Guest Contributor

READERS’ MAIL: I Fell Asleep During the 2017 VGMAs–And Yet I Have the Best Review!

04/11/2017 3:23 pm

The Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) for 2017 (covering the performance year of 2016, I believe) was held on Saturday 8 April, 2017 at the Accra International Conference Centre. As an avowed old duade who has over the years drifted away from the path of current music trends and the new school genres, some of which I don’t understand and many of whose artistes I don’t know, I do not have the habit of staying up to watch the usually long program that runs into the early hours of the following day, usually not starting on time.

The best I do, in the past years, have been to ‘watch’ the program on Facebook (mostly) and Twitter, following the posts of dedicated members of CAG – Couch Analysts of Ghana, whose witty commentaries from the red carpet moments to the moment when the top award – Artiste of the Year – is awarded, makes for better entertainment than the program instead. Notable members of CAG are Kwame Gyan, Kofi Obirikorang, Andre Jnr, Francis Doku (he is normally off duty on VGMA days as he attends in person and could be relied upon for inside information), Nuerki Ata-Bedu, Lawrencia Elikem Zigah, Prosper Afuti, Kofi Yankey and Ayimadu theDukeofGH.

I was planning to follow the same path this year. Until I checked a WhatsApp message from my friend Kwabena Poku, which indicated that the show would be telecast live on DSTV, which meant Kapokyikyiwofaase the Old Duade could also watch from Amalaman and show fellow Duades like the MP of Facebook South, Hon. Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng, that duades move by sizes.

Predictably, during the build-up to the show, old duades like Rodney and Prof HKP were asking what VGMA meant. Rodney said it stood for ‘Very Good Men Abound’ and Matthew Ayiku wondered if it was a contraceptive. Well, you now know who influenced the new way of pronouncing VGMA. Vagima, is it? These Old Duades will kill me shy! See, the best pitch you can make to an Old Duade, when helping him to understand what the VGMA stands for, is to tell him that it is the ECRAG Awards. ECRAG stands for the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana. At one point, it was ACRAG. More on that later.

Walter Owusu Writes: Mainstream Media is Responsible for Rampant Suicides in Ghana

03/13/2017 8:26 am

by Guest Contributor

There is no doubt that the rate at which Ghanaians are committing suicide has really skyrocketed over the past few months. About two weeks ago, myjoyonline reported a suicide case involving the daughter of a parliamentarian. It was obviously a big deal because it involved the daughter of a bigwig in our society. A week later, the same joy news portal reported another suicide case involving a Legon student who jumped to her death at the 4th floor of the Akuapim Hall. Another middle aged man from the Achimota vicinity was also reported to have committed suicide just last week. What really struck my attention regarding this domino effect of suicide cases was when citifmonline reported that a 30-year old man from Half-Assini has allegedly committed suicide.

Suicide is a very common topic in western world and I believe it is safe to say that our friends from the west tend to commit suicide more than us (Africans). It seems like taking one’s own life is becoming a norm in our Ghanaian society. Many people have commented on this issue including John Dumelo, a household actor who had some few words to share. He suggested that “we should open up more to friends and family who are troubled”. Indeed venting to others and seeking help can change this unbecoming trend but our media coverage on such issues needs to be checked. Media coverage on suicide cases is rather promoting self-killing. Mainstream media plays a vital role in our society. Nevertheless, the way the news media cover tragedies in modern day Ghana has a big impact on young minds.

Dr. Park Dietz, a well-known American criminal profiler who is also a consultant for popular TV show “Law & Order” has warned about coverage on crimes and suicides. Excessive coverage on crimes may lead young people to go out and commit copycat crimes. When people are constantly exposed to excessive coverage of a crime, they tend to replicate those crimes according to Dr. Dietz. He simply asserts that “human beings are natural mimics who unconsciously mimic others”. Sometimes the media can amplify issues just by the way they report these issues. Giving out irrelevant details about a crime may help people who are willing to commit such crimes. When criminals are glamorised and given such attention, their acts become admirable by certain people who tend to follow in the footsteps of the “celebrity-crime”. Dr. Dietz also makes some reflections on the reportage of suicide as well and calls it the suicide contagion.

