Aaatuu Magazine 2 by Francis Adams

JAN-MAR 2017

SPOTLIGHT

GHANAIAN FAMILY & TRADITION

INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITIES

Doreen Andoh Paulina Oduro Zapp Mallet Dilys Sillah Uncle Ebo Whyte

You didn’t know had Ghanaian Roots

Tetteh Plahar’s Fashion House

Nimi’s World

Great Business ideas for Ghana

TRAVELOGUE

places in ghana you didn’t know existed

TU EA

F TO

87878 59556

Gone Viral

AaaTuu

100 See who we are featuring in this issue.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTEFFECTS

AMAZING GHANAIANS

Zapp Mallet The Unsung Hero of Ghanaian Contemporary Music

Doreen Andoh Accra’s Darling on Radio for 20 years

Uncle Ebo Whyte He is a great storyteller who we can’t get enough of.

Dilys Sillah Founder & CEO at Who Will Hear My Cry

Paulina Oduro Everybody Loves her...musician, actress, talent show judge

e had such a great response to the first edition of Aaatuu that we couldn't wait to start on the next one. Aaatuu reached over 100,000 people all over the world and got over 10,000 engagements on our Facebook page and website over the 4 months after we launched. If you saw our first edition, welcome back. If you didn't, hear this. “AaaTuu in Ghana is a warm hug that lets you know how much you've been missed. How welcome, you are, and the difference your presence makes”.

Larabanga Mosque

Aaatuu celebrates the flavor and flair of Ghanaians at home and abroad, and takes readers on a journey through the nation's sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Every issue delights readers with articles on all aspects of life—from the latest fashion design trends, to the biggest news from our country, from unique recipes to the nation's finest restaurants, from major travel destinations to hidden local gems. This edition spotlights the Ghanaian family and culture. It is jam-packed with riveting articles to engage you. The magazine is published in hard copies, available in selected outlets in Ghana, the UK, the US and Canada. Each issue's content will be available free on the website, after the second month of publishing. However, if you join our mailing list, you get to download it when it is released. Enjoy! www.aaatuumagazine.com

Idris Elba

Francis Adams Editor

Ghana’s wildlife AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Contents 19

JANUARY-MARCH 2017 On the Cover Beautiful Webber Serwaa AKwaboah is a student of Marshalls University College Accra. Her very distinct, captivating, charming and dazzling look, won her our cover girl for the second edition of Aaatuu. This photo was shot by Nana Gaza our featured photographer.

Spotlight 10 Ghanaian Culture & Family 13 Embracing Tradition 39 Honouring our mothers 57 Dealing with your Inlaws the Ghanaian way 23 Kansiime Anne Africa's Favourite Comedian Fashion 28 Tetteh Plaharâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion House 51 International Celebrities with Ghanaian Roots

Cover Photo by NanaGAZA 4 AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Lifestyle

Features

14 Accra’s Finest Restaurants 18 Accra Stuﬀ-Puzzles 30 Blak Hair 31 Time Oﬀ- Accra Liesure 32 Talking Drums-News 36 Nimi’s World 37 Changes in Teenagers 38 Food-Jollof 52 Shopping with Adwoa 56 Games & Puzzles

100 Amazing Ghanaians 22 Doreen Andoh 24 Uncle Ebo Whyte 26 Paulina Oduro 27 Zapp Mallet 28 Dilys Sillah

Technology 59 Information Overload?? Relationships 60 No nonsense Aunty Mansa 65 Grandma Knows Best 71 Ageing with Style Social Media 54 Gone Viral 72 Using Social Media Responsibly

46 74

The Other Side 30 Black Friday-The True Story Photography 46 Humans of Accra 58 Nana Gaza

Politics 41 The Elections 45 Letter the our new President

Events 19 Chale Wote 2016 71 3rd Annual Accra Food Festival

55 Look what we found

Travelogue 72 9 Places you didn’t know existed in Ghana

62 Tales from the Chopbox Business 66 8 Business Ideas to start in Ghana 68 Entertainment News 70 One of our kind-PRESEC 77 In Memoriam

AaaTuu

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Francis Adams

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Stephanie Sutton

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Nimi Manyo Plange

ART DIRECTOR

Ato Degraft Johnson

ASSISTANT EDITOR GH

Fawzia Osman

FASHION EDITOR

Ekuwa Dadson

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER PUBLISHING EDITOR GH WEB & SYSTEMS CONSULTANT

Dharmendra Thanki Marvin Adams Kobla Fiagbedzi

REGUL AR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGR APHERS Gladys Adinyira Wuaku:Accra-Ghana, Steven Pierce:Bath-UK Dr. Morkor Newman Harare: Zimbabwe, Parrian Parry:Baltimore Maryland, Nana Sarpong:Maryland-USA, Ben Owusu Firempong:Nairobi-Kenya, Victor and Emmanuel Opoku: Virginia USA, Emmanuel Kweenu Haizel- New York Evelyn Akuetteh, Accra-Ghana, Clear Shot Studios, Yaw Biney-Humans of Accra Isaac Quist-Australia, Justine Quaye Mensah, Brooklyn New York, Yaw Pare-Accra Ghana, Godwin Otoo-Adenta, Accra, ARTEFFECTS-Ho, Ghana, Kwaku Sikahene Ampomah-UK CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT FINANCIAL DIRECTOR PUBLISHER TRAFFIC MANAGER SALES DIRECTOR- UK ADVERTISING & MARKETING--US BUSINES S DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION GROUP CIRCUL ATION MANAGER

Gibrine Adam Stanley Sutton Benjamin Vanderpuye Frederick Yuen Raju Thanki Ajoa Nketia Parrian Parry Yvonne Ameyaw Paa Kojo Larbi Eli Kuadey Charles Koﬁniti Adzekwei Bekoe Michael Wuddah Martey Benard Akuffo Addo

AAATUU VOL. 1, ISSUE 02 Aaatuu Magazine is published quarterly by Crossover Publishing LLC 9705 Mill Centre Drive 707, Owings Mills MD 21117 USA. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Crossover Publishing LLC-USA, Crossover Publishing Limited-Ghana While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

This edition is published by permission of CROSSOVER PUBLISHING LLC 9705 MILL CENTRE DRIVE 707 OWING MILLS MD 21117 USA Tel. +1 443 432-9266 Online: www.aaatuumagazine.com Reproduction in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner is prohibited.

SUBSCRIPTIONS www.aaatuumagazine.com/subscribe

ADVERTISING e-mail advertising@aaatuumagazine.com

Although the editor and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this magazine was correct at press time, the editor and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Shairah

...is a fun, smart, caring and hardworking young lady in her ďŹ nal year of College. She is an engineering major at Morgan State, in the United States. She can be very enthusiastic at times which goes well with her bubbly personality. She loves to challenge herself and always persistent to achieve her goals.

CLEAR SHOT STUDIOS

Inbox

Send your feedback, and thoughts to us. You can also share your views on the Aaatuu Facebook Page.

LETTERS BIG Freaking DEAL... I Just realised that I was on a COVER of a Magazine and I have not MADE enough Noise... It is NOT GQ It is NOT Black Enterprise It is NOT Esquire It is NOT Ebony It is NOT Sports Illustrated BUT guess what it is "Aaatuu" (Meaning Embrace in Twi a Dialect in Ghana) a Lifestyle Ghanaian Magazine for Us By Us... No, we did not Shoot for the Magazine No, we are not Models in Top Shape No, we did not have a Crew No, we did not have Make-Up Artists No, we did not have the images photoshopped What was supposed to be a Quick Photoshoot with Clear Shot-Studios and Twena Harvey-Ewusi... The Location was supposed to be a Junk Yard for our shoot. We were running late so We changed the location and changed the whole concept...It was 99 Degrees And we could not take it. It was not rehearsed we just went out there to have FUN... And guess what? One of our Spontaneous Shots was PICKED as the Cover for the Debut Issue!!!. No this is NOT COINCIDENCE...This is CONFIRMATION...of things to COME... I was downplaying it. I was thinking who CARES. But heck it is a Freaking BIG Deal... Thank you, Delish Kaykay and Francis Adams...We are honoured...And keep up the good work... Pick your Copies. Let's SUPPORT our Culture, Let's Promote our People, Let's, IGNITE Africa!!!

That’s what I’m talking about! I have always believed that our rich culture and history, needed a real voice and I think you guys have made it. Please make sure you don’t give up soon because we need Aaatuu to document Ghana. Charles-San Diego California Oh Yes! Hi Aaatuu, Got the magazine! Can't ﬁnd the words, but reaction of our African students spoke volumes. Have had to hide it so it doesn't vanish! Intellect and swag - what a combo! Well done Guys -Barbara- Norway, via email

100 Amazing Ghanaians For me, I think you should let us know the criteria by which you choose the 100 Amazing Ghanaians. I know several Ghanaians here in Italy, who work hard, and I mean very hard, speak little or no English, yet continue to support friends and family back home. They take on several projects to help the villages and communities the came from. I will

-Nana Sarpong Maryland USA “Its about time”! Dear Editor, I think it’s about time we came up with something all Ghanaian, to share with the world. Feeling Proud! Great job!!! The digital version of Aaatuu Magazine can also be read online for free. 8 AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

surely have several names to give you because I am very proud of the too. I also think you should also look at better ways to honour them, instead of just doing a feature on them. They should feel their eﬀorts are being recognised. Having said all that, I think Aaatuu will go places. Well done guys. -Joyce Addo

“Mama Zimbi Dear Editor, I’m a Ghanaian living in British Colombia, Canada and I honestly thought Mama Zimbi was full of crap. I must admit, I have only seen her in videos on social media talking sex using what I describe as vulgar language. I didn’t think highly of her until I read about her in the last edition. Wow! She actually helps women who have suﬀered Domestic Abuse. I now know she has a lot to give us. - Kwame Owusu

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

SPOTLIGHT

GHANAIAN CULTURE & FAMILY Are we at a risk of losing our culture? Changes in the structure of Ghanaian families today, reflect the enduring tensions between traditional and modern values and structures.

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y father's father is from Togo and his mother is from Ho in the Volta Region. My mother's father is from Khawu Tafo in the Eastern Region while and her mother comes from Aburi Akwapim also in the Eastern region. My father was an only child to his mother but has his six brothers on his father's side. My mother is also an only child but has several siblings on her father's side. This means my family is not only large, it's also diverse. In fact, it is a whole clan. Most Ghanaians have similar extended families like mine. Family in Ghana, goes beyond spouse and children. There are parents, siblings, uncles, cousins, aunts, grandparents and great grand-relations. Behind every Ghanaian, there is the extended family which is a source of strength and assurance. In times of diﬃculty, they all share the cost of relief and also share the times of joy together. "Family" is a very strong bond and is the primary source of identity, loyalty and responsibility. Family obligations take precedence over pretty much everything else in life. Individuals achieve recognition and social standing through their extended family. It is therefore very important to us, to maintain dignity, honour, and a good reputation. The entire family shares any loss of honour, which makes the culture a collective one. In order to protect this sense of face, there is a need to maintain a sense of harmony; people will act with decorum at all times to ensure they do not cause anyone embarrassment.

CHILDREN In traditional communities in Ghana, every child is a treasured element of the society irrespective of how it was conceived. Once it had been born, it is an accepted commodity, and the Ghanaian in his right senses with his feet ﬁrmly ﬁxed in his traditions will do all it takes to see that the child grows in happiness. Being young or old, the Ghanaian belongs to a large family.

Are we at a risk of losing our culture? Changes in the structure of Ghanaian families still reﬂect the enduring tensions between traditional and modern values and structures. Although there have been widespread accounts of families abandoning key traditional practices in favour of modern ones, the major trend remains the creation of systems of marriage and family organisation that draw on both traditional and modern norms. The dominant feature of African families, as one observer notes, is its ability to “make new things out of old,” and to draw forth new solutions from the traditional resources of family institutions. Also even though we migrate to other countries of diﬀerent cultures, we stay Ghanaian. How we stay Ghanaian? By connecting with friends and family back home regularly, in the food we eat, the way we dress and by socialising with other Ghanaians. AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Hawa Abubakari

SPOTLIGHT

Photos by Clear Shot Studios

Courtesy Elsie Adjetey-Doku & Tim Daniels.

EMBRACING TRADITION

Ghanaian Engagement Ceremony by Clarissa Bannor www.thisafropolitanlife.com

e just celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. Eight years ago I walked down the aisle in a beautiful white dress and married my handsome groom. I hadn’t a second thought in my mind that this occasion (the dress, the vows, the candles) was what all girls envisioned of when they dreamed of that special day. I had no doubt in my mind that this “white wedding” was how marriage was done. Customarily, for most West Africans, the “traditional engagement”–but what’s really a traditional wedding ceremony—is usually executed as an engagement party or aﬀair before the “white” wedding; especially here in the West, where Africans have to make room for western values and expectations of marriage and weddings, while making concessions for time restraints in what could be a lengthy process. I’ll explain the process and the order of ceremony for an African traditional wedding in the next post. I ﬁrst witnessed the traditional Ghanaian engagement ceremony when my aunt got engaged almost 19 years ago. It was a joyous, lively occasion. I

remember lots of people; two families sitting across from each other—lots of boisterous negotiations back and forth. The event that stood out in my mind for the longest time, was the part when the bride’s family paraded about three young women—one by one—in front of the groom-to-be and asked him if the woman that was being unveiled to him was his bride. It was funny and sweet because at this particular engagement, all the attention was on my aunt’s terribly shy groom and I could feel his nervousness as the women were gallantly escorted downstairs, guided in front of him and asked jokingly by the family ‘okyeame’ spokesperson, “Is this the beautiful ﬂower you said you saw in our garden?” This to me, felt like the equivalent of watching a groom as his bride walks down the aisle to him escorted by her father. Observing for that moment, that gush of emotion we see in the movies when for a split second a man would be vulnerable; taken by his bride’s beauty and the

powerful symbolism contained in those few minutes when the bride’s father gives his daughter over to her new husband. While the gestures of the marriage ceremonies are similar, there are striking differences in performance. Something about the traditional way of performing marriage seemed raw and unembellished to me. A man’s in the market for a wife, he finds one, he comes over with his peeps, his schnapps and suitcases full of requested items—he makes his selection… et voila! He’s married. Even though this is the essence of all marriages, the simplicity of the event rubbed my "Americanah" senses the wrong way. I didn’t see the beauty. It all seemed so transactional. Where were the flowers, the puffery, the overwhelming emotion that’s supposed to bring a man to his knees? Continued on page 25

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Accra’s ﬁnest Restaurants ACCRA BOASTS OF SOME OF THE FINEST RESTAURANTS BUT IT TAKES SOME SEARCHING TO FIND THEM. HERE ARE MY TOP 10.

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Best High End Eateries

OSU NIGHT MARKET Santoku Airport Residential Area Critics say it is the best restaurant in Ghana right now. They oﬀer a blend of incredible food, with eﬀortless service

The night market in the old part of Osu is a lively experience. You can wander around and try local foods such as fried or grilled ﬁsh- fresh from the sea, roasted pork(domedo), hot kenkey, fried yam,

“LA CHAUMIÈRE” La Chaumiere Airport Residential Area A sophisticated French dishes have been delighting Accra’s discerning diners for more than a decade.

“As fresh as it gets”, try these never frozen, deep fried small ﬁsh that taste the way ﬁsh has to taste.

Local Food Restaurants Buka Osu Ghanaian and Nigerian specialties – dishes include okra stew and eba

usually mutton) and ﬁsh yassa (ﬁsh grilled in a tangy lemon marinade).

CHOP BAR Achimota Retail Centre Enjoy authentic Ghanaian cuisine in a modern atmosphere at The Chop Bar. With all the mouth-watering Ghanaian dishes on the menu, you won't be disappointed. Reasonably priced and with great service, the Chop Bar is a great lunch spot.

Chez Afrique East Legon This popular restaurant often has live bands, including highlife musicians. The food’s good, but the music’s better. Many sets start oﬀ with a mixture of reggae, and other (random) hits before returning with a highlife set that gets everyone up and dancing. The musicianship is usually excellent.

Maquis Tante Marie Labone/Accra Mall The menu is deﬁnitively African, with authentic dishes predominantly from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. These include tilapia and banku, nyama choma (grilled, spiced meat,

Katawodieso Labone More of a street stall than a restaurant, Katawodieso is semi-legendary in Accra. It serves excellent traditional Ghanaian food, and the queues at lunchtime attest to its

success. Within its courtyard you’ll find bubbling pots of banku, fufu and jollof rice, although the speciality here is waakye. Walk in and take a seat if there’s room, or order in the kiosk from one of the waitresses and see what arrives. The restaurant has been at this location for a quarter of a century and is well known across the city. Country Kitchen Osu Home cooking that remains true to Ghanaian classics. The atmosphere is as relaxed as the staff and the food is freshly cooked – fufu, banku and jollof rice all come with a choice of chicken, beef, mutton or fish, (usually ‘red fish’). The larger grilled tilapia comes with banku.

Urban Grill Airport City At its heart, it is a high-end steak house. The meat is corn-fed and imported directly from Nebraska, and cooked over a charcoal grill to perfection. It’s the best steak in Ghana.

Gold coast, restaurant and Cocktail bar Airport, Accra It serves a welcome mix of Ghanaian classics, seafood dishes. It should be said that the service is of a high-standard.

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

FASHION

n 1994, a small dream became a reality. The House of Tetteh Plahar was born in the modest environs of North Kaneshie Industrial Area, in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. It was a fresh burst on the fashion scene with its unique brand of youthful creative talent and sheer boldness, driven by the passion of its young founder, Tetteh Plahar, who was only 19 at the time. The fashion house was quickly noticed and went on to win an Ebony award for talent discovery.

Ekuwa Dadson Each day, we put on clothes that do more than just cover up bodies. We choose clothes that represent our personalities, our moods, the times we live in, our ambitions and our desires. Fashion designers like Tetteh Plahar, my own friend make this happen. Tetteh's career started when he was quite young and he has blossomed into a formidable force in the industry. Introducing to you, UK based Tetteh Plahar. This Ebony award winner for talent discovery, Tetteh Plahar comes from a family tree of creative people. His mother the late Zinabu Nelson later Mrs Plahar was a renowned international beautician in the 60’s and 70's.

In February 1995, it was contracted by Ghana's biggest fabric producing company at the time – G.T.P to hold sales promotional fashion shows using their fabrics. It was a massive endorsement for such a young brand and the beginning of great changes in the Ghanaian fashion industry. Around this time the love for the African print was somewhat limited to the older Ghanaians especially women. The younger generation was going after the western style. The House of Tetteh Plahar came up with vibrant designs to capture the attention of the younger generation and thus increased the market range for these fabrics. Attracting the youth was a vital passion of the fashion house because of the proﬁle not only of its founder but the entire team. Its youthful brand and unique approach did appeal more to the younger generation.

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The fashion house's last show in Ghana was in 1999 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, dubbed 'ADINKRA'. It was attended by the then first lady of Ghana Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and about eight ministers of state, members of the diplomatic corps and traditional leaders. The fashion has a rich repertoire, having made clothes for the former president of Suriname – Jules Wijdenbosch, former president of Zimbabwe president Canaan Banana and Ghanaian political big wigs like the late Mr P.V. Obeng, Capt. Nkrabea Effah Darteh, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah and many others. The House of Tetteh Plahar has since been involved in various fashion shows and exhibitions in Europe and beyond to promote the image of African and thus Ghanaian fashion. It specialises in fashion areas such as trend analysis, trend forecast, deconstruction and conceptual designs. It is currently registered in the United Kingdom as a Limited liability company under the new name Tetteh Plahar Designs Limited. It aims at floating shares on the international stock market in the very near future. The director and head designer of the company Mr Tetteh Plahar is a product of North Ridge-Lyceum and Achimota School, he later graduated from the university of Bedfordshire with honours in Fashion and Textile design.

Accra Stuff 2 Crossword Puzzle

Answer on page 76 NB: This puzzle includes popular terms and words only peculiar to Ghana and Ghanaians

Across 2. DC in Accra 4. Otabil's College 6. Ghana’s favourite night cup 8. Coach 9. Girl version on the Black Stars 10. Our own old school music 12. Way before Uber 14. EC Boss 16. Lights oﬀ 17. Term for non-alcoholic drinks 18. Popular Skin cream

Down 1. JJ 3. Where to ﬁnd Old Road & New Road 5. Accra Sanitation 7. Change for one cedi 11. Judgement debt 13. Newscaster's name is a country 14. The new interchange 15. The other port city

A Must-Watch Black Movie Queen of Katwe True story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the conﬁdence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion.

Find the Missing Number For this problem, can you ﬁgure out what the missing number is?

. 7

8 5

9 ?

Answer on page 76 18 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Courtesy: www.monitor.co.ug

Chale Wote

Photos Courtesy Humans of Accra

EVENTS

Street Art Festival 2016 Photos Courtesy Yaw Pare Photography

he Chale Wote Street Art Festival is an alternative platform that brings art, music, dance and performance out into the streets. The festival targets exchanges between scores of local and international artists and patrons by creating and appreciating art together. Over the years, the festival has included street painting, graffiti murals, photography, theater, spoken word, interactive art installations, live street performances, extreme sports, film shows, a fashion parade, a music block party, recyclable design workshops and much more. It is the first to be organised in Accra and has inspired similar events across the country. There have been four editions so far; the first two ran for one day each, while the 2013 and 2014 edition ran concurrently for two days, the former in September and the latter in August, a week after the Homowo festival of the Ga people at the historical Jamestown, Ghana on the High Street in Accra. The event is produced by Accra [dot] Alt Radio, with support from other local cultural networks like Attukwei Art Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, Dr Monk, Redd Kat Pictures and the Institut français in Ghana. For the sixth year running, Accra[dot]ALT Radio have put together experiences geared at anyone who is drawn to the arts. The theme for the 2016 festival is “SPIRIT ROBOT”. It refers to the energetic ability of festival participants to create a new encounter with reality that is entirely of our choosing and construction. AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Shairah

CLEAR SHOT STUDIOS

100 AMAZING GHANAIANS Five gifted people who have made a signiﬁcant impact on Ghana

Doreen Andoh

Paulina Oduro

Zapp Mallet

Dilys Sillah

Uncle Ebo Whyte

PROJECT 2

Why we choose them These Amazing Ghanaians have and continue to make a profound and positive impact on our society .

he 100 Amazing Ghanaians project aims to recognize and honour individuals who make extraordinary contributions to Ghana and make a diﬀerence in our communities. They embrace the eternal values of hard work, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility,

and giving back. While fame, fortune, and power may have come their way, attaining them was not their goal. They are selected by our international editorial team. The ﬁve we have chosen in this edition include Doreen Andoh, a Ghanaian radio presenter, television personality and events host who has entertained and informed us in

an accessible and attractive way for the past 20 years. Uncle Ebo Whyte is a renowned playwright who helped revive theater in Ghana. He is a passionate storyteller with a series of plays to his credit that keeps people coming back and ﬁlling seats at theatre halls. We are always proud to share their inspiring stories.

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100 AMAZING GHANAIANS

Doreen Andoh Accra’s Sweetheart eetheart Source: www.graphic.com.gh

any radio and television presenters hardly stay at one station for a long period of time. In today’s cluttered and highly competitive broadcast industry, where many A-list radio presenters have been lured away with irresistible offers from one station to the other, or have moved overseas to seek new opportunities, it is rare to find an award-winning broadcaster resisting mouth-watering offers and remaining loyal to one station for a decade, let alone 20 years of dedicated service.

radio broadcaster who has made Fanofa Street at Kokomlemle home for the last two decades. Often referred to as the Queen of the Airwaves, Superwoman, Super Soul Sister, among other sobriquets to reﬂect her dominant status, Doreen cut her teeth in broadcasting working with veteran broadcaster Tommy Annang-Forson, Koﬁ Tsakpornou, the

Even in the face of massive movements in the industry, one person who has exhibited the highest level of loyalty and not yielded to poaching or big carrot often dangled before her is Joy FM's Doreen Andoh.

With the passage of time, all these presenters quit Joy FM and left Doreen as the only remaining voice of the station’s original ‘crew’ as she weathered the storm despite the emergence of an array of radio stations and new crop of presenters. Doreen's motivation Speaking to The Mirror, she says the driving force behind her successful career is the fact that she enjoys what she does on air.

For the past 20 years, Doreen, as she is affectionately called, has taken a stranglehold on the airwaves midmorning to lunchtime, dishing out assorted and refreshing music interspersed with informative titbits and brain teasers to her listeners on the popular Cosmopolitan Mix and Lunch Time Rhythms. Blessed with a gift of the gab, a deep insight into music and a good sense of selection which often reflects her taste or the occasion, Doreen has developed the ability to sustain her listeners’ attention with her unmatched confidence until she signs off. And it is little wonder she is one of the most sought-after English presenters and, perhaps, the longest serving female

Joy FM among the pioneer private stations.

"I simply love music and my sense of music is older than I am. When I sit behind the console my sole aim is to serve my listeners with the best so they do not tune into another radio station".

late Dusty Wayne, Gabby Adjetey, Cox Tamakloe, Mark Okraku Mantey, Koﬁ Kum Bilson and other younger but talented presenters men who took the country by storm and brought freshness to radio when the airwaves were liberalised two decades ago, with

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Interestingly, Doreen does her own selection and plays them. This is evident as this reporter chanced on her with her laptop, external drives, a number of pen drives in a small sack, all ﬁlled with music from various genres and generations. Just as some people have the passion Continued on page 73

for collecting jewels, watches, perfumes and cars, Doreen also collects music. Touching on the kind of music she plays, she said, "I play jazz, afro pop, hiplife, highlife, old school, R&B, soukous, calypso, Soca, funk, reggae and many more. So far as the song is powerful, I play it," she smiled. Asked what accounts for her long stay at Joy FM, Doreen stated, "Commitment is the key. I believe that whatever I get myself into, I must make it work. I take pleasure in ensuring that whatever I do grows, I try to work at things to make them better.” In this era of payola, Doreen threw the challenge that any musician who claims she had ever collected a pesewa

from him or her just to play their songs can openly come out to declare. Payola is the illegal means of payment of money or other gifts by record companies and musicians to presenters to play their music on air to induce listeners. “I don’t need to personally know you before I play your song. If your music is good I go out of my way to get it myself. I play songs by young guys like Gasmilla, Kumi Guitar, Bisa Kdei and many others but I have never seen or met them before,” she stressed with conﬁdence. For Doreen, paying payola is like paying an examiner to mark your script. “If you have written the best answers to the questions given to you, why the need to induce the examiner?

Africa's Favourite Comedian

Kansiime Anne Funny. Audacious. Outrageous. Those are just a few words that come to mind when one thinks of Uganda’s Anne Kansiime, one of Africa’s increasingly recognisable comedians whose antics have had people all over the continent – and beyond – in stitches. Kansiime Kubiryaba Anne, is a Ugandan entertainer, comedian, and actress. She has been referred to as "Africa's Queen of Comedy" by some African media outlets. She was born in Mparo Village, Kabale District, in the Western Region of Uganda. Her father is a retired banker, and her mother is a housewife. Kansiime attended Kabale Primary School. For her O-Level and A-Level education, she studied at Bweranyangi Girls' Senior Secondary School in Bushenyi. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Makerere University, Uganda's oldest and largest public university.

Kansiime began to participate in drama skits acted by the theatre group Theatre Factory, who played at the Uganda National Theatre in Kampala's central business district. When Theatre Factory disintegrated, she joined Theatre Fun, that replaced it. The group plays every Thursday evening. The best skits were broadcast on NTV Uganda in the Barbed Wire TV show that later became U-Turn. She partnered with Brian Mulondo as a Taxi interview conductor in the MiniBuzz series and provided comic video dramatizations of topical issues that random passengers discussed.

Beginning in 2007, while still an undergraduate at Makerere University,

According to recorded interviews that she gave in 2014, Anne began posting

some of her sketch comedy skits on YouTube. She received positive feedback and that encouraged her to post more videos. Her screen breakthrough came when Citizen TV from neighboring Kenya oﬀered her a slot to produce, star and present a comedy show once a week. That is how she came up with the Don't Mess With Kansiime comedy show. As of November 2014, her YouTube channel had amassed more than 15 million views. Her YouTube videos receive thousands of views and she has appeared on BBC Focus on Africa. She has played to packed houses in Blantyre, Gaborone, Kigali, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Lilongwe, London, Lusaka and Harare.

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100 AMAZING GHANAIANS

Ghana's favorite playwright James Ebo Whyte Source: Graphic Showbiz

or a person who has been widely applauded for his attempts at reviving theatre in Ghana today, it comes as a surprise that Mr James Ebo Whyte (everybody calls him uncle) is not really a theatre person. Uncle Ebo Whyte is a marketer by profession but whenever he is asked what he does for a living he replies "I do a bit of everything." Indeed that is exactly what he said when Showbiz "ambushed" him at his Kokomlemle oﬃce last Tuesday morning as he walked in "Are you a theatre person?", the question was rather direct. "Yes and no", he replied. "I am not a trained Theatre person, read Statistics at the University of Ghana at a time when the Arts Centre was the biggest theatre house in Ghana. I understand that the arts is serious business and

one must understand the market and approach theatre with the same seriousness and expertise that you will handle the marketing of toothpaste or any other product." Uncle Ebo started his journey into the world of theatre when he joined a drama troupe called Youth For Christ. "Soon after I joined, the leader of the group was transferred to Tamale and I was made the leader, being one of the older people in the group." He started writing and producing plays in 1975. Some of his plays are Man Must Live, The Trial, Widows Confession, Devil’s Wife, Wedding behind Closed Door and Unhappy Wives; Confused Husbands. His latest play, House of Secrets comes oﬀ this Saturday, June 6 at the National Theatre. "It is a total emotional

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experience, you will cry, laugh, infuriated by someone on stage, outraged and then you will cry some more and laugh some more," was his response to what patrons should expect. Talking about how he arrives at his cast, Uncle Ebo said that initially his idea was to have auditions for every production but "after my first batch of actors, I found that they were very committed and I have been pleased to maintain them. I have only had to do two more auditions to add to my first batch. In choosing my cast, I look out for passion and not qualification." He concedes that producing theatre is an expensive business, averaging GHC45, 000 per production. In one of his Roverman Productions brochures, he lists costs that include: cost of developing the script and acquiring the

rights to the script; the cost of printing the script; hiring of the performance hall; cost of casting and of rehearsals; cost of publicity and promotion; cost for designing the stage; cost of paying the cast; cost of hiring, equipment like lights and PA systems; cost of paying crew like: lights people and sound people, make-up artists and costume designers.

you love what you are doing, it is easy. Anyone who ﬁnds himself doing what he loves ﬁnds it easy." Guess what? Uncle Ebo does not use a mobile phone, in fact, is he has never

Schooling for this wellread gentleman started at the South Suntreso SDA Primary, South LA Middle School and Osu Presby Secondary School for his O'Levels; he was the school prefect. He wrote his A'Levels as a private candidate before entering the University of Ghana where he read Statistics.

Ideally, he says, these costs should be covered by sponsorship from corporate organizations but sponsorship is not always available. He is grateful to such as MTN, Fidelity Bank, Stanbic Bank, National Theatre, Joy FM and Tropical Cable who have given him support at one time or the other for his productions. Apart from being a writer, Uncle Ebo is also the publisher of Rover Report Monthly, a magazine that reports on values, attitudes and faith for discerning people. He has also been commenting on social and political issues on Joy FM s Super Morning Show for the past thirteen years. How does Uncle Ebo juggle with his rather demanding assignments? "When

reading and listening to music. I love music so much but I can't sing. A plate of fried rice with anything or fried sweet potatoes is all one needs to get Uncle Ebo to Come for lunch or dinner. He has been married to Florence for the past 27 years. His surviving parent is Madam Ama Essama.

owned one and doesn't intend to, "I am not that important to be reached at any time, whoever wants to reach me can reach me on my landline. I am not saying that mobile phones are not important but as a writer, I need my space. Uncle Ebo walks to unwind, "I walk an average of four miles every other day. I also love watching good movies,

Uncle Ebo was one time the General Manager for Kinapharma and the head of Finance and Marketing at Asempa Publishers. There was no way our interview with Uncle Ebo Whyte was going to end without a message for everyone, "Ghanaians should be proud and conﬁdent of our own. We tend to celebrate only what is foreign, but we are a blessed people and Ghana is a blessed nation."

Embracing Tradition: Ghanaian Engagement Ceremony I noticed that grooms didn’t tear up at our weddings—they sat, dignified as the families negotiate and close the deal, and the bride is officially handed over afterwards. My aunt’s engagement was fun and lively and quickly followed up by a beautiful “white wedding”—the wedding against which all other weddings would be judged by in my family—but I could never bring myself to be sold off like a brand new Chevy off the lot. I vowed off ever having a traditional engagement. My outlook on traditional matters has changed a lot since my own reluctant, half-assed, traditional engagement affair 8 years ago. And I’m not alone in this shift. I reckon there’s been a shift,

by the younger generation, to reclaim our traditions. This crop of young people are embracing our culture and doing it up, remixing tradition and performing fresh interpretations of the traditional African marriage celebration. I’ve been to a lot of traditional engagement parties since my ﬁrst one 19 years ago.

All this tradition was paired with confetti and balloon showers, and a sitdown full-service royal dinner. I was impressed! Not by the ambience of the aﬀair—anything can be made elegant—but by the beauty of our culture. A beauty that distinguishes itself with time, understanding, and a willingness to embrace it.

Most recently, I attended my cousin Estella’s engagement in Atlanta. It was beautiful. There was a talking drum procession to accompany the knocking-ceremony (drumming is often a left out part of the tradition in America), there were vibrant varieties of royal kente cloth worn by the family, boatloads of gifts accompanied the groom to presented to the bride and her family.

Estella’s engagement, like my aunt’s, was a joyous, lively occasion, punctuated with the puffery and flowers of weddings ‘first-gen’ girls have all grown to love and expect. This time though what stood out in my mind was the whole occasion, not just a piece out of context. At Estella’s wedding, I witnessed a tradition, fully embraced.

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GHANANIANS GHANAIANS

“My goal as an artist is to be an instrument of change in our society, is to be a voice for the youth and women”. Here is a conversation with Paulina Tell us everything about yourself. “My name is Paulina Oduro commonly known as Aunty Paulina. I am a musician first, then an Actress, a TV Presenter, feature as a Judge on talent shows, and recently added a Director (laughs) I do it all”. When and how did you first become interested in music? When I came out of my mother's womb “lol”. I became interested in music at a very early age and even when I used to work in the hospital as a nurse I was always singing to the sick kids. So yeah, I have loved music since forever”. How long have you been in the music industry? “For over thirty yes now (nods head)....yea I have been here for a while”. What kept you motivated when you weren't receiving the kind of attention you wanted? “I have never really been interested in the attention (although that's important) but I just wanted to sing. So even when the attention wasn't coming I was still singing. If I had a mouth and a voice, I was singing (laughs). So my motivation was that I knew The Almighty God has given me a gift and I just kept using it”! What are your musical influences? “Life! Everything around me, the youth and I have a very special place in my heart for them”.

Did you ever feel like quitting? “Of course, who doesn't? There are times when you just say 'that's it am not doing this anymore especially in our part of the world, this kind of career part is hard but you have got to keep pushing, you have to be believing even if you fail, know it's a part of success so try again”! What's been your "I've made it" moment so far? “Honestly? I will let you know when I get there (laughs)”. What's your goal as an artist? “My goal as an artist is to be an instrument of change in our society, is to be a voice for the youth and women”.

Photo courtesy Francis Kokoroko

Paulina Kate Oduro

first ever movie (smile)”. What is it about the way you play that song that makes it different than the other kinds? “As a musician whatever song you are doing be it yours or other peoples, you have to make it your own! Let the people see you in your singing. I think that is what makes me different and has kept me different all these years.” What has been the key to the consistency in your career? “Errmm I would say it's a clean heart. Never wish bad on anybody, always have a clean heart towards people and recognize early that you are running your own race.”

Does anyone in your family play music? Yes my sons play music, my god-son is into music. In fact, I have a new single called two little birds with him right now”. What else do you do besides play music? “What don't I do is the question (laughs) like I said earlier am also an Actress, TV Presenter, I worked as a Judge on many talent shows here in Ghana and recently I am going to be directing my

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What would you do diﬀerently as an artist if you had the opportunity to go back in time? “Absolutely nothing my darling. I believe that whatever has happened in the course of my career has been the orchestration of the Almighty”.

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GHANANIANS

Zapp Mallet I

met Zapp in the 80’s in University and I knew right away, he would become someone great. He came over to play guitar in my room a few times and I was always fascinated by his skill and complete control of the instrument. “The guy can play!” When some of us we struggling with a few chords at a time, he could play almost every tune he heard with ease. Zapp, whose full name is Emmanuel Mallet, is now one of Ghana's best music producers. According to him, he started playing drums in secondary school and moved on to play the guitar and then the bass. He built on his passion for music and today, he is one of the most respected music producers in Ghana. So far, he has worked with high proﬁled Ghanaian and international musicians including Kojo Antwi, Reggie Rockstone,

the Tagoe Sisters, Lord Kenya, Ofori Amponsah and the late Daasebre Gyamena. He has also worked with Obour, Suzzy & Matt, Becca, Irene Logan and Nana Quame. Others are Nana & Dan, Helena Rhabbles, Praye, Akyeame, Nana Fynn and Wutah.Over the years

Zapp has won several awards. He is the only engineer to have won the Ghana Music Award for best producer, three years in a row; 1999, 2000, 2001. In 1994 the Entertainment Critics and Arts society of Ghana adjudged him the best Instrumentalist. He is also recognized as one of the pioneers of the Hiplife genre which started in 1994. He

served on the 2008 Opening and Closing Ceremony Sub-Committee of the Confederation of African Nation football tournament hosted by Ghana. Also, he was the Music Director and Guitarist of the Burger Highlife Concert tour. He has also been a judge of two music reality programs- “Stars of the future” and "Mentor".He represented Ghana as a judge at the final of the Nescafe African Revelation contest staged in Accra. He has also been a facilitator on the British Council organized Art showcase and interruptive platform WAPI.Currently, Zapp is in the process of creating a new sound involving the experimentation of fusing different genres of music, mainly Classical, Rock, Jazz, and Pop blended with the rich and beautiful African rhythms. He is also working on a Highlife rejuvenation project. Zapp now has his own record label to produce and market artistes and further boost his rhythm experimentation project. He is our own “Quincy Jones” and definitely an Amazing Ghanaian.

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GHANANIANS

DILYS SILLAH “Our work is centred around removing stigma from victims and teaching those within certain communities about sexual boundaries and how to respect and protect them”.

I have two main areas in my life that I work in, one as a transformational life coach and the other as the founder of a charity in the UK called 'Who Will Hear My Cry' (WWHMC) and an NGO in Ghana of the same name. As a transformational life coach, I work with clients to help them change the perception they have of themselves and their life stories, where those perceptions and life stories have contributed in holding that individual back in areas of their life where they wish to do better and excel. I guess my style is unique as I'm a straight talker, but compassionate enough to let my clients, lick their wounds for a while if they need to but after that, it's head up and shoulders back time. Who Will Hear My Cry, which I'm immensely proud of, raises awareness of child abuse, rape, and domestic violence. I get asked a lot of people asking what my personal aﬃliation is to these areas, but the truth is, I didn't start the charity because of myself. About two years ago, I learned of a story of a girl that was raped in Ghana and was generally appalled by the attitude of both men and women within the diaspora and beyond on their take on the story.

For me, it wasn't about guilt or innocence of the victim or the accused, but more about the misunderstanding and ignorance of what rape was and what it wasn't by far too many people. I did a video on the subject and found I was absolutely inundated with women and girls who wanted to share stories that they hadn't had the courage to share with anyone else. The stories were harrowing and the same name popped up of the same person by completely unconnected women. I felt duty bound to be that voice for these women and girls. I couldn't shut that door or that opening they'd found in me just because I wanted to go back to business as usual. I think the name 'Who Will Hear My Cry' was just natural for the women I had been involved with and what I wanted to happen on a wider scale.

Dilys with daughter Isobel supporting the “I Wear Blue Campaign”.

I've always been one to absolutely abhor injustice or exploitation of any sort, so it was natural for me to want to see that we as Ghanaians, a people who were ﬁrst to gain independence in West Africa, should strive to keep the torch of education, civilisation and education burning. I just felt it necessary that we needed to understand the repercussions of abuse on our society and even our economy.

Speaking at Accra Girls’ Senior High school.

DILYS SILLAH

y name is Dilys Sillah, a very proud Ghanaian who loves her country, her people and anyone else that's human, to be honest. I have always had a real love for people generally so I guess it's not surprising that I work in areas that speciﬁcally deal with people being the best version of themselves that they can be.

The work my charity does challenges mindsets, cultures, attitudes. The agendas for both countries vary in as much that the charity's work in the UK is very much around educating young people on healthy relationships and working with young boys and men

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Serenading the audience during at the oﬃcial launch of WWHMC

around understanding and respecting sexual boundaries, as well as maintaining sexual integrity. Too often we have been taught, and this isn't just in Africa, that it's the responsibility of a girl or woman to stop herself from being a victim of rape or sexual abuse and even domestic violence. Absolutely no responsibility is placed on boys or men to act responsibly towards the opposite sex. So in essence, the work really is on the preventative side of things. In Ghana, my work has been heavily

laden with sexual abuse and rape cases and trying to get medical attention and legal representation for my clients as well as emotional support for them - an area that is woefully lacking in Ghana. We don't do too well in the area of taking care of emotional and psychological health so we have many people 'walking wounded' because they have no access to counselling; I'm hoping to change that.

increased four times in a week to 170! The work of the charity is really being recognised and we've already secured a venue and date for next year's charity ball and fundraiser. The very plush Drapers Hall in the City of London on 14 October 2017 so we're super excited about that. There's a lot that I've been exposed to over the last few years and I've decided to put this to good use in my debut book, 'Predator or Prince'. This book is about teaching women and girls on how to spot and avoid dating or marrying a sexual, psychological or violent predator and keeping them out of the home and away from their kids.

Everything I've done so far is with very little funding but I'm hoping that individuals and business will start to support the charity and NGO more. My time is often spent delivering workshops to 12 to 17-year-old girls called 'The Diamond Within'. I teach young girls on self-conﬁdence, understanding sexual grooming, the power of choice, the beneﬁts of maintaining their sexual integrity and much more.

Knowledge is power and if women and girls can work on the things within that make them attractive to such men, they can shut them down before any time is given to them to damage them.

I had the oﬃcial charity launch and fundraiser of WWHMC on 8 October 2017 in London. It was absolutely superb.

The book will be a real eye opener and I don't think anyone can really aﬀord not to read it and gain some real insight into how the journey of abuse really starts.

Loose Ends were the headline act with performances from Hil St. Soul Fashion Show by top London designers and a dance with world renown DJ Nickie Cartel Duku.

I delivered a Ted Talk at the National Theatre in Ghana in April in my subject area and I had some really great feedback; where I am now is just about stepping the work up a notch and making sure the information to eﬀect change, inform, empower and transform is out there.

We had so much support that our original number of 130 guests had to be

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blakh ir L

by Parrian Akua Parry

et's talk about hair. Most of us have it. Most of us wear it. And no matter who you are, we all admire it. The way we wear our hair speaks volumes about us as individuals. We use it to express personality, creativity, and culture. In fact, you can sometimes tell a lot about a woman's mood by how she's chosen to present her hair for the day.

African hair comes in many diﬀerent patterns and textures. Over time, we have found ways to style our hair to create diﬀerent looks. Some manipulate our curls into amazing styles, some are designed to protect our hair, and some are purely fashion. The way our hair is set up, the options are truly boundless. Take a look at some of this year's hottest looks:

Afro Puﬀ: If you want a carefree, yet puttogether look, this is your Naturalista goto. It's quick, and easy to manipulate. Whether you show oﬀ your tight curls, stretch your hair, tie it on the top, side, or middle, it's all up to you.

Flower Crown: There's so much to love about our hair. Go on and show your appreciation with a beautiful ﬂower crown!

Bantu Knots: For centuries, Bantu Knots have been worn by women of African descent. The fun thing about Bantu Knots is you can make wear them boldly, or untwist them to reveal some fun curls.

Crochet: Crochet hair has blown up over the past year, and for entirely valid reasons. Finally, we can skip the thread, and crochet the hair into our cornrows with no blending issues. And the best part? It takes little to no time to remove!

Low Cut: Who needs length when you can say it all with a low-maintenance cut? Accentuate your facial structure with a bold low cut.

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Box Braids: Like the Bantu Knot, braids have been worn by women for centuries. They are worn for traditional ceremonies, to give hair a break, or as protective styles during cold months or rigorous activities. With all of the color, size, and style options, the possibilities are limitless.

Goddess Braids: Like box braids, goddess braids are a good protective, yet stylish option. Choose between intricate patterns, or big, bold braids.

Dreadlocks: Dreadlocks have been a staple in Afro-hair trends for a very long time. Like braids, they preserve hair and make it more resistant to damage. Fun fact: some people have hair that grows naturally into a dread pattern.

TIMEOFF

Man Bun: Ladies, the move over and make way for the man bun! This is a relatively new trend amongst black men. Men no longer have to sacriﬁce all their hair in the name of a clean shape up. Cornrow it into a bun, leave it out, or cut it low.

Pixie Cut: More women are cutting their hair short now more than ever. If you want a super bold cut while still leaving room for fun, this is the style for you.

Top Nightclubs in Accra 1. Aphrodisiac Nite Club 35 Osu Badu Street, Dzorwulu

Weave: Last, but not least, the weave. From quick-weaves to wigs, and everything in between, weave has developed over the years into quite a dynamic industry. There is no shortage of styles when you can instantly throw completely new textures and patterns into the mix. Go ahead and throw some color in there too! You don't have to worry about damaging your hair, because your hair will be safely tucked away underneath!

2. Kahuna Nite Club (Under Niagara Hotel Kojo Thompson Road Adabraka) Best francophone club to enjoy in Accra. 3. Oops! Night Club Mantse Boi Street, Kaneshie Open Wednesdays’, Fridays, and Saturdays’ from 9pm until 4am. 4. Plot 7 Lounge & Night Club Osu-Close, Plot No. 7 Nyaniba Estates, Accra-Ghana Plotseven has redeﬁned nightlife in Accra. The quintessential nightspot, fashioned by Dimora, fuses the appeal of an ultra exclusive lounge and a highenergy nightclub. 5.Com8 Vienna City Tema Arts & Entertainment · Bar & Grill

Top Choice Live Music 1. +233 This 'Jazz Bar & Grill', is one of the best live music venues in Accra. Bands come from all over the continent and there is a great atmosphere. 2. Alliance Française With several concerts a week (rock, jazz, reggae, hip-hop), exhibitions, and various cultural events, the cultural arm of the French embassy is a good bet. Twist Out: It may be oﬃcially safe to say, “Naturalistas have more fun.” Look at the curl deﬁnition on that twist out! Simply twist hair overnight, untwist in the morning, and voila! Explore with size and tension to get desired results. AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

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Ghanaians take CNN to task -over a report saying the country is short of food

Cable News Network (CNN) headquarters, Atlanta -USA

merican Television Network, Cable News Network (CNN) has succumbed to pressure from Ghanaians and amended the misleading parts of its story on Ghana’s recently held elections. The media network in a report on the December 7 elections said Ghanaians struggle to purchase food and usually queue for basic services.

The article, titled, ‘Ghana election: Incumbent concedes to Nana Akufo-Addo’ said; “The national economy will be Akufo-Addo’s major challenge. Oil reserves were discovered oﬀ the coast of Ghana in 2007, but Ghanaians struggle to obtain food and day-to-day services. Rolling blackouts are common and citizens often stand in long line to obtain products.” Many social media users took to various platforms to express outrage over the report describing it as a “lazy reportage” and “falsehood”. The campaign, which was started by Ghanaian sports journalist, Gary Al-Smith also sought to impress upon CNN to take down or amend the article saw many Ghanaians using the hashtag #CNNGetItRight to demand

that the right thing is done. Among other complaints raised by the campaigners included the wrongful spelling of “Ghanaians”, written as “Ghanians” and a false statement that Ghana’s president-elect, Nana AkufoAddo had contested a general election in 1998. Citifmonline.com checks, hours after the start of the campaign revealed the article had been amended. The changes were eﬀected at 14:02GMT with an editorial note that said, “An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the status of the retail economy in Ghana. Stores are generally well stocked, and food shortages are rare.” - Source http://citifmonline.com

Ghana ADVANCE II Signs MOU with Nestlé Ghana Partnership Creates Opportunities for Smallholder Maize Farmers in Ghana. On December 6, 2016, Dr Emmanuel Dormon, Chief of Party of the ACDI/VOCA-implemented Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE II) project, and Mrs Freda Y. Duplan, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana Ltd., signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). 32 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

New Ghanaian Airline to fly to Baltimore-Washington

Ghana could be fourth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020 by Ecobank Research

hana’s oil output has been boosted with the start of production from the Tweneboa, Enyenra & Ntomme (TEN) project in August. The oilfield, which is expected to peak at about 80,000 bpd in 2018 has produced its first barrel, and is expected to maintain a steady flow of about 20,000 bpd in 2016. We believe this has increased Ghana’s average oil output to over 100,000 bpd in 2016, considering ongoing challenges at the Jubilee oil field, which is yet to resume 2015 peak level production of 115,000 bpd. Based on existing fields and field development plans Ghana crude oil output is estimated to be over 240,000 bpd by 2019. This could potentially make Ghana the fourth largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020, based on existing fields and

planned field development in the top ten oil producing countries in the region. The TEN field, operated by Tullow Oil, is estimated to hold about 240 million barrels of oil and 60 million barrels of oil equivalent gas reserves. The full field development plan will involve the drilling of 24 wells in total, comprising water and gas injections wells and production wells. The current production is being undertaken from the first 10 wells of the 24 planned wells. The remaining wells will be drilled from 2017 to achieve peak output by October 2017 while gas output is expected to begin in 2018. The development of the TEN field was achieved on schedule and within the budget expected.

New Ghanaian airline Goldstar Air plans to start flights to the U.S. Baltimore Washington International Airport in the first quarter of 2017 if its air operator’s certificate comes through, according to CEO Eric Bannerman, Air Transport World reported. Ghana hasn’t had a national long-haul carrier since Ghana Airways, one of Africa’s oldest airlines, stopped flying in December 2015. Getting one will remove one of the stumbling blocks that prevented a Ghanaian airport from becoming a West African hub, according to an earlier AFKInsider report. There is no strong airline and no airport hub in West and Central Africa, Graphic.com reported. To be a hub, an airport needs an airline to drive the hub, according to travel business consultant Ikechi Uko. It must also have cheap aviation fuel plus maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities. It also must have a good transfer desk and transit section with transit visas issued on arrival. As of today, no West African airport has all the ingredients. Ghana wants to claim the spot, offering visas on arrival to all Africans starting July 1. It also reduced the cost of aviation fuel by 25 percent. All that was missing was a strong airline and maintenance facilities. The new Ghanian carrier plans to start service in February or March 2017, and in addition to the U.S., is considering London Gatwick, Guangzhou and Dubai as its next long-haul destinations, Bannerman said. - See more at: http://afkinsider.com/134928/new-ghanaianairline-plans-to-start-q1-services-to-baltimorewashington/#sthash.3KkcIOyL.dpuf

Ghanaian boy who became a meme raises huge cash online This past October, various internet photo memes popped up featuring a Ghanaian toddler absorbed in his art work. The boy became a viral sensation across social networks in South Africa, and now the full, inspirational story behind the photo has been revealed. This is Africa, the original 2015 photo of the boy, Jake Amo, was taken by American photographer Carlos Cortes. Cortes was in the country, following renowned Ghanaian

artist Solomon Adufah, who was returning to his home country after growing up in the US. But it's not all about the laughs. Thanks to the popularity of the meme and the story behind it, people have started to contribute to Adufah's art initiative, Homeland Ghana, raising more than $4 000 within 48 hours for art education in and art supplies for Ghanaian schools.

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ACCESS

Your City in Your Pocket

iving in a city like Accra is a constant adventure, as everyone finds out sooner or later. Whether you are looking for a place to print a last-minute flight itinerary, or you have a sudden craving for banana leaf packaged waakye ( a popular Ghanaian Dish ) at 8pm on a Tuesday, you will need to know someone who knows something. Enter Access Accra: your friend who knows quite a few things! You don't want to be the last one to find out!

Access Accra is the essential city guide for Ghana's fast-growing capital city, Accra. With over 4 million people, historic monuments, colonial buildings, modern high-rise buildings, and the trendiest places to visit, Accra is an exciting urban jungle. Even our farthest ranging taxi drivers need directions every once in a while. The service, a combination of a free-touse app and a free city guide booklet, highlights the best ways to experience the fun of Accra (and beyond).

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Accra is one of Africa's choice destinations, which makes it a prime location for Access's ﬁrst location. It is located on the southern coast of Ghana, West Africa in the smallest the 10 regions. It has a population, however, of about 4 million people, making it Ghana's most populated city. In the 17th Century, Accra was dotted with Ga villages, which were originally farming settlements that evolved to prefer ﬁshing as they grew along the coast. These communities now mark the

demarkations of Accra's various communities and suburbs, moving from monstrous modern architectural creations, shanty towns, and lively markets, to forts and castles. It is easy to get around Accra by Trotro, taxi, or private driver service. Most areas are pedestrian friendly, with eager coconut and 'pure water' sellers ready to quench your thirst and stave oﬀ dehydration. Access Accra has a quickly growing index of hundreds of helpful services, various eateries, world-class lounges, specialty bars, budget-conscious accommodation, and a lot more ways to enjoy your time. Our goal is for you to explore this fascinating city and become the go-to app for anyone looking to get to know Accra a little better.

The App's interface allows users to comment on and share their favorite locations, activities, and services, letting you take the temperature of an activity before you commit. Now you no longer need to rely on word-of-mouth at the crucial moments when you need to tell the Taxi where to go.

to the city for a day trip but far enough to allow you to escape the traﬃc and bustle, leaving you to get some quality relaxation done.

Your ﬁrst introduction to Access Accra's Interaction City guide App is a selection of your interests. With these picks, we know what content you will be most interested in discovering. This also helps us curate your calendar so that events you are most likely to go to are at the top. From here, Accra is your oyster, with the power to create an itinerary for just an hour or a whole weekend.

Access Accra is currently available for IOS and Android.

When the city gets to be too much, the Accra Plus section provides amazing ideas for a quick getaway. These close enough

No matter what you are looking for in our breathtaking city, Access Accra is ready to be your key to discovery.

Social Media Handles: Facebook : Access Accra Instagram : Access Accra www.accessaccra.com Access All African Cities is the mother company of Access Accra and aims to launch another 4 major African cities by the end of 2017. We are currently working on Access Abuja and Access Lagos with a launch date aimed for early 2017.

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Nimi's Word inspired ndom thoughts collection of ra mera lens. ca d Welcome to my an ls ve tra nces, by my experie

Interesting African History

ecently, I was working on a project that required me to do a bit of research on African history and items from the continent. I dug up information that I found fascinating. Some admittedly I knew a bit about, but others were entirely new to me. I thought I would take the time to put a few together and hopefully give you a bit of reading material to enjoy during a 10minute break. Afro Comb This to me was one of the most interesting facts I happened upon. As a child, I remember my dad’s foldable metal comb with its red and green handle. I think this particular comb was quite popular among the community during the 80s because I remember quite a few aunts and uncles had the exact same model. According to historians, the Afro comb is at least 5,000 years old and the oldest comb found to date was discovered in Egypt. Actually, the oldest combs of ANY type were excavated in Africa. In ancient civilisations, the designs on the handle apparently denoted status. In modern times, it is an iconic symbol of America’s Civil Rights Movement. The BBC has a documentary on the comb’s journey from Africa to the African diaspora, which you can view here. Tanzanite By far my favourite gemstone. It’s so beautiful and usually comes in dazzling shades of blue and violet. I managed to purchase a pendant with the gemstone when I visited Zanzibar in 2011 after drooling for years and silently crying that I could never aﬀord one. The gem was named by Tiﬀany & Co in the 1960s and only forms naturally within the Mererani Hills of Northern Tanzania. African Folklore I’ve known for years that the Kweku Ananse stories followed the slaves of West Africa to the Caribbean. What I did not realise though is that the Brer Rabbit tales are also believed to have

originated from Africa. Adapted by American journalist Joel Chandler Harris in the latter part of the 19th century, they share similarities to stories of a West African trickster hare god. There is said to be a version of the hare among the Cherokee, but historians are unable to ascertain if this developed independently or was adopted by the tribe. David Livingstone I ﬁnd the death of Livingstone, or rather what happened thereafter, rather intriguing. That’s not to say that I’m macabre or that his life isn’t worth reading about! After passing away from malaria and internal bleeding, probably caused by dysentery among many other things, Livingstone’s body was carried by his faithful servants Chuma and Susi from the interior of modern-day Zambia to the coast. But not before they removed his heart and buried it under a tree near the spot where he died. Some sources site that a note accompanied his body with the statement that basically told the British they could have his body, but his heart belonged in Africa. Others state that his organs were removed in order to sun-dry his body. Whatever the reason, one of the most interesting facts about this story is that in order to deliver Livingstone’s remains to the British, his servants made a hazardous trek across inhospitable terrain that lasted months. You can learn more about David Livingstone’s ﬁnal resting place at Westminster Abbey’s website.

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The Gold Stool

Nimi Toru Manyo-Plange

omeone once coined the term ‘Ghabritarian’ and I think that aptly describes me – I’m part Ghanaian, British and Nigerian. Born in London, raised first in Maidenhead then Accra, I found myself following my heart and moving to Dubai. Subsequently, my heart was crushed, but not my spirit, and I stayed on in the UAE because I found it intriguing. I have absolutely no sense of direction generally, and I’m utterly useless at finding my way around any location, even with Google Maps on my phone! Seriously, I’m not someone you should ask directions from. Cockroaches paralyse me with fear, as do heights. I’m something of a daydreamer and, I’ve been told, a chatterbox. When not lost in the spellbinding worlds I create in my mind, or yakking your ear off, I’m busy working as a Copywriter and Content Writer, updating social media, blogs and newsletters for the travel company I work for, whilst trying to explore the planet at the same time. I plan to share what goes on in my mind, my experiences living in various countries, my likes, dislikes and basically anything else I can think of. Hope you find this useful and enjoyable!

The stool is said to have descended from the heavens, falling into the lap of the ﬁrst Ashantihene (the Ashanti King) Osei Tutu I around the 17th Century. It is believed by the Ashanti to house the souls of the past, present and future members of the tribe and therefore, considered a sacred object. The stool in fact in fact never touches the ground and only the Ashantihene is permitted to sit on it. It is a symbol of both royalty and the divine. So when in 1900, Governor Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson demanded, “Where is the Golden Stool? I am the representative of the Paramount Power. Why have you relegated me to this ordinary chair? Why did you not take the opportunity of my coming to Kumasi to bring the Golden Stool for me to sit upon? However, you may be quite sure that though the Government has not received

the Golden Stool at his hands it will rule over you with the same impartiality and fairness as if you had produced it.”, it was apparently too much for anyone to bear. A rebellion was organised by the Ashanti Nation’s Queen Mother, Yaa Asantewaa. Her aim was to attack the British and retrieve the Ashantihene whom they (Britain) had recently exiled. She was ultimately defeated and sent into exile herself. The stool was hidden for some time and according to eyewitness Kwadwo Afodo, who was quoted by Thomas J. Lewin in his book, Asante before the British: The Prempean Years 1875-1900, the following occurred, “The white man asked the children where the Golden Stool was kept in Bare. The

white man said he would beat the children if they did not bring their fathers from the bush. The children told the white man not to call their fathers. If he wanted to beat them, he should do it. The children knew the white men were coming for the Golden Stool. The children did not fear beating. The white soldiers began to bully and beat the children.” The Shortest Battle in History And ﬁnally, my favourite piece of history. The shortest battle ever fought was the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896. It lasted approximately 40 minutes. In August 1896, Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini was apparently poisoned, presumably by his cousin, Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash Al-

Busaid, who promptly declared himself the new sultan of Zanzibar. This, said Britain, went against a treaty that declared all sultans had to be approved by them. For a few days, Zanzibar and Britain traded words. Britain demanded Khalid step down immediately. Khalid refused, stating he did not believe that the British would open fire. Britain said whilst they did not want to attack, they most certainly would if he did not respect the terms of the treaty. Khalid called their bluff and Britain began their bombardment, sinking the only Zanzibari naval ship, the Glasgow and storming the palace. Khalid apparently, realising defeat, ran away leaving 500 Zanzibari and one British naval officer dead.

Changes in the lives of teenagers. By Yvonne Ameyaw

n today’s society, teen girls and boys often face the pressure of having the perfect appearance just to ﬁt in. This takes away all their concentration on the reality of life. Why worry about this instead of worrying about school projects?. This encourages them to dress a certain way, speak or sometimes even talk diﬀerently and take on drastic measures to gain or lose weight and it adds more stress and pressure on young adults who are just developing, what good thing will they be learning. What they see is what they pick up and then they are also stuck with it. It’s like a cycle.

Most people might think only girls have the pressure of appearance, but guess what some boys do. They can also go to the extreme to want to fit in like no other. Look a certain way, speak or also walk a certain way just for attention or become popular as well. It’s no different than girls. So if you’re feeling this pressure from the society to look a certain way, don’t. Try to find comfort in your own skin and realize that appearance is not everything!. Aside from trying to keep up your social life, it is important to also have your family life in check as well. It is common for teenagers to

distance themselves from their parents during this period to gain independence, but remember that they are your family and wherever you go, whatever situation you might be in, even if it takes you how many days, months, years, you’ll still come back to your family! Instead of stressing out and ﬁghting with your parents, try to respect their wishes and ﬁnd a compromise. The transition from childhood to adulthood is a shaky road so you need to lower your standards on useless things that are just not worth stressing over.

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Food Akua Quarcoo Akua is the CEO of Maqtrex Enterprise Viacell International Trade Finance LLC and runs B&G Pub in Accra.

JOLLOF RICE Ghana Style

he battle between Nigeria and Ghana on which country has the best Jollof Rice reached almost epic proportions online last year. There is a constant argument on Twitter between Nigerians and Ghanaians about Jollof Rice. While Nigerians think their Jollof Rice can cure cancer, Ghanaians believe their Jollof is made in Heaven. If the war between Nigerians and Ghanaians ever turned physical, plates of Jollof rice would be tossed as ammunition. Here is Jollof Rice Ghana Style. Cooking Time 45mins Jollof rice is another favorite and I can only describe it as a very aromatic and ﬂavoursome one pot rice meal, quite similar to the Cajun Jambalaya. As with most African recipes, there’s a lot of room for improvisation, so you can

have Jollof on its own as part of a vegetarian meal or with grilled meats. You can also prepare a chicken or meat version of Jollof rice. Here is my version of the Ghanaian plain Jollof rice for you to try.

1 Maggie cube (optional) Dried mixed herbs 1 bay leaf Salt to taste

Ingredients

1. Blend the ginger, garlic, chillies, canned tomatoes and two onions and set aside for later.

3 – 4 cups or 600g basmati rice 5 to10 ﬂ.oz olive oil (you may use another type of oil if you choose) 2 heaped tbsp tomato puree 1 onion chopped 2 medium sized onions 2 canned plum tomatoes (or Passata) 2 fat cloves of garlic A small piece of ginger 4 scotch bonnet chillies (reduce if you don’t like it spicy) 1 stock cube (either vegetarian or otherwise)

Method

2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chopped onions till soft and golden brown then add the tomato puree and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 3. Add the blended tomato and onion mixture from earlier and leave to cook through till the tomato mixture has lost its raw taste and the oil is visible at the top. 4. Add the stock and Maggie cubes, bay leaf and a sprinkle of the mixed herbs. 5. Leave to simmer for about 3 minutes while you rinse the rice to remove excess starch. 6. When rice is rinsed, add to the sauce stirring it to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. 7. Now add 2 cups of water to the rice and sauce mix and stir, add salt to taste and cook till the water is almost evaporated. 8. Now, cover and simmer on a low heat till rice is fully cooked. 9. Serve with fried plantain and a crisp green leaf salad on the side.

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SPOTLIGHT

HONOURING OUR

MOTHERS M

other's Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world and also has different meanings and origins. They play such an important role in our lives. They love us, and our mothers and our daddies are generally our first loves. Mothers are often our best friends, someone we can talk to and trust that they have our best interests in mind. They work hard for us, and often sacrifice their own personal interests and passions to make sure we get the right start in life. Accepting the responsibility for life, to raise a child is not an easy task I hear. I don't have any children of my own and I'm not a step-mom either. However, I have a big family and I'm always around mothers so I

see what they have to go through. They are so special. Immanuel Kant describes a mother’s love perfectly. “I shall never forget my mother, for it was she who planted and nurtured the ﬁrst seeds of good within me. She opened my heart to the lasting impressions of nature; she awakened my understanding and extended my horizon and her percepts exerted an everlasting inﬂuence upon the course of my life.”

By Yvonne Ameyaw

I honour mothers because I realise how being a parent is deﬁnitely the hardest, yet most rewarding job there is. My mother always did her best to maintain the right atmosphere in the home, teaching us to work, have moral values and be responsible in the future. Children want to make their own choices and more often they want to experience life too quickly not really caring about the circumstances both positive and negative. I just want to say thank you, Mama, for just being Mama“In the beginning, there was my mother. A shape. A shape and a force, standing in the light. You could see her energy; it was visible in the air. Against any background, she stood out.” ~ MARILYN KRYSL

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POLITICS

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The Elections And the Dynamics of Defeat Concessions Hillary Clinton who had about three million more votes more than Donald Trump in the November 8 elections, conceded defeat early the following day

BY PAUL KORKUTSE VOWOTOR

id these elections raise blood pressures! Within a period of about a month, we’ve had elections in the US, the Gambia and Ghana, all with their different dramas. But the elections aside, it has been the concessions of defeat that have been so newsworthy. In our part of the world it would not be a surprise to hear later that both victors and vanquished controlled their pressures with downing tots of akpeteshie, maybe even serving babies in teaspoons. It’s been very crazy in Ghana and the in the world. In the US, which probably sets itself up as one of the best examples of democracy, Hilary Clinton who had about three million more votes more than Donald Trump in the November 8 elections, conceded defeat early the following day, because of an ancient entity out there called the Electoral College, set up in 1787, which calls the votes according to states won by a candidate.

When America votes, it is actually voting for this slate of electors. The votes won per state were set to be “proportional” to each state i.e., one for each member of the House of Representatives plus two for the Senators. Tough for Clinton but she conceded defeat because conceding defeat is part of the election process after the vote of the people. It shows character and advancement. And so the United States now either looks a very democratically sophisticated country or it looks like one of the dumbest countries in the world. AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

POLITICS

The Elections And the Dynamics of Defeat Concessions The Gambia – From Defeat Mahama would have won if voting was in Concessions to a U-turn November. Despite all these, Nana Addo Gambia, one of the smallest countries in Dankwa Akufo-Addo won the elections Africa and the world voted on despite all these low blows thrown at presidential election on December 1 h i m . To d a t e a f t e r 2 4 7 o f 2 7 5 under the supervision of the country's constituencies declared we have the Independent Electoral Commission. Marbles, but not ballot papers were used. No sophistication. The %Electoral Votes Mahama Akufo-Addo world gasped as dictator Yahya 2016 44.23% 53.93% Jammeh held a colourful press conference in a room full of what 2012 50.63% 47.81% seemed like his hangers-on and Difference -6.40% 6.12% yes-men and conceded defeat to winner Adama Barrow. He said he Seats Won NDC NPP would gracefully and peacefully 2016 86 161 hand over power and retire to 2012 148 123 Kanilai to farm, his birthplace. (It Difference -62 +38 must be noted that already government workers are made to troop to Kanilai to work on Jammeh’s following: farm every Friday.) This date was before voting in Ghana and we are all thinking, And so, journalist Ben Ephson is now with the tense situation prevailing in our reeling in embarrassment from his country would we be able to beat the “research finding predicting a 'one“orderly and civilised” way Gambians had touch' victory for incumbent President run their elections? But as has been seen John Mahama.On one of our local TV later on and to the chagrin of Gambians c h a n n e l , a n e l d e r ly m a n b e i n g and the world, on December 9 Jammeh interviewed says “Nana Addo can never on national television made a U-turn! He be president. To be a president one must said he had withdrawn his concession, have structure and intelligence. Not the annulled the polls and ordered a rerun! certificate from the university. No, you Ghana’s electoral process, with all the must have the wisdom.” There is also a analysis being done on it, both seriously video of Nana Akufo-Addo falling down and jokingly, cannot be compared with some steps. That was interpreted by a the nonsense being inflicted on woman as him going to lose the Gambians by their president. elections! From the language of narration, that “prophecy” must have Ghana’s Pre-Election Period and the been taken very seriously because, “Seers” and Irritants called the “men except for one constituency that went for of god” Nana Addo, Mahama won that region. Elections were successfully held in There is a video of the Chief of Gbese Ghana. The pre-election period was a Traditional Area, Nii Ayi Bonte, promising time of any thing goes. Authentic his subjects he would abdicate his stool if pollsters (and fake ones) went to work in the NDC was defeated in the elections frenzy. Chiefs, “Prophets” and “men of and Nana Akufo-Addo won. Meanwhile, god” promoted themselves by the way from the constitution, chiefs are they released their “predictions”. These supposed to be nonpartisan. Like men came from all faiths. The fun ones President Mahama, let him now included a man described as the General honourably concede defeat and fulfil his Over Seer of The Glorious Wave Church promise. A pledge is a pledge. Now do we International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu take those prophecies seriously? No, Kobi, predicted that Nana Akuffo Addo these are all ploys and political would lose. One Sheik Ustaz Sham-Una manoeuvres. Jibril , quoting the Koran and using what he called “numerology” claimed he was able to “hack” into “results at the spiritual level” even before they were declared! He claimed he had told Mahama about his “seeings” and had told him to offer some”saraka” so he could counter any opposition and win but sadly he did not do as advised which was the reason he lost the elections. From Sheikh Jibril we heard the month of voting is a very important variable in his winning calculations, because, according to him,

The Behavior of the EC Boss According to Archbishop DuncanWilliams of Christian Action Faith Ministries, the church the EC Boss Mrs Charlotte Osei attends, “Those who demonised my daughter and called her all sorts of names without cause must come out and openly ask for forgiveness the same way they attacked her.” Apparently, he never saw anything wrong with how she conducted herself

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before, during and after the votes.The choice of Ms Charlotte Osei by President Mahama has been a problem to many Ghanaians. We’ve always wondered how this woman could run a free and fair election for the president who put food on her table. She started with charging a GHC 50,000 filing fee to register as a presidential candidate. This was a blow to the smaller parties. Then she displayed a crass highhandedness by deleting candidates’ names from contesting as a result of simple anomalies they committed while filling their forms. These were issues the EC was supposed to check and ask candidates to correct but she refused to do so until ordered by the Supreme Court. She is a woman puffed with power. Her pronouncements and other behaviours smacked of suspicion like someone who had carefully planned out mischiefs to help the NDC but in the end, could not work out because the NPP was smarter. The NPP outwitted her. Perhaps thinking of how they lost the last elections under very questioning circumstances, the NPP had to resort to opening up the results as they came for all to see. The genius behind all that we are told was their director of technology Joe Anokye. We are told he has been working for the NASA space agency for the past two decades. He set up a real-time design and collation of data from constituencies. Mmo!(Well done)So the EC chair could not perform any shenanigans of vote rigging while everybody waited for the “official results” from her office. She could only hide herself from public view (presenting Dzakpasu as her frontman), making pronouncements of “overvoting” in the Ashanti Region and pretend it was being solved, or issue statements that only a “disappointing” 49% of eligible voters had cast their votes (and here we found out she could be referring to the Volta Region where the NDC had a strong base and votes could be tampered with by the NDC). She also issued lame and bland reports of the EC system being hacked into by people the public was left to suspect. She was left with no leeway to manipulate the votes and so President Mahama had to concede. The two wanted to take this election from Ghanaians but failed. She needs to be probed. Why the NDC had to be Voted Out Ghanaians are very smart people. It’s interesting it has taken this defeat for the NDC to be exposed for what party it has become. It is not the party Rawlings had

POLITICS

The Elections And the Dynamics of Defeat Concessions envisaged. The NDC is an offshoot of the PNDC which was formed from the People’s Democratic Congresses, (PDC’s), formed to give voice to June 4th revolution. In the early stages, Rawlings became a very disappointed man to see the excesses being committed by rogues in the PDC’s in collaboration with wayward soldiers. Today the same hobos and those with dubious backgrounds have found their way into positions of authority in the NDC. The sad part of this narrative is that they never checked them and their actions. Thus followed this period of corruption, bribery, sleaze, shenanigans and scandals, where the real founders of the party, including Rawlings, withdrew their interests in the par t y. President Mahama looks a gentleman whose actions would be above board. But the reason for voting him out was simple. He did not seem to be checking the corruption in his government. Like attracts like. And so the conclusion was that he must have the spirit and energy of the corrupt and deplorable to attract the same corrupt and deplorable. He did not see anything wrong with the wrongs he was doing. One very effective weapon they would use was their hurling of insults and invectives at their supposed detractors including Rawlings himself. Even President Mahama has been seen in a television interview casting smears at Rawlings.Any government development by the NDC seemed to be politically motivated and timed to be part of the election campaign. S u d d e n ly " i m p r o v e m e n t s " started springing up. At the inaugural ceremony of the Kwame Nkrumah flyover, i.e. Little Dubai, President Mahama, described it as the highest flyover in West Africa, whatever that was supposed to mean to a populace who trudged through the filth under this structure. Acts and utterances like this were as if they thought Ghanaians were fools who would gobble up any lies and nonsense presented to them.At the last rally held by the NDC could be seen Lordina Mahama, his wife shedding tears. It was an emotional scene but a total misunderstanding of what her husband was at the Flagstaff House to do. It was a sign of their attachment to the house – but not to the people. Anybody who occupies this presidential residence is there to improve the lives of every man

woman and child in the country. Theirs was not enough for the people and they spoke through the ballot box. Has Ghana Made Any Gains with Mahama as President? A look at his biography through primary school, high school in Achimota, the Universit y of Ghana and Moscow Institute of Social Sciences does not show anywhere the president held a human managing position i.e., how to effectively control people as a leader. He was never even as a class prefect. But he became the president of Ghana and the “babies with sharp teeth” and the “evil dwarfs” pounced and he could not control them. They insulted and run rough-shod over everybody who they thought was in their way of looting the c o u n t r y. P r e s i d e n t M a h a m a ’ s implemented some development plans but perhaps we are seeing just onehundredth of what he could have done if he did not have these men and women as a ﬁrewall. CORRUPTION SCANDALS

$35million - Alfred Agbesi Woyome $30 million - Messrs.’ Waterville $30 million - IT company Subah $27 million - RLG and Asongtaba Cottage Industry Limited scandal GHC3.6 million (almost a $1 million) - Smarttys bus branding scandal $600 million - Queiroz Galvao Road Construction and Engineering $250 million - llegal lodging of monies in UBA by the Bank of Ghana $10 billion - STX Engineering & Construction Limited (STX-Ghana) scandal $88 million - The Embraer Jet scandal $1.3 million - Chartered ﬂight to Brazil so the Black Stars could be paid Nana Akufo-Addo’s Acceptance Speech By the way the opposition described him one never thought this is the same man who went to Kinbu Boys School and Accra Academy (in the center of Accra), City Law School, was Attorney-General of Ghana from 2001 to 2003, Minister for Foreign Affairs and MP for Abuakwa and Akim Abuakwa South 1997 to 2009. This is a man who must know what ordinary people want.The way he couches his bròfo attests to his intelligence and shows he knows what he is talking about. His acceptance speech should comfort

Ghanaians. “I will be president for all” and that “God did not put us on this rich land… a land blessed with an abundance of human and natural resources to be poor,” he said. Elsewhere he is said to be “… well known for giving free legal assistance to the poor and fought for the rights and liberties of the Ghanaian people.” Kofi Annan says Nana AkufoAddo “has skills to overcome the country’s challenges.” In reply to a congratulatory message from Former president Rawlings, the president-elect says “I am fully committed to pursuing “an anti-corruption drive across-theboard”, as you put it, which will be fully anchored in the rule of law and strict respect for due process. That is the best form of security for every citizen of the country.” The vernaculars Nana AkufoAddo uses in his speeches are signs of inclusion and could mean a lot to many Ghanaians because our politics, elections and voting tend to pitch ethnic groups and regions against each other. Tribalism, like racism, is stoked by unnecessary fears, misunderstanding and suspicions of each other and the unwillingness to explore our common kindnesses. Ghana has much to do for reconciliation with each other. Nana Akufo-Addo and His Inheritance of an NDC Corruption Nightmare Elsewhere, people have voted out governments out of anger for economic problems not being s o lv e d . I n G h a n a , t h e s a m e prevails. But added to that is the cancer of government figures seriously looting our coffers of government monies. The NDC government has been bad in management of the economy and goes down in a blaze of corruption scandals see diagram. Anas Aremeyaw Anas exposé President Mahama being involved in the lifting of a ban placed on A r m a j a r o H o l d i n g s i n Ghana.Recruitment rot at the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) where the government’s own demanded the prosecution of government officials for taking bribes, forgery of multiple bank accounts and for services not provided.Right now some 3000 exworkers of the Ghana Por ts and Harbours Authority are still waiting for their exgratia since 2002.These and many more are what confront the president-elect. Ghanaians with a conscience are looking up to him to

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POLITICS

The Elections And the Dynamics of Defeat Concessions Keillor's advice to American Democrats: “…[You] can spend four years raising heirloom tomatoes, meditating, reading Jane Austen, travelling around the country, tasting artisan beers, … go for a long, brisk walk and smell the roses." Let us take a cue from that nice and beautiful feeling we have after a football game when we see the winning and losing managers and players hugging each other.And who says the NDC has no future? Here I mean a party with people of no crooked minds. Right there in front of us all is Zanetor Rawlings. She beat three other candidates to become the MP-elect A Way forward for the NDC- Zanetor for the Klotttey Korle Constituency. She Rawlings and Others Exuding Hope ran her campaign visiting her and Optimism constituents on a bike! What more Rawlings has been authenticity do we need? complaining that his With the backing and party is losing its core experience of her father values of probity and and true NDCers, the party The dictator accountability and has a future. The NDC is warned the party could lucky, aren’t they? This is has refused to be in opposition if it did what elections are about. not re-dedicate itself to A nd this is what heed anybody these values.Everybody concessions of defeat are understands the stage all about. The losing party and continues and state of shock and presses the pause button mourning of the party at and refocuses. Here, with to torment his this time. But mourn and people like her in mind. Let forget and refocus. There Ghanaians show we have people. is the big hope out there the strong mentality to for the NDC. Maybe good cope. Ghana needs a strong and genuine NDCers can opposition party. take comfort in Garrison

recover these monies and bring the culprits to book because we see pictures of children in tattered clothes swimming across streams and rivers to go to school; some of which schools are held under trees or in dilapidated mud structures. We have politicians and chiefs with no scruples who don’t see anything in school children collecting muddy rain water on roads to drink. Nana Akufo-Addo could be the continuation of leadership of ethics, morality and accountability that Rawlings started, but was deserted by Mahama and the present NDC.

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Compared to some of our Neighbours Our System is Good The UN Council asked Jammeh “to respect the choice of the sovereign people of Gambia, as he did on December 2, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow.” Even President Mahama joined the Chair of ECOWAS, President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf of Liberia and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to meet with and persuade him to hand power over to Adama Barrow, the president-elect of the West African country. The dictator has refused to heed anybody and continues to torment his people. By Ghanaian standards, we must think this obdurate behaviour as being shown by the likes of Gambia’s President Jammeh would never be tolerated in Ghana. President Mahama gave a beautiful speech at an ECOWAS meeting the other day where reiterated Gambia’s Yaya Jammeh must concede power and let Adama Barrow take over as decided by Gambians. He gave himself as an example for Jammeh to follow. That is a feather in his cap. A big feather.Paul Korkutse Vowotor lives in Columbia, South Carolina. He describes himself as a liberal with a sneer. He can be contacted at korkutse@yahoo.com , on F a c e b o o k a t www.facebook.com/korkutse and on Twitter at @korkutse.

POLITICS

a letter

To Our New President by Isaac Quist

ana Addo Dankwa Akuﬀo-Addo, allow me to congratulate you on your recent election as president of Ghana, Ayekoo! I do not know you personally but those who claim to know you are keen to assure all of us that change - good change - has come to Ghana. It is my prayer that this is indeed the case. It is clear to me that you have a tremendous amount of goodwill from a broad majority of Ghanaians who want, above all else, for Ghana to succeed and who see you as the person to drive the transformations that will underpin and shape that success. I do not know you personally but what I have heard from your speeches so far tells me that your intention is to lead the recreation of a Ghana of which we can all be rightly proud - a Ghana in which mediocrity and the various corruptions that result therefrom are anathema. But, as you well know, intention is one thing

and competent execution that creates success is another... “Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act ... Between the conception And the creation ... Falls the shadow" ('The Hollow Men', T. S. Eliot) Nana Addo Dankwa Akuﬀo Addo, let us just say that one of your more immediate 'shadows' is the period of transition during which power (read responsibility) will be transferred to your NPP government and from the outgoing NDC government. We do not want a repeat of the national humiliations and betrayals that have been characteristic of these transitions to date. The distinctions between state and private assets in regard especially to houses, cars etc. should be sharper now and more rigorously observed than ever before...

We cannot afford, and should not encourage, the dubious processes that enable greedy incumbents and their ever hungry hangers on to further rape our nation - state property is NOT private property. Each minister of state, MP etc. was paid a salary, alongside other perks, during their term of office. A state so poorly served over the years cannot afford parting gifts to those in whose care she remained poor. Similarly, she does not have the resources with which to lavish large fleets of new 4 wheel drives etc. on incoming officers etc. all of whom claim they have come to serve her. You do recognise and rightly recommend that we live within our means; let the operations of government model this for all. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, our expectations are as high as the standards to which we will hold you and your government. May God continue to bless you.

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“We oﬃcially met after attending the same Haitian drumming workshop in college. Later, we also started working at the same production house. We became friends and soon developed this year-long inside joke. The joke was basically that everything strange, funny, absurd we thought of would be "a short ﬁlm.”And here we are today.“

This was after a football match in our neighbourhood. I hardly get people calling me to photograph them—especially footballers and their friends.

Humans of Accra Inspired by the work of Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York, Humans of Accra shows you all the beautiful people in Accra.

by Yaw Biney “I always wear a piece of African print anytime I dress. Even though this is just a small belt, I am representing Africa with it and it makes me feel natural.”

It's been a few years since I started this project and it has been life changing for me. I have met lots of people who have shared amazing personal stories with me and I appreciate it. I want to say thank you to you as well.

“ Do you know football fans like to eat boiled eggs paa, especially after their side has won a match—Oxford Street, Osu.

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“The taxi business is unpredictable especially for us roaming taxi drivers. You have no idea if someone will stop you and hire your services. Sometimes in a day, you could have three or fewer people taking your cab. Some days, you might get lucky and someone will hire you all day.

“I want to be a policeman when I grow up, ha ha ha, how do you like me now?

Da Jane-Weija Reservoir “I live here alone, let me do my soup.” All my children have moved to Accra and hardly come to visit. Today, I shall have a big meal all by myself. Palm nut soup with fufu. Kwaku, the boy down the road, will come help me pound the fufu. Luckily he doesn’t like fufu so I have left some cooked cassava for him. I will give him some soup to go with it. Would you care to join me?

Hajia-Makola Market Yes, Islam requires women to cover themselves? The covering of cloth is supposed to keep passing men at bay when women travel outside the home. This might even save a woman's life.

Wanlov the Kubolor. A nice guy he is. Probably the most problem-free person in Accra, or better still, the world.

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University of Ghana Legon “I am at a point in my life where I know the answers to almost all my problems, but I keep running away from them. But I must admit however that even though I keep running away, I know there will come a time when I have the face the world. So for now, I take one day at a time. I am young, free and single and no one can take that from me. University is where you morph into an adult, therefore, for now, I continue to live free and most importantly, Happy! I know it’s not forever, though”.

Colours and a bike- Jamestown “I took time oﬀ to see what was going on at the Chale Wote Art Festival because I love colour and I wasn’t disappointed. Research conducted during the 2004 Olympic Games showed that competitors in taekwondo, boxing, and wrestling who wore red clothing or body protection had an increased chance of winning. There’s also a correlation in soccer. Since 1947, English soccer teams wearing red kits have been crowned champion more often than suspected on the basis of the proportion of clubs playing in red”.

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Vegetable Farmer-Mallam As today marks Farmer's day here in Ghana, I can't help but think about how agricultural growth seems to be declining, and farmers keep losing and losing every day. Remember Padi, our lettuce farmer? Well, I went to his farm on Wednesday, and it was deserted and weedy. Apparently, he had stopped farming because it wasn't going well for him. I know this may not reach the heads of the nation, but at least I have reached you. What are we doing to help and celebrate them? We depend on them; we need them.

the other side

a collection of interesting articles we found on social media

Kwaku Sikahene Ampomah

inger, Actress Toni Braxton, was recently blasted by myth-busters and urban legend debunkers when she stated she would not shop on Black Friday. Braxton mentioned that the origins of the expression Black Friday came from the days of slave auctions — days when auctioneers would sell slaves at a discount Her claim was quickly dismissed by whomever it is that dismisses or debunks certain things, and it was quickly pointed out (incorrectly) that the term Black Friday actually started in the 1960s when police began referring to mad traﬃc jams on the day after Thanksgiving and it had nothing to do with the slave trade. Well guess what people ? ! T. Braxton was Correct. The term Black Friday started in the slave trade and was again brought back into use in the 1930s and 40s when white merchants demanded a cut of black merchants weekly receipts. The term Black Friday was originally used during the slave trade to describe Friday afternoons in Port Au Prince, Haiti and Havana, Cuba as far back as the 16th century These were days when large amounts of slaves who had gone unsold were given one last chance on the auction block before the ships departed for Louisiana. “It was thought to be too expensive to keep slaves around who were injured or sick or old and they had these sales in the two major ports that were used to unload slaves at very cheap prices,” said historian “Raymond

Totondi” (a physician and research genealogist who works at the Skylight Institute for Historical Enlightenment in Bern, Switzerland). “People with less money that the average slave owner would converge on these sales and the streets would be crowded to overﬂowing. Most people could not aﬀord to buy slaves but an average person would take a chance for $60.00 in silver for a slave who could not walk or was lame, and use him as a shoe repairman or a to operate a sewing machine or a loom. Many old women were used as

housekeepers and maids by white families of modest means as a way to boost their status in the community” Totondi continued: “There was no way they would ship these people back to Africa or to other parts of the Caribbean, so they reserved Fridays (usually the last Friday of the month), for selling this kind of overstock in human trade. The problem was that so many people were seeking bargains that most of the slaves who were being sold went for more than market value.” “Even still, the market place was so crowded with onlookers and bargain hunters that local businesses thrived. It was then decided to have these Black Friday sales once a month and each slave would actually be bought by a fake bidder. It became a big ruse and continued for nearly 60 years. “The real intention was to drive people to the market place to drive up the local economy. When the sale of these fake slaves was over and the local merchants counted out their daily earnings for goods, they had to give 20% of their proﬁts to the slave sales company. Handing this money over to the slave traders angered the local merchants and they too started to call these days Black Friday because they felt that they were being robbed by the slave traders. They said the slave traders had black hands — hands tarnished by coins and always held out demanding their cut. Later, the term Black Hand traveled to Italy where it was used to describe extortion or protection rackets.” STILL WANT TO SHOP ON BLACK FRIDAY?

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Shairah

CLEAR SHOT STUDIOS 50 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

International Celebrities Celebr Y Didn’t Know You R had Ghanaian Roots

Boris Kodjoe Boris Kodjoe, a Hollywood actor and model was born to an Austrian mother and a Ghanaian father, Eric Kodjoe, who hails from Nzema.

Freema Agyeman Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under the ring name Kofi Kingston. Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah was born near the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana. His family immigrated to the United States in 1982 when he was only one year old, and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Upon graduating from Boston College, Sarkodie-Mensah initially worked in an office before deciding to train as a professional wrestler. His father, Kwasi, works at the college.

Freema was brought up in North London, UK, by her Iranian mother and Ghanaian father on the Woodberry Down estate in Manor House with her older sister, Leila, and younger brother, Dominic. Her mother, Azar, and her father, Osei, separated when she was a child.

Peter Mensah

Idris Elba

Cynthia Addai-Robinson Cynthia Addai-Robinson is an Englishborn actress. She was born in London; her mother is from Ghana and her father is an American citizen. She moved to US when she was four.

An only child, Idris Elba was born and raised in Hackney, London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at a Ford motor factory. His mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he ﬁrst became involved in acting. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre thanks to a £1,500 Prince's Trust grant.

Peter Mensah has been doing martial arts since he was 6 years old, growing up in St. Albans, England, just north of London. A former engineer, Mensah came to Canada 11 years ago. He'd worked for British Gas developing gas ﬁelds at Morecomb Bay and had done theatre in school. He comes from an academic family. His father, an architect, relocated with his mother to their native Ghana. He only has two younger sisters. Mensah emigrated from Britain to see the world and it was a toss up whether his destination would be Canada or Australia. The paperwork for Canada came through ﬁrst.

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Today, whether you live in Accra or Lagos, Los Angeles or Las Palmas, Brooklyn or Dansoman, the internet has made it possible to browse the shops of the entire world, without leaving your home. I love to shop, and this column is an attempt to show you what I found that I believe every home should have. Sure, those of us in Africa and especially Ghana will have it tough purchasing items online, but hey, where there is a will there is a way. Get friends and family to order these great items for you. Here are my picks for this edition.

Adwoa Nketia

Indoor Portable Evaporative Air Cooler by Honeywell The Evaporative Air Cooler is not an air conditioner as it does not use a compressor or refrigerant gas. It should not be expected to cool to the same degree as a refrigerated air conditioner. It works best in hot and dry conditions. The Honeywell 21-Pint Indoor Portable Evaporative Air Cooler offers an attractive, energy efficient option for spot cooling your home or workspace in the most natural way – perfect for a bedroom, playroom, office or dining area. Honeywell evaporative air coolers do not require power hungry components like compressors. The low power consumption translates into significant savings on energy bills compared to using air conditioners. Price: about $150

Lucas Papaw Ointment Lucas Paw paw Ointment is made in Australia from pure papaws. Lucas Papaw Ointment cleans away infectious wastes. Papaw contains Papain which helps clean wounds. The base used in Lucas Papaw ointment is certiﬁed to be free of carcinogens. The ointment is approved by the Australian Government Therapeutic Goods Administration as being ﬁt for human use. Lucas Papaw Ointment may be used as a local topical application on the following. * Abscesses, Boils, Bruises, Burns, and more. Google it.

Amazon Fire Stick Thawboard Thawing boards thaw meat in minutes not hours. Thawing boards or plates use thermo-liquid plus heat ﬁns to maximize the rate of heat exchange between frozen food and room temperature, resulting in a lightening-quick defrost, 2 times faster than traditional thawing. Do not microwave any more or put in warm water. Just place the meat on the board and in minutes it's ready to cook or put on the grill. There a several brands so Google it and choose what suits you and your pocket.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a small device that slots into an HDMI port on your TV. It sits inline and doesn’t take up too much space. The kit comes with an HDMI cable extender just in case your port is diﬃcult to get to. A nice thought that will help with a lot of installs. It comes with a remote too for added convenience. It’s cheap too. With the TV Stick you get access to Amazon TV, of course, but also Netﬂix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Instant, Sky News, HBO GO, YouTube and Spotify. While there is a lot going on with

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Amazon Prime, it’s nice to not be tied in to a single service. It’s good to have choices. There are games too but these are less impressive. To get the Amazon Fire TV Stick working, plug the stick itself into an HDMI port on your TV. Plug it into the adapter and lead that comes with it and that into the mains or a spare USB port on your TV. Connect it to your Wi-Fi network and make sure it can reach the Amazon servers and you’re pretty much done. Yes, it will work in Ghana.

Motion Activated Toilet Nightlight. This product will transform ANY toilet into a nightlight. No more missing your target or stumbling around in the dark in your bathroom. The Best Light is motion activated, light-sensitive and solves all your night time bathroom problems. With the touch of a button, you get your choice of 8 diﬀerent colors in 1 device: blue, purple, aqua, yellow, red, pink, white or green. •Tired of waking your loved one? •Want to make potty time FUN for your children? •Are "Certain" people in your home missing the target? •Don't want to be woken up by the blinding lights in the middle of the night? •Tired of stumbling around, trying to ﬁnd your way? If you answered YES to ANY of these, Best Light is what you are missing. You will wonder how you ever lived without it Best Light in a Nut Shell!

•Motion Activated, so it turns ON when you enter and OFF when you leave. •When you enter the Best Light will automatically activate, lighting your way. Light Sensitive (Only activates in darkness). •Fits ANY Toilet!! Flexible are that will take the shape of any type toilet and will stay in place. •Select from 8 LED colors with just the press of a button. (blue, yellow, purple, white, aqua, pink, red, and green) Carousel mode that will rotate colors automatically every few seconds if selected. •8 Colors in 1 Device! •Beautify your bowl by matching it to your decor. •With Best Light you can choose from 8 vibrant colors that can be changed with just the touch of a button. Powered by 3x AAA Batteries (Not Included). Every Bathroom needs a Best Light!!!

New Perfumes and Fragrances 2017

POWERCUBE Dual USB Port Power Strip Surge Protector Wireless with Resettable Fuse Blue (4 Outlets)

Eternity for men-INTENSE Calvin Klein

The Scent for her HUGO BOSS

Le Wild Chantecaille

Love Story Chloe

The PowerCube will eliminate this problem as it allows you to mount multiple power sockets where it is the most convenient. The number of outlets can be expanded according to your needs, creating a tailored power source within reach. Mount it anywhere The |Extended| versions of the PowerCube come with a mounting dock, enabling you to mount the PowerCube anywhere, also upside-down underneath your desk or on a wall. In this way, you always have a power source within reach. And if you need it elsewhere, it is easy to remove again due to the removable tape. USB-output The USB-versions of the PowerCube come with powered dual USB ports, enabling you to charge, all USB-charge enabled devices, including tablet computers(iPad etc.). Beyond Forever David Beckham

Les Parfums for Women Louis Vuitton

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Gone

VIRAL

2016

QUEEN TEDDY

My Beautiful Plus Size wife

The husband-to-be of the 16-plus size bride, whose pre-wedding photos have gone viral on social media, says he is proud of the enormous size of his wife-to-be. Pre-wedding photos of the now popular couple have sparked debates on whether size matters in relationships. There have been criticisms and praise in equal proportions. While some are commending Kojo Amoah for his courage in demonstrating true love, others say the size of his choice of wife is awkward. Speaking to Starr News’ Kwaku Obeng-Adjei in an interview, the Brong Ahafo-based groom said he could not have made a better choice of a bride. He, however, added that he and his bride are amazed at the public reaction to their pictures. "I normally post pictures of my girlfriend and me all the time, and I wasn’t expecting this at all. I just posted it, we did a photo shoot, and I thought it was nice, so I posted it. “To me, I have always been a fan of plus size women, and I am so proud of my woman, and I don’t care about what anybody says out there. "In every society, there are people who will try to discourage you from things that you seek to do, but I am not bothered at all. And I don’t regret posting those pictures on Facebook,” he noted. Source:Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM/Danso Acheampong 54 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Another great video gone viral is Queen Teddy dancing. But Afrikan Queen Teddy is not just some woman dancing to “Beat De Chez.” She's an entertainer from Nigeria. Queen Teddy is a singer, actress, dancer, and fashion designer. After she posted that video, millions shared it on social media. She celebrated her curves, her smile, her moves and is deﬁnitely a proud strong African woman.

THE MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE

The latest viral challenge is a pretty hard one -you gotta stay still and do nothing. It's like the mannequin challenge, but with more running and screaming. The latest viral challenge on social media gets political, and begins with a single exclamation: “Trump is coming!” Videos are circulating of people shouting and evacuating the premises immediately once someone shouts that Donald Trump is on his way. If you wanted a glimpse into the teenage reaction to “President Trump,” go online. The participants seem like a lot of students who were probably too young to vote but are old enough to react (or at least have some fun with a camera).

Look what we found!

Nima Muhinmanchi Art (NMA) was founded by a collective of artists in Nima, Accra who were inspired to create artistic opportunities for the youth of their community that they did not have growing up. Through workshops and public painting programs, NMA empowers youth in Ghana to express themselves and beautify their community. NMA stimulates creative education, advances economic opportunities, and promotes entrepreneurship and urban development. Launched in July of 2011 and maintained through sheer creative energy, NMA gives underground and aspiring creative children, an active role in revitalizing developing urban areas of Ghana, starting with Nima. Their goals include promoting urban development and entrepreneurship -Creating ties between the community and its creative children -bridging the gender gap in the arts -establishing a network and forum for aspiring and underground artists -building a positive image of Ghana worldwide. Great Job guys!!!

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Games & Puzzles 1 Sudoku 1

NIGERIAN PIDGIN PROVERBS

Answers on page 76

MALE LOGIC This a conversation between a man and his wife. Please note that she asks ﬁve or six questions which he answered quite simply: Woman: Do you drink beer? Man: Yes Woman: How many beers a day? Man: Usually about three Woman: How much do you pay per beer? Man: $5.00 which includes a tip (this is where it gets scary!) Woman: And how long have you been drinking? Man: About 20 years, I suppose Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have three beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 correct? Man: Correct Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inﬂation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000 correct? Man: Correct Woman: Do you know that if you didn't drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought an airplane? Man: Do you drink beer? Woman: No. Man: Where is your airplane?

Typical Ghanaian Errand "MUM : Go and buy me bathing soap. If Lux is 4gh buy it, but if there is no Lux, buy Geisha soap. If there is Lux, but are selling at 5gh and Geisha soap at 4gh, buy Geisha soap. But if Geisha and Lux are selling at 5gh each, buy Lux. If the two soaps are not available, buy any one good that is 4gh. ME: Sorry Mum, what did you send me to buy?"

Cheque book Opanin Asumadu lost his cheque booklet and went to bank after 2 days to report. Bank Manager: "But I warned you to be careful with your cheque book Opanyin, cos anyone can forge your signature." Opanyin: "I am not a fool. I have already signed all the cheques, so they won't have space to forge my signature..." Bank Manager fainted.

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1. Craze no hard to form, na the trekking be wahala. English translation: Easier said than done. 2. No matter how hot your temper be, e no ﬁt boil beans. English translation: Calm down, your temper won’t solve the problem. 3. Chicken wey run from Borno go Ibadan go still end up inside pot of soup. English translation: You can’t run away from your destiny. 4. Today’s newspaper na tomorrow Suya wrapper. English translation: Keep calm! Nothing lasts forever. 5. Cow wey dey in a hurry to go America go come back as corn beef. English translation: Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush! 6. Akara and moin moin get the same parent, na wetin dem pass through make dem different. English translation: How you start doesn’t matter, what matters is how you ﬁnish. 7. Leave matter for Mathias and Sabi for Sabinus. English translation: Give everyone what they deserve. 8. The difference between kpekere and plantain chips na packaging. English translation: Don’t judge based on appearance alone. 9. Escort me, Escort me, na im slave trade take start. English translation: Serious things sometimes start like a joke. 10. The water wey dem use take make eba can never be recovered back. English translation: Don’t cry over spilled milk. Keep it rolling...

COPY & PASTE An Inspirational speaker said: "The best days of my life were the days I spent with another man's wife".Audience were in shock and silence. He added: "and she is my mother". A big round of applause and laughter followed. One Man who listened to the speech decided to crack this joke at home. After dinner, he said to his wife: the best days of my life were the days I spent with another man's wife.... After a moment he tried to recall the second line...... By the time he regained his senses, he was on hospital bed, recovering from burns of hot water poured by his wife. MORAL LESSON: Don't copy if you cannot paste.

SPOTLIGHT

DEALING WITH YOUR

INLAWS

THE GHANAIAN WAY

by Godwin Otoo Adenta-Accra

ost people struggle with inlaw issues on some level or other. You might feel like your in-laws don't accept you or are overly critical of your spouse. Or they may have an opinion on everything from where you live, to how you parent your kids. Having conﬂicts in your marriage does not have to derail the relationship, but handling them badly can. The same is true for diﬃculties with your in-laws. Basically what matters is how you handle these challenges. In Ghanaian culture, it's all about RESPECT. Respect! Respect! Respect! You will be misunderstood if you attempt to be assertive. Speaking with my father-in-law or mother-in-law demands I am courteous and polite. I have to keep a smile on my face no matter what. Yes. That is the most annoying part of it because I am always left with sore cheeks because of all the forced grinning. End result? I avoid visiting them as much as I can. It's such hard work! Even simple gestures like using your left hand to point at something or letting 'bad' words slip can end up being extremely costly. Families have their own culture, and often, this culture isn't “bad or wrong;

it's just different. So healthy couples make an effort to be in tune with their in-laws. They understand the importance their in-laws play in their spouse's life, so they treat them with respect. They participate in family events. They “allow their in-laws access to their family.” In other words, they make an effort, even though “they may not always agree with or even understand the family dynamics, rituals or traditions, nor necessarily look forward to time spent together.” Unlike in western tradition, you must remember that no matter how complicated or difficult your in-laws may be, you are married to them as well! Even though things may seem to be changing with Ghanaians adopting western values and principles more and more, marriage is still to the entire extended family. This could be a good thing. However, here are five suggestions for dealing with your inlaws the Ghanaian way.

1. Set boundaries. Figure out the boundaries that you'd like to set with your in-laws right from the start. For instance, if your mother-in-law takes over your kitchen every time she visits, talk about it with your spouse. Then have a respectful, but clear conversation with her about the issue.

2. Remember your in-laws are people too. Treat them not like parents, but like you would any other people, you are gradually getting to know. They have needs, concerns, doubts and feelings, just like you do. 3. Respect your spouse's attachments to family. It helps to see your spouse's attachment to the family as something to respect. For instance, if your husband's daily calls to his mother are important to him, it's also important for you to accept and understand this. 4. Take deep breaths. When you are just about reaching a breaking point, take a break to breathe. Find a quiet spot, like a bathroom, or go for a walk. While breathing, focus on the positive aspects of your in-laws — such as “they truly love our children” — and remind yourself that you can't control or change them. Bottom line; the change you want to see begins with YOU 5. Smile: Works all the time! Show respect and keep calm when you're in their presence. After all, you don't have to be with them all the time.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

NANA GAZA PHOTOGRAPHY y name is Emmanuel Koﬁ Daﬀour born in Accra Ghana. Both parents Ghanaians, mom is from Ashanti Region of Ghana and Dad is from the Eastern Region of Ghana. I have two siblings a younger sister and a big brother. I am a proud Akora a product of Achimota School. I was in Achimota nursery school all the way to the Senior High School. I got admission to Achimota Senior High School in 2006 to read Visual Arts. Art has been part of my family as my big brother did some paintings as a hobby as well as my dad. I graduated Achimota Senior High School in 2009 and got admission to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2010 to read BA. Communication Design. I discovered my talent in photography in second year that was

around 2012 during a workshop organized by my department. My passion for photography just took oﬀ, and there was no turning back. The beginning of anything is not easy. I went through lots of hardships and diﬃculties in getting the right equipment to work with because I had no camera at that time. So I had to rely on friends who had cameras to borrow and practice with. Again there was little support at home as to my chosen career which most young photographers in Ghana and Africa as a whole go through. But determination and the strong passion I had kept me going. I see myself as more of an artist than a photographer. My greatest

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inspiration comes from God the best artist the world has ever known. I also draw lots of inspiration from nature and my surroundings. I was lucky enough to have had my attachment in third year with Emmanuel Bobbie (BOB PIXEL). And my time with Emmanuel turned my photography career around. He made me understand the basics of photography and my interest just increased. He is my mentor and more like my big brother than my boss. The friendship, love, and support given to me by Emmanuel Bobbie as well as the favor and protection of God, is what has made me who I am today. I dream of taking my photography to the international level and to compete with other photographers in the world and raise the ﬂag of Ghana as well as Africa as a whole. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, and I know with God everything is possible. I like being alone sometimes especially when it is time to brainstorm for ideas, but generally, I'm the extremely quite type even though at times I get a bit noisy. I love listening to music; I listen to anything as long as it makes sense or has a nice melody. I enjoy watching football, and I love Barcelona and Liverpool. I'm a good listener, and as such have lots of friends and loved ones, I'm a free spirited person, and I mostly say things as they are. My secret is simple; hard work driven by passion backed with the grace of God.

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AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

NSEN SE NO

AUNTY

A S N A M 1. In love with two women I have been happily married for ten years. We have two daughters, who are two and five years old. I work in Accra, and my wife is a stay-at-home mother. Two years ago, I went to the bank and met a very attractive lady. She smiled a lot and was very pleasant. We hit off a beautiful friendship and soon we started a full blown relationship. I love her I must admit, but I love my wife too. I don't want to ruin my family, but this woman is awesome. She's more fun, more attractive, enlightened and a devoted Christian. Being with her is great fun for me. I don't want to lose her at all, what do I do Auntie Mansa? Aunty Mansa Shame on you!! You used the words, “happily married.” There's no excuse to be in another relationship except that you have decided to be in it. It could be an old bad habit of cheating or, you are not worth loving! Does this woman know you are married? And she is a Christian? Shame! Both of you! 2. This unplanned pregnancy I am 35 years old, and I have worked in a private company as a secretary for the last 15 years. I don't have any family in Accra, so I keep to myself most of the time. I have been in a relationship with my boss for more than 15 years now. He was my first. Over the years, we go off to strange places during working hours to do the thing. I must admit it scares me that, one day we could get caught. But what bothers me most is the fact that I'm single and I would like to get married and have kids too. The job pays well, and I enjoy what I do. Also, I have completely fallen in love with my boss. I can't go one day without talking to him. I just found out I'm three months pregnant. I've had two abortions already, and he says I should, this one too. At my age, I don't want to, but I also don't want to ruin his family. How do I fix this? Aunty Mansa What business do you have being in a relationship with a married man? Unless it is convenient for you. He's only using you. When you have aborted all the children God has blessed your womb with, what would be left for your husband? He would never marry you girl. Wake up and smell

Mtcheeew! Auntie Mansa is a retired Headmistress based in Accra. She comes from one of the biggest families in Ghana and has been helping couples ﬁnd solutions to their problems. Write to her: mansa@aaatuumagazine.com

the coﬀee; or is it the palm soup. Look for another job and get out of there. 3. My Dilemma I left my ex for someone I fell instantly in love with on a night out just over a year ago in Accra. We're together now, and I feel like a diﬀerent person. I feel I've rediscovered a version of myself I like. Our relationship is in full, beautiful, vivid bloom and our intimacy is rare and genuine. The problem is I am now developing anxieties about him leaving. I'm haunted by the idea that love is rarely everlasting. I feel I may as well brace myself for the end and that it will be he who eventually leaves. It's absurd. Of course, I can't guarantee he will never leave (we're in our mid-20s) and it makes me uncomfortable to crave such reassurance. How can I reconcile loving and trusting fully with accepting uncertainty? Aunty Mansa What goes around comes around. When you decided to leave your ex, did you consider whether he still wanted to be with you? You are afraid that what you did to someone would come round and happen to you. If you have not started talking about marriage, you surely must be worried. I don't feel sorry for you at all. You know what to do. 4. No Sex I'm 27 years old, and I've been with my boyfriend for ten months after we met in church in Tema. We were friends before, and I haven't felt this comfortable or happy with anyone. We laugh all the time, and I trust his opinion and extreme kindness. But there has never been a sexual connection. In the beginning, I didn't mind having sex with him, but now it's almost a chore, and I sometimes dread it. He is extremely patient, but of late, he expresses how hurtful it is to have me reject him or not be fully into it. I've enjoyed a healthy sex life with other boyfriends, but I value this relationship more than any other. Should I continue and hope it gets better? Lust dwindles in most long-term relationships so should I just be happy with what I have? I worry that throwing away what we have for the sake of a wild sex life is stupid. Aunty Mansa You are both in church. You are not married.

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What is sex doing in your relationship? He is using you, and you have allowed yourself to be disrespected and treated like trash. Are you proud listing those who you have had sex with in the past? Live with it. That's what you want. By the way, who is your pastor? 5. Clingy Girlfriend I am a 30-year-old man in a professional job. My career is going well, but the one thing in my life I am not enjoying is my relationship. My girlfriend, 25, has a beautiful five-year-old daughter, who I adore, and a job, but is restricted due to being a single mother. I am no longer in love with her, but when I try to finish the relationship she cries, and it breaks my heart. I end up taking it back and telling her I'm just stressed by work. She is a very anxious woman, and clingy, which I hate. If I don't text her back, she sends me messages which appear normal, but I can sense the panic in them. She constantly needs reassurance, and it's now becoming very annoying. What do I do? Aunty Mansa Be bold and tell her exactly what is on your mind and move on. Of course, she'd play her tricks because she knows it works on you. Don't be a coward. Speak up and stop giving her false hope. 6. Pastor is looking at me “creeping me out.” I have been going to this new church I was introduced to a year ago by my cousin. I enjoy the style of worship, but the pastor keeps staring at me. He looks at me all the time. I know it's all about my big bum. I can see a time soon when he will want to start something with me. What do I do? Aunty Mansa There are two sides to this. You are saying the pastor keeps looking at you. You have interpreted the look to mean, he would soon want to do something with me. Are you waiting for that thing to happen before you leave that church? Then you desire that thing to happen. Perhaps if the pastor was confronted with your accusations, he might say that you keep looking at him!! Girl, if you are that uncomfortable, find a n o t h e r p l a c e t o w o r s h i p . Pe r i o d. Remember, “Flee from sin.”

Games & Puzzles 2

Ananse and friends

SPOT 6 DIFFERENCEs Answers on page 76

World Cities Word Search Puzzle

Pentagon Arithmagons

See if you can solve these four Pentagon arithmagons. The aim of an arithmagon is to work out which numbers go in the empty circles. The numbers in the square boxes are made by adding together the numbers in the circles either side. Answers on page 76

Answers on page 76 AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Tales

from the Chopbox

People share stories from secondary school

The 4x100m Relay Baton Snafus of 1982/83. Lawrence 'Saywaso' Lamptey drops the baton. When the school bus arrived in front of the of the Admin Block, Sportsmaster B.T. Akrong in a break with protocol, alighted without addressing the team and headed straight for Madina and to his favorite Water Into Wine First Miracle Bar. 2 tots of Gordon Dry Gin did not console him so he beckoned Maateki the curvaceous and voluptuous young lady barmaid whose rear assets featured in the lustful fantasy dreams of men in the neighborhood to bring him Suhum & Agomenya blend of locally brewed stuﬀ. It worked in sedating him from the pain he was momentarily undergoing. He was disappointingly disappointed; let down by a relay squad he had spent time going over the mechanics of baton change. Every evening after training, he had taken them through the techniques using an illustrated handbook from the famed Sports Science faculty of the University of Leipzig, Germany. It was the last race of the two days athletics meet. Presec vociferous fans were having a jolly time; oranges were being squeezed for juice and pulp till they could protest no more. Others enjoyed hot bofrot being sold at the gate and boiled fresh corn with 'akpenator' coconut. Jama songs came from the repertoire of Riis House trio of Tesheer, late Maputo and late Joshua Nkomo Across the horizon, BlackStar Line ship MV Oti River struggled with her cargo on its way to Tema from Southampton. When Hercules carried the world on his shoulders, he knew the enormous responsibility involved. Presec had Lawrence Lamptey as anchor for obvious reasons. Running the anchor or last leg is reserved for best sprinters.

by Eddie Coﬁe

mourners leaving the Osu Cemetery. It registered and resonated with them; they were mourning a loss and Presecans just had one. An Odadee experienced Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea) and fainted.

An anchor is expected to make up for any shortfall of the previous runners or maintain their lead to victory. Lawrence's smashing form of 10.8 sec made him our Moses that evening. The stakes were indeed very high. The Longines Scoreboard that had not seen any repairs since it was commissioned by Col Simpe Asante in 1976, had Labone Secondary School on the verge of being champions. A win in this race; tantamount to pulling chestnuts from blazing fire, would propel Presec to the top and clinch the championship. As the relay team got ready, the vociferous Presec fans broke into the song of Great Crusaders Colts Club: O Nyame Sumsum Saanbra, Saan b3y3 wojuma. ..... O Nyame Ooo ONyame OooKwame King of Riis House started and handed over to Whizzy Low[was back for remedial] who kept the lead and passed baton to Skanja of Kwansa House. Like Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics and in the fashion of Presec Athletic Legend Ashalley Cooper, Skanja ran the race of his life and as he approached the baton exchange zone, Odadees knew victory was certain. So sure were Presecans of victory that we started exchanging high fives in the stands and shifted our attention to the finish line. It was a done deal we all thought or assumed. Skanja 'handed over' the baton to Lawrence who took off and baton slipped and fell on the track. The resounding shout of 'Oh Yehowa, Oh Yehowa ' echoed across to

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An attempt to revive him by removing his clothes and fanning him was abandoned due to the state of his singlet, underwear and socks. Image of Presec was at stake and had to be protected. As we filed out of the stadium crestfallen, two Odadees stayed glued to their seats. The shock from events that unfolded moments ago had rendered them deaf and dumb. “Charlie, we dey go ooo. Why, you go sleep here?”. There were unresponsive so an Odadee from Akropong who knew sign language, communicated with them and persuaded them to leave the stadium.Blame game and finger pointing started in the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed God for the infractions of Eve. This 'coroner's inquest' dragged on for days. Did Skanja FULLY GIVE the baton to Lawrence? Did Lawrence FULLY RECEIVE the baton? Was Lawrence just reckless and careless? Were his palms sweaty? For days Lawrence was in a confused state. Sitting in ashes and sackcloth, he 'mourned' letting Presec down. He could not forgive himself. Songs were composed overnight to taunt him and catcalls greeted him anywhere he was sighted. Two friends Engmann and Nortey stood by him; they still do today. But Presec eventually moved on and Lawrence would run again; this time for UST holding the baton firmly like an 'aposor'. Engineer Lawrence 'Saywaso' Lamptey, we salute you. You do some for Presec. Eddie Fico, Akro House 76-83 NB: Happy New Year to all my Presec Toli fans

Boxing Escapades Military Style

have a deep and undying respect for boxers; really I do, and if you don't – well, you should. A professional boxer in effect says to the world; “I agree to enter an enclosed space with a fellow with whom I have no personal differences and probably never met, and, using strictly prescribed methods, attempt to beat him up during a specified period, with the full knowledge that he will have the same intentions towards me. If I beat up enough people, I will receive a large sum of money and an oversized belt which I can't wear with any of my clothes.” One of my favourites, a fellow called Mike Tyson when asked what he did for a living, couldn't have been more precise; “Me?”, the rumour goes, “I knock motherf***ers out”. As a spirited teenager, I had my share of scuffles with as many losses as wins. (My brief skirmish against Elaine in Form four was declared a draw, much to my annoyance). My last altercation occurred at Eredec Disco in Koforidua when another patron who had had too much to drink, said some obscene things about my mother after I bumped into his table and made him spill some beer. In response, I made some uncomplimentary remarks about the size of his genitals, whereupon he threatened to slap me and started rising to deliver on his threat. I smartly poked him in the eye and pushed his table against him forcing him to resume his seat. That done, I retreated behind a wall of dancers and interveners while my prospective adversary attended to his eye. A large bouncer appeared on the scene in short order and declared the proceedings closed. A taxi hastened

my withdrawal…. The army would have been proud of me, for my actions had all the making of a perfect raid; a surprise, ferocious attack followed by a rapid withdrawal supported by necessary measures to delay the enemy's pursuit.

The Holy Trinity of punches (the jab, hook and uppercut), fancy footwork, parrying, dodging as well as various punch combinations.

Of all the unarmed combat training in the Ghana Military Academy, boxing is by far the most popular- at least among instructors and the broad populace of the barracks and Teshie town. The two-day tournament at the end of boxing training, held on the parade square and open to spectators, is preceded by about three months of vigorous training. For most of us, it was our introduction to the sophisticated world of weaving and bobbing, the Holy Trinity of punches (the jab, hook and uppercut), fancy footwork, parrying, dodging as well as various punch combinations. I would have been quite happy to malinger my way through the whole thing; the only problem was that only a doctor could exempt anybody from the training and tournament at the end of it. If you weren't fit to box, you weren't fit to be an officer, so exemptions on medical grounds,

by Ben Owusu Firempong

except for injuries and proven illnesses, were quite out of the question. The only solution was to master the trade to avoid getting beaten up too badly. Usually, we sparred against opponents in the same weight class. But sometimes the instructors would let two mismatched opponents spar. The official reason was to improve our defensive technique; its real purpose, we suspected, was to punish 'tooknown' officer cadets. I soon discovered why boxers are classed according to their weight. For a guy my (small) size, a well-delivered punch from a heavyweight feels like being hit by a light truck. The main difference is the wheels on the truck. I hadn't had any fighting practice since my brief altercation in the disco and I was worried – very worried. But I caught a lucky break. During the three-week Easter break, I wondered into the Koforidua Community Centre and saw none other than the legendary Sulley Shitu, former Commonwealth boxing champion, training some aspiring boxers. Sulley was employed by the Sports Council at the time. I waited for him to finish his session and laid bare my soul. He agreed to give me an hour of training every other day. I particularly remember how he taught me to purse and stiffen my lips such that a punch wouldn't cause my teeth to cut into my lips. Another important skill was how to 'step into' a taller opponent with a longer reach. Being the shortest in my class, I would in all probability, be fighting a taller opponent. It was with great confidence that I returned to the academy at the end of the break…… Come Novices' Boxing Night, I was almost ready. The instructors concealed the pairings from us until

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the day of the competition to prevent any 'softly-softly' agreements between prospective opponents. I had been paired up against my own cousin and very good friend, much to my discomfort. In a hastily convened closed-door summit about half an hour before the fight, we solemnly affirmed that ours would be a 'sawasawa' bout with lots of weaving and bobbing, and no few head punches; in effect a fight, 'full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing'. That agreement died in the first few seconds of Round One when my opponent delivered a hard left jab directly onto my face. My nose throbbed and I could taste salt. I had assumed –and rightly so – that the 'no head punch' clause in the fine print of our standing agreement would cover my lips, and ignored Sulley's tips on lip-pursing. I gave him a look that was supposed to say:

“You do remember our agreement, don't you, Sir?” His next punch clariﬁed his position with respect to our agreement; namely that he had unilaterally withdrawn from it without prior notice. Under normal circumstances, I would have told him in strong language what I thought of his ungentlemanly conduct, but boxing matches typically preclude conversations between opponents. Only involuntary grunts and moans –and the occasional howl of pain - are permitted. I mentally pulled out the Sulley Playbook and joined battle. Far in the background, I could hear the spectators cheering. My Course Commander, Major Johnny Okai (Oshinkpa), the gentlest of God's creatures, was on his feet and shouting, “Beat him! I say beat him!” (seasoned with the occasional Ga expletive when I landed a good

punch). I complied, winning the bout on, as the announcer said, “by anonymous decision of the judges'. The announcer returned after a brief consultation with the officer-incharge to declare that my victory had been by a unanimous decision as well. Victory comes in many forms. My less-than-fifteen minutes victory in the ring came with a painful click in my left jaw, an involuntary increase in the temperature of my ears, a puffy red slit in place of my right eye, thicker lips, reddish teeth, arms that weighed like lead and legs that felt like jelly. I couldn't care less if the judges had arrived at their decision by open or secret ballot. I felt the referee yank my arm up, the good people of Teshie cheered and – with what little energy I had left - I wobbled out of the ring. I play tennis these days.

Brew & Grill (B&G) 7 Flowers Street, Tabora No 2 Accra, Ghana

We offer well executed meals. What is your preferred choice? Rabbit, Pork, Goat Chicken or Fish? What would you like it with? Rice, Yam, Plantain, Akyeke, Pasta or Couscous? How about fresh green Kontomire or Garden Eggs or a tasty Vegetable Medley? Your choice is just a bite away. Call, Text, Email or Whatsapp us on 054-995-1905 Visit our facebook page: facebook.com/brewandgrillaccra We are prepared to cater to your food of choice, contact us for a quote 64 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Grandma Knows best Grandma gives us numerous tips on treating coughs, headaches and other conditions using natural ingredients, through to ways to avoid chemical-laden products around the home. These should also save you money as well as providing healthy alternatives.

The Magic of Coconut oil Coconut oil has a surprising number of health benefits, from relieving stress to bolstering your immune system. It can be used to cook food, moisturize skin, and treat infections. With all of these benefits, it’s hard to imagine why you wouldn’t add coconut oil to your life. Here are some reasons why coconut oil is a miracle of nature and why YOU should be using it. Improves Your Skin Coconut oil acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. It can treat psoriasis, eczema, rosacea and even wrinkles and protects the skin from sun exposure, skin cancer, and free radical damage. Helps You Lose Weight Coconut oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. When you add coconut oil into your diet, you’ll feel fuller and eat fewer calories overall.

Stress Relief Coconut oil is very soothing, so it’s an excellent massage oil for the skin. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue. Just the natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level. Makes Your Hair Grow and Repairs Damage Coconut oil is one of the best natural remedies for your hair. It helps in the healthy growth of new hair and provides a shiny complexion. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. Good for the Heart Comprised of about 50% lauric acid, coconut oil helps control high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. The saturated fats in coconut oil do not have harmful properties of those contained in other vegetable oils.

Apple Cider Vinegar Of all the well-touted natural health remedies that exist today, very few are followed quite as religiously as taking a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar every day. Apple cider vinegar has been hailed as a cure-all supplement, from allergy relief to weight loss. Anywhere you look, you can ﬁnd people who believe that drinking apple cider vinegar has helped them. Just some of Apple Cider Vinegar’s well-touted beneﬁts may include: • Lowers cholesterol • Weight loss • Appetite suppression • Diabetes Management

Sea salt for dry skin You don't need an expensive skin care product to treat rough patches on your knees, elbows, and heels. A sea salt scrub made at home will work just as well. "Sea salt is a good exfoliator because it has thicker grains that do a good job of clearing away dry skin. Just mix one cup of sea salt with 1/2 cup of

THE WISH

a light massage oil. "Use a bowl to make sure the mixture stays moist, like wet sand, and not runny; It's best to keep this scrub away from your more sensitive areas like your face and the back of your arms, though. It can be harsh on skin that doesn't require as much exfoliation.

One day, Ken went to church to pray. God appeared and asked, "Ken what do you wish for"?Ken replied "God, please I want to drive a big car with plenty of girls in it"God exclaimed. "Amen, may your wish be done"Currently, Ken is now a bus driver at Aburi Girls Secondary School.

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

BUSINESS

Business Ideas to Start in Ghana

Most Ghanaians living abroad, hope to return home one day to stay. They dream of building a business that would be rewarding enough and also contribute their quota to the development of the economy. Regardless of what lures a Ghanaian out of Ghana, there is one over-riding aim: to achieve something, while abroad and, possibly, return home. By Stephen Atta Owusu oving out of Ghana, however, isn't always the dream that it is perceived to be. Very often, ambitions delay due to circumstances beyond our control. There are the Ghanaians who are bored and tired of living in the cold for so many years. Then there are the well-educated who are not happy to be engaged in menial jobs. Many are trapped into staying abroad because they don't have any contingency to fall back on when they finally return home. This article is directed towards those seeking business ideas to give them a level up when they return. Some of the businesses I am going to suggest do not need any start-up capital, and can be launched immediately upon arrival. Anyone with the required skills can start these businesses, regardless of educational background. ONE The first business idea is a dry cleaning and a laundry service. All you will need are a few washing machines. One of the machines must be bigger than the others. Once the machines are in Ghana, the next thing you have to consider is access to water and electricity. With the present electricity and water crisis, you will need a generator and a machine-pumped borehole. A simple advert will be necessary to start. This will involve going door-to-door through the neighborhood, introducing yourself and your new business - a new dry cleaning and laundry service. During the first week of active service, announce half-price for the customers who bring their clothing to be washed. It will be important to get price estimates from neighboring laundry services to reduce your charge by 10%, to set competitive prices. This small company will gradually expand if you keep customers very satisfied. TWO If you are educated or business-minded, here is another business idea you may want to try: tutoring. 66 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

ANYONE WITH THE REQUIRED SKILLS CAN START THESE BUSINESSES, REGARDLESS OF EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.

Yo u m a y s t a r t w i t h o n e o r t w o classrooms, increasing as the project expands. Your main purpose is to organize extra or remedial classes for those who want to improve on their BECE and WASSCE results. Teaching must accommodate those who want to study in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Competent teachers must be employed to teach the examination content that is required to enter universities abroad. These are GRE, SAT, GCE “O” and “A” Levels, TOEFL or IELT and other international exams. One of the good things about this business venture is a number of advertising options. You may post advertisements in the area where you live, in a few Senior High Schools, or even in your local church. The advertisement, combined with eﬀective and resultoriented teaching, will spread the word of your idea like a bushﬁre. The important thing is to identify what is relevant to impart to the students. You may charge between GHc600 to GHc1000 per student per year, and GHc1500 exam preparation. THREE This next idea is better for women or anyone with childcare experience. Start a babysitting, crèche, or day care center. Make sure there are enough baby cots, bed sheets, and foam mattresses for the kids and enough engaging toys and playthings brought from abroad. A very healthy and clean environment will induce, entice, and encourage more parents to bring their children to the center. It has become increasingly common for parents to send their babies to a crèche and their children to day care centers since many are working far away from home. These parents do not just choose day care centers at random. They take environment, toys, and many other factors into consideration. A person who has lived abroad and brought up his children may be capable or more likely to provide the best facilities for the children. This is a good

business option because you can run another project, business or job during normal hours. You can even relax or do some other work while watching the children.

will blossom, and you will never regret leaving your comfort zone to start your business in Ghana. SIX If you know anything about catering, then you can put up a profit-making business in Ghana. In Ghana, a lot of events go on almost on a daily basis. These range from birthdays, outdooring, school events, church gathering, office parties, etc. You may offer anything from cakes, and, cocktails, and everything in between. Once you have effectively established your business idea in Ghana, simply launch an advertisement of your services to party goers you know and continue to sharpen your skills. As a strategy, make sure you price your services reasonably and deliver premium service as well.

FOUR IT specialists and computer experts should never wallow in the quagmire of despondency abroad. It will never be worth it to remain abroad and wash dishes or clean factory floors with this special skill. I have a suggestion for you, dear IT specialist. There are many businesses in Ghana, namely educational institutions, hospitals, wholesalers and retailers, importers, exporters, and various businesses that have no websites or blogs. A new direction is needed for Ghanaian companies and institutions to have an online presence for public viewing. This is a lucrative business for website designers because websites require consistent upkeep. Many existing blogs and websites look crappy and poorly designed. You can make a difference if you have a good eye for color and design. With a little research, flair, and practice, you can design websites and blogs that will be preferred and admired by customers and visitors to the sites.

SEVEN The market for jewelry and bags is also worth considering. The market for accessories is huge. All you need is to be skilled in making fashionable items. Get a good camera, take nice pictures, post them on social media, and charge ridiculously low prices. Once you have a customer base, you can begin raising your prices.

FIVE If you are a computer technician or repairer, a great deal of work is waiting for you in Ghana. Leave the backbreaking construction job, get established in Ghana, and begin to use your training as a means of achieving psychological and material satisfaction. If you are a good computer repairer, you have no reason to ponder or worry about what you can do in Ghana. Use your training to help Ghanaians fix their computer problems. Many have no idea how to fix a system crash, solve blue screen of death, boot a computer, download videos from YouTube, install software, remove malware from a computer, or solve internet connectivity issues. These are simple problems that can take the software and computer repairer only ten minutes to solve while those who don't know about problem fixing struggle with it. While you get established in Ghana, advertise your services on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and to close friends. The business

EIGHT There are other business ventures worth considering in Ghana. These are solar energy businesses, diet and nutrition recipes to ensure ﬁtness and ﬂat tummies, launching a physical training gym, hair and makeup styling, managing a company's social media accounts and blogs, and the last but not the least, creating a local company that does animations for Ghanaian children. You can even use familiar Ananse stories as well as other children's stories. This area, indeed, is virgin territory, and any computer expert can collaborate with an artist to produce professional results.The dumsor enigma still hangs on the heads of Ghanaians like the sword of Damocles. However, if one is bent on establishing a business in Ghana, there is still room to move upwards. Alternative energy sources such as solar and generators can be used to support the business. It shall be well with Ghana, our motherland.

Investing in Ghana's Agricultural & Agro-Processing Industry

mangoes and coconut, as well as livestock. Sweet potato and soybean crops are viable in this agro–ecological zone, under irrigation. The lower part of this zone is drained by River Volta. Together with other streams and lagoons, these water resources present opportunities for ﬁsh farming or aquaculture.

rom Ghana’s total land area of 23.9 million hectares, about 57% is suitable for agricultural purposes. The country is classiﬁed into three main agriculture zones. The forest vegetation zone consists of parts of Western, Eastern, Ashanti, BrongAhafo and Volta Regions. The northern savannah vegetation zone includes the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions while the coastal savannah includes mainly the Central, Greater Accra and parts of Volta Region. The northern savannah zone is the largest agriculture zone. Most of the nation’s supply of rice, millet, sorghum, yam,

tomatoes, cattle, sheep, goat and cotton are grown in the region. In recent times, mango and ostrich commercial farms are also gaining footholds in the northern zone. The coastal savannah is notable for rice, maize, cassava, vegetables, sugar cane,

In the forest zone where rainfall is plentiful, cocoa, coﬀee, oil palm, cashew, and rubber are cultivated as is the majority of plantain, banana and citrus supplies crops. The major strengths of the sector include a diversity of commodities, well-endowed drainage basin, a well-established agricultural research system and a relative proximity to the European market.

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

ENTERTAINMENT GH IT’S BEEN AN INTERESTING YEAR FOR GHANAIAN CELEBRITIES REGARDING WHICH POLITICAL PARTY TO ENDORSE OR NOT BUT.. IT’S ALL OVER NOW. HERE ARE THOSE WHO MADE NEWS IN 2016

Dee Aja, ‘Onaapo’ hitmaker

MzVee

David Aja, the originator and composer of the popular campaign song for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) dubbed ‘Onaapo’ has said he had earned a lot of business deals from the song.He said he created “Onaapo” because he loved the NDC party, but he's not a fan.Eh???

On May 20, 2016, MzVee was nominated for the BET Awards 2016 - Best International Act: Africa category and became the ﬁrst Ghanaian female musician to be nominated for a major BET Award.She was also nominated in the Best Female category in October 2016 for the MTV Africa Music Awards.

Joey B SDarryl Paa Kwesi Bannerman-Martin, known under the stage name Joey B, is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and rapper. He is well known for his single "Tonga.” Also, some of his latest hits include “U & Me” and “Strawberry.” He was recently performed in the Unites States during the Thanksgiving Weekend, enjoying a diverse club experience. He performed live for the ﬁrst time in DC, at the grand opening of Cities Lounge on 26th Nov. 2016.

Stonebwoy Stonebwoy's real name is Livingstone Etse Satekla. He is a Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall, and reggae artiste and is the CEO of Burniton Music Group. Many Ghanaians recognize him as one of the leading Reggae and Dancehall artists in the country. Satekla was born in Ashaiman and began making music in his early school days. He had two nominations in 2016 for best reggae/dancehall music video and best West African video.

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By Yvonne Ameyaw

S W E N

Mr Eazi Eazi has collaborated with famous names in the Ghanaian music industry, such as Sarkodie, Efya, and Pappy Kojo. Last year, he was controversially excluded from the annual Ghana Music Awards because he's not a Ghanaian citizen. He is famous for hit songs “Bankulize”, “Pipi dance” and many more.

Bekey Mills Ghanaian Austrian based Bekey Mills, ﬁnally released the much anticipated danceable tune featuring the current reigning star boy Wisa Greid(Ments3 Bo hit maker)’. The song is titled ”COME CHOP’ which is literally translated in the local Ghanaian language ”TWI” as #Bra_be_di. It’s the current term on the streets of Accra. The Potential hit song is produced by Ronyturnmeup… This song is already trending with the DJs.

John Dumelo

Aﬁa is married

reports making The Actor dismissed that attendants dia me ial rounds on soc Legon st Ea in at a ﬁlling station because he him to ve ser to d refuse ernment. supported the NDC gov

Prince Kevin

Boateng

Ghana Black St and Tottenha ars, former AC Milan m midﬁelder Boateng, 29 , has marrie Kevin-Prince d girlfriend in a lavish cere his model mony in he native Italy. r

Photos emerging online have confirmed that indeed, radio and TV personality Afia Schwarzenegger is married to Lawrence Abrokwah and is now officially Mrs. Abrokwah.

Becca Robbers broke into her car which was parked outside a house around Chez Afrique at East Legon in Accra and made away with everything.

Bisa Kdei Black Legendary label has released the ofﬁcial music video for “Life”, a song performed by Bisa Kdei and Nigeria’s VP label act, Patoranking.

Nana Ama McBrown The Ghanaian actress married her longtime boyfriend, Maxwell Mensah in 2016.

Sarkodie Wins Artiste of the Year at the 2016 African Legends Aw ards held at the Bespoke Event Ce ntre in Lagos. He also picked up the award for the Top Subscribed Youtube Channel in Ghana.

Shatta Wale Dancehall Artiste Shatta Wale once again lived up to expectation at Citi FM’s 2016 edition of December to Remember concert. Most of the patrons at the event had no option than to stand and dance to his nice tunes.

Mzbel An ardent supporter of President John Mahama, Mzbel is reported to have said that she believes Mahama is still the best man to lead Ghana.

Koﬁ Adjorlolo Kwaw Kesse

por ting Was nominated for Best Sup s. VCA AM 7 Actor at 201 received a The movie ‘Ghana Must Go’ ned with number of nominations crow g bein rlolo Adjo Koﬁ r acto the ace r in Acto ting por Sup t Bes nominated for a Drama Movie/T V Series.

He is married to ac tre Baffour. Kwaw’s wo ss Doris Kyei man is known as Pokua/Poks off he r role in popular Ghanaian Televisi on series, Eﬁewura A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7 .

ƆDADEƐ PRESBYTERIAN BOYS SECONDAY SCHOOL OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION

its inception to its current status as the leading Savings and Loans Company in Ghana.

One of our kind

Mike Nyinaku

few years back...Senior Pakas and I and a few friends visited the Beige Capital Resort. We asked for Mike so we could introduce ourselves as Ɔdadeɛs and congratulate him on his excellent facility. They said the big man had gone to Accra but was on his way back. After a round of Golf...we saw Mike arrive in a chauffeured driven SUV. The staff all gathered to carry his briefcase and welcome him back. He was sitting at the back of the car and a security guard opened the car door for him to get down. We approached him and asked him if he was Mike Nyinaku. He responded by asking us who we were. We told him we are his seniors from Presec and asked him to kneel down in front of his staff for responding to seniors with a question. He said ...”Oh please, seniors ....I beg”. One of the Ɔdadeɛs started singing....”All we are saying...don't waste our time”. Mike humbly knelt down to the utter amazement of his staff. A security guard started to approach us menacingly, but Mike waved him off. After a minute or so...we asked him to stand up. It was all fun. We embraced him and had a good conversation after that. Nice to know he acknowledge his roots and will always be a true Ɔdadeɛ! - Sam Addo Atlanta Georgia USA Mike Nyinaku founded the BEIGE Group (TBG) in 2008 after a successful career as a professional accountant with OIC

International-Ghana (OICI-GH) and Deloitte & Touche (D&T) for ten (10) years.TBG, an investment firm, specializes in establishing new or investing in already existing businesses particularly in Banking & Finance, and Real Estate. BEIGE Capital – a flagship subsidiary of TBG – has gained a reputation as the leading savings and loans company in Ghana.As Director of Finance for OICI-GH – a US-based NGO; he had responsibility for providing financial planning, management, capacity building and technical advice on multiple community development programs that were implemented by the organization in several locations in Ghana and across West Africa. Mike served OICI – Ghana between 2001 and 2008. Before this, he trained for two (2) years as a finance and audit specialist with Deloitte & Touché. Throughout his career, Mike has demonstrated continuous leadership in business excellence, technical skills and project execution. An award-winning entrepreneur highly regarded as one of Ghana’s emerging business leaders, he features prominently in many speaking engagements aimed at promoting thought leadership, youth and business development Mike’s ambition is to continue pioneering innovation in new business developments which would expand the profile of TBG and also inspire entrepreneurship and business excellence in Ghana. He is a Fellow of the ACCA. “As Chief Executive Officer, Mike has nurtured the growth of BEIGE Capital from

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”NET WORTH SUMMARY Beige Capital currently has a stated capital of GH¢90 million which is more than the minimum capital requirements for savings and loans companies in Ghana. The Beige Group, an investment management firm, specializes in establishing new or investing in already existing businesses involved in the following sectors of industry- Banking & Finance, Real Estate, Mining, Hospitality & Logistics. Since inception, TBG has established seven (7) successful and independent businesses altogether employing over 2,500 people. The combined asset base of TBG’s investment portfolio is over $200 million. BEIGE Capital – a flagship investment product of TBG – has gained the reputation as one of the fastest growing and reputable savings and loans companies in Ghana since its inception in 2011. BEIGE Village Golf Resort & SPA – another fully owned investment product of TBG has also earned significant recognition in Ghana, West Africa and across the international business landscape as a world-class destination for relaxation, business conferencing and private social events. Nyinaku owns five gold mining concession which has a reserve estimation of about 500,000 ounces each, three of them have a reserve estimate of about 2 million ounces on average. Nyinaku is currently developing The January Cities Project; a mix of five cities which he plans to develop in the next twenty years in Ghana. The project would have about 2,500 residences and made up of 50,000 homes. His notable properties include the BEIGE Village Golf Resort & Spa at New Abirem, Ghana.

you keep your cool during a ﬂush and tend to hold their shape better,” she adds. Look for instant updates “As you get older, you want to stay looking modern but without chasing all the trends because you have your own personal style. If you have some good quality basics, you can easily update your look by investing in a few new tops,” notes Ms. Walsh. Try an asymmetric top or oﬀ-the-shoulder top in neutral colors, taking elements from the high street for an instant update to your wardrobe.

Ageing with grace & Style ave you noticed how on arriving at age 50 Ghanaian women begin to abandon the 'girl' in them and switch their clothing for the traditional 'kaba and slit' with 'duuku' which used to be worn mostly on Sundays for church? I just cannot tell if it is a result of aging or they just plain give up on themselves. It is true that being 'older' in Ghanaian culture implies a sense of being more responsible, carrying more than the fair share of life's complications and being expected to have solutions to all issues. But where do clothes ﬁt in all this?? I would think rather than constricting themselves in tradition; older women would go for loosening up … gather the guts to show a little leg or some cleavage…. Anything to cool down the body which insists on listening to the faulty thermostat that instructs it to sweat profusely even when sitting in an air-conditioned room which is 18 degrees as indicated by the thermometer. Ladies, if for nothing else, when you start feeling too old, it is time to loosen up. Why don't the 50 plus have the will to spruce themselves up, look good

and feel better even at social gatherings?? Do they believe getting older means following strict rules such as covering your arms and avoiding black? Not so, according to fashion journalist Alyson Walsh, author of Style Forever. “I hate all those rules,” she says. “Style is an individual thing. You just have to figure out what works for you. Our body shape can change around the menopause – mine has – so you may need to adapt a bit, but there's no one-size-fits-all just because you're older.”So to help you find the right style for you, we asked Ms. Walsh for her top tips for ageless chic. Loosen up Master the art of layering“Anything you can waft – or remove – is good for a hot flush,” says Ms. Walsh. Start with a base such as a slightly long sleeveless tunic over some slim trousers or a straight maxi skirt and then layer a shorter crop top or a shirt over the top. It's loose and comfortable but still very chic. “Fabric is also important – go for natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk and cashmere, as they absorb moisture from the skin and help air to circulate the body better. They'll help

Put your best foot forward “I don't think anyone looks glamorous when their feet hurt. Nearly every designer brand now has a range of trainers,” says Ms. Walsh. “Not only are they comfortable but buying a new pair of snazzy trainers is another good way to look current and of the moment. I also really like loafers, brogues, and flats, which are great if you need to look a bit smarter. ”Adding the final touches “Don't forget to accessorize to complete your outfit, but I wouldn't necessarily wear a big statement necklace if you're experiencing hot flushes,” advises Ms. Walsh. “You want to feel free and uncluttered, and a heavy necklace can make you feel clammy and sweaty. Go for a pair of chandelier earrings instead. ”Don't stop at jewelry – why not wear a belt to add color to your look and pull in looser tops. “They are also easy to remove so if you do start to feel uncomfortable you can just whip it off,” says Ms. Walsh. Ultimately, wear what makes you look and feel good through the menopause (and cope with the hot flushes it brings) – and if you can't find it, get an expert's opinion. “The thing to remember is that you're not dressing for your age, you're dressing for your body shape,” adds Walsh. “If you're not sure what suits you anymore and need a little help, you can always use a personal shopper at one of the department stores. They are often free and have seen women of all shapes, sizes, ages. ”Style doesn't rely on age, and Menopause is a great time to experiment and get creative to figure out what works best for you.

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

How to use social media responsibly

ocial media tools such as Facebook,

only.” Don't discuss things you wouldn't

access to all of your posted content and

Instagram and Twitter are a part of

want them to know about. Don't use

information.

everyday life. Social networking

language you wouldn't use in front of your Assume there are predators out there

websites such as these, are useful Internet

parents. Finally, make sure you set your

tools to keep in touch with friends and

proﬁle to “private” so that you can control

trying to FIND YOU based on the

family and can be utilized to meet new

who has easy access to your information.

information you provide on your proﬁle. Think like a predator. What information on

people with similar interests. These sites have become very popular among teens

USE DISCRETION when putting pictures

your proﬁle identiﬁes who you are, where

as they seek to explore/deﬁne who they

(or any content for that matter) on your

you hang out, and where you live? Never

are and connect with others like

proﬁle. Your friends might think that

post this kind of information anywhere

themselves. If used responsibly, these sites

picture of you acting silly at the party last

online. Your friends know how to ﬁnd you.

can be a positive and beneﬁcial resource

night is hilarious, but how will your parents

for youth. Too often, however, adolescents

or a potential employer react? Also

You may be held responsible for

include too much personal information,

remember that when your friend (or a

inappropriate content on your proﬁle

discuss inappropriate behaviors that could

stranger) takes your picture, it may end up

that is in violation of the Terms of Service

get them into trouble, or otherwise place

on their proﬁle for all to see.

or Acceptable Use Policies of the Internet Service Provider or website(s) you use.

themselves at risk by what they share on their online proﬁles. We have heard a

Assume people WILL use the

Moreover, school districts across the

number of stories of youth who have been

information on your proﬁle to cause

country are revising their policies to allow

cyberbullied using information found on

you harm. Don't put anything online you

them to discipline students for online

social networking websites. Here are a few

wouldn't want your worst enemy to know.

behavior that can be linked to a disruption

tips to guide you and your family.

Also, don't add people as “friends” unless

in the classroom environment – even if

you know them in real life. Even if you

you wrote or posted the content at home

Assume that EVERYONE has access to

think you know them, be skeptical. Kids

from your computer.

your proﬁle (parents, teachers, future

often believe that it is cool to accumulate

employers, and law enforcement) even if

and have thousands of “friends.” Just

you have your proﬁle restricted to “friends

remember that these people have open

72 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Source: Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. & Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D.Cyberbullying Research Center

EVENTS

Afrolems visits the

Accra Food Festival 2016

Facebook ad popped up a few months ago notifying me about a food festival that was going to happen in Accra. The food blogger in me got excited, and I clicked to ﬁnd out more information. After a short supposedly convincing conversation with my mom, we decided to book our tickets in preparation for this lovely weekend in September.

Afrolems is an African food blog with a specialization in Nigerian Food. Our main focus is to stylize African food so it can be internationalized.

flowing left, right and center. Kebabs, Yam balls, coconut candy, drinks, all free at their station. It was cozy and top notch at the event. I found myself going to rest at their spot in between my roamings. They were offering a discount to people who were interested in staying at their lodge. Their customer service was great paaaaa! I think I'm officially Ghanaian at this point.

My mom had visited Accra previously, and I hadn't so I had a blank canvas to paint my impressions of Accra. She decided to brief me about the city, and it's nuances and what to expect. I have to say; her description did not do Accra justice at all. Either I have been in chaotic Lagos too long, or Accra decided to be peaceful this weekend. From immigration to the streets of Accra, things seemed a bit more organized than I expected. I still saw hawkers and experienced the usual traffic as compared to Lagos, but there was something a little more peaceful about my transit from the airport to the house I was staying. It was not as noisy, cars were not honking as much, the malls were not as rowdy, a majority of the people were polite. Something about the ambience of the city felt different. Our first night was spent at Phillipos Tilapia thanks to our lovely host, Mrs Funmi. We had some delicious Banku and Peppered Tilapia. We hear that Phillipos Tilapia is quite popular in the city so whenever you are in Accra, be sure to visit. Day 2 came along, and my mom and I got dressed, sunscreen protected and hopped in our ride to the Accra Food Festival at the Accra Polo Club. Chale! That sun was from another world. We quickly ducked under the nearest shade and bought some moringa iced tea (peppermint flavour) from the Minga foods crew. I have to say that was super refreshing. We ventured into the rest of the festival when the sun gave us a little break. We saw vendors carrying distinct chopping boards, kitchen appliances, skin care products, etc. Foodie products that stood out at the Accra Food Festival

Love Pops Ghana This business is run by a 10-year old boy who decided to make ice-pops for his siblings birthday party and has now started an ice-pop business. He was also kind to set aside some of the proceeds of his sale at the food fair to give to charity.

The Sweet Art Co This very vibrant lady is killing the chocolate game in Accra. Talk about sexy packaging. Godiva watch out! Catch the cruise of it; she makes these chocolates from her garage. I think it took me a while to pick up my dropped jaw from the ﬂoor when she told me. Her chocolates are called Moments premium chocolate, and they are well worth the spend. Midunu I have never had anyone serve me brownies, and I pause to stir at them in disbelief of the greatness of what just exploded in my mouth. This lovely lady Chef Selassie did that. She just stuck a toothpick in a brownie and oﬀered it to me, and I was legitimately stunned. I need to go learn how to make those at her lovely restaurant. She is indeed killing the game out in Accra, and you should check out the restaurant.

Urban Box Ghana This is a home delivery service that supplies fresh foods and produce, right to your doorstep. Their packaging was also out of this world. I mean whattttt Plantain chips looking sexy and what not. They also had free bissap juice samples and sausages. So yummy!

The Royal Senchi They came throughhhhh ah ah!!! Food

I got to hang and interview people with my lovely sister Mukase Chic who also owns a restaurant out in Accra and is one of the top food bloggers in Ghana. We had just met for the ﬁrst time, but it felt like I had known her forever. All in all, I left the festival feeling satisﬁed with my tummy but also the experience. It left a good taste in my mouth, and I would be looking forward to possible collaborations with Ghana and Nigeria and even possibly representing Nigeria with products at the next food festival. Where you at the Accra Food Festival? Which stand was your favorite?

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Beautiful Places

6 places you didn’t

know existed

in Ghana There are other exciting places to see in Ghana that hardly get any mention. Some of these include the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary in the Upper West region and Buoyem in the Brong Ahafo region.

ere is how Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world, describes Ghana. “Hailed as West Africa's golden child, Ghana deserves its place in the sun. One of Africa's great success stories, the country is reaping the benefits of a stable democracy in the form of fast-paced development. And it shows: Ghana is suffused with the most incredible energy. With its welcoming beaches, gorgeous hinterland, rich culture, vibrant cities, diverse wildlife, easy transport and affable inhabitants, it's no wonder Ghana is sometimes labelled 'Africa for beginners'. 74 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

It's easy to come here for a week or a month, but no trip can be complete without a visit to Ghana's coastal forts, poignant reminders of a page of history that defined our modern world. Travel north, and you'll feel like you've arrived in a different country, with a different religion, geography and cultural practices. The beauty is that this diversity exists so harmoniously, a joy to experience and a wonder to behold in uncertain times.” And of course, there are many other places to see and things to do that tourists hardly hear of. Here are my top 6 places, you didn’t know existed in Ghana.

WECHIAU HIPPO SANCTUARY

LARABANGA MOSQUE

TAGBO WATERFALLS

The Hippo Sanctuary is located about 15 kilometers outside the Wechiau village, in a very peaceful environment. It is the best place in West Africa to spot hippos and an ideal location to enjoy the beautiful, quiet Volta River by canoe.

This historic mosque, was built in the Sudanese architectural style at the village of Larabanga around 17th century. It is one of the oldest mosques in West Africa, and is often referred to as the "Mecca of West Africa."

This waterfall near Mount Afadjato is located at Liati Wote, about 27 kilometres east of the township of Hohoe.The water falls down in several stages, with the last stage being about 60 m. high. The area is surrounded by rainforest.

Location: Wechiau, Upper West Region

Location: Larabanga, Northern Region

Location: Hohoe Volta Region

AKOSOMBO

LAKE BOSUMTWI

BUOYEM ECO-TOURISM ACTIVITIES

Apart from the spectacular Akosombo dam on the Volta River, this town is, to me, one the most beautiful places in Ghana. With its gently rolling hills and green covered vegetation, Akosombo is very quiet and clean. Location: Akosombo, Volta Region

The lake was created by a meteor and is the largest natural lake in West Africa at 16x20 km. It is 78m deep and has a circumference of 72km. Many people, local as well as foreigners, come to the lake to take a boat trip.

Buoyem is in the Brong Ahafo Region.The locals started several eco-tourism activities, which make a visit to this village worth the eďŹ&#x20AC;ort. The main attraction in the village are the bat caves where over 20.000 fruit bats live.

Location: 30 km south-east of Kumasi - Ashanti Region

Location: Buoyem, Brong Ahafo Region

AAAT U U M AGA Z I N E . C O M / JA N UA R Y- M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Soduku Answers

Ananse and friends

Answers

SOLUTION TO World Cities Word Search Puzzle

SPOT 6 DIFFERENCEs

Pentagon Arithmagons Answers

Find the Missing Number 76 A A A T U U M A G A Z I N E . C O M / J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 7

Answer is 6. Explanation: 1) In the ﬁrst ellipse 72/18= 4 2)In the second 95/19= 5 3) So in the third 84/14= 6

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Danny Nettey (Gospel Musician) George Williams

George Forest (Music Producer)

Koﬁ Middleton Mends

Katawere

In Memoriam

Vybrant Faya (Musician)

Daasebre Gyamenah

We lost some of our best this past year

We were forced to say goodbye to some of Ghana's biggest and brightest stars in 2016. Aaatuu Magazine remembers these famous ﬁgures we've lost. George Williams was considered the doyen of Ghanaian actors. The British trained thespian, who taught at the Accra ﬁlm school, acted well into his 80s and was beloved as an 'ever present' and active old professional.'Uncle George,' as he was known, died three years short of his 90th birthday at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Comedian Yaw Donkor, popularly known as Nkomode, made his name in the hit TV theater series 'Concert Party', sponsored by KeySoap and

broadcast by GTV in the late 90s and early 2000s. 'Bishop Bob Okala,' born Samuel Kwadwo Buabeng, was also one of the big stars on 'Concert Party.' In his prime, he was widely heralded as Ghana's premier comedian. Nii Odoi Mensah was a veteran Ghanaian actor who was a popular face in many movies. He was a former President of the Actors Guild of Ghana. Ebenezer Donkor, known in showbiz as 'Katawere,' made his name playing 'Agya Afari' in 'Eﬁewura'. He also starred in many Kumawood movies in elderly comic roles.

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Danny Nettey, the famous musician/pastor was considered to be one of the main pillars of contemporary Ghanaian gospel music. He was reportedly found unconscious in his room and was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. His family says the 47-year-old had been bubbly the night before his death. Vybrant Faya The dancehall star Vybrant Faya, born Emmanuel Kojo Quayson, gained popularity with the hit song 'Mampi'. He was also in a controversial feud with industry heavyweight Shatta Wale over the use 'Shatta Movement' as a name for both artists' fanbase.

Omanhene Pozoh (Musician)

Nii Odoi Mensah

Nkomode

Bishop Bob Okala

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TWENA FASHIONS

CLEARSHOT STUDIOS