When Micro-Narratives are Written by Coverage of a Collapsed Building in Accra

This morning, I was still in my pyjamas when I caught the electrifying speech of newly-re-elected President of the United States Barack Obama. Little did one know that a few hours later--right here in Accra--a narrative would be written,opening up a whole new debate about the country and its attention to regulation--or lack thereof. Coming a few weeks before our general election on 7 December, one can only hope it pricks the consciences of the policy-makers and those who run the Accra metropolis day-by-day. Pictures taken by a facebooker Kobby Blay are posted below to give a sense of the impact.

I cannot help but end with what Journalist at Graphic Communications Samuel K Obour stated on his Facebook status earlier today:

Samuel K. Obour

about an hour ago

I began the day with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, but news of the Melcom building collapse has left me devastated and confused. It's indeed been a terrible day.
I join other well-meaning Ghanaians in praying for souls of those who died in this disaster. 

I especially pray for strength for bereaved families.

Going forward, we must ensure, as progressive Ghanaians, that all necessary measures are taken to rigorously and fully investigate this disaster, and that decisive punitive action is taken against those found to have contributed directly or indirectly to it.
Never again must we experience such a catastrophe in this country.
God bless our homeland Ghana.

If God can bless the USA, God will certainly bless Ghana, too. 

As you look for #Melcolmcollapse on social media, please keep checking http://www.citifmonline.com  for dedicating special news sections on-air and online to the tragedy.

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!

Ghana-Nigeria Ties Remain Cordial Still...Especially After Nigerian Oil in Ghana!

Ghana's relative trouncing of Brazil in the u20 fifa world cup, coupled with Obama's visit in July has not put us in the best of light with our Nigerian cousins, but it appears the arrival of crude oil for Ghana's beleagured Tema Oil Refinery(TOR) on the shores of Ghana suggests that they might no longer be still angry with us...:-)

Despite Loud Silence, Obama's Words Float with Hope in Ghana...

I've been absent on this blog in a manner that was not my own doing. While I believe that hope and candour floats in Ghana after his visit, seeing as this is primarily a picture blog, I will leave you with "pictures" I took and uploaded on my Facebook blog, which you can visit here:



http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124243&id=603880406

Guess Who's Coming to [a Ghanaian] Dinner from 10-11th July (Hint: the US Prez!)?

Today's edition of the nation's flagship newspaper Daily Graphic offered a rather hefty edition, starting with key articles like these, offering reasons for Obama's desire to come to Ghana. It was based on an All Africa interview of Obama at the White House...












Other pieces like these were from companies offering their "akwaaba" or "welcome" to Ghana. This one from Kosmos is perhaps ironic, as there's been tremendous speculation from the more-discerning bunch of Ghanaians that Obama's motivation coincides with Ghana's discovery of commercial quantities of oil last year. Kosmos is a foreign company that has bought stakes in the oil that Ghana has uncovered. Recent stories indicate that Ghana's National Petroleum Company is keen to buy the 30% stake that Kosmos has.
Finally, the cover of today's paper. It was evident the production team would have come up with something that included the word "historic"!

I guess the secret's out for the dinner surprise, then?

Aloft the top of an Accra Quasi-Skyscraper: Where's my Accra Super-Hero?

A very cryptic title for a strange post. I cannot help but imagine Obama the super-hero standing on the corner of this building, which is no less than the "VAT House" of one of the popular suburbs of Accra--Adabraka, reputed to be in the heart of the city.

Truth be told, I can just see the sun in the corner of that building coming down to reveal an Obama, cloaked in Superman's garb, cloak fluttering in the wind as he reminds you and I to pay our taxes...

This side of the afternoon, you cannot really blame me for going on that flight of fancy;-) Especially given how the tale is one veritably steeped in bathos, where the sublime makes way for the ridiculous!

Seriously speaking--should that be writing?--I'm glad you now are familiar with the VAT House. Judging by the impressive height of the building, they must be raking in quite a bit! They're a stone's throw away from busyinternet, located on the Ring Road of Accra.

Just in Case You Missed Obama...

...he was all over the news this morning when in an afternoon at the University of Cairo, he read his yet-another eloquent speech, in which he said:

Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire.

We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal. And we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words, within our borders and around the world.

We are shaped by every culture. Drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept, E pluribus unum: Out of many, one.

Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.

(APPLAUSE)

But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.

But if you really missed him, don't worry, he will be in Sub-Saharan Africa--specifically Ghana in July for two days!

The nation awaits with baited breath...

Harmattan Morning--or Ghana's Winter Morning

As if to presage that there is a new dawn in the world, with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the strong winds coming from the Sub-Sahara have manifested themselves in the form of what Ghana typically knows as the harmattan season.

Quite a number of Ghanaians wear sweaters and jackets in this period, because the chill wind is very much like the icy wind that blows against one's face in Europe!

In this picture, which I took around 7.15am this morning, you could see that even the sun was covered by the dust(y winds)! It was actually a haze...

A Very Special Day for Most Ghanaians...Go Obama?

From today's edition of Daily Graphic...
...to Sunday's Sunday World newspaper, it's all the way for OBAMA!!