tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69461035180259461282024-02-18T20:42:20.651-08:00Kwame's African Renaissance Blog Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-69672341579357735822015-04-03T11:21:00.003-07:002015-04-03T11:21:45.483-07:00Dr. Bawumia and the NPP Brand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nana Akuffo Addo's running mate, Dr. Bawumia</td></tr>
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Successful business corporations have brands whose worth sometimes exceeds their actual market value. The Apple electronic brand stands for freshness and creativity. Volvo evokes a sense of safety in consumers. What does the New Patriotic Party (NPP) brand evoke in you? </div>
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Strong political parties have unique brands rooted partly in their founding history. To unpack the founding history, it is important to know who the founders were, what they did for a living, and what major event(s) triggered the party’s formation. It is also useful to understand the founders’ development philosophy. In this regard, the NPP has a unique brand imbued with meaning that helps differentiate it from others in the “political market place.” Party brands, if managed well, yield dividends in what pundits call “political equity,” which pays off at the polling booths. </div>
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The NPP brand appeals to people of all socio-economic persuasions, but particularly to a unique crop of youthful middle class. Bright Simons, an entrepreneur and social commentator, labels them the Aspirational Class, instead, describing them as “having a mix of entrepreneurial pursuits with the hunt for professional pedigree.” They tend to consist of professionals, intellectuals and businessmen and women from both white and blue-collar professions. A shining example is the Broadcast Journalist, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who is set to contest the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency of the Eastern Region. This does not mean that the party alienates the underclass. What it means is that, unlike its archrival, <i>the party neither glorifies nor preys on electorates’ material poverty to perpetuate itself in power</i><b>.</b> It is in this context that the political equity Dr. Bawumia, an Economist and NPP’s Vice Presidential Candidate, brings to the table is best appreciated.</div>
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In light of this, the NPP rolls out smart economic and social policies that facilitate the upper mobility of the poor. An excellent example is Ex-President Kuffour’seight-year tenure. Inspired by the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, Kuffour’s robust policies grew the economy, and put Ghana on the lower middle-income trajectory for the first time in the country’s history. He achieved this feat partly by slashing in half the proportion of Ghanaians living in extreme poverty and hunger, a feat that earned him the prestigious World Food Prize award in 2011. </div>
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In spite of his government’s shortcomings, Kuffour managed to reinforce and consolidate the party brand. His government’s strategy came to demonstrate what is possible when competent politicians and technically skilled elite force work intelligently with the private sector for the common good. By growing the economy, expanding the middle class and shrinking the underclass, Kuffour put a positive spin on the party brand, helping to appreciate its value. </div>
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Today, Dr. Bawumia is well positioned to play a crucial role in marketing the party brand, especially to the aspirational youth. To put it in a “dumsonian” language, he is increasingly becoming light to everything dark in President Mahama’s handling of the stunting economy. He is well educated, intelligent, analytically rigorous, and above all, gracious. </div>
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His well-acclaimed public lectures employ evidence-based technical analysis in diagnosing the fundamental ills of the economy. For example, he predicted the infamous currency depreciation last year before it finally hit. By mid 2014, the Ghana Cedi became the worst performing currency in the world, behind conflict-prone Ukraine. In March of the same year, he also foresaw and warned government to clean up the fiscal space or risk bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). True to his words, President Mahama recently succumbed to a bail out loan of almost one billion dollars from the IMF. <i>These lectures are not only elevating the standards of public discourse, but are most importantly revolutionizing the approach to policy formulation and implementation.</i> This is a healthy development, given how new crop of militant government communicators have seized the airwaves and effectively diluted important public discourses to propagate parochial agendas. </div>
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The former Bank of Ghana Deputy Governor has transformed himself into the new poster child of the NPP brand. His value to the party derives not from seeking to transform its nature or character. That foundation has already been laid decades ago, thanks to the likes of Professor Adu Boahen, Dr. Abrefa Busia, and Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah. Dr. Bawumia is valuable because he has become the major identifiable figure in our time that is actively re-aligning the party to its root, steeped in intellectual rigor, under the firm leadership of Akuffo-Addo. He is not reinventing the plot; he is retelling the party’s story to a new generation. </div>
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Despite his obvious pluses, Dr. Bawumia has come under barrage of attacks by his opponents as being inexperienced—a political neophyte. It is true that Ghanaians do not yet know how effective the Economist would prove himself as an active politician. What everybody, including his opponents know, however, is the man’s solid grasp of economic fundamentals of the country. Besides, does political experience in itself leads to good governance outcomes or actually impedes them? </div>
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Some pundits are of the view that having political experience actually tends to kill idealism by forcing candidates to conform to the often-toxic status quo. To quote H. Kwasi Prempeh, a Law Professor, “political experience gives [candidates] close familiarity with the tricks and loopholes in the system.” </div>
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In a way, the President of Ghana, John Mahama, vindicates the law Professor. As the most politically experienced and prepared president in the history of the nation, Mahama is also perceived by many as the worst performer, at least in the Fourth Republic. </div>
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A PhD student at Northwestern University, Kofi Asante, also weighed in using the United States President, Barrack Obama, as an example. According to him, the "...appeal that Obama had was that he was a fresh face, in a sense, a non-establishment guy, he was not steeped in the bad old ways of partisanship, of big money, the lobbies etc.”</div>
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As running mate to the influential Akuffo-Addo, it is easy to see the transformational power that their collective leadership would unleash on the nation. This is the political equity that Dr. Bawumia brings to the party. He is helping to establish a significant and differentiated presence of the NPP in the political marketplace, thereby retaining loyal party base and attracting new supporters.</div>
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When you visualize the NPP brand in 2015 under the current leadership duo, what do you see? Many see smart policies, middle class growth, and economic transformation. Needless to say, Dr. Bawumia’s contribution to this branding can hardly be overemphasized.</div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-91005194108326945982014-01-03T21:05:00.000-08:002014-11-17T19:18:56.417-08:00Introduce Rationality into Traditional African Thought<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kwame.bidi/posts/10201780828937022">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kwame.bidi">Kwame E Bidi</a>.<br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I will start this post by invoking Stephen Hawkings, arguably the most celebrated scientist in modern times. In his critically acclaimed book, The Grand Design, which he co-authored with Leonard Mlodinow, he stated unapologetically thus, "...philosophy is dead." His reason is that "traditional philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics. He continued, "Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost all Ghanaian and African philosophers can be classified as traditional philosophers in a sense. Their scholarship forms the mainstream narrative on African philosophical thought. They helped in various ways to clarify the African traditional conception of the universe by distilling from centuries-old mythologies, taboos, oral stories, songs and symbols to provide a near-unified theme on African thought and beliefs. While this endeavor is commendable, it is also problematic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of these thinkers got stuck in the mainstream conventional narrative and almost never moved on from there. There was hardly any identifiable crop of alternative thinkers who undertook rational distillation of the mythical narratives enshrined in African philosophy in light of contemporary knowledge (enabled largely by advancement in science and technology). Thus, concepts such as "spirit child" or Abiku, oracle, ghost, or ancestral worship with its attendant rituals, still remain unchallenged in any way. This gap, in my view, explains why Africa's 21st century still mimics European medieval eras, in its uncanny reception to everything otherworldly and supernatural, even among our respected scientists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One social commentator, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=589773906" href="https://www.facebook.com/bbsimons" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Bright Simons</a> gave a disturbing account of a prominent Ghanaian astrophysicist who attempted to explain an eclipse in spiritual and biblical terms on national TV. In another instance, Dr. Gadzekpo, the Director of Ghana Institute of Languages, engaged the services of spiritualists to help ward off suspected ghosts at the institute's premises with taxpayers' money in 2012. In an interview he granted to Citi News, he said,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">We have been having very serious nocturnal strange happenings at the Institute of late. It’s becoming very alarming... I am talking about ghosts and evil spirits who have been coming, banging doors and struggling over doors with the security guards and at times strangling them...”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Curiously, </span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">these outdated worldviews by the two personalities still remain unchallenged by any modern-day thinker. The silence of the public seems to betray the uncomfortable reality that these views are actually mainstream and not fringe ones. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Allied to the above, the rise of African consciousness in the post-colonial era centered for the most part on identity politics and occurred predominantly as a tacit backlash against the hegemonic Western scholarship, which effectively attempted to undermine the authenticity of African philosophy as a serious academic endeavor. Justifiably, African writers and thinkers turned to the continent's mythic past to recreate an authentic and distinct philosophy in the modern age, and in the process birthed what I call an anachronistic philosophy, which for the most part bears no practical relevance to the modern world. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">The scientific era brought in its wake a system of thought that explained the world in realistic terms away from the dark and overly superstitious past where ghosts, spirit children, witchcraft and many such other unfounded beliefs resided. In many parts of Africa and other poor areas of the Global South, these beliefs are still potent in ways that affect everyday lives of people and stunts their material and scientific development. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a need to critically re-examine traditional African philosophy in light of today's knowledge. Rationality should be forced into the narrative. The goal will be to render African philosophy relevant to the practical realities of the modern world. Perhaps the traditional philosophers have laid down a foundation; it is time to build on it.</span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-36607671203735182432013-06-28T09:48:00.000-07:002014-11-17T19:03:56.381-08:00Our Culture vs. the Law: Ups and Downs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">This article is prompted by the
Supreme Court’s handling of the thorny issue of contempt outside of court,
technically referred to as “ex facie curie,” in the ongoing presidential
petition. I begin on the simple premise that what enhances our progress as a
nation in one sphere stifles our progress in other spheres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Specifically, our unique cultural
virtue of forgiveness and tolerance make us a peaceful people…but at what cost?
