Dark Days Ahead: Chris Brown Urges African Youth To Smoke Marijuana

By Honourable Saka

At the early hours of 6th March 2013 in Ghana, it was reported that the entire air around the capital city especially areas in close proximity to the Accra sports stadium was smelling of marijuana often referred to as “wee”. For those who live in the neighbourhood, the air was too heavy to breath because the smell of marijuana could be felt everywhere around the stadium. Thanks to Chris Brown and many of his Ghanaian admirers.

As part of Ghana’s Independence celebration, Chris Brown who was billed to entertain the Ghanaian youth, took the entire nation by surprise as the American artist was rather busy smoking “wee” live on stage to the admiration of the security services and the crowd, mostly children below 16years of age. Meanwhile the act of smoking marijuana in Ghana is a serious crime punishable by punishable by severe prison sentence. This is because marijuana has destroyed the lives of many of the youth, a challenge which has prompted the government of Ghana to declare a war on drugs.

The “Hope City Concert” was meant to be a once-in-a-life-time concert, an event specially designed to mark Ghana's Independence Day: a day which Ghanaians ought to have observed in honour of their forefathers who shed their blood in the struggle to rescue the motherland from a brutal and barbaric British colonial rule.

It was however sad that the dreams of our forefathers to be shattered by the very concert expected to have taught the young generation the lessons of our colonial struggle as well as the need to be patriotic and law abiding citizens.

After about 50 minutes into his awesome performance in Ghana, Chris Brown unexpectedly paused and then asked the musically-intoxicated audience: “How many of y'all smoke weed?”
As expected, his question drew a loud response from the crowd, with some pushing clenched fists towards the sky, chanting and yelling to affirm they were marijuana smokers ready to seize the moment.

Shockingly, the positive response from the uncontrolled crowd seemed to have boosted Chris Brown's confidence, as he pulled out a neatly packaged roll of marijuana on the stage, lit it up, took a long drag and puffed thick clouds of smoke through his nostrils, trashing his foot to the raised platform in Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah’s motherland! Then the crows hailed and cheered, while the police look on with fear and trembling, as Chris Brown releases thick clouds of marijuana smoke everywhere on the stage. Unfortunately, none of the security personnel had the scene had the courage to enforce the law despite being aware that the act of smoking marijuana is a serious criminal offence in the country.

What was more annoying was the fact that, after having publicly urged the Ghanaian youth to smoke weed, Chris Brown who appeared to have mustered his confidence under the influence of marijuana had the zeal to add: “If anybody tripping on ya'll smoking weed, f**k them!”

Then the crowed who was made up of many naïve youngsters below age 18, chanted in return: “we will smoke wee”! “We will smoke wee”! – a clear indication that some of the Ghanaian young boys and girls were preparing their minds to become wee smokers in the near future. After all, many of them see Chris Brown as their role model.

We have to remember that many of these musicians have widely confessed to have SOLD THEIR SOULS TO THE DEVIL and are determined to win more souls for the devil.

It will therefore be dangerous for our leaders to allow such musicians big platforms to influence our vulnerable African youth in that manner.
The Ghanaian authority should therefore not be taken by any surprise if Ghanaian musicians begin to adopt the habit of smoking wee on stage as Mr Chris Brown has already shown them the way.

There are those who seek to rationalize what Chris Brown did on stage, apparently claiming that what happened was merely an act and that the singer did not actually smoke wee. Such people better get their facts right!! Before doing what you call 'demonstration' Chris Brown specifically asked the youth: “How many of y'all smoke weed?” After the crowd cheered on, Chris Brown then continued: “If anybody tripping on ya'll smoking weed, f**k them!”.
So the question: how do these two statements of Chris Brown explain what some would want to call a mere 'demonstration'?

For an American artist of his kind to smoke marijuana (wee) on such a public platform wasn’t in any way a big surprise. However, what makes the situation miserable and disappointing is the fact that the Ghana police and the military personnel who were at the scene never took any action to enforce the law when the marijuana-charged artiste arrogantly broke the laws of our beloved country with impunity. This is while the security services have been hailed by the international community for their commitment to enforcing law and order. It is very disgraceful and a big betrayal to the state, whose motto still remains “freