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Source: Paa Kwesi Forson cbforson@gmail.com | ||||
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Unanswered Questions Of The Ghanaian
Ghana - A Country of Brainwashed Id*ots
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Source: Kofi Bannerman - kofi.bannerman@yahoo.com/ghanaweb | ||||
Posted by : Unknown
Friday, 22 June 2012
Thursday, 7 June 2012
THE SCRAMBLE FOR THE NEW GULF OF GUINEA
Several
international expert panels have identified the availability and allocation of
natural resources as a key security risk for the 21st
century. For
many people living in poor but resource-rich countries, the natural resource
wealth is not a risk but has long become a fact with disastrous consequences.
Which
possible solutions exist at the domestic, regional and international level to
make oil and gas work for economic development, social justice and democratic governance?
The
“resource curse” (Gelb 1988; Auty 1993) or “paradox of plenty” (Karl 1997)
thesis basically says that countries rich in natural resources are less well
off in terms of economic growth and development more generally than countries
without such an abundance of natural resources. Both
terms have since become catch-all phrases for the bundle of negative
developments in resource-rich countries such as persisting poverty, lack of
economic diversification, rising inequality, growing corruption and violent
conflict. Although resource wealth is often simply assumed to have caused these
outcomes, empirical evidence supports the links between resource wealth and
relatively slower economic growth (Sachs and Warner 2001), civil war (Collier
and Hoeffler 2004) and authoritarian rule (Ross 2001; Jensen and Wantchekon
2004)
Three
particular mechanisms through which the resource curse is supposedly working
are often distinguished: the ‘Dutch Disease’ mechanism, the expansive spending
mechanism and finally the rentier state’ mechanism. The Dutch Disease mechanism
refers to the massive inflow of resource-based state income driving the real
exchange rate and wage levels up. Productive and trading sectors, especially
manufacturing and agriculture thus become less competitive on the world market.
The
second mechanism refers to expansive spending often accompanied by excessive
borrowing against expected future oil income. With oil rents suddenly flooding
in like manna from heaven, the elites of the newly resource-rich states often
go on a spending spree. Whether the money is invested in infrastructure or
public services or wasted on luxurious prestige projects, money is being spent
on a large scale where this has not been the case before. This sudden increase
in spending may increase inflation and have an impact on the exchange rate. It
may also lead to a massive accumulation of debts as soon as the terms for the
repayment of the loans turn less favourable.
These
are the two classic economic mechanisms through which the resource curse works.
They have been studied extensively and approaches have been developed to deal
with them effectively. The third mechanism, here called ‘rentier state’
mechanism, is of a different nature. It is not economic but political and
refers to the effects of the income from natural resources on politics and
political institutions. ...... Michael
Roll Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Africa
Department, Berlin.
Now Ghana has discovered oil and
has now joined the league of the Gulf of Guinea. However, consider that Ghana,
which had US$ 500 more in per capita income than Vietnam in 1985, is poorer
than Vietnam by about the same amount in 2005.
The question l want to ask is,
would Ghana follow this trend in her oil
production?
Let’s make that giant difference because we have absolutely no excuse as a country and as a people due to all the experiences that all the other Gulf of Guinea neighbours have of which we must learn.
This is
especially the case in the world’s poorest resource-rich region: the Gulf of Guinea
along the West and Central African Atlantic coast.
From
this region, the oil rigs have indeed fuelled the world and keep on doing so,
with its global relevance steadily increasing.
On the
other hand, these exports have more than just ‘failed’ the very same group of
countries. Many of those exporting oil have some of the worst development
indicators in the world. In areas like Nigeria’s Niger Delta for example,
decades of oil production have
virtually destroyed the environment, many people’s livelihoods and their hopes
for a better future. Will natural resources, particularly oil and gas, from the
Gulf of Guinea continue to fuel the world but fail this region in the 21st
century?
Through
this mechanism the resource-rich country’s economic structure is fundamentally
transformed from a manufacture- or agriculture-led – if it was one before – to
a resource extraction-led economy. This leaves the country less productive,
more exposed to sudden commodity price changes and with a significantly lower
number of jobs than before.