“Could there possibly be a down side to a good virtue that is exercised with
the best of intentions?” you might ask almost absent-mindedly. My answer is
yes. I will explain, but first, let me mention that I will use President
Mahama and Mr. Awuku to represent different power hierarchies in the Ghanaian
political system. I do not intend to invoke partisan sentiments to please or
displease any particular faction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The Supreme Court, led by Judge
William Atuguba, issued three unambiguous warnings to the public on three
separate occasions against making contemptuous remarks. According to the
court, contemptuous statements, by their deceitful nature, tend to mislead and inflame
passions of unsuspecting members of society, and could ultimately lead to chaos
and conflict. Needless to say, these warnings came from the highest court of
the Republic of Ghana adjudicating over a uniquely sensitive case with no
precedent of its nature and importance. Ordinarily, you would expect political
leaders to hold their followers in check against making unguarded comments
while the case is still being decided in court. However, the situation on
ground has proven to be the polar opposite, leaving respectable members of
society baffled. The troubling situation is that it is not only the “young and
inexperienced” NPP Deputy Communication’s Director, Samuel Awuku, who is guilty
of breaching the court orders; the President himself, John Dramani Mahama, may
as well be guilty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">At the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary
ceremony of a gathering in the Eastern Region, the President made a
controversially contemptuous public statement to the effect that his presidency
is God-ordained. This is coming at the time that his legitimacy as the
president of Ghana is being decidedly challenged in court. His message may
sound harmless on the surface, but it carries grave implications for a)
national peace and security and b) the integrity of the Supreme Court. His
message provides a moral justification for his over-zealous supporters to cause
a “Jihad” sort of mayhem in the event that the court ruling does not go in
favor of his administration. This is a classic indirect ex facie curie, but the
Supreme Court did not consider it contemptuous enough or chose to ignore it,
despite issuing a number of warnings just weeks ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Constitutionally, we know the
president cannot be cited for contempt by any court. Ace Ankomah, the legal
pundit, commenting on this post on my Facebook timeline, stated, “Citing the
President for contempt will unleash a major constitutional crisis. He cannot be
the subject of any civil, criminal or quasi-criminal proceedings whilst in
office.” But he was quick to add, “…his continued breach of the law could be a
ground for impeachment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Finally, the Supreme Court
found a perfect scapegoat—a young and ambitious Samuel Awuku—who allegedly
described one of the court's punitive measures as “hypocritical and selective.”
The Atuguba-led judges appear to have had enough; the rod of justice must
strike. However, what unfolded next may surprise the rest of the world, but not
Ghanaians. It will effectively launch us into the primary import of this
article.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The judges took more than one
hour out of court proceedings to deliberate and decide on what to do with this
individual. Yes, one hour of Supreme Court’s time! Psychologists have long
noted that certain kinds of punishment actually reinforce undesirable
behaviors, instead of curbing them. In this case, giving the culprit an unprecedented
attention on national television is a powerful negative reinforcer, especially
if the punishment is not deterrent enough. Eventually, the court decided to
temper justice with mercy, as the respondents and petitioners both pleaded on
his behalf, in line with the Ghanaian culture of forgiveness and tolerance. He
later issued an apology. In Justice Atuguba’s ruling on the case, he stated,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“We have considered the
candid admission of Mr. Sammy Awuku’s utterances…in reaction to the final
warning of the Court with regard to improper reportage and the previous
warnings of this court concerning contemptuous comments, utterance and
attitudes towards this apex court of Ghana, issued just on the 24th day of June
2013. He has apologised and withdrawn the same before this Court and has
further undertaken to repeat the retraction by 6pm today.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mr. Awuku’s only punishment for
willingly flouting the rules of the court was exclusion from court proceedings
for the duration of the case. The judges exercised a prime Ghanaian cultural
virtue of forgiveness and tolerance. Is this not a good and humane gesture? I
do not necessarily think so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The tendency to forgive, even
after three warnings by the highest court of the land, is partly what makes
Ghana a uniquely peaceful country in Africa—but also notoriously lawless.
Principles do not run deep enough, and laws are not applied consistently across
board. This same reason explains why corruption is deeply entrenched in
society—one can break the law with impunity, but find ways and means to evade
punishment, especially if they are a “somebody”…but what happens to the
“nobodies”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">If the Supreme Court needed
only an apology, after three forewarnings on-camera, in order to allow the
sword of justice to strike on a willful contemnor, I do not see how that sends
a good signal to ordinary Ghanaians to uphold the law off-camera. In my view,
if the President himself had been reprimanded publicly by the Court for his
problematic declaration in the first place, Mr. Awuku would have been reasonably
deterred. By applying what seems to be selective justice, the court was somehow
obliged to pardon Mr. Awuku in order to avoid a possible public backlash
from the opposition faction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
culture of forgiveness is great and has caused our peace as a nation to be
abundant, but the opportunity cost is that our principles are shallow, our
application of justice is selective, and this creates the right conditions for
corruption to thrive. What enhances our progress in one sphere stifles our
progress in other spheres, but how do we deal with this apparent paradox?
Perhaps it is time our well-placed intellectuals paid scholarly attention to
some of our subtle little devils.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-86152263976380371542013-02-17T19:18:00.001-08:002014-01-03T21:39:25.504-08:00The Problem of Superstition in Ghana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LUhbiBhGNRpYxLnpFkNvJAFrAhoY4N7nA55lnk8KKQMp2DBY02TUP_z7Q926O2_ocWkySoPa_UtJXw79InYZ-RP8QNP0Vwl7vj2mWiplzt0nsnh_ehDJu8xYusmyzIXncEC2T77u3e0/s1600/Bempah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LUhbiBhGNRpYxLnpFkNvJAFrAhoY4N7nA55lnk8KKQMp2DBY02TUP_z7Q926O2_ocWkySoPa_UtJXw79InYZ-RP8QNP0Vwl7vj2mWiplzt0nsnh_ehDJu8xYusmyzIXncEC2T77u3e0/s320/Bempah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our country has more than its
fair share of active believers. What it lacks are active thinkers and problem
solvers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A dangerous trend is beginning
to take root in Ghana. It is the practice of doom prophecy, targeting the
elites and the powerful. Where it came from? Same place where Internet fraud
aka Sakawa and Okada originated: Nigeria. The practice survives in very
superstitious societies where people would rather believe anything than think
one thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We’re getting ahead of
ourselves; let’s take a U-turn and situate the issue in context. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The year was 2007, and Akosombo dam,
Ghana’s main source of electric power, was receding past the minimum threshold,
but the government didn’t have a backup plan to the rescue. The president
assured staff of Volta River Authority (VRA) that “God will not allow the dam
to hang”, implicitly implying that the power problem was indeed spiritual. Not
surprisingly, the message was well received by Ghanaians. Many pastors and
their followers took to Akosombo, prayed and shed tears for several days.
Apparently, the tears were not enough to fill the dam—perhaps the entire nation
was needed to pull off the trick. Today, the power situation is worse but we
didn’t pause to ask what became of those productive hours spent praying for
some miracle rain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Then again, the Kotoka
International Airport was suffering from years of mismanagement and corruption.
Shutdown was imminent. The management of the airport thought the best way to
use taxpayers’ money was to fly a certain man of God from abroad to pray for
the company. It was hoped that a miracle would follow. It didn’t. The
problem persisted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To many Ghanaians anything that
is inexplicable must be spiritual. Our locus of control is dangerously
external. <i>“What do you mean Akua’s headache hasn’t gone since
yesterday? Have you called the doc doct…I mean the pastor?”</i> Thinking
and problem solving can’t help spiritual matters, can they? Forget the school
and focus on the church. Any wonder that our places of worship are ultra modern
while our schools are ultra jungle? Or that our chapels outnumber our
educational units and hospitals?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The media, the local movie
industry and most churches try to make us believe that problems of
underdevelopment and poverty are all machinations of some devil and his earthly
agents. Witches and wizards are the easy targets. <span style="color: #323333;">However,
do most Ghanaians actually know that other countries escaped poverty and other
problems associated with developing countries NOT by spiritually binding their
own witches and wizards, but through thinking and problem solving? Isn’t it
true that it was breakthrough in science and technology—agriculture and
industrial revolutions—that actually freed the European witches and wizards
from their camps? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This pattern of thought is
deeply entrenched in the Ghanaian psyche and has survived because it has evaded
questioning and critical analysis. We’re feeding children with this absurd dose
of superstition, and without the benefit of travel, which often challenges such
a worldview by confronting it with alternative ones, our nation is fast
becoming a haven for miracle-seeking zombie-like people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now back to the main story.
This year, God has chosen to reveal to Rev. Dr. Owusu Bempah, founder of
Glorious Word Power Ministries International, that the sitting president
is going to die. According to him, intercessional prayers are required to
reverse this calamity. Many religious leaders, including Bempah’s trainer,
Archbishop Duncan-Williams, have expressed divided opinion on the prophecy.
Many have brushed it aside as an attention-seeking stunt, while others,
including the Rev Eastwood Anaba, have braced themselves up for prayers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Pause briefly to examine the
nature of the prophecy. It’s such that it’s impossible to be proven wrong. What
can’t be proven wrong is always right. What is always right is practically
useless. Why? Because it adds nothing to our body of knowledge. Thus, if by
coincidence the president dies this year, just like 100s of Ghanaians would,
the prophet is vindicated. If he doesn’t die, it was so because God listened to
the prayers. Again, Bempah is vindicated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember the former President,
Attah Mills? The reverend apparently foretold his death, and again, laid
down intercessionary prayer as conditionality for his survival. Really? First,
the former president was already down with cancer, which only a few survive
anyway. He died. Had he survived past 2012, he’d have done so only because God
heard the prayers and decided to intervene. Sensed the absurdity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I posit that Bempah’s prophecy
itself is a lifeless pronouncement unless the president and Ghanaians decide to
animate it by believing in it. This is how it works. Once we collectively
believe it, we succumb our will to it, endowing it with the power to shape our
reality. If our faith in it becomes complete, it overgrows our reality, saps
away its life, and eventually becomes indistinguishable from it. What becomes
of the president ultimately then, is nothing more than the sum of our
individual and collective realities, which in this case is the product of our
misplaced belief. Essentially, we’d have succeeded in creating our own reality
to mirror Bempah’s prophecy. It is analogous to a dream, which is but a vivid
projection of our own subconscious thoughts and aspirations, although it is an
entirely false reality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s a scenario to underscore
the point. The president complains of a minor headache weeks after Bempah’s
pronouncement. Before the prophecy, he would’ve have brushed it off or taken an
over-the-counter pain killer. The following day, he’s back to work at the
Jubilee house fit and sound. With this prophecy however, things are going to be
different. Family members and friends will start to panic. He’d receive
numerous calls asking about his health. He becomes overly conscious of the
headache and gives it extra attention than it deserves. He starts to think the
headache may have something to do with the prophecy. He begins to succumb to fear,
his blood pressure rises, and he becomes sleepless and agitated. Sleeplessness
weakens his immune system, giving way to other diseases. He’s rushed to the
hospital, but the doctor finds nothing wrong with him organically. This makes
him and his family even more nervous. “Bempah must be right”, they whisper to
each other. Next, the president is rushed to spiritual healers for
prayers and rituals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, if he regains his health
in the process by placebo effect, the prophecy has come to pass. If he dies,
the prophecy has been fulfilled. In both cases, the reverend’s power and
influence would have soared, reaffirming superstitious beliefs. The next
Sunday, Ghanaians flood his chapel for prayers and miracles. He makes plenty
money and becomes rich and powerful overnight. “God blesses his obedient
servants with riches and wealth”, he tells his congregation. In fact, his life
becomes very “tasty” like “aluguntugui.” Funny, huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Belief works like a parasitic
organism. It has no material substance, form nor shape, but it is potent with
incredible capabilities. Its power lies in its ability to sap life from the
living brain, neutralize its critical thinking ability, and then subsume it.
