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10 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY (2001 - 2011) VOLUME 11 NO. 10 FREE
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Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Sonny Vanderpuye and Jim Nickell cutting the anniversary cake. Hosted in the elegantly decorated ballrooms of the Hilton Hotel, The New Ghanaian 10th Anniversary Banquet and Awards night was a night to remember. With saxophonist, Pastor Niyi Adams, praise and worship maestro Elder Ken Appiah, Deejah Veejah and Sunlight Radio's Clarence Roberts as the Master of Ceremonies, a celebration of TNG's Decade of Excellence was indeed excellent. The guest of Honor, His Excellency Kabral Blay-Amihere g raced the Cont’d on page 16
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Meeting Dates for 2011 ( Last Saturday of each month)
SATURDAY, JULY 30TH SATURDAY, AUGUST 27TH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31TH
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HEALTH WATCH Living with Chronic Kidney Disease A long-term research s t u dy k n ow n a s t h e African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) compared standard with intensive therapy for hypertension among 1094 black patients with chronic kidney disease. The study found out that the risks of renal and cardiovascular disease conditions that are often associated with long standing hypertension are far higher among people of African-American heritage than among those of other racial or ethnic groups. Chronic kidney disease is a worldwide public health problem. In the United States, 26 million American adults have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and millions of others are at increased risk. The high risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney disease. African Americans, Hispanics, Americans and Seniors are at increased risk. May be your doctor or primary care practitioner has recently told you that you have chronic kidney disease or you may be in very good health but belong to one of the high risk groups listed above. Please, remember there is a rising incidence and prevalence of kidney failure with poor outcomes and high cost. Therefore, what steps should you take to safeguard and improve your health? Acquire some kidney knowledge. Knowledge is power! What is chronic kidney disease? The kidneys do many things that allow your body to work properly. The kidneys’ work to remove wastes and fluids from the body; help control blood pressure; help make red blood cells; help keep our bones healthy; and helps to control the body’s balance of water and certain chemicals. Chronic kidney disease
is a condition that takes some time to develop. Once the kidneys are unable to work as well as they should for 3 months or more, it is considered chronic kidney disease. What causes chronic kidney disease? The two main causes of chronic kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes. Over half the people with chronic kidney disease have high blood pressure. High blood pressure can make your chronic kidney disease worse. It also increases your chance of developing heart disease. Diabetes creates high levels of glucose in your blood. These high levels of glucose make the kidneys filter too much blood. The kidneys will not be wastes will build up in the blood. If you have diabetes, managing your blood glucose may help slow your chronic kidney disease. How does my primary care provider know I have chronic kidney disease? Your doctor or primary care provider screens for chronic kidney disease using routine urine and blood tests. With the urine test, when you have chronic kidney disease, protein from your body leaks into your urine. If you have two positive protein tests over several weeks, it is a sign of chronic kidney disease. Your blood is tested for creatinine, a waste product that comes from muscle activity. When you have chronic kidney disease, creatinine may build to a high level in your blood. How can my chronic kidney disease affect my overall health? There is a chance you may not notice anything different or even feel sick. But when you have chronic k i d n ey d i s e a s e , yo u r kidneys are slowly losing time, wastes can build up
Editorial THANK YOU!
Daniel Ampomah, PhD, RN, NE-BC in your blood. This can make you feel sick and lead to other health problems. For, example, people with chronic kidney disease are at a higher risk for strokes and heart attacks. Can my chronic kidney disease be cured? Chronic kidney disease often cannot be cured. Over time, your chronic kidney disease could get worse and lead to kidney failure. If that happens, you would need to start dialysis or have a kidney transplant. But remember, your doctor will design a treatment plan to help slow your disease progression. Think about your diet and lifestyle What you eat has a big impact on your chronic kidney disease. By eating a balanced diet, you can slow the disease progression and improve your overall health. Limit the amount of sodium, potassium, phosphorous and proteins you eat. If you smoke, you should make every effort to quit. Some medications a r e h a r m f u l t o yo u r kidneys if you have the disease. Avoid over the counter pain relievers, laxatives/antacids and decongestants. Lastly, if you drink you should limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Stay informed and take charge of your health You may have different people involved in your care: a primary doctor, a nephrologist, a dietician and nurses. By keeping them informed, you can help them provide the best possible care for you. Remember when you be sure to listen to what he or she tells you. Do not be afraid to ask questions or take notes. Take care!
Dr. Daniel Ampomah, is currently an Instructor at Chamberlain College of Nursing, Arlington Virginia. He is the immediate past president of the Ghana Nurses Association of Virginia, and the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Ghana Nursing Portal (www. Ghananursing.org).
The seasoning of giving is almost here and just before we eagerly look forward to gifts others colorfully wrap for us, let's not forget to say thanks. Showing gratitude is an advanced human trait, we're impressed when our pets return for an embrace after receiving a treat, we are surprised when zoo animals show an appreciative gesture. In our minds, animals don't know any better and more often than not it has become clear that quite a number of people, especially during times of hardship are thankful. And for us foreigners, that may be the best reasoning-besides generous helpings of food- why Americans in particular do and should celebrate thanksgiving. Known to many as the land of milk and honey, the economic recession, high unemployment rates have led many in this country (and most parts of the world) to be frustrated, bitter and ungrateful. While families are ge nu i n e ly s t r u g gl i n g to make ends meet, we
must also take the time to recognize our blessings, list them one by one, and truly appreciate the opportunity to tackle the next day's challenges head on. Think of all who are crying for basic freedoms in the Arab spring, our brothers and sisters in the horn of African facing famine that is taking countless lives...then that over drafted second personal bank account, or past due FIOS cable bill isn't as bad anymore now in this context is it? As a Ghanaian business that offers a free newspaper funded exclusively by advertising, we have our gripes and concerns too. Hopefully people would think to advertise more in a recession to convey staying power among competitors while assuring their customers of their longevity, versus what we see in our local community. It is in this vein that Media Afrika and our affiliates still pushed forward in celebrating The New Ghanaian newspaper’s 10th anniversary. To remind all
of the organizations who support our endeavors that we have and continue to stay committed to uplifting the community; and to recognize others in the diaspora whose service often times go unheralded. M o s t i m p o r t a n t ly, the New Ghanaian newspaper’s 10th A n n ive r s a r y w a s a special moment to show and express our sincere gratitude to our readers, partners and the community at large. This edition showcases the event and highlights what transpired that night. We recognize that there are 365 days in the year and for each day moving forward, we renew our commitment in serving t h e c o m mu n i t y w i t h excellence as we share daily updates via our online presence at www. mytngonline.com and @ tngnews on twitter. We are thankful for your continued support over the past years and look forward to many more years of accountability, sharing information and uplifting the Ghanaian community.
Implications of Ghana’s New Middle-Income Status - Todd Moss Ghana’s recent recalculation of its GDP led to an overnight $500 per capita jump, putting in motion unexpectedly rapid gradua tion from the International Development Association (IDA) and ultima tel y a ne w relationship with the World Bank. In this week’s Wonkcast, I speak with Tod d Moss, vice president for programs and senior fellow at CGD, about his recent trip to the newly categorized lowermiddle income country, the implications of IDA graduation, and a sudden Why Ghana? Todd explains that the country was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial rulers after World War II and a pioneer in making the transition to a stable democracy. Many in Africa and elsewhere therefore look to Ghana as a harbinger of things to come for the region.
Graduation from IDA may be similar in this way, since many African countries are enjoying moderate-tohigh sustained growth and will soon breach the IDA
income ceiling of $1,175 GDP per capita. As an IDA graduate, Ghana will soon lose access Cont’d on page 12
PUBLISHER: Joseph “Sonny” Vanderpuye MANAGING EDITOR: Emmanuel A. Gamor SENIOR STAFF WRITER: EDWIN JANNEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Muriel Vanderpuye Eddie Ekuban (FASHION) CONTRIBUTORS: Rev. C. John Thompson-Quartey, Jemila Abdulai, Etse Sikanku, Nii Ayertey Aryeh, Edwin Janney, Oral Ofori, Edwin K. Otabil , GRAPHIC DESIGNING: Sonny Vanderpuye The New Ghanaian is a monthly publication of MEDIA AFRIKA, LLC, 5515 CHEROKEE AVENUE SUITE 100, ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22312 www.mytngonline.com or www.thenewghanaian.org To advertise or for more info call: 703.901.4277 | 571.435.4576 or send your emails to: tngeditor@gmail.com
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Presenters
Komla the Odade3 DRIVE TIME SHOW: Week days - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Muriel Vanderpuye THE WORD: Mondays - 11:30am - 12noon
Rev. M. Asiedu Frimpong TIME WITH THE KING: Thursdays - 11:30am - 12noon
Stago THE BASEMENT: Saturdays - 1:00pm - 3:00pm
CR GOSPEL MUSIC: Sundays - 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Sonny LET’S TALK NOW: Tuesdays - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Dr. Love LOVE LANE: Mon, Wed & Fri- 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Evan. Harry Agyemang GOD’S PROMISES: Sundays - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Auntie Araba LOVE LANE: Wed & Fri- 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Elder Isaac Opoku NEW HOPE HOUR: Sundays - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah WESLEY TIME: Fridays - 11:30am - 12:00noon
Nana Yaa TIME WITH NANA YAA: Saturdays - 12:00noon - 2:00pm
Lawyer Kwaku Ofori RADIO LAWYER: Saturdays - 11:00am - 12:00noon
Apostle Ayvel Arnolds HOUR OF ANOINTING: Fridays - 11:00am - 11:30am
Pastor Josiah Kambutu GOSPEL HOUR: Wednesdays - 11:30am - 12:00am
Joe Mainoo AWARESO: Mondays - 7:00pm - 9:00pm KYER3 W’ADWENE: Thursdays - 7:00pm - 9:00pm ANADWO NKOMO: Fridays - 6:00pm - 9:00pm WOSO KA BI: Saturdays - 8:30am - 11:00am
Pastor Fiifi Ocran AWARESO: Mondays - 7:00pm - 9:00pm CHRISTIAN DISCPLINE: Saturdays - 7:00am - 8:15am PRAYER TIME: Sundays - 4:30am - 6:00am NEW HOPE HOUR: Sundays - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Rev. Kwasi Gyimah HOUR OF DECISION: Tuesdays - 11:30am - 12noon AWARE3 MU NS3M: Mondays - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Anokyewaa KYER3 W’ADWENE: Thursdays - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
