Turning Thirty(30), When Ghana is Fifty(50)

I swear. It must have been a conspiracy for my parents to have given birth to me when Ghana was celebrating its twentieth anniversary. It was only eleven years after Dr.Kwame Nkrumah, of blessed memory, was deposed.

Life must have been hard.

My parents probably never figured that whilst they were looking after my elder brother, Samuel D Bensah--also of sweet and blessed memory--when he was just four years old, they'd be giving birth to a naughty, naughty young man who would shake the world in more ways than they could imagine;-)

I am rarely whimsical on this side of the blog, but, hell, it's a day after my thirtieth, please give it to me, won't you?

I have an interesting reply to the previous entry about my dislike about the South African attitude to West Africans, which needs some serious cogitation. I am flirting with the idea of it being an open letter, for the issue Charles Ndoro raises in there are worth of public comment.

I, for one, am glad the issue of Stanbic Bank, ECOBANK, Ghana's Agricultural Development Bank, and the sale thereof are coming out in the open.

All that aside. It's interesting to be thirty at a time when Ghana is fifty. It merits serious consideration on where I'm going; where I've come from and to whom I must account.

As regards blogging, I started in 2005, and foresee a long time in blogging. My regional integration interest will not depart me any time soon.

The desire to write a novel is still deeply ingrained, and I want to work at it. I'm having challenges with writing the novel, or typing it, as sometimes, access to a computer is not all that reliable.

But I'll get there.

They say at thirty, you leave the silliness of the twenties and become "mature".

Who says?!

Have a good weekend!

As the Week Opens in Accra: Thoughts on...Championing Who'sExcellence?

DCFC0305
Originally uploaded by ekbensah.

'We are going to see that we create our own African personality and identity. We again rededicate ourselves in the struggle to emancipate other countries in Africa; for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.'




I’ve been walking a lot lately--mainly from work at East Legon to the Tetteh-Quarshie interchange, where I catch a tro-tro to the Spintex Road. When I walk, it humbles me, and in walking, I get the opportunity to observe many things in Accra: the stench of the open gutters; the unsafe 207 BENZ buses that ply the Ghanaian routes; the largely-uneducated masses of men who, once in the city, opt to become taxi drivers, vulcanisers—or worse.

Ghana is 50, yet we have an energy crisis when we shouldn’t. Let’s face it, though: energy problems are not unique to this country, for in 2006, Europe suffered blackouts, prompting the EU to factor energy as a key challenge and policy area for its burgeoning 27-member EU.

In Ghana, we have just resumed the load-shedding management programme, which started Thursday—some days after Ghana@50 dignitaries left.

If there are any lessons to be learnt from our former colonizers—the Brits—where Kufuor is sojourning for the next couple of days on the invitation of the Queen of England for a state visit, it is maintaining and retaining any culture of excellence that Ghana might have, as well as possessing a visceral disgust for mediocrity.


Had this energy crisis afflicted the UK, heads would have rolled, and incumbent Minister of Energy—Joseph Adda—would have been forced to resign. It would not just have been the opposition that would have called for it, but the buoyant and vibrant press, including the inimitable tabloids, such as the Sun.

Today, in Ghana, our opposition – seriously ineffectual and uninterested in moving the nation forward talks the talk, and occasionally walks…out of Parliament – for posturing sake.

I wonder how far this is excellence in the making.

Streetlights stand on the Spintex road – have done for a month now – and nobody has publicly questioned why commuters and drivers alike ply dark roads in the evening, and at night.


We are known for our peaceful and pacific disposition. I sometimes wonder whether our attitude is not just passive and pathetic.

Nkrumah talked about an "African personality" -- about the African, when given a chance, doing things for himself – when he blazed the trail for Ghana and Africa fifty years ago.

Ghanaians must not, and cannot afford to, disappoint the dreams of that great visionary.

,

My New Ghana@50 blog

As a way of providing to all and sundry the latest happenings, by way of video capture from my Digital camera, of what's happening around the Jubilee celebrations, I have purposefully set up a new blog:

http://myghanaat50videos.blogspot.com

enjoy!

Did the NPP government really think about branding Ghana? (Part I/II)

Get video codes at Bolt.

In this short clip, which I captured from Ghana's Metro TV, the very personable Cardiff-university-trained Mary-Anne Acolatse (formerly of TV3) interviewing Ben Ephson of the Daily Dispatch on the perception of the foreign media of Ghana. Epson wonders why it took the Ghana@50 secretariat and Ghana government to set up preparations for the celebrations a good 7 months!, when the Malaysians, also celebrating their 50th, started many months ago?!!

Happy Birthday, Ghana!: You are Jubilee!;-)

As I won't be in tomorrow, given it being a statutory holiday, as well as the subsequent day, I am posting this for 6 March.