Would
the Ghanaian oil fuel the world and fail the region where this oil is from?
Let’s make that giant difference because we have absolutely no excuse as a country and as a people due to all the experiences that all the other Gulf of Guinea neighbours have of which we must learn.
Posted by : Unknown
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
PREKESE GHANAMEDIA
Dear Family, Friends and Fans,
In Africa, we are so blessed with important natural cultural heritage to an extent that we seem to always be the focus of academic inquiry by many foreign institutions of higher learning. Do your research and it wont take you minutes to notice that most PhD earners come to study Africa on subjects we the natives do not give value to it. We live on a continent where there is vast amount of traditional wisdom that remains untapped for lack of documentation resources that many elderly people with great wisdom are passing without leaving or bequetting their knowledge to any one. The efforts of new group of media houses in Ghana today is commendable hence our choice of this media to entertain,inform and educate you the reader: Today we want to share with you some story we created out of our everyday life events and how it has a bearing on our lives:Continue Reading:
In our High school days in a very beautiful town of historic importance in Ghana, we ( MAA JIA and King Prekese) came across a road-side farm near Mfoumm where there was a pawpaw tree. What caught our attention was that, there was a sign hanging by one of the pawpaw tress which read"I am ripe for marriage". We were just easy go happy students enjoying life's fun so we never paid it any mind till recently when during a conversation, we decided to reflect on that and what significant message it meant to send to us: This article has been informed by this background and is dedicated to the ladies that are "RIPE" for marriage...
In the first place when a fruit on a tree is ripe, it just sits there doing its thing which is being a 'ripe' fruit & people get attracted to it. Like the fruit, dear sisters, when we get to the potential marriage phase in our lives, we don't have to become desperate, we just have to keep being us & the "good harvester" , responsible Mr. Prepared for marriage and Right will locate us.Like the public ripe pawpaw there are many and different types of people that would be attracted to the "ripe" fruit.
In the first category would be the ones that would pick up a stone or any other object of choice & start throwing at the fruit hoping they will hit it may be because they have a good aim or just hopeful persistence will pay off. The fruit can also get bruises & scars in the process but that's the least of their concern. As far as they get the fruit, they are good.(hahahahaahahah-----Do you see some men you know in this category?) Most times they get it but by the time they get it, they don't really value it because its been bruised (forgetting they bruised it) & in no time, they drop it & look for another fruit to "pluck". ( Did somebody say Players who keep changing women like mothers changing babies' diapers? ).
The next set of fruit seekers would be those who would use sticks or any other long object to pluck till the fruit falls.The risk here is also the same as the first in that bruising may & will most likely occur & the fruit gets same treatment as the one in the first instance.
Now there's another set that would come & just 'wait' hoping that time, chance & the forces of nature would somehow just cause the fruit to fall into their arms. One word "LAZY". These are also no good. They usually do not value the fruit when it comes because they didn't "work" for it.
Now this next set gets to the tree, beholds the very beautiful fruit & then begin to make their way up the tree. Now this sounds like a serious group that mean business. But then when they get to a "seemingly" comfortable height, they wait there & do one of the following:
they bring out the pebbles they have stuffed in their bag & start throwing at the fruits (group 1 Technique), or they reach for the stick that has been strapped to their side & start prodding (oh my God! Group 2 Technique) or they reach for the branch holding the fruit & start shaking it furiously hoping the fruit would "fall"(Group 3 only this time they are being the force). This group, well, yes they did "work" by climbing but its just sad because they are not finishers.
By the time they get down to pick the "fallen" fruit, its usually damaged & they don't have any use for it anymore(of course forgetting that they caused the fall that resulted in the damage).-ARE U RELATING WELL WITH SOMEBODY IN THIS CONTEXT......?????? THAT IS RELATIONSHIP FOR YOU:
And now here comes the last but not the least set... Here comes the "different" SET of ambitious determined ones... The ones that stand out. This set gets to the tree, see the fruit, get attracted to it, determine that they want it, count the costs & then set out to go get the fruit. They make the journey up the tree through the thin branches & all, taking all the risks to get to the fruit & when they get to it, they don't just pluck it, they observe it to make sure it's fully ripe, ensure it is actually what they want & then they pluck it & keep it safe & secure in the bag strapped over their shoulders. Then they get down, go home & enjoy the "full" value of the fruit.
Now ladies, put yourself in the position of the"ripe" fruit & let the different set of "pluckers" representing the men that come to ask for your hand in marriage.Which set would you prefer? Ladies please know your value. You are beautiful, made in the image of God & you are jewels of inestimable value. Please see through the masks and don't settle for just anything. Just keep being you and he that the Lord has made that will be willing to do the "work" will definitely come.
About the Authors:
MAMA J.I.A : Is a pen name for Ms. Joyce Ivy Ayisi, a graduate of KNUST is an Educator, Public Speaker, Women's Group Leader, Pastor's wife and a consultant for a Ghanaian NGO, the Centre for Human Development & Social Change,Ghana.
PREKESE GhanaMedia: Is a group of writers who conduct extensive research, document, share, archive and discuss topics, subjects and news of interests on Ghana and Africa Studies around the world.
In Africa, we are so blessed with important natural cultural heritage to an extent that we seem to always be the focus of academic inquiry by many foreign institutions of higher learning. Do your research and it wont take you minutes to notice that most PhD earners come to study Africa on subjects we the natives do not give value to it. We live on a continent where there is vast amount of traditional wisdom that remains untapped for lack of documentation resources that many elderly people with great wisdom are passing without leaving or bequetting their knowledge to any one. The efforts of new group of media houses in Ghana today is commendable hence our choice of this media to entertain,inform and educate you the reader: Today we want to share with you some story we created out of our everyday life events and how it has a bearing on our lives:Continue Reading:
In our High school days in a very beautiful town of historic importance in Ghana, we ( MAA JIA and King Prekese) came across a road-side farm near Mfoumm where there was a pawpaw tree. What caught our attention was that, there was a sign hanging by one of the pawpaw tress which read"I am ripe for marriage". We were just easy go happy students enjoying life's fun so we never paid it any mind till recently when during a conversation, we decided to reflect on that and what significant message it meant to send to us: This article has been informed by this background and is dedicated to the ladies that are "RIPE" for marriage...
In the first place when a fruit on a tree is ripe, it just sits there doing its thing which is being a 'ripe' fruit & people get attracted to it. Like the fruit, dear sisters, when we get to the potential marriage phase in our lives, we don't have to become desperate, we just have to keep being us & the "good harvester" , responsible Mr. Prepared for marriage and Right will locate us.Like the public ripe pawpaw there are many and different types of people that would be attracted to the "ripe" fruit.
In the first category would be the ones that would pick up a stone or any other object of choice & start throwing at the fruit hoping they will hit it may be because they have a good aim or just hopeful persistence will pay off. The fruit can also get bruises & scars in the process but that's the least of their concern. As far as they get the fruit, they are good.(hahahahaahahah-----Do you see some men you know in this category?) Most times they get it but by the time they get it, they don't really value it because its been bruised (forgetting they bruised it) & in no time, they drop it & look for another fruit to "pluck". ( Did somebody say Players who keep changing women like mothers changing babies' diapers? ).
The next set of fruit seekers would be those who would use sticks or any other long object to pluck till the fruit falls.The risk here is also the same as the first in that bruising may & will most likely occur & the fruit gets same treatment as the one in the first instance.
Now there's another set that would come & just 'wait' hoping that time, chance & the forces of nature would somehow just cause the fruit to fall into their arms. One word "LAZY". These are also no good. They usually do not value the fruit when it comes because they didn't "work" for it.