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How I Woke Up From My Money Coma One after noon two ye a r s a go, t h r e e b i g bills hit my mailbox—a grand total of $11,000 in unexpected expenses. As the founder and CEO of DailyWorth, I knew I should have sat down addressed the situation right away. Instead, I fell into a money coma for two weeks, ignoring the bills and pretending everything up one day to an empty checking account. Talk about a wake-up call. I emerged from my money coma, paid the bills, ree xamined my budget, set up a curveball account to cover out-ofthe-blue expenses—all the things a good Chief and assumed I had made a full recovery. Until recently, when my family and I moved—and I managed to blow a $2,000 hole in my budget--$2,077 to be exact. I’d love to tell you how I did it, but that’s the point. Money Coma No. 2. That’s when I realized that, despite my curveball account and trusty Excel spreadsheets and Mint budgeting charts, that it’s not the financial events themselves that trigger a money coma, but something within me. Obviously, it’s not that I can’t do math or handle complex accounting. I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my adult life, and I’m accustomed to managing deals in the millions. So how does a busy executive cure a mysterious tendency to fall oblivion? I consulted with M P D u n l e ave y — a n d not just because she is the DailyWorth editorin-chief. MP is a longtime personal finance columnist, and she’s dealt of her own. First, MP pointed out that being a successful, confident, savvy career woman can (weirdly) be an obstacle when it comes to handling your own personal accounts. It’s hard to admit to yourself that the knowhow you bring to your work doesn’t automatically carry over to your wallet
or your 401k. So yes, I can bat around t e r m s l i k e E B I D TA and CPMs in any board meeting. But that doesn’t necessarily help me at the grocery store, Target (my personal downfall), or when I open my IRA statements. So you have to come to terms with the need to build whatever is missing Next, to banish the money fog, MP recommended just looking at the numbers, the real numbers. There’s nothing like viewing your actual transaction history to see where your cashflow is breaking down. I ’ m n o t s u r e why it’s hard to look at raw numbers. I suppose it reveals my weakspots, or where I wasn’t planning as well as I should have (an exec mom’s least favorite feeling). But in this case, it was helpful to simply see that between a slew of unforeseen moving/ new-household costs, plus the need for extra child care—it’s not surprising that my budget collapsed. But there was good news in the numbers, too. MP was impressed that
5 Ways To Make a Killer First Impression Most people will judge of meeting you and their opinion will most likely never change. Making a good first impression is incredibly important, because you only get one shot at it. Princeton University psychologist Alex Todorov and co-author Janine Willis, a student researcher who graduated from Princeton in 2005 had people look at a microsecond of video of a political candidate. A m a z i n g l y, r e s e a r c h subjects could predict with 70-percent accuracy who would win the election just from that microsecond of tape. This tells us that people can make incredibly accurate snap judgments in a tenth of a second. How can you ensure despite the shortfall, I still kept contributing to my retirement fund—because I was smart enough to put that on automatic pilot a few years ago (and I never mess with it). The bottom line for me is realizing that my the same oversight and scr utiny and re gular
people are judging you accurately and also seeing your best side? You never want to give people an inauthentic impression — m a ny p e o p l e c a n intuitively feel if someone is being fake immediately. However, any time you time, you always want to start on the right foot. Here are a few ways you can make sure people’s a good one: Set an intention. The most important thing to do for giving a good impression is to set your intention. This is especially important before any kind of big event where you would be meeting a lot of people — i.e. conferences, networking events or Cont’d on page 12
adjustments for reality that my company’s if that means I’ve found a permanent cure for my money comas, but I’ll keep you posted. Amanda Steinberg is the founder of DailyWorth. com, a community of women who talk money. Culled from Forbes.com.
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Convocation by Rev. Mrs. Esther Agbosu
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Mrs. Esi Gyenin, Program Director giving her address
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Faith
Advent: What are you waiting for? On the Church’s calendar, we are in Advent. It is that time of the year when the world around us goes crazy; caught up in the shopping frenzy that brilliant marketing executives have
waiting for the ultimate gift is to prepare myself to be surprised, not only by the gift, but also by the giver. I learn from the gift, what the giver thinks about me. Preparing for a surprise means not having any preconceived ideas about what I am getting, but accepting the fact that the giver has put some thought into choosing that gift for me. In the midst of all the busyness and frenzy of this season, we tend to forget one thing; to prepare ourselves for the gift that God is giving to us at the end of our wait. I invite each of you, therefore, to join me in preparing ourselves for God’s gift to the world. We
prepare, not by running frantic from store to store, or website to
Without holiness in the Church Today, can we still see God?
see God.” In the book of Genesis 3:3 when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the garden of Eden they did not enjoy that higher life of basking in His presence, there was a shift, they had a wake up call. God's presence left them and they had to face reality, even though the righteousness of Christ has been imputed upon us. We still have a responsibility to resist the devil. The very fact that God's righteousness, because of the cross, has become our righteousness does not mean that we can sin anyhow anytime. Paul says where sin abound grace abounds more exceedingly (Romans 5:20), but is that a license for us Christians to do as we please? God has positioned as in Christ but we need to work on our condition. God has stationed us by his righteousness we need to raise our standards. 1John 15:5 says, "I am the vine and you are the branches, he who abides in me and I in you shall bear much fruit." As Christians we need to model the life of Christ a life of holiness. Let me try to explain what a life of holiness is, it is separating ourselves from sin and dedicating ourselves to God. The more we get entangled with the things of this world, the more we drift farther away from God. James 4:4 could not have said it any better I quote "Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" The world consists of a lot
margins. Whether it is Black Friday or Cyber Monday, it is clear to any observant person that the objective of these labels are to stimulate our shopping impulses (and the economy of course!). Many of us become overwhelmed with thoughts about what to get for our families and friends. Some of us have become experts at picking just the right gift, because we have learned to put a lot of thought
Rev iva l s , c o n f e r e n c e s , crusades and prayer meetings are organized by ministries and churches but I have often wondered if in some cases the true presence of God is there as we are made to believe. Don't jump on me yet. Before anyone gets me wrong, I do not stand to pass judgement on anyone or any ministry as I help organize such meetings and I am also a staunch member of a reputable Pentecostal church. Please hear me out. Not too long ago there was a pastor who happened to be a life coach to one of my spiritual directors in ministry. He was a well respected pastor in this country. He was said to be a good teacher and an excellent orator, a renowned author he was well loved by Christians all over the world. I watched him preach occasionally, and to my amazement I would see the whole church jumping and trembling under the anointing of God. The presence of God was, to everyone watching, in the room. This happened over and over again until recently when he was exposed for a having homosexual relationships with some younger men in his church. It was shocking for most people, but I was humbled by the fact that I am sinner too, but for where he was and for what had happened, I sympathized with him. It was a pathetic fall. Immediately I questioned myself: “Why did anybody not discern his actions? Was there no sign of this so someone could help him before it got out of hand?” Not that I am interested
into choosing gifts for our friends and family. For some of us, gift giving has become an art; and we have perfected it! Given the amount of time we put into choosing the right gift, we start to wonder what others might be getting for us; and so we wait in anticipation and wonderment for what we hope will be the right gift. Waiting in anticipation is what the season of Advent is all about. Crafted from the Latin word adventus, which means coming, the season of Advent is all about waiting for something that is coming. So what are you waiting for? For me, the purpose of
in the happenings of this man of God. My interest is in the body of Christ. In that case, what unnerves me most is, with the church in that state of consistent homosexual sin, was what they were experiencing really the presence of God? Or were their minds playing tricks on them. In such situations, have we ourselves been blinded with cannot see? Or is the gap between sin and holiness closing up that we have become adamant? It set me thinking on how I love the old-time Pentecostal ways of doing things, but if that be the case how many charismatic meetings do we attend that has all the drama going on? As Pentecostal are our services truly characterized by the move of God. There is no doubt we often experience the presence of God. Unfortunately, things choke us up even as we strive for Holiness. Especially as children of obedience, not conformed to [your] former lusts in your ignorance;but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all [your] conversation; because it is written in the holy bible, Be ye holy, for *I* am holy. I believe some of sermons are preached out of greed and that one cannot equate the results of those sermons with the results of preaching the cross! We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. I am a hundred percent believer in the salvation work of Christ on the cross, but because of our nature, we fall
into sin from time to time and with repentant hearts, we are forgiven of our sins. Sinning and consciously wallowing in sin as a Christian can be a hindrance to our experience of His manifest presence. God's hands are not shortened that it cannot save, neither are his ears so dull it cannot hear. It is our iniquities that have separated him from us. The teachings on the cross reminds us of the Death, burial and resurrection which is the essence of our Christianity. Holiness is the principle key for us to experience God. we as the body of Christ do not seem to know the difference between the Glory of God and we all claim we are experiencing God's presence yet there is unholiness in God's house and sometimes not even one person can discern that it is really not a revival but rather all works of Check this out: sometimes conferences are electrified, there is synergy, the word of God was taught and preached there was an explosion of the manifestation but a few days later nothing much changes... our hearts are not changed. Then the cycle starts again because it feels good. Not only that, our situation is still the same. I am on any individual or church I am just expressing my point of view. So what has holiness got to do with the presence of God? Hebrews 12:14 “For all men to live in peace and holiness for without holiness you can not
for that special someone, but by prayerful anticipation of the gift that will transform our lives. I invite you into a Holy Advent… Holy Waiting… Let us prepare our hearts to receive the greatest gift of all. The giver of the gift has deemed us worthy of that gift; we deserve it, and so let us stop questioning our worthiness and take in everything God has to offer us. T h i s A dve n t s e a s o n , I challenge each of you to dedicate silence and meditate. I believe God is able to reach us in the
and yet deafens and blinds the value of spiritual things so that we care nothing about doing the will of God. The devil has planned things in this world
Reverend Father C. John Thompson-Quartey
deepest and most quiet parts of our hearts, so let us prepare a place for God to speak. I guarantee you it will be worth the wait! HAPPY ADVENT!!!!
Muriel Vanderpuye Call of Esther Ministries that strongly oppose principles of God in every way. We need to strive for holiness. This does require effort and desire so that we can allow God to work in our hearts. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. 1 John 2:15 Holiness is not an option, but it is a requirement. Remember, "Be thou holy for I the Lord am holy." This is not something we can do ourselves, but we can do through the saving grace of Christ Jesus. Living a holy life is part of our daily walk with God. If we stop preaching holiness in our churches, we blaspheme against God by making irrelevant the cross that is the core of our Christian belief. My Sisters and Brothers, if we want to see God's presence and manifestation in the church, we need to strive to be holy.
