TEDxYouthInspire-Accra 2010: pictures and videos

The first ever Tedx event came to Accra-Ghana at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT on 10thApril 2010 under theme "A Good Head and A Good Heart". A quote from former South African president Nelson Mandela's 1995 autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

The one-day event was hosted by Estelle Akofio-Sowah(see pix of Estelle below holding micophone introducing Esi Yankah), Country Lead of Google Ghana.

Speakers who made presentations at the event included:-

1. Shirley Osei-Mensah : 10 Keys to Success

2.Yawa Hansen-Quao: Leading Ladies

3.Mac-Jordan Holdbrookes-Degadjor: Positive Effects of Social Media

4. Esi Yankah: The African Dream

The Ashanti King and the current state of chieftaincy in Ghana-Full story

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (the 'angry' Ashanti King)

So what happens when one paramount Chief kidnaps the other? A King will roar! hence The Ashanti King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II , sounded his ‘war drums’ to issue a threat to also kidnap the Chief of Techiman, Oseadeayo Akumfi Ameyaw if he steps foot in Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti Region.

“I closely watching with keen interest and I will kidnap the so-called Techimanhene and bring him to the Manhyia Palace whenever he steps in Kumasi if the government fails to take action against him for kidnapping Tuobodomhene.”

The King’s outburst infuriated youths of Kumasi and Techiman to launch series of violent attacks on blameless natives shuttling between the two towns resulting in deaths.

But why would the King of Ashanti issue such a threat when he is most respected for his judicious counsel?

This brazen posture of the King was incensed when one of his allegiants, Nana Asare Baffour II, the Chief of Tuobodom was kidnapped by bodyguards, stripped naked and tortured in the palace of the Chief of Techiman, who accompanied the ordeal of his captive with a verbal message full of invectives meant for the Asantehene. After the horrid experience, the captive Chief was later handed over to the police by his hostage takers. The police, rather strangely locked up the poor Chief in cells at the Sunyani Police post.

When did traditional leaders start acting like the mob bosses in Mario Puzo’s Godfather sequels? The capture of the Chief happened on the eve of the 53^rd Independence Day celebrations, when the Tuobodom leader was slated to attend a court hearing at a nearby town, Wenchi.

Two years ago, the Chief of Techiman had to act on allegations raised against Tuobodom’s Chief to authoritatively summon him. The intended summon concerned assassination attempt on the latter’s life when he was on his way to a festival celebration at Tuobodom. Seemingly, unknown armed youths from the festival-celebrating town had barricaded and ambushed the highway that links both towns; a shooting incident occurred and some subjects of the visiting Chief got injured.

Since the October 2008 shooting incident, the Chief of Tuobodom has snobbishly refused to respond to the summoning by his royal-hood ‘brother’ in the neighboring town. On a number of occasions he replied saying his response to summons and overall allegiance lays only to the respected and widely recognized Ashanti King and the Golden Stool; the symbol of the Ashanti Kingdom, even though he is in the Brong Ahafo Region.(see the Golden stool being carried below)

According to Ghana News Agency reports, it was the late Ashanti King, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II who elevated the Chief of Tuobodom, Nana Asare Baffour II, to the status of Paramount Chief. Doubling also as president of the Tuobodom Traditional Council, Nana Asare, thought it pointless to submit himself to the Techiman Traditional Council for affirmation and recognition as a Paramount Chief who’s worth his salt.

Consequently, when Tuobodom’s Chief was recently abducted, it wasn’t difficult for many Ghanaians to decipher that it was planned plain-face retaliation against a defiant Chief.

The current Ashanti King have had to recount with documents the history of the Tano-Subin area lands of which Tuobodom together with eight (8)other towns is a part of. There has been a long standing controversy as who has legitimate claims to the nine area lands. The area stool lands are Tuobodom, Tanoso-Boase, and Branam; others also are Buoyem, Nchiraa, Nwoase, Offuman, Tanoso and Subinso Number Two.

The issue was resolved by the Committee of Privileges and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council that absolutely confirmed that the nine towns owed allegiance to the Golden Stool.

Then on February 21, 1986, under the Chairmanship of Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, leader of the now defunct Provisional National Defense Council, The Iddrissu Mahama Committee also corroborated the facts indeed as already established by the previous committees. Obviously this was not the first time a Techimanhene has lost on this delicate matter.(pix below- Chief of Techiman Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV)

Historical accounts have also shown that as far back as 1770, the area lands were serving under the Golden Stool prior to the founding of Techiman. It has also been said that, the British colonial government took over the area lands in the ‘Sagrenti War’ under Sir Garnet Wosley when Ghana used to be the Gold Coast. In that war, then Ashanti King, Nana Agyemang Prempeh was captured and exiled in Seychelles by the British, which subsequently led to the famous Yaa Asantewa uprising in Ashanti history. A brave woman, who led men to war; with the aim to rescue their captured King.

This is the reason why Otumfuo issued out his ‘Ayatolla Komeini-styled-fatwa for Salmon Rushdi (author of satanic verses)’ against the Chief of Techiman. Otumfuo together with members of the Asanteman Council (made up of all paramount Chiefs in Ashanti Region and some in the Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions) in a meeting heavily criticized and condemned the Chief of Techiman, describing his actions as barbaric and inhumane towards a fellow man.(Nana Baffour Asare II-Tuobodom Chief,pictured below)

He also had harsh words for the government and police for allegedly taking sides on the matter, and not affecting any arrests when the incident broke. Otumfuo went on asking the President Mills led administration to choose between him and the Chief of Techiman. 12 suspects have subsequently been arrested following the violent youth clashes.

But what has been government’s own position on the matter and the basis of the King’s allegation?

The Techimanhene was reported by claims of the Tuobodomhene to have shouted from the roof tops when he held him (Tuobodomhene) captive; that he was above the law and could do as he pleases because he had the police in his pocket and that his government was in power.

Government has subsequently reacted by denying the claims describing it as untrue, and quickly dispatching a high powered National emissary, led by Brigadier-General Joeph Nunoo-Mensah (National Security adviser to the President) which included Dr. Christine Amoako Nuamah (Office of the President), the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Opoku Manu, Alhaji Collins Dauda (Minister of Lands and Natural Resources) among others to meet the Ashanti King. Local media is yet to be made privy to the details of the summit. Calm has been restored in all three towns since, thus Kumasi, Tuobodom and Techiman.

Is the government indeed being bias on Chieftaincy issues?

In a matter of weeks, this is the second time the Mills Administration is being criticized by another King for being bias. The first was when Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah, lamented in a press statement that the National Democratic Congress led government was sidelining him when it came to national activities and events. He accused government of not inviting him officially when the President, John Evans Attah-Mills read the State of the Nation’s address to Parliament.(see below the pix of the Ga King)

He took a swipe at the President and his men in his ‘warning-laced advise’ to him, “this land belongs to the Ga State…the President should not seat at the Castle and heed to council from standard seven boys”, the Ga King said. The King was fuelling into the perception that, the National Democratic Congress held the notion that, he (the King) was ‘ably installed and imposed’ onto the Ga people by the opposition New Patriotic Party when they were in power.

Indeed the Government has confirmed that it cannot officially recognize the Ga King when he has not been gazetted by National House of Chiefs to gain an official status. This is owing to issues of controversy surrounding Ga King’s installation.

Government appears to be circumspect and neutral in this affair, in order not to be seen by another faction as supporting an illegitimate King that would fuel violent tensions. During the last Homowo Festival celebration, King Tackie Tawiah was threatened and prevented from sprinkling ‘kpoikpoi’ in some areas.

Government had therefore advised the King to properly settle the stalemate between himself and the National House of Chiefs which will duly lead to his name being entered into the gazette.

Interestingly, President of the Ga Dangbe Council, K.B Asante, has added his voice backing government’s position.

