STREET SHELTER

Living on the streets of Accra can be nothing but an everlasting experience nobody could ever imagine. The streets is open to all but it become a place of abode for young men and women who have travelled far and near to seek for greener pastures.

Young men and women on the streets of Accra wake up before the hen crawls to begin their day. It is their daily prayer that night do not find them, because the night begets bitter sweet experience and never sweet dreams. But it is nature and night needs to fall.

Having a good mattress and a well-built structure with a roof just to prevent the rains from falling on you becomes a huge burden for these young streets youths.

Under the newly constructed Nkrumah interchange, in front of stores and other corners where you cannot imagine that someone conceived for nine months born of a woman will be a place for them to rest their heads.

They sleep without any blanket to cover themselves from either mosquitoes or coldness of the weather. The dews of the dawn becomes something they fight with but they always get defeated with tears flowing down their cheeks.

On the streets, adversary becomes their acquaintance and an acquaintance becomes their worst adversary.
 

There is no ecstasy on the streets likewise bliss but rather the street which is open to all becomes unfavorable, inimical and hostile which is full of distress.

 

 

 

The writer is a freelance journalist and a political junkie.

Email: paanyan7@gmail.com

Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @ekowrites

THE LIDDELL FASHION TREND – THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

“Though the beginning is small, but the end shall be greater”, Job 8.7. This best describes the story of young, adorable, gorgeous Liddell Josephine Maame Esi Pokoo-Aikins

Studying general arts with Elective Mathematics, Economics, Geography and Physics as her electives she never thought of furthering her education to be either a Geographer or an Economist but rather she followed what her dream and passion was Fashion.

As a young girl growing up she watched her mum designing their Christmas dresses for her and other siblings in the house. She loved how “mum” put pieces of cloth together to form a garment to be worn during Christmas and for other important occasions, hence the passion was born.

Fashion was not the dream of a police officer (father) has for his elder daughter. He was very instrumental in what her young adorable Liddell study at High school. “Obey before complain” prevented Liddell to express her passion to her father so she had no option than pursuing general arts.

At Cape Coast Poly still, young Liddell was not matured enough to tell the father fashion was “the love of her life” so she still had to be the listening Daddy’s favourite of pursing Secretarial and Management studies but was “cheating” with her fashion lover behind her father.

“My boss at the National Service Secretariat helped me to push my dreams further to this stage” sweet Liddell said with smiles.

Being the hard-working and favourite service personnel, her boss (Rev Father) loved what she does at work and bought her an industrial sewing machine as her “End of Service Benefit” (ESB).

“Even though I haven’t gotten to where I wanted to be, looking back I think it’s a well-fought battle and I’m satisfied with what I do because it’s my passion”, the Fashion goddess said with a smile.

“God has been my anchor in all these while and he has kept me till today and keep seeing me through because it’s just by his grace and his grace alone is enough for me”, the religious Liddell said.

Liddell recounted how her once “authoritarian” daddy has become so passionate about her dream than herself, “I feel like the boss”.

“He surprises me with raw materials to use for my products and has been very supportive”.

As a young fashion designer, there are a lot of challenges that she faces such as labour force, entering the market with her new designs and financial challenges as well. She also recounted how her trusted friend went away with her money, it was a terrible experience for her.

Liddell now has a fashion school which she trains young people so passionate about fashion. She has a degree in Business Administration from GIMPA and wants to be described as an influential fashion designer someday. She always wants to see smiles on the faces of the less privileged and wants to make an impact wherever she may be.

The next time you step out to that party or wedding just make sure you are dressed in the Liddell style.

 

The writer is a freelance journalist and a political junkie

Email: paanyna7@gmail.com

Twitter: @eArthurAidoo

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE VOICE OF GOD

Today on my radar, the popular saying by most of the people especially those in the political class “the voice of the people is the voice of God” is what I want us to discuss. This is not a biblical quote, rather it’s a Latin proverb “vox populi, vox dei”. One can say the whole concept of democracy as defined by former United State President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) as “government of the people, by the people, for the people” is based on it.

The term democracy was coined from a Greek language which means “rule by the people”. It can be said democracy is by far the most challenging form of government for both politicians and the people. With this system (democracy), a constitution guarantees basic personal and political rights, fair and free elections and independent courts of law whereas totalitarian regime is a system of government by little group of leaders on the basis of an ideology, that claims general validity for all aspects of life and usually attempts to replace religion.

Back to my radar, the voice of the people is the voice of God may be either true or not. There are numerous of instances in history where corrupt monarchs and governments have been brought down by the people when they were awakened.

The People Power Revolution was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that began in 1983 and culminated on February 22-25 1986. It was used by the citizenry to campaign against regime violence and electoral fraud. It led to the departure of President Ferdinand Marcos and the restoration of the country’s democracy. It was known as the Yellow Revolution due to yellow ribbons during the demonstrations following the assassination of Filipino senator Benigno Aquino, Jnr. This was widely seen as a victory of the people against the 20 year authoritarian regime by Prez Marcos.

Also in November 2015, a massive protest brought down Romania’s government. On 3^rd November, 2015, 32 people died and 134 people were wounded due to a fire that took place at a nightclub in Romanian. The club owners however had insulated the warehouse with cheap, flammable material and only provided one exit. So once the fireworks ignited, people were trapped. This tragic fire brought attention to Romania’s shoddy safety laws and revealed that the government doesn’t actually perform proper inspections on any of the country’s clubs. About 25,000 citizens of Romania protested Tuesday November 3^rd, 2015 against the local government which force the Prime Minister Victor Ponta to resign.

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 is a classic example of how the voice of the people have brought down governments. The January 25 Revolution of Egypt consisted of demonstrations, marches, occupation of plazas, riots, non-violent civil resistance, acts of civil disobedience and strikes. 

Millions of protesters from socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The revolution included Islamic, Liberal, Anti-Capitalist, Nationalist and Feminist elements. About 846 people were killed while over 6,000 people got injured. 

The protesters burnt over 90 police stations. The grievances of the protesters focused on legal and political issues i.e. police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections, freedom of speech, corruption and economic issues including high unemployment, food-price inflation and low wages. 

The protesters’ primary demand which was an end to the Mubarak regime was fulfilled and was asked to stand trial on 24^th May, 2011 on charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protesters.

Do you remember how the “Burkina Faso’s black spring” came about?

The then ruling President Blaise Compaoré planned to amend the country’s constitution to enable him seek for re-election in 2015 presidential polls. When the national assembly was constituted for the amendment, the people protested by storming the parliament building in Ouagadougou, starting fires inside it and looting offices, billowing smoke was coming from the building. Mr Compaoré dissolved his government and declared state of emergency.

How powerful can the voice of the people be?

This same voice being the voice of God can be wrong because God voice is always associated with good things but sometimes our declaration of the masses voice can be wrong.

For instance in 1932 Reichstag election saw Hitler’s Nazi party becoming the largest party elected in German Reichstag leading to Hitler coming to power through peoples’ vote though the agenda of his party was crystal clear from the onset.

Should such voices be called the voice of God?

Like all other proverbs “Vox populi, vox dei”, “the voice the people is the voice of God” also has an opposite proverb, it says “Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, vox populi, vox dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit” which means “those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness”.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a political junkie.

Email: paanyan7@gmail.com

Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @ekowrites

AKOSA – SAMIA ORDEAL EBE GREEN OOO!

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) last Saturday 30^th January, 2016 elected Ivor Kobina Greenstreet as their new flagbearer for the November 2016 polls. He won with 1, 288 votes which represents 64.2% of the valid votes cast as against his closet contender Samia Yaba Nkrumah who secured 579 votes which represents 28.9% at the International Trade Fair Center. Other candidates Bright Akwetey and Joseph Agyepong also secured 42 and 83 votes representing 2.1% and 4.1% respectively.

Prior to the CPP’s delegates congress Samia Yaba Nkrumah was tipped by Political watches as favorite to lead her father’s party into the November Polls but her dreams was shut by Ivor Kobina Greeenstreet’s victory.

Samia thinking that indeed CPP was her father’s party, she could easily campaign with the name of Osagyefo to see her way through just as she did to win the Jomoro seat.

Just as any other elections, this election was full of allegations of vote buying but none of those making this baseless allegations was ready to channel their allegations to the appropriate quarters for action.

