True Democracy: Ghana’s Example

The stage was set. The world was expecting. And the rest of the continent was hoping, with baited breaths, that one of the few genuine emblems of true democracy would pass yet another test and bring the continent to sigh with relief.

Ghana was going to the polls.

It is depressing, truly, that the onset of elections anywhere on the continent always brings to the surface fears that perhaps a country in Africa going to the polls will descend into chaos immediately afterwards. Fears, admittedly, that are not unfounded. Elections, in true democracy or its guise, has been the undoing of many a nation state on the continent.

True democracy and its essence has not been fully assimilated by large portions of the continent. The will of people is hardly understood by the continent’s leaders, and the desire to hold on to power at all cost still manifests daily.

So when Ghana ceded to democracy in 1992, held subsequent elections that, at the beginning, were deemed relatively free and fair, and through years of practice was upheld as a beacon of democracy for the continent- one sitting government lost power and peacefully handed over to opposition; and then another, and another- the world gasped. Wasn’t this the exhibition of the kind of democracy that the people of the continent had been hankering after?

It was. And it amazed the world and gave hope to other African countries to follow suit.

But then we had Cote D’Ivoire, a country previously praised for its stability, descend into bloody chaos after a sitting president loses power and refuses to accept. The world sighed with resignation. A leopard cannot hide its spots, they whispered. The meaning of freedom doesn’t sit with these people. In the end, it took the French to force Gbagbo out. A humiliating end to an otherwise respected professor of History.

So one could see where there was a bit of an apprehension when Ghana, with its twenty years of acclaimed democracy, a country that had remarkably upheld the constitution when it bucked the trend of the stereotypical African country by within a couple of hours swearing in the vice president after the untimely death of its sitting president, went to the polls on the 7th of December 2012.

Wasn’t Ghana right on the doorstep of Cote D’Ivoire? And wasn’t Ghana, after all, an African country?

And the tensions were all the more heightened by the fact that the previous election four years earlier had been so close, and the margin of victory so marginal, that the outcome of the impending election was anybody’s guess. The opposition had as much chance of victory as the incumbent, and both were aware of the fact.

And so the rhetoric poured forth, politicians politicized, the media sensationalized, and the public scrutinized. The elections were held, the incumbent won, and like the previous election, the margin of victory was marginal.

The opposition cried foul and refused to accept the results, a handful of the supporters held mostly peaceful protests. What little skirmish there was, was quickly snuffed out by a single canister of tear gas.

Here, the international media sniffs blood. The BBC in particular.

The failure of the opposition to accept defeat is reported as though disputing election results in itself is a sign of impending trouble. They forget the American elections at the turn of the millennium, which took the intervention of their supreme court to resolve.

The world waits for the action of the opposition, and the reaction of the government. In the end, as the law provides, they decide to go court, which was the only action they were really ever likely to take.

Fortunately for us Ghanaians our leaders seem to see the bigger picture, they’re not so far gone yet to drag this beautiful and prosperous country to ruin. Fortunately for us, when our opposition finds fault in an election in which they’ve lost, they go to court, not to an arms dealer.

That is the mark of true democracy. And Ghanaians acknowledge and find pride in this.

And we thank God for it too.

Technorati Tags: ghanadecides,election2012

Youth Degradation: A Crime on the Conscience of Politicians

When the facade of altruism takes the front seat in the bandwagon of party politics, revs its engines and sets in motion in the direction of our towns and communities come the beginning of Ghana’s 2012 electioneering campaigns, it is most likely to be met with the same ambiguous pomp and pageantry that has become the burgeoning undercurrent of political rallies and its accompanying rhetoric. It also is, as much desired by politicians, the quintessential setting for gathering young men and women in the hope of sapping their effervescent energies for purposes that are more than less aimed towards the personal betterment of the politician, than the social and economic well-being of the young people whose energies are sacrificed. This, or worse the perfect setting for the appraisal by political masterminds of youthful wisdom, or the lack of it, seeing as this is the only opinion that can be surmised of politicians and their intentions for young people.

It is not with an intrinsic seed of cynicism that I look upon politicians and their super-sweet promises in the year of election, but rather a frustrated and angry countenance fed by years and years of disappointment, when the situation of young people is looked at.

I feel to them young people are but a means to an end, a personally gratifying end shaped by the lucrative opportunities afforded by political office. We are but an energy source, a superficial bunch of malleable individuals designed to be used by the politically astute. When the heat of electioneering dies down, and the beneficiaries of their outcome ascends office, I can plainly see them erasing all memories of the promises that brought them there, I can plainly see them feeling in their pockets, and guessing how deep they can get.

And yet, one is tempted to find fault in ones own disappointment in politicians, when politicians themselves have so very well written their history into the annals of the perpetual disappointers, as to look with disdain upon any who fails to be taught by them. However, with the kind of economic crisis and social despondency travailing the halls of young people today, even the most cynical of cynics would have hoped for that spot of humanity that often breaks through many a hardened heart in the times when it is needed the most. But apparently not with politicians.

The indifferent faces of students leaving the university, the throng of young people in the compounds of Western embassies seeking migration to a hope of a better life, the explosive outbursts of youthful anger in the streets and their readiness to defy authority all attest to the growing discontent with politics, party politics especially, and the governments that arise from them, among the age group whose shoulders would have hoped to carry on the responsibilities of a nation.