Once the process is complete, the brain becomes an empty shell that houses and
protects its new host. Younger brains are particularly susceptible to this
phenomenon. Ever wondered why the Taliban prefers young boys and girls for its
suicide missions? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A society like ours that feeds
on what I term “unproductive beliefs” such as unfounded superstition regresses
while societies that feed on productive beliefs progress. Productive belief is
a refined and evolved one that has survived “thinking” in the form of
questioning and doubting. Believing in the power of the human intellect, for
instance, is an example of a productive belief because it leads to discoveries
and inventions that improve life. Unproductive beliefs are unrefined: they are
pampered and “saved” from thinking. “Just believe…you’re asking too much
questions. Where is your faith”, they say. In fact, critical thinking poisons
and kills unproductive beliefs in the same way that freedom kills communism.
They survive in the minds of people who would rather believe anything told them
than think one thing for themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The human specie has evolved
greatly over the millennia through an ongoing series of complex adaptions. Each
successive adaption was a victory for our survival. Perhaps superstition had a
survival value for our ancestors in pre-modern societies. Today, however,
progress in science has rendered its value useless. Many people no longer think
of drought or epidemics as punishments from some loving deity. Child prodigies
aren’t witches or wizards with some “spiritual” capabilities. Rain doesn’t stop
to fall into the Akosombo dam because a deity has spiritually withheld
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Isn’t it time we applied
thinking and problem solving to our numerous challenges using the latent power
of our incredible brains? Manna no longer falls from the heavens, it is
cultivated right here on earth using available human and material resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Mr. President, I entreat you to
undertake an impossible task: Neither die nor survive 2013 to vindicate
Reverend Bempah. Just vanish, melt or something…just anything apart from dying
or living. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-64717952569486834592012-03-04T19:49:00.001-08:002013-07-01T07:15:23.161-07:00Should Ghana Sign the $3 billion Loan with China?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPGe5vhI-jPZbu8g2HFasrVqBt8CDI8aPZwSmX6V6NYGMvA0V8VW_Zbj-5RodA9ZLaSR_CQXmiRDwvxxobln1n7wVrAe1pa5LiEWuagihWLGyOGPHtdmORQvq61A5iD0in3mH7LWKqqo/s1600/Atta-Mills-in-China.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPGe5vhI-jPZbu8g2HFasrVqBt8CDI8aPZwSmX6V6NYGMvA0V8VW_Zbj-5RodA9ZLaSR_CQXmiRDwvxxobln1n7wVrAe1pa5LiEWuagihWLGyOGPHtdmORQvq61A5iD0in3mH7LWKqqo/s320/Atta-Mills-in-China.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Investment thrives on risk,
doesn’t it? The higher the risk, the higher the returns. However, the return
can go in either direction --a big win or a big loss. Ghanaians like to frame
it slightly differently and for a good reason – a gargantuan win or loss. It is
the task of the wise investor to carefully assess their risks, both obvious and
hidden, subject them to rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses before
taking a decision. This is especially critical when the investment is being
made with the taxpayers' money.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The government of Ghana is
about to make a very big loan deal with the Chinese government. The protracted
loan has generated a lot of controversy in Ghana starting from 2011. It
involves Ghana taking a $3 billion loan and paying back with 13,000 barrels of
oil daily for the next 15.5 years. It’s called “trade-by-barter” and its
underlying principle is simple: use what you have to get what you need. China has
a healthy load of cash, much of which has to be invested outside of its economy
to ensure macro-economic stability. Ghana has oil and needs capital to bring
its infrastructure to a point that maximizes gains from the product. So, the
two countries have decided to help each other out through trade. It's that
simple. The complication, however, comes from the fairness of terms of the
agreement.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Going by the current price of
crude oil ($107/barrel), the government will have to pay back 7.9 billion to
the Chinese government by the duration of the contract. Thus, interest on the
loan alone is almost 5 billion -- about 1 billion short of double the actual
loan amount. Excellent return on investment for the Chinese government! But
what about Ghana?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Two renowned professors hold
diametrically opposed views on the loan. The US-based Ghanaian Professor of
Economics at American University and President of Free Africa Foundation,
George Ayittey, who came up with the initial figures, is of the opinion that
the deal is bad for Ghana. The Professor-President of Ghana, John Evans Attah
Mills, however, believes the deal is good for the nation and is bent on pushing
it through. Professor Mills completed his doctoral thesis in the area of
taxation and economic development and is obviously not a newcomer to
quantitative analysis. So why are the two professors at odds with each other on
the Chinese loan? And by the way, Daily Guide reported on February 29 that
government of Ghana’s lawmakers have already voted in favor of the loan
agreement.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Does the deal make an
investment sense to you from the figures above? Should the government go ahead
and take this level of risk with taxpayers' money? Before you jump to a hasty
conclusion and risk breaking a leg or two, pause and reflect for a few minutes.
Well, as it turns out, the answer is not that simple when the assumptions
behind the figures are laid bare. The decision even becomes slightly...well,
call it "nightmarish" when the raw numbers are toasted in the
microwave of econometric analysis. Did I say toast in a microwave?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">First, the figures presented
earlier assume that the current price of crude oil ($107/barrel) will stay
constant over the 15.5 years of the contract’s life. Second, it does not
control for future rate of inflation. Third, the computation fails to factor in
future discount rate over the contract period. Bright Simons, the Director of
Research at an Accra-based think-tank, was quick to add one more factor which
almost eluded me initially: the figures assumed a zero rate of depreciation for
the Ghanaian currency (Cedi) over 15.5 years. At this stage, I guess you're
beginning to appreciate why the deal has "occupied" the Ghanaian
airways for over a year.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Ghana government’s
financial analysts surely did price projection for crude oil over the 15.5-year
period, taking into account historic prices of crude oil as well as interest
and inflation rates. They might have also analyzed potential national and
global events that could affect the future price of crude oil. Examples are the
financial health of major trade partners in Europe, the US and Asia; global
economic growth projections (because it affects demand for energy), and market
analysis for alternative energy sources. Perhaps, they also controlled for the
future of conflict-ridden oil producing nations such as Nigeria (thanks to Boko
Haram) and Iraq.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In fact, government officials
are more optimistic about the loan than most critics could imagine. The Chief
Executive officer of Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), Dr. Adjah-Sipa Yankey,
is reported by Reuters as saying the $700 million gas project which the loan
will finance will be able to pay off the $3 billion loan after five years.
"Once we start operations, in between four-and-a-half to 5 years we will
generate enough money to pay of[f] the entire loan and start making
profits", Dr. Yankey said to to Reuters in 2011.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And, yes, critics of the loan,
including Professor Ayittey, and many opposition party members, have done their
own analyses, too. The opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia, Dr.
Mathew Opoku Prempeh, is reported as saying the nation stands to lose $2.325
billion from the loan agreement. He continued, "… [The] negotiated
agreement makes mockery of the people of Ghana, and…smells of corruption..."
Another opposition Member of Parliament is quoted by AllAfrica.com as saying
the contract "...breached the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 815 of
2011, section 18(7) which precludes collateralization of the nation's oil for a
period not more than ten (10) years.” It is important to point out that a major
rival financial institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is also
opposed to the loan deal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On their recent posts,
Professor Ayittey and Kofi Korsah further clarified the terms of the loan
agreement. According to Ayittey, the infrastructure projects, which the loan is
meant to develop under the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA),
will be built with Chinese construction workers, not Ghanaian workers. This is
happening at a period when the unemployment rate is hovering around 11% (2000
est). He labeled the deal as a "chopstick mercantilism with a human face.”
