Great message, Wrong Messenger, Wrong audience: My thoughts on Dr. Kofi Sam’s Model for Ghanaian Self- Sufficiency

Dr. Kofi Sam graduated from secondary school in the 1950s (his classmate was Kofi Annan of the UN). He is an engineer who was trained in the UK and now has a compelling Ghanaian vision. He ran Steel Works in Ghana back in the day, and held the Housing ministry in Jerry Rawlings’ military government in the 1980s.

Below are highlight of the points he outlined in this interview(listen to audio):

1. There’s a second wave of AIDS in Ghana called the Acquired Import Dependency Syndrome (AIDS). We import almost everything we use.



2. Whatever the master in England does, we copy it. Our buildings should have big open windows. That’s how the imperialists, the white men, built their bungalows. We knocked them down and replaced them with glass houses, sealed glass.



3. We only wear what we make (African attire) on Fridays — Friday wear! That’s a problem.



4. There is a tunnel called ‘Western education.’ We enter it and learn how to forget. We go to Accra and forget about the village.



5. The African intellectual is like a bee who has forgotten how to make honey.



6. The governmental system in Ghana only caters to Western-educated people, even though they’re less than 15% of the population. From the president right down to the teacher, they get paid at the end of every month. No villager gets paid for anything. They get up in the morning, they go to their farms, and they produce their cassava or yam or plantain. Nobody guarantees them a market. Nobody gives them loans. All the taxes raised in the country are for Western-educated people.



7. The aid from World Bank and Oxfam is in SUVs, restaurants, and swimming pools in Accra but the villagers can’t get a loan to buy a tractor, or cutlasses but somebody is collecting aid on their behalf.



8. Even some of my very rich relatives won’t contribute to what I’m doing (developing the lives of people in the village).

My thoughts:
I like Dr. Kofi Sam’s enthusiasm and drive, and his vision for Ghana. I agree with most of his points. Unfortunately, I believe he’s the wrong messenger and he is preaching to the wrong congregation.

Take aid for example. We all know by now that the aid to Ghana never makes it to the masses in the villages. The US knows this and the government officials in Ghana who receive these funds know it as well. Statistics show that most foreign aid to Ghana from the US never leaves the US anyway. It is spent to make a huge portion of “American aid worker” lives more comfortable. As a result we can all agree aid won’t get us to the point of self-sufficiency. No American is sitting in Washington DC losing sleep over how to make Ghana as good as or better than the USA. It’s no surprise that aid money never makes it to place like Aburanza – it was meant to be in the SUVs, restaurants and swimming pools just like Dr. Kofi Sam mentioned.

What Dr. Kofi Sam needs to do is gather a group of rich Ghanaians in Accra and show them why it’s important for the farmer in Aburanza to have a cutlass and access to a tractor. He needs to go to the government officials in Accra who get rich by stealing foreign aid and show them the tangible economic value of investing the stolen money into businesses in places like Aburanza to make an even greater profit. He needs to convince the rich and the educated elite to visit their villages not only to attend a funeral but to invest in businesses that employ people and make a profit. He needs to tell the elite that it is not patriotic to say “everything in my house is imported from Italy or the US” while we have is quality made-in-Ghana furniture.

The right messenger will be a rich Ghanaian who is investing his own money in places like Aburanza and making an impact of the lives of the villagers and also making a profit. The right audience will be his colleagues who have the means to replicate that model around the country and the government officials who need to be told to help or stay out of the way.

No country has ever developed without the active involvement and investment of its citizens.

First Africa Developed iPhone Game?

It's perhaps the first Africa developed iPhone game by Ghana's Eyram Tawia:




Credit: www.solvingafrica.org

Guest Blogger SS Quist - Kosmos Energy Apologizes to the Ghanaian government: So what?

In the last few weeks, I have noticed an upsurge in Ghanaian news reports about the discussions between the Ghanaian government and Kosmos Energy. About a week ago, the Ghanaian media reported that Kosmos had apologized to the Ghanaian government. The reason for the apology is unclear as neither Kosmos nor the Ghanaian government has disclosed why or for what Kosmos apologized. While it would be useful to know what Kosmos apologized for, I believe a more important inquiry is: what are the government’s plans for the revenue generated from the oil?

Speaking at a forum on 25 March 2010 in Takoradi, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy, said there would be transparency in the management of oil revenue. While transparency is a must, I would suggest that the Ghanaian public see something tangible in addition to transparency. That “something” is a framework wherein oil revenues go towards: (1) socio-economic infrastructure across the nation and (2) an investment fund that will generate much-needed capital for Ghana, a portion of which would be distributed directly into the hands of the people of Ghana. I will assume that the government does not need a lecture on what socio-economic infrastructure is needed in Ghana. It should be evident by now. As such, the focus of this opinion piece will be on the second point and why those are essential steps for Ghana.

In recent times, Ghana has been lauded as the beacon of democracy and economic achievement in Africa. According to various sources, Ghana has twice the per capita income of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains unacceptably dependent on international assistance, investment, remittances by the Ghanaian Diaspora, and unfavourable trade terms set forth by developed countries. Significantly, about 28% of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day, most of which are Ghanaian women in the northern region of Ghana. According to the World Bank, Ghana's per capita income has barely doubled in the last 45 years.

By way of background information, in 2007, significant oil deposits were discovered off the coast of southwestern Ghana. The first discovery was made by British-based oil explorer Tullow Oil PLC in the Deepwater Tano block. A second discovery has been made in the West Cape Three Points license area. Jubilee Field is made up of the Deepwater Tano and West Cape Three Points license areas. Tullow owns a 50% stake of the Deepwater Tano license and also holds a 23% stake in the West Cape Three Points license area. Kosmos has a stake of almost 31% in one license area and 18% in the other, giving it about a 30% stake in the entire Jubilee venture. Other partners are Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation as well as the Ghana government operating through the Ghana National Petroleum Company “(GNPC”). According to reports, GNPC only has a 13.8% stake in Jubilee.

With more than 1.8 billion barrels of light crude oil, Jubilee is reported to be one of the largest oil discoveries in recent years and has the kind of crude oil that is most demanded by global markets. Today, crude oil is selling at over US$80.00 per barrel. Assuming the price of crude oil remains the same, Jubilee could potentially earn over US$140 billion before its stocks are depleted. It is no wonder the foreign oil companies are salivating at the prospect of getting their hands on Ghana’s oil. Oil exploration is ongoing and Jubilee’s oil stocks are expected to increase. What does all this mean for Ghana? How much of the oil revenue will Ghana actually see? I will let you the readers draw your own conclusions.