Mr. Asante said, “The Ga Mantse has not gone through any rites or rituals yet”, “…he did not go through all the required traditional and customary rites needed for him to become the occupant of the Ga stool”, the retired diplomat added.

What has been public opinion concerning these Chieftaincy matters? Human rights activists, lawyers and social commentators have been buzzing and debating with diverse opinions on local radio and in the tabloids.

Whilst many recognize the importance of Chiefs in the Ghanaian modern society others have sharply called for the whole of the Chieftaincy institution to be scrapped entirely. Journalist and anti-corruption activist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, is of the opinion that Chieftaincy has outlived its purpose.

To him the maintenance of Chiefs and their practices in contemporary and democratic Ghana is backward and primitive, “if it’s not for the lands that these Chiefs get to sell, nobody would like to be a Chief, Chieftaincy contradicts the principle of democracy, it is not based on merits but rather a claim to a special royal bloodline surrounded by myths, this is unfair”, Kwesi Pratt Jnr opined on Peace Fm.

Kwesi does not also agree with champions of Chieftaincy who cogitate that the institution of Chieftaincy preserves the rich Ghanaian culture which must not be left to die out. He describes them as non-progressives who do not want to be dynamic with the changing times.

Other supporters of royal hood have also counted the contributions of the Ashanti King to education being the Otumfuo’s Education fund that offers scholarship to needy children. A similar move by the Okyemhene, King of the Abuakwa State in the Eastern Region, Amoatia Ofori Panyin, with regards to education is also hailed. Again Togbe Afede of the Asogli State in the Volta Region is lauded for his initiative to set up a thermal energy plant for his people.

Plainly, it’s the choice of Ghanaians to determine wither we drift with Chieftaincy, whether we will support our nascent political democratic dispensation or freeze Chieftaincy to be forever part of Ghana; the united house that Kwame Nkrumah built, and the acceptance of never-ending disputes and conflicts? In Northern Ghana, the ‘Abudus’ and the ‘Andanis’ are yet to settle scores, Government does not seem to be find it’s feet in the search to find and prosecute the killers of the Ya-na, Yakubu Andani. As the Mamprusis’ and Kusasis’ tprepare for their festival very soon, let all Ghanaians across every length and breadth of the globe pray for peace.

I hadn’t finished writing this article when news came in from Northern Region that; Chief of Garishegu has been murdered by irate youths who ambushed and attacked him on his motor bike. He had gone to visit a close pal in a nearby village.

Sizzla recognizes Ghana's teachers and advises youth at live concert

Accra-friday 5th March, Independence Eve

Approaching the Ohene Djan Stadium (formerly Accra Sports Stadium) one could hear chants of rastafari songs and slogans; (sic)"fyah burn", "more fyah", "Give thanks to Sizzla". And neither can you walk a distance without noticing the sponteneuos waves of the lion of judah flag by Rastas clad in their famous red,yellow and green apparels of diverse designs. If you were attending the Sizzla Concert, you've indeed made it to right venue.

Born Miguel Orlando Collins, Sizzla Kalonji(warrior) is a Bobo Ashanti rastafari widely known for his contemporary form of reggae and hard hitting lyrics against homosexuals.

This is Sizzla's first time in Ghana after visiting Zimbabwe a couple of days for a show before arriving in Accra. Many local fans turned out on independence eve to see Sizzla perform. They were not disapointed at all through out the entire performance. Sizzla himself was never let down as the fans sung along to his jamaican-accented lyrics with fervour.

A number of local and professional talents preceded the main act of the night; from the upcoming and gifted Stonebwoy(junior Grade), to the internationally recognised Black Prophet . Kalonji appeared wearing a 3piece tunic khaki suit with his dreadlocked hair tightly fitted in a black turban.

Amidst his all spirited and reverberating showing, Sizzla took time to share nuggets of his wisdom and in an advise to the teeming youth crowd,

"...we as black people, we an educated and genius people,...have respected for yourself, have respect for your brothers and your sisters and help to make Ghana and Africa a beautiful country...have respect to your parents"

He also gave recognition to Kwame Nkrumah;the founder of Ghana, to the teachers and senior citizens,

"...maximum respect to the senior citizens in Ghana, all the students, big respect to all the teachers, without the teachers you' re done."..." his excellency Kwame Nkrumah was fighting for the right purpose to free an independent country out of slavery...no more slavery..burn slavery.

