Posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Honourables
Most Ghanaians are not specially enamoured of their politicians - many accuse their MPs of doing little to improve their lives. MPs on the other hand claim they can only do so little and that people do not understand the limits of their powers.
The performance of MPs became a subject of heated public debate recently when legislators pushed for over 200 per cent adjustment in their salaries from about three thousand Ghana cedis to eight thousand Ghana cedis.
This as yet another damning assessment of their performance was published by a pan African magazine Africa watch.
The credibility of the grading has since been called into question by some senior editors and the MPs themselves but the damage had been done.
Sammy Darko explores these issues in this documentary.
SCRIPT
[Sound up} MADAM SPEAKER….. a man shouts madam speaker to usher in the speaker of parliament onto the floor of the house]
CUE 1: PELPUO-1 (24 secs) deputy majority leader Rasheed Pelpuo speaks… I like to see people live in comfort and living out of poverty and out of the dangers of destructive life situations so in all my life I have devoted it to the service of people, I used to do so many things as a young person and I will do that when I get malaria I will be struggling to get many to cure myself after sleeping in villages and I love doing that and so I discovered that this is something I can carry to a higher level and that is how come I became a member of parliament
CUE 2: KYEI-1 (9 secs) Minority leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu speaks..Well I became a member of parliament because I wanted to be part of the movement to change the destiny of this country,
CUE 3:CONS-1 (38 secs) constituents speaks… initially we had lots of hope in him but after becoming an mp, there hasn’t been an improvement- look he had said nothing about the lack of potable water here in parliament…. Look you can hardly see or meet the mp- he is not available to even tell him your problems.
LINK: Most Ghanaians are not specially enamoured of their politicians - many accuse their MPs of doing little to improve their lives. MPs on the other hand claim they can only do so little and that people do not understand the limits of their powers.
The performance of MPs became a subject of heated public debate recently when legislators pushed for over two hundred per cent adjustment in their salaries from about three thousand Ghana cedis to eight thousand Ghana cedis. This as yet another damning assessment of their performance was published by a pan African magazine Africa watch.
The credibility of the grading has since been called into question by some senior editors and the MPs themselves but the damage had been done.
CUE4: {15Sound …A PLUS A LETTER TO THE WEST sings about poverty in Africa despite huge natural resources}
Politicians in Ghana are not different from politicians across the world –and like elsewhere, Ghanaians have little respect for their MPs. Most are convinced that politicians are a venal bunch only interested in feathering their pockets rather than seeing to the well-being of their voters.
CUES5: fade after seven secs and keep under link until Ghana
Under the fourth republican constitution of Ghana, MPs have three fundamental roles- to pass legislation, exercise oversight over the use of public funds by the executive and represent the interest of their constituents.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is the leader of the largest opposition party in parliament, the new patriotic party. He says MPs are not development agents.
CUE6: KYEI-2 47secs whiles canvassing for votes, some people promise development in exchange for votes….. clearly this is a complete misconception.
Perhaps this attitude explains the disconnect between politicians and their constituents….because just as democratically elected politicians are ‘by the people and for the people, they are expected to improve the lot of those who voted for them. MPs are seen as development agents as well stresses Dr. Rasheed Draman, the director of Africa programmes at the Canadian Parliamentary Centre.
CUE 7: DRAMAN(36 secs) and let me tell you why……research we have done shows more and more constituents…….Mps are seen in terms of what they do than the laws they pass.
The AFRO barometre is a cross national survey by think tanks in 20 African countries which focuses primarily on good governance. The 2008 report on proportional representation and popular assessment of the performance of MPs in 12 countries including Ghana makes for an interesting read.
In all the countries except South Africa, representing constituents is considered to be the main task of MPs, followed by delivering jobs or development. Only 16 percent said legislation should be the top priority of MPs.
There was public outrage earlier this year when MPs asked for a whopping 5000 cedi per month increase in their salaries. There was even talk about linking salaries to performance.
MPs seemed to be taken aback by the public anger. They argued they needed the pay rise because demands from constituents were creating holes in their pockets. Accra based lawyer and MPP for Abuakwa South constituency in eastern region of Ghana Samuel Atta Akyea describe such sentiments as cruel.
CUE 8: AKYEA (1. 28) the mp can use his common fund and buy 20 bags of cement……I even buiy coffins…unfortunately they don’t have the money to do it
Sound up: AMBIENCE fade after 3 secs
LINK: But in Atta Akyea’s constituency, residents paint a different picture. Galamsay or illegal mining is the economic mainstay in this rich forest belt….because of the chronic unemployment in the region. This has led to widespread water pollution and the lack of potable water is a huge issue here.
CUE 9: CONS (59secs) {– 3 voices, 15 to 20 secs max per person….we don’t see the mp here}
Link: But the MP has to be visible, and accessible says Kodjo Assante of the Centre for democratic development, CDD. He says constituents vote for MPs because they need development.
Cue 10: DESK (31sec we have to be fair to people that at the end bread and butter issues are the most important thing…. So whether it is delivered by you or somebody is whether it has been delivered
sound up-KILL BILL…sound trackclassical break –battle without honour…….fade under link
LINK: The issue of MPs clamouring for higher salaries generated heated controversy in Kenya as well. There the justification was that only with a pay hike could they meet the demands from their constituents. And despite public anger, Kenyan MPs voted themselves a 25 percent increase in salary – amounting to more than 12,000 dollars a month making them amongst the highest-paid legislators in the world, even more than many of their European counterparts. The discrepancy between the MPs and those they represent is dramatic.
Firoze Manji is the editor of the pan African news site Pambazuka.
CUE 11: FIROZE-1 (48 secs)Over the last thirty years, ….because they feel the pain that their citizens feel….
But greedy MPs and public disenchantment with elected representatives is not restricted to Africa. In 2009, MPs expenses became a huge scandal in Britain.
CUE 12: 20 secs{Sound over- mps quizzed in British parliament
The United Kingdom parliamentary scandal was triggered by leaked and subsequent publication of flagrant and gross misuse and abuse of permitted allowances and expenses. Mps were also accused of pushing for legislation at the behest of the corporate sector and multinationals. According to Firoze Manji, MPs are not really calling the shots……
CUE 13: FIROZE (34 secs) The real problem is they don’t have power…..they don’t have the power constitutionally.”
Use link music
Here in Ghana, a real test case was the 2008 approval of the sale of the then only national telecommunications network Ghana telecom to British Vodafone. P C Appiah Ofori, MP for Asikuma Odobeng Brakwa accused members of his own party then in power of taking five thousand dollar bribe each before voting in favour of the sale.
CUE 14: APPIAH {30secs} unless…. No hope for the country
Despite these allegations, deputy majority leader, Rasheed Pelpuo, believes such cases are few and far between.
CUE 15: PELPUO-2 {26secs} the truth is that Ghana’s parliament doesn’t have those kind of MPs…..but we can’t rule it out.
The performance of the 230 member legislature has not been called into question only here in Ghana but outside as well. The African parliamentary index measures how efficiently African parliaments exercise their oversight role over expenditure by the executive. Ghana’s legislature came last in the assessment of seven countries published earlier this year.
However, the responsibility for development projects lies with the head of local authorities…even if national policy is set by parliament and the government. MPs would be spending their time better if they paid more attention to the details of the policies they promulgate, stresses Kojo Assante of the Centre for democratic development, instead of going around cap in hand looking for development aid.
CUE 16:KOJO (44 secs) so there is a distortion of the role….they asked the MP what did you bring.”
Dr. Rasheed Draman, director of Africa programmes at Canadian parliamentary centre disagrees. The post of a district chief executive is often a stepping stone towards becoming an MP.
CUE 17: DRAMAN-1( 46 secs) one senior MP in Ghana told me if you are not lucky and the district chief executive is not on your side…..you can never run for parliament.”
Parliament works through standing and special committees which may make inquiries, launch investigations, issue statements and table parliamentary questions to examine proposals from the executive. However, MPs are often accused of failing in executing such tasks. Atta Akyea and Kyei Mensah Bonsu share their thoughts……
CUE 18 AKYEA-148 secs) the sheer fact that somebody is very vocal on the floor… I can assure you that some people in NDC as back benchers they have not shared one word.
CUE 19: KYEI-3(55 secs) In our constitution our president appoints ministers…… allow him to go….
Many people think that no matter how poorly an MP performs, he or she is sure to return to parliament for a second term because of political allegiances and party affiliations. Kojo Asante of CDD says people are not that gullible.
CUE 20: KOJO-1(48 secs) the real test is in the internal battle, the primaries because there again you are subjected to democratic sanction…
Song a plus….find relevant verse
LINK: J H Mensah is the grand old man of Ghanaian politics – a former finance minister and three-time MP for Sunyani East. The 83 year old veteran politican has this message for this generation of Ghana’s elected representatives….the honourables of the 21st century….
CUE 21:JH-2 (1.10) it is the duty of the executive to make available resource and is for parliament to ensure equitable and efficient distribution of the resource
Sound up- a plus songs…….
At the end of the day, the issue is really quite simple…. Politicians are elected to serve the people……the voters who elected them….and not the other way around.
I am Sammy Darko .
Sound up- a plus song fades followed by hotline sig tune.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Sammy Darko adjudged Ghana’s Best Political Journalist for 2010
Sammy Darko a senior Broadcast Journalist with Ghana’s leading private FM radio Joy Fm on Friday 9th September, was crowned Ghana’s best political reporter for the year 2010. He was recognized by award organizers Ghana Journalists Association for his documentary titled “Foot Soldiers”.
The phenomenon of “foot soldiers “though has always been a part of Ghana’s burgeoning democracy was not pronounced until after the 2008 elections in Ghana when this political class began to assert itself, believing that they had singlehandedly brought their party to power.
These foot soldiers are mainly sympathizers of a political party who executed the campaign at the grassroots level and often included perpetuating violence to as it were, put the fear of God in their rival parties. Interestingly, they never abandon the use of force as a weapon even after their party has gained power. So with the same amount of force if not more, they demand their share of the national cake including locking out government officials, and seizing public property.
They were a great source of worry to the political elite who were clueless how to contain them. This documentary, in the absence of a detailed academic study of the phenomenon provided society with an in-depth of a problem that confronted not just the ruling party, but the other parties whose sympathizers had also discovered an antidote to the “attitude” often put up by their leaders once they assume the reins of power.
Apart from the political parties, the citizenry also needed a solution to the anxiety created by the foot soldiers and the deprivation they cause with their seizures of public property.
The phenomenon of “foot soldiers “though has always been a part of Ghana’s burgeoning democracy was not pronounced until after the 2008 elections in Ghana when this political class began to assert itself, believing that they had singlehandedly brought their party to power.
These foot soldiers are mainly sympathizers of a political party who executed the campaign at the grassroots level and often included perpetuating violence to as it were, put the fear of God in their rival parties. Interestingly, they never abandon the use of force as a weapon even after their party has gained power. So with the same amount of force if not more, they demand their share of the national cake including locking out government officials, and seizing public property.
They were a great source of worry to the political elite who were clueless how to contain them. This documentary, in the absence of a detailed academic study of the phenomenon provided society with an in-depth of a problem that confronted not just the ruling party, but the other parties whose sympathizers had also discovered an antidote to the “attitude” often put up by their leaders once they assume the reins of power.
Apart from the political parties, the citizenry also needed a solution to the anxiety created by the foot soldiers and the deprivation they cause with their seizures of public property.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Eight days on the high seas- Sammy Darko’s assignment
After eight days on the high seas, I returned with malaria and Neckpains. As to when I was struck down by the malaria fever I do not know. But one thing is sure, a day before sailing I had a mosquito bite that night in my hotel room in the Twin City of Sekondi –Takoradi in the Western Region. At least that’s were I begun my voyayue to the land of nowhere- the sea. But wait for a moment, what on earth was I doing on the high seas instead of being in parliament reporting?
I was one of two privileged Journalists to board a US Naval ship currently in the sub region to train naval officers from the West African coast on maritime safety and security- they call it African Partnership Station.
It started four years ago and is facilitated by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and other international partners. The goal is to build the capacity of African Navies to better protect its territorial waters from any of these illegal activities on the high sea- drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal fishing, piracy and illegal oil bunkering.
It also seeks to build synergy, friendship and unity among naval officers in the sub region as they train, learn and live under one roof. In essence it helps to build regional cooperation among navies in the West African Coast.
At the end of the training, these naval officers have gained both theory and practical training on how to safeguard the countries territorial waters. They were trained in four key areas including maritime domain awareness and law enforcement, professional development, search and rescue, small boat maintenance and how to impound illegal vessels on the sea as well as how best to protect oil platforms.
Why Africa
The program is meant for naval officers in West and Central Africa, however maritime experts believe the West African coast is gradually becoming an attractive destination for pirates who find patrol on the seas in these areas either absent or weak.
.
Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall is how the Americans call the naval ship I travelled on. To give you an idea of how this ship looks like, picture two football fields put together. It’s a well equipped vessel with almost everything on board from a barber shop to smoke decks. Gunston Hall is a six story structure ship. It has a flight deck that can accommodate two aircrafts and a well deck equipped with three other smaller ships- it’s called the LCU’s.
The Gunston Hall mission I am told is to transport United States marines with their combat equipment to designated areas around the world and to launch and support landing craft and helicopters during amphibious operations against hostile shores. To move out the smaller ships onboard, the well deck of the ship is flooded with water.
Gunston Hall has a crew member of about 300. Their job is just to sail and maintain the ship. However for this trip Gunston Hall served as a mobile university - it had several lecture halls built purposely to train and accommodate dozens of naval officers from Africa and those from the U.S and other countries in Europe.
Life on the Sea
After sailing on the high seas for two days, I got a sickness known in naval parlance as sea sick- headache, vomiting and occasional feeling of throwing up. It’s a normal sickness so they say and mostly affect first time sailors- I am told mine was a mild one and that is because I was travelling on a big ship so the tossing and rocking caused by the sea waves was not that much compared to being on a smaller vessel.
The ship in my estimation though a military one could best be described as a little city. It was full of activities, people going to work in offices and garages every day, students learning both theory and practical studies on the high seas with other ships, food centre, vending machines, shopping and above all entertainment centres. I clearly remember the talent night show typical of American idol among the crew members and the naval officers onboard and the beach party at the high seas, the barbecue and the dance.
It was all excitement as dozens rocked themselves to hip hop tunes oozing from loud speakers at the flight deck. The shopping centre was the most attractive to the African sailors particularly the Nigeria folks who shopped to the degree that the US had to temporary close down the shop until our African friends get out of the ship- it was simple, the Africans were spending their monies on almost everything in the shop, from sanitary pads for women to hair dryers whilst the white folks stuck to confectionaries and cigarettes. I think it was not surprising that the shop was closed down in the sense that the items in the shop are meant to keep the sailors onboard over a long voyage and not to be bought at a goal like OUR African friends just did- shopping anyhow because they find things very economical. Some went to the extent of buying additional travelling bags in the shop to keep the new items.
Crossing the equator
It’s a rare opportunity for sailors to cross the equator. The equator is just an imaginary line that divides the Northern hemisphere from the Southern hemisphere. Vessels recognise they have reached the equator when both the longitudes and latitudes signals on the Ships radar read zero degrees. At this moment the sea becomes very stable like water in a glass.
Symbolically old sailors have placed a bough at the centre of the equator. It is a phenomenon the navy cherish so much that there is a tradition and ritual they perform and observe anytime a ship crosses the equator – they call it SHELLBACK. Shellback is any sailor who has crossed the equator before. What this means is that anytime a naval ship crosses the equator those who have never perform the ritual will have to go through the tradition to officially become one.
That rituals I am told has modified over time. It now includes lots of training exercises to better you as a naval officer. In the past, Shellbacks use to molest and maltreat the green horns the dawn before the ship crosses the equator.
The festival
I do not know the exact origin of this ritual but I am told it’s as old as the first sailors who discovered the equator centuries ago. It’s a day when the God of the sea known as King Neptune judges all sailors on the ship to ensure that no wog crosses the equator without going through the ritual- in essence the ritual is a process of cleansing yourself to qualify to cross the equator.
I was surprised to see seasoned naval officers subjected to this ritual and that is because they’ve never crossed the equator before all their lives despite years of sailing. The ritual can be nasty to the extent of through water boarding, crawling in dirty water and spoilt food spread all over the flow. At the final stage, candidates who excel are made to kiss the dirty stomach of one of the servants of King Neptune.
The Islands of Sao Tome and Principe
Our sailing on the high seas took us to the island of Sao Tome and Principe. What struck me most about the city is the freshness and neatness of the sea water. One can virtually see all the weeds and flowers deep in the sea. We docked at the only port of the city- the Afaninga Port in the morning at about 7am. The port is so small to accommodate the US naval ship so we anchored several nautical miles in the sea and sailed there in a smaller ship.
From a distance, the fortress, hotels and colonial structures along the sea portrays the country as very developed and a place to be, however poverty and underdevelopment stares you in the face when you get closer- bad roads, ramshackle buildings and lost hopes of a people that appear to be expecting a miracle to change their lives.
There are only three major roads in the island- North South and West. It has a land mass of about a 1000 sq with a population less than 200 thousand. Their major occupation is farming and fishing. Their political setting and media landscape is typical of Ghana.
They all speak Portuguese and as I understand from their history- they are descendants of a bunch of slaves drawn from many countries in Africa sent to the island to work on cocoa farms for the Portuguese. They speak no local language except Portuguese. Their women look plump and short. The country imports almost everything from bed sheets to ear bags.
The stranded Ghanaian sailor
My curiosity to find out more about the town took me and my colleague Moses Akrobeto of Daily graphic to outskirts of the ports. Interestingly, motorbikes popularly known as Okada are one of the cheapest means of transport there. When we moved out, most riders approached us unfortunately they speak no English.
At this point I decided to try my little French I learnt whiles onboard the ship, truly one of the riders knew how to speak French somehow- it was afternoon so I greeted Bon-Aprie-midi bonsoir.
As we communicated he learnt we were Ghanaians and all of a sudden started calling out the name of this Ghanaian who sat in the open from far away looking quite morose under the scotching sun. Immediately he saw us, a big smiled beamed on his face and he begun to run towards us.
After a few chats, he began to tell us about his story and how he ended up in Sao Tome with virtually nothing left. He says the past one and a half years have been a period of struggle just to get back home. Emmanuel Arthur, 49, told me he has been wandering in the country because he cannot afford $300 to pay for his journey back home.
Arthur, a native of Komenda and a father of three children, went to Sao Tome as a sailor on a Spanish vessel but he missed the return journey. Mr. Arthur said although he has lost all his belongings, he would love to return home.
The sleepless night
Our return journey was quite smooth and fast but somehow I sensed desperation on the faces of most of the African naval officers and don’t get me wrong I was also desperate to get back home- I said to myself just eight days on the sea and I have missed home like that- maybe this could be due to the uncomfortable period of having to bath and drink treated sea water and above all the uncomfortable food of the US- although we were fed morning, afternoon and evening, their food in my estimation is nothing compared to our local food- it lacked salt, pepper and too oily.
The night before the ship entered the waters of Ghana was a sleepless one for many of us, I noticed many of the officers pull out their mobile phones shuttling between the bedroom and the flight deck to check if they had reception on their phones from 12 midnight to about 3 am and that is because the ship network does not permit any other signal be it internet or telephone signals inside the ship, the only way to make calls even if you are in a coverage area is to move out to the flight deck.
After a short sleep, I woke up at about 3 am, manuvered my way to the flight deck in the darkness- just before I could reach there, I noticed one Ghanaian naval officer a few metres away laughing and shouting on his phone, I switched on my phone, noticed I had reception, then it suddenly dawned on me that really - there is no place like home
I was one of two privileged Journalists to board a US Naval ship currently in the sub region to train naval officers from the West African coast on maritime safety and security- they call it African Partnership Station.
It started four years ago and is facilitated by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and other international partners. The goal is to build the capacity of African Navies to better protect its territorial waters from any of these illegal activities on the high sea- drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal fishing, piracy and illegal oil bunkering.
It also seeks to build synergy, friendship and unity among naval officers in the sub region as they train, learn and live under one roof. In essence it helps to build regional cooperation among navies in the West African Coast.
At the end of the training, these naval officers have gained both theory and practical training on how to safeguard the countries territorial waters. They were trained in four key areas including maritime domain awareness and law enforcement, professional development, search and rescue, small boat maintenance and how to impound illegal vessels on the sea as well as how best to protect oil platforms.
Why Africa
The program is meant for naval officers in West and Central Africa, however maritime experts believe the West African coast is gradually becoming an attractive destination for pirates who find patrol on the seas in these areas either absent or weak.
.
Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall is how the Americans call the naval ship I travelled on. To give you an idea of how this ship looks like, picture two football fields put together. It’s a well equipped vessel with almost everything on board from a barber shop to smoke decks. Gunston Hall is a six story structure ship. It has a flight deck that can accommodate two aircrafts and a well deck equipped with three other smaller ships- it’s called the LCU’s.
The Gunston Hall mission I am told is to transport United States marines with their combat equipment to designated areas around the world and to launch and support landing craft and helicopters during amphibious operations against hostile shores. To move out the smaller ships onboard, the well deck of the ship is flooded with water.
Gunston Hall has a crew member of about 300. Their job is just to sail and maintain the ship. However for this trip Gunston Hall served as a mobile university - it had several lecture halls built purposely to train and accommodate dozens of naval officers from Africa and those from the U.S and other countries in Europe.
Life on the Sea
After sailing on the high seas for two days, I got a sickness known in naval parlance as sea sick- headache, vomiting and occasional feeling of throwing up. It’s a normal sickness so they say and mostly affect first time sailors- I am told mine was a mild one and that is because I was travelling on a big ship so the tossing and rocking caused by the sea waves was not that much compared to being on a smaller vessel.
The ship in my estimation though a military one could best be described as a little city. It was full of activities, people going to work in offices and garages every day, students learning both theory and practical studies on the high seas with other ships, food centre, vending machines, shopping and above all entertainment centres. I clearly remember the talent night show typical of American idol among the crew members and the naval officers onboard and the beach party at the high seas, the barbecue and the dance.
It was all excitement as dozens rocked themselves to hip hop tunes oozing from loud speakers at the flight deck. The shopping centre was the most attractive to the African sailors particularly the Nigeria folks who shopped to the degree that the US had to temporary close down the shop until our African friends get out of the ship- it was simple, the Africans were spending their monies on almost everything in the shop, from sanitary pads for women to hair dryers whilst the white folks stuck to confectionaries and cigarettes. I think it was not surprising that the shop was closed down in the sense that the items in the shop are meant to keep the sailors onboard over a long voyage and not to be bought at a goal like OUR African friends just did- shopping anyhow because they find things very economical. Some went to the extent of buying additional travelling bags in the shop to keep the new items.
Crossing the equator
It’s a rare opportunity for sailors to cross the equator. The equator is just an imaginary line that divides the Northern hemisphere from the Southern hemisphere. Vessels recognise they have reached the equator when both the longitudes and latitudes signals on the Ships radar read zero degrees. At this moment the sea becomes very stable like water in a glass.
Symbolically old sailors have placed a bough at the centre of the equator. It is a phenomenon the navy cherish so much that there is a tradition and ritual they perform and observe anytime a ship crosses the equator – they call it SHELLBACK. Shellback is any sailor who has crossed the equator before. What this means is that anytime a naval ship crosses the equator those who have never perform the ritual will have to go through the tradition to officially become one.
That rituals I am told has modified over time. It now includes lots of training exercises to better you as a naval officer. In the past, Shellbacks use to molest and maltreat the green horns the dawn before the ship crosses the equator.
The festival
I do not know the exact origin of this ritual but I am told it’s as old as the first sailors who discovered the equator centuries ago. It’s a day when the God of the sea known as King Neptune judges all sailors on the ship to ensure that no wog crosses the equator without going through the ritual- in essence the ritual is a process of cleansing yourself to qualify to cross the equator.
I was surprised to see seasoned naval officers subjected to this ritual and that is because they’ve never crossed the equator before all their lives despite years of sailing. The ritual can be nasty to the extent of through water boarding, crawling in dirty water and spoilt food spread all over the flow. At the final stage, candidates who excel are made to kiss the dirty stomach of one of the servants of King Neptune.
The Islands of Sao Tome and Principe
Our sailing on the high seas took us to the island of Sao Tome and Principe. What struck me most about the city is the freshness and neatness of the sea water. One can virtually see all the weeds and flowers deep in the sea. We docked at the only port of the city- the Afaninga Port in the morning at about 7am. The port is so small to accommodate the US naval ship so we anchored several nautical miles in the sea and sailed there in a smaller ship.
From a distance, the fortress, hotels and colonial structures along the sea portrays the country as very developed and a place to be, however poverty and underdevelopment stares you in the face when you get closer- bad roads, ramshackle buildings and lost hopes of a people that appear to be expecting a miracle to change their lives.
There are only three major roads in the island- North South and West. It has a land mass of about a 1000 sq with a population less than 200 thousand. Their major occupation is farming and fishing. Their political setting and media landscape is typical of Ghana.
They all speak Portuguese and as I understand from their history- they are descendants of a bunch of slaves drawn from many countries in Africa sent to the island to work on cocoa farms for the Portuguese. They speak no local language except Portuguese. Their women look plump and short. The country imports almost everything from bed sheets to ear bags.
The stranded Ghanaian sailor
My curiosity to find out more about the town took me and my colleague Moses Akrobeto of Daily graphic to outskirts of the ports. Interestingly, motorbikes popularly known as Okada are one of the cheapest means of transport there. When we moved out, most riders approached us unfortunately they speak no English.
At this point I decided to try my little French I learnt whiles onboard the ship, truly one of the riders knew how to speak French somehow- it was afternoon so I greeted Bon-Aprie-midi bonsoir.
As we communicated he learnt we were Ghanaians and all of a sudden started calling out the name of this Ghanaian who sat in the open from far away looking quite morose under the scotching sun. Immediately he saw us, a big smiled beamed on his face and he begun to run towards us.
After a few chats, he began to tell us about his story and how he ended up in Sao Tome with virtually nothing left. He says the past one and a half years have been a period of struggle just to get back home. Emmanuel Arthur, 49, told me he has been wandering in the country because he cannot afford $300 to pay for his journey back home.
Arthur, a native of Komenda and a father of three children, went to Sao Tome as a sailor on a Spanish vessel but he missed the return journey. Mr. Arthur said although he has lost all his belongings, he would love to return home.
The sleepless night
Our return journey was quite smooth and fast but somehow I sensed desperation on the faces of most of the African naval officers and don’t get me wrong I was also desperate to get back home- I said to myself just eight days on the sea and I have missed home like that- maybe this could be due to the uncomfortable period of having to bath and drink treated sea water and above all the uncomfortable food of the US- although we were fed morning, afternoon and evening, their food in my estimation is nothing compared to our local food- it lacked salt, pepper and too oily.
The night before the ship entered the waters of Ghana was a sleepless one for many of us, I noticed many of the officers pull out their mobile phones shuttling between the bedroom and the flight deck to check if they had reception on their phones from 12 midnight to about 3 am and that is because the ship network does not permit any other signal be it internet or telephone signals inside the ship, the only way to make calls even if you are in a coverage area is to move out to the flight deck.
After a short sleep, I woke up at about 3 am, manuvered my way to the flight deck in the darkness- just before I could reach there, I noticed one Ghanaian naval officer a few metres away laughing and shouting on his phone, I switched on my phone, noticed I had reception, then it suddenly dawned on me that really - there is no place like home
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
APS begins training on Gunston hall for Ghana and most West African colleagues
The United States Africa Command is collaborating with the Ghana navy to ensure maritime peace and security in the country’s high seas.
The naval command says the training has become necessary to check increasing illegal activities such as drug trafficking, fishing and dumping of waste along the West coast. The project will also involve training for Ghana’s Navy and navy from most west African countries-Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameron as well as logistical support.
The training is been conducted on the US naval ship-Gunston hall. The ship will for the next eight days serves as a mobile university given tutorials and practical training to the navy personnel onboard the vessel.
Joy FM’s Sammy Darko will be on the patrol ship and he believes the trip will be a challenging one.
Expectations
The capacity of the Ghana Navy is soon expected to be boosted to a level where they can ward off most illegal activities on the high seas.
In recent times, concerns have been raised about the country’s inability to combat drug traffickers, illegal fishing and dumping of waste on the high seas.
That is because the Navy lacks the equipment and required skills to do so. But the US Africa Command is hoping to reverse the trend with its African partnership station.
Pirates on high seas
The object of this program is to improve maritime safety and security on the African continent. Under the program, officers of the Ghana Navy will be given professional training and provided with some logistics to aid in patrol offshore.
For instance, under this exercise the US has given Ghana four defender class boats for surveillance.
These are fast speed boats attached to a vessel to chase out criminals on the high seas. The training is considered crucial as the nation prepares to sell its oil in commercial quantities in the last quarter of this year.
Story by Sammy Darko/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
The naval command says the training has become necessary to check increasing illegal activities such as drug trafficking, fishing and dumping of waste along the West coast. The project will also involve training for Ghana’s Navy and navy from most west African countries-Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameron as well as logistical support.
The training is been conducted on the US naval ship-Gunston hall. The ship will for the next eight days serves as a mobile university given tutorials and practical training to the navy personnel onboard the vessel.
Joy FM’s Sammy Darko will be on the patrol ship and he believes the trip will be a challenging one.
Expectations
The capacity of the Ghana Navy is soon expected to be boosted to a level where they can ward off most illegal activities on the high seas.
In recent times, concerns have been raised about the country’s inability to combat drug traffickers, illegal fishing and dumping of waste on the high seas.
That is because the Navy lacks the equipment and required skills to do so. But the US Africa Command is hoping to reverse the trend with its African partnership station.
Pirates on high seas
The object of this program is to improve maritime safety and security on the African continent. Under the program, officers of the Ghana Navy will be given professional training and provided with some logistics to aid in patrol offshore.
For instance, under this exercise the US has given Ghana four defender class boats for surveillance.
These are fast speed boats attached to a vessel to chase out criminals on the high seas. The training is considered crucial as the nation prepares to sell its oil in commercial quantities in the last quarter of this year.
Story by Sammy Darko/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
17 Ghanaian navy officers and sailors undergo training on how to secure the nations maritime boundary on a US navy ship
Seventeen Ghanaian Navy officers and sailors are receiving training on how to secure the nations maritime boundary on a US naval ship currently on sail on the gulf of Guinea.
Also onboard the ship are navy officers from other West African countries. The idea is to pull together synergy on how to check insecurity on the African waters in recent times.
The training is being organized by the United States naval forces Africa and its partners under a program code named African partnership station.
The reporter is currently onboard the USS Gunston hall currently enroute to Sao Tome and Principe to deliver some items. It will take us roughly four days to get there.
To give you an idea about the ship I am on, picture two football fields put together, that is how big this ship is.
It is a well equipped vessel. Inside this ship are several lecture halls where naval officers from Ghana and other West African countries are undergoing tutorials on a wide range of maritime courses with emphasis on professional development, respond capabilities, and infrastructural development.
Some of the students tell me the lessons have been very useful. " I have learnt how to administer first aid to any of my offers if they were to suffer injury- A ghanaian naval officer said".
For the next seven days, trainees are expected to also undergo practical training as we sail to Sao Tome and back to Tema.
Captain Ossinowo is the deputy commander for African Partnership Station-APS. He says African more than ever needs to recognize it's maritime domain awareness and protect it from criminals on the highseas.
Sammy Darko
Joy Fm
Accra-Ghana
Also onboard the ship are navy officers from other West African countries. The idea is to pull together synergy on how to check insecurity on the African waters in recent times.
The training is being organized by the United States naval forces Africa and its partners under a program code named African partnership station.
The reporter is currently onboard the USS Gunston hall currently enroute to Sao Tome and Principe to deliver some items. It will take us roughly four days to get there.
To give you an idea about the ship I am on, picture two football fields put together, that is how big this ship is.