But alas, the greater proportion of young people from what is evidenced to me, are becoming ever indifferent to politics, and to a lesser degree governments. So the brute attributes of excessive corruption within government, and the hopelessness of it all, the rapidly decaying and ineffective education system (the subject of another blog) begin to manifest itself in a generation of cynics and detached young men and women who look upon politics and politicians as the personification of evil, an uncaring and divisive set of self-serving individuals. Might be a harsh thing to group all politicians in this bracket, seeing as there are, if only a few, genuinely concerned men and women with the care of their country at heart who happen to carry the tag of “politician”; but so consistent and overpowering are their failings that their few good are often overlooked.

When, then, the times comes when they visit our towns and communities seeking for our mandate for political office, it would be expedient on their part to see what sort of young hands greet them, and how cold or warm those hands feel.              

Glad To Be Back

Much needed strength returns after a little spell out with sickness. Glad to be back. Lots of interesting discussions going on that needs to be blogged about. Not least of which is the violence taking place in the Egyptian capital, where nine months after the overthrow of Mubarak things are not turning out as the protesters thought they would. I think they're looking at Libya and thinking it is much more of a revolution than the one that saw the ousting of Mubarak. In my own backyard here in Ghana the youth in Andani are asking for answers to the questions that were begged by the NDC's propagandists approach to the issue of the murder of the king of Dagbon.
Lots to talk about. Stay tuned.

Small-minded Politicians

It’s the biggest news this week. The Wikileaks report on Ghana. Apparently what some bored US diplomat has to say about us in a cable, is much more important to some of our politicians than what we say about ourselves. This is a seriously peeved and frustrated writer here, believe me. Not only for the fact that we repeatedly determine to make fools of ourselves in the eyes of the West, especially, but some of our politicians and so called social commentators are so small-minded and so superficial (seriously restraining my use of language here), that they fail to see the consequences of some of they’re actions and how utterly stupid it all is. How ridiculous!

What am I on about? This Wikileaks reports going around, which, on a personal level I find silly and rather childish, seeing as if we knew what we all said about each other in secret, the world would be a totally cynical place if it already isn’t, is staring much hostility and considerable funfair among our politicians, especially between the ruling government and the main opposition, with each trying to score nonexistent political point off the other by stretching these leaked cables to potentially dangerous and divisive levels. As if that is not bad enough, the potential for conflict resulting from an attempt to score political point with what an ex-president was supposed to have said about certain religious groups is completely lost on them.

This is nothing less than embarrassing. It’s easy enough to take that a US ambassador has certain opinions based on rumours about our so-called leaders, especially when such rumours are propagated by conniving, self-seeking traitors looking for approval; trust me, these diplomats have prejudiced opinions about us that they do well to hide behind smiles and gentility. These leaked cables had reports of the president having throat cancer from being addicted to alcohol and the opposition leader being a cocaine addict, among other things. What is it to a foreign diplomat if these are true or not? What is absolutely distasteful and utterly unacceptable is for our own politicians to jump on these rumours (because that’s what they are) in an attempt to smear each other for nothing more than political point.

It saddens my heart to say this but that’s the very reason we are where we are in the world. Our politicians. They’re too small upstairs. Some of them. 

Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal: Two Kinds of Youth

Okay, not intending to rub it in or anything… well, maybe just a little, but I feel like branching off the beaten path and talk about something much less serious. Football. And not just any football but Manchester United’s very gratifying humbling of Arsenal on Sunday. Trust me, the continuous talk of it being a freak result due to Arsenal’s depleted line-up takes nothing away from the joy, especially when you think the majority of United’s starting eleven wouldn’t have been considered regular first-teamers at the start of the season. And yet here they were, with an average age younger than that of Arsenal, pounding turf and grabbing victory like seasoned pros.

There lies the plot of this blog. Suppose Ferdinand and Vidic and Fletcher and Carrick and Giggs etc., hadn’t started on Sunday, would United have had the replacement to step and deliver a job? I guess the answer is pretty clear. Because they didn’t start, and the 8-2 score line revealed there was more than enough in the United tank to step in and do a job. The likes of Welbeck and Cleverly and Jones and Smalling, young men as they are, but with the mentality of winners.

Much has been made of Arsenal’s young talent over the past couple of years, which is all well and good when you watch them play their brand of football. But I’ve never been a big fan of beauty without brain, or, on this occasion beauty without spunk. What Arsenal lack in a winning attitude, they make up for it with a lot of neat passes. Add to that a manager with a mind of his own, literally. A man who sees what every else can’t and is blind to all that is clearly visible.

But, hey, what do I know, right? Am a United fan. So what if Arsenal wallow in mediocrity, leaves us that much space to keep winning.

I say there’s two kinds of youth, the Manchester United kind of youth, and the Arsenal kind of youth. The ones who win, and the ones who keep thinking they will, someday.

I know which kind of youth I am.