Sizzla's concert in Ghana was by courtesy of Lalibella Music Production Limited and Aduana Entertainment Promotions.

Ex-Prez Rawlings’ Ridge residence razed by fire

14thFeb-In the early hours of Sunday morning, around 4:20am fire gutted the official residence of former president Jerry John Rawlings leaving nothing to be salvaged. Accra experienced a heavy downpour of rain amidst power fluctuations, which many Ghanaian journalists speculate may have been the cause of the fire.
The house currently stands roofless on a brick frame that serves as a mount for the building. Smoke from the fire has left black patches on the walls as the fire decimated the entire house. No one was hurt.

Meanwhile, GRIDCO, the main power distribution company in Ghana has confirmed that a fire outbreak the critical sub-station equipment in Tema was the cause of the energy fluctuation that happened around 1.00am. The Public Affairs outfit of the company has described as “unfair and premature” comments blaming them for the fire at the ex president’s residence before even investigations have been completed.

Five fire tenders from the Ghana National Fire Service headquarters got to the grounds in 4minutes after a distress call was made to them. But public comments have suggested the need for government fully resource the Service as they could not help the situation.

This incident is coming after recent fire attacks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the offices of the Ghana Education Service at Tudu, a section of the Ministry of information, the Tema Oil Refinery and the Kumasi and Accra Asafo markets within the last one year of the President Mills administration. Former president J.A. Kuffour, in a statement to show sympathy and solidarity with the Rawlings, said the latest fire unpleasant incident was “one too many” and called on government to act swiftly in looking in to the affairs of the fire service to make them efficient.

At the time of posting this article, the cause of the fire had still not yet been established. Government says it is treating this occurrence as a national security issue. President Mills, in a directive, have asked the office of the Chief of Staff to hastily look for a temporary residence to house the former first family.
The president was among top government and National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials, who went to witness on first hand the ruins of the devastation. Police barricaded the residence to prevent party activists and sympathizers as well as surging reporters.

But there is an interesting twist to this ill fate suffered by Rawlings. Days before the fire attack, a well-known NDC activist and supporter of Jerry Rawlings was widely reported in local tabloids to have cursed the former president. Alhaji Bature said Rawlings would incur the wrath of God if he did not stop being overly critical of the current regime.

Rawlings founded the National Democratic Congress party in 1992 after 12years of Military rule. The NDC lost power in the year 2000 only to return in 2008 under the leadership of President Mills. Interestingly, Rawlings has been more critical of the government than the opposition parties, describing the president as “slow” and calling Ministers in the regime as “greedy bastards.”

Mr. Rawlings, who described the situation as a “painful loss” to journalists was not in the house when the fire broke. He had to drive to Accra from the Volta Region where he had gone to help local farmers at Wume, near Sogakope in a weed clearing project over the weekend. Former first lady and wife of Rawlings, Nana Konadu, was alone with eldest daughter, Yaa Asantewa at the time the inferno started. The Rawlings’ have lived at the colonial designed ridge bungalow since the 1980’s during the PNDC (Provisional National Defence Council) days till date.

In search of water-AccraWest hit by crisis

It’s been four days since Thursday that residents living in Accra-West saw the last drops of water flow through their taps. People have had to travel long distances looking for portable water. Wielding water containers of all sorts from yellow jerry cans to washing basins and buckets women and children are seen in long queues at fortunate neighborhood spots with running water or wells.

The management for water distribution in Ghana, Aqua Vittens Rand, a merger of two companies of the Netherlands and South African origin, cannot assure residents of the affected areas when the situation will be finally resolved. Stanley Martey, PRO for the company says "there is an on going repairs work at the Accra-West sub station where the control panel and some equipments have broken down,unfortunately we cannot say when the works will be over".