It is a well equipped vessel. Inside this ship are several lecture halls where naval officers from Ghana and other West African countries are undergoing tutorials on a wide range of maritime courses with emphasis on professional development, respond capabilities, and infrastructural development.
Some of the students tell me the lessons have been very useful. " I have learnt how to administer first aid to any of my offers if they were to suffer injury- A ghanaian naval officer said".
For the next seven days, trainees are expected to also undergo practical training as we sail to Sao Tome and back to Tema.
Captain Ossinowo is the deputy commander for African Partnership Station-APS. He says African more than ever needs to recognize it's maritime domain awareness and protect it from criminals on the highseas.
Sammy Darko
Joy Fm
Accra-Ghana
300 dollars leaves 49 year old Ghanaian stranded in Saotome and Principe
A 49 year old Ghanaian sailor is stranded in far away Island of Saotome and Principe.
Emmanuel Arthur has been wandering in that country for a year and a half now just because he cannot get 300 dollars to pay his transport back home for the long voyage.
Mr. Arthur a native of komenda and a father of three children went in search of job in Togo. He got employed as a sailor on a Spanish vessel named ‘Sonia to fish in deep waters across countries.
But he was left behind at Saotome’s Afaninga harbor in one of the trips on the high seas and for a year and a half now he has been looking forward to getting back home in vain.
Several attempts to stow away to Ghana failed however when he gathered resources to board a vessel bound for Nigeria enroute to Ghana- he was thrown out of the vessel after naval officers discovered he had no visa.
JOYNEWS' Sammy Darko and Graphics' Moses Akrobeto uncovered this man on a visit to Saotome on a US naval vessel which had entered the country to deliver items to a charity organization.
The two in a frustrating interaction with residents there were told about the plight of Mr. Arthur who in an attempt to survive in that country has learnt how to speak Portuguese by force.
Emmanuel Arthur has been wandering in that country for a year and a half now just because he cannot get 300 dollars to pay his transport back home for the long voyage.
Mr. Arthur a native of komenda and a father of three children went in search of job in Togo. He got employed as a sailor on a Spanish vessel named ‘Sonia to fish in deep waters across countries.
But he was left behind at Saotome’s Afaninga harbor in one of the trips on the high seas and for a year and a half now he has been looking forward to getting back home in vain.
Several attempts to stow away to Ghana failed however when he gathered resources to board a vessel bound for Nigeria enroute to Ghana- he was thrown out of the vessel after naval officers discovered he had no visa.
JOYNEWS' Sammy Darko and Graphics' Moses Akrobeto uncovered this man on a visit to Saotome on a US naval vessel which had entered the country to deliver items to a charity organization.
The two in a frustrating interaction with residents there were told about the plight of Mr. Arthur who in an attempt to survive in that country has learnt how to speak Portuguese by force.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
I Look Upon A Damsel
I have set my eyes upon a damsel
So sweet, so beautiful.
My heart thumps heavily.
No. It quake violently
For she has captured my heart.
I will love her.
I will make her my dream.
Within me I feel glad
For I look upon a damsel sweet.
It smell like joy.
I hear her lovely voice
Like many rumblings and mutterings
Of streams and waterfalls.
Or is it those guiltless eyes?
I look upon a damsel.
Girl of my eternal dreams
Grant me passage to your heart.
Let me sink into your heart.Let me sink into your love.
Carry me away, dear
For I look upon you.
It smell like joy.
I hear her lovely voice
Like many rumblings and mutterings
Of streams and waterfalls.
Or is it those guiltless eyes?
I look upon a damsel
Girl of my eternal dreams
Grant me passage to your heart.
Let me sink into your heart.
Let me sink into your love.
Carry me away, dear
For I look upon you.
Poem by a good Friend;
Kofi Gyamfi Anane-Kyeremeh
So sweet, so beautiful.
My heart thumps heavily.
No. It quake violently
For she has captured my heart.
I will love her.
I will make her my dream.
Within me I feel glad
For I look upon a damsel sweet.
It smell like joy.
I hear her lovely voice
Like many rumblings and mutterings
Of streams and waterfalls.
Or is it those guiltless eyes?
I look upon a damsel.
Girl of my eternal dreams
Grant me passage to your heart.
Let me sink into your heart.Let me sink into your love.
Carry me away, dear
For I look upon you.
It smell like joy.
I hear her lovely voice
Like many rumblings and mutterings
Of streams and waterfalls.
Or is it those guiltless eyes?
I look upon a damsel
Girl of my eternal dreams
Grant me passage to your heart.
Let me sink into your heart.
Let me sink into your love.
Carry me away, dear
For I look upon you.
Poem by a good Friend;
Kofi Gyamfi Anane-Kyeremeh
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