Culture Shock Or Homophobia? Ghana’s Reaction to the Gay Thing

I have a feeling this thing is not going to go away, that it’s just going to get bigger and bigger and the stories in the news will keep coming out and people are going to continue discussing and being angry about it wherever they can. And the democracy and the freedoms that we have means that those underground gay groups will continue to gradually come out of their closets and a real Pandora's box is going to be opened. Because you see, this is all so new to us. All so very strange, weird. The idea of two people of the same sex getting together in a canal way is almost anathema to us Africans, more specifically us Ghanaians, religious and spiritual a society as we are. Not to mention the culture.

There’s laws against homosexuality all right, banning the act itself and not the idea, something like that. It’s all very vague. But like every other law known to man it is being broken by people who feel it is against their personal freedom to live by such law. And this people are becoming more prominent in their “defiance”, if I can call it that, now more than ever. It’s like a cat’s been let lose among pigeons with the gay community. They are becoming visible, drawing attention to themselves like they’ve never done before, and it’s scaring a lot of Ghanaians. Be it the lay man on the streets or the politician in the house of parliament.

Religious bodies haven’t been missing in action on the gay issue either. Last week the Muslim community came out with a statement strongly condemning the act, which follows an earlier statement from a moderator of one of the traditional churches condemning the act using all kinds of strong words. The Christian council’s stance is pretty clear too. Politicians have been up in arms also, stating categorically their opposition to homosexuality, which, to their credit is not an attempt to appear to be siding with the opinions of the public for political gain, but a genuine concern about the way things are headed in this country. In one breath this is not surprising, in a country like Ghana on a continent like Africa, issues that deal with morality, especially those that are viewed from the perspective of religion and culture, is often very sensitive and is dealt with as such. Sexual morality therefore, a touchy and all too often taboo subject in our part of this world, stirs up a lot of discomfort when an occasion births its discussion. When what goes on between a man and a woman behind closed doors is not something to talk about in the open, one can imagine what the idea of a man and his fellow man, or a woman and her fellow woman together, being discussed in public is doing to Ghanaians.

The opinions you hear on the radio follow a particular thread. The hatred of homosexuality is palpable. The consensus everywhere is the same: people who engage in such acts should be sought out, condemned and prosecuted. Parents fear for their children going to boarding school, which is where is generally believed to be breeding grounds for the behaviour. Now as long as the law prohibits the act of homosexuality, such calls by the public for the seeking out and prosecution of people who engage in it are justified. It’s like calling for the arrest of an armed robber or serial killer, the law frowns on what they do. If the expedition of one law is hampered for the sake of appearing to be politically correct to the outside world, then the same consideration could be used on other laws that prohibit the undertaking of one illegal action or another.

Here then is my point: As long as that is as far as the concern over homosexuals go, forget culture or religion, it’s okay. Culture is everyday being swept aside like dead leaves and religion is a personal journey, anyway. It’s when this concern and hatred, crosses boundaries and turns into an all out war on homosexuals, where anyone perceived to be engaging in the act is sought out and harmed outside the services of the law, that the danger of targeted persecution begins to turn as into that backward people we’ve always claimed, and rightly so, not to be. Not concluding that that is what is happening now, but it seems to me that as peaceful a people as we are, the levels of concern and sometimes hatred being expressed out there needs to be checked. There’s a thin line between having strong passions and turning a murderer.

Personally, I’m against homosexuality. I couldn’t understand it if my life depended on it. It’s disgusting, distasteful and more importantly, it’s against God’s law. But so is murder and theft and fraud. If it’s against the law, we call for the courts to deal with it, we don’t take it into our employ to go about harming people.

Norway’s Tragedy: Future Leader’s Shaken

It hit me like a boulder as I listened to the radio Saturday morning and heard what had happened in Norway. A gunmen walking through an island shooting and killing young people engaging themselves in the affairs of their country, as though he had no heart. The manner of this man’s cruelty, as described by survivors, was even more harrowing and highlights further the extent of this man’s depraved mind. In the end, he managed to murder over 70 people, mostly teenagers – young men and women leaders of a future generation.

Young people all over the world have often been criticised for not being interested and involved enough in matters of politics and social leadership. Over the past few years however, with the rise of social media, young people all over world are finding it prudent to engage in matters of politics and government because they realise that whatever happens now determines the course of their future. Not unlike us youth in Ghana. Participation in discussions of politics and governmental affairs has been on the rise and rightly so seeing as our future lies in the decisions taken by our leaders today.

To therefore have young people in Norway engaging with their leaders targeted in the way they have been is truly sad. Even more so when you think by a countryman albeit a racially prejudiced and deranged one. Whatever point this man wanted to put across, he’ll certainly get a response. And that is no amount of radical thinking and fundamentalist stand, no amount of racial and religious hate be it from within a nation or from without will dampen the desires and wish of young people to continue to engage in the course of their own future. Now the realisation is even more clearer, that only with solidarity and consensus can we hope to defeat this sad reality of hate and racial and religious prejudice.

My hope for the young people of Norway is that they stay firm and strong in the belief that for their country to not fall in the hands of similar people with the mentality of this man, they must continue to engage with fervour in the direction of their nation.      

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Somalia Drought: Death Looming on the Horn

The sad truth is it’s happening, like never before, well almost because it seems every other year around this  time there’s news of people in the horn of Africa dying from lack of food and potable drinking water brought about by drought. The difference now is this one seems a whole lot bigger than we’ve seen or heard, if what the Aid agencies and the UN are saying is to be believed, that is.