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 12 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY
Finishing The Year 2011 In A Prominent Place given us the pleasure of knowing how God wants to crown our year and also how God wants us If the Grace of God has located you for Divine Elevation this year, you must open your ears to hear and your eyes to see what God is about to do. God has set in motion HIS PLAN to crown the year with A MIGHTY EXPLOSION OF DIVINE ELEVATION, to elevate us to our Royal and Rightful place in
General Apostle Edwin K. Otabil The year 2011 is about to go down in prophetic history as THE YEAR OF OPEN HEAVEN. We need to give God a whole lot of thanks and Praise for making us a part of prophetic history. As we celebrate the goodness and kindness of God this year, we must also open our eyes to see what God has in store for us for the rest of the year bearing in mind that God reserves the best for the last .Whatever has been your portion this year, there is a strong possibility that God will give you a testimony at the end of the year that will surpass everything you have seen before! SO PREPARE TO FINISH THE YEAR IN A PROMINENT PLACE APPOINTED BY GOD!! In Psalm 65:11, God is revealed as the one who crowns the year. The Holy Spirit has
SUFFICIENCY OF GOD to meet every EMERGENCY of man. God has placed us right in the ZONE OF DIVINE ELEVATION to experience the mighty explosion of Divine Elevation that will take us to our Prominent Place appointed by God. God is interested in how you finish, so He has freely made available to us in Christ well.( Romans8:32) Because Christ died for our Salvation and rose for our Elevation, God has made available to anyone who believes in Jesus the GRACE, FAITH and ANOINTING it God-appointed place of Holy Spirit manifestation. If you are ready for all that God has for your life this year, start to give Him praise and know that it is not too late have it all in Jesus name. The time is ripe for God to give you the Testimony that surpasses everything you have
the year in a different place of manifestation of the Holy Spirit. In Mark 2:1-12, Jesus showed us that it is His pleasure to give us a testimony so that people will say “we have never seen anything like this before”. Today, we are the people due for Divine Elevation. We must finish the year in a different place of manifestation of the Holy Spirit having a testimony that surpasses every thing we have seen. For this reason, God is calling us into a season of fasting different place. We are already on a journey of fasting and prayer to obtain Grace, Faith 2011 in a different place. What you need to begin this journey is determination, and He who begins a good work in you you can set apart three days to fast and pray to receive GRACE, FAITH and ANOINTING to you connect with us on this level, may God crown your year with a mighty explosion of Divine Elevation that will be seen, heard and felt everywhere. You are due for Divine Elevation to a Prominent Place appointed by God and it is my pleasure to help you get there. You can connect with me at manotab@comcast.net and together we will go forward and do exploits in Jesus name.
friend’s parties. As you get ready or when you are driving over think about what kind of people you want to meet and what kind of interactions you want to have. This can be an incredibly grounding experience and works very well to focus on what kind of energy you want to have for your event. Think about your ornaments. Clothes, make-up, jewelry, watches and shoes are all types of ornamentation and people when making initial judgments. I highly recommend getting ornaments together and asking friends you trust what they think of when they see them. For many men, they do not realize that their watch can say a lot about them. For women, purses and large earrings or jewelry can also indicate a lot to a new person they are meeting. Make sure that what you are wearing and how you do your hair or make-up says what you want it to say to the people you are
Be Conscious of Your Body Language. Body language is a Everything from your posture to how you carry yourself to the way you’re angling your body. Often, simply being aware of your body language can result in immediate improvements. Another way to examine your body language is to look at yourself on a video walking around a room. Subconscious cues to keep in mind include noticing where you point your feet, the position of your shoulders, and the way you shake hands. Avoid bad days. People who go to cocktail events or mixers after having had a bad day typically continue to have a bad day. If you are in a depressed or anxious mood, others will pick up on this from your facial expressions, comments and body language. If you’re having a bad
more social, feel good mood. Be interested and interesting. If you are truly interested in meeting people and are open to learning about who they impression. We have all had the experience of meeting someone and knowing instantly that they were dragged here by a friend and are just waiting to get out the door and head home. When you are meeting people for the genuine interest in who they are. This is often contagious and you will have better conversations and lasting connections when you are interested because they become interested.
I hoped would be an outcome of my visit is that this would start to be discussed so that the government could understand the implications.” I ask Todd if accelerated loan re-payment and higher interest rates on IDRB loans will place of oil revenues will cushion these effects. While Ghana does not rank among Africa’s top ten oil producers, starting in 2013 oil revenue will be about 1.5 billion dollars per year– the equivalent of what the country receives annually in aid. Oil rich countries often suffer from high poverty and endemic corruption—the socalled “oil curse.” To combat this trend, Todd and others are
Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, “What are you going to do?” “I’m going to take 100 people,” Death replied. “That’s horrible!” the man said. “That’s the way it is,” Death said. “That’s what I do.” The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan. As evening fell, he met Death again. “You told me you were going to take 100 people,” the man said. “Why did 1,000 die?” “I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took 100 people. Worry took the others.” This interesting tale portrays so well what the US National Mental Health Committee reported a few years ago - half of all the people in America’s hospital beds are constant worriers. Mental distress can lead to migraine headaches, arthritis, heart trouble, cystitis, colitis, backaches, ulcers, depression, digestive disorders and yes, even death. the mental fatigue of nights without sleep and days without peace, then we get a glimpse of the havoc worry plays in destroying the quality and quantity of life. Worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart, for its beginning signals the end of faith. Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today.
way to snap yourself out of your watching funny YouTube videos before events often gets me in a
to the highly concessional IDA loans, with their long grace periods and extremely low interest rates. Instead, Ghana will rely more on international markets and the IBRD, the bank’s hard loan window, which offers terms that are closer to internationally available commercial credit. And, Todd adds, Ghana will need to pay back outstanding IDA loans at an accelerated rate. “I don’t think Ghana has realized the implications of this yet,” Todd says. “I was surprised when I was in Accra that people had not discussed this with the World Bank and the bank
urging direct distribution of some or all of the oil proceeds, with the gover nment then taxing back part of it. This Oil2Cash approach is designed to encourage accountability and transparency. Todd had hoped that Ghana might try the new approach. Instead the government has opted to spend most of the funds on roads, ports and other infrastructure. "Spending most of the oil money on big infrastructure makes sense in one way,” explains Todd, since there are genuine needs. “But if there was one sector you wanted to spend a lot of money in if you were trying to fuel corruption and waste, it would probably be large construction projects. It’s a little bit worrying. “ On the bright side, Todd says, people in Ghana are engaged in a wide-ranging debate on public policy. NGOs, civil society, and government have been participating in a lively circle of discussion. Todd has special praise for the Institute of Economic Affairs, his host while he was in Accra, which during the last election hosted a debate by the four candidates running for president. We conclude with discussion of the impact on the World Bank of the large number of countries poised to graduate from IDA, a topic Todd and co-author Ben Leo explored in a recent CGD working paper and the focus of a CGD working group that
DEATH
5 Ways To Make a Killer First Impression Cont’d from 8
Cont’d from 5
www.mytngonline.com
FREE YOUR MIND, YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID. Unknown
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History of The New Ghanaian Newspaper The New Ghanaian newspaper was launched at the Ghana Embassy, Washington DC, November 2001, under the auspices of The New Ghanaian LLC, by Joseph ‘Sonny’ Vanderpuye. With the purpose of serving, uplifting and inspiring, the paper has expanded over the years to reach Ghanaians in the Washington Metro area and beyond. as 6911 Richmond Highway Suite currently opposite Metro Call Center around Beacon hill mall with exactly one permanent employee the founder, publisher and editor Mr. Joseph Vanderpuye. The paper circulation of three thousand copies with 24-page editions. The maiden edition featured of the Month. Jim Nickell has been in charge of printing the New Ghanaian newspaper since day one to date. In August 2003 after a brief hiatus in publication, Sonny partnered with Dr. Samuel Addy to commence printing the free newspaper and the office address was unknown, working from either partner’s homes. All the while Washington Times were the contracted printers for 11x14 sized newspapers. The partnership lasted for nine months. In June 2004 the founder, Joseph Vanderpuye partnered with Sydney Casely-Hayford a chartered accountant and the paper’s character and output changed as Africa Media Service was born. With Sydney as the managing editor and Sonny as the publisher, the to 6000 Stevenson Ave Suite 301, Alexandria, Virginia. Newspaper outlets grew to 130 vendors in 19 states across the continental United States. The newspaper size was 12x23 with 5 sections and 40 pages every month. The New Ghanaian Newspaper took on the format similar to the Washington Post and Washington Times, both premier newspapers in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Besides the newspaper print, Africa Media Service also began recording and mailing Ghana News Reel -recorded news broadcasts from Ghanaian television stations- that were distributed via a subscription service to clients in the United States through to Canada. TNG Radio was also in the works as the New Ghanaian portfolio expanded from print to DVD news coverage and the exploration of radio.
2008 was a tumultuous time for the print media industry and as advertising in the New Ghanaian newspaper dwindled, the paper restructured and changed once more with the partnership between Sonny and Sydney coming to an end in early 2009. In September 2009, after graduating from college, Emmanuel A. Gamor joined forces with Joseph Vanderpuye as the managing editor for the New Ghanaian newspaper and the father-son duo formed Media Afrika, LLC. Restructuring the news agency’s goals from primarily printing the free monthly newspaper, Media Afrika positioned itself as an information sharing business and the company’s online presence was revamped. By cutting back on print editions to offset overhead print & distributed costs, the new strategy was to utilize technology in making the newspaper available for consumers worldwide. The summer of 2010 also the long standing goal of adding radio as a medium of information sharing became a reality and Clarence D. Roberts hopped on board as Sunlight Radio America, LLC was born. To date the New Ghanaian newspaper continues to print free monthly newspapers primarily distributed in the Washington Metropolitan area (Virginia, DC & Maryland). The online version of the newspaper featured monthly on www.mytngonline. com garners 600-1000 unique visitors each month and Sunlight Radio America, an online internet station, is patronized by listeners in China, Israel, Europe and Africa with over 100,000 listeners each month. With ipad, iphone and android mobile applications, Sunlight Radio is ahead of the curve with quality programing and broadcast in content for Ghanaian and African consumers. We have also introduced Sunlight on the market with English and Twi prompts. At reasonable rates you may call friends and loved ones outside the United States with favorable minutes per cents for West African countries. The future of the New Ghanaian is bright, if there was ever a time for consistent news reporting that seeks to uplift the Ghanaian community in the Diaspora and beyond, it is now. From strength to strength, the New Ghanaian has become the mainstay for building relationships amongst individuals, organisations in the United States and beyond.