Prof Akosa who had contested for the same position before had tipped Samia of wining with 80% of the valid vote cast but was never so. A clear case of Man proposes but God dispose it. The formal Director of the Ghana Health Services was quick to add that “CPP has voted for money……that is the choice of congress sadly and as a democrate I have to accept but congress voted for money”. Really!

• Did the good old Prof verify before making such allegations?
• If he did what was he supposed to have done?
• So would he has said the same if Samia had won?

Come on Prof Akosa, I think this triviality in our politics should stop.

• Prof haven’t you paid money before in your campaigning to become the flagbearer?
• So is the Prof trying to say nobody can win an election genuinely unless the person buy votes?
• Can’t the candidate elect win election in the CPP?

Any way these allegations was not far from the defeated candidate Samia Yaba Nkrumah. She also allege that Ivor Greeenstreet paid Ghȼ200 and Ghȼ500 to become the flagbearer.

Samia speaking to news men said “I’m obviously not happy with the results, but I accept them. The fact of the matter is that every delegate was paid Ghȼ200 and Ghȼ500 actually, among many other things. So it was down to money and of course we cannot be happy about that but we accept the results and we move on. There is a lot of work to be done and I will always serve the party. It’s a vision to serve not for individual.”

• Samia, so how much did you pay to win the 2008 seat at Jomoro?
• How much did you pay to the 579 votes who voted for you?
• If you actually saw Ivor and his people paying Ghȼ200 and Ghȼ500, why didn’t you report for the law to take it cause?
• Would you have ever mentioned such allegation if you had won?
• Are you making such allegations because Ivor paid a bigger sum of money than you?

Samia if you are not ready to allow the appropriate quarters to act upon your allegations than my dear forever remain your peace.

• You think your father Osagyefo was the President of Ghana, you can also run on his achievement and become the flagbearer?

Just rethink Yaba and come out with a concrete information as to how you lost to Ivor.

CPP isn’t your birth right so such baseless and trivial allegations should stop. Come on we are in the 21^st century and we should raise above such pettiness in our body politics.

When it favors you good but when its goes the other way round, the candidate did A, B, C.

It’s about time Politicians in this country accept defeat and embrace the winner, help him to move the campaign to the next level. Let’s support each other and build a strong democratic front in Ghana.

Ebe – Green ooo!

Ekow Arthur-Aidoo
paanyan7@gmail.com

CORRUPTION A SOCIAL CANKER

Corruption in Ghanaian politics has been and will continue to be the hottest topic to be discussed in the political circles.

On 3fm’s national dialogue on corruption, the speakers apart from the Member of Parliament for Salaga South constituency, Hon Ibrahim Dey Abubakari (Alhaji), who played politics during the discussion said his government is the only government that is fighting this canker and making the subject corruption unpopular. But the civil societies group representatives at the forum sought to disagree.

I will agree with Mr. Ato Bonful of the Citizen Ghana movement that our President seems to be talking a lot on the issue of corruption but don’t know how to fight it. It is only by acting that he can help fight this social canker called corruption.

Indeed, Mr. Cudjoe Akpabli hit it right by saying, “We are a big joke in this country”. According to him, there is nothing new insofar as corruption and thievery are concerned.

He added that because of the way power has been vested into the hands of the executive, nothing can be done to fight the canker. This is because the executive arm of government appoints the head of the institution that has to fight corruption and when it is fingered, it can’t be held responsible.

Let’s look at some corrupt acts under the John Mills and John Mahama administration as well as John Mahama and Amissah-Arthur administration.

MILLS-MAHAMA

Under the leadership of President Mills and John Dramani Mahama, the country was hit by a major scandal known as the “Woyome-gate”. A name that traced its source from the Watergate scandal that happened in the 1970s in the US following the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington DC, where President Richard Nixon’s administration attempted to cover up its involvement.

With “woyome-gate”, some officials under the NDC government led by the late Prof JEA Mills and JD Mahama were fingered in the episode leading to the virtual dole-out of GH¢51.2 million belonging to the noble people of the sovereign state named Ghana by Osagyefo.

Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, former Attorney General, Ebo Barton Oduro, former deputy Attorney-General but current first deputy speaker of Ghanaian Parliament, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, former minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Martey Newman, former Chief of Staff, Alex Segbefia and Valeria Sawyer, former deputy Chief of Staff, were the persons Alfrd Agbesi Woyome claims he had discussions with concerning his alleged judgment debt.

In a statement attributed to Mr. Woyome, he wrote: “I wish to state that before I went to court [in 2010], I caused to be written by my Lawyer, Chris Coker Esq., to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning with copies to high officials in the Castle which I delivered personally.

“When we filed our writ of summons issued on the 19th of April, 2010, the Attorney General [Betty Mould Iddrissu] called me and demanded I write to her to clarify my capacity. I did so, and I suggested, per my clarification to her, that the clarification did not compromise my writ of summons”.

According to Mr. Woyome, “Two days after, I was summoned to the Castle to meet Mr. Alex Segbefia. I met him with my counsel- Chris Coker, and the capacity document was discussed. In the conversation, he indicated that he was going through the documents with Dr. Valerie Sawyerr upon the basis of the clarification document.”

“The government of Ghana did not contest the default judgment, but chose to negotiate it down from over GH¢105million to GH¢51 million, which negotiations were concluded by the Minister of Finance and his committee,” said Mr. Woyome.

“My Lawyers then put down the decision arrived at on paper for the Attorney General to sign. In my presence, the Attorney General called Mr. Neequaye Tetteh to come and witness it for her after she had signed”.

This statement, apparently lent credence to the call by critics for the heads of all the persons involved in the judgment debt negotiation and its subsequent transaction. They insisted that Mr Woyome could not have singlehandedly creamed off GH¢51.2 million on the blind side of the State without accomplices in high places.

The officials are walking freely without no charge and Woyome is left alone to face the music at the court.

MAHAMA-AMISSAH-ARTHUR

Under Mahama-Amissah-Arthur administration a scandal occurred under the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

According to the national security apparatus, unemployment was a major security threat therefore the government of Ghana upon the advice of the national security initiated the National Youth Employment Program (NYEP) in 2006 to help deal with youth unemployment in the country.

The NYEP was renamed the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) in 2012, with a chunk of state funds devoted to the program.

For instance, between 2009 and 2012 almost ONE BILLION GHANA CEDIS or nearly $500million (per the exchange rate at the time) was spent on GYEEDA.

Most government officials under this administration were fingered in the GYEEDA scandal, also some businesses, political party and politicians were fingered.

GYEEDA was plagued by what we call “ghost names”, which gave some corrupt officials the upper hand to suck the blood of the state. Beneficiaries including 7,000 ghost names were receiving GH¢250.00 monthly making a total of GH¢1,750,000.00 monthly and GH¢21 million or $10.5 million annual lost.

This money can provide bole holes in most of the deprived communities, build schools, roads, hospital etc. but with some greedy politicians, our motherland cries each and every day.

GOD HAVE MERCY!

Mahama Ayariga, a former Minister of Youth and Sports made strenuous efforts to get members of the Ministerial Impact Assessment Committee on GYEEDA paid a whopping amount of Two Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢220,000) as Honorarium and Imprest.

At the commencement of the review, the five-member committee was given an amount of Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢50.000) accountable imprest at the instance of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who was then the Youth and Sports Minister.

At the end of the assignment, which lasted for about three months, Mr. Ayariga who had then taken over from Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah wrote a letter dated 2nd March, 2015 to the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) requesting that each Committee member be paid GH¢30,000.00 as Honorarium amounting to GH¢150,000.00. The two supporting staff were each to receive GH¢10,000.00 also as Honorarium. The proposed Honorarium was aside the GH¢50,000.00 accountable imprest. Ei!

Meanwhile, the State provided means of transportation and accommodation any time the committee moved into the regions.

After back and forth, and some heated debates GYEEDA eventually spent an amount of GH¢76,000.00 instead of the total GH¢220,000 which was earlier requested by Mr. Ayariga. The final payment, according to documents sighted was made on 2nd May, 2015.

The Ministerial Impact Assessment Committee was formed to investigate financial irregularities and challenges at GYEEDA and was inaugurated on 12th April, 2013.