Mr. Martey told Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Joy fm’s Super morning show host, that the company has organized a number of water tankers tasked to distribute water to the affected areas. But many have sent in complains that they are yet to be reached. The situation has forced some households to purchase bags of water sachet to bath and cook. Sometime later in the weeks ahead, the price of a sachet of water, famously called “pure water”, is expected to increased from 5pesewa to 10pesewas.

Tap owners have taken the opportunity to cash in on the crisis before it is solved. They charge 5pesewas for a bucket of water and 10pesewas for big basins.



Over the weekend, some workers have also had to visit their family relations with large storage plastic tanks in to do their laundry. Seth Quartey is an audit trainee with a Chartered Accountancy firm and lives at Anyaa –one of the areas hit by the crisis, he says, “...the situation is unbearable and I plead that work been done on the equipments must be done quick time because I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t get water in my house by tomorrow morning”.

Looming danger of energy crisis in Ghana-Masses to pay?

Three years ago the Electricity Company of Ghana started a pilot program to install prepaid meters in homes to replace the postpaid ones which comes with often delayed monthly bills. The postpaid system was fraught with a lot of problems.It allowed customers to accumulate high bills over long periods.

A task force had to go round to disconnect the electricity of defaulting customers, who were only reconnected after the payment of a reconnection fee in addition to the outstanding bill. Daring households would sometimes look for a local "electricity physician" who used the crudest means to put power back through the lines or other times temper the metres to read irregularly. Others tapped main electric poles to connect wires into their houses for power, the unlucky ones were occasionally caught or got burnt to a charred state. With the new prepaid metres now,customers consume wisely what pay for.

In 1997/98 and 2006/07 Ghana suffered major energy crisis having to undertake a power rationing programme which lasted a full year each in both cases.

Thursday the Daily Graphic reported that Ghana’s capacity to generate energy for industrial, commercial and domestic use is in serious crisis because of the failure of mining companies, industries, ministries, departments and agencies to pay the huge sums of money they owe to the Volta River Authority (VRA).

Admittedly the VRA says that it can no longer sustain its operations from the regular returns paid by loyal consumers. The Authority is therefore pressing for an anomalous 150% increment in tariffs, as it appears that the big companies are reluctant to pay their huge debts that have run the authority into a financial distress.

Therefore the urgent solution being proffered is to shift the burden on to masses of the country while the mining companies and industries are left free. It’s so unfair that household consumers will have to suffer for the inefficiency of VRA to mobilize its debts from defaulting companies. By common sense understanding, the situation suggests that mining companies are having a field day in Ghana at the expense of the ordinary larger majority of Ghanaians (no apologies for my bias against Mining Companies). So much gold, diamond and other resources that these companies mine out of Ghana every year, they pay next to nothing using our energy for free while repatriating abnormal profits to their foreign owners and entities who have turned Ghana into a client state. This is undoubtedly draconian and sinister to say the least.

To make valid the excuse for the suggested increment in tariffs, the Head of Public Relations at the VRA, Mrs Gertrude Koomson said in an interview that the currents tariffs are out of date, owing to the reason that their body was allowed to increase tariffs in November 2007 sanctioned by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC). But the reasons do not only end there, we are also being told production cost of one unity of energy has depreciated by 50 percent. In my opinion these are only diversionary to cover up how the debts have been accumulated all these years. Again it’s very difficult to acknowledge the reason that in November 2007 when the tariffs were revised there was an understanding that Ghana would receive natural gas which was cheaper to augment operations, to run the plants. Guess what? “The gas has still not arrived”, they say, forcing the VRA to rely on the relatively expensive crude.

Its likely that the VRA will have a hard time to push through the proposed 150% increment to the PURC. Public commentary seem to be against the move. I would have supported a lesser percentage increment if the reason was to expand operations to non-connected and deprived areas other than bail out a certain mining company that pollutes water bodies with cyanide and destroys the environment,when its profits benefits me not.