Last week the UN officially declared famine in two regions in Somalia. That’s right. “Officially” declared? What that does that even mean? That the men and women and children who were fleeing their land because they couldn’t bare to see one more child die of hunger were only now being recognised? If that then the international body needs serious revamping. Sometimes it’s best to take the bull by the horn before it gets out of hand.

Too much talking and deliberating goes on when action is what is needed. Aid agencies in and around the region have been calling on the international community for urgent response to the crisis, but it seems for some reason the world is not as interested in Somalia like it used to be. The violence in the place does nothing to help, but it’s clear the violence isn’t going away any time soon, and as we spend time contemplating whether to work with or ignore the Islamist sect Al Shabab, people are dying, and will continue to die for what is a very preventable situation.

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The Newest Sudan

Finally, finally, our brothers in south Sudan have gotten what they have for so long wished and fought for. After over fifty years of struggling under an oppressive regime, and the loss of lives and property, it is only fair that it comes to an end with a people with their destiny now in their own hands. When the new flag is raised and the anthem sang, many will be the joy of the people of south Sudan, who can now look forward to living in peace and a brighter future for their children and children’s children.

That is the hope, at least. For it may seem the difficult part of all this has been braved, the freedom of the people restored. However, we all know that the joy and excitement over the birth of a new nation is quickly followed by the realisation that with any freedom comes the responsibility of managing it to the satisfaction of all who aspire to it. Teething problems are set to arise, and how the government and people of south Sudan deal with these problems will determine whether this new nation survives or crumbles.

In the struggle for independence, young people were at the forefront of battle, wielding guns and bullets. Now the onus lies on them to transform that same fervour into the building and sustenance of their country. Now not guns but education, not bullets but ideas that propel the country into a place it can be comfortable at. Also a strong determination to ensure that the people who stood at the forefront of the struggle against the oppressor, do not themselves become for one reason or another oppressors of their own people, as can be seen with the case of Eritrea. That seems to be the case of so many African countries who fought off oppressors from afar and found themselves on the brink of destruction by their own hands.

The recent and on-going Arab Spring tells us that with strong will and determination young people can dictate the direction of affairs of their country. Tunisia, Egypt, examples from which the youth of south Sudan will do well to learn from. Lets hope they do.

Long live South Sudan.  

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Our Part In All This

This past few months, beginning with the latter stages of the previous year, has seen the continent in a turmoil not quite seen before. In November last year, after the election in Cote D’Ivoire came to an inconclusive end, with the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refusing to concede defeat to the man Alhassan Ouattara, who the international community mostly agree was the winner of the election, it had been generally thought and felt that with overwhelming support for the opposition leader it was only a matter of time before Mr. Gbagbo stood down and relinquished power. Five months on and he’s still holding on to power and much worse than that the country is heading towards what looks like a second civil war in a decade.

And then came the new year, 2011, the whole world was caught unawares with ousting of the Tunisian president, brought on by days of demonstration on the streets of the Tunisian capital, Tunis. As shocking and as quick a revolution as that was, it was only the beginning of a wave of unprecedented happenings that was about to sweep the entire region, with the biggest one taking place in Egypt. Now as mature as I’d like to think I am, I’ve only known one Egyptian leader and witnessed him in action, even if only on TV, and that was Mubarak. But he was to follow the trend of the Tunisian leader in an astonishing way.

Unlike Tunisia, Egypt was, is at the forefront of world affairs, playing major roles in the region, including the Israel-Palestine conflict, and well-acclaimed in the halls of the international community, Mubarak the man at helm of all this. So it was forgivable to think that the protests, populate by young people rocking the country was able to be resolved with a few concessions from the government and Mubarak staying on in power, what with the world, especially the US, caught in a dilemma as to whether to allow their trusted ally ejected and possibly replaced by an Islamic even if moderate one, or appear to be unsupportive of the will of the people. In the end however, the protesters did get what they want and the international community appeared to side with them.

And then there was Libya. Colonel Gaddafi has been in power for four decades, haven claimed power at the rather young age of 27. Far, far longer than I’ve been alive. And yet it seems I’ve known him for negative things, at least that which I’ve read and heard. Perceiving himself to be cast in the mould of Kwame Nkrumah, with the unity of this continent at the forefront of his desire, he was, until quite recently that is, viewed by the West as a psychotic, egotistic terrorist/dictator.

Well one thing is clear, as the “rebels” are finding out, Mr. Gaddafi will sink the country of Libya before he relinquishes power, and he’s made that clear and still doing so; churning out a strong, disproportionate response to the protesters turned “rebels”, leaving scores of innocent civilians dead, the international community all the while dilly-dallying on the issue.

In all the above-mentioned cases one thing is clear; young people are at the forefront of all this. In all of the cases mentioned, old people have relied on the strength and vitality of youth in the pursuit of whatever purpose, much more so in the Cote D’Ivoire case. Sitting before the TV each night to watch the news it bleeds my heart to see our young people in the neighbouring country being used as tools to hold on to or gain power by so-called leaders, “old and wise”. It bleeds my heart because unlike their fellows in Egypt and Tunisia, who stood up and demanded what was rightfully theirs, devoid of any political or religious ambition, this young people in Cote D’Ivoire wielding sticks and knives on the streets of Abidjan, are doing so only for the sustenance of a man who refuses to relinquish power after ten years of wielding it, and for another who hopes to step in.