In October 2009, ExxonMobil and Kosmos entered a deal in which Exxon agreed to buy Kosmos’ stake in the Jubilee oil field for US$4 billion. This deal is reported to have been blocked by the Ghanaian government who is investigating alleged corruption by Kosmos. Interestingly, a U.S. newspaper, the Washington Times, reported last week that the Ghanaian government and Kosmos are “bitterly fighting over who ultimately will control [Jubilee] field”. Already, the Ghanaian government is being vilified for attempting to protect the interests of Ghanaians. Washington Times claims that President Atta-Mills’ government “has targeted foreign companies that invested heavily in Ghana under the prior administration” and that “Ghana's recent actions toward foreign investors is ‘very worrisome’”. The Times describes “the Kosmos case as ‘the most egregious,’ but not the only one.” Mind you, there is nothing being reported about Kosmos’ apology to the Ghanaian government. It is an interesting and telling turn of events. Barely a year ago, the western media highly praised Ghana as a rising star for our peaceful, albeit hotly contested, democratic elections in December 2008. The pro-Ghana fever was further heightened when U.S. President Barack Obama visited the country in July 2009.

By the way, the Washington Times was founded to “combat communism” and is known for its conservative right-wing position on social and political issues. There have been claims that it is one of the media mouthpieces of the Republican Party with constant distortions of the truth to satisfy its right-wing agenda. That should tell you something. Regardless of these reports and attempts to prejudice the American public against Ghana, I encourage the Mills Administration to continue to fight to protect Ghana’s interests in this case. Moreover, and returning to the issue at hand, the government should also consider ways in which any oil revenue can benefit Ghana for years to come. Vincent McNabb said “hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them.” The experiences of Nigeria and other African nations such as Sierra Leone should remind us that as a people we can continue to hope for economic growth but we should not blindly assume that all shall be well.

Take Nigeria, for example. It is the world’s 12th largest producer of petroleum and the 8th largest exporter. It has the 10th largest proven oil reserves and classified as the second largest economy in Africa. Oil makes up 40% of Nigeria’s earnings. One would expect that Nigeria would have a low poverty rating. On the contrary, and according to Rural Poverty Portal, “despite Nigeria’s plentiful agricultural resources and oil wealth, poverty is widespread in the country and has increased since the late 1990s. Over 70 per cent of Nigerians are now classified as poor, and 35 per cent of them live in absolute poverty.” Going back to my earlier point, more than hope is needed to make sure that Ghana does not end up in the same boat as Nigeria.

Ghana needs to take all the necessary precautions and ensure that the proper and essential structures are in place to see this dream of a developed Ghanaian economy come to fruition. This means not having corrupt government officials and politicians who want to put what is rightfully owned by the people of Ghana into their own coffers. It means having a government with enough of a sense of responsibility to develop mechanisms that will ensure that the proceeds (or at least a portion thereof) from the oil would go back to the people – not government officials, the people of Ghana. More than that, it means the people of Ghana should not sit idly by and watch as their birth rights are sold to the highest foreign bidder or squandered by corrupt government officials. We need to call our government to task and hold them accountable for use of our oil revenue. We need to DEMAND that we do, in fact, see part of the proceeds from the oil revenues. By all means, the revenue should go back into socio-economic infrastructure and public services such as roads, hospitals, schools, technology, etc. However, I would proffer that Ghana’s oil revenue needs to be managed in such a way that proceeds are assured for hundreds of years to come. Specifically, a large percentage of the oil revenue should go into an investment fund that will generate additional revenues, e.g. through earned interest or investment profits. In addition, some of the cash proceeds should also go directly into the hands of long-suffering hard-working Ghanaians.

While researching this piece, I discovered that Norway and the U.S. state of Alaska had implemented a structure akin to the mechanism I am calling for. Norway is the seventh largest oil exporter and third largest gas exporter in the world even though it is not a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In 1995, the Norwegian government established a wealth fund known as the “Government Pension Fund – Global”. The Pension Fund is funded by oil revenues and includes taxes, dividends, sales revenues, and licensing fees. The Norwegian government controls its oil revenue through a combination of stakes in major operators in the oil fields. It has about 62% ownership in Statoil and runs the fully state-owned Petoro; Petoro has twice the market value of Statoil.

Also, the Norwegian government controls exploration licensing and production of fields. The Fund invests in developed financial markets outside the country. Currently, their budgetary rule is to spend no more than 4% of the fund each year, which is assumed to be the normal yield from the fund. Norway’s approach to its oil revenues has garnered significant financial benefits for the country as a whole. By January 2006, Norway’s Pension Fund controlled assets valued at US$200 billion. By June 2007, the Fund became the largest fund in Europe, with assets of about US$300 billion (equivalent to over US$62,000 per capita). The Fund’s savings equal the Norwegian GDP and by April 2007 was the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation.

Projections suggest that the Norwegian Pension Fund will soon become the largest capital fund in the world. Currently it is the second-largest state-owned sovereign wealth fund after the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Conservative estimates suggest that the Pension Fund may reach US$800–900 billion by 2017. As of November 2009, the size of the Pension Fund was approximately US$455 billion and has control over approximately 1.25% of all listed shares in Europe and more than 1% of the publicly traded shares in the world. The Norwegian Central Bank has investment offices in London, New York, and Shanghai. New government guidelines (implemented in 2007) allow the Pension Fund to invest up to 60% of its capital in shares while the remaining 40% may be placed in bonds and real-estate.

Similarly, Alaska’s state government established the Alaska Permanent Fund in 1976 to manage a surplus in state petroleum revenues from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Since its initial principal sum of US$734,000, the fund has grown to US$40 billion as a result of oil royalties and capital investment programs. Every year, the state legislature takes out 8% from the earnings, puts 3% back into the principal for inflation proofing and the remaining 5% are distributed to all qualifying Alaskans. Since 1982, dividends from the Fund’s annual growth have been paid to eligible Alaskans. The portion of the dividends received by Alaskans range from US$331.29 in 1984 to US$3,269.00 in 2008 and included a one-time US$1200 “Resource Rebate”. I wonder if the Washington Times would argue against having the Alaska Permanent Fund. Ironically, Alaska has historically been a republican-leaning state yet they have deemed it necessary to protect the rights of Alaskans just as the Ghanaian government is working to protect the rights of Ghanaians.

In any event, some might argue that administration of the fund disbursement scheme that I am calling for will be too much of a challenge for the Ghanaian government. In response, I would suggest that Ghana’s National Identification System (NIS) is the perfect starting point. NIS was established to help the government’s national development planning. One of the goals of NIS is to boost the delivery of social services such as health, retirement benefits, social administration, and credit facilities by providing population census data. So, for instance, NIS could be used to facilitate payment tracking systems by providing the government with data on those qualified to receive the Fund’s proceeds. Depending on advancements offered by financial institutions, payments can then be made to the qualified individuals via check, direct deposit, or electronic fund transfers. Also, payment centres can be established for individuals who may not have bank accounts. Obviously, internal control mechanisms need to be built in to avoid fraudulent activity, embezzlement, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, double payment, and the like. In sum, there is no doubt that we will encounter some challenges in designing and implementing a Fund similar to that of Norway and Alaska. However, creative thinking and in-depth analysis will help us find solutions to any problem.