Kofi Korsah, a London-based Ghanaian, mentioned that per terms of the contract,
the loan will be disbursed not in bulk but in tranches over a five-year period,
which further goes in favor of China.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is important to keep in mind
that the Chinese government is in business to make money, obviously. The
Chinese financial analysts likely did their own financial analysis and made
projections before crafting the terms and conditions of the loan. Should their
assumptions hold, they hope to make a good profit from the deal. A profit for
China could mean a loss for Ghana and vice versa. However, for a small economy
like Ghana, with no benefit of scale, unlike that of China, even a slight loss
could have far-reaching consequences. It is nonetheless possible that the deal
would be mutually beneficial, although China still stands a better chance,
given the present terms of the agreement -- at least from a layman’s
perspective.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The onus lies on the government
of Ghana to double-check its facts and assumptions (both explicit and implicit)
before signing the contract, as it has far-reaching ramifications for the
nation's nascent economy. Another option is for the government to push for
re-negotiation of aspects of the loan to make it fairer for both parties. Given
the information above, should the government of Ghana commit the nation to the
$3 billion loan agreement with China or not? Which of the professors’ views do
you side with? Is the answer still as simple as it seemed from the beginning?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-57708439985530014772011-08-26T18:05:00.000-07:002013-07-01T07:19:44.725-07:002011 State of the Economy and Freedom of Information Bill<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-BtJnsCy6ZdpKHK1ETdbCKP6JQ1sJRJmsJeiqwU5lKZ_3sTleR1XdT1Qp19qi4RoRmOIPfzICa_ee8nVVZtgXBYPBwU4iBeKIHHZMIlevTj2KKSJVPX4MfWEiIhgbkYM5qO6AT3zuCw/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-BtJnsCy6ZdpKHK1ETdbCKP6JQ1sJRJmsJeiqwU5lKZ_3sTleR1XdT1Qp19qi4RoRmOIPfzICa_ee8nVVZtgXBYPBwU4iBeKIHHZMIlevTj2KKSJVPX4MfWEiIhgbkYM5qO6AT3zuCw/s200/main.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">According to EconomyWatch.com, Ghana leads the</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">world as the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">fastest growing economy in 2011 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">with </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">GDP growth </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">pinned at 20%</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine, Asiedu Acquah, a Ghanaian Harvard
student currently undertaking research in London, posted these lines on his
facebook wall, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“No free access
for me to the African historical collections at Oxford University because
Ghana, by World Bank rankings, is a middle income country (not poor).”</span>He
then congratulated his country folks, but was quick to add a rather witty line
“<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">No freebies for your citizens
anymore…”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well,
officially, Ghana has attained a middle income status, more specifically, a
lower middle income. Lower middle-income countries are those with per
capita Gross National Incomes of between $1,006 and $3,975 per year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
me begin by throwing some research findings at you:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a)
According to EconomyWatch.com, Ghana leads the world as the fastest growing
economy in 2011 with GDP growth pinned at 20% b) Ghana has the largest Per
Capita Income (PCI) in West Africa and 21st on the continent c) Latest figures
released by Ghana’s Statistical Service indicate the country’s economy stands
at GH¢44 billion d) Ghana joined the league of oil producing countries in
December, 2010 with 85,000 barrels of crude oil in a day (compare that with
Nigeria’s 2.2 million per day) e) China is the fastest growing <i>largest</i> economy
in the world, but Ghana tops the world as the fastest growing economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
here is a data from EconomyWatch.com. The data points reportedly come from
the IMF’s tracker of GDP Growth in constant prices in the
national currency (not in dollars).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ghana
20.146 %, Qatar 14.337 %, Turkmenistan 12.178 %, China 9.908 %,
Liberia 9.003 %, India 8.43 %, Angola 8.251 %, Iraq 7.873 %, Ethiopia 7.663 %,
Mozambique 7.548 %, Timor Leste (East Timor) 7.4 %, Laos 7.395 %.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So,
what magic wand transformed or is transforming Ghana’s economic fortunes almost
at a cheetah’s speed? Oh the word cheetah reminds me of George Ayittey, the
Ghanaian Economist at American University and the economic revolution he seems
to be sparking among many African youth lately. You have probably heard about
Cheetah Generation; if not look at Patrick Awuah and his brainchild, <a href="http://www.talkafrique.com/topics/ashesi-university" title="Ashesi University"><span style="color: blue;">Ashesi University</span></a>—he’s
the epitome of a true African cheetah! His new campus opened last month at
Berekuso. I salute you, Mr. Awuah. As a Ghanaian diaspora myself, you’re a big
inspiration. Oops…where did we leave off? We were talking about a certain magic
wand, huh? Ok, so the wand that is transforming Ghana is quite obvious: oil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But,
wait a second. Experience has it that oil by itself does not grow an economy.
Doubt it? Well if it does, Nigeria would be the new China of Africa. Over the
past 50 years, Standard Bank estimates that the country has made about $6
trillion out of oil. However, is it even ironic that Nigeria still imports 60%
of its own fuel because it lacks domestic refining capacity and power outage is
very common? Perhaps it’s the Dutch disease or simply a Nigerian disease or a
combination of both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
me ask again, what forces are behind Ghana’s economic gains of late? I will
attempt to provide some answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a.
Oil. Thanks to Tullow, Kosmos, GNPC, the E.O Group (by Mr. George Yaw Owusu and
Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei); and the Elephant and Umbrella parties! I know some
hardwired party loyalists aren’t happy–if you’re one of them, “massa”, take it
easy! Who said the elephant can’t use the umbrella in dire weather
conditions…hurricane Irene, for example? Or the umbrella won’t add essence to
its own existence by making itself useful to the elephant? You’re laughing out
loud, aka LOL, aren’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">b.
The amazing success of the telecoms sector. You’ve got to agree with me — about
75% of Ghanaians are mobile phone subscribers, research confirms. This is
certainly a record-breaking percentage in Africa. Our grandmas and grandpas are
fast availing themselves to the technological dictates of today. Go to Nkrumah
Circle in Accra, and catch a glimpse of a dynamic African mobile phone market.
Someone once joked that Nkrumah Circle be renamed, Phone Circle. I was all for
it except that it would make it into Guinness Book of Records as the dumbest
idea in 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks
to the continued liberalization of the telecom sector by successive regimes.
Thanks also to network service providers – MTN Ghana (aka Areeba),
Vodafone, Kasapa (aka Expresso), Zain, Tigo (aka Buzz), and Airtel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the lighter side, to make it big in Ghana as a network service provider, don’t
ever go by a local name such as Kasapa. That would be a mild insult to
Ghanaians’ march to civilization aka westernization, and you’d be punished
severely by customers. Instead, choose sexy English names — Expresso, Airtel
etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">c.
Entrenched democracy. ‘Free and fair elections’, relatively strong
institutions, freedom of speech and of the press…did I miss anything? Oh yea,
even professional serial callers are tolerated — a little bit of
demo-cracy and demo-crazy mixed in a charged theatrical atmosphere of
democratic frenzy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For
your information, politics of insult is a ridiculously easy way to become a
“national hero” overnight in Ghana. Just aim at the biggest guys in office
and shoot them with mortal insults. The Police will arrest you almost
always. What next? Your entire party members would swallow their brains and
stand by you in solidarity –but that’s what being a true party member entails,
right? The media would spice it up as usual and before you know, you’re a
national hero with a towering swagger like that of Nelson Mandela.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Democracy
is sweet but abuse of democracy is bitter. As Ghanaians, we need to sorely tame
our long democratic bayonets, I mean our tongues. If that’s too difficult,
perhaps we should set our tongues on our teeth and give them fine cuts to size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">d.
Ease of doing business. Ghana is ranked 92 by the World Bank in terms of
ease of doing business. Not a great rank, but a remarkable improvement over
past rankings. Ghanaian politicians are coming to terms with the reality that
making it difficult for investors, both local and foreign, to establish
business is not the smartest strategy to grow an economy. Don’t be surprised
that it took more than five decades for the smartest amongst us to be fully
convinced of the wisdom in removing bureaucratic bottlenecks in the way for
entrepreneurs. Well, at least, we’re getting it “small small”; we aren’t going
back. That’s for sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
above records are impressive; Ghanaians need to take a break and pat themselves
on the back for enabling their lone Black Star to shine through the often dark
African clouds to the outside world. Political emancipation of <a href="http://www.talkafrique.com/topics/sub-saharan-africa" title="Sub-saharan Africa"><span style="color: blue;">Sub-saharan Africa</span></a> began
right here in Ghana, and economic emancipation seems to be gathering momentum
here again. It’s a good time to be a Ghanaian huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">However,
folks, there’s one more thing that Ghanaians need to pay particular attention
to as greatness knocks steadily on their door. There’s the need to take the
bull by the horns by passing the long-overdue <a href="http://www.talkafrique.com/topics/freedom-of-information" title="Freedom of Information"><span style="color: blue;">Freedom of Information</span></a> Act
(FOIA). The FOIA basically “…establishes rules whereby citizens, foreign
nationals, corporate bodies, and associations, etc., can request access to, and
receive information held by government agencies.” Without the Act, taxpayers
cannot challenge government agencies on how they spend their own monies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The <a href="http://www.talkafrique.com/topics/united-nations-general-assembly" title="United Nations General Assembly"><span style="color: blue;">United Nations
General Assembly</span></a>, in 1946, actually recognized that freedom of
information is a “…fundamental human right and the touchstone for all freedoms
to which the United Nations is consecrated.” Barack Obama on his historic visit
to Ghana reiterated the need for freedom of information bill. Nigeria,
under J. Goodluck, has passed FOIA into law in 2011. What is Ghana waiting for?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This
call is even more urgent given the fact that Ghana has joined the ranks of oil
producing nations and also that corruption alone is estimated to eat away
between $195 and $429 million of the nation’s revenue cake annually. Quite a
chunk of cash, isn’t it? It seems like the bad boys are making it big at the
expense of the good guys. You don’t want to encourage that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
you can do? When you make that call to Joy, Peace, Nhyira radio stations,
mention the FOIA and request that government takes action in passing it into a
comprehensive law. It won’t be too hard on your pocket, trust me. If you’re a
journalist, add your voice to mine to call attention to FOIA, if you’re a
politician, look at the long-term good of Ghana and press for FOIA. What if
you’re simply a facebook addict reading this article at myjoyonline.com,
Ghanaweb or Modernghana? Copy the link and paste in your facebook wall. The
link is colorless; it won’t tarnish your wall. Together, we accelerate the
tempo of Ghana’s march to economic freedom. Poverty sucks, you know that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To
