Testing Page!

Hi Folks,
              I have been quite for a very long while. The reasons, I don't want to bore you with. Th ere is a lot to be talking about. Randomly selected, but current or interesting enough to generate a debate/ discussion  about our individual conceptions about what's going on in Ghana, Africa and the World. The Geo political relations we have built over the years. But I am looking within Ghana as I try to draw examples and relevant inferences from the West and elsewhere around the world on how we can take advantage of Globalization, Commercialization and Comodification with locally made solutions to the challenges ahead.

Join me if you can.

Some interesting discsuore among my pals on FB.

Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson
recuperating fast by his Grace but have a few worries- last time it was a disabled female tutor feeding her libido on female students at T-Poly. Now a math tutor at Adisco sodomized 6 male students but only one of his victims was bold to report the incident. this male tutor was sacked from Augusco for similar offenses. What is the MOE/GES Take on this trend of sexual abuse in our schools? God Help Ghana!
54 minutes ago · Privacy:Friends of Friends · LikeUnlike ·

*
*
*
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo Sex offenders invasion, I think we r having a new era of peverts, jeez! from charlatans to teachers!
50 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi This is as a result of 'Social Change'.....
36 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo true
35 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson Social change is supposed ot be generally good for the benefit of man and his society but not this kinda weird change!
34 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi We allow any 'stupid' thing to be 'imported' into this country....and our children will suffer for it. Social Change can be very negative...my brother. The British changed or introduced an educational system into this country....what has come of it?
33 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo how we paying much att to mental health, it cld also be a factor
31 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson have we built on what they left us? same structures and architecture! in the public system. Our leaders (some of them) have really not been there for the people. Things are getting so bad socially, polticall, economically, morraly, religiously and more. Can we ever correct the trned?
30 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi The thing about Social Change is that, it introduces good things as well as bad ones too.....freedom to import everything into the country...means freedom to introduce vices as well... i agree totally with you Cyrus...but why haven't our leaders been able to do anything....look at their educational background...it could be the answer....
28 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson worse things even among the highly educated and well placed. hasn't some loudmouth professor impregnated his house help? Someone with a f wife of many years. How abt that doctor on my street who was cuaght have sex with his alsatian dog?
26 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi The ' ordinary' Ghanaian is so stressed up that....every 1 in 3 has hypertension....serious brother Russell
25 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo i don't fink so, I fink we need a radical approach in our leadershp direction, cus over here, if u want to get things done. u must be a radcal, otherwise pple will just overlook u as just another nuissance.
24 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi Russell my brother, we have gone thro that path before....eventually what happened to those 'saviours'....they copied the life style of the rich and famous....hahahahaha
22 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson This country Need God's Own hand in our Affairs..
21 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Kojo Ellimah You cannot dissociate the media from its values. As our appetite for foreign media grows, so will there be a corresponding increase in foreign values like what we're witnessing!
18 minutes ago via Facebook Mobile · LikeUnlike
o
Kojo Ellimah But l'm baffled that authorities at ADISCO didnt discover that this gay teacher was sacked from AUGUSCO for a similar. What due diligence do they do before employing them?
16 minutes ago via Facebook Mobile · LikeUnlike
o
Ransford Amon-Pabi Since the media is a microcosm of the society, what can we do to change that?....i always think the Government is in a wonderful position to change things thro its policies etc....
12 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo Cyrus. we really need God n our affairs, but not only that, an ample amount of common sense, and street smartness
9 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Kojo Ellimah Regulation! Thats the simple solution. We must CREATE the kind of society we desire to see.
8 minutes ago via Facebook Mobile · LikeUnlike
o
Cyrus Stan DeGraft-Johnson interesting discourse!
5 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Russell Peregrino Quarcoo interesting huh! u set the agenda sit back and enjoy the comments, get the blog up and running..!
3 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
o
Fortress Ehornam Agbottah i think such cases should be sent to the hospitals for fast castration,,that will serve as deterent to others,both sex i mean...
about a minute ago · Like

HOTLINE- To plant or not to plant? How should government handle the delicate matter of cocoa farming in forest reserves?