Ghanaian Adulterers Want Homosexuals Dead–Kuukuwa Andam Writes

03/8/2017 7:56 pm

by Guest Contributor

In my work as a lawyer, I have come across several heartbreaking stories of injustice: battered wives, abused children, innocent people incarcerated. But one story that has stuck with me is the story of a lesbian who was beaten to death in Accra. The media hardly covered her story and no one spoke up for her after she was gone. And yet, she too, was someone’s child.

Last week, as calls were made to jail and kill LGBTs (lesbians, gays etc.), I remembered her story. And, I wondered why people are so obsessed with LGBTs? LGBTs are not the reason why youth are hawking goods in our streets, why school children do not have chairs or why many cannot afford one square meal a day. How exactly does 2 grown women or men being attracted to each other affect the price of kenkey? People keep panicking about ‘gay marriage.’ Which gay person in Ghana has ever asked to get married?

It is sad that discussions about LGBTs are often riddled with myths. People insist that sexual orientation is a choice. But, if it is a choice, why would anyone choose to be gay in Africa where they can be killed? No one wakes up in the morning and decides to be attracted to the opposite sex or the same sex for that matter. It is something that comes naturally to everyone by the time they hit puberty. I have known since I was a child that I am bisexual. People claim LGBTs are ‘recruited’ and yet no one recruited me. People allege LGBTs are paid. So why am I struggling to finance my studies? On the contrary, writing openly about these issues may endanger my career and life but I must speak up for people like me who are persecuted.

People insist that homosexuality is alien to our culture and yet we have always had gays, lesbians etc. among us. We called them names like kojobesia. Centuries ago, anthropologists who visited Africa discovered homosexuals living here. And yet we all lived together in harmony. So why the sudden urgency to kill off our own brothers and sisters? Armed robbers rob people, Paedophiles rape children but how does a relationship between 2 mature, consenting adults harm you personally? Christianity, Islam, English and suits are alien to African culture. Yet people who love all these insist on stigmatizing homosexuals because of culture. Historically, some African societies used to kill albinos, twins and the disabled. Shall we revert to that also because of culture?

Ghana @ 60: Independence Or In Dependence

03/3/2017 4:43 pm

by Guest Contributor

Freedom is such a big deal to humanity. Everyone wants to be free. Back in the day, we could not wait to get into high school where our parents would have almost no influence on our movement anymore. We wanted to be on our own and definitely we were. As though that wasn’t enough, we were even in greater haste to enter university for one major reason― freedom to be us!

Freedom is expensive. It comes with responsibility. Independence comes not only with privileges but a sense of duty, too. After all, of what essence is independence to us when we still are in absolute dependence!

Sixty (60) years of Ghana’s independence is supposed to be no mean achievement. At a retirement age of 60, however, can we really boast of sustainable development and resources which have been accrued over the years?

A diamond anniversary of little or no achievement is not worth celebration, tell you what. It’s like a retiree who blames his woes on how harsh his father (who died many decades ago) was. As though that’s not enough, the little he has on him, he decides to blow it up on a lavish retirement party!

At 60, we are still grappling with the basic needs of our people. At 60, we produce little or nothing on own yet spend a chunk of our wealth on imports. At 60, we are still depending on foreign coaches― we are just allergic to hiring our own Ghanaians to be at the helm of affairs. At 60, we can’t buy and eat Ghanaian. At 60, we still have the colonized mind of a teen!

Femininity is Not Inferiority–And Masculinity is Not a Synonym of Superiority

02/24/2017 12:08 pm

by Guest Contributor

You are born either male or female not by choice. Like one’s skin color, one does not choose their gender. If one’s gender is not by their preference, thus, it does not make sense to look down on another because you think their sex makes them think lesser.

