Tag: Featured

Mr. President, Before I start, let’s look at the statistics.

1. With over $1 billion dollars in dept to China, Sri Lanka handed over the Hambantota port to companies owned by the Chinese government.
2. New Djibouti, home to the US military’s main base in Africa, looks to cede control of the Doraleh Container Terminal to a Beijing-linked company; something the US is not happy about.
3. Seven other countries; Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao, the Maldives, Mongolia, Pakistan, Montenegro suffer similar fate
4. Over 70% of Kenya’s external bilateral debt is owed to China, and in danger of losing its busy port of Mombasa
5. Senegal’s highway from Dakar to Touba, it’s second city, and part of an industrial park in Diamniadio, as well as other projects is being financed partially by the Chinese up to a tune of about $1.6 billion
6. Chinese contractors have been dominating road construction projects in Uganda

 

The list goes on and on. And to be frank, I do not give a damn about what the IMF, US or Europe think about the threat China poses on getting so much power in Africa and other places. The IMF, US and Europe have had their own share of power struggle in Africa when excessive loans from them to African countries in the 80’s and 90’s resulted in a lot of countries declaring HIPC. I cannot overemphasize the horrors of colonialism which was spearheaded by these countries who seem to care now about China’s rise to dominance in emerging countries.

What I care about is what Africa needs. What I care about is what Africa wants. What I care about is what Africa has to do to be independent and rely on its own natural and human resource, to forge a greater continent that very few can fathom. On Kwame Nkrumah’s declaration of independence, he made it clear that the independence of Ghana was meaningless unless it was linked to the total liberation of Africa. Over 60 years, Africa is nowhere near liberation and I fear Africa will never be liberated.

The president of the Republic of Ghana, on his recent trip to the three Northern Regions announced the process of securing a $2 billion loan from who else, but China, to tackle the country’s road infrastructure deficit. The fact is, he will not be there when the ripple effect come. You and I may probably not be there too. But what kind of humans are we if we do not care about posterity.

Numerous loans have been taken for various projects in Ghana that never saw the light of day. For decades, the busiest road in Ghana (Accra-Kumasi) is near starting than finishing. It is so evident that most, if not all of our leaders are concerned with making themselves rich than making Ghana great. They only disagree in public to agree to sharing public funds. Enough is enough.

Africa is self-sufficient, Ghana is also. We should be concerned with forming a common nation, sharing ideas and resources. That’s the only way to make Africa great. No one African nation is an island on its own. The time is now more than ever for us to unite.

 

Sing to me, a new melody
Of things past, and to come
Of silver spent, and hearts mended
Tell me of roads not travelled
And seas uncharted
That we may get lost in time
And find ourselves in space

Sing to me, an old dirge
Of memories made, and those regretted
Of lost love, and broken hearts
Tell me of paths trodden
And the night of tears
That we may drown in those
And float in joy

Sing to me, a lullaby
Of silent nights, and gory ones
Of shooting stars, and forgotten wishes
Tell me of the hands you’ve felt
And the whispers you’ve heard
That we may plead with the gods
And become like them

Sing to me, whatever you so wish
The tears of the sea, the beams of the sun
Sing to me the cries of the night
Make the heart beat, and un-beat
Make the veins surge and un-surge
And when sleep calls
We will wake like the morning sun

 

After a humbling 5 – 1 result at the Allianz Arena, just as it was supposed to be, the usual Arsenal is a bad team was on the lips of every football fan. I doubt if anyone expected something different. It was a beautiful game of football. I personally hate it when after blinking my eyes for less than 90 times in 5400 seconds, the beautiful game ends goalless. In fact, that’s the reason I sought refuge in basketball because you’re never denied the thrill of cheering every second. The dunks, blocks, crosses, alleys, shots, its just a joy to behold. But then, the beautiful game will always be the beautiful game and like a pitiful boyfriend who never gets over a heartbreak, I find myself going back to my ex. Well, the angel you know is better than the devil you don’t know (I wonder why they always say the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. Man! Be positive small) so football over basketball on any day.

I was happy there were goals galore. Truth is, I personally had no interest in the game but sometimes you just can’t resist the temptation of watching. The atmosphere alone in the TV room, my brother, you can’t miss that. The AC Milan fans who can’t say from the top of their heads the last time they played in the Champions League; The Liverpool fans who are as old as the last time they won the Premiership; the Chelsea fans who for reason have balls enough to claim supremacy; some recent breed of Juventus fans (most of them are Gunners by the way) who are creeping through crevices; and last but not least, the famous ASU (Against Supporters Union) won’t make you regret spending 90 minutes of your time when in fact you find it difficult opening a chapter in BAJA. May the Lord help us.

I wasn’t happy because a lot of people were. They talk like Arsenal has been cursed. Cursed never to see the light of a quarter finals in the CL. Cursed for trying to be the first London club to lift the trophy. Cursed for trying to battle Barcelona for a CL, something the likes of Ronaldinho had labored for. Not that Arsenal did not do much for a berth in the final, but that it was the only CL that the great Ronaldinho had to settle for.

So I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t happy because people thought there was no way in the world Arsenal could qualify. Come on! We all did probability somewhere along the line. So it was annoying when people would just conclude and not leave any window of opportunity. Dude! Even prisons have windows. Well, truth is, I was trying to exhibit some optimism, something I don’t really do often. Arsenal had given me such opportunity. So I held on to it, like a baby suckling on a mother’s breast, milking every colostrum I could get. Also I have a few Arsenal friends I sympathize with, so I had to join them and argue my heart out that Arsenal was going to do it. It was Arsenal’s 100th home game in the CL under Wenger and they had won on 9 occasions with more than 4 goals so come on, Arsenal all the way.

I had some score to settle so I couldn’t make it to the game in time. You know, even if Arsenal was going to win by a 7 goal margin, man must survive. I finished the last bowl of stew in my fridge, went to the TV space only for Arsenal to score. “If it is coming, it is doing”. That’s what I said. At that moment, I knew I would pass for a prophet because my prediction was in the pipeline; Arsenal will qualify. Arsenal was playing with the confidence only seen in the few minutes when a guy is planning on some lyrics to woo a girl. Then Lewandowski scores from a spot-kick, and Arsenal is back to factory settings; concede a goal and start playing poorly. The goals started flooding, and I was smiling. Not at the fact that Arsenal was losing, but that I wasn’t wasting my time. My faith had also taken another leap because as it is written in John 19:22; what is written, is written.