DRAFT
CUE( forester briefly saying there is nothing we can do abt it)
Until Tetteh Quarshie returned from Fernadopo in 1878 with some few pods of cocoa for cultivation, there was little attention on cocoa cultivation in the country. Tetteh Quarshie’s return and his bold attempt at cocoa cultivation and his subsequent success at exporting cocoa to Europe in 1885 was an event that would forever change the economic destiny of Ghana. Ghana has since 1925 when it produced 44% of the world’s total exports of cocoa, been regarded as one of the world’s leading exporter of cocoa until the 1980s. That notwithstanding, cocoa exports has continued to be a major player in Ghana’s export commodities. Today, earnings from cocoa exports alone accounts for about 34.1 per cent of the total export earnings. Notwithstanding the enormous contribution of cocoa famers to the development of this nation, they have suffered as much exploitation as the overall contribution of the crop itself to the nation’s development.
Government in its bid to protect forest reserves has resourced the Forestry Service Division to cut down all cocoa farms that have been allowed to flourish in some forest reserves in the Western region. This could be disastrous, at least for residents of Aboabodo in the Sewfi Anhwiaso Bekwai district where the only source of income for the more than 3000 residents is cocoa farming. The village contributes a significant portion of the district’s cocoa yields annually.
CUE: (Children voices cock crows walking in the dry leaves, man cutting tree..
Hundreds of hectares of cocoa farms are said to have extended into the Tano Suraw Forest Reserve, dwindling it’s seize by 80 percent. The farmers, most of whom are settlers from other parts of the country, have been farming here for many years.
CUE: (oldman, some women and yougnmen) –brief
To verify their claims, I make a journey up the hills where the farms are located.
CUE: (STAND –UP on the farm)
Since the forest guards backed by the military started the exercise over two months ago, the farmers have been having sleepless nights. Everyone wakes up fearing the worst.
CUE: (crying woman)
She was not the only female farmer to shed tears at the turn of events.
CUE: (another crying woman)
The village has one primary school. There is no electricity and the residents rely on boreholes for water. Kwesi Manu speaks about how the destruction of the cocoa farms has affected school enrollment levels despite government’ fee free education policy.
CUE:
The impact has been devastating, as Eno Serwa who traveled hundreds of kilometers to settle in the village more than twenty years ago explains. She wants the government to step in.
CUE:
But District Chief Executive, Moses Armah says the exercise will go on.
CUE:
The question is, does it make sense to cut the cocoa trees, create an economic fatigue among the affected farmers all in the name of forest preservation? GNA Agana is district forestry Manager
CUE:
The blame game started when I wanted to find out why the farmers were allowed to encroach into the forest reserve for all these years?
CUE: (Agana blaming lack of political will)
CUE: (Armah talking about the FSD being inactive)
Blame game or not, people like little Efia and their parents would be feeling the brunt of the cocoa farm destruction taking place in the Aboabodo settlement. The story will not be so different in many other villages where farmers have encroached into forest reserves. This official work with a Cocoa buying company, he wants to remain anonymous but tells me the exercise will have a negative impact on the expected yields from the area.
CUE: (kuapa ….)
As the ding dong continues, cutting of the coacoa trees will not cease. Envrinomental NGO, Green Earth says Ghana has consistently falied to protect its forest resources. Executiv Director, William Ahadzie says the situation is getting out of hand.
CUE:

REDEFINING CPP: AS A CALLING PROPHECY AND PROMISE!