Now this next set gets to the tree, beholds the very beautiful fruit & then begin to make their way up the tree. Now this sounds like a serious group that mean business. But then when they get to a "seemingly" comfortable height, they wait there & do one of the following:
they bring out the pebbles they have stuffed in their bag & start throwing at the fruits (group 1 Technique), or they reach for the stick that has been strapped to their side & start prodding (oh my God! Group 2 Technique) or they reach for the branch holding the fruit & start shaking it furiously hoping the fruit would "fall"(Group 3 only this time they are being the force). This group, well, yes they did "work" by climbing but its just sad because they are not finishers.
By the time they get down to pick the "fallen" fruit, its usually damaged & they don't have any use for it anymore(of course forgetting that they caused the fall that resulted in the damage).-ARE U RELATING WELL WITH SOMEBODY IN THIS CONTEXT......?????? THAT IS RELATIONSHIP FOR YOU:
And now here comes the last but not the least set... Here comes the "different" SET of ambitious determined ones... The ones that stand out. This set gets to the tree, see the fruit, get attracted to it, determine that they want it, count the costs & then set out to go get the fruit. They make the journey up the tree through the thin branches & all, taking all the risks to get to the fruit & when they get to it, they don't just pluck it, they observe it to make sure it's fully ripe, ensure it is actually what they want & then they pluck it & keep it safe & secure in the bag strapped over their shoulders. Then they get down, go home & enjoy the "full" value of the fruit.
Now ladies, put yourself in the position of the"ripe" fruit & let the different set of "pluckers" representing the men that come to ask for your hand in marriage.Which set would you prefer? Ladies please know your value. You are beautiful, made in the image of God & you are jewels of inestimable value. Please see through the masks and don't settle for just anything. Just keep being you and he that the Lord has made that will be willing to do the "work" will definitely come.
About the Authors:
MAMA J.I.A : Is a pen name for Ms. Joyce Ivy Ayisi, a graduate of KNUST is an Educator, Public Speaker, Women's Group Leader, Pastor's wife and a consultant for a Ghanaian NGO, the Centre for Human Development & Social Change,Ghana.
PREKESE GhanaMedia: Is a group of writers who conduct extensive research, document, share, archive and discuss topics, subjects and news of interests on Ghana and Africa Studies around the world.
Posted by : Unknown
VIDEO :DKB SLAPS ZainaB IN 3D...www.elivemusicgh.com
Ghanaian housemate, Derick Kobina Bonney
(DKB) in the Upville house in the on-going 91-day reality show has been
disqualified for physically attacking Sierra Leonean female housemate,
Zainab.
The confrontation ensued when DKB was taking a shower earlier in the day and Zainab apparently opened the door several times.
Frantic attempts to stop the Sierra Leonean proved futile. According to DKB, the sexy housemate failed to show remorse for her actions which got him "pissed off" and subsequently slapped her.
DKB was called to the dairy room after the attack while Zainab was asked to go into the glass house.
After carefully interrogating DKB and studying the rules, Big Brother declared to the housemates that violence/physical attacks in the reality show is frowned upon and will not be tolerated.
Per the rules, he said, any housemate who attacks a fellow housemate will be disqualified from the show.
After spelling out the rules, Big Brother declared, "DKB you have been disqualified from the game for contravening the game rules."
Zainab who according to Big Brother also contributed to the attack was also disqualified from the show.
DKB's exit is coming barely 24-hours after Mildred (Eazzy) was evicted from the show Sunday.
Ghana now has its hopes on Keitta who joined the Upville house Sunday.
DKB before exiting the house told Keitta, "I leave the battle to you, make the nation proud."
Watch excerpts of the fracas between DKB and Zainab.
The confrontation ensued when DKB was taking a shower earlier in the day and Zainab apparently opened the door several times.
Frantic attempts to stop the Sierra Leonean proved futile. According to DKB, the sexy housemate failed to show remorse for her actions which got him "pissed off" and subsequently slapped her.
DKB was called to the dairy room after the attack while Zainab was asked to go into the glass house.
After carefully interrogating DKB and studying the rules, Big Brother declared to the housemates that violence/physical attacks in the reality show is frowned upon and will not be tolerated.
Per the rules, he said, any housemate who attacks a fellow housemate will be disqualified from the show.