Happy Jubilee!!! This is a cover of the latest edition of New African. The cover is, well, not surprising. It dedicates a good 45 pages, including the odd advert, but almost fifty anyway(!!) to Ghana!

Enjoy!!

Thank You, Adam Westbrook!; Where is E.K.Bensah I?

Adam Westbrook, I hope, ought not to be much of a stranger on this blog, though I do understand why it might be for some--given the clutter on this blog of mine;-)

Seriously, Adam is not just budding, but a very consummate broadcast journalist student, who is bound to go far, not just because he's called me "venerable", or "audacious and witty", but because he provides a very interesting perspective of journalism, his studies, the challenges he encounters, including perspectives on other issues of international affairs, like Sudan, and not-surprisingly, Ghana.

In his latest post, he threw me a challenge, when he wrote:

"This week marks fifty years since Ghana gained it’s independence from Britain. There’s celebrations going on all over the place in Ghana and the UK.

I’ll be writing as much as possible about it all this week, as well as trying to munch down on my first Ghanaian meal in four years.

And if you want to read all about it on the ground, check out EK Bensah’s brilliant blog
"

Erm. Splutter?!!?!

Say what, Adam:-))

Bang goes my sipping of pina colada, tomorrow, whilst in my bed listening to Kwame Nkrumah inform Ghanaians (yes, understatement, I know!) that Ghana, our beloved country, is free forever!...

...while contemporraneously wondering why my Dad hasn't yet told me why my paternal grandfather EK Bensah, in his capacity as Minister of Works and Housing is featured in the History of the Ghana Institue of Architects enjoying himself, as quoted here:

The inauguration of the Institute came off successfully on the 11th of December 1964 as planned at the lecture theatre of the Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, Legon, at 8:30 p.m. Hon E.K. Bensah, the Minister of Works and Housing, was the Chairman. He was supported by Nana Kobina Nketia IV, Director, Institute of Art and Culture, Dr. R.P. Baffour, Vice-Chancellor, KNUST and Mr. G.Y. Odoi, Managing Director, Ghana National Construction Corporation. The first Fellowships of the GIA were conferred on Hon E.K. Bensah, Dr. R.P Baffour, Hon. L. K. Apaloo and Mr. G.Y. Odoi. The Ghana Police Band was in attendance and dished out “conc” Hi-life tunes in their pristine state. (from: http://www.arcghana.org/gia_history.htm

OR...

what duties EK Bensah I performed, in his capacity as "African Ministerial Secretaries in 1953", as is featured here:

1. Mr J. H. Allassani, Ministerial Secretary for Develop-
ment.
2. Mr J. K. Donkor, Ministerial Secretary for Health and
Labour.
3. Mr Ohene Djan, Ministerial Secretary for Finance.
4. Mr J. B. Erzuah, Ministerial Secretary for Education
and Social Welfare.
5. Mr Krobo Edusei, Ministerial Secretary for Justice.

6. Mr E. K. Bensah, Ministerial Secretary for Commerce,
Industry, and Mines.

7. Mr A. Imoru, Ministerial Secretary for Agriculture and
Natural Resources.
8. Mr Kwesi Plange, Ministerial Secretary for Local
Government.
9. Mr F. Y. Asare, Ministerial Secretary for Housing,
Town and Country Planning.
10. Mr Atta Mensah, Ministerial Secretary for Communi-
cations and Works.
11. Mr R. A. Ampodu, Ministerial Secretary for Defence.

MR JOSEPH EMMANUEL APPIAH, the personal representa-
tive in the United Kingdom of the Prime Minister, was born
in Kumasi in 1923, the son of a former schoolmaster and now
Chief Secretary to the Ashanti Confederacy Council. Mr
Appiah received his secondary education at Mfantsipim
College in the Gold Coast before coming to Britain to read
Law at the Middle Temple. During the early part of the
Second World War, he served as transport officer first at
Takoradi and later on at Freetown, Sierra Leone, on the staff
of the United Africa Company.

fromhttp://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=17219785

It is an article of irony that his youngest grandson would work with an organisation that campaigns against, inter alia the perpetuation of commerce, or trade, --not to mention policy on mines -- that is inimical to the development of not just my beloved country of Ghana, but the rest of Africa.

Forgive my apparent self-aggrandizement, but if no-one will honour my grandfather, who am I not to? If you see this, Dad, I'm sure you'll be very happy;-)

Long live Ghana!

I will be sure to bring some more perspectives this week on Ghana, such as the importance of Ghana helping Guinea at this critical time--in a manner akin to that of Dr.Kwame Nkrumah several decades ago!

This is What Young Ghanaian Journalists Should Aspire to!

With less than a week before the Jubilee celebrations, the country is undergoing reflection—whether serious or not is a very moot point!—on the state of a number of things. The state of Ghanaian media is no exception. Now, let’s be – yet again – clear: I am no journalist; a few courses here and there have helped me appreciate the practice, but I don’t have a journalism degree to my name. What I do have are a few journalist friends/acquaintqnces who remind me that the proactiveness of the young journalists in this country is a great deal better than one would have expected.

Let’s take the case of the Stanbic Bank/ADB issue. The Sunday after I wrote that article, I contacted a journalist from the Business and Financial Times. I gave him what he has considered a "scoop" on the ADB/Stanbic story, which I am quite chuffed about. More importantly, though, was his tenacity, his questioning, his seeking of clarifications for the story, which turned out to be a front-page story like this:



This, within two days!!

I was more than impressed. As I was equally impressed to have heard that Bernard Avle, broadcast Journalist-cum-Economist of the private radio station, CITI FM 97.3, had had his show win the award for "NEW RADIO STATION of the year" and "TALK/INTERACTIVE SHOW of the year", for no less than BBC's Africa Radio Awards for West Africa!

I have spoken and interacted with Avle a number of times, and can say that he thoroughly deserves it! Full of humility on the evening of the win, in his response to the flagship CITI Eyewitness News, he praised the producers (Soloman Alhaji—sp?), among others of the show, and the number of unsung heroes who make the show possible. He told me he did a google search of his name—only to find his name featured in a number of entries yours truly had made about him!;-) It is good to know that it is something he appreciated.

Whatever the case may be, my view is that this is how the budding journalists in the country should be behaving...fifty years on!

As the Week Draws to a Close in Accra:Thoughts on...Africa Today; Kofi Annan in town

I was at the A&C Shopping mall this afternoon to have lunch, and had the opportunity to pass by one of the shops on the first floor to buy the Africa Today magazine, for a friendly-to-the-pocket price of ç20,000, or just under $US2.00. Having lunch afforded me the opprtunity to really do more than peruse the magazine. Here a few interesting facts I found:

p.5: Malawi's Lucius Banda, who is a musician-cum-MP was sentenced for 21 months for having falsified his high school certificate in order to stand as MP, but had his conviction overturned on appeal by Malawi's High Court

p.6: an interesting editorial "New era of cooperation" providing an interesting survey of how Joseph Kabila got to where he is today, but how he stillr emains mired in problems, especially with Bemba (obtaining a 42%) deciding to go to court to challenge the results of the election. The editorial praises dur process of decision to return to violence

pp.8-9: how Germany is putting a new focus on Africa, as it assumes presidency of the EU; and how climate change is critical; how the climate change most affects Africa, and how a UN report has some frightful prognostications that include how "if sea levels were to rise by one metre, part of Lagos in Nigeria would be under water"; and finally, under EVENTS, France declassifying Rwanda files, with survivors pointing serious fingers at the French for having explicitly supported Hutu killers

pp.24-25: how the G8 summit of 2006 flopped execrably to the extent that Nigeria was not---but South Africa was--invited to the former, including how 2007 will see a change of dramatis personae, what with Nigeria's Obasanjo due to go in May; Senegal's Wade trying to stand again for Senegal; Chirac out of power by June-July this year; and Tony Blair seeking to leave a legacy for Gordon Brown (incumbent UK finance minister) to follow on the Africa scene. More importantly, seeing the rise of the Asians, and t he impact of that for the G8 to re-strategise in their configurations

p.26: how the AU, in July 2006, mandated that Senegal prosecute former Chadian dictator (considered the "Pinochet of Africa")Habre...

...and much, much more

Go grab a copy! Even if it is the December 2006 edition;-))


It will no have escaped your attention perusing the Ghanaian blogosphere and Ghanaian online media that Kofi Annan, now immediate past UN Secretary-General, is in town, and delivered a what many consider to be "beautiful" and instructive speech at the launch of Ghana@50 Golden Jubilee lectures, which you can read more about here

have a good weekend!

Remembering Ghana's Regulators...in this Jubilee Year

With Ghana sitting on the cusp of historic change as it sets the stage for the ushering in of its Jubilee year, it is my earnest and sincere belief that the necessity to initiate a review of Ghana's regulatory agencies is critical. I had, in fact, been thinking of this last year, and went to the extent of listing some of them, which I'll post here shortly. In a somewhat serendipitous move in the direction of writing more about the country's regulators and their work--or lack thereof--I came across an article in today's Business and Financial Times about the National Petroleum Authority closing down 8 petroleum outlets that were unlicensed.

"This is where we should be going", I thought. As you know, thoughts like these flash many people's thoughts many times a year, but translating it into a desire of exposing regulation--or non-performance of it--is not always at the fore.