The challenges notwithstanding, proper management of our oil revenues will have countless long term benefits for Ghana just as it has had, and continues to have, for Norway and Alaska. If a portion of Ghana’s oil revenue is placed in an interest-bearing account or in some form of capital investment program as has been set up in Norway, dividends inured can be used to build and maintain important infrastructure. Like the Alaska Fund, I would encourage the government to disburse a portion of the dividends to Ghanaians. 28% of our population live on about a dollar a day. This means that with a population of 24 million, 6.72 million Ghanaians live in the most abject poverty earning US$456.25 a year. This statistic does not even include the additional millions of Ghanaians who may be teetering just above the poverty line. Imagine how much life would improve for these Ghanaians if they were assured an additional US$300? How much more if they got an additional US$3,000 a year? Not to mention the fact that this money will be pumped back into the economy generating businesses, jobs, etc.

Interestingly, last year, Norway sent a government delegation to Ghana to advise the Ghanaian government of how to deal with its oil resources. The offer came after Kofi Annan, fearful that Ghana could succumb to the “oil curse”, asked the Norwegian government to share its experiences with the Ghanaian government. There are claims that Ghana could develop a fund for its oil revenues similar to Norway's Pension Fund. However, I have not seen any reports in the news expounding on the government’s plans to set up such a fund and would ask that, to the extent those claims are true, those plans be made public. The Ghanaian public has a right to know what plans are in the works for Ghana’s oil resources. Furthermore, I urge the government to seriously consider examples of both the Norwegian Pension Fund and Alaska Permanent Fund. (Emphasis added). In my humble opinion, a hybrid of the two mechanisms could be very beneficial to Ghana and its citizens.

In closing, I would like to say that Ghana’s oil is a gift from God that we could continue to benefit from for an eternity, but it MUST be managed properly. The responsibility of how the proceeds from this bounty are managed does not fall solely on the shoulders of the government. It is the collective responsibility of both government and the people of Ghana to ensure that this valuable resource is managed properly. As such, I call on the people of Ghana not to be silent or ignore this very important issue. We, the people, must hold the government accountable. We must demand that the government tell us what plans they have for managing the oil revenues. We must insist on long-term plans that will benefit our children, our children’s children, to wit, our future generations. We must require a management scheme that has built-in checks and balances. There must be accountability and transparency and above all neutrality and fairness in the management and disbursement of the oil proceeds. There must be swift action against ANY individual who attempts to misappropriate the funds. There must be zero tolerance for corruption by government officials and anyone appointed to manage the oil revenue. The time for action is now, not when the oil starts to flow and the dollar signs begin to distract us and the government from doing what needs to be done. We have been blessed with a beautiful gift. We all must make sure it is not squandered.

Credit: SS Quist The author is in-house counsel for an international non-profit organization. This piece represents the author’s opinions and not that of the author’s employer or anyone associated with the author.

Joshua Clottey: Questions and Lessons for a nation

In light of the Joshua Clottey “non-fight” with Manny Pacquiao I have a few questions and concerns that are begging for answers:

Questions and concerns:
1. Joshua Clottey’s Ghanaian lead trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey could not secure a visa to travel to the United States in what would arguably be the “fight of his life”. What is the role of the Sports Ministry, the National Sports Council, and the Ghana Boxing Authority in helping the trainer secure a US visa? Why weren’t they successful? Would a trainer in his corner actually speaking his native language (Ga) have helped Joshua Clottey actually…ah…fight?

2. According to myjoyonline news; "Clottey blames defeat on Banku and Okro stew" - Given Ghana’s long history on the world boxing stage (Ghana being, arguably, the best boxing nation on the African continent on the professional level) shouldn’t our boxers have nutritionist or at least know what kind of food to eat before “the fight of your life”? I wouldn’t even Banku and Okra soup before playing tennis, basketball or ride my bike in my neighborhood because it’s such heavy food. Why should a former boxing champion like Joshua Clottey eat Banku and Okro Stew before a major fight?

3. According to an AP news article I read, “Clottey who like many of the country’s top boxers have endlessly criticized the GBA for a lack of support, confessed that he goes into the fight against Pacquiao feeling like he is fighting for Ghana for the very first time”.

For a country of approximately 20 million people Ghana has made a name for itself in the world of boxing – Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, etc. Most of the boxing greats come from Accra, specifically the Bukom, Chorkor, Osu areas of Accra.

What would it cost to have a boxing ring on every corner in Bukom.

What would it cost to build 2 extra large gyms with several training equipment (locally made) in the Chorkor area?

What would it cost to give every boy in Bukom a free pair of boxing gloves if they chose to pursue boxing either as a hobby or with the hope of making it as a professional boxer some day.

Had Joshua Clottey fought and won the Welterweight title the economic impact of his winning on the average Ghanaian’s standard of living would have been greater than Ghana’s entire parliament.

How about we don’t give each parliamentarian a $50,000 "car loan" next year. (are these still loans if they don't and are not required to pay them back?) . Instead build some facilities to produce more Joshua Clotteys and Azumah Nelsons.

How about reduce the "car loans" to $20,000 instead? Can I get an Amen?

Are you NPP, NDC or Ghanaian?

Yes I am Ghanaian and I am advocating ruthless patriotism. Country First! Long Live Ghana! National Interest! God bless our homeland Ghana!

In my not-so-humble opinion the only reason anyone will join or associate themselves with any of these two political parties is that they are either benefiting directly from the association or they are mildly tribalistic and subscribe to or share the tribal undertones that define these political parties. Then there’s the “I hate (Rawlings/ Kuffour/Mills/Akuffo Addo)” crowd. If that describes you, I understand your situation.

Otherwise, I believe every fair minded citizen, who cares about the future of Ghana, should strive for objectivity in judging the actions of our leaders with a bias towards the long term interest of the country.

In Western society politics is generally ideologically divided into Right Wing and Left Wing. In Ghana, NPP claims to be the right wing free market party whereas the NDC claims to be the left wing socialist democrat party. As for the CPP/Nkrumahist ideology the least said the better.

Nkrumahism was a good idea in the 50’s but that ship has sailed – even communist China is a pseudo capitalism state. None of these parties really practice any of their supposed ideologies because there’s hardly a market economy in Ghana let alone a free market economy. On the other hand we are too poor to be socialists – in a true socialist economy the state owns and control assets and we hardly own anything anymore.

Our current station in life as a country demands that more of our citizens are fiercely pro-Ghana and nothing more. Of course we all have to vote for a political party during elections but we can’t let these political divides cloud our judgment of what is good for Ghana.

Great Ice Cream in Osu - Arlecchino

I'm not sure when this place opened but a friend told me about it when I was in Ghana 2 weeks ago. It's located on Oxford Street in Osu after Papaye! I had scoops of pistaccio and coffee -mmmm yummy, yummy in my tummy! LOL. Check it out.

