A trip to Ghana

Finally. After five years, I was going to back to Ghana, the country of my birth. The last time I visited Ghana was during the demise of my father. The trials and tribulations of that period spurred in me an urge never to go back. People I had always thought had our back turned out to be opponents or better still enemies of progress waiting for my siblings and I to beg for crumbs from their table. To God alone is the glory.

From Bradley to Atlanta to New York and onwards to Ghana. The pilot was speeding. I am sure he overtook certain flights in the air. He did not stop midair to refuel. Nine hours and thirty-six minutes. I exited through the back door onto stairs that led onto the tarmac. I did not have any inspiration to even kiss the tarmac. Why should I? I boarded the shuttle that was to convey us to the arrival hall. I am used to the connecting chutes in American airports. The shuttle to me was dirty. Very dirty. When we stepped out to enter the arrival lounge, I saw the picture of a very handsome gentleman on the wall of one the buildings. Large picture. With the inscription “Welcome to Ghana” boldly inscribed underneath. An eyesore of a picture. The impression that hits anyone entering the country for the first time is shambolic. Massa, please do something about the airport especially the tarmac frontage.

Inside the airport. I will allow the G.A.C.L. to run away with the excuse that there are signs all over the place apologizing for the ongoing construction at the airport. They better hurry up. I will be on their case. I just want to ask this. The so called managers, directors and what-not’s when they do travel on courses and what-not’s do they not see or are they blind to development? Are they?

The frontage of the airport is beautiful. Almost as I left it five years ago. The difference is, Zamraman boys dealing in black market foreign exchange have joined the Goro boys. Food for the boys. Man must chop. The road network leading in and out of the place is good. Especially leaving the airport. It is the security I have a problem with. Not enough policemen around or airport security but enough Goro boys leaving room for visitors to the country to be trailed and looted easily.

Driving to my destination at 9.30am was crazy. From the Airport to Medina was a tough one for me. I stared at recklessness in the face. Recklessness is a hermaphrodite. I will thus refer to it as ‘It’. Damn. Absolute and careless abandon of the law. Nothing to write home about the drivers. I was frustrated out of my bones.

Three categories of drivers in Ghana; the Good; the Bad and the Ugly. The Good are those who abide by the driving code of ethics and observe the Law. They adhere to the rules governing road users. They always are on the receiving end of insults.

The Bad are simply put, bad drivers. They just drive anyhow. They drive like a 2 year old with a toy. They are the only ones playing. They are the main cause of avoidable scrapes and dents. Their impunity is above the law and reproach. They are bad.

The Ugly. Hmmmm. These comprise even security vehicles. They drive as though they own the road. You dare not complain else you will receive a few choice and juicy slaps. The category is those driving SUVs irrespective of the size. Once an SUV it is an SUV. It can climb even Mountain Afadjato. When they do dent your vehicle, you are at fault. They drive over terrain that has been earmarked or undergoing landscaping!

Enough of the drivers. I like the ‘development without planning’ that Ghana is going through. Where are the city planners? Where are the engineers? Where are the architects? Amazing grace! Ghana has tons of universities now. Everybody is getting affiliated to some university or something. Every church under the sun in Ghana is setting up or establishing a University. Even the churches in the classrooms (some under trees) are not to be left out of the competition. What are the universities producing? Half-baked graduates who write and speak English as though… enough. I digress.

The cities. What is the use of building stores without restrooms? The ones with restrooms attached are not neat, to put it mildly. I had to go to Novotel and Movenpick to effect bowel movements. Yet we boast of world-class architects. The roadsides are dirty. Why can’t efforts be put into sensitizing the populace about keeping the city clean? Have you tried implementing spot fines? I forgot. Corruption is a fabric and almost everyone has a piece in their closet.

To me the practice of the Christian religion is a sham. The number of adverts showing mallams with so-called capabilities tells of the patronage these people are receiving. If Ghana is truly a religious nation, would these be present? The number of churches, the construction of churches; not small buildings but I would say stadium size buildings minus the playing fields.

Sale of lands. To non-Ghanaians because those in charge are hungry. They have no means of livelihood. They are selling our very heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our fathers and forefathers.

Work. Attitude to work. Kpa kpa kpa. Still a movement. You need to be of the National Denizens ConNumTea to gain access to this movement.

Dum Dum Dum Sor! Productivity? Circus with the ringmaster MaYAMa. Drop that YAM in 2016!

The Media! Print and Broadcast. The least said the better. Stomach journalism. Judas journalism. Small man go chop. Payola.

Advise yourselves. Competency versus Incompetency! Lies that are facts. Truth that is being tried to be hidden but like the Sunlight will always out!

Remember. Wo onane no (raise your leg) or SPEAK OUT!