Mr. Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, during the inauguration, said the committee was mandated to review the regulatory framework of GYEEDA.

It was also expected to carry out an in-depth investigation to determine possible irregularities of crime and related financial losses, as well as actions taken by management to recover possible embezzled money and other assets.

Members of the Committee included: Mr. Ferdinand Gunn, Senior Partner, Ernst and Young, Mr. Edward Amuzu Tuinese, Lawyer and Lead Consultant, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Mr. Randolph Nsor-Mbala, Consultant, National Communications Authority.

The rest were: Mr. Kwame Edem Senanu, Management and Development Consultant, and a Representative from the Public Service Commission, Mr. Mike K. Garba.

We can be talking about corruption under this administration without mentioning the controversial GH¢3.6 million bus branding deal.

The president, Mr. Bonful, said cannot absolve himself of blame in the matter. He stated that the chief director of the transport ministry to the Public Procurement Authority suggested the President John Dramani Mahama authorised the contract to be awarded to Smarttys (a clear case of chop-chop).

“If you look at, for instance, the chief director’s letter to the procurement agency to get the authorisation for sole sourcing, he stated there that the presidency has instructed them. So you see, the president cannot even absolve himself from this because it is coming from his office and that’s a very painful disclosure that we are finding out,” he said.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a political junkie

Email: paanyna7@gmail.com

Twitter & Instagram: @ekowrites

THE BRAND DANSARE

Dansare

Zig Ziglar said “you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”. Nothing can best describe the young man who is impacting his generation with a new voice risen in him.

Daniel Nana Kwame Asare is the name and DANSARE is the brand. Coming from nowhere and going global with his brand, he is one of the youngest African CEO’s that one can mention.

He dreams and I agree with Willie Wonka that “we are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams”. He makes his dream a reality.

Knowing you from our University days, I can best describe you as being God-fearing, you are dedicated to everything that you do, you are humble and very hardworking, you have good morals, your level of intelligence and benevolence add more meaning to this global DANSARE brand.

I remember how we made “the Bullet” the most popular and readable newspaper on campus. The threats we had covering the SRC elections never drew us back. We were determined in making our “1-page” paper very attractive and “the Bullet” was the most authoritative and authentic news source for the university community. Indeed the reward was a beautiful and supportive “JANSARE”. Lol!

How you used the strings and the weather in winning her heart was amazing. The brand DANSARE had a new breath and becomes more than a body. Your physical limbs expanded and its outline recedes, vanishes. The brand has become part of the world, the atmosphere, the blue sky and the blue water.

You always have your heart in a business and the business in your heart, this is a clear mark of a good leader.

You have come a long way in organizing the youth every year for a youth festival (youtherfest) to perfect them through Christ Jesus with a new voice.

Your aim is to build a new generation of young Africans ready to impact the world and to perfect their lives in a Christ-like manner so that they don’t depart from it when they grow.

This years’ youtherfest which will be held at the UCC campus in Cape Coast will be bringing on board some renowned speakers like Dr Joyce Aryee, Pastor Nana Kyei-Amponsah just to mention a few to help perfect the lives of our youth through Christ.

Albert Einstein said, “look deep, deep into nature and then you will understand everything better”. As we look forward to the growth of the brand DANSARE, remember to look deep into the sky and go beyond it because the sky is not your limit.

With God in your boat, you will definitely smile at the stormy sea.

Ekow Arthur-Aidoo

The Writer is a Political Junkie and a Freelance Journalist

Email: paanyan7@gmail.com

YOU ARE THE ONE

You are the one

You are the one God counted on

You are the one God counted on and brought you to our parish

You are the one God made specially and wonderfully just for the spiritual growth of our parish

You dedicated your time for the youth apostolate

You opened doors to hear us whenever we need someone to talk to and nobody was there for us

You are always the best in dealing with us

As a spiritual father, you got a solution to every problem we had as youth

We appreciate your time for the transformation of the youth of our parish

You have been our great hero as a parish

You have been great in the physical and spiritual growth of the parish

Indeed the hunter who hunted you has scored his best hunt ever

Life and destiny can take a priest like you away from us

But it can’t take away the precious memories we had with you

We will forever miss you.

Ekow Arthur-Aidoo

paanyan7@gmail.com