon.

I recall the ordeal of one young man who bought a ball of fante-kenkey sometime ago, and shockingly discovered a pair of scarlet female thongs in the kenkey. He was so traumatized that he vowed never to eat his favourite fante kenkey in his life time.
The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) have been doing well in ensuring that unwholesome food and drug products are taken off the shelves and the public encouraged not to consume these food and drug products. I wish to see the Food and Drugs Board take the fight to fante-kenkey sellers to outlaw the use of rubber polythene in the preparation, wrapping and packaging of the fante-kenkey immediately.

To be able to effectively outlaw this dangerous practice of boiling our favourite fante kenkey with polythene bags, these traders and sellers of the product must be educated on the dangers their actions pose to society and on our health so that they can understand the need to stop the practice. I presume that once they come to the understanding that the wholesomeness of the food is adulterated with the introduction of poisonous chemicals from these polythene bags, they will adopt safer measures in engaging in their business while maintaining the quality of the kenkey.

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB), in order to deal decisively with this matter, must work through the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and Community Health Nurses , not forgetting the Community Nursing module of the National Youth Employment Programme to bring a radical change and settle this matter permanently without any backlash from the traders and the communities to the central government.

I really love my fante kenkey “naked”, and I guess you do too.

OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT- "LETS CALL IT THE “FJ I” PRESIDENTIAL JET"

Your Excellency,

Let me foremost congratulate you, your office and the Presidency for the dignity, integrity, honour and respect that Ghana has earned among her contemporaries on the African Continent under the able leadership of His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills and your good self since taking the reins of government twenty (20) months ago.

Indeed the progress and international goodwill that Ghana has chalked up under your management cannot be over emphasized for many citizens, both home and away, can boldly rise to be counted as citizens of this great nation.

Your Excellency, I have been brainstorming on the appropriate name that the Falcon EX 900 new jet should be christened soon after you commissioned it on October 7, 2010. I congratulate His Excellency the President for doing the right thing once again, by going ahead to procure the Falcon EX 900 for Executive travels to replace the thirty-seven (37) year old “Fokker 28” aka the “Flying Coffin”.

I guess that name scares you even more than it does to us as we are constantly reminded of the grave danger the continuous flying of this jet poses to the Presidency and the good people of Ghana.

Your Excellency, I have been day dreaming about a befitting name to be given this new jet . A name that would tell a tale of this aircraft; a name that will totally obliterate the chills that of the “flying coffin” send down our spines each time it taxies and subsequently airborne with His Excellency the President and other government officials aboard.

Your Excellency, let me share with you the ideas that came to me in my deep thoughts over the best names possible for the Falcon EX 900 Executive jet and why these suggestions:

i. THE “FJ 1”:

“Freedom and Justice” (FJ) is the motto of this great nation Ghana adopted the night Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana an Independent state on March 6, 1957. The words contained in this motto embody the democratic spirit of Ghana and I propose that these words must be etched on the Falcon EX 900 to open a new chapter to the return to the virtues in our motto as a nation. “Freedom and Justice”, our motto, will thus be flown with the Presidency into the air spaces of the world and on the tarmac of every jurisdiction where it touches down. This jet will be a great ambassador of Ghana’s gold, our wealth, our oil, our culture, our democracy and our future in Africa and to the nations of the world.

ii. THE “FJ 6-6-3”

“Freedom and Justice” our motto and our pride is duly captured in this name as well. Additionally, the first “6” represent the “Big Six” who were arrested and incarcerated as part of nationalist activities leading to Ghana’s fight against Indirect Rule in the colonial era.
The second “6” tells the tale of the Day Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana an Independent state at the Polo grounds in Accra.

The “3’ represents “March” the month of our Independence celebrations.
Therefore the name “FJ 663” tells the complete story of Ghana’s Independence History.

iii. The “FJ L”:

Your Excellency, again the relevance of the spirit and letter of our motto, “Freedom and Justice” cannot be over-emphasized.

The “L” is obviously the Roman numeral for the Figure “50”. Fifty is the Golden Jubilee year of Ghana and it is significant to be embossed on the Falcon EX900 Executive jet for no other reason than the fact that the Jet was procured when we attained fifty (50) years of our independence.

This jet is expected to fly the Presidency for the next thirty-five (35) years, thus it stands to reason that Ghana would be making her next move to buy another Executive jet when we are eighty-five (85) years old as a nation.

At that point, all we would need to do with the new Jet in thirty-five (35) years is simply to replace the “L” (50) with “LXXXV” or the Figure “85” to signify the birthday of Ghana within which that new jet is going to be bought.

This system, Your Excellency, will enable the Executive Jet tell her own story of its acquisition and use by the state and to emphasis the number of years and decades that Ghana had been a democratic state and an Independent one at that.

Your Excellency, the consideration of any of the above suggested names for the christening of our newly acquired Falcon EX900 Executive jet is to put to a permanent rest the debate about what name and what colours, (be it partisan, tribal, or religious), Ghana’s Executive Jet should fly from now till the end of time.

The presence of our motto ‘Freedom and Justice” etched on our Presidential Jet, will afford Ghana a golden opportunity to reignite the spirit of patriotism and nationalism among our citizens all over the world, as they will find a place in their hearts to continually promote the Freedoms that our forefathers fought for and the social Justice that we seek to promote as a nation.

Our democracy will be role model to many nations of Africa and the world will look up to us to chart that shining path to democratize many of Africa’s despotic regimes as ambassadors of the rule of law, good governance and the respect for Human Rights.

Your Excellency, these are but my humble thoughts on an appropriate name that the New Presidential Jet should fly.

I am convinced that my thoughts will be given some considerations anytime Your Excellency makes a decision to christen the Falcon EX 900 Executive Jet to reflect the spirit, the soul and the aspirations of the good people of Ghana.

God Bless our Homeland Ghana and Long Live His Excellency the President!

Faithfully yours,
Elolo.