After spelling out the rules, Big Brother declared, "DKB you have been disqualified from the game for contravening the game rules."
Zainab who according to Big Brother also contributed to the attack was also disqualified from the show.
DKB's exit is coming barely 24-hours after Mildred (Eazzy) was evicted from the show Sunday.
Ghana now has its hopes on Keitta who joined the Upville house Sunday.
DKB before exiting the house told Keitta, "I leave the battle to you, make the nation proud."
Watch excerpts of the fracas between DKB and Zainab.
Posted by : Unknown
EAZZY DENIES SEX VIDEO
Evicted Ghanaian Big Brother StarGame
housemate Mildred Ashong popularly called Eazzy in showbiz circles has
vehemently denied having sex with his boyfriend and colleague housemate
Keitta in the reality show.
Her comments sought to discredit a video in circulation on the internet in which the pair appear to be making love on live television.
In an exclusive interview with Joy Entertainment News the Gogowind hit singer described the video as fake.
Eazzy said “me and my partner made a pledge not to have sex in the house and we kept that promise till date. We didn’t have sex in the house but we did have a lot of romantic times I must say."
"There were times we made out under sheets like crazy making out. You know the kind of making out where you have you man on you and he is moving so you feel him" the 26-year old musician added.
“I was so afraid of that Big Brother man, you can’t tell where his cameras are, even when the room is totally dark and you can’t see,everybody outside watching on TV can see you, so I was never naked in the Big Brother house neither was Keitta and if there is anything out there, we were totally having a romantic time ,we were making out which normal couples do, Come on guys, at least if we were not doing it, let’s enjoy small”
Eazzy is expected back home after she was evicted from the Big Brother Stargame last Sunday even though she refused to come on stage because she was denied a Brazilian wig.
The singer explained that her actions were as a result of the emotional pain she was going through knowing that her boyfriend is been kept in the game while she departs.
Though she was up for eviction together with his boyfriend and partner Keita, Eazzy was kicked out with Edith and Eve from Botswana.
source: myjoyonline.com
Her comments sought to discredit a video in circulation on the internet in which the pair appear to be making love on live television.
In an exclusive interview with Joy Entertainment News the Gogowind hit singer described the video as fake.
Eazzy said “me and my partner made a pledge not to have sex in the house and we kept that promise till date. We didn’t have sex in the house but we did have a lot of romantic times I must say."
"There were times we made out under sheets like crazy making out. You know the kind of making out where you have you man on you and he is moving so you feel him" the 26-year old musician added.
“I was so afraid of that Big Brother man, you can’t tell where his cameras are, even when the room is totally dark and you can’t see,everybody outside watching on TV can see you, so I was never naked in the Big Brother house neither was Keitta and if there is anything out there, we were totally having a romantic time ,we were making out which normal couples do, Come on guys, at least if we were not doing it, let’s enjoy small”
Eazzy is expected back home after she was evicted from the Big Brother Stargame last Sunday even though she refused to come on stage because she was denied a Brazilian wig.
The singer explained that her actions were as a result of the emotional pain she was going through knowing that her boyfriend is been kept in the game while she departs.
Though she was up for eviction together with his boyfriend and partner Keita, Eazzy was kicked out with Edith and Eve from Botswana.
source: myjoyonline.com
Posted by : Unknown
Friday, 1 June 2012
TO STUDENT LADIES ON CAMPUSES
Dear Serwaa,
I’m writing in response to what you said about the dress code of ladies of my school, the University of Ghana, Legon. Before I proceed, however, let me caution you to keep this letter more securely than a diplomatic cable.
Our republic is getting scary, and there seems to be no secret. Individual bank statements are now splashed in newspapers and private letters are intercepted even before the writer posts them. When Dr Kwabena Adjei, the NDC Chairman, wrote what was supposed to be a confidential letter to President Mills, the media received a copy before it got to the Osu Castle. So be careful with my letters. I don’t think you want these Legon ladies to accost yours truly and, like talking birds that have eaten too much pepper, tear me into shreds.
