Accradailyphoto.com Returns on 19 July

You may have noticed that my blogging has been this side of sporadic. You will definitely notice that for the next two weeks, it will be even more so.

A concatenation of private matters, exigencies, and imperatives have compelled me to be driven to distraction away from this blog for a while.

I will certainly return with a spring in my step the week of 19 July!

In the meantime, you can catch up on Ghanaian celebrations (hopefully we will be URUGUAY!!) during FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 on my ghana blog: http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com

There's Only One Place Ghanaians Will be Watching this Evening!

Do you really need to ask why?

Accra Markets Have Potatoes, Onions...you Name it!

Markets are commonplace for Ghanaians, but increasingly, too, there a good number of these more "sanitised" markets springing up--as the one here off the Spintex Road (towards Baatsona) "Sanitised" because they are rarely located in areas that might pose challenges to the average nose, and as you can see from the picture, the arrangement of market goods are a bit more orderly.

See those potatoes and onions in the picture? They don't come cheap these days! Not quite sure whether it's because of the rains or that things have generally gone upwards, which might be considered strange considering inflation is reported to have gone down...

Despite World Cup Febrility,Tigo Chalks One in Ghana's SIM registration Exercise

There I was last week minding my own business--as you do--when I got a call from a strange number on my TIGO mobile number.

After a five minute conversation, the lady on the other side of the line had successfully registered my mobile number -- as per the directive of Ghana's National Communications Authority -- to have one's existing numbers registered, and all new ones done before use.

Despite the noise over the registration a couple of months ago by consumers about implications for privacy and whatnot, I believe they have gotten over it, and are having their SIM cards registered.

TIGO advised me to simply go to to a place like that in the picture and double-check.

Conversely, my MTN wanted me to have my name written in a book and stand in a queue, whereas Vodafone has not even started yet!

TIGO's is what I call customer service!

BTW, Just in case you missed it, GHANA beat SERBIA 1-0 in the ongoing FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. GHANA plays AUSTRALIA on Saturday, and GERMANY on 23rd June.

(Careful) Speeding--not over-speeding--in Accra

First of all, it makes a change to enjoy speeding in Accra, as most of the time (read: "weekdays"), commuters and the like are stuck in traffic!

Secondly, the average Ghanaian is wont to say that "over-speeding kills". What they really mean to say is "speeding kills."!

Third point: the National Road Safety Commission likes to inform us through the media that "kill your speed before it kills you."

Well-noted!

Is This the Face of Corporate Ghana?

I took this of Mallam, which is a suburb of Accra, not too far from Weija, and very close to the Accra-Cape Coast road.

But it does not look very different from what I encounter in town.

So is corporate Ghana now a country replete with ads from ECOBANK, MTN, Tigo, and other telecommunication companies (telcos)?

Two Thousand Acres of...Sea...in Accra!

If you look closely enough, you will spot the inimitable Atlantic Ocean. This is the route that leads to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority

Forgive my exaggeration--not quite sure there are "2000 acres of sea", but I guess you get the picture of it being vast, and so deliciously close to the capital!!

Thanks to 89% Electricity increase, I can emphatically ask: "Where are My Accra Streetlights?"

Yesterday, I launched what is to become a series of vituperative pronouncements on Ghana's streetlights--or lack thereof. Just to spare you going to the actual link, this is what I actually wrote:

I was in the Central region over the weekend, and noticed without fail that despite the ubiquity of the beautiful and well-maintained roads, there were no streetlights!

I believe this either remains the bane of contractors who come to Ghana to help us with our roads, or is a reflection of the myopia of our government.

From the Spintex Road (that has undergone a metamorphosis) to the already-well-done Accra-Cape Coast road, how can security ever be maintained without sufficient streetlights? No matter the number of police patrols you have set up, lights have–and will continue to remain–a great deterrent to criminals, both physical and otherwise!

I am not quite sure what else to say, except to say that it is heart-warming to see that there are actually government cars out there that have "Street Lighting projects" emblazoned on them. It is indicative of an effort.

Now, that the Public Utility Regulatory Authority announced 31 May that electricity has gone up by 89%, might we not finally sit up to protest for our streetlights?

A careful scrutiny of our electricity bill reveals that each and every blessed consumer pays an amount towards fire-fighting and street-lighting.

Bottom line: where are our streetlights?

MTN-branded Trees En Route to Ghana Ports & Harbours area

The ubiquity of MTN is well-known in the country. You only need to look at the MTN-branded bus-stops in the capital and country (as exemplified by this one here: http://accradailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/01/mtn-can-ghana-2008-almost-here.html.)

But it is really only in Ghana that we take it one step further--to the trees! MTN-branded trees? Whether it's a whim by MTN-crazy fans or a publicity stunt, this is corporate Ghana gone mad, surely!!