Sensational Edem to Go'getem

I enjoy being a critic, i.e. to observe and study situations to offer differing or lacking perspectives to appear more intelligent than the initiator(s) but I have decided to do something different today – to take time off to sing the praise song of one of the sensational and versatile acts of our time, the VRMG’s Edem, before the eulogies starts trickling in.

Swagnificent Edem in a happy mood

I have micro blogged a couple of times on Twitter and on my Facebook page about the rapper who has refined his brand from Ayigbe Edem to Edem, but I am of the conviction that dedicating a full blog on the heels of the rapper’s ability to win the Best International Act at the just ended Black Canadian Awards in far away Canada would be timely and proper.

Edem beats the likes of Mafikizolo from South Africa, Davido, Yemi Alade and Oritse Femi, all of Nigeria and Eddy Kenzo from Uganda among other African artistes from other parts of the continent over the weekend to become the crowned King of the Black Community in Canada. 

Just like I predicted for other enduring Acts, Edem was promising with his official debut as soon as he stepped on the scene and caught up with everyone like a wildfire in a dry season and has lived up to the billing over the years by featuring both local and international acts.

The award winning rapper and singer whose recently launched album ‘Books and Rhymes’ features dope songs waxed with beautiful storylines, literary prose, watertight lyrics and good compositions deserves a special mention for his immense contribution to shaping the musical landscape of Ghana. This recognition for me should even be a notch higher considering the fact that as a poster child for VRMG, the rapper who raps mostly in Ewe, defied the odds and made a breakthrough when other rappers could barely string words together, let alone over beats.

Edem, who cannot be exactly touted as the torchbearer of the Ewe rap has however worked hard to pay his dues by putting Ewe rap on the map of both hip life and hip hop genre and has quickly risen to become the one to inspire all the aspiring Ewe rappers who are seeking to cement his legacy through the lingua.

Edem, in one of his performances feat. Gemini, a Dancehall Act

The VRMG Poster child who does Reggae, Hip Hop, Dancehall and Hip life is by far one of the most versatile artistes in Ghana with strong collaborative pieces that touches on all facets of life and a convincing force to reckon with as far as the music industry in Ghana is concerned. The funny Volta Regime Entertainer who won best album of the year, best directed video with ‘the one’ and Afro pop song of the year 2015 under review, exudes intelligence and depth if his lyrics and compositions are anything to go by. 

To this end, Edem is incontrovertibly the forte of Ewe rap music by being the first to cross country beyond Africa and the musical ambassador representing the Volta region while still making inroads into the international scene where he’s had several nominations, some of which he eventually won. He has three studio albums to his credit namely 'Volta Regime' , 'Mass Production' and 'Books and rhymes' Edem is more than a rapper and a force that will not stop until his work is done. Kudos Edem for blazing the trail and while having solace in the fact that the ghetto will rise one day.

Writer tweets @vilejah

...Of floods, fire and brimstones.

I have not been inspired to write for your reading pleasure or torture thereof in a while because the system I speak to, seem so resilient and fortified by its unrepentant folks but I am compelled on this black day in the history of Ghana to pass a few comments.

This morning while observing my usual meditation, I was inspired from the words of the Legendary Robert Nesta Marley’s “Many more will have to suffer, many more will have to die” to pen to whom it may concern that the death toll we recorded last Wednesday night into the wee hours of Thursday as a result of the torrential downpour in our nation, Ghana, may just be a precursor to what is to come. My view!

I was so livid when I managed to wake up somewhere in the countryside to the macabre images that were splashed all over, thanks to social media and I knew shit has hit the fan which made me somewhat indifferent to all the telltales that were being churned out by any social media account holder. May their souls rest in perfect peace.

I hardly know what really the cause was, but I don’t want to believe that we are an ungrateful lot who pray for the rains to come only to turn around to accurse God for the mayhem that visits with our requests. I also think what happened at Circle was avoidable but for a few greedy folks who wanted to line their pockets at the expense of the nation and rightfully so if you quantify the loss and I will outline why I feel so strongly about my conviction.

Even though our attitude as a people underlies all the factors that contribute to these bizarre happenings anytime the rain sets in, I would first attribute it to leadership crisis. Our leaders have woefully failed us by by-standing while the laws, regulations and by-laws lie fallow on their dusty shelves. They hardly enforce the law because the buck stops nowhere. No one to ascertain that the right things are done and rarely are people held accountable; our bane.