The Exodus Project

In the last few months a number of my friends have moved back home to Ghana from Europe and the US. This has been called a “brain gain” in certain circles but you had to believe there was a “brain drain” to start with. I’ve never really bought into the whole idea of the “brain drain”. Sure, there are exceptions. Consider the case of Ghanaian medical doctors where statistics show that 5 years after medical school 85% of our medical doctors leave Ghana or the other statistics that show there are more Ghanaian tax-payer trained doctors in New York alone than in all of Ghana. These are not people you can replace with ordinary people on the streets.

Have you ever wondered why only African countries have a “brain drain” problem? Me too! I believe some development economist woke up one day and decided that “these Africans are so poor because all their smart people have left the continent”. Just think about this scenario, assuming New York City and California (America’s best and brightest) ceased to exist. Long before the dust settles another Wall Street will rise in Omaha, Nebraska, another Silicon Valley will rise in the mountains of Butte, Montana and Hazlehurst, Georgia will the new Hollywood. So don’t tell me nothin’ about no “brain drain”. We are poor because we haven’t figured out progressive ways to run our lives. But I digressJ!

In the past people moved back to Ghana for seemingly altruistic reasons to “help Ghana develop”. They will make history by helping make Ghana the Sweden of sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, they end up in government positions and get rich overnight.

Needless to say, the tides are turning and I am excited about this exodus of young Ghanaians from the US and Europe back to Ghana. For the first time in our lifetime the almost-depression-recession has made Europe and the US seem less of a sure and stable place to make a living. Tangible recovery in the economic situation in the west is not visible for another 5-10 years. For all these people and many more who are packing their bags as we speak, moving back to Ghana has become an attractive option. Quality of life in Ghana is unparalleled, add the prospects of making decent money working in the private sector, starting a business, or manning the family fortunes. There’s true upside in Ghana.

In the next few months I’ll profile some of these people under “The Exodus Project” title. Watch out for it!

Post-Racial America has Ghana in it

First it was Barack Obama, now it's Ruby & Sam. Somehow, this post-racial America (like most things great and progressive) had to have Ghana in it :)

Ruby Amanfu was born in Ghana and moved to Nashville with her family when she was 3. Sam Brooker grew up in Green Bay, Wisc., and answered Music City’s siren call after finishing college. They each spent years pursuing promising solo careers (Amanfu had a hit single, “Sugah,” on the U.K. pop charts in 2003) before becoming an official duo in 2005

Their music was featured in the movie "The Secret Life of Bees" starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, and Jennifer Hudson.

They've been interviewed by several news organizations. Check out their interview on NPR.

Check out their official website http://www.samandrubymusic.com/

Photo from: The Tennessean

"Blue Kiosk" Economics

According to US Small Business Administration approximately 80% of all US businesses are small businesses. It goes without saying that the largest economy in the world (although it’s wobbly right now) is driven largely by the small ice cream shops, the mom and pop retail stores, the little Chinese restaurants, the soul food restaurants, and the small start-ups in Silicon Valley etc.

It is safe to assume that the Ghanaian equivalent of a small business is your typical “Blue Kiosk” or “Trader”. They buy and sell. In most neighborhoods the Blue Kiosk sells Milo, Milk, groundnuts, Akpeteshie etc.

Have you noticed that most small businesses in Ghana think in terms of Revenue and not Profit Margins? Let me explain:

Assume a Blue Kiosk owners buys “Ideal Milk” from a wholesaler for 2.00 GHC each. She sells it at a retail price of 2.20 GHC. I am convinced that the typical Blue Kiosk owner in Ghana thinks she just made 2.20 GHC all her personal expenses for the week will be paid for with this money.

In fact she only made 0.20 GHC (20 Pesewas). It’s even less than 0.20 GHC when you consider the time value of money i.e. the time between buying from the wholesaler and when she finally sells the product. If Blue Kiosk Owner is to live on 1.00 GHC per day she has to sell 5 tins of “Ideal Milk” everyday. To make 2.20 GHC she has to sell 11 tins of “Ideal Milk”.

Unfortunately, not only blue kiosk owners think like this. It runs through our culture. It’s also the building contract who gets a contract and the first thing he buys is a Mercedes Benz. If he really considered his financial obligation i.e. kids school fees, electricity and water bills, 30% bank interest rates, living expenses etc Mr. Contractor will quickly realize that not only can he not afford a Mercedes Benz he can’t afford a car at all. Have you ever wondered what kind of profit margins the street vendors make? Me too. Why are they still there on the streets when there are so many other business opportunities that have better profit margins? The answer is simple. When they sell an apple they can see cash in hand.

I look forward to the day when a University of Ghana Business School graduate with a Bsc. Admin (first class) will start a “Blue Kiosk”. Expand to 5 Blue Kiosks take over a whole neighborhood and hopefully become Ghana’s home grown Sam Walton (Wal-Mart) instead of sitting around waiting for an opportunity to work in the bank as a teller. That will be the beginning of a new day in Ghana.

Why are we so bad at networking?

How come when Ghanaian (and African) professional get together it’s mostly to have fun and show off rather than to figure out how we can combine our brains and resources to help each other for a greater good?

I’ve seen it many times. I used to play soccer with a group of mostly Ghanaian and Nigeria professional in a major US city. In that group were lawyers, doctors, bankers etc. Yet nobody mingled and talked about anything progressive. It was mostly showing off who drove the nicest cars to the field (nothing against nice cars).

Recently, a former colleague of mine who moved to Ghana last year to start a company lamented the apathy of her Wesley Girls alumni network in getting her face-time with major corporations in Ghana to grow her business. She started a business that provides conference call numbers to companies where as many as 50 people can join a conference call at a time. Being part of an overachievers group like Wesley Girls Alumni, you would think she’ll land a pot of networking gold. Turns out most of her fellow alumni show up to meetings just to show how well they are doing.

Sometimes, I wish we in Ghana (and Africa) had a little of the Jewish culture in us. For anyone who has had any interaction with the Jewish culture you know the Jewish businessman has a Jewish accountant, a Jewish lawyer, a Jewish dentist, and a Jewish doctor. It turns out helping each other is self preservation.

Giving up on Fufu & Light Soup with Goat Meat

No. Not completely. But, Yes! For as long as I can remember, Fufu and Light Soup with Goat meat has been my favorite food. I’m afraid those days are over. Will I still eat Fufu? Yes periodically (Not more than once a week). Will I still list it as my favorite food? No. Not because I don’t enjoy it anymore. Nooooo! Far from it.

It all started when I went home to Ghana recently. My mom made arguably one of the best gourmet fufu and light soup with goat meat I ever had. I ate and ate and ate, and drunk some soup…a lot of soup. Sweet Jesus! The soup was nice and extra spicy, the goat meat was fresh and the fufu was made with organic cassava, yam, and plantain “sent from heaven” (see Keyshia Cole). This practically wiped out 2 months of going to the gym and biking like Lance Armstrong in the streets of Chicago prior to my trip.

In order to preserve my Anti-Pot Belly policy and for the sake of longevity and “sustainability”, I hereby officially change my favorite food from Fufu and Light Soup with Goat meat to Banku and Grilled Tilapia with hot pepper. As long as I eat a lot more grilled tilapia than Banku I think I’ll be fine in the long run.

What’s your favorite food? Is it “sustainable”?

(Picture from nududu.com)

What motivates you?

I've been getting a lot of interesting questions from people lately. The latest of them is the question: What motivates you? My answer is God, Family, Country, and Money/Influence. Let me explain:

God - Because I believe we are born with different passions and talents (varying degrees of course) for which we will be held accountable. My responsibility in life, I believe, is to search and pursue those talents to the best of my ability. My favorite scripture is John 9:4; " I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work". For me, this requires actively finding those "works" and executing them according to my God-given gifts and abilities.

Family - I realized (sometime last year) that compared to most of my friends I was born into a very communal/socialist family. In my family, helping and feeding others (family or not) is an obligation. What this means, for me, is that being successful enough to take care of myself and my immediate family is not good enough (actually it is considered a failure). You have to be successful enough to help others too. Somehow, it’s a cross that I gladly bear and it motivates me daily.

Country – I love Ghana. I’m not sure what Kwame Nkrumah and his compatriots saw when they were handed the keys to the country on March 6th, 1957 but I believe my generation (by that I mean Gen Xers) who grew up in Ghana saw the raw potential and the possibilities of greatness of our country and it left an indelible mark on many. I know many who are working tirelessly for the opportunity to be in a position to be part of the realization of that potential. I am blessed to be part of this generation of Ghanaians. Watch out, we’re coming!

Money/Influence –It’s how things get done. Need I say more?

So what about you? What motivates you?

Nice Body or Pretty Face?

After reading my comparison of "Ghana women" and "Nigerian women" (See My Maiden Voyage to Lagos, Nigeria) a friend of mine had a question:

If you had to choose between a nice body and a pretty face, which would you pick?

Answer:
In a perfect world,especially in my 20's and 30's I would certainly want a nice body. There's just something magical about a nice female figure. God is a great designer!

In the real world, however, age, "gravity", and "natural expansion" will take a toll on any nice body quicker than a pretty face. So I'll take a pretty face over a nice body.

Which would you (or the men you know) pick?

What does PhD got to do with it? "Credentialism" and Ghana's Development

In the light of the successful change in government after the 2008 elections and Obama’s visit recent to Ghana I get the sense that Ghanaians are ready for the next level. We’ve seen it all, the snail pace, and the slow progress forward with “deliberate speed”, and we want more, faster! The “how” is where we are all stuck.

On my recent trip to Ghana I got the sense that everybody is waiting for something or someone from somewhere (preferably some Western country) to take us to the next level. You often hear “You guys need to come back home and let’s build Ghana”. For me, this suggests that Ghanaians living in Ghana (all 20 million of them) are not up to the task of nation building. That somehow they can’t dream up and build institutions, businesses, processes in a very Ghanaian way. That somehow all tangible progress must of necessity be foreign.

I am convinced that for Ghana to achieve this much desired next level in development we don’t need another “Honorable, Dr. Dr. Engineer, Lawyer, Architect, Economist, Chartered Accountant XYZ Kofi Mensah, MD Msc. M.Eng PHD LLM ACCA”. This is not to say that they don’t have a significant place in Ghana’s development.

What we need is for “Average Citizen Kofi Mensah” to grow his business from Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi, Hohoe, and Tamale. We need the average citizen who makes any product in Ghana to start thinking about markets in Nigeria, Liberia, Chad, Europe, and South America and bring his/her products to par with international standards with fierce urgency. The market woman who sells tomatoes and onions at Makola Market should consider becoming a small grocery chain.

We need every Ghanaian who has at least $1million in liquid cash to commit at least 10% to start or expand a viable locally grown business that provides goods or services in a very Ghanaian way. We also need banks to match these private financial commitments at reasonable interest rates.

Any ideas on what else could be useful?

It’s ok to plan

On my recent visits to Accra and Lagos I saw enough to make me wonder:

• Do our cultures look down on planning?
• Is planning seen as a sign of weakness? i.e. not tough enough to deal with the rigors of doing business in Africa?
• Does the pressure to make money right now (however small) supersede the possibility of making millions by putting a little more effort into deliberate planning?
  

In Accra I got a chance to visit the new hangout spot in Osu called “CitiZen Kofi”. It is obvious the 5 story facility (complete with penthouse view of Accra just off the main Oxford street) was well planned and executed – and guess what, it’s owned by a Ghanaian.

For me it rivals any club/lounge/bar/restaurant you’ll see in New York, Chicago, London or any major western city in term of design, service, menu, ambiance, etc. Obviously it wasn't built with pocket change.

If you are a citizen of Ghana, by the power vested in me as a fellow citizen, consider it a civic duty (if you can afford it) to visit and spend some time (and money) at CitiZen Kofi in Osu.

My Maiden Voyage to Lagos, Nigeria

For me this trip has been a long time coming considering my maternal grandfather is from this country (Lagos and Ibadan).

My flight from Accra to Lagos was quick and uneventful with all the trappings of the increasing interaction between the two countries. I saw an old school mate of mine on the flight who I hadn’t seen in over 10yrs. He is currently the head of corporate communications for the Ghana branch of a Nigerian bank and was heading to Lagos for a meeting of other heads of communication within the bank.

I also saw two teenage “dada ba” Nigerian girls who looked like they went on a day trip to Accra because they were bored or wanted to get away. There were many others who looked like they make that Accra-Lagos trip often –much like a NYC-Washington DC Amtrak station look.

Since the emergence of Sarah Palin in the 2008 Presidential Campaign in the US, the old republican conservative mantra about “government does not have a place in our lives” has come up in one too many debates.

My first inclination driving from the airport in the dark night (with street lights that don’t work) was that anybody who doesn’t believe in government should visit Lagos for a weekend. For the most part it’s “everyone for himself, God for us all”.

I was in Lagos for 4 days and the national power grid NEPA was on for less than 2 hours total. That a nation that has one of the largest natural gas reserves in the entire world cannot provide electricity to its citizens who are willing and able to pay for this service is beyond belief. I saw people driving in Rolls Royces and Range Rovers in the Victoria Island-Lekki Pennisula areas, living in homes that could double as a huge multi-level church building or mosque. I also saw abject poverty in other areas of the mainland (Mile 2 area, Ikeja, etc). The disparity between the ultra-rich and the ordinary man is obscene.

A lot has been said about the differences and similarities between Ghana and Nigeria. I’ll save my comparisons for a more elaborate analysis except the oft compared “Ghana Woman” and “Naija Woman” (see Wo Se Ekyir blog "First Impressions of Lagos: Ghanaian's Perspective").

In a very general sense I will agree that Nigerian women have prettier faces whereas Ghanaian women have nicer bodies. For some reason, these generalizations do not apply to Ghanaian and Nigerian women in the US. Maybe the US is just the great equalizer as they say or both countries send their “best & brightest” to the US (or better still maybe I’m just hedging my options).















