Very Interesting Times In Ghana Indeed

THE PILLORYING OF ANAS AMEREYAW
So the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) too has joined the chorus of criticism against Anas Amereyaw? How extraordinary. The question that needs posing in its case is: Is this not the era of citizen journalism, after all? Ebeeii.

Perhaps it escapes the MFWA that the devious and greedy individuals whose super-ruthless cabal exploited their positions in the GFA, to make all manner of self-serving-disloyal-payments, over the years, and turned Ghana into a global power in soccer match-fixing, would never have been exposed, if Anas had sallied forth to the GFA HQ, and simply asked them directly whether or not they were corrupt and dishonest people, exploiting Ghanaian football for their own ends. Haaba, MFWA. How? Pity. Hmmm, eyeasem o.

This is a simple matter: No honest and principled individual will ever fall to Anas Amereyaw's blandishments. In life, one is either honest, or one isn't - in all things. There is nothing in between. Full stop. Nothing complicated about that - which is the whole point of Anas' work: and it is a perfectly legitimate way to catch the sly and wicked crooks bleeding Mother Ghana dry, who operate from the shadows. Hmmm, Oman Ghana: eyeasem o - asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.

THE GHANAIAN MEDIA'S CONTINUED FAILURE TO PROTECT MOTHER GHANA

In a nation in which sundry microfinance companies and banks have suddenly failed, over the years, whiles a number of under-capitialised banks are teetering on the brink of disaster, even as we speak, how come the more responsible sections of the media have still not demanded that the supervisory authorities of the financial services sector, particularly the Bank of Ghana (BoG), should investigate the deal that enabled the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) chairperson, Mr. Freddie Blay, to allegedly obtain a loan of U.S.$11 million to purchase 275 buses for the party's constituency offices across the nation?

What is wrong with media professionals in Ghana, koraaaa? Haaba. The election of such a pork-barrel-loving-politician as chairperson of a governing party, would not have been possible in any serious country anywhere in this world - as the media would have ensured that that did not occur: for transparency and good governance reasons. Hmmm, Oman Ghana. We will await the denouement of this shabby affair.

IBRAHIM MAHAMA's UK AWARD
Brilliant young man. No Ghanaian entrepreneur has been so generous to so many in need, in such fuss-free fashion. God bless him. The idea that there are people in Ghana who want to destroy a man like him is so sad. Still, not a few Ghanaians are happy for him that he was honoured recently in the UK as one of Africa's best entrepreneurs. Shame on all those who plotted to ruin him. This blog's question for Ibrahim Mahama is: Massa, why don't you persuade your brother the former president to quit active politics and become Africa's equivalent of former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter? You'd be doing Mother Ghana a huge favour if you could. Food for thought for JDM's loved ones: As an old wag I know put it succinctly: "Kofi, most of those following JDM, just want to chop his and Ibrahim's money. Full stop."

ELIMINATING POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN BUDUBURAM LIBERIA CAMP

The #BuduburamArtsCollective is an economic empowerment initiative for the people of Buduburam, designed by an informal group made up of creative individuals residing in the State Housing Company estate in the area.

The idea is to leverage the #BuduburamArtsCollective' brand to help the peoplei of Buduburam develop and monetise their skills and talents, to enable them benefit from selling their handmade products on 'The Big Issue UkK' online shopping platform, and thereby bootstrap their way out of poverty, and gain financial independence, eventually, to enjoy the personal freedom which that makes possible.

Sky Community Radio and 'The Big Issue Ghana' are supporting the #BuduburamArtsCollective idea as a joint corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. 'The Big Issue Ghana' is a Buduburam-based street newsmagazine that intends to replicate the business models of 'The Big Issue UK' and 'The Big Issue Australia' in Ghana. Its maiden print edition is being put together for publication before the end of this year.

'The Big Issue' street newsmagazine business model globally enables members of the International Street Newspapern Association ( INSP) to create cohorts of micro-entrepreneurs, who make a decent living as vendors selling national street newspapers, which they purchase at reasonable prices, and sell for very good margins.

That helps poor people, including the homeless and individuals who have ended up as street people, to bootstrap their way out of the poverty trap, and gain financial independence. As we speak, 'The Big Issue Ghana' is in discussions with the soccer NGO, GIMAT, aimed at starting a football project in Bumduburam to unearth and train talented footballers in the comnunity. Very interesting times in Ghana indeed. Fancy that: a fledgling street newsmagazine aiming to help the poor bootstrap their way to financial freedom. Cool.