It is not to the fulfilment of a broader socially acceptable goal that they allow themselves to be manipulated. Because it seems to me that beneficiaries of power come the end, would be whatever man is in power and his immediate family, whilst women and children and your everyday man with no passport become the sufferers should a civil war erupt. And yet continuously on this our continent and in some other part of the world, young people allow themselves to be brainwashed and used in ways that in the end bring nothing but hurt to the people in the society who cannot help but stay and suffer it.

To end, the main conclusion is this, young people can be an unstoppable force for good when their in control of their senses and will, but a scary prospect for anyone when they allow themselves to be manipulated by selfish leaders. Seeing that this a year for quite a number of elections on the continent, young people should be aware of what actions they take should something go wrong, and be aware of the wiles of these so-called leaders to manipulate them for personal ambition and gain. 

International Women’s Day

My mother celebrated her 52nd birthday yesterday, which was a day after Ghana turned 54, a fact she likes to go on about. A few of the family gathered to celebrate what we all tacitly understood and felt was among the most important of days for us. Now I like celebrating women’s day and mother’s day and all other days that celebrate women, because it serves as a reminder for me to show the women in my life how appreciative I am of them; and although I may not always say it or show it, I believe every one of them knows how much and how well they’re loved. And so today being women’s day, I gladly stand up to all women around the world and say “Thank You”.

I say “thank you” to women, because it seems to me that it is not said to them enough. Whether by the men who hold them by their sides and acknowledge them as wives, or the sons who’ve grown up under the strong arm of mothers to become leaders in positions of authority, or most of all by the society in which these women quietly under its radar run its affairs with their big hearts and effective hands. Whatever appreciation there is, it is certainly not at a level that can be surmised to be indicative of the high value we place on these our women. For in all facets of life, the success of society, traditionally fronted by the faces of men, is indeed laid in the every day workings of the woman, be it the mother, wife, sister or your average everyday female and the constant toil of her hands.

In my family, mother is the center of attention. Nothing goes on without it being routed through her. Her status as mother, having been appointed to her by divine giving, apportions her a quality and power that permeates the lives of those she calls her own, even those old enough to have families of their own. Unfortunately, I cast a look at the wider berth of society, its politics and its motoring, and I find the presence of women as sparse as the “thank yous” we offer them. Especially in the avenue of politics, where most the decisions that affect the way of society are taken, it is sad to note that the inclusion and impact of women are only but a hand full. And where there is the presence of women it is often common to find their opinions overlooked.

On this day, Women’s Day, it is important that we acknowledge the status of our women and remember them as, first of all mothers nurturing the futures of all societies, and also as a societies bedrock for sustainable development.

Happy Women’s Day to you all!   

Valentine’s Day Bliss

Typically on this day of love you walk around town and find your eyes saturated with a sea of red and if you’re at all aware of the times you’d know t’was  the season of love sprung up in all it’s sunshine glory. Usually for young people like myself it is the time and occasion, not to mention opportunity, ripe to show the secret love of our lives the depth our admiration, with our little powwows around street corners sweating with a hint of the nerve, even if slightly allayed by the ever reliable red rose gently held in palm. All in an attempt to win fair lady’s heart. Well, at least for the uninitiated in love.

It’s funny how we find it easy, even appropriate, to exploit this very conspicuous day with its attendant opportunity for the giving of gifts of cards wishing love and wellness to friends, family and loved ones, to profess our thoughts and feelings to our secretly admired from a safe distance. One would have thought the fear of rejection on such a day would be all the more an incentive to postpone said action to a more inconspicuous day. For the memory of such rejection if come to bear, one would have thought, would be a thing of much discomfort come every fourteenth day of February. Then again as said before, it seems a good opportunity for the expression of love from a safe distance.

Valentine’s day is the day for the professing of love, genuine and adulterated…or so it was meant to be. The good old saint, whose day we celebrate, back in the long gone days, had a love for a young girl, the kind of love of such that streamed purely from the heart and expressed with the most honest of thoughts. The kind of love uninhibited by circumstance or anything superficial. That is why it is still remembered by an age long removed from his. For the beauty of love is its nature to last beyond the reaches of time.

Could I say same of our celebration of love today? Perhaps yes and perhaps not. What expressions of love and the level of its genuineness between two people lies solely in their own heads. But isn’t it a thing of worry for anyone, especially young people, that the statistics for the sale of condoms on Valentine’s day is one of high sales to the point of shortage in supply? If indeed love’s day is reduced only to the activity of love-making and the breaking of virginities as the thread seems to follow, and the consequent rise in teen pregnancies afterwards, then we’re better off just eating chocolate and calling it a day.

Not to ruin anybody’s Valentine’s day celebration, but in immersing ourselves in this bliss it is expedient that the days afterwards conjures great nostalgic memories rather than regrettable ones. Happy Valentine’s day everybody.       

Smoking Away The Dream

There’s an area off my neighbourhood, a couple of streets away and actually a neighbourhood on its own, where the air is, from dusk to dawn, marked with a very distinctive smell. This neighbourhood, situated on the route to the local market, is a less developed and less civil one; there the poverty is visible and the norms of society are not so normal, if you get my meaning. There’s filth on the streets, the buildings are wooden and uncompleted and scattered in all directions(taking the wrong turn could land you in the middle of someone’s open-house bathroom), and the people are illiterate or with very little education.