Other observations, experiences and questions:

• The Okada are a lawless bunch (sometimes they just decide to ride their motorcycles against traffic with reckless abandon). However, they provide a crucial means of transportation for the masses.


• Seems to me like there’s no utilitarianism (common good) in the Nigerian psyche. Why is that?


• If you see a building that looks like it hasn’t been painted since 1950 it’s likely a government building and someone “chopped” the money designated for paint.


• Nigerians are fearless business minded people.


• I’ve been in traffic in New York and Los Angeles. There’s nothing like Lagos traffic. Nothing!



• Not to sound like a pessimist but I can’t think through a scenario where Nigeria gets back to what we know as “normal” – running water and electricity on demand. Can someone please help me? Under what circumstances does this country return to a place where the ordinary guy gets a fair share?
  
• For a long time I wondered why a lot of Nigerians living in the Diaspora decide never to go back and live in Nigeria. I understand now. You feel like a drop of water in the ocean. There’s not much 1 person could do to steer a nation of about 150 million in the right direction unless you are the President or something like that.


• I drove in Lagos for 2 days. I should get some kind of certificate I can hang on my wall.

Hypocrisy, The French, Omar Bongo, and Ghana's Neighbors

For a longtime now, I've had issues with the French and their continued manipulation of their former colonies in sub-saharan Africa. Personally, I believe that as colonial masters the French were (and still are) the worst at pillaging their colonies without developing much in terms of human capital and institutions. Then sometime last month I read the following article on BBC News website after it was clear Omar Bongo was pratically on his death bed:

"French authorities are to investigate the assets of the Gabonese President Omar Bongo, who is accused of misappropriating millions of dollars meant for public services...."


"....It is alleged that the volume of real estate owned by Mr Bongo's family in France could not have been purchased with official salaries alone."

"....In 2007 a police investigation into real estate owned by the president and his family in France disclosed 33 properties in Paris and Nice worth an estimated $190 million. And back in 1999, an investigation by the American senate into the private practices of Citibank estimated that the Gabonese president held $130 million in the bank's personal accounts. "

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Here's the money quote:

"...In a book on the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, the investigative journalist Pierre Pean reveals a number of business deals between Mr Kouchner's private consultancy in the early 2000s and the Gabonese government."


Question:
Is it possible for a Black African to own (by conservative estimates) $190 Million worth of Real Estate in France without the knowledge and consent of the French government? Just Real Estate! Not boats and bank accounts etc. Just Real Estate.

Gabon has a population of about 1.5 million people. Imagine what $320 millon ($190 million + $130 million) could have done for the lives of ordinary Gabonese.

Concerns:

As Ghana becomes the "Sweden" of the sub-region I worry that the continuing political situation in our neighboring countries (Togo, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast) will negatively impact our progress. We all saw what happened in Ivory Coast after Houphouët-Boigny. Thanks to French support, Ivory Coast sat under a "pretend" democracy for many years under Houphouët-Boigny. For all intents and purposes Togo is currently the private property of the Gnassingbé Eyadéma family.

Top 10 Ghana - Nicest Neighborhoods in Accra

1. Trasacco Valley


2. Airport Hills


3. Cantonments


4. Airport Residential


5. Ridge/LaBone


6. East Legon


7. Buena Vista (Beach Rd Teshie)


8. West Legon
   
9. North Dzorwulu


10. Tema (New Communities)

Am I missing any?

AGORO v. 2.0 - Retooling Ghana Soccer from the Grassroots

My recent post on the Top 10 greatest Ghana soccer players of all time got me thinking about how we manage sports and soccer in Ghana and West Africa as a whole. It is a fact that the West African sub-region has produced some of the greatest to ever play the game period. From former greats like George Oppong Weah, Abedi Pele, Tony Yeboah, JJ Okocha, to present day stars like Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, and Emmanuel Adebayor to name a few.

I have colleagues and friends at work who were born and raised in Germany, France, England, etc who would relate their experiences growing up and learning to play soccer in various leagues and school programs with constant oversight from a trained coach from kindergarten until it was clear that they had talents in other endeavors other than soccer.

I compare that to my experience growing up in the “mean streets” of Dzorwulu in the 80’s and I find the one thing missing from my football experience was structure! By that I mean there was no structure to the way football was organized below the professional level. I will bet not much has changed in that regard. Not that I was any good or would have gotten any better with a little coaching. Far from it! Like my colleageues who grew up in Europe I found my talents in other endeavors. Growing up, we used to walk unaccompanied (much to the dismay of our parents) from Dzorwulu to Abelenkpe, “Last Chance”, and “Pig Farm” to play against other 5-10 year olds in those neighborhoods. We didn’t have a coach to direct us on when and how to pass the ball, team defense, diagonal passes etc. Indulge me for a moment as I establish my case:

Question:

1. How come West Africans account for a significant percentage of the top players in the professional leagues in Europe but we still haven’t won the World Cup?
   
2. How come Egypt is the current and two-time African Champion (Egypt has won the Africa Cup 5 times in all - more than any other country on the continent) when you can’t name a single Egyptian player who is having a significant impact on the game at the professional level in Europe.


3. How come none of the West African football power houses have a native coach for their senior national team? Name one! Go ahead! I’m waiting. Ghana? Nigeria? Ivory Coast? Togo? Cameroun? Senegal?

Ghana’s style of play has been famously called “Agoro” which literally means “having fun” or “playing”. What exactly is the “Agoro” style of play? Can we define it? Can we write books about it and teach 5-10 year olds? Isn’t it strange that we need a European coach to teach and manage “Agoro” on the senior national team level when he never played or studied “Agoro” in his life?

In America ,we hear about “Phenoms” like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams, etc. It is no secret that NBA scouts were attending LeBron James’ games in middle school. I believe the only way you know a “Phenom” when you see one is that you have a structure in place. That way, you have a process and a “unit of measure” to compare against. Whereas a “Phenom” is naturally very talented you cannot guarantee their success without a process and a structure that teaches the games. It is often said there are a lot of basketball players as talented as Michael Jordan in the ghetto. The reason they didn’t play on Michael’s level is simple – they never submitted themselves to the structure that produced Michael. So the 5 foot 5 inch guy who masters the structure by playing college basketball organized by the NCAA is better able to contribute more to the game and is paid millions to play professionally whereas the ghetto version of Michael Jordan is still….well, in the ghetto.

Enough said! It’s time to reboot “Agoro” as we know it today. Not change the style, because God knows our style of playing soccer reflects our culture and DNA like nothing else. Just organize it better! Can you imagine how many Michael Essien’s we could produce if we had a structure to football in Ghana?

Here’s my suggestion:

1. Document “Agoro” and teach it so a 5year old or better yet a Makola woman can understand it. What is it? What is the best way to play in the “Agoro” system? What are the essential pieces you need to effectively play “Agoro” (just like Phil Jackson's triangle offense needed a small forward who could play the point like Scottie Pippen)? Do you need a right full back who doubles as a midfield winger?