conclude, Ghanaians once again deserve commendation for making it to the middle
income category, and for leading Africa and the world in terms of GDP growth in
2011. At this point, it’s forward ever — there is no turning back on progress.
The good news is that with the passage of the Freedom of Information
legislation, the nation stands the prospect of consolidating its economic gains
by giving Azuma Nelson’s right hand blow to corruption, and promoting a culture
of transparency and accountability in the public sector.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the end, Ghana is starved less, it grows more, and we all become better-off
–including the few ‘hardworking’ corrupt nuts. You are not one of them, are
you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-85536758147551620062011-07-15T12:32:00.000-07:002013-06-28T13:30:44.965-07:00Ghana Transitions from REST to CESI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div style="line-height: 12pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvziYk5eLLeyWQX1ob4-QYfFH3zOHhAVudTSTQW9pMes8M78Z-Rera5kxXp-oHEhG-_UT90DE_Dgi1TI9dIQbePbInS-l_iGsD2Eyt4Syank76WkwyQU6_wO-IkBpJbxwZbRqrCgW3Ag/s1600/CECI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvziYk5eLLeyWQX1ob4-QYfFH3zOHhAVudTSTQW9pMes8M78Z-Rera5kxXp-oHEhG-_UT90DE_Dgi1TI9dIQbePbInS-l_iGsD2Eyt4Syank76WkwyQU6_wO-IkBpJbxwZbRqrCgW3Ag/s320/CECI.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Macho" politics was arguably<br />
what brought Ghana from pieces of its past<br />
to peace today, but it has outlived its essence<br />
in the body politics.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Just as many countries, Ghana has had its fair share of diverse
regimes: Civilian Revolutionary (CR), Military Revolutionary (MR), and Civilian
Non-Revolutionary (CnR). In the light of the almost surprising outcome of the
recent Sunyani Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), I deem it
quite fit to examine the significance of the silent but loud change occurring
behind the scenes of Ghana’s political theater. I will also attempt to argue
for the reasons why a transition from what I term, REST
(Revolutionary-Era-Strongmen) to CESI (Civilian-Era-Strong-Institutions)
represents the natural course of politics and must not only be celebrated but
also protected by lovers of democracy and liberty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Back to the categorizations above, the government of Ghana’s first
president, Kwame Nkrumah (1957 - 1966) fits the Civilian Revolutionary (CR)
description. The regime of Jerry John Rawlings under PNDC (1981- 1993) era
started off first as Military Revolutionary (MR) but later morphed into a
Civilian Revolutionary (CR) with promise of becoming Civilian
Non-Revolutionary (CnR), but for obvious reasons still maintained the character
and personality of Military Revolutionary (MR). The New Patriotic Party (NPP),
under John Agyekum Kuffour, which came to power in 2001, typifies the Civilian
Non-Revolutionary (CnR). It ushered Ghana into an actual civilian regime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is worth mentioning that the Greek philosophy which gave birth
to modern day democracy as practiced in Ghana today puts political sovereignty
in the hands of the people under pure civilian rule or CnR. Abraham Lincoln
expressed this idea most succinctly in four words , “...Government by the
people”. The Civilian Non-Revolutionary (CnR) marks the natural resting place
of the political pendulum. Under such regimes, democracy, no matter how
imperfect it is, has a relatively better prospect of being refined and
perfected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Military take-overs can be properly understood in this context as
an <i>unnatural </i>kink in the natural order of things whose
primary essence is paradoxical: It lies not in its continued life but in its
ultimate death. For it is in its demise (make way for civilian regime) that its
true essence can be appreciated. Military revolutions are sudden and often
violent temporal clogs which halt the wheels of existing regimes and seek to
bring it to a halt. Historically, they have come about for many reasons; one of
them is to correct the supposed mismanagement of a country's affairs, and<b> </b>so
was the popular claim of the charismatic Jerry Rawlings in his heydays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In his reasons for the 1979 and 1981 military coups, Rawlings
cited “probity and accountability”, and in the name of this, executed political
opponents he considered corrupt. Many civilians also suffered various levels of
casualties. In the heat of the revolution, and under the “Let the blood flow”
chorus by the almost Nazi-like Ghanaian mass choir, no one was safe. If someone
rumored within the hearing range of ‘Big Brother’ that you owned asset A or B,
or you were close friends with a political opponent, you either flee the
country soonest or the ever flaring flames of ‘probity and accountability,’
like that in King Nebuchadnezzar’s oven in ancient Babylon, would literary
toast you down to ashes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Although democracy was restored and the nation was supposedly
ushered into civilian rule later, morbid fear still gripped the populace so
much so that freedom, especially freedom of expression, almost existed
exclusively under sinister wings of dark. I remember quite vividly as a little
boy18 years ago that my next-door neighbor, who liked to discuss politics, went
into hiding with my mom whenever they discussed the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Even though Ghana was purged of some corrupt elements and their
corrupt practices, through morally reprehensible means, it can hardly be
ignored that many innocent people lost their properties and lives under cruel
circumstances. However, as the saying goes, there is light at the end of the
tunnel. This light would challenge REST with CESI and restore the nation back
to true civilian rule where macho politics was to be hurled into historical
abyss, it belonged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As it turned out, the Civilian Revolutionary (CR) regime did not
last indefinitely. Its end was nearer than expected. After 19 years in power,
the NPP under John Agyekum Kuffour was voted into power, and for the first time
in over two decades, the political pendulum was restored to its natural resting
place – Civilian Non-Revolutionary (CnR). Freedom of speech blossomed. Ordinary
Ghanaians, including my mom’s friend, could express political dissent openly
and freely without their eyes tweaking in all directions in constant watch out
for Big Brother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When the NPP lost power to the NDC under the leadership of Prof.
Mills in 2008, some Ghanaians were happy, but none failed to wonder in awe if
Mills’ government would maintain the Civilian Non-Revolutionary (CnR) legacy
that the NPP under Kuffour ushered Ghana into. Being a rather
mild-tempered gentle Professor who was co-opted into the business of politics
by Ghana’s revolutionary godfather, no one could be absolutely sure how things
would turn out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It was not until the recent Sunyani Congress of the NDC that
Ghanaians could breathe a sigh of relief that Mills, after all, was his own man.
Judging from his overwhelming endorsement by the delegates, a lover of freedom
could not help but notice with firm affirmation the bridge that Ghanaians have
been able to cross or are crossing, at least. A new era seemed to have dawned
and those not humble enough to succumb to it are being swept by the democratic
tide into oblivion. The significance of this feat lies not in the fact that
President Mills carried the day (of course, it was obvious from the beginning),
but in the fact that he commanded a whopping 96.9% of total valid votes cast.
Who ever thought the revolutionary golden boy, aka Junior Jesus, whose wishes
transformed into holy commands by speed of light some years back, could ever
suffer such an abysmal defeat from his own party members?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In his speech at the Sunyani congress, Rawlings expressed distrust
for the judiciary institution probably because contrary to his whims it did not
arbitrarily throw members of the opposition into jail – a typical REST
tendency. He directed his anger at President Mills in particular for not
perhaps going outside of the constitutional tenets to force the judges into
acquiescing to his wishes. He spared no opportunity to hurl contemptible
remarks at the justice institution. He brought the independence and integrity
of the judiciary as an institution of state into question. According to him,
there were judges “…who serve the justice of their political masters.” He
continued, “No wonder we are in power and they are still in control of the
judiciary…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is my hope, however, that relevant civil societies and
think-tanks such as IMANI Center for Policy and Education will investigate
Rawlings’ allegation and find out if it holds some truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Remarking on Rawlings’ speech, Dr. Jonah, a Political Scientist at
KNUST told Citi News “…it will be disastrous if the president attempts to
address all the concerns of Mr. Rawlings.” He added, “There are some of the
concerns that the sitting president can address, there are others that he
cannot do anything about. For example, if he takes somebody to court and the
court says the person is not guilty, there is nothing the president can do.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is one reason why Kuffour's regime will continue to occupy a
respectable place in Ghana's political history: For the first time in decades, he
demonstrated to Ghanaians that it was possible to be president and strong
without being necessarily macho. Revolution or Macho politics was arguably what
brought Ghana from pieces of its past to peace today, but it has outlived its
essence in the body politics. A new era has come out from the turbulent tides
--it washed ashore a fragile but potent seed called democracy and it dictates
people rule, not a one-man show. The tongue is its bayonet and institutions of
state are its life force.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ghanaians have made a significant transition from REST
(Revolutionary-era-strongmen) mentality to CESI (Civilian-
Era-Strong-Institutions). It is satisfying to note that the political pendulum
is resting at its natural place -- Civilian Non-Revolutionary (CnR). This realization
should serve a clarion call for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ghanaians, especially its youth, to wake up to the task of
jealously guarding Ghana's fragile democracy and its ideals from being trampled
over. Long live Ghana’s democracy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-50542326789558893152011-03-30T12:43:00.000-07:002013-06-28T13:31:12.145-07:00Can Women Claim the 21st Century?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx9kylzhq-0MTb63Lm6ppXyosVbcVG3mrlKuF_4BAVxcOCroedWVgxudxl7wI1zsOftLeJ6pCCgUSgBYQPr_mqXKo_P7Bh-hV5UqX9H38LQqGGJafZW0ITgN4KBSKAHr-FJxwIe_EC6M/s1600/genderdiscriminationintheworkplace02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx9kylzhq-0MTb63Lm6ppXyosVbcVG3mrlKuF_4BAVxcOCroedWVgxudxl7wI1zsOftLeJ6pCCgUSgBYQPr_mqXKo_P7Bh-hV5UqX9H38LQqGGJafZW0ITgN4KBSKAHr-FJxwIe_EC6M/s200/genderdiscriminationintheworkplace02.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The issue of women empowerment
has been given much media attention in recent times. On March 25, Dr Kofi Amoah
and the management of Citizen Kofi with support from the Media Foundation for
West Africa World Bank Ghana Office, organized series of dialogues on how the
Ghanaian media portray women. Two days before that on March 23, Myjoyfmonline
published a rather flowery speech by Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, the renowned Ghanaian
journalist, at the Legon Center for International Affairs (LECIA) on the theme,
“Women Empowerment: Empowering the 21st Century woman to transform her
community”. He concluded his speech in part by a powerful statement, “I believe
this century will not be China’s… It will not be Africa’s century either. This
is the Woman’s Century”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Woman’s Century? Well,
after reading his speech, I paused for a moment to ask myself some hard
questions: Was Kwaku Sekyi-Addo simply being overambitious about the prospect
of women claiming the 21st Century? Was he aware of how the ingrained forces of
culture and religion have combined to shape the Ghanaian psyche toward women
and women in leadership positions?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To respond to these questions,
I descended the luxurious ivory tower of intellectual rhetoric to face the
facts and the practicalities of the real Ghanaian world. So what does Women
Empowerment entails, and how do ordinary Ghanaians treat and view women and
women leaders? I will attempt to address these questions using personal
experiences gathered from different parts of Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">During a field trip to Northern
Ghana as an intern at United Nations Development Program/Small Grants Program
(UNDP/SGP) in 2009, I was astonished to learn that women could not inherit
properties from their own parents. They were prohibited from openly expressing
their thoughts in community circles in the presence of men. In fact, the women
could not even shake hands with me or the rest of the team. These
practices were perpetuated not based on anything other than an unearned
natural attribute -- sex. I discovered that the women were systematically
‘programmed’ by their respective societies through early socialization to
be dependent on men. They had no independent self-worth other than that derived
from their husbands’. Once such dependency situation was established through
systematic economic disempowerment, it became much easier for the men to exert
their control, and in most cases, abused women with confidence and impunity.
Although the chasm of ‘institutionalized’ inequality among the sexes may be
wider in some parts of Northern Ghana, the reality is that sex-based
discrimination is a general problem in Ghana as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In a separate development again
in 2009, I was part of a campaign team determined to break the status quo and
put a woman in the presidency of one traditional hall in University of Ghana.
During that campaign spree, I came to understand fully the psychology of many
college students regarding women and leadership: People did not care about our
candidate’s leadership credibility and potentials. Their chief concern was the
fact that she was a female. Period. They thought it inappropriate for a woman
to seek to become the president of a mixed hall. They hurriedly cited
scriptural quotations to back their dogmatic stance and to show-off how high
they stand on the moral Richter scale. To them, it was a de jure divine
arrangement for a woman to follow instead of lead. These students therefore
deemed the perpetuation and consolidation of such a system of injustice, an act
of obedience to God or Allah. Ironically, not males alone, but some females
also held similar views.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I was not swayed nor amused by
the knee-jerk tendency of these students to dig into their favorite pages in
the scriptures to justify their entrenched position. This was partly because I
was aware that not too long ago in the history of humankind, the same
scriptures were used to justify Apartheid, racism, and ‘holy’ wars against
people of different race, nationality, and religious backgrounds. I also knew
that somewhere in the middle age, a scientist known as Galileo Galilei was
intensely pursued by the Church and eventually forced to renounce his belief
that it was the sun and not the earth that was in the center of the universe.
Galileo was lucky – the Church only excommunicated him. Many scientists and
independent thinkers at the time were burned at the stake for heresy. Why?
Because the Church, inspired by the letters of the scriptures, was convinced
that it was the divine ordering of things for the earth to be placed in the center
of the entire universe. Scriptures such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ecclesiastes</span></a> 1:5
which states, "And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place”, was
taken literally. Today, we all know the Church was wrong. However, are we
learning from the past?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">College education was meant to
increase our capacity for critical thinking, which will also mean challenging
the status quo if necessary. I personally do not believe it was just and fair
for that University of Ghana woman to be denied the opportunity to attain her
leadership goals and aspirations based on her sex. I also do not buy the idea
that any particular sex is superior or inferior to the other. Just as none
would like to be the victim of a gender-based discrimination, none should
strive to be the privileged either. Should not people be judged based on the
content of their character and not the biological constitution of their
genitalia?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In the context of these mental
blocks on the way to women empowerment in Ghana, does Kwaku Sakyi-Addo’s
optimism about women claiming the 21st Century realistic? I respond in the
affirmative, however, with a clarion call on all institutions in the country to
proactively work to ensure that women are fairly represented at all levels of
society. Religious institutions and their leadership need to take the
lead by challenging the way their members view and treat women. University
institutions and relevant stakeholders should give more research attention to
issues of women empowerment. Relevant policymakers should strengthen the
existing affirmative measures aimed at attracting and supporting women
political leaders. The fact that the media is giving more attention to concerns
of women lately is a promising sign that Ghanaians are slowly moving in the
right direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In line with the United Nations
(UN) definition of Women Empowerment, we should all work in concert to
challenge outdated systems of religion-inspired patriarchy, which creates
conditions where women a) do not have access to opportunities and resources b)
are denied the right to influence the direction of social change c) are denied
the right to determine their own choices as they deem fit and, d) are stripped
of their independent self-worth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This article has been published
and circulated also by:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://news.myjoyonline.com/features/201104/63636.asp"><span style="color: blue;">Myjoyonline.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://news.peacefmonline.com/features/201103/149254.php?storyid=100&"><span style="color: blue;">Peacefmonline.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=206045&comment=0#com"><span style="color: blue;">Ghanaweb</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.modernghana.com/news/322499/1/can-women-claim-the-21st-century-a-response-to-a-s.html"><span style="color: blue;">ModernGhana</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cedipost.com/general/can-women-claim-the-21st-century-a-response-to-a-speech-by-kwaku-sekyi-addo.html"><span style="color: blue;">Cedipost</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ghanamma.com/2011/04/01/opinion-can-women-claim-the-21st-century-a-response-to-kwaku-sekyi-addo/"><span style="color: blue;">Ghanamma</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-8282868608650693022010-09-23T00:07:00.000-07:002013-06-28T13:27:55.461-07:00Nkrumah Had Flaws and Strengths<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Today<b>,</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>September 21, 2010, marks another day
in the commemoration of Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day highlights the
achievements of Ghana’s illustrious son and Africa’s man of the millennium,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b1nkrumahghana.htm">Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah</a>. The day is observed by all<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/index/index.htm">African Union</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(AU) member countries. There are many
controversies surrounding the term “Founder’s Day” as some Ghanaians think it
should be renamed “Founders’ Day” to acknowledge the roles played by other
figures, such as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._B._Danquah">J.B Danquah,</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the emancipation struggle of Ghana.
This article skips that particular controversy to address some misunderstandings
of Nkrumah by critics. These misunderstandings are often rooted in petty
politicking, and try to downplay his achievements and vision for Ghana, Africa,
and black people everywhere. It is imperative to make clear that Ghana/Africa
celebrates not Nkrumah per se, but his selfless and timeless vision he left not
only for Ghanaians or Africans but also for the entire black African people.
Another point worth clarifying is that Nkrumah was not an infallible demigod,
and therefore not beyond objective criticisms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Just like every major leader,
Nkrumah had his flaws, but it will amount to gross imprudence on our part, and
disservice to posterity to continue to feed on his flaws, leave his strengths
to rot on the table, and inter his vision with his corpse. There comes a time
when people must challenge themselves by rising beyond their selfish
inclinations and begin to gravitate toward a bigger stream of consciousness—one
that is clean of petty party politics, pull-him-down mentality, and personal whims.
That time could be now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Nkrumah lived in the United
States for 10 years (1935-1945), and witnessed remarkable racial atrocities –
hangings, rape, abuse, torture—all meted out to African-Americans based on
their skin colour. At the same time, his homeland, Africa, was in total
colonial shackles where oppression and undue exploitation was the status quo.
These experiences sowed the revolutionary seed of black political and economic
liberation in Nkrumah. He returned to Ghana, not only to pursue a narrow and
shortsighted liberation struggle for its people, but to use his country as a
means to usher the rest of Africa to freedom under a united Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">History is replete with
selfless leaders who held on to larger visions and were prepared to fight their
way through thick and thin to reach them. Such a moment dawned on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln#War_begins">Abraham Lincoln</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>when he had to fight a civil war
against his fellow Americans in order to save the union. Similarly,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.">Martin Luther King</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>had to work against some of his fellow
black citizens in order to liberate them. Not surprisingly, Nkrumah had to
fight fellow Ghanaians (local political opponents) in order to push for the
emancipation of Ghana, and by extension, Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let us pause for a moment to
reflect: Was Lincoln a dictator/terrorist for using the Union Forces of the
American North to fight the American South in the name of a Union with whom
Southerners did not identify? Was Churchill a terrorist/dictator for mobilizing
Britain against Germany during WWII? In the same vein of thought, let us ask
ourselves, was Nkrumah a dictator for fighting neo-colonial sympathizers—local
disgruntled politicians who were suppressing the Pan-African revolutionary wave
of freedom that was sweeping the breadth and length of the continent?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Was he overreacting when, after
seven assassination attempts, once again by local politicians under the
direction of outside forces, he introduced the Detention Act of 1958? Was he
being unpatriotic or overambitious when he used part of Ghana’s resources to
help in the liberation struggle of his fellow African countries? Let us ponder
over these questions. It is most unfortunate that many contemporary Ghanaians
view Nkrumah’s foreign policy on Africa through a selfish and myopic lens that
cannot see beyond the so-called national borders of Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Nkrumah's vision went far
beyond the senseless boundaries that departing colonialists created at the
Berlin Conference of 1884/5. While these boundaries certainly made it easier
for imperial exploitation, he did not believe in the divide-and-rule tactic of
politicking. He foresaw what eluded many of his contemporaries: that the
independence of Ghana had no meaning unless it was linked with the total
liberation of Africa. That Ghana, with a population of just over 6 million, was
not viable economically and politically in the long term, and that its destiny
was intrinsically tied to all of Africa’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He learned from the example of
disunity in South America. Although this continent boasts numerous natural
resources, it still remains dependent and vulnerable to exploitation by outside
forces. Currently, most of Africa’s natural resources—gold, diamond, oil,
bauxite, zinc, etc—are under the control of foreign corporations, and close to
75% of its total dividends are repatriated to enrich outsiders at the expense
of the starving masses. This is but one of the repercussions of ignoring
Nkrumh’s vision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Every great visionary has their
foes in the same way that every great vision has its own set of enemies.
Nevertheless, it is sometimes prudent for us, as a people, to rise beyond
partisan party politics so that we may recognize and acknowledge our own
leaders. Nkrumah remains a symbol of freedom and emancipation of Africa and the
black race. His vision for the long-term good of Africa still stands as the
most comprehensive attempt any singular individual has ever made to Africa!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It will amount to sheer
hypocrisy on our parts as Ghanaians to recognize leaders like Abraham Lincoln,
Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., but throw away our own Nkrumah and
his vision. If we do not celebrate our own heroes, no one else will celebrate
them for us. The good news is that no machinations, internal or external, has
so far succeeded in writing Nkrumah and his legacy off the minds and souls of
Ghanaians, Africans, and Diasporans. His own words are boldly encrypted on his
epitaph, "As far as I am concerned, I am in the knowledge that death can
never extinguish the torch which I have lit in Ghana and Africa. Long after I
am dead and gone, the light will continue to burn and be borne aloft, giving
light and guidance to all people.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, Nkrumah never dies,
indeed. May his vision and his selfless dedication to Africa inspire all of us,
especially the youth, to action.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-85116306166543466372010-09-02T11:38:00.000-07:002013-06-28T13:32:59.317-07:00First African Under-20 World Cup Victory Through Pan-African Lens <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe24nMYPVqGSlAJdKZuFjykTiZukWTq83X94k9LKb13xXtY4_TPcI7igDGVBdXWMRVPdOnsho7Joy2Ew7pLkhF2PQeWhpIFtC6a28vlCy5J9bmb8k0XV41OpGS9X9Ra5vsHZ4RgpGKsk/s1600/GHANA.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513984483539314610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe24nMYPVqGSlAJdKZuFjykTiZukWTq83X94k9LKb13xXtY4_TPcI7igDGVBdXWMRVPdOnsho7Joy2Ew7pLkhF2PQeWhpIFtC6a28vlCy5J9bmb8k0XV41OpGS9X9Ra5vsHZ4RgpGKsk/s320/GHANA.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 183px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 247px;" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">History was finally conceived
in the barren chapters of the Africa FIFA Under-20 World Cup Championship in
Egypt when the Black Satellites of Africa lifted the World Cup Trophy for the
first time in the full glare of the 68,000 spectators gathered at Cairo
International Stadium, after defeating Brazil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Whilst the Egyptian and the
Ghanaian flags were blowing the wind of victory down West and Central Africa
almost to a point of tatters, the vuvuzela’s of South Africa, just like the
proverbial African cock at dawn, was waking up the remaining Southern and
Eastern African countries to the historic glory. From the length and breadth of
the continent, the spirit of solidarity rarely experienced by the separate
countries of Africa reverberated in the streets and at public spaces amid
singing, drumming, dancing shouting and of course “vuvuzeling”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The significance of this
historic football feat to the African people cannot be overemphasized.
Different people, however, accorded different significance to the event. Here
are some views from Ghana. According to the President of Ghana, Professor John
Evans Attah Mills, the historic victory is a timely wake up call to all
Ghanaians irrespective of their party colours to unite as one people for the
urgent task of national development.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Another Ghanaian who called at
a local radio station in Accra asserted that the victory shows the supremacy of
Ghana as a major football nation in Africa and at the world stage. The next
caller made a rather interesting statement. He remarked, “Ghana is seen as the
Brazil of Africa, but today, Brazil will be seen as the Ghana of South
America”. To these people and million others, the victory is simply, a national
affair and…maybe rightly so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ordinarily, the event did not
seem any different from the obvious, until one reached out for the Pan-African
lens. Through Pan-African lens, things looked more profound. The victory and
the history of the Satellites went far beyond the threshold of national
consciousness. It is a herald to the manner and form that the unity of the
separate, pseudo-independent African states, some as big as Nigeria, others as
small as Gabon, some as stable as Botswana whiles others as turbulent as
Guinea, will finally unveil. Let us explore three findings under Pan African
lens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Firstly, the victory was won
not by the senior national team, the Black Stars but rather the junior under 20
side, the Black Satellites. The significance of this is that, the current
senior leaders of Africa may not necessarily be those to materialize the
prospect of African unity government judging from their desultory attitude to
issues of African unity. The hope seems to reside in the youthful generation.
It is a common knowledge that, effecting fundamental changes become more
difficult and unattractive as people advance in age. Not surprisingly
therefore, a change as<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">drastic and urgent as the
political unification of African people, remains a wild goose chase from the
colonial aftermath till today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Research converge on the notion
that, the youth are more open to new ideas, more daring and often blind to old
standing vendetta that breeds mistrust and obstruct cooperation among nations.
The example of the youthful Nkrumah, who engineered a fundamental change of
African independence, and black liberation, comes to mind readily. The late
youngest US president John F. Kennedy and the recent Noble Peace Prize
laureate, Barrack Obama, who is currently working to fundamentally reform the
long standing health care system of US is noteworthy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The time is long overdue for
the old leaders of Africa to constitute themselves into a team of advisors,
take to the comfortable passenger seats and allow the younger generation the
opportunity to drive the affairs of the continent to true political and
economic unity. The economic viability of the separate states of Africa, some
hardly numbering two million, created by former colonial powers for their own
interest is still eluding. A federation has the promise of greater economic
strength by allowing small and weak nations to pool their resources, both
economic and human. It is only in this way that smaller nations can ever
achieve the kind of economies of scale needed to effectively develop themselves
through massive industrialization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The second observation is that,
the Black Satellites won the FIFA World Cup by a rich combination of expertise
from both local and foreign-based players. The link is unmistakably obvious:
the political unification of Africa would be realized more smoothly by close
collaboration between Africans and foreigners. Foreigners in this context refer
to all individuals and groups outside Africa who share in the vision of African
unity. They include but not limited to Diaspora Africans, the Americans,
Europeans and Asians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This position may justifiably
provoke the sensibilities of some hard-lined Pan-Africans, who drawing from the
history of injustice in Africa by foreigners, may propose an only African
approach. However, just like the Black Satellites, we cannot do it all by local
talent. The yoke of slavery, remember, was broken not by the victims alone. The
genuine zeal and good intentions of Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Seward among
others can be hardly ignored. Traveling the world with over 150 international
students drawn from all corners of the globe makes me appreciate the fact that
there are sincere Americans and Europeans out there with the right technology,
expertise, logistics and capital to collaborate with Africa in her quest to
achieving true emancipation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The last observation under my
Pan-African lens is the fact that more than 65% of the world champions, the
Black Satellites, came from the lower socio-economic bracket of Ghana. Some are
from the streets, others from slums whiles others come from the rural
communities with no basic amenities. The point is that, these people defied all
obvious challenges and reasonable uncertainties in poverty, hunger and diseases
to emerge as world champions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Similarly, Africa is
overwhelmed by concrete challenges including corruption, political instability,
unequal level of developments, ethnic conflicts and mistrust among its leaders.
The lesson is that, as Africans, if we look at our continent and all we see are
the challenges, and not the equally abundant riches and opportunities open to
us as a people in this point in our history, we are bound to scare ourselves
off our renaissance vision. Remember the European Union (EU) was created in
equally daunting political and economic atmosphere in 1993. The political
courage and selfless enthusiasm, backed by the right ideological map is what
has been the missing link all this while in the continent’s march to a unity
government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To those postulating gradualist
approach to African unity with very brilliant explanations to why Africa cannot
unite now let it be remembered that Africa’s readiness has never happened in
the past, not in the present and shall never be in the future. In the 60s, the
excuse was, “Africa is not ready”, in the 90s the excuse was “Africa is not
ready”, in the present the excuse is, “Africa is not ready”. In 50 years from
now, the excuse shall be, “Africa is not ready”. Instead of researching for
plausible reasons to explain why Africa is not ready for a political union, we
can apply those same mental exertions to searching for answers to the question,
“why Africa is ready now”. It takes courage and strong will, riddled by
plausible bullets of doubts from pessimists to achieve anything significant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Fellow Ghanaians, Africans,
Diaspora Africans and friends of African unity, as we celebrate the historical
feat of the Black Satellites and many more to come, let us not forget we can
always stretch our necks to appreciate things past our artificial national
boundaries to the larger African renaissance consciousness. Simply put, see
through the Pan-African lens and you surely will see beyond the colonial
footprints that divide us as a continent against our unity and ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-22165250789103343272010-04-07T18:57:00.001-07:002013-06-28T13:34:23.384-07:00The Media's Perpetration of Afrophobia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLp2LZreACK8Yv4LEyhCEJ3jBz7z5KwXECBn_bpDUk_2xlX7m0oNogiZGE2WXAieNblXsVCrXiYHjwZ36z_6zNIainXap-vW95DTBeDZms9WqC4pzlKYsta0a5Ma63ATMeevEmDF6uo4/s1600/PAPER.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513977048705945826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLp2LZreACK8Yv4LEyhCEJ3jBz7z5KwXECBn_bpDUk_2xlX7m0oNogiZGE2WXAieNblXsVCrXiYHjwZ36z_6zNIainXap-vW95DTBeDZms9WqC4pzlKYsta0a5Ma63ATMeevEmDF6uo4/s320/PAPER.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 209px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 193px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There is this malicious
journalistic practice perpetuated in Ghana and many parts of Africa which is
essentially working for African disintegration rather than unity and
integration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How many times have you read
and heard about captions in Ghanaian media and other media houses in Africa
that reads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">similar to this “Two Nigerians
and a local nabbed by Police for attempted drug trafficking”? What of this:
“One Kenyan, two Ugandans and a local caught for fraud”? Betters still: “Two
Ghanaians, three Senegalese and one Nigerian caught by Moroccan officials for
illegal migration” This raise questions whether it is the nation that is at
fault or the individual African people involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This practice is not limited to
just one part of Africa. In South Africa, it is not uncommon at all, for
offenders’ national identities to take priority over their individual
identities. Common “offending” nations include Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda, Rwanda and of course, Nigeria. The headlines are intentionally or
unintentionally made to sound as if it is the nationalities of culprits which
are at fault and not the individuals themselves. In the Northern part of Africa,
the situation is reported worse, as countries (mostly in West Africa) whose
people use the region as a transit point for entering Europe, are treated with
disdain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There is a theory in psychology
called classical conditioning, loosely rendered as learning by association. The
underlying principle is simply that, when a neutral stimulus become closely
paired with another stimulus that elicits a response, the hitherto neutral
stimulus will over time, acquire the power to evoke a response similar to the
one that already does. Putting it in the context of this article, when a
country is always associated with fraud and robbery for instance, it gets to a
point when the mere mention of that country is able to evoke the same fearful
and disgusting feeling you experience at the mention of “fraud” and “robbery”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One African student, from
Nigeria, who has spent three years studying at the University level in Ghana,
during a private conversation with him at the recent AASU conference in Accra,
shared his impression about Ghana. In his own words he said “Ghana is cool…I
must say; only that people tend to look at me twice and shun my company at the
mention of my nationality…its bad”. Upon further enquiry as to why in his view
some Ghanaians treat him that way he replied that it’s because some few
Nigerians are fraudsters and so everybody thinks he is also one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is what happens when the
media houses in Africa continue to tag the few wrongdoers with their
nationalities all the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We often hear about free movements
of goods, services and of course people. How can Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) or Southern African Development Community (SADC) and
the other economic regional blocs in Africa strengthen regionalism when we
continue to paint hostile mental imagery of one another to our citizens? How
can we finally heighten the tempo of the ambitious United States of Africa with
this attitude? It is obvious that we must change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">During a recent visit to Dr.
Audrey Gadzekpo, the current head of department of School of Communication
Studies at University of Ghana Legon, she sounded quite optimistic about the
prospect of African unity government. But she was quick to chip in the hostile
and unfriendly images fellow Africans portray of themselves to their own people
and to the outside world, as a canker that must be healed to speed up the
process of regional and continental integration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The 2008 xenophobic attacks in
South Africa against fellow Africans must serve a timely warning for us all,
especially the media houses. Painting groom mental impressions of countries to
citizens of your country, can very well serve a fertile ground for potential
xenophobic tendencies. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 where about 800,000 people
lost their lives in a matter of 100 days, due to an unguarded remark by a
journalist, is another point of reference worthy of study by all Africans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dr. Nkrumah realized long time
ago that, for a United States of Africa (USA) to see the light of the day,
African people need to learn and master cooperative living in the spirit of
harmony and tolerance. In fact, he boldly walked the talk, when he defied all
the rife internal criticisms to marry an Egyptian woman instead of a Ghanaian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let us embrace the things that
bind us together as Africans with common destiny and shun practices that are
likely to “put a knife on the things that hold us together”. We cannot afford
to fall apart, as the Igbo people did with the advent of the White men in
Chinua Achebe’s tragic novel “Things Fall Apart”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The next time we hear of a
caption that reads “Two Nigerians” and one local nabbed by Police for robbery”,
challenge the headline. For the sake of African unity, it should rather read as
“Egbuefi Ijioka, Okwonko Izeama and Kwesi Yeboah nabbed by Police for robbery”.