The second factor is over-monetization of the system, such that, we have thrown our values to the dogs. By all means, do anything to make money even if it’s despicable and inhumane because it is the only way to be glorified in our society. If you are very observant, you would realize that Fuel filling stations have sprung and are springing in every nook and cranny in our settlements and even in the big cities which is not the way to go. I am of the view that we need more fuel to power the nation but I beg to differ on the proliferation of fuel stations even though I stand to be corrected. 

Growing up in my area, Chantan, near New Achimota, I had one bitter experience which makes me bemoan the powers that be. The only football park where all the community members come together to recreate was sold to ONE PERSON TO MAKE MONEY. He turned the place into a filling station, which eventually allowed the devil to set in to find jobs for those who found themselves idle. Today, some of them are languishing in jail for peddling in one drug usage or the other, petty thievery and what have you.

Thirdly, the Permit issuing authorities should bow down their heads in shame for selling every small opening in our areas of settlements to be transformed into gas and petrol filling stations which are highly inflammable. How many times are these setups going to explode too destroy lives and properties before we take drastic measures that these setups cannot be situated at places where people inhabit? Sadly, the truth is the community members cannot be careful at all times so it behooves the authorities to sit up and do something good that will outlast them for once. The laws should be enforced somehow because we do not want to wake up to these gruesome happenings. They are daunting on our national psyche and scary to say the least.

I have seen many buildings marked ‘STOP WORK, PRODUCE PERMIT BY AMA’ that have seen the light of day after a few visits to the office. What changed to warrant the approval of such buildings to be built?

Fourthly, our civic institutions must sit up to educate the people as mandated by the very powers that established them. They should educate the people that demolishing structures that are situated on waterways or on roads does not mean that they cannot live in Accra if that is what they want by all means necessary. It only means, they should relocate for the greater good of all. It only means that we are gate-keeping for the generations to come. It only means that we are poised on doing what is right. It only means that we want to commit to something greater than ourselves.

Fifthly, the government must pass a law to ban fuel filling stations to desist from allowing people to park their cars at their premises. That way, when mayhem visits against all odds, only a few casualties will be recorded which we can contain as a nation. Just as people are admonished to have a verandahs before acquiring monkeys, people buying cars should consider where to park them to avoid being adjoining explosives when fire and flood decides to inflame.

Sadly, I have been tossing the sixth point in my mind for a long time without an answer even before this tragedy erupted and I guess it’s time to be radical in our approach. To use the bottom-up approach, I would like to know what is the use of Assembly men and women in our society? When I was growing up, I recall Assembly heads organizing communal labor which brings together every member in the community every one Saturday in a month where gutters were desilted, streets and corners were swept and kept squeaky clean, so what happened? 

Truth of the matter is, Ghana has most of her priorities misplaced; in that, we have to wait for a massive sum of 200 people to die and many more displaced and livelihoods shelved, for those who lost breadwinners through the raging inferno to expend Gh¢60million, and as though that is not enough, to declare three days of productivity to mourning their departed souls. And then what?

How much more are we going to dole out to the dead should a disaster of such magnitude happen again and how many more days is the state going to declare when we could prevent all these self-afflicted catastrophes that are far-fetched from natural disasters?

It is even unfortunate when these so-called experts are arrayed on our TVs and radios to tell us what could have been done. Where were they when these politically incorrect structures were being erected all over the place and the least said about the print and the electronic media who are supposed to hold fort for the ordinary man, the better. The rhetoric is helping no one, somebody should crack the whip and rein us into line since a little force and brute can get things right. 

Writer tweets @vilejah

Nigeria's Elections and Matters Arising

It’s the aftermath of Nigeria’s successful elections even though the real or imagined turmoil is yet to settle and these happenstances seem to have a daunting impression on the body politic of Ghana.  Aside economic relations that have binded the two countries together and fact that they are all west African countries, I am not able to draw any line between the unsubstantiated inferences that are flying about.

According to some observers and social commentators who mostly align with the main opposition party; the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the final results of Ghana’s General election which comes off in 2016 is just the true and exact reflection of what happened in far away Nigeria. The erroneous and oversimplified assertion which leaves no margin of error only makes one want to ask if these people are really serious about governing our ailing state that needs timely redemption.

Admittedly, Ghana is not doing well and requires a formidable opposition that can flaw the modus operandi of the ruling government and offering better alternatives thereof. An opposition that will put forward, realistic issues that will bring everybody to the table and a better campaign message that will translate into a beacon of hope to the hopeless and finally a can-do person we can all rally around to move us out of the quagmire we find ourselves in, but if people go about touting some bogus analysis that won’t fly, then I am tempted to think that the opposition is not ready to take over the reins of governance from our dead goat of a President.

For crying out loud, how can folks even come out with analysis such as, Buhari won the presidency at 72 and so is Nana Akufo Addo by next year at 72 and while Jonathan is already 58, Mahama is yet to hit 58 by next year? While they are both known to take over the reins of power from their bosses after their demise in office, the PDP and NDC of Ghana are symptomatic of the umbrella as their emblems, so by inference, APC, a Socialist party is NPP and Nana Addo, the same as Muhammadu Buhari. Additionally their respective opponents, Jonathan and Mahama have both been alleged to preside over massive corruption, mismanagement of the economy and bad governance which makes the plot Grande.

I shudder at these porous analysis because it looks like that is where the coincidence starts and ends and Nigeria’s elections outcome has got nothing on Ghana’s Presidential elections come next year. These people who think Buhari’s win is a precursor to Nana Addo’s win simply because of a handful coincidences have also forgotten that the political terrain in Nigeria and it’s demographics is far different from that of Ghana and whereas Jonathan woefully failed to contain the actions of the insurgents, Boko Haram, John Mahama has nothing to contend with except the chronic dumsor which has always bedeviled Ghana anyway.

Conversely, these impoverished thoughts have blinded the commentators to forget that the 72year old Buhari is more astute and agile than the 71year old Nana Addo and cannot really be compared to, in terms of health and zest to do the work at the Presidency. It is also noteworthy that Buhari has been a Major General in the army before and comes on as a hopeful candidate to restore peace and to quell down the rampant death, arsons and insecurity as a result of the insurgence of its people. They have also forgotten that as someone who comes from the North, he succeeded in garnering support from the Muslims who almost outnumbers other religious sects combined. And if Buhari has once been a Prime Minister through a Coup d’état, how realistic are these comparisons by comparing Nana Addo to him as though he has also executed a coup before? 

In the same vein, they have forgotten that the sterling performance of the Ex-Army General and

someone who has once being a President speaks for itself while Nana Addo is still contending his Lawyer Status or yet to convince all and sundry that he was called to the Bar? They have also forgotten that unlike Buhari, who is a Muslim, the two main contenders on our terrain are both Christians and are bound to split votes on that score. What more? Buhari has not side stepped the constitution to impose women on their constituents at the expense of their male counterparts or has not issued a caveat to the Ibos not to contest elections in the Yoruba dominated areas, thus denying aspirants and other sympathizers, their constitutional rights to enjoin in anything.

Why has age even become an issue in our political discourse if the constitution has not placed a limitation on it? Are we bereft of ideas and issues that will see us progress? And if there is anything to go by, barring other things, shouldn’t old age be synonymous to wisdom? Methinks it is time we as a people drop this age factor in our body politic to rather focus on abilities and capabilities?

We are already disappointed by the government of the day for not providing the basic necessities that will ensure better socio-economic lifestyles of its citizens but it gets a lot more painful when the opposition to check them comes on with this voodoo analysis and knee jerk reaction that does not stand the test of time. It is even more painful when all they seem to do is to be shifting goalposts and dancing in circles which will otherwise make most of the people who are bedfellows with the NDC  not hesitate to sleep in with the incumbent which will eventually give a closure to Nana Addo’s political career. 

In other words, we have gone past these armchair kinds of Politics, so the Politics in a bid to coming clean and taking the people serious should refrain from all these gimmicks and compose verifiable messages that Ghanaians can identify with, because the comparisons and differences in the two candidates who seems worlds apart can go on unend. And while these similarities are being bandied around, have we also thought about the aspirations of Ghanaians which may not necessarily be like that of the Nigerians?

Going forward, can we agree to play with the thorns on the roses and tell ourselves that the child’s play is enough?

writer tweets @vilejah  

Burying the Ghanaian in Peace!

Komla Dumor aka the Boss Player

It has been five days since Ghana; my beloved Country was thrown into a state of mourning.  Komla Afeke Dumor - touted as one of the Ace-Journalists to ever walk this part of the earth has passed on, into the yonder and the gripping shock is yet to free some of us from our inactive state, to probably continue from where we left off.

Tributes from sitting and past Presidents, notable and unknown persons from every nook and cranny have trickled in, amidst suggestions of all kinds for the man who could neither consent to nor disagree with them. But, from all indications available on social media, there is no disputing that, the man lived par excellence; a beacon for Africa and the world as a whole.

Even though I cannot say for a fact, if these suggestions are from authoritative sources such as a family spokesperson or from the Presidency, but, they have given me much to reflect on. Firstly, how every group or persons are trying to associate with the once British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcaster, despite, he was a peoples’ person. Secondly, the good-hearted people who are proposing that a fund is set for the upkeep of his Children or nuclear family and thirdly, those proposing that he is given a befitting state burial.

Apart from the clamouring from the general public, the Ghana Journalist Association has officially come out to propose a befitting state burial for the Boss Player and an established fund to cater for his survivors and the first question I found myself asking absentmindedly was “why?”

As a nation, I think this is another opportune time to reflect on our values and what should be held in high esteem. Do we have a policy which is known to all sundry as to who qualifies for a state burial and whose surviving family should benefit from such funds if any exists at all?

Does working for a leading international broadcasting Corporation or other multinational companies of that comparative stature qualifies one for such benefits? Is the benefit only limited to only the top echelon of the political circle? How long should one work in such capacities to be honored with such benefits or just getting there is enough? Exactly, where do we cut the fine line to avoid this habit of talking and denigrating the efforts of people when they are dead and gone?

This is where we are: deliberating on what to do with the mortal remains of Komla Dumor and how to manage his lots when we should be pre-occupied with what actually made him a bright shining star in a dark world and the journey thus far.

Mr. Komla Dumor interacting with Ex-US President, Bill Clinton

Ghana, like any other Country is made of different ethnic groups and by extension, different cultural practices which is usually binding on the individual, but I still believe we as a people can come to a consensus to have common grounds and say, when matters of this nature arises. The policy makers have to be circumspect and proactive in projecting their foresight even before we are confronted with the imminent situations.

Can we propose for the Government to take over funerals in this Country just as it wades in to seemingly alleviate aspects of our lives such as the National health Insurance scheme and other instituted social programs to take care of its citizenry or leave it as it were, where some people conveniently erect billboards for their departed?

How about the Government subsidizing funeral costs of Citizens or scheming funeral plans in tiers, so you and I will know our fate even before we decide to die? 

I know that, the aforementioned questions have cost implications and may further dig a hole in the state coffers, not to talk about how governance will be worsened with the incidence of skyrocketing tax falling on the individual, but all I am trying to say is we need a plan. 

There must be a plan!

And in the wake of Government taking over by subsidizing or organizing free burial for its citizens, how do we handle the agitations from family and friends who would be denied the opportunity to organize upscale funerals for their loved and departed ones, especially if they made more money in their lifetime?

There would also be cultural insurgents and gatekeepers who would be denied the chance to bury their royalties according to accepted norms, not to talk about the businessmen who would be denied revenue from privately organizing funeral for families but somehow, there must be some kind of uniformity.

We cannot continue to characterize the death of notable people who have contributed immensely on individual and national scales with such uproar and non-uniformity, because the least we could do is to allow them to rest peacefully.

To this end, I can only express my condolences to the bereaved family and close friends of Komla Dumor, who would definitely feel the loss on a very personal level.

R.I.P. Komla Afeke Dumor!

Fare thee well 

Xede nyuie!

  

Feature: What is an all-Inclusive government?

"Africa doesn't need Strongmen, it needs Strong Institutions" - Barack Hussein Obama

There has been many calls from different political divides and some identified opinion leaders, all

proposing an all-inclusive government, to do away with the winner takes all governance that has characterized our fledgling democracy since its inception in 1992. The call to commune however, does not sit well with some of us because the timing of the call is misplaced. Simply, an

What is an all-inclusive government when Ghana is always run by an all Ghanaian leaders who are either elected or appointed to post? 

The politician, by his cunning nature will do everything within his means and power to win or amass anything that belongs to the people or where the booty eludes him, he will try to at least have a portion of what the other is enjoying. It is rightfully so, because Politics has become an economic or a commercial venture in which you invest monies, with 98% surety of recouping it, simply because, it has proven to be profitable over the years.

As a political animal who cannot escape my descent, I have keenly observed politics in our dear nation, Ghana, and I have realized that, all we practice here is Politics of Convenience. We do not really love our Country as we profess to and our posture is just a facade. We shift goalposts to assuage for our loss or to still be relevant in the political terrain. Even though, the onus of governance currently lies in the bosom of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), there is no gainsaying that, only two successive governments, represented by the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have taken turns to rule our dear nation, Ghana, for eight (8) years each in the past. 

We can’t rule out the possibilities the supposedly all-inclusive governance can reap for the nation, but how sure, are we that, the two opposing parties can work coherently to achieve the objectives of ensuring the welfare of our citizenry and the nation as a whole? Who then plays the role of checks and balances on the governing team?

Aside the over-arching constitution, we don’t even have national policies to guide the government of the day, so how are we going to go about the inclusion exercise? Are we just going to look around and call up members of the opposing political parties who can play ball or each party would be mandated to present a quorum to be integrated into the governing team?

Methinks it is another strategy to team up to rip our already touted lean coffers apart, thus denying the electorates what is due them. We all know that, the only bill that gets passed quickly in Parliament is the one that has to do with monies due our Parliamentarians, and that is an all-inclusive governance right there, so just do the math and tell me how our monies will be spent, should the all inclusive government be promulgated. 

Our Constitution clearly endorses a multiplicity of political parties in which the emergent Presidential hopeful forms his government, regardless of whether he obtained the right number of Parliamentarians or not. The system further gives him the right to appoint Ministers and their deputies from all over Ghana, especially those who made it to Parliament regardless of their party affiliation, so which all-inclusive government are we talking about?

Shouldn't we rather be consulting our Constitution which would help us put up strong structures to ensure that, the right persons are appointed by the President to work for us, rather than calling for an all-inclusive government that is already in place?

Since these calls started, prior to the election petition judgement, I thought the proponents of this all-inclusive government were making such calls just to massage the ego of the emergent loser or to bring about peace, but the incessancy of the calls from people who should know better has made it a worrying development which might not augur well for us as a Country.

To begin with, we were all Ghanaians until we decided to break up into different political parties, driven by our varied ideologies which is borne out of religious, Social and economic leanings. Then through the successive days, the individual and the political parties keep evolving through reforms which are dictated by the changing times, yet we still find it convenient being with our parties, because they embody our ideals. We also do this tenaciously because we believe in their governing know-how, so why would we cry wolf if our parties lose?

Just as I don’t expect to see or hear Chelsea Football Club soliciting for some of their players to be integrated into the Glorious Manchester United’s team to have a feel of what glory tastes like, simply because they have consistently won the European Premier League, I don’t expect to see any Political Party making such calls to their opponents either.

Being a good businessman among other things, includes your acumen to foresee what can befall your business and plan strategies to forestall negative occurrences, so I think failure on the part of an individual to see that s/he is not in a winning team should also be something the individual should dearly suffer for. Plainly, if you know or think that you have something to offer this Country, join the winning team to wrestle power and bring your know-how to bear or you sit and bid your time. You can still help from the fringes by suggesting to the government of the day, what should be done or where the government deserves some bashing, you give it to them constructively. 

After all, no one dines with their supposed enemy, because, that is what it is, per the governance in this country, as demonstrated over the years by both parties being at extreme ends of the pole. Any party which wins power is already an all-inclusive government because it is made up of diverse people with diverse backgrounds from every nook and cranny of our nation - so wherein lies the merit of the clarion call? 

Political Parties even in opposition, always have a government in place by appointing shadow Ministers et al; so, I think the call is just another ploy by the Politician to fleece us of our scanty resources.

Conversely, calling industrious Citizens who have a proven track record to join the government to help build the nation is welcomed but not the en masse integration of other party members who do not even believe in the ideals of the government of the day to start with and there is still an issue of trust. You may be finding ways to bring solidarity between your enemy and you, but trusting them with your business will be a tad stretching the already stretched lines.

While still pursuing our selfish ends through democracy, where only a few people create, share and loot at the expense of the populace, let us not lose sight of the fact that, Ghana is already practicing the all-inclusive governance as evidenced by the various representations from the Political parties in our Parliamentary system, so let us not push our luck further, because we might proverbially pooh like the lizard.