Some of our ladies have tongues that are sharper than the edge of a circumcision blade. With their locally-acquired European and American accents, I will regret being born if they intercept this letter. I already have enough on my head on this campus. I’ve been compelled to abandon my favourite Bush Canteen after publishing an article about the sanitation situation of the area. That’s just by the way.
Serwaa, I’m sad that we’re still grappling with these basic issues after being in a relationship all these years. One thing I said I could not compromise, right at the beginning of our relationship, was indecent dressing. And I have never failed to draw your attention to your outfits, though you’re not tired of reminding me that the issue of decency is highly subjective. However, I least expected you to retort sharply the way you did when I complained about your dress code last Friday, which almost exposed your nipples.
“Are you not in Legon?” you snapped before my voice dropped.
“What has being in Legon got to do with your provocative outfit?” I asked.
“Are you saying you don’t see more indecent dressing on Legon Campus than this?”
Serwaa, that comparison stung me like a bee. First of all, one thing you should note is that the dress code of Legon ladies is not the standard for others. For heaven’s sake, it is not all ladies in Legon who dress that way. Why did you not compare yourself to the decent ones? Like my Christian sisters at MPU. Or better still, you could use the decent ones in your own school as models.
Do you remember the last time I visited you on campus I said I liked how the ladies of your school dressed?
“Well, this is Kwame Nkrumah University of Spiritual Training for you,” you remarked sarcastically. Not long ago, I also heard your Vice Chancellor, at the induction of the Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church; refer to your school as the “University for Spiritual Training.” Well, if it is so, why don’t you use that as a benchmark? And for your information, not all Legon ladies are like what you think. And you ought to be careful you don’t repeat that anywhere.
I used to think that the rivalry between educational institutions existed only at the senior high school level until I came here. Just last Sunday, it was manifested at the Church Service of the Methodist and Presbyterian Union (MPU). Mr Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, was invited to chair the launch of this year’s Hallelufesto, our mega musical concert.
In his opening remarks, Mr Agyarko said he felt at home because he was a strong Presbyterian, who was also trained at Presby and Methodist Schools. He mentioned a Methodist School in Kumasi, and he was applauded. He also said he attended Prempeh College before going to PRESEC for his Sixth Form. More Applause!
“From there, I went to KNUST to read Pharmacy,” he ended. And to my surprise, the Central Cafeteria exploded: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
“He has spoilt his record,” a young man who sat next to me remarked.
So, never make an unfavourable comparison or remark about Legon, especially when not all of them are like that.
My role model, Chinua Achebe, has a proverb I like so much. He said in his Arrow of God that if you beat any rhythm in a big house, you will always get someone to dance to it. Apostle Paul puts its more succinctly in 2Timothy 2:20 of the Holy Bible: ” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
So I admit that, like your school, we have the shameless kind of ladies you’re talking about here in Legon. They have debased themselves to the level of sex objects and I wonder the essence of their university education.
They walk about practically naked, and there are some of them you cannot sit behind in a lecture room if you want to understand what is being taught. I have read somewhere in the African Writers Series when a man was said to have seen a woman’s beads. Guess what the writer meant? He was simply saying the young man had slept with the woman.
Can that be said today? It will be madness. Not only do these ladies show their beads but they also show their ---. Sorry, I nearly said “as******.” The madness driving our country to its ruins is this foolishness they mistake for human rights. Talk about indecent dressing on campuses and you’ll get someone to spin weird tales about abusing students’ fundamental human rights. Interestingly, the Ghana School of Law is just behind my department and you often find them in uniforms. Yes, uniforms. You cannot dress anyhow at the Ghana School of Law. But do the law students not know their rights?
Judges and lawyers who are the custodians of our human rights don’t tolerate indecency. Two years ago, a judge in Accra walked a female student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism out of his court for indecent dressing. The student was there to do a class assignment. How shameful!
That wayward dressing is a sign of immaturity. By merely looking at the appearance of ladies on campus, you can tell a graduate student from an undergraduate. I’m sure some of the graduate students behaved the same way but they are now too mature for that. Serwaa, you’re not growing any younger.