by Party Communications Director
There is a new prophecy hanging over the destiny of Ghana, linked to the promise of the Convention People’s Party. I write this, assuming that Ghanaians know the famous lines that were uttered by Nkrumah the day Ghana was born, in 1957. After fifty three years of independence, the prophecy has come to pass, with the release of Nelson Mandela from jail, as a throwback from the release of Nkrumah from jail to assume the post of Head of Government Business in 1951.
Today, Ghana and Africa are once again at a watershed point in history, where the prophecy deserves a revisit or retelling. We who were born after independence and came of age in the decade when the son of an African is President of the United States, it becomes almost a reversal of the prophetic fulfilment of Nkrumah’s dream of African Unity. I say this because, little has been acknowledged, despite the pictures to prove that, Martin Luther King, Jr., and his wife Coretta, Ralph Bunche the first African-American Secretary to the United Nations, John Johnson, Founder of Ebony Magazine, Adam Clayton Powell, first African-American Congressman from Harlem – Malcolm X and Mohammed Ali were to visit later - and a whole host of African-American political and literary luminaries were present on Independence Day, to see the rallying cry of “Independence Now,” come to fruition; and later became linked to the total liberation of Africans and African-Americas.
I set the tone for this article with the preceding paragraph because, there is a particular picture of Nkrumah holding the hand of Martin Luther King Jr., and showing him something in the distance. Till this day, I am yet to find what the two were talking about and if any points of historic interest could be gleaned from their conversation. But the silence of time, has a way of stealing away such moments. However, as the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words. So I can only use my imagination to deduce that King might have been advised by Nkrumah to use the notion of the “fierce urgency of now,” like the phrase, Self-Government Now to pursue his dream of Civil Rights in America.
Secondly, there are pictures of Nkrumah standing at the Lincoln Memorial and co-incidentally that was the same place King would later stand to give his “I Have A Dream Speech.” As a creative writer and a poet, I must allow myself the fictional license to believe that Nkrumah might have told King, “If you want America to live up to its creed of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that all men were created equal, hold a rally at the Lincoln Memorial and demand civil rights for African-Americans Now.”
It is only interesting to note that some forty years later, Obama would re-echo the idea of “fierce urgency of now,” in his speeches during his campaign to become President, also Obama would refer to Nkrumah in his autobiography and visit Ghana on his first African trip as President. These connections I am making are symbolic, aimed at painting a picture on a historic canvas of prophetic storytelling to stress the point that, the realization of the African-America dream to have a President of African descent in the White House, has its roots
embedded in the historic narrative of Ghana’s history. Let us not forget that W. E. B. Du Bois lived the final years of his life in Ghana and Nkrumah was influenced by Harlem politics, Marcus Garvey and George Padmore while a student in America and England.
Let me therefore relate it to the Calling of Prophecy and Promise. There is not a political party in Ghana with such a rich historic heritage with links to the Diaspora as the Convention People’s Party, particularly because of Nkrumah. Ours is a scared calling, like the Priesthood or being called to the Bar or to pursue Medicine. The call to commit one’s life to politics as a CPP member – as Nkrumah did - must be seen as a calling, and in my opinion only the CPP offers such an opportunity to the next generation of Pan-African political aspirants, committed to Creating Prosperity for the People.
We are living in prophetic times and the call of our party must be a call to a new prophecy. Nkrumah pointed out in his autobiography: politics is the art of the possible. Let us pledge ourselves to a new prophecy to fulfil the promises of economic independence, work and happiness, self-government, and African unity. That is the mission of our party. It is our destiny to forge a new Covenant between the People and their Politicians. It is a Call to Prophetic Politics to fulfil the dream of the political Kingdom, to assure Ghanaians that our promise to lead Ghana/Africa to the Promised Land of prosperity is scared and must not be betrayed.
If African-Americans can fulfil the promise of King, why haven’t we fulfilled the prophecy of Nkrumah? The moment for us to wake up the sleeping conscience of the race is now. CPP must mean more than just a name of a party. It must mean a Calling of Prophecy and Promise; a Covenant between the People and their President, a sacred social Contract between Parliamentarians and the People, to guarantee good governance, democracy and development. This is the moment to Conceive, Prepare and Plan for Change, Possibility and Power.
We were once the greatest party in Ghana’s history, hence Africa; we can be great again. Let us be fearless in evoking the spirit of political prophecy or to use the church phrase to speak in political toughs. This is the moment of our new destiny. Not later in some distant future, but Now. History is on our side, in our quest to once again win and Control Political Power in Ghana.
Kabu Okai-Davies, Member of CPP, Australia Branch.

Regional Minister explains ban on motor bike use in Bawku does not affect everyone but residents want the ban removed

Public service workers and staff of essential service providers such as health and education are not affected by the ban on the use of motor bikes in the Bawku municipality. That’s according to the Upper East regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who tells Joy News a social communications center will be set up to take care of emergency situations. The ban was imposed by the municipal Security Council following a sharp upsurge in hostilities in the Bawku town. Already the town is under a 4pm to 6am curfew. Mr Woyongo says the ban is indefinite.