The question to ask is whether the looming crisis is the effect of mining companies, industries, ministries, departments and agencies failure to pay the huge sums of money they owe to the Volta River Authority (VRA)? Or the current tariffs are stale? Or is it the VRA’s inefficiency to collect its debts?

Mopped up in National identification

A couple of hours ago I got mopped up in the zone 4 mass National Identification exercise, the lastphase for the Greater Accra Region. Ghanaians residing in the following areas of the region; ie Adabraka, Tudu, Asylum Down, Osu, Ringway Estate, Labone, Cantonments, La, Burma Camp, Teshie, Nungua, Alajo, Pig Farm, Kotobabi, New Town, Kokomlemle, Roman Ridge, Airport Residential Area, Dzorwulu, Abelenkpe, Shiashie, Okponglo, Legon, Mempeasem, Maamobi, Nima, and Kanda have until next Thursday 11^th February to register if they have already missed the first four days of the exercise. Lucky me, I took advantage of a Mopping Up exercise in another community outside the ones I’ve listed above, I missed the train at my residential area.

The National Identification registration exercise has been characterized by long queues and sporadic skirmishes since it started last November. Apparently this is not an unusual phenomenon to law abiding Ghanaians who always have to spend long hours waiting in winding “lines” to get their particulars filed. The last time a similar thing occurred was in 2008 during the registration for the voter’s identification card and seemingly during the presidential election in December. Folks who live in largely populated areas sometimes wake up at dawn to go queue up in wait for registration officers.

To avoid squabbles from trouble makers who do not appreciate the “luxury” of queues, a “common-sense” man in the community who lives close to the centre may decide to assign unsolicited numbers as and when the line keeps maturing. Occasionally one is replaced by a proxy, when he is tired or has some house-hold duties to carry out but comes back just on time to register when its his turn after getting a “flash” on his mobile phone. Else the waiting would be in vain and if you’re “lucky” the best thing to do is to perhaps start all over again from the back of the queue. You probably do not want a fight, do you?

These tendencies often discourage me to partake in the process until I’m convinced that I will spend not more than 10 minutes at the registration centre. So like I always wanted, today I spent approximately 15minutes to go through the entire process of getting my particulars filled in and having my passport-sized picture taken. At the end of the process I was given a printout to vet the details I had provided at the first point of call desk. There, an earlier identification document was requested it can a baptismal card or certificate, birth certificate, birth weighing card, voter’s ID card, passport, driver’s license, SSNIT card, National Health Insurance ID card, sworn affidavit, immigration permit, dual citizenship certificate, naturalization certificate. But I was reliably informed that persons without any ID documents will be registered on oath, and voila! Here’s my passport. I thought it was interesting to be asked where my parents were born (in my father’s case I wasn’t too sure, maybe I lied) and who my next of kin is. In my moment of soliloquizing, I thought, “yo! Lady, it’s too early for a young single guy to talk about "who will take after me?" especially when I would not be receiving any freebie or largess after the process when I’m no more.” I suggested my junior sister, Kiki. I took my height from a wall with chalk markings, 158cm it read.

Now here I am facing the lady in the video, submitted the filled out sheet of my particulars to her from which she keyed in the data on to her laptop. Obviously this is the reason for the long queues; the lady was too slow at typing. But in Ghana things are done in reverse, and even with the advent of computers and technology, “so-so” bureaucracy! Here I think my data should have been directly entered on to the computer at the first desk to avoid double processing and time wastage. Both my left and right index fingers and thumbs were digitally scanned twice; my signature was required on a digital plate by way of an electronic pen. And then I straightened up for the camera. No hustle!

I’ll get my national ID card later in the year when a general announcement is made about its readiness. I foresee looming long queues again. This is Ghana; nothing is done without long queues. If you doubt, check out the public toilets in the slums every morning.

Unlike the voter’s ID registration where you’re required to register within the constituency of your residence, one can register at any place in the country. But if you miss the mass registration phase of this exercise, plans are afoot for Regional Offices to remain opened for your sake.