My love, I’m not being too harsh. I love you and want your appearance and everything about you to connote dignity. It is true that on Legon campus, when you see some ladies, the only possible thing you can think about is sex. They are happy when guys refer to them as being sexy. But the truth is that no serious minded guy wants to date a sex symbol. See, the worth of such ladies ends after ejaculation. And there’s more to a relationship than sex, you know? There are also some ladies here on campus, who are so decent that your mind goes to marriage anytime you see them. Be among the latter.
I’m a female gender advocate, remember? The battle for gender equality will forever remain fruitless if women continue to reduce themselves to sex symbols. I don’t see the sense in ladies featuring in music videos almost naked while the male artiste, whose track they are helping promote, is in a suit and tie.
Are the Okyeame Kwames or the Sarkodies superior to their female artistes? Why do their equally talented female counterparts such as Mzbel think that showbiz is about showing one’s vital parts on stage? Mahatma Gandhi teaches us that no one can make you inferior without your consent. You ladies must learn.
Serwaa my love, please, don’t ever point to Legon ladies again when I complain about any attitude of yours. They are not your benchmark or the benchmark for the morality of our society. Besides, I have no control over them and will not risk confronting them and asking them to dress properly. What moral authority do I have? Over you, however, I have that right in much the same way you have the right over me.
I love you and will forever remain true to you. My mind, heart, and soul have settled on you and understanding should be the password of our love code.
On this understanding shall we build our marriage and the gates of divorce shall not prevail against it.
Your love,
Manasseh.
Writer’s email: azureachebe2@yahoo.com
Letter to my Future Wife is a column that appears in the Weekend Finder every Saturday.
I’m writing in response to what you said about the dress code of ladies of my school, the University of Ghana, Legon. Before I proceed, however, let me caution you to keep this letter more securely than a diplomatic cable.
Our republic is getting scary, and there seems to be no secret. Individual bank statements are now splashed in newspapers and private letters are intercepted even before the writer posts them. When Dr Kwabena Adjei, the NDC Chairman, wrote what was supposed to be a confidential letter to President Mills, the media received a copy before it got to the Osu Castle. So be careful with my letters. I don’t think you want these Legon ladies to accost yours truly and, like talking birds that have eaten too much pepper, tear me into shreds.
Some of our ladies have tongues that are sharper than the edge of a circumcision blade. With their locally-acquired European and American accents, I will regret being born if they intercept this letter. I already have enough on my head on this campus. I’ve been compelled to abandon my favourite Bush Canteen after publishing an article about the sanitation situation of the area. That’s just by the way.
Serwaa, I’m sad that we’re still grappling with these basic issues after being in a relationship all these years. One thing I said I could not compromise, right at the beginning of our relationship, was indecent dressing. And I have never failed to draw your attention to your outfits, though you’re not tired of reminding me that the issue of decency is highly subjective. However, I least expected you to retort sharply the way you did when I complained about your dress code last Friday, which almost exposed your nipples.
“Are you not in Legon?” you snapped before my voice dropped.
“What has being in Legon got to do with your provocative outfit?” I asked.
“Are you saying you don’t see more indecent dressing on Legon Campus than this?”
Serwaa, that comparison stung me like a bee. First of all, one thing you should note is that the dress code of Legon ladies is not the standard for others. For heaven’s sake, it is not all ladies in Legon who dress that way. Why did you not compare yourself to the decent ones? Like my Christian sisters at MPU. Or better still, you could use the decent ones in your own school as models.
Do you remember the last time I visited you on campus I said I liked how the ladies of your school dressed?
“Well, this is Kwame Nkrumah University of Spiritual Training for you,” you remarked sarcastically. Not long ago, I also heard your Vice Chancellor, at the induction of the Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church; refer to your school as the “University for Spiritual Training.” Well, if it is so, why don’t you use that as a benchmark? And for your information, not all Legon ladies are like what you think. And you ought to be careful you don’t repeat that anywhere.