2. Organize football leagues for age groups 5-10 years, 10-15 years (if a player is any good, we will know by 16 (change his official age to 10...shhhhh...) and quickly sign him to a local premier league team coming off the bench).


3. Let every kid have a choice of playing organized football in school or in their neighborhoods under a trained coach. (if only we had this structure we will quickly realize that we need 4 or 5 soccer field in every neighborhood and we just can’t build homes on every piece of land available….sorry I had to throw that in there!)


4. Organize yearly regional and national championships to showcase the best amateurs.

There are larger economic and cultural benefits to having more structure to our sports that I hope to address in future blogs.

Long Live Agoro! Long live Ghana!

Top 10 Ghana - Greatest Footballers of All Time

1. Abedi Pele
2. Michael Essien
3. Tony Yeboah
4. Samuel Osei Kuffour
5. Abdul Razak
6. Opoku Afriyie
7. Mohammed Polo
8. Opoku Nti
9. Sulley Muntari
10. CK Akunnor

The rankings are mostly based on each player's impact on the professional game (mostly in Europe) and their contributions to the game in Ghana. Until the era of Tony Yeboah and Abedi Pele most of our footballers played locally. It would have been great to see the likes of Abdul Razak and Opoku Nti play in top European leagues.

David Ofosu-Dorte: Reflections, Lamentations and Recommendations of an Ordinary Ghanaian

I’ve tried to the best of my ability to transcribe and summarize Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah’s (Joy FM) interview with David Ofosu-Dorte below. More and more I’m impression people like David (instead of the political talking heads) get a platform to speak to the people of Ghana and its leaders about building the foundations for sustainable development. He touched on a lot of basic but thoroughly thought through points that I have mentioned in my previous blog posts.

7 serious issues that need to be addressed in Ghana:

1. Failure to see that a united country is a very important factor in our development

• Emphasize competence and merit and de-emphasize tribe - In the 50’s there were political parties and associations based on ethnic groups e.g. Ga Association, Northern People’s Party, Anlo Youth Association etc. Overtime there was a conscious effort to curb this tendency. Until the mid 80’s District Chief Executives (DCEs) did not have to come from the areas they served. For example, Ampofo from the south is associated with the development of Bolgatanga, Col. Minela from the north was instrumental in the development of Koforidua, and Joshua Alarbi a Ga was influential in forging peace between Kokomba –Nanomba in the north.
• We should reshuffle of regional ministerial posts where the current Ashanti Regional Minister serves the Volta Region and vice versa.

2. Failure to address the “Ghanaian Attitude”

• Attitudes to time affect productivity
• We plan but don’t implement
• We worship our leaders in the tradition of our tribal chiefs
• We prefer foreigners to our own fellow citizens in awarding contracts etc.

3. Need for systematic changes (entrenched practices that need to change)

• Waste (of resources) should not be encouraged.
• We need to hold people accountable for what they do. We should not confuse justice with vengeance.
• We need house numbers and street names.
• National ID Card program will not be successful without it
• National Health Insurance Scheme will not be successful without it
• Fire Service Dept looks for smoke to locate a burning house
• Police looking for arrest a suspect go around asking in the neighborhood

4. Failure to take bold steps to develop infrastructure

• Transit systems should be built to ease traffic congestion along the following routes:
• Medina to Accra
• Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle to Mallam
• Teshie Corridor

5. Issues that have an indirect impact on the economy

6. Failure to properly empower the people

7. Failure to integrate our thinking and policies so that one thing does not have a negative impact on others.

David: When should we expect the book on this topic? Seriously!

Sometime in our lifetime (we need to build a new capital city in Ghana)

Yes! Accra is great but we all know it’s not perfect. It was the seat of the government when we took over from the British Colonial Government in 1957. So technically we can all agree we didn’t have much to do with its planning. Close your eyes for a minute and just assume the last 50 plus years of self determination (albeit painfully nonexistent for long stretches of time) didn’t happen.

It’s time to build a new capital city! A city by us and for us the way we want to live. Let it be a statement of our independence. We need to show the world that if we had control over our affair (which we do now) this is how things would be.

It will be great if we could gather a committee that includes all the political parties NDC, NPP, CPP, PNC, PHP, Architectures, Town Planners, Engineers, Entrepreneurs, Doctors, Teachers, Bankers, Lawyers, Market Women, Construction workers, School Children, Retirees, Farmers etc to design and build a new city.

Of course it will be expensive and it will require building a new international airport and all the things that come with a capital city. The time for small thinking should be over by now.

Here’s what I’d like to see in our new capital:

• Designed and built by the best of our engineers and town planners
• Priority to qualified Ghanaian owned businesses and subcontractors as much as possible
• Home Addresses
• Post office mail with home delivery (if we still have snail mail by then)
• Central drainage and sewage system
• Covered gutters
• Water, Electricity, and Gas on demand
• No abandoned uncompleted buildings
• Industrial Area with 24/7 electricity connected to the grid and backup (ancillary service)
• Major hospital with free quarterly medical checkup for resident tax payers
• Major tolled road from Accra with rest stops and ambulance stations and police patrol
• Street Lights
• Parks, Tennis Courts, Running tracks, Picnic and Recreational areas
• Public Library (hopefully we won’t need a huge building because Google would have scanned every book ever written by then)
• Speed Limits and police issuing speeding tickets
• Garbage collection service
• Discourage Plastic Water Bottles and sachet water
• Major irrigated commercial farms outside the city limits that grow as many of the our foods as possible
• All bulbs will be energy efficient by law
• Tailors and seamstresses who are licensed by a board and can make most of the suits and cloths we import.
• Multi-use buildings
• 21st Century open air African market with bargaining as we like it
• Heavy dependence on light rail and sustainable public transport
• Tax private vehicles by tolling most roads
• University of Ghana (NewCapital Campus) that pays 100% tuition and is only subsided for governments employees and their families

Top 10 Ghana - Greatest Highlife Artists of All Time

By now you can probably tell I have a fascination with lists:

1. Amakye Dede
2. Daddy Lumba
3. Kojo Antwi
4. Ben Brako
5. AB Crentsil
6. George Darko
7. Nana Acheampong
8. Nana Tuffour
9. Pat Thomas
10. Jewel Ackah

The top 3 are interchangable based on the time of day and where the music is being played. What say ye?

Planter's Lodge - Takoradi

Planter’s Lodge was built by the British Air Force for their flying officers in 1934 in Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana. It was later sold to a British company who used it as a hotel. The is now owned and operated by Ghanaians.....more on their website

I love Ghanaian businesses! Take a break from Accra and visit Planter's Lodge, would you?