But worse than any of these above-mentioned cankers, is the ever-present and growing situation of drug abuse(weed-smoking and the like), among the young people of the neighbourhood; a situation represented by this constant, distinctive smell in the air. Walk through the neighbourhood any day and you’re bound to twist your nose and sight a bunch of young men, and in some cases women, huddled together in any of the many bushes in the area revelling in an orgy of weed-smoking. Young, vibrant people both educated and uneducated, and unemployed to boot, wasting away their energy and time on stuff that ultimately ends them half-naked, bushy-haired and exhibiting crazy in the street, or locked up and confined in a psych-ward if they’re at all lucky, or behind bars if their not so lucky. And yet they don’t even seem to realise what they’re doing to themselves.

I have a personal attachment to this blog post, a little backstory unfortunately, serving as motivation. The consequences of having a family member hooked on drugs of any kind is not lost to me. I have a brother who has been addicted to marijuana for many years now. He began when he was in Junior High School, just like many others who get addicted. Peer pressure, you know how it is. A little cigarette here and there, passed around during afternoon break. Teenagers trying to be cool, ironically. Then from cigarettes to marijuana to heroine etc. Well, he got hooked; and as much we’ve tried to wean him off the addiction, it seems he’s knee-deep in it. And that’s the case for many young people today. My father, who is a pastor, came back from an excursion to the psychiatric hospital in Accra a little while ago with harrowing, heartbreaking stories of young men and women dotting every space of the hospital ground, bereft of their senses. Young people mostly Senior High School leavers, with or without a choice to further their education, decided on a moral downturn somewhere along the way, seems to be the tale of the tape.

And as pervasive and dangerous as the situation already is, it seems only to be growing. The recent spate of drug trafficking especially in the corridors of this part of Africa, raises serious concerns that needs to be addressed sooner than later. Our young people are already suffering from the calamities of addictions to drugs like marijuana, the last thing we need is an overdose of cocaine inflow in the country to add salt to wound. The government and the security services must take measures to ensure this development is halted before we become an African Mexico.

And to young people, here’s a piece of advice: nothing good comes out of trying to impress your peers who push you try out a sniff. Once you get addicted to get any kind of drug, God help you if think you can get off it easily.     

Celebrating Mediocrity Or African Pride

So after an inspiring but ultimately disappointing second appearance by the Black Stars at the first World Cup to be held on African soil, I     stayed up late Monday night to watch on TV the live telecast of the arrival of the team and the pomp and pageantry that subsequently ushered them back home. I must admit I wasn’t so keen on anything football after the first couple of hours after the Uruguay game Friday evening. The sheer shock of the defeat and the manner in which it came was enough to rid me of all the love and joy I had for what was supposed to be the beautiful game. Although to be honest, it didn’t begin with the Suarez handball, no matter how despicable it was, but rather the Asamoah Gyan penalty miss. The kick, at the long end of one-twenty minutes of hard work, that was supposed to send Ghana, and the whole continent of Africa, to her first semi-final. So close and yet so far. Apparently it isn’t just Atlas who sometimes feels the wait of the world on his shoulders; the only difference is that I’m still alive today to write this blog and Asamoah Gyan totally shattered the hopes and dreams of an entire continent. But, ahem, being the writer that I am, soon objectivity sets in and I just have to see all of what happened(and is happening) in its true light. Therefore I’m driven to ask the question: What are Ghanaians really celebrating?

There’s no doubt that the pain and disappointment I felt, and still feeling somewhat, is one that can be fully expressed by each and every man, woman and child on this continent who has any inclination whatsoever towards football and the bigger picture of African pride. Relegated to the background for so long it is only natural that whatever glimmer of opportunity to shine in the face of the world will be jumped upon. So sitting in my room watching the Black Stars descend from the plane into a human-aisle of cheering fans handing out bouquets and welcoming back their heroes got me thinking: Is a quarter-final appearance so satisfactory and such a huge achievement for Ghana and so many African countries, when Brazil sacked its coach after failing to get past that stage? Or was the expectation of the country so low that whatever disappointment suffered after the game was quickly smothered by the realisation of what the Stars had actually achieved?

Because here’s the truth: Not a lot of Ghanaians had much hope of us going further than the group stages, after a couple of not very impressive friendlies prior to the tournament itself, even if nobody was bold enough to admit it. But then the young men showed true character and resilience from the start and Ghanaians began to believe. For the first time in a long forgotten while an African team was showing the maturity and pragmatism typical of the Europeans and South Americans. And believe we did, until a certain Suarez was brave and gutsy enough to turn goalkeeper and keep his country in the race, even if he himself fell out. Now he’s the most hated footballer in the minds of most Africans, not very surprisingly; branded a cheat and despised for his willingness to suffer for his country. Whilst our men, presented with as equal an opportunity as there could ever be to progress, just had to go and shoot themselves in the foot, thanks to a seemingly selfish intent(what with the little row between Gyan and Appiah over who should take the pen). And yet we do welcome them back home with pomp and pageantry, not that we shouldn’t; they tried, apparently not hard enough. It wasn’t their fault, I’ve heard some say. So whose fault was it? Certainly not the one who flunked a glorious opportunity, no, it happens. Go the African way and blame it on anybody but yourself. That’s where my beef with all this stems from: our perpetual inability to not recognise our faults and find ways to address them, but rather throw the blame around. It’s true the Stars did well when they weren’t expected to; and unlike the other African countries we had better organisation, a long-serving coach, a good FA, and commendable government support. Those are all positives to take from, they raised the bar high. But if you do well when you’re not expected to, you should even better when you are. And that’s what we didn’t.