Past issues of The New Ghanaian
Happy 10th Anniversary
efforts. Individuals who were recognized
Eddie Ekuban, Dr. Charles Dankwah, Mrs. Esi Gyenin, Adolf Afful, Akwasi Owusu, Samuel Owusu Acheampong, Dr. Nicku Mordi, Rev. Kwasi Gyimah, Mr. CNN, Eddie Dadiako, Barbara Dacosta, Michael Gyamfi, Peter Afflu, Pastor Dennis Awuku and others. Businesses honored on The New Ghanaian 10th event: R.T. Travel Options, Smart Travel, B & J Travels, Sahara Oasis Restaurant, K & B Auto Service, Hawknad Industries, Ultimate Health School, MoneyGram, Western Union, New Era Nursing & Training, Mama Bonsu Textiles, Rainbow Restaurant, Ghana Wesley United Methodist Church, Calvary Baptist International Center, Touch Up Hair Gallery, African Lifestyle, Aburi Gardens, Woodbridge International, Obeng International, Bonivia, Ernie Thompson Insurance, Elets, The Church of Pentecost, Prestige Tour & Travel, Asanka Restaurant, International Foods, Papa Sheee Textiles, Riteway Driving School, K & K Autobody & Repair, Abrempong Gentlemen's Club, Avalar Realty, Word Harvest Church, Springs Gate Chapel, Nana International Market and others.
Margaret Ampofo, Ms. Mary Damoah, James Enos Edu, Sam Achuko, Larry Quaynor, Rev. Elvis Acheampong, Edwin Janney, Rev. CJ Thompson-Quartey,
For more pictures visit The Ne w Ghanaian website: www.mytngonline. com or The New Ghanaian fan page on Facebook.
Cont’d from 1
occasion, shared his experiences on the struggles in journalism and running a newspaper (his own being the Ghanaian Independent) and commended Joseph "Sonny" Vanderpuye & staff for The New Ghanaian's <em>10 years of excellent service</em> milestone. Community members were honored for serving the community with their business service and the exemplary relationship they have in supporting The New Ghanaian's existence in the community. Top honors of Mama Bonsu Textiles, Dr. Danqwah CEO of Hawknad Industries, Dr. Niku Mordi of IGO Ministries, Jim Nickell (printing consultant for the newspaper since day one), and Edwin Janney a poet, businessman and the lead writer for the newspaper since it's inception in 2001. There were businesses and churches who were also recognized for their contributions in the Ghanaian Diaspora community and they were given
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Letter From Ghana
GOLD RUSH IN ELMINA
Ghana
I am back in Accra, Ghana after taking part in the tenth anniversary celebration of the New Ghanaian newspaper(TNG). It was indeed a privilege and honour to have had the opportunity to be the Guest Speaker for the occasion and as I said at the Anniversary Banquet, TNG has come to stay in serving the Ghanaian community, and in my view the entire West African Community in the US. The establishment of Sunlight Radio is also a niche worth celebrating a s a n o t h e r p l a t fo r m through which Ghanaians and West Africans all over the world can be informed and educated about activities in their communities and more impor tantly issues of common interest. We all must contribute to make TNG an outstanding piece of journalism. For my part, I intend beginning with this issue of TNG to write a regular columnLETTERS FROM GHANA-in which I hope, as they say in Ghana, to provide interesting filla: bits of news and commentaries about developments in Ghana. We are indeed living in interesting times in Ghana and every day, every week, something
new and exciting happens in the motherland. Take for instance an unexpected GOLD RUSH in Elmina, the coastal town called by the indigenes as Edina. The history of Ghana tells us that Portuguese sailors led by a guy called Diego d’Azambuja in their voyages of exploration stopped at Edina, saw so much gold there and renamed the town El Mina, Por tuguese for “The Mine”. They built a Castle there to exploit and export the gold and later slaves by o t h e r E u r o p e a n s . Edina’s reputation as a gold mine did not last long but five hundred years later residents woke up shores that the Portuguese d i s c ove r e d go l d , a n d presto, both natives and people from other parts of the country invaded the shores of Edina in their numbers to get their share of the booty. As I write, the authorities have put a ban on any mining activities on the shores of Elmina whilst both the traditional authorities and best way to deal with the situation. The past weekend also witnessed two events in Asante Region worthy of attention: the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, and the 40th Celebration as the Omanhene of Juaben, Nana Otuo Serebuor II, who incidentally is a product of KNUST. Kw a m e N k r u m a h University of Science & Technology has indeed made great contributions to Ghana and the world. M a ny t o p e n g i n e e r s , scientists and scholars have been produced by this g reat univer sity established by the man it is named after, Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s first president). Nana Otuo Serebuor has also proved what a modern traditional leader should be, an agent of change and prog ress. His 40-year- r ule has brought innovation and development to the Juaben district. As e xpected there would have been many speeches, long and short at the two events. Ghanaians, Africans love to give long speeches. But from all that I heard, what Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene said at Juaben was my pick of the speeches. You may be aware that our politicians have been at each other, sometimes resorting to insults and abuse as they gear up for elections 2012. Their agents and serial namecallers on the airwaves
Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere have piled up and heaped hot language at each other. And so the man they call, King Solomon, used t h e g r a n d d u r b a r at Juaben to say these words which are paraphrased: “Can’t our politicians spare us the peace and focus on nation-building instead of getting into the campaign mood when the elections are so far away? Do our politicians ever pause to consider the impact of their words, their language on our children and youth? What examples are we setting for them? My appeal to politicians is please let your pronouncements on the airwaves promote peace and unity of our country. Let us focus on things that will bring progress to our people”. These are words of wisdom that are indeed worthy of our attention a n d c o n s i d e r at i o n , a message I associate myself with. I must end now but not without wishing you Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Yours Sincerely Kabral Blay-Amihere
Ghana's Next Leap Forward And Its Perils
These are heady days in ghana Ghana full of revolutionary economic plans and partisan politics at full throttle. The IMF estimates that Ghana's real economic growth this year will hit an average of more than 21%, ahead of such stars as China, India, Qatar, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Liberia. It is an ascent from zero to hero, the statisticians insist. Three decades earlier, when Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and his comrades seized power, Ghana was functionally bankrupt, social services had all but collapsed, and basic commodities were in chronically short supply.
President Atta-Mills in the colours of Tullow Oil This year's g rowth s u r ge , d r ive n by t h e launch of commercial oil production last December, brings the country to another turning point: success will mean the development of a new industrial and processing economy, powered by
gas and hydro-electricity dollars of new loans from Asian trading partners. These plans launched by President John Atta Mills's government are the country's most ambitious since founding president Kwame Nkrumah tried
to use the surplus from cocoa and gold earnings to kickstart an industrial revolution. Today, the challenge is to sustain this economic momentum in tandem with Ghana's hard-won reputation for stability and credible Cont’d on page 29
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Happy 10th Anniversary Guest Guests
Guest
Muriel Vanderpuye & Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ofori
Niyi Adams
Guest
The Janneys Guest
John Frimpong & Dr. Joe Amoako
Mrs. Millie Mensah Mr. & Mrs. Jim Nickell
Mark Amaning
Eddie Nartey
Eddie Nartey
Dr. & Mrs. Charles Danquah
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Asona Abusua Inauguration in Virginia October 29, 2011
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 21 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY
Asona Abusua Inauguration in Virginia October 29, 2011
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Happy 10th Anniversary
Nana Yaa Asamoah-Anim
Dennis Bioh
Mrs. Hagar Azure
Clarence Roberts
Sonny Vanderpuye
Ambassador Blay-Amihere
Guest
Guest
Guest
Kobina Brew Hammond
Emmanuel Gamor
Edwin Janney
Ken Appiah
Yaw Owusu & guest
Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Ekuban
Mr. & Mrs. Sam Achuko
Mrs. Esi Gyenin
A presentation to the publisher
Guest
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THE NEW GHANAIAN | 24 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY West Africa to shipping line in Nigeria
Africa
By Nduka Chiejina West Africa has inched a step towards realising its dream for a sub-regional shipping line. It has incorporated a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) known as the Sealink Promotional Company Limited in Nigeria. To e n s u r e t h e successful operation of the SPV before it dovetails into the shipping line, the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FEWACCI) over the weekend approached the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a grant of $1.5 million. The leader of t h e F E WA C C I a n d immediate past president of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industries Mr Wilson Krofor told the ECOWAS President that if the subregional body provides the US$1.5 million grant ECOWAS could have a representative on the board of the SPV and shipping line if it so desires. The SPV (which is a promotional company)Sealink Promotional Company Limited - RC 992642 has been incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matter s Act 1990 of Nigeria, the shares of
the promotional SPV is nominally held by FEWACCI–representing ECOWAS’ private sector, Transimex Integrated L o g i s t i c s P r ov i d e r s – representing Central Africa’s private sector. Mr Wilso n Kro for while making the appeal noted that investors in the SPV can convert their investment into the equity of the shipping line at agreed rates stressing that FEWACCI wants "the project to be an ECOWAS project and there was need to demonstrate that ECOWAS can do it," the $1.5 million grant he said will put the sealink project on a sound footing. B e f o r e t h e incorporation of the SPV in Nigeria a couple of weeks ago the Nigeria Expor t Impor t Bank (NEXIM) had supported t h e i n i t i at ive w i t h $250,000 which the FEWACCI will manage and run until it transforms into the shipping line. $60 million is required for the three ships that the shipping line will commence business with by shareholders. Three Major Market S e g m e n t s h ave b e e n strategy: these are Fr e e t ow n - C o n a k r y Bissau-Banjul-Dakar (Combined freight and passenger cabotage); Cotonou-Calabar-DoualaLibreville (Combined freight and passenger cabotage); and LibrevilleDakar (Freight Only –
major ports in range) The total project cost is estimated at $60 million with $36 million to be utilised to purchase ve s s e l s , e q u i p m e n t , office space and other infrastructure, while $24 million will be for working capital to cover general a n d a d m i n i s t r at ive expenses. The project would be funded through equity ($36 million) and debt Responding, ECOWAS President Ambassador Victor Gbeho assured the FEWACCI of the body’s support for the project "because it is an ECOWAS initiative and it is also in line with the integration agenda of ECOWAS." E C OWA S h e s a i d "wants to refocus ECOWAS from ECOWAS of states to ECOWAS of people by generally doing things together, so as to develop fast. By supporting the sealink i n i t i a t ive , E C OWA S intention he pointed out "is not to develop one or two countries but to develop all ECOWAS countries." ECOWAS President Ambassador Victor Gbeho urged FEWACCI "to leave politicians far behind because enterprises run by governments in the did not do well this is an opportunity for the business community to turn things around for the better. He assured the members of the chambers
of commerce and industries that he would "talk to political leaders to key into sealink and will respond to the request for the US$1.5 million as soon as ECOWAS governments get the formal request." The ECOWAS he said has agreed to improve marine business in the sub region stressing that West Africa "cannot achieve integration unless we can move goods and compete favourably with developed economies. He lamented the over centralization of power in the hands of politicians which he said is the bane of economic development in West Africa.
Samsung to Make Ivory Coast Its Commercial Hub in West Africa Samsung Electronics Co. wants to make Ivory Coast its commercial hub in West Africa and plans to open 14 stores in the country next year, said Kyung Heon Kim, vice president of the Seoulbased company. Samsung is planning to build its biggest store in Africa in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Kim told Bloomberg in a Nov. 17 interview in the city. “The store will be as big as the ones we have in Seoul, Paris or Dubai,” Kim said. The 540 squaremeter (5,800 square-foot) Cont’d on page 25
www.rainbowrest.com
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Provo woman donates African collection to Smithsonian By Thomas Burr, The Salt Lake Tribune dissertation on the rise of nationalism in the former French colony. He was also a BYU professor. They spent a year traveling the country, and Marian Johnson began collecting. She would visit markets and search out rare pieces, asking longtime goldsmiths.
gold jewelry in the West Africa country of Senegal some 47 years ago, thinking it was a neat artifact to treasure from the time she and her husband spent there. Several return trips and market visits later, the Provo native is handing over to the Smithsonian museum one of the largest existing collections of Senegalese jewelry. Johnson, a former professor of art history at Brigham Young University, has spent the past month in Washington helping to inventory some 250 items of the laboriously handcrafted jewelry that set, in many ways, the standard for goldsmiths in that region of Africa. “This is their art,” Johnson says. “As far as I’m concerned, this is their traditional art.” It’s not the typical art that one might think of as African, art that often comes in the form of woodcarvings, masks, statuettes and ivory carvings. And that’s what Johnson says makes it so special. “It isn’t even on any list of art regions in any book,” she says. Johnson and her husband, G. Wesley while her husband was working on his Cont’d from 24
showroom will cost 850 million CFA francs ($1.7 million) and will open in March 2012, Nasser Seklaoui, a representative of Samsung in Ivory Coast, said by phone on Nov. 18. The other 13 stores, including ones in the port of San Pedro and the capital, Yamoussoukro, will cost 1.3 billion CFA francs and will open next January, Kim said. Samsung is in talks with the Ivory Coast government to build a television and air-conditioner factory in Abidjan next year to supply Ivory Coast and the region, Kim said. --With assistance from Olivier Monnier in Abidjan. Editors: Ben Holland, Dulue Mbachu. To contact the reporter on this story: Baudelaire Mieu in Abidjan via Accra at ebowers1@bloomberg.net
U.S. & French air strikes raise human toll in Somalia By Abayomi Azikiwe Editor, Pan-African News Wire United States and French military
concrete-walled room underneath the National Mall with other treasures from Africa not yet on display. Bracelets, chains, necklaces, earrings — some covered in gold, some solid gold. Other pieces are from more inexpensive metals, but crafted into detailed beading and designs. There are no stones, no gems in Senegal jewelry, but there is intricate gold
the region. Johnson points out one chain from which hangs an item called a korval, a bulb covered in tiny balls of gold that she notes were held by tweezers while the creator soldered them into place and used a tube to cool them. “These are done especially elegantly,” Johnson says. Many of the items have so far been on display only in the Johnson’s Provo home, or for many years, stuck in storage boxes. Marian Johnson wanted to change that and looked for a way to allow others to view the majesty of her collection. “I think it’s appreciated here,” she says after spending a month at the Smithsonian museum as a visiting fellow helping to inventory the objects. “This is a research institution where I thought the jewelry should show up.” involvement in Africa is taking a deadly toll in the country of Somalia. Despite Washington’s denials, the people of this nation are suffering under the impact of yet another imperialist-driven war. Kenyan army units crossed over into southern Somalia in October in an operation aimed at eliminating the bases of the Al-Shabaab Islamic resistance movement, which controls large sections of this Horn of Africa nation. French military spokesperson Col. reinforce the Kenyan soldiers. France in recent months has been involved in overthrowing the government of Ivory Coast, regime change in Libya and curbing “piracy” in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa. The Somalia conflict is part of ongoing campaigns by the Pentagon and NATO to secure large sections of Africa that have strategic value to U.S. and European imperialism. The by labeling Al-Shabaab a “terrorist Two U.S. administrations have armed Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which
has 9,000 troops in Mogadishu protecting a Washington-backed regime. U.S. drones massacre Somali civilians Daily drone attacks in Somalia have reportedly resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths in recent weeks. Press TV reported that “79 more people have been killed in U.S. assassination drone attacks in southern Somalia, bringing the deaths to 146 over the past two days. The U.S. military launched terror drone attacks on Bilis Qooqaani town, which is located 278 miles southwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu.” (Nov. 11) In addition, on Nov. 11, a French military helicopter crashed near the southern port city of Kismayo, killing nine people. The military chopper went down while providing cover for Kenyan military units attacking Al-Shabaab bases in the vicinity. These increased air strikes in Somalia are related to deployment of U.S. personnel and weapons in the Horn of Africa, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Drones are being launched regions. The Washington Post reported on Oct. 27 that the U.S. “has been secretly flying Reaper drones from a remote civilian airport in southern Ethiopia,” spending “millions of dollars to update an airfield in Arba Minch. … The Reapers began flying missions earlier this year over neighboring Somalia.” The Pentagon has denied that the drones are armed, saying they are being used only for surveillance, but the Post article adds that the pilotless planes “can be equipped bombs.” Despite the massacres carried out by Washington in Somalia, the AlShabaab fighters have continued to launch operations against the Kenyan military forces. On Nov. 11, the Islamic resistance movement said it had killed 30 Kenyan troops and six military trucks in an ambush of a military convoy. Israel is also getting into the war, and will be participating with Kenya in Somalia.“ (Press TV, Nov. 14) This fur ther militarization of southern Somalia coincides with the spread of cholera in the areas of Jilib Town and Hoomboy, where 81 people have died from the waterborne disease. Somali physicians reported that within a 24-hour period starting Nov. 12, 670 children entered medical centers in Mareerey northeast of Jilib. These areas have been severely impacted by flooding as well. River waters have rushed into districts near Jilib, destroying hundreds of homes. Doctors report increased cases of malaria as well due to the Juba and Shabelle The AMISOM forces, composed of 9,000 troops from the U.S.-backed regimes of Uganda and Burundi, are working to prop up Somilia’s Transitional Federal Government and its military and police. On Nov. 12, a grenade hit patrolling pro-TFG soldiers in Mogadishu, killing at least six. Also in the North Mogadishu district of Huriwa, Al-Shabaab was reported to have killed 20 soldiers from TFG units
14 civilians died after the shelling of a residential area from an unknown source. The human toll from yet another imperi al ist-sponsored war in Africa grows daily
The Rush for Oil in West Africa – The New Wild West? Meena Bhandari FREETOWN, Nov 18 (IPS) - There is a new oil rush off the coast of West Africa. But there are fears that the watchdog groups are raising concerns about transparency and governance in the region. Anticipation is building in Sierra Leone after African Petroleum, an oil and gas exploration company focused on offshore West Africa, said they would begin drilling in the Sierra Leone-Liberia Basin next year after oil was discovered here in 2009. Civil society groups in Sierra Leone say they are just catching up with the oil discovery. “It’s very new - we’re still learning,” says Mohamed Toray of the National Movement for Justice and Development.. He says the country’s Petroleum Act, which was guided by agreements with oil companies, was rushed through as an in July, and few people were consulted. “Government agreements with oil companies guided the wording of the law. But, the law should have guided agreements with oil companies,” he says. He also says Sierra Leone has a lot to learn from Ghana’s government, which engaged with civil society and the public when oil was found off its shores in 2007. He says lessons can also be learned from Nigeria’s troubled history with oil. A recent report by the European Union to 716 barrels a day were lost in Nigeria case scenarios. Now Liberia is garnering attention – with expectations high that oil will be found soon. Major U.S. oil giants Chevron and Anadarko Petroleum Corp (one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies) are all searching hard in Liberia’s waters. The relatively unknown African Petroleum is also conducting explorations. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the West African Coastal Province – which includes Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – has an estimated 3,200 million barrels of oil and 23,629 billion cubic feet of gas. Translated into hard cash, that is hundreds of billions of dollars. “But, nobody knows for sure what it’s worth,” says Natalie Ashworth from Global Witness, the campaigning organisation that uncovered links to how the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia were fuelled by natural resources. “Anadarko, the company that found reserves in Sierra Leone’s waters, is apparently keeping its data close to its chest,” she says. Oil discoveries should be a boon to this region - boosting gains made from the war recovery efforts with millions of donor dollars, and increasing foreign Cont’d on page 29
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Okyeman Kuo, Virginia - Picnic in Va.
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Happy 10th Anniversary Sonny Vanderpuye giving awards to deserving individuals and businesses
Edwin Janney
Mama Bonsu of Mama Bonsu Textiles
Jim Nickell
Nana International, MD
Pastor Emmanuel Lamptey of Elets Taxes
Dr. Ampomah of Ghana Nurses Association & Yawa Kpo of NDC
Moneygram
Dr. Charles Dankwah and other recipients
Rev. Ofori Amanfo of Church of Pentecost
Nana Asumaning of Asona Abusua
Sam Achuko of Kelechi Authentics
Word Harvest Church, VA, Christ the King Presby, Md., The Church of the Living God, VA., Springs Gate Chapel, Washington Ladies
Dr. Nicku Mordi
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All Nations Praise Ministries Temple Dedication & Ordination - Pastor Francis & Pastor Rita Tandoh -
Ministers & Elders
Singing praises
Doing the “Holy Dance”
Temple dedication by Bishop Rex Odoom and Pastor Francis Tandon (in glasses)
Ordination of Minister Michael Chawe
Washing of feet by Minister Chawe to signify servanthood
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Liberia’s current GDP per capita is a minute 247 dollars, and Sierra Leone’s is 325 dollars – so any oil find would make a serious impact in two of the poorest countries in the world. Both Liberia and Sierra Leone rank amongst the worst places in the world for mothers to give birth, for example, despite both burgeoning with natural resources. The implication is that a lack of transparency means a loss of potential revenue, and possibly depriving these economies of desperately needed social spending. Liberia’s oil could turn out to be a blessing for some, and a curse for most, unless the government commits to an open reform process, says Global Witness. Oil exploration began in August off the coast of the
West African country. However, the international organization says that unless the country cleans up its oil sector, they will not be ready for oil. In a September report by Global Witness, the watchdog organization says it has already uncovered discrepancies, bad practice and even corruption in Liberia. “Our investigations have shown that, even before a discovery is made, there are deepseated problems in Liberia’s oil sector: government officials and at least one company have paid bribes, contracts have been awarded illegally, and companies with little experience in the oil sector have received concessions,” says Ashworth. The group claims that a government agency paid bribes to the legislature so that oil also found the sector was not independently regulated.