Our men must know that masculinity is not a synonym of superiority. And… someone must kindly whisper into the ears of our women that they having breasts doesn’t make them any inferior!

You are not the tail because you are feminine and another is not a head because they are men. Just because you menstruate doesn’t mean you don’t matter. Just because you have a womb to carry another being doesn’t make you any less human. Your sex does not in any way have any correspondence with your worth. Our women, especially the young ones, should know that femininity is not inferiority!

The first woman was woven out of man. Thereafter, all men and women alike, have had to pass through a woman to see life. If women are inferior versions of men, then men should have been quite more inferior versions of women because they came through them after all.

A woman, just like a man, has self-worth. She, like man, has a sense of pride. She has power on the inside. Her body has been made to play roles no other person but a woman can play. That’s how unique her womanhood is.

Is the woman like a man? It’s like asking if a pineapple is like a mango. Well. They all are fruits but have quite differently unique roles and features. The man can never be a woman and the woman… never can be a man. The man was molded to be stronger and the woman, weaker.

The man was made to honor the woman and the woman, to submit to the man. The man was made to play roles the woman couldn’t and the woman, to complement a man’s responsibilities.

What a man can’t do, the woman was made to do. What a woman’s features were not fashioned to do, the man’s was made to. The fact that the man can’t carry a baby in a womb doesn’t make him any inferior. Just because a woman was made to submit to his man similarly doesn’t make her any less human. Each sex was fashioned to function differently and uniquely.

Each sex is unique. Each gender is different. Little wonder we can’t compare both. The man can’t be a woman, try much as he can, and vice versa. Each sex was made to have strength to cover up for the other’s weakness. In other words, it is not about gender competition but… gender completion.

But I THOUGHT…How I Landed At Madina When I Was Heading to Kasoa

02/18/2017 9:03 pm

by Guest Contributor

Quiet recently I was at Kaneshie and had to head to Kasoa from there. I asked some passers-by who directed me to an awaiting vehicle at the station. Guess what. I went to sit in without asking for any further clarification from the passengers and slept off.

After about an hour, someone tapped me on the shoulder. The conductor was asking for my fare. I just paid and slept again.

After about 30 minutes, the conductor tapped me on the shoulder. “We have reached.” I opened my eyes to see clearly. “Ah! Where are we!?” I wondered. “Madina!” he exclaimed.

“Ah! I am going to Kasoa,” I explained. He retorted, “Well… this is a Madina car.” In awe, I heaved, “But I thought…”

Countless times in this life, we have assumed that others should think what we are thinking― in our marriages or relationships, workplaces, every aspect of our lives. Fact is, the best service we can sometimes render ourselves is to be certain that what we are thinking is indeed what we should think. Assumptions are sometimes deceptions.

Ask. Don’t just assume. Be certain. Don’t only presume. Others can’t always discern our thoughts. We can’t be so sure that what we thought was what they thought, too. Many hearts have needlessly been broken on the altar of assumptions. A husband thought his wife should have known better when the wife was also assuming he should have known best.

10 Practical Tips to Get Over BROKEN-HEARTEDNESS!

02/18/2017 10:31 am

by Guest Contributor

Getting over a broken heart is no mean task, trust me. It’s no easy task to overlook broken trust or disappointment by a loved one. Whatever it is, you need your life back. I hope these few tips help you out. 1. Pray for strength to forgive. Forgive he/she who broke your heart no matter … Read more

10 Fascinating Characters You’ll Find in Every Church–Number 5 May Be You!

02/18/2017 10:00 am

by Guest Contributor

Each church is full of different characters–and it being a house of God does not really do anything to some of the most annoying and pathetic human characters. Of course, it’s the same people you meet on the street who converge at our churches, burdened with a high expectation to suddenly act different or become … Read more

20 UNDENIABLE Truths Every Young Women Must Know–Share It With Her!

02/9/2017 12:12 pm

by Guest Contributor

We brought you ‘20 UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS Every Young Man Must Know‘ and today, we are on the women–helping to school and shape their future.

Life is widely said not to be fair but there are times life becomes so fair that we hate it–that’s when it serves us with what we really deserve.

You do not sow corn and expect to harvest a millet–in that, most people live careless and cheap lives and expect valuable returns.

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The Magic Wand Of MakeUp: These Photos Capture the Super Power of Make-Up

02/9/2017 11:46 am

by Guest Contributor

Make-up is a substance or product used to enhance the appearance or fragrance of the body and they include mascara, eye shadow, shampoo, hair styling products, skin cleansers, lotions etc.

In this article, makeup will be limited to facial cosmetics even though the word is an umbrella of cosmetics. Therefore another definition from my pocket dictionary that will be of immense help states that make-ups are cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face to alter or enhance the appearance.

Makeup is now on the ascendancy, the youth and even the elderly in our society have embraced it so it has become the order of the day. It is very rare to see ladies without makeup nowadays and this clearly shows it has been accepted wholly by the majority of ladies.

It has become a norm on campuses, churches and even at the workplace. When you go for social gatherings such as weddings, parties, naming ceremony, funerals etc., you can attest to that. The funniest part is you will overhear some ladies appreciating the makeup of other ladies, whiles some will be engaging in ridiculing.

Personally, I don’t really admire ladies who wear too much makeup, it is a turn off for me. Makeup performs magic on the faces of ladies, in the sense that it temporarily hides pimples or spots on the face, beautifies the face and even makes the ladies look different.

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SHS DIARIES: The New Craze On Social Media—Read Some of the Most Hilarious and Shocking Memories Shared

02/8/2017 11:31 am

by Guest Contributor

Day in day out, there are trends on social media but the recent one that has caught fire is the SHS Diaries.

This trend can mostly be found on Facebook and it has become like a grapevine, we don’t know the source or who started it. We have witnessed a couple of trends that were traceable. Examples are the Mannequin Challenge, Ice Bucket Challenge etc.

Mannequin Challenge was started by students in Jacksonville, Florida on October 2016 whilst Ice Bucket Challenge began with Pete Frates, a former Boston College Baseball Player who challenged his friends and celebrities to take the Ice Bucket Challenge to kick out Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

In Ghana, the situation is different in the sense that we don’t know some of the sources of our trends so the individual or groups that initiated such trends can’t be duly credited.

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Ending the AFCON 2017 Conversation–Black Stars’ Performance Exacerbating?

02/7/2017 2:22 pm

by Guest Contributor

On a normal day, I would not put on my thinking cap to write on football because I feel a lot of sports journalists do that often. I always want to be unique and appealing in terms of my writings and take different dimensions on key issues. This time around I want have a bite of this tasty cherry. Ghanaians are very passionate when it comes to football and I am of no exception to this, I also love football and when I was a kid I thought I might be a sport journalist but situation alters dreams. I will take delight in highlighting on the just ended AFCON 2017.

AFCON 2017 was the 31^st edition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with Issa Hayatou being the captain of the ship. The AFCON 2017 was hosted by Gabon and I must say the AFCON has been thrilling, exciting, nerve wrecking, surprising, heartbreaking etc. The mood correlated with the plethora of games we witnessed. There were a couple of injuries, good goalkeeping, great goals and diverse celebrations and this is good for African Football.

Tournament of such magnitude will always attract spectacles from the world and I am highly elated we did well with the organization and the kind of football played. I would not talk about the highs without touching on the lows. One of the flaws of the tournament was the pitches the games were played on, very poor and even caused some of the injuries. The second flaw I noticed was the officiating. Some of the officiating were bad and I believe moving forward we have to take a critical look at these things because they are indispensable. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the top four teams Cameroon (1^st), Egypt (2^nd), Burkina Faso (3^rd) and Ghana (4^th).

Cameroon were not favourites from the on start, in other words nobody ticked them to win the AFCON 2017. This is because they had lost their key players due to certain reasons so the highlight was not on them. This is a team that surprised the world with their performance. You could clearly see how hungry they were for the trophy. They exhibited great teamwork and they worked hard for it so for me I was not astonished they won the trophy. When they eliminated Senegal, scored Ghana in the semifinal, my dark vision became bright and I saw how dangerous they were and will win the trophy. I am not a soothsayer but I saw it coming. My favourite in the Cameroon team was Fabrice Ondua. Egypt were one of the favourites even before the tournament began.

20 UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS Every Young Man Must Know–Share With Him

02/7/2017 1:03 pm

by Guest Contributor

5. Don’t choose your ‘bae’ (girlfriend) based on her heels. Choose her based on her skills. Heels don’t pay bills. Skills will pay bills and even buy heels! Life is not easy–and no one promised it was going to be easy. As we go through life, we make a lot of mistakes–some of which we … Read more

Forget the Atheists & Those Who Say We Were Not CREATED But Evolved!

08/8/2014 10:40 am

by Guest Contributor

Do you believe that God created all things? If so, you’re not alone; many people share your view. But others say that life and the universe evolved—without the help of a “Supreme Being.”

Did you know that people on both sides of the debate are often quick to state what they believe without really knowing why they believe it. For example:

Some people believe in creation simply because that’s what they’ve been taught at church.

Many people believe in evolution simply because that’s what they’ve been taught at school.

First, we need to ask ourselves an even more basic question: Why do I believe in God?

Because the Bible encourages you to use your mind, “your power of reason.” That means our belief in God should not be based merely on

Emotion (I just feel that there must be a higher power)

The influence of others (I live in a religious community)

Pressure (My parents raised me to believe in God—or else)

Instead, we should be personally convinced that God exists and should have sound reasons for our belief.

When I was in secondary school (in Nigerian term), listening to my biology teacher explain how our bodies function, there was no doubt in my mind that God exists. Each part of the body has its own function, down to the smallest detail, and these functions are often carried out without our awareness. The human body truly is mind-boggling!.

When I see a skyscraper, a cruise ship, or a car, I ask myself, ‘Who built this?’ It takes intelligent people to build a car, for example, because so many small components have to work just right for the whole thing to function. And if cars have to be designed by someone, then so do we humans.

When you realize that it’s taken the most intelligent human minds hundreds of years to understand even the smallest fraction of the universe, then thinking that it took no intelligence to bring that universe into existence seems completely unreasonable!

President OBAMA Came to Ghana and Advised ‘Africa Doesn’t Need Strong Men, It Needs Strong Institutions’ – After Some Years, I Totally DISAGREE

07/9/2014 11:29 am

by Guest Contributor

“Africa doesn’t need Strong Men, it needs Strong Institutions” is a statement passed by current President of America, Barrack Obama, to Ghana’s Parliament, when he visited Ghana on the 11^th July, 2009.

Since the time Obama made those remarks, till date, every social commentator, politician, political analysts or lecturers, social feature columnists in some print media, Economists, and other people in academia, ALWAYS quote Obama and say the latter’s advice, is what Africa actually need.

I’ve pondered over what Obama said all these years and after doing so, I totally disagree with his avouchment. Indeed, what he said makes less sense to me because, I feel the converse of what he said, is rather true or should rather be the case.

Point is, human beings create systems and not the other way round – so if human beings, or men, are not strong, they can’t make strong institutions. This is common sense! I have not had any duologue with Obama to explain to me what he actually meant nor have I had the privilege to read the actual speech he read when he came to Ghana.

But, ‘strong’ as Obama used, was or is not about machismo, physiques, or brons, but brains! I strongly believe Obama actually meant, once we have strong institutions – as in, institutions that are: effective, efficient, transparent, corruption-free, accountable, and have general positive orientation, most of the social-economic problems in Ghana, Africa for that matter, can highly be overcome. That is 100% true!

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