This may seem a harsh criticism, but only because its coming from someone who has no room for mediocrity. I’m tired of us Africans congratulating and patting ourselves on the back for average work, and blaming others for our mistakes. As much we applaud the Stars for at least the effort, we should as well accept that we shoot ourselves in the foot too many times. Imagining what could have been is painful work!        

GHANA 1 SERBIA 0: A FIRST FOR AFRICA

So after a lacklustre start from the African teams the Black Stars fought hard to deliver to this continent her first win at the first World Cup to be held on her soil. Asamoah Gyan’s 85th minute penalty ensured Ghana took maximum points to the board and save a little face for the whole of Africa. A feeling deeply expressed by Asamoah Gyan's declaration. With the whole world looking on as South Africa hosted the Cup, a lot was expected of the African teams that represented the continent, with one of the them expected to at least make the semi-finals. And Ghana rekindled that hope with a win on Sunday.

The match itself was lovely to behold, with both teams intent on going forward. With the Serbians fielding their best eleven, the Black Stars looked a tad the underdog with her young albeit determined and skilful squad, and the likes of Appiah and Muntari on the bench. In the end however, the young men of Ghana displayed great ability on the ball and made life a little bit easier for themselves and the hearts of the entire nation in their second consecutive appearance at the World Cup.

But the thing that’s got me feeling all proud and more patriotic( if that’s possible) this wet Monday morning, is the leadership tendency of this country when everyone else seems unable to rise up to the task. Being the first Black African country to gain independence, we carry an unofficial tag of responsibility to set the pace for the rest of the continent to follow. And on more than a few occasions we have shown ourselves more than able to rise up to the task both politically and in sports. It wasn’t a year ago that the Under 20’s won the world cup held in Egypt for the first time. Also the first for any African side. Pace-setting is what this country seems to do best. In the last World Cup held in Germany, Ghana once again asserted her reputation by becoming the only country from the continent to progress to the second round of the competition. Ghana was the first nation from Africa to qualify for this World Cup, and on Sunday they proved why. And that’s just in the area of sports. Politically we do more than our share, setting examples in the area of democracy and good governance. Obama’s visit says it all. Not to drag on for long, the Black Stars have done themselves and the continent a favour, lets hope and pray that the rest of the African teams follow suit.         

Caught Up In The Fever

This past week has been hectic, to say the least. In the last few days, especially, I have been mighty occupied with work. A lot of work. I’ve been upping the ante on my schedule to try to beat a deadline and also get the momentum going on my debut novel, before I’m completely immersed in the euphoria that is fast beginning to hit the country and continent as a whole, thanks solely, to the approaching World Cup in South Africa. Africa’s first World Cup, of course. Being a huge lover of football( and I say huge in a euphemistic sense, with obsessive the true word here) it is highly unlikely that I would get enough work done over the full month the tournament would span, seeing as I wouldn’t miss this most historic event for anything. That’s why I’ve been staying up late and getting up earlier than usual in an effort to get as much work done as I possibly can.

But on Wednesday night I couldn’t help but put a couple of things on hold to sit in front of the TV to watch the Ghana Black Stars play Holland in the first of two friendly matches scheduled in preparation for the World Cup. I had to see the game because like every football-loving Ghanaian, the Black Stars live in any football game is one for the archives and not to be missed. Add to that the need to satisfy the curiosity surrounding the shape and form of a team bereft of one or two key players in the run-up to the World Cup and you have a solid excuse. In the end, however, it was precious time wasted, as I sat through ninety minutes of agony with a visibly deep frown on my forehead and my head slovenly rested in the palm of my hand. The Stars rather too friendly for the tag of the match, going down by four goals to one to a Dutch side that didn’t even playing to their full potential. And there has been several reasons given for the poor showing: precaution against injury the major one. Whatever it is I pray the Stars see the need to perform well in this Africa’s first World Cup, as we continue to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the number one Pan-Africanist.

Because whether we like it or not, more than half the world is waiting with baited breaths, poised to jump in for the kill should anything negative, no matter how minute it might be, happen in South Africa in the course of the tournament. Over the years this continent has been dubbed “dark” by the West, producing nothing good besides its natural resources and unable to take care of its own, much less the whole world. The sad truth is, the big picture always seems to reflect that tag, with wars and conflicts the major headline heading out of the continent. So it shouldn’t be surprising if the rest of the world is a bit apprehensive about heading out to the “dark” continent to play in the World Cup. All we can do is hope and pray that the better developed SA will make the continent proud and prove to the world and ourselves that we’re gradually moving away from the tag of “dark” continent. So good luck to all the teams participating, but more so to the African teams. May your youthful exuberance make us proud.        