I used to think that the rivalry between educational institutions existed only at the senior high school level until I came here. Just last Sunday, it was manifested at the Church Service of the Methodist and Presbyterian Union (MPU). Mr Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, was invited to chair the launch of this year’s Hallelufesto, our mega musical concert.
In his opening remarks, Mr Agyarko said he felt at home because he was a strong Presbyterian, who was also trained at Presby and Methodist Schools. He mentioned a Methodist School in Kumasi, and he was applauded. He also said he attended Prempeh College before going to PRESEC for his Sixth Form. More Applause!
“From there, I went to KNUST to read Pharmacy,” he ended. And to my surprise, the Central Cafeteria exploded: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
“He has spoilt his record,” a young man who sat next to me remarked.
So, never make an unfavourable comparison or remark about Legon, especially when not all of them are like that.
My role model, Chinua Achebe, has a proverb I like so much. He said in his Arrow of God that if you beat any rhythm in a big house, you will always get someone to dance to it. Apostle Paul puts its more succinctly in 2Timothy 2:20 of the Holy Bible: ” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
So I admit that, like your school, we have the shameless kind of ladies you’re talking about here in Legon. They have debased themselves to the level of sex objects and I wonder the essence of their university education.
They walk about practically naked, and there are some of them you cannot sit behind in a lecture room if you want to understand what is being taught. I have read somewhere in the African Writers Series when a man was said to have seen a woman’s beads. Guess what the writer meant? He was simply saying the young man had slept with the woman.
Can that be said today? It will be madness. Not only do these ladies show their beads but they also show their ---. Sorry, I nearly said “as******.” The madness driving our country to its ruins is this foolishness they mistake for human rights. Talk about indecent dressing on campuses and you’ll get someone to spin weird tales about abusing students’ fundamental human rights. Interestingly, the Ghana School of Law is just behind my department and you often find them in uniforms. Yes, uniforms. You cannot dress anyhow at the Ghana School of Law. But do the law students not know their rights?
Judges and lawyers who are the custodians of our human rights don’t tolerate indecency. Two years ago, a judge in Accra walked a female student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism out of his court for indecent dressing. The student was there to do a class assignment. How shameful!
That wayward dressing is a sign of immaturity. By merely looking at the appearance of ladies on campus, you can tell a graduate student from an undergraduate. I’m sure some of the graduate students behaved the same way but they are now too mature for that. Serwaa, you’re not growing any younger.
My love, I’m not being too harsh. I love you and want your appearance and everything about you to connote dignity. It is true that on Legon campus, when you see some ladies, the only possible thing you can think about is sex. They are happy when guys refer to them as being sexy. But the truth is that no serious minded guy wants to date a sex symbol. See, the worth of such ladies ends after ejaculation. And there’s more to a relationship than sex, you know? There are also some ladies here on campus, who are so decent that your mind goes to marriage anytime you see them. Be among the latter.
I’m a female gender advocate, remember? The battle for gender equality will forever remain fruitless if women continue to reduce themselves to sex symbols. I don’t see the sense in ladies featuring in music videos almost naked while the male artiste, whose track they are helping promote, is in a suit and tie.
Are the Okyeame Kwames or the Sarkodies superior to their female artistes? Why do their equally talented female counterparts such as Mzbel think that showbiz is about showing one’s vital parts on stage? Mahatma Gandhi teaches us that no one can make you inferior without your consent. You ladies must learn.
Serwaa my love, please, don’t ever point to Legon ladies again when I complain about any attitude of yours. They are not your benchmark or the benchmark for the morality of our society. Besides, I have no control over them and will not risk confronting them and asking them to dress properly. What moral authority do I have? Over you, however, I have that right in much the same way you have the right over me.
I love you and will forever remain true to you. My mind, heart, and soul have settled on you and understanding should be the password of our love code.
On this understanding shall we build our marriage and the gates of divorce shall not prevail against it.
Your love,
Manasseh.
Writer’s email: azureachebe2@yahoo.com
Letter to my Future Wife is a column that appears in the Weekend Finder every Saturday.
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