Residents say the ban on the use of motorbikes is a non starter. They tell Joy news it will rather worsen the economic situation in the area.

MP for Pusiga, Simon whose constituency is closely, believes the security agencies would be wasting their time trying to enforce the ban on the use of motorbikes instead of apprehending perpetrators of the violent acts.

In the Name of God BAWKU wake up!

The People of Bawku seem to have the knack for making all the bad news in Ghana, despite the numerous issues the media is confronted with to report on. Bawku can change headlines with horrifying tales but true of course: "man set ablaze", "51 year old woman's corpse found in a well". What is all this? cant our brother and sisters up North just for once sit and realize that they are setting us all back with their backward attitude? Am tired. so tired and somehow, hmm...

I just want our politicians and so called big men and opinion leader and all those who have a hand in the unending SAGA OF BAWKU, to bow down their heads in shame and run into the bush with their tails in between their hairy legs, aaaba!
this whole chieftaincy conflict started way before the PNDC/ NDC-NPP-NPP and now the NDC is back in the saddle. Can it evr solve the issue? Avoka has been removed after several right thinking members of society had protested even his appointment. A number of casualties later, the President finds is necessary to remove him. Martin Amidu is the man in charge of the Interior Ministry now and he has decided not to say a word about Bawku, at least despite several attempts to get him to tell us about his plan to nib this nonsense of Bawku in the bud!

The Government can do so much. but the residents of the area must be bold enough to stop this crazy attitude. thousands of military and policemen is not what we need.

Nigeria dismisses James Ibori money laundering charges

The former governor of Nigeria's oil-rich Delta State has been cleared of 170 charges of corruption - involving the laundering of millions of dollars.

The federal court in Asaba said there was no clear evidence against James Ibori, governor from 1999 to 2007.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which brought the prosecution, described the judgement as hazy and pledged to appeal against it.

Nigeria is frequently cited as one of the world's most corrupt countries.

Correspondents say the government has had to defend itself recently amid growing anger that it is slowing down its anti-corruption drive.

'No stone unturned'

The BBC's Caroline Duffield, in Lagos, says Mr Ibori is one of the most wealthy and well-connected politicians in Nigeria.

She says he is a close personal friend of President Umaru Yar'Adua, and is notorious among Nigerians for becoming extremely wealthy during his time in power.

The EFCC say they have "an enormity" of evidence against him and have promised to "leave no stone unturned" in their efforts to bring a prosecution.

"This kind of judgement, if not challenged, is capable of deepening the menace of corruption in our country," the commission said in a statement.

The EFCC initially brought charges against Mr Ibori in early December 2007.

But the EFCC has been at the centre of a political storm in recent years - dogged by allegations of political bias.

Former EFCC head Nuhu Ribadu was removed from his post just two weeks after the charges were brought against Mr Ibori.

Mr Ribadu was seen as close to Mr Yar'Adua's predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo.

And last week the EFCC arrested senior critics of the government - who accused the commission of working to disrupt their plans to launch an opposition party for the next election.

Wide powers

Meanwhile, the UK authorities have also acted against Mr Ibori.

In 1997 a UK court froze assets allegedly belonging to him worth $35m (£21m). His annual salary was less than $25,000.

He had already left the UK when his assets were seized.

But several of his associates and his wife, Theresa Ibori, are facing trial on related charges in the UK next year.

Mr Ibori is named on legal documents as a co-conspirator in the UK case, which deals with alleged fraud from more than one Nigerian state's coffers.

But no charges have been laid against him.

Under Nigeria's federal system, state governors enjoy wide powers.

Those running oil-rich states have budgets larger than those of some African countries.

They enjoy immunity from prosecution while in power, but several have faced corruption charges since leaving office after the last election in 2007.

Just one former governor has so far been convicted - Edo State's former chief Lucky Igbinedion, who was fined $25,000 for embezzling $21m.
Story from BBC NEWS: