Ghana's Talking Point:" Road Tolls"

I have come to read and understand that the USA has an atavistic revulsion towards big government. Consequently, anything that comes with a greater role of the State and the government is attacked. Small wonder Obama is suffering the fallout, if you will, of focussing on bringing some sanity to health care reform in a manner that the EU would applaud.

Ghana and the US might be similar only in the sense that our elections are held the same year as the US, but I sincerely hope that Ghana will never go the way of sneezing at taxes and government. The what some might say "dramatic" increases in the road tolls on Ghana's major motorway--the Tema motorway--where the tolls have gone up more than 50% overnight has led to a situation where commuters have used the infamous Spintex road in the morning just to avoid paying the taxes.

Or so private radio station CITI97.3fm was averring yesterday morning in interviews. I seriously would not put it past my fellow denizens, though!

Ghanaian Fishmarket Woman Doing it For Herself!

I think it has now become a staple of the perception of Africa that women in the informal economy are stronger than their male counterparts, with their strength being derived from their tenacity and ability to hold on while all around might have quit.

If you look at the relatively carefree manner in which this woman is carrying her fish at the fish market in Akosombo market (see yesterday's post), you can see that not only is she used to it, but she has, insalubrious conditions and competitors notwithstanding, a steely determination to make sure her catch is sold by the end of the day.

Now, if that's not strength of character, what is?!

One of the Beauties of Ghana--Markets!

Although Ghana has embraced the free market model off-and-on like the occasional provision of our electricity(!), under the incumbent administration of the National Democratic Congress (that has tagged themselves social democrats), you are bound to see a fair bit of a mix of the free-market and the State protection.

Truth be told, I am talking about markets of a gastronomical kind! This picture is revealing in so many ways.

Primo, we see that even paragons of discipline like the Fire Service personnel love to patronise the market for fish; secondo, the little girl selling here at a market at Akosombo (just off in the Eastern region, and 1.5 hours from Accra), might just be too small to be transacting such business.

Where's the mother, I wonder? Although it was a Saturday, this is the reality of much of the more "rural" parts of Ghana, where children are seen at markets trying to complement the subsistence of what is most likely the mother and his/her siblings...

An Appeal to Ghanaian Itinerant Vendors!

If you want to sell something, how about a little smile?

I know the sun is oftentimes scorching and as soon as I get out of this air-conditioned car I will also meet it, but when you smile, I might just somehow not feel too bad not buying it?

Bright Lights of Accra! Big Dreams for Order!

Who needs streetlamps when you can get the lights of cars stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic have theirs reflect and refract over all kinds of lights to create this mosaic of colours?

If there is anything I like about Accra is its singular ability to give you something to talk about!

I haven't even talked about these taxi-drivers waiting for passengers in a zone that has clearly been marked for them to remain only for two minutes!

This kind of cavalier attitude does not only come down to illiteracy (frankly, most taxi drivers are not!) but an obstinacy to not conform to order!!

But I still love Accra!;-)

Clean-Up Time Thanks to Ghana's Zoomlion!

For a country that is reputed by the UN to be the second filthiest in West Africa, a lot of cleaning must needs be done to clean up our image!

Work pressures have naturally inhibited photo blogging, but it will sure pick up in February.

Many thanks for your patronage and visits. Have a constructive and stress-free weekend!

Ghana's Shoprite Issues "Warning" to Bread-Grabbers!

Remember this post, where Shoprite bread patronisers seemed to be fighting over the bread? Well, I guess the management got enough and decided to provide consumers with a soft version of their riot act, exemplified by the picture I took here!

Am unsure what "pressures on bakery" actually mean, but I guess they simply got fed up of people buying--what??--ten loaves plus?!?!