My Summer Reading List

Here's my summer reading list:

1. Telex from Cuba
2. The Bad Girl: A Novel
3. The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
4. The Guns of August
5. The Pillars of the Earth
6. The White Tiger: A Novel
7. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
8. All Aunt Hagar's Children: Stories - Edward P. Jones
9. Lost in the City - Edward P. Jones
10. The Known World - Edward P. Jones
11. Gilead: A Novel - Marilynne Robinson
12. The Africans - David Lamb
13. The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America
14. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

3 Down, 11 to go!

The Responsibilities of Ghana’s Ruling Elite

In the days leading up to the French Revolution, it is said that when her assistants informed her that the peasants had no bread to eat Marie Antoinette, the frivolous queen, said “Let them eat cake”.

And so goes the story of many of the “Ruling Elite” all around the world. It is the story of Batista’s Cuba before Castro took over. It is the story of the largesse of the America’s CEOs and business leaders before the “depression” of 2008-20XX. It is the story of NPP government’s ex-gratia demands of a $1million government funded NGO for the ex-president. That the ruling elite become detached from reality as they acquire and protect their wealth is nothing new.

The Ruling Elite or Ruling Class is not necessarily only those holding elected office in this great land.

Here is Wikipedia’s definition:

“The ruling class is a particular sector of the upper class that adheres to quite specific circumstances: it has both the most material wealth and the most widespread influence over all the other classes, and it chooses to actively exercise that power to shape the direction of a locality, a country, and/or the world.”

You know we have 3 classes in Ghana, right? The upper class, marginally poor, and dirt poor. So we can agree that the Ghana’s Ruling Elite are the people in a society with the most material wealth and the most widespread influence in Ghana. I’m sure you know a few such people if you are not one yourself.

So my question is this; as a young a fragile democracy, what is the responsibility of Ghana’s Ruling Elite to the country that has given them such wealth and influence.

Here’s what I think it should be:

• Use your collective influence – there are Joneses in every culture and I believe it is human nature for everybody to want to be like the Joneses but I think more so in Ghana than anywhere I have lived we are such “good followers”. If the Ruling Elite (remember? those people with the most widespread influence) could exercise their widespread influence collectively in a positive direction imagine what great impact it will have on our country.
  
• Establish businesses that make things or provide services and employs people.
  
• Patronize locally made products and reduce your dependence on foreign imports as much as you can. For example, have a local manufacturer make you a juicer and have the house help make you some fresh squeezed orange juice with oranges from farms in the hinterland instead of drinking the South African orange juice that comes in the paper box with so much high fructose corn syrup – nothing against South Africa. A glass of organic Orange Juice in a trendy New York City restaurant costs about $5 but Ghanaian elite want to drink boxed orange juice from South Africa with High Fructose Corn Syrup). Most American Corporate CEOs (especially in the Midwest) have foreign cars in their drive way but for political reasons they always drive that big old American car to work from Monday to Friday. It is good politics and good business.
  
• Keep (your friends in) government accountable. Don’t condone stealing (Oh sorry, taking things).
  
• When (not if) you travel outside the country (the more you do the more elite you are in Ghana) spend some time outside the shopping malls and learn something new. Don’t go looking for things you can buy to sell in Ghana. Take a tour of the city and learn how it was built you’ll be surprised to learn that Rome wasn’t built in a day and it takes ordinary people with a simple idea and some serious planning to build everything we love about western cities.
  
• While your kids go to all the private prep schools, keep an eye on the quality of public education in your village or your neighborhood. We need everybody on board for a better tomorrow.
  
• Don’t promote tribalism. Come on! It’s 2009. You have all these degrees after your name. You’ve travelled the world. You know better.
  
• Support the Arts – get some good Ghanaian paintings in your house or office and get a traditional dancing group to perform at your wedding. In any country the ruling elite support the arts as a means of promoting and projecting the elegance of the culture. During the Renaissance era artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo were used by the ruling elite to preserve western culture. Think about this; thanks to paintings like Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper many people today think Jesus Christ was a blond haired blue eyed man from Italy. We all know Jesus was a Jew.
  

Amen!

Prof. Mensah

This guy does the perfect impression of a typical 50-60 yr old Ghanaian man. Check it out!

East Legon Circa 1989 (We used to have enough water for the lawn)

The last time I was home I heard my dad talk about how he woke up around 4am and realized the tap was flowing so he woke the boys to pump some water to the rooftop reservoirs. He sounded like it was some kind of serendipitous accomplishment that he happened upon a “flowing tap”. But seriously, can you blame the man? The tap hadn’t flowed for at least 3 weeks.

That in our beloved capital city of Accra, Ghana in the year 2009 A.D. cannot deliver water consistently to a household that is willing and able to pay water bills is beyond shame. Even if the government and “we the people” are forgetting the utilitarian benefit of having consistent flowing water in our capital city, the Capitalist in me cringes at the thought that someone (the government, the water company etc) is missing an opportunity to make decent consistent money.

It wasn’t always like this you know. My family moved to East Legon in 1989 and I remember we used to water our lawn most evenings up until it became impossible to do in the late 90s due to inconsistency in the water schedule. These days, our lawn is very green in the rainy seasons and completely brown in the dry season. So what exactly happened? Have we regressed as a country?

We have more Jaguars and Range Rovers on our streets than ever before and we don’t even have water in our homes. I’m not one to knock people who like nice things. God knows we Ghanaians have good taste in all things money can buy. I have heard some people in Ghana say “I absolutely insist on driving only German cars!”…..maybe someday soon they can say “I absolutely insist on drive only German cars on decent roads only after I’ve taken a good shower (not from a bucket)!” Hello?!!

Will Ghana’s Emeril or Jamie Oliver Please Stand Up

What are the top 10 fine dining restaurants in Accra? Somebody help me out here:

1. La Chaumiere (French)
2. Monsoon (Australian)
3. Tante Marie (Who knows??)
4. Rhapsody (South African)
5. Dynasty (Chinese)
6. Buka (Ghanaian)
7. Haveli (Indian)
8. ????
9. ????
10. ????

Say you have some client’s or guest from overseas (or overland) in Accra and you just signed a major multi-million dollar agreement with this client at your sprawling office complex in Airport City (this should be happening more and more now seeing that Ghana is gradually becoming the preferred business destination in the West African Sub-Region). To celebrate the deal the client requests dinner at an authentically Ghanaian Fine Dining establishment with an exotic wine list and a reputable Ghanaian Chef – owned and operated by a Ghanaian. What are your options?

We have had Ghanaians living and working in Japan, Italy, France, etc for the last 30 years. How come we don’t have a “Ghanaianized” Italian Restaurant somewhere in Accra operated by a returnee? How come we don’t have any well known Chefs who make the best Ghanaian food and experiment with our traditional dishes? Does everybody have to be a lawyer, parliamentarian, or a contractor? Does everybody have to work at a bank or as a project manager or for an NGO?

Will the Ghanaians who have money to go to Dynasty etc patronize such an institution?

My First Blog

So I've made the leap! After following a few blogs for some months I have decided that I have something to say. I look forward to sharing with you.