Young People And Social Networks

So I decided on the subject of today’s blog after my twelve going on thirteen year old brother came home from school Friday afternoon all smiles with the news that he’d finally gotten himself a Facebook account. He’d signed up, as he very happily put it. Apparently the authorities who run the computer lab in his school allow for a bit of web surfing time to the upcoming teens, and almost all of them found the most popular site in Africa irresistible. Now my brother, he’s barely a teenager, not nearly old enough to sign anything, and from what I know of signing on to a social network like Facebook, you have to be a certain age.

So I got to asking him how he was able to do achieve this magnificent unprecedented feat, but stupid me, shouldn’t I have known! The internet, and in this case Facebook, as we all know, or like to think we know anyway, isn’t exactly this artificially intelligent super machine able to determine the true age of a user merely by the speed of their typing. It’s controls couldn’t be more open to manipulation. All you needed was a little embellishment of your age and you’re in. And that is what my little brother did. Seems simple enough, right? But why go to the trouble?

Why does a twelve year old already overburdened with homework, suddenly feel such a strong need to be on a social network? Because as far as I can tell he has enough networking going on with his outdoor-loving friends. Could it just be because he sees his older brother on the phone(on Facebook) chatting away with friends and sharing opinion on social issues and to see who poked him, and wanted so much to be part of this community? Or could it simply be the age-old syndrome of younger brother wanting to be like older brother? Perhaps it’s both. But the way I see it, the former is more likely the case, seeing as the onset of the 21st century ushered in an age of digital technology akin to the genetic makeup of young people. The internet and all its benefits including social networking. Young people all over the world, including myself, love to stay in touch with each other, and have loved to do so since time immemorial. What has changed in the 21st century is that we are no longer just staying in touch by meeting face to face on campuses and in parks and at church. We’re meeting up even when hundreds of miles apart. And we’re making friends with people we’ve never met. And that is what’s cool about all this!

I remember the period before I joined the community of social networking, every where I turned there was talk about a particular social network be it Facebook or Twitter or MySpace. And the pride that went along with it. Oh, I’m on Facebook and Oh, I’m on Twitter! Used to wonder what the fuss was about. And then I couldn’t listen to a radio programme without hearing the words “And you can post your comments on our Facebook page”. Apparently there was a whole community of people from all over the world out there somewhere sharing thoughts and opinions that I was missing out on. And seeing as I’m not one to miss out on big things, I joined Facebook. And now I can say “Oh, I’m on Facebook and Twitter”. And it was great. Still is great(most of the time). I made new friends with people from all over the world. Blacks, Whites, Asians. Absolutely no boundaries whatsoever. Not the colour of your skin or tone of your accent. It was just a big bunch of likable people willing to extend a virtual hand of friendship. And I haven’t looked back since then. But it hasn’t been all rosy, I can tell you. It hasn’t been all rosy. There have been times when I’d thought of signing out and never coming back. Why? Well here’s why.

Because it tends to get addictive. No sooner have I woken from bed and I just have to go online and see who poked me, sent me a message or said what. I used to brush my teeth before I spoke to God in the morning. Now I go online before I brush my teeth. My email inbox used to do that to me, but now it’s Facebook. And that’s not even the worst part. More often than not you get to make friends who post interesting things on their page. Posts you can think about and comment on. And then there are the ones who seem to have nothing but, excuse the language, absolute crap to say. Posts that have no meaning whatsoever. Talking about body parts and sexual innuendos over and over again. But you can’t unfriend them since they send you birthday wishes on your birthday! Then again it just might be the freedom that comes with social networks. I’ll tell you this, no matter how bad a post might be, or however irritating it is to have someone tag you a photo, it only goes to highlight how much freedom there is to be had with social networks. And that is why young people are so smitten with them. Because, like one female Facebook friend of mine said, “It’s an avenue to make new friends and reunite with old ones, and even meet your future spouse!” I bet she’s looking forward to that one. Another one observed, “It’s a place to speak your mind freely”. Because so much of Africa has been under military dictatorships for so long, and the consequent lack of freedom of speech it brings, and because so many of Africa’s youth have missed out on the experience due to wars and conflicts, I guess we will jump at any opportunity to be normal free-speaking, opinionated youths!

Welcome To My Blog!

Hi, there, all you potential visitors to and readers of my blog. Welcome! I hope you find the thoughts of an imaginative and opinionated young man interesting. I know I do. My name is Nana Kwarteng, and I’m an aspiring writer. I’m also an ardent supporter of everything youth and young people, and this is my blog. This is my mouthpiece. It’s is a site devoted to the problems and concerns of young men and women, from social issues to politics to identity conflicts. If it affects the youth, it’ll be blogged about.

Young people of today, including myself, are more aware of the world we live than ever before. We’re concerned about our future, the environment, our various national governments and it’s politics, and we want to talk about them. More importantly we want to be heard when we talk about them, seeing as we’re the beneficiaries and sufferers of all that goes on in the world today. And what better way to be heard than through the liberating medium of the internet. Through blogging!

So over the coming weeks and years(hopefully) expect to be inundated with blogs on all issues from dubious politicians manipulating young people for a selfish evil end to crazy social topics like relationships. Cause if it affects the youth, it’ll be blogged about.