Better still, it can simply be “Three people nabbed by Police for robbery”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 115%; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-33546605946741047002010-02-14T05:33:00.000-08:002013-06-28T13:35:57.385-07:00Gaddafi on Black Europe and Islamization Project for Africa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and
the past chairperson of the African Union (AU), landed in Italy on Sunday, and
made brute racist remark against his black Africans. Needless to say, it
betrayed his gross disdain for black African people and called into question
the true intention behind his zeal for African unity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Addressing the
European Union (EU) in Rome, Gaddafi warned that “Europe runs the risk of
turning "black" unless the EU pays Libya at least €5 billion (£4.1
billion) a year to block the arrival of illegal immigrants from Africa”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">He continued,
“Tomorrow Europe might no longer be European and even black as there are
millions (of Africans) who want to come in. He described the migration pattern
as something “very dangerous”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t be surprised
that such statement came from a recent leader of the African Union, Muamar
Gaddafi -- the self-proclaimed King of Kings of Africa. Unbelievable isn’t it?
He is essentially saying, “Europe, you need to protect your prestigious
whiteness and prevent it from being corrupted by black Africans”. In this
era where racism and discrimination based on color are being fought against, it
comes as quite absurd for the so-called Pan-Africanist enthusiast to make such
pronouncements. It is obvious from Gaddafi’s pronouncements that he holds no
regard whatsoever for black Africans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">What he sought to
accomplish was to cast black Africa in a bad light by appealing to the racial
prejudice of some gullible white Europeans as a scare tactics to secure funding
for his fight against the African migrants who use Tripoli as an entry point to
Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">It's worth noting
that Gaddafi not only referred to the potential risks posed by illegal
immigration as undesirable consequences, but also that the presence of blacks
in Europe, whether legal or otherwise in itself constituted a danger to white
European identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Gaddafi projected
his own racial bias on white European Christians when he further said, “We
don't know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and
Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">After casting slur
on the “blackness” of sub-Saharan African people, he unabashedly called on
Europe to open its borders to Libyan citizens, “There is also desirable
immigration. There are Libyans who have money and I encourage them to come to
Italy to invest.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">After his speech,
one Italian Parliamentarian, Luigi de Magistris, criticized the Libyan leader
of keeping tens of thousands of African migrants in "concentration
camps" in the desert, reported Telegraph, UK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Gaddafi’s disdain
for Sub-Sahara Africans calls into question the intention behind his zeal for
African unity. This is confusing because the seed of Pan-Africanism in its
present form was sowed and watered by the toil and sweats of black African
nationalists including, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Patrice
Lumumba, among others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Many scholars
believe Gaddafi has a clandestine agenda for Sub-Sahara Africa and that the
African Union (AU) was simply a means to further his religious and political
ambitions. One such scholar, Professor Kwesi K. Prah, alleged in 2004 that
Gaddafi’s objective in AU is to create a space for Arabism and Arab
expansionism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Gaddafi betrayed
this sentiment at an Arab League in 2001, when he declared to the Arab
Diasporas, “The third of the Arab community living outside Africa should move
in with the two-thirds on the continent (Africa), and join the African Union
which is the only space we have”. Readers are reminded to take note of the
phrase “…the only space we have”. What was he implying exactly? Well, your
guess is as good as mine is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Broadcasting live on
Rwanda Radio on 17 May 1985, Gaddafi said to Rwandans, “You must teach that
Islam is the religion of Africa…We must wage a holy war so that Islam may
spread in Africa.” – quoted in [Bankie and Mchombu, 2006:239-240].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">It came as no
surprise that in a second speech he delivered to paid Italian women on his
recent visit to Rome, he declared to them, “Islam should become the religion of
Europe” he then handed them free copies of the Koran. Does this in anyway tell
of his larger political and religious ambitions?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">If Gaddafi is going
so far as telling Europeans to adopt Islam and in effect become modeled like
Libya, what stops him from pursuing his Arab expansionist mission in
Sub-Saharan Africa with its “ignorant” and “starving” masses using oil cash as
lure to trap some self-seeking African leaders into his deceptive trap? There
are reported cases of West Africans in Libya who have been hanged by his regime
simply because they chose to exercise their faith as Christians. Is this the
vision he holds for Europe and the rest of Africa?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Gaddafi must be
told in the face that black Africa has had enough from Arab and European
expansionisms in the past which culminated in colonialism and its attendant
horrors. That, black Africa is never a cultural vacuum to be filled by the
religious traditions of any over-zealous group of people seeking wealth,
dominance, and influence. That, black Africa fought and freed itself from the
shackles of religious and political oppression long time ago, and there is
no going back. Africans do not need to define their identity by any imported
heritage, be it Gaddafi-style Islam and its attendant political and religious
repression and atrocities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">By his impulsive
utterances and actions, Gaddafi has shown quite clearly that he harbors racial
sentiments against black Africans. He has demonstrated that he perceives
Sub-Sahara Africa merely as a lost territory, with people whose worth lies
ultimately in being converted to Islam. His comments show that he will do
anything for money and power including but not limited to inciting Europe
against Africa on racial terms. I call on the African Union (AU), the European
Union (EU), the Italian government, the United Nations (UN), the Arab world,
and Sub-Saharan African people to condemn in no uncertain terms the racial and
thoughtless remarks of the Libyan leader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946103518025946128.post-11309186768896675822010-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:002013-06-28T13:37:31.426-07:00Gaddafi's troublesome call for the Split of Nigeria <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1zTZHbu-cn5zB9pKU7zMvaBbiWzu05EJO_tpRIGODgUQTCusM0OQlIiyC5dN33OIirk4hu45iPDHziYRWUQFmw34xqZO3x5-DWkqghwgb09LgsByypVsEe-C6Ftzb6AuSYR2HXSY6v4/s1600/Gaddafi2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513969156240096258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1zTZHbu-cn5zB9pKU7zMvaBbiWzu05EJO_tpRIGODgUQTCusM0OQlIiyC5dN33OIirk4hu45iPDHziYRWUQFmw34xqZO3x5-DWkqghwgb09LgsByypVsEe-C6Ftzb6AuSYR2HXSY6v4/s320/Gaddafi2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 192px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 215px;" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gaddafi, the Libyan leader and
former chair of African Union (AU) recently called on Nigeria to split on
religious lines, Christians and Muslims, in order to address the endemic
clashes that have claimed many lives. This call has engendered mixed reactions
from many Africans, Nigerians in particular. While many think it is a welcoming
panacea to the Nigerian crisis, others, including this author, think otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A religion-inspired division of
Nigeria (a federal government) would never resolve the cause of the recurring
clashes; neither would it miraculously heal the symptoms. It looks appealing
and easy to suggest division and to presume that it holds the prospect for
peace. Divide Nigerian on no grounds other than Islamic and Christian ones and
you invite xenophobic attacks, deepen blatant hatred and intolerance. This will
set a bad precedent for Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. If Islam
and Christianity, which are both imported religious belief systems are
formidable forces, potent enough to split Nigeria, anything else, be it
political differences, ethnic heterogeneity can equally split any African state
or justify further balkanization of Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is important to note that,
Nigeria’s oil, which contributes about 90% of its GDP, is mined in the South,
where Christians predominate. Enugu, Lagos, Onitsa and other prominent cities
in Nigeria with huge public infrastructure, all built from Federal coffers,
from both the North and the South, are all located in the South.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At infrastructural level alone,
one can only imagine how challenging and unrealistic Gaddafi’s solution would
prove to be. If you tell a Northern Nigerian man who has established his life
and career in the South, along with his family, to leave all of a sudden to a
new destination, you are not only unjustifiably robbing him of his rights, but
also depriving him of the means to his existence. If that man decides to stay
and not leave, it is likely the flame of ethnic and religious hatred would
consume him long before he exercised the luxury of thinking twice about his
decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The infamous, bitter and
inhumane Korean example of 1948, where mother and child, husband and wife were
torn apart from each other, should guide our decisions as Africans in this
contemporary era.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gaddafi’s solution to the
Nigerian crisis is rooted more in his Islamic ties with the North, and his
fundamentalist religious convictions that have little or no space for religious
freedom, than a genuine zeal for a lasting solution. If Nigeria splits, no one
would be surprised to see him supply money and ammunition to the North against
the South in the event of the slightest conflict. These and many other possible
outcomes would permanently rob the area of peace and tranquility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As a prominent figure in African
Union, Gaddafi’s shortsighted solution is the greatest leadership failure on
his part. It dilutes and contradicts the zeal behind the drive to African
unification, where free movements of people would be a permanently entrenched
right. As a leader, and a champion of Pan-African ideals in modern day Africa,
his utterances ought to epitomize unity not disunity, tolerance, not
intolerance. The infamous divide-and-rule tactics employed by the colonialists
against Africa has done the continent no good in any way. It has rather divided
us as a continent against our unity and ourselves. That must not be repeated in
any form today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What Nigeria needs is a way to
peaceful co-existence based on respect and tolerance as the Bible and the Quran
that they claim to be ardent followers… clearly postulate. It is hypocritical
and ironic on the part of Christians and Muslims to continue killing each other
in order to find favour with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Africans must come to the
conscious awareness that their African identity precedes their religious
affiliations Christianity or Islam. Their ancestors in pre-colonial Africa were
Africans and human beings long before the advent of Islam or Christianity. It
would constitute a shameful gesture to bequeath posterity a legacy of intolerance,
conflict and division based on an imported heritage. As Chinua Achebe put it
explicitly, “… He came quietly and peacefully with his religion. We were amused
at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and
our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held
us together and we have fallen apart.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Many things bind the South and
the North together than those that supposedly separate them. It is better to
think of unity, and explore costly solutions that would last, rather than cheap
ones that would not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kwame E. Bidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04981112032831461919noreply@blogger.com0