In 2007, and in my thirtieth year of existence, I'm about to try and reverse the trend of merely cogitating and arm-chair-strategising. I'm taking this renewed attitude into different manfestations of action that will feature on many of my other blogs. Within the next few days, you will find an outline of some of the new features that I will be incorporating into this blog, making it -- in the best way I can-- a blog to stop by--by hook or by crook. ;-) [You've gotta give it to me for humility, no?:-))))]


an inset taken from my mobile phone of the article...

Well done, Bank of Ghana!...(We're 50 days to Ghana's 50th Anniversary!!)

My parents and I were very happy yesterday evening to see this blue-and-yellow pamphlet, that is lying on my keyboard. It's from the Bank of Ghana, detailling the whys and wherefores of the re-denomination scheduled for July. In fact, ever since the announcement late last year of the redenomination of the Ghana cedi, such that
10,000 Ghanaian cedis will become, as from July this year, 1 NEW Ghanaian cedi, there have been a number of (silly) jingles on the radio, and a banner (quasi-permanent) on the front page of the Daily Graphic newspaper, and other newspapers so that the public becomes used to the "conversion".
This is what the government-supporting private paper, The Statesman wrote about it in its review of the year, 2006:

"The biggest change in the Ghanaian economy of 2006 was the announcement of the new Ghana Cedi, which will be launched in July 2007. Four zeros will be knocked off our current currency, making one new cedi equivalent to ¢10,000 in today’s money."

The pamphlet answers the following questions:

1. why is there a need for redenomination?


2. what is replacing the old notes and coins?


3. what will be the relationship between the old and new notes and coins?


4. will I lose value if I exchange my old notes and coins for new notes and coins?


5. does it mean that the cedi is going to be devalued or revalued?


6. what happens to the old notes and coins when the new notes and coins are introduced?


7. what happens after the transition period?


8. will this exercise lead to price increases?


9. will this affect my wages and salaries?


Simply put -- and I am deliberately referring to #5, which might be of relevance to non-Ghanaians -- from July going, $US1 will be equivalent to 92Ghanaian PESEWAS. This is if we are operating from the assumption that currently $US1=9,200 Ghanaian cedis.

I find it all exciting.

Without a doubt, when at the annual conference of the incumbent government--the New Patriotic Party(NPP)--that was held in the Eastern region at the beginning of the year, the President John A Kufuor said that the new currency would be equivalent (almost) to a dollar, it made the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)quiver in its boots. Just a bit.

What I do know is that time is the only thing that will hold the real truth of it all...;-)

tags:
ghana cedi;ghana new currency;accra;50 days to Ghana's jubilee;

Happy New Year!!! (Better Late than Never...)

Hello all, I know it's been a while; if you check my recent post (today 12 January, 2007) on Reflecting the Eccentric World of E.K.Bensah, you'll find that I am "under the weather".

It is precisely for that reason I thought I ought to write something in here to let my regular readers and otherwise know that I am ok and haven't stopped the blogging enterprise!

This is where the whole staff stayed from 17-21 December for our annual review. It's in the Central Region, a typically tourist region for all the greenery and proximity to the ocean...

...where I played some basketball with a colleague's son...

...worked out in the gym of Elmina Beach Resort for three mornings...

...and enjoyed the beautiful landscape set against the ocean.

Great to be back in Accra, but definitely missing the place!

May this New Year 2007 bring you ALL you desire and much, much more!

have a good weekend!

tags:
elmina beach resort; ghana; central region;
happy new year;

Darkness Falls in Accra(2), But Regulatory Commission Responds

Ghana's flagship regulatory commission, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) is no stranger to this blog--neither are complaints of darkness falling in the capital contemporraneously associated with what I have described as execrable service delivery by Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

If that all sounds heavy-handed to you, you might like to reflect a bit on the fact that yesterday evening, for no apparent reason--or so it seemed--lights went off around 9.30pm, whilst we were in the middle of watching All that Glitters on TV3. How we were unamused!

When the electricity came back on, it was around 11.50pm, just as Tv3's Gardener's Daughter was at a stage when it was exciting;-)

Seriously speaking, I called that evening to be told that there was -- yet again -- "a fault" and that the ECG people were on their way to the estates. That was around 9.45pm. Must have been a long trip for them to have taken a good two and a half hours to fix the problem, when they have experienced it many a time!

Anger and frustration aside, I contacted PURC this afternoon, on account of the fact that they had switched the lights off at 5.50am this morning. When I called my parents around 3.05pm, it was still off!

Philip, of PURC, contacted me around 3.22pm to tell me that a conductor was broken and that they were on it. This was after having called me at 3.17pm to tell me that he was trying to get in touch with them. He assured me electricity should be back on around 4.30pm. I have yet to call, but I suspect by time I get home around 6.30pm, it should have been restored;-) Fingers crossed!

tags:
accra; ghana purcghana electricity