US Fugitive's 41Year Life On Lam by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — On a spring day in 1976, while hiding out in Paris, an American member of the Black Liberation Army panicked. Newspapers were trumpeting the arrest of four comrades who had helped him hijack a plane. He needed to get out of France, and fast. G e o r g e Wr i g h t c a l l e d together his secret network of friends — French radicals and an American sympathizer. They hatched a plan: Wright would slip quietly into Portugal by train and move on to one of its former African colonies, where Marxism and hostility to the West meant he would probably be safe. The plan worked for decades. Then, in September, thanks to a came crashing down. The tale of Wright's life on the run spans 41 years and three continents. It star ts in New Jersey with a prison break, moves to Algeria on the hijacked plane, to Paris where he lived underground, to Lisbon where he fell in love, to
the tiny West African nation of Guinea-Bissau — and finally to an idyllic Portuguese seaside village, where he built a life as a respected family man. It was there that he was arrested in September. But on Thursday, Wright made another dramatic escape: A Portuguese court denied a U.S. request for extradition, saying Wright is now Portuguese and the statute of limitations on his crimes has expired. At a press conference after he was freed from house arrest, Wright declared himself "very happy, morally and spiritually." He said that he is now a changed man, and that he had committed rights." T h e s t o r y o f Wr i g h t ' s decades on the run was pieced together through documents and interviews with 32 people who knew him, inc luding his Portuguese wife, a Black Panthers sympathizer who helped him in Paris, former Bissau, and the pilot of the plane he hijacked at the start of his fugitive life. Wright's odyssey has its roots in the fall of 1962, when he and three associates were accused of committing multiple armed robberies in two New Jersey towns and then holding up the Collingwood Park Esso gas station in Wall Township, according to court records. The gang shot and killed gas station owner and World War II veteran Walter Patterson in a Cont’d on page 30
Global Witness says that reforms in Liberia, like passing the ground breaking Extractive I n d u s t r i e s Tr a n s p a r e n c y Initiative law that publishes extractive industry contracts and revenue data to improve resource governance, have not gone far enough in practice. Global Witness goes as far as to say that Liberia is “not ready for oil” with its current governance and lack of transparency and needs wider reforms in its resource sector before people can actually Indeed, the history of oil in Africa has so far been a tumultuous one. A recent EU report found that the negative Cont’d from 18
multiparty elections. The next hurdles are the elections in December 2012, which will be a tight contest b e t w e e n M i l l s ' s N at i o n a l Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by veteran Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The party that wins will preside over the most critical period in the country's development since independence. If the victors manage it well, they could be in power for a decade or more. Equal share in prosperity C e r t a i n l y, t h e u pw a r d revision of Ghana's national income by more than 70% is an accolade for which both the NDC and NPP governments of the past decade can take credit. The Ghana Statistical Service calculates that gross domestic product this year will be $43.7bn, instead of the $26.9bn previously forecast, and GDP in 2012 is calculated to rise to $48.8bn, instead of $29bn. This takes Ghana into the ranks of lower middle-income countries. Projected earnings from oil production of 120,000 barrels per day from the Jubilee Tullow Oil and US companies Anadarko and Kosmos – and promising news of more oil and gas finds by these companies and Italy's ENI have made Ghana a new target for lenders and suppliers. It should also mean the economy is on a path of self-sustaining growth and But such statistical averages can conceal a world of deprivation, inequality and frustration – as the revolutions in middle-income countries such as Tunisia, Libya and Egypt have shown. To win, President Mills has to convince Ghanaians that the impressive statistics will translate into much better living standards and opportunities for education. When asked about the slow
impacts of the oil industry in sub-Saharan Africa were a major concern, for the health and livelihoods of local communities. It also stressed the need for better accountability, transparency and governance, and came hot on the heels of the United Nations findings highlighting the impact of oil spills in the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is said to be one of the most polluted sites in the world with oil spills over the last 50 years, having a devastating impact on human and wild life. A clean up is estimated to take 30 years at a cost of around one billion dollars, according to the U.N. Meanwhile, Ian Gary of
Oxfam International says the oil transparency and governance situation in Ghana at least is stronger than in the case of its neighbors, citing the fact that petroleum agreements are posted on the Ministry of Energy’s website. “There were months of debate with heavy input from the public and civil society to develop the Petroleum Revenue Management Act,” he says. Ghana also recently inaugurated the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, a civil society watchdog required by the new law. Constant vigilance from civil society will be needed to ensure laws are upheld in practice.
pace of progress, Vice-president John Dramani Mahama told [I]The Africa Report[/I] that gas, more than oil, would be the driving force for Ghana's industrial revolution, but that attention to accountability meant things would not happen overnight. From the opposition corner, Akufo-Addo raises questions a b o u t t h e g ove r n m e n t ' s competence to manage a vast new borrowing programme and attract serious foreign investors. In Parliament on 26 August, the NDC majority voted unanimously for a $3bn credit facility from the China Development Bank (CDB). The NPP abstained, arguing the government had not provided enough information on how the loans would be spent. It was also unhappy that 60% of the credit would be tied to Chinese contractors and not subject to competitive bidding. Akufo-Addo warns of the risks of this higher oil-backed borrowing: foreign debt had risen from $4bn at the end of 2008 when the NPP lost power to $10.8bn by the middle of 2011. "Oil gives us more space to borrow the funds we need to speed our development," Akufo-Addo says, "but we risk a return to our \[heavily indebted] experience if we do not borrow responsibly." Both parties argue that Ghana should become the industrial hub of the sub-region over the next decade on the strength of its oil and gas. The centre-left NDC wants a bigger role for state institutions, while the centre-right NPP is more determinedly pro-business. At the centre of the development plan is an industrial base in the Western Region, powered by gas
Accountability Counts Activists and opposition politicians are demanding much more accountability from government. A report submitted by the Auditor-General to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee in July uncovered financial losses of 2.7bn cedi ($1.8bn), and serious abuses in the judicial system. Few of the
and linked by rail to Kumasi and Accra. It would produce petrochemicals and a host of by-products such as plastics, paints, pesticide, bitumen and natural gas liquids, all with a ready market in West Africa
have been sanctioned. Former acting director of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice Anna Bossman argues that corruption has to be fought more vigorously. After her resignation from the Commission in June she said "there is quite a bit of corruption and especially condone bad behavior." Reinforcing concerns that the commission lacks the resources and authority to tackle political and corporate criminality, Bossman complained that "we don't have robust systems that will allow us even to trace and monitor properly. And then, things, we do not sanction." Such reasoned critiques of institutions and policies are rare in the point-scoring world of party politics. Instead, many fear that the rising stakes in next year's elections have led to a coarsening of debate with violent undertones. So serious have matters become that more moderate politicians are calling for the introduction of a code of conduct for political parties with sanctions against intemperate and foul language personal attacks in Accra's lively independent press. A locomotive-like economy and landmark elections promise an exciting year, and perhaps Ghana's return to centre stage in Africa. By Kwabena Mensah and Patrick Smith
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robbery that netted $70. Wright, then 19, and his accomplices were indicted a month later. Police said Wright and 22-year-old Walter McGhee each an autopsy showed Patterson died from McGhee's bullet, according to a 1963 Associated Press article. Wright maintains he never killed anyone, saying he Wright and McGhee pleaded not guilty, but later changed their pleas to "no defense," meaning they did not admit guilt but did not contest the charges. Wright said he entered the plea only to avoid the death penalty or a life sentence. McGhee was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor and Wright to up to 30 years. After rejecting Wright's appeal for a trial, a judge sent him to the New Jersey State Prison. Wrig ht wa s eve n t u a l ly moved to a minimum security prison dairy farm. There he met George Brown, a former forklift operator serving time for armed robbery. On Aug. 22, 1970, the two waited until guards made their bed checks, then simply walked out of the prison, which had no outer walls, and stole a car. Wright's Portuguese wife, Maria do Rosario Valente, says he told her they hotwired the warden's car to make their getaway. The two resurfaced two years later in dramatic fashion — as members of the underground Black Liberation Army militant group. Wright, dressed as a priest, boarded a Detroit-to-Miami passenger flight, along with Brown, another man, two women and three small children. The group was armed with three handguns and took over the plane above Savannah, Georgia, with Wright holding a cocked revolver against the neck of a the pilot, retired Delta Air Lines Capt. William May. After landing, the hijackers demanded $1 million to release the passengers, insisting that agents deliver the cash from the tarmac naked as proof they weren't armed. May said he convinced Wright — who did most of the talking and appeared to be the leader — that the agents should be allowed to wear bathing suits. Wright got angry during the negotiations, blurting out at about 12:30 p.m.: "If that money's not here by 2 o'clock, that's when I'm going to start throwing dead bodies out the door." The money was already en route from a bank to the airport. When it arrived, Delta ramp supervisor Bernard Cooper and
an FBI agent put on swimming suits bought hastily near the airport; Cooper's was two sizes too small. They headed to the plane with a suitcase stuffed with the money. An emergency rope was dropped from the jet, the suitcase was pulled inside and the passengers were set free. The hijackers embarked on their trans-Atlantic getaway, smoking pot in the first class section, where "they were like kids, counting the money and frolicking about," May says. navigator — also dressed in a bathing suit — could board the plane and guide it to Algeria, where they wanted political asylum. In the air, they crowed that they were leaving decadent America, escaping the ghettoes and heading to their homeland. The hijackers chose Algeria because former Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver was there at the time, say May and George Pumphrey, a former Black Panther sympathizer now living in Germany. Algeria gave the ransom money and the plane back to the United States, but let Wright and his group stay, with their movements restricted to the capital, Algiers. They moved on to Paris by early 1973 and got to know Pumphrey, who was living there. Helped by French sympathizers, Wright got a job as an electrician's assistant, took French classes and used the alias "Alvin" with his comrades. French police rounded them up in May 1976, but Wright wasn't caught in the dragnet and contacted Pumphrey for help in The French radicals provided Wright money for the train journey to Portugal. It was the best escape route, Pumphrey says, because from there Wright could try to get to Angola, Guinea-Bissau or Mozambique — all recently liberated Portuguese colonies that would probably welcome Wright and refuse to extradite him if asked. Wright met his future wife on New Year's Eve, 1978, as the two waited to get into a nightclub near Lisbon. She liked speaking English, and they shared musical tastes, including the blues. She says all she knew about him back then was that "he seemed to know his way around" Portugal, had spent time in France, and was living with a friend in Lisbon and taking Portuguese classes. Valente says her husband n ever t o l d her a b o u t t he hijacking or the robbery that put him in jail until after his arrest in Portugal, a claim that Wright's boss for nearly four years in Guinea-Bissau says
stretches belief. He did tell her he had once escaped from jail, but she thought he was joking. He told her he wanted to head to Africa to explore his racial heritage, inspired by the 1977 television series "Roots," about an African sent as a slave to the United States and his descendants. Guinea-Bissau tightly controlled foreigner entries, but Wright got a letter of safe passage from a high-ranking wife says. Valente, the daughter of a retired senior Portuguese army the name of the official who helped her husband and would not provide information on how to contact her father, who is now elderly and in poor health. W h i l e Va l e n t e i n s i s t s she knew nothing about her husband's past when he went to Guinea-Bissau, she is sure that the African nation's rulers were aware of it because they decided to give him political asylum. Bissau in 1980, where a new identity of Jose Luis Jorge dos Santos awaited him, arranged by now-deceased Vasco Cabral, a hero of the nation's struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, his wife says. Valente followed later. She got a job teaching elementary school in the capital, Bissau, while he worked as a governmentemployed basketball coach and physical education teacher. "He was there not under false pretenses. Everyone knew his past. They gave him political asylum, a job, somewhere to live, so he wasn't hiding," she says, while maintaining she herself was ignorant of his criminal past at the time. Wright has also said he never told her about his past. The two were close friends with members of the nation's Marxist political elite, and Valente soon parlayed her knowledge of English into translation jobs for the U.S. Embassy. Bissau had a population of only about 250,000 at the time, and the American expatriate community was tiny in the hardship post, where electricity and water service were sporadic challenge. Nine U.S. diplomats and embassy workers who served in Bissau in the 1980s and early 1990s say Wright lived openly using his own name — but told The Associated Press they knew nothing about his past. Among them was John B l a c ke n , a f o r m e r U. S . ambassador who still lives in Guinea-Bissau; he says he was never infor med about Wright's past in any cables from Washington. Wright visited the embassy
when his wife was working there. not typically send embassies messages about fugitives wanted in the United States, unless there was information indicating they were in the country, says one diplomat who served at the embassy. And Wright never drew attention to himself through a request for a new passport, social security card or other embassy services. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he still works for the government and was not authorized to speak about Wright. Wr i g h t a l s o h e l p e d a n American company to build more housing at the American ambassador's residency compound, according to his wife and Edmee Pastore, the in the early 1990s. The company had hired local construction workers, but the owner didn't speak Portuguese, Pastore recalls. "Along comes George Wright," she says. "He had learned enough Portuguese to help these men do the work they were going to do. The upshot was and people moved in." It was Wright's connections in Bissau along with his language skills that prompted Hannes Stegemann to hire him as logistics coordinator for a Wright told Stegemann and others about his conviction, his jail escape and the hijacking — and was so open about his past that Stegemann finds it in Guinea-Bissau and his own wife didn't know about it. In Guinea-Bissau's circle of political powerbrokers, Wright was seen as a revolutionary, Stegemann says. A m o n g Wr i g h t ' s c l o s e friends was Bissau Mayor Manuel Saturnino da Costa, a chess partner who lived two doors down from his home, say Stegemann and Wright's wife. But Da Costa, reached in Bissau by telephone, denied he knew Wright, even as "Jack the American" — the way many locals referred to him. Wright and Valente didn't wed until 1990 in a civil ceremony in Bissau, but Valente says in Guinea-Bissau people are considered married when they live together. The couple had a son, Marco, in 1986 and a daughter, Sara, in 1991. Mar ried to Valente and armed with his new identity as a citizen of Guinea-Bissau, Wright obtained Portuguese citizenship. The couple moved to Portugal in 1993 for a better education and safer environment
for their children, Valente said. They set up home in Almocageme, a place of whitewashed walls and terracotta roofs near a stunning beach, less than an hour's drive from Lisbon. Townspeople interviewed by AP describe Wright as an affable family man and regular c h u r c h go e r. Wr i g h t , wh o lived from odd jobs including decorative painting, helped at charity events and played basketball with emigre friends from Guinea-Bissau. Wright didn't reveal his past in Portugal, even with his closest friends. Andre Cameron, an American musician who has known Wright for two decades, said he was "in shock" after Wright was detained. Wright's peaceful life ended abr uptly when Por tuguese police turned up at his small, two-storey house at the end of a quiet cobblestone street in late September. The FBI said he was detained after they provided Portuguese authorities with a fingerprint that matched Wright's from the country's national database of say what prompted them to look for Wright in Portugal. Wright's sister came from the United States to visit her brother at least three times over the years, raising speculation among Wright's friends in Portugal that the two were in regular contact and that authorities picked up on it. Valente says Wright's two children learned about his past after his arrest; they cried for their entire first 45-minute visit with him. Two weeks after Wright's capture, he was released on house arrest with an electronic monitoring system while the judge considered the U.S. extradition request. Despite the denial of the request Thursday, American authorities have said they will serve the rest of a 15- to 30-year murder sentence in New Jersey. But for now, Wright, who also suffers from glaucoma, high blood pressure and chest pains, is free. He said Thursday that he had wanted to tell his family his story for years, but "I had a weight on my shoulders and I didn't want to transfer it onto them." His freedom will not go down well with Ann Patterson, the New Jersey gas station victim's 63-year-old daughter. She says she wants justice. "This man has lived a 50-year lie," she says.
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Final Funeral Rites of Madam Salomey Amma Gyaah
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Nana Kwame Ampadu I This is the story of Nana Kwame Ampadu I – the man, the music and a life brought to us on four 75-minute music videos, anecdotes and other tit bits. We are informed in volume one of his beginnings. Born in Obo Kwahu, Ampadu was christened Patrick and took “Steel” as a “guy name” which explains his original artist name “PSK Ampadu” found on his earlier records. He held on to this name until he was crowned “Nana” as a result of a country-wide competition he won among guitar bands in 1972. He was formally invested with the title at a ceremony at the Arts Centre taking
Sport & Leisure
Ampadu I. There has never been a second. He took to music early 1963 at the tender age of 19 Anglican Middle Boys. There were no recording studios in Ghana then. In a desperate search for a career start, he showed his compositions to Jerry Hansen who was already an established act with the Ramblers. Jerry took two of his compositions – a collaboration which eventually resulted in the Ramblers recording eight songs the young Ampadu g ave u p fo r f r e e n o t knowing he had to be paid for them. Too bad Ampadu did not mention all the eight songs but Ramblers hit it big with Agyanka Dabre, Mpae bo na ehia and Obra rehwe me with the words “Mereye den na m'agyina mpoano”. You may also want to compare R a m bl e r s ’ r e c o r d i n g of Nea Waye Mi with
Ampadu’s. But Ampadu acknowledges his immense debt and gratitude to Jer ry who introduced him to Philips Records with Agyanka Dabre and Suminaso Ntonko. Nana Ampadu composed more than 700 songs – a record in Africa, if not the world. That is a lot of songs but it necessarily means not all of these are great songs. Some of them sound similar and his many stories about animals, mmoatia and sasabronsam can become boring at times. Fortunately, the selections on these videos are among the very best things he did. T hese include the much beloved and funereal Akwantifi Wuo (Ao mother ye... Odo na wo gyaa me sen ni? Adwoa Foriwaa...) and for you in the diaspora: Aaa ye ba pa, Kwadwo (... Enfa
emmaape nkosi w’ani so). Oh, Emeeelia is there too. And many more. Among the highlights of the videos are the places wh e r e A m p a d u t a l k s about the stories behind the songs. “Agatha” was actually a beautiful girl with whom he had a shortlived marriage. “Ebe te yie” was a story told him by one Kwasi Adu of Kumasi. He was then very young and didn’t see any political undertones in that song. Nana revealed that, contrary to common belief, he never had any problems with the NLC over that song and Afrifa never called to upbraid him. He added that he had never had any political problems with any of his songs. The Driver song was what he had worked on
the longest. The research took him six years as he personally collected 150 “car ho ntwereye” on his tours around the country, 70 of which eventually made it into the song. Ampadu’s best friend was Kwame Frimpong, late tailor from Sunyani, mentioned in the song: Annuanom mmoma ye nnodo yehu oo/ Enam owuo nti/ Onnipa nse whee... “Kakra Yinti” was for Caro, the Akuapem girl, who was in coquettish tears when Ampadu was only teasing (mekaa no agoro...). Perhaps the most wonderful of these stories is the one behind the hit “Oman Bo Adwo” – a song he also called “Paul amba ntem” (the latecomer who Cont’d on page 36
Nigerian Star Actor Chinedu Ikedieze ‘Aki Na Popo’ Marries POPULARLY known from the popular Nigerian movie ‘Aki Na Popo’, Chinedu ‘Aki’ is now a married man. He married last week. He had a traditional ceremony arrangement but now wants to have a white wedding. It was more like a car nival when star actor,Chinedu Ikedieze tied the knot,the t r a d i t i o n a l w ay, w i t h Nneoma Nwaijah the lady that stole his petite heart. Held at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church field,Obolo,Isiala Mbano,Imo State,Chinedu and Nneoma’s wedding attracted a mammoth crowd,made up of his colleagues in the movie industry,the Abia State Governor Chief T.A Orji and other top government
Chinedu and his bride But I have found out his fans across the nation. that when you want to In a r e c e n t settle down you must do interview,Aki speak on that with somebody that his love story. will and must make you “There are wives and happy always. Nneoma there are wives, also there makes me happy always. are friends and there are When I met her in 2008, friends. It is easy to have it was not quite easy, but a girlfriend and enjoy yourself and have fun. Lagos, on the mainland.
She visited the production where I was working; she was still in school then as an undergraduate. From there, we became casual friends until that 2008 when we decided to move the friendship to the next level and by the grace of God, this is the result.” A s ke d , h ow / wh e r e did you propose to her and where are you taking madam for honeymoon, he said “This is one secret I want to keep to myself till further notice, I am sorry about that, it was just between us and not meant for the public and about the honeymoon, mind, the Bahamas, Qatar, Mauritius, Caribbean Islands and one or two other places we are still Cont’d on page 36
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1st Wedding Anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. Ofori Darkwa
with womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry
Mr. & Mrs. Ofori Darkwa
Bridal team
with church members
with choir
with Pastor & Mrs. Karikari
with Agogo Citizens Association
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Nadia Buari features in a new movie “Be My Guest”
In a concerted and progressive attempt to re establish her past glory and fame that made her become a household name for years with the Industry, Nadia Buari has been on a roll featuring in a slew of movies for the year 2011. As part of her program for the year, Nadia has produced a
Chinedu Ikedieze Cont’d from 34
considering.” And following their experience at their recent traditional wedding, Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze and his bride, Nneoma have decided to reorganize their white wedding plans earlier slated for December 10 in Lagos. The unprecedented crowd that stormed their traditional wedding caught the couple off-
Nana Ampadu Cont’d from 34
became the greatest of them all). It came by accident after a concert at Apedwa. The boys were practising and joking with a beat he overheard and asked where they got it from. It was a Nigerian beat heard by one of the boys who had gone there. He asked the boy to sing it out and “like joke like joke” they made Oman Bo Adwo. They liked it and at their next recording session they dropped “Woyoo wo yo part 2” for the new song. So the Ibo man is really not an Ibo man and the words are really not Igbo? Whatever, this wonderful result of a serendipitous effort became a huge hit – one of my personal favourites. Ampadu talks about his many visits to Nigeria performing in cities in the East where he felt at home because of “their love for Ghana music” (Enyinba naba oo...). Asked why the easterners love our music so much, Ampadu explained that it may be because their languages resemble Twi. That may be so but there may be a more compelling reason. The Yoruba used to play and love highlife music. Big bands like Dr. Victor Olaiya, (Omo pupa yee..., check out his wonderful collaboration with E. T. Mensah on youtube – “the evil genius of highlife meets the godfather” as one commentator so aptly puts it), Roy Chicago (Mariiiya...) etc were huge acts in Yorubaland playing highlife exactly as we, Ghanaians, know and love it. Bobby Benson (If you marry taxi driver, I don’t mind...) had a club in Lagos. Even Fela Kuti started his music life with highlife (“It’s Highlife Time” with his Koola Lobitos Band). But then juju music crept into the lives of the Yoruba. I. K. Dairo blazed the trail,
Chief Commander Obey and more into juju (which Ghanaians enjoy probably because of its affinity to highlife) and fuji (which may sound in many a Ghanaian ear as Klingon opera) than highlife by the time Ampadu arrived in Nigeria. Lagos, Ibadan or Ogbomosho were no places for him to stop. But in the east, (Benin City, Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Calabar, Port Harcourt, etc) highlife has always been the thing. Cardinal Rex Lawson (Sawale, Ibi na boo...) died young but “Dr Sir” Warrior, Chief Osita Osadebe (Osondi Owendi...), Sir Victor Uwaifo (Joromi) and others kept highlife alive among the easterners who welcomed the likes of Ampadu and Kofi Sammy (Yellow Sisi dey for corner) with open arms. They understood the music even if they didn’t understand the language just as we in Ghana took to Rex Lawson’s music even though we had not the faintest idea of what he was singing about. It was the music itself, the rhythm, as Ampadu explained in connection with his Côte d’Ivoire fans, rather than the language in which it was sung, that drew us together. He remembers his gig in Benin City which was attended by Victor Uwaifo. He liked Uwaifo’s guitar works and had made a song (Adwoa ye Adwoa ye) on a variation of one of his guitar tunes. He played that song that day and Uwaifo came up to the stage to shake hands with him and commend him on his performance. It was with a touch of sadness with which Ampadu recalls the original seven members of the band. Snr Eddie Donkor on first rhythm guitar (and the prominent voice in the backing vocals), Kyekyeku, and Koo
Baah have all passed away. Now it remains, apart from Ampadu, P. K. Asare (congas), Rover Amoah Ampadu and Joe Dee (bass, now in London). Later, others like Sam Derchie, Lawyer Boateng, Osei (now in the US) also came and went until he was forced to dissolve the band when he got the call from God. My biggest problem with this production has to do with that lackadaisical attitude of the amateur that characterises music (and film) production in Ghana. This is unfortunate especially when one considers the fact that guitar or concert band music has been somewhat looked down upon by the cultural elite in Ghana which may prefer to nod their heads and tap their feet to the “high brow” music of the big dance bands – E. T. Mensah, Broadway, Uhuru or Ramblers who deliver their music, stiff-necked in suits, and playing from musical scores. Some of the interviews were sloppily conducted with follow up questions, where there is one, often poor. And why will you interview a man over dinner and make him talk when he has food interview during the after dinner drinks? These are not music videos in the true sense of the word. There is a group of musicians on a bandstand, playing a cover for the real record and there are people dancing in between over-elaborate cuts. Many of the story-type songs are dramatized in the simplistic, extremely literal, and, sometimes crude, form of verisimilitude that many Ghanaians are comfortable with. So that when Ampadu sings of the dog, the goat, and the sheep that have come to ask the tiger what he has been eating since his return from Mecca where he was forbidden from eating flesh or shedding blood, we
actually see these very animals on screen. If not so, we won’t get it, eh? Thank goodness, we are spared the gory sight of the tiger devouring the poor animals – an elision which Ampadu himself makes in his song which he ends by asking his listeners to imagine what happens when the tiger closes the door: Wope wo wuo wobenya. But Ghanaian anything to the imagination of the viewer. Another thing which the videos lack is true footage from Ampadu’s shows from years back. A recording like this would have been much richer with such material. Surely, Nana Ampadu must have made appearances in his long career some of which Where are they? Some of the interviews, carried out in Twi, are given English translations. This is good. But often, the translations are poor and do not always synch with what Nana is saying – another professional lapse. It would have been good to have also provided English subtitles of the lyrics of the songs featured. After all, Ghanaians of all ethnic groups enjoy the man’s music and will want to know what he is saying. Moreover, Ampadu used many old Twi proverbs with may be lost in the music even to native Twi speakers who may welcome a translation. Perhaps the most irritating thing about these videos is the advertisements and warnings of in the body of the videos at frequent intervals. These were simply too many. If I have bought the videos legally, then I think I earn the right to avoid these constant reminders of illegal copying or appeals to buy what I have already bought. It is better to place such material
TV reality series that features the entire members of her family and there are rumors of a planned clothing line in the offing all in a quest to better establish her brand and reinforce the household name who continues to remain an indisputable force to reckon with. guard and if care is not taken Lagos event could be worse. They have now decided exchange vows on Friday, December 9th at an undisclosed location, RCCG parish somewhere in Lagos with a private reception at Essence Hotel in Ikoyi.. A c c o r d i n g t o vanguardnigeria, they gathered that the couple are also planning a small and private reception party for only 200 guests at a secret venue on Sat Dec 10th. only once at the beginning and the end of each volume. It seems the four volumes were not planned for from the beginning and one or two may have come in as an afterthought. This explains some of the chronological disorder and some repetitions. I can see the DVDs but it appears Ghanaians are still very much into the lower quality VCDs. Despite my misgivings about the professional quality of the productions, I found myself enjoying them. The material redeems the effort and I am sure fans of Ampadu will enjoy these videos too. All too often you meet many in my generation who claim that the music of the past was better than what our youngsters are producing today. They contend that the older musicians sung “real” songs. Today, it’s all about sex, sex, and more sex played to beats generated on machines. But these are just the nostalgic yearnings of old age. Why should we expect today’s youth to play and dance to the type of music we enjoyed 40 years ago? Ampadu himself advises our young musicians not to forget our “indigenous” music. It should not mean they cannot do their own thing as well. Times change and music also changes. But certain things endure for a long time. And Ampadu’s music is bound to endure. Today, Ampadu doesn’t perform much. He has embraced Jesus and his music has become a victim of the excessive religiosity that is gnawing our country from the inside. But he has given us a lot in a long career. He has sung himself straight into the hearts of many Ghanaians. What more can we ask of him? Thank you, Nana, for all the music. Esie ne kagya nni aseda. Nyame nto wonkwamu.
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FASHION BY KUBAN
accentuated waists are also in vogue. The of outfits has started permeating the sidewalks and everywhere because it is cold and I just love it, sorry all of you summer lovers. People! feminine and chic, is the new fashion. This winter fashion continues the retro trend and more takes on classics, of eras long past, are coming out into play. The Flapper style of the 1920’s which made girls look young and boyish: short hair, flattened breasts, and straight
fashion, raised skirt and gown hemlines, and popularized short hair for women. In this season, the 1940’s glamour, complete with furs, pearls, gloves and shrugs - all revolving around the pencil skirt is also a hot trend. Hemlines are on-the-knee length alluring to the conservative and empowerment of women. These tight and sexy sheath skirts give subtle fashionistas an even
more seductive look. The party piece is the 1970’s jumpsuits in slinky silk or satin; looks which provide a laid back evening wear option and For those who like to profile the ‘British way’, Tartan, hound's tooth and Prince of Wales checks or plaid may be added to your wardrobe. Some designers have taken a retro Sixties approach to the trend, offering coats in primary hues, cross-hatched.
FASHION KOTI My ladies JONING on (or making fun of) someone who went to the big ‘T’ store- alright I will spell it out- the thrift store, looking for a fashionable Retro dress is slow and people want to look stylish and wear what’s in vogue please allow allow. After all, some of the Hollywood Celebrities shop at thrift stores too so let’s stop this eeii “Obroni way wu” stuff. I said it, whew! Reporting for Duty. Eddie Ekuban
May You feel God's presence in the candles, that softly spread their glow at Christmas and may you experience the wonder of His abiding love, as He guides you, through each day of the coming year. May God's Blessings be with you. At Christmas and New Year!
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Mama Bonsu of Mama Bonsu Textiles
I Thank The New Ghanaian For The Honor. On Behalf Of All The Award Recipients We Say A Big Thank You. May God Richly Bless You And Expand Your Business. Happy 10th Anniversary! AYEKOO!
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“Your gift is important but your bargaining power will determine the value of your gift.” Apostle A. Arnolds, Springs Gate Chapel
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GHANA WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25TH 2011 (Christmas Day) JOINT SERVICE - ARLINGTON Event : Harvest & Thanksgiving Service Time : 1pm -3pm Venue: Calvary United Methodist Church, 2315 S. Grant Street, Arlington VA, 22202 SATURDAY, 31ST DECEMBER 2011 (New Year's Eve) JOINT SERVICE - WOODBRIDGE Event: Watch Night Service Time 9pm - 1am Venue: St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1400 G Street, Woodbridge Va 22191 SUNDAY, 1ST JANUARY 2012 (New Year's Day) JOINT SERVICE - WOODBRIDGE Event : Covenant Service Time: 1pm -3pm Venue: St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1400 G Street, Woodbridge Va 22191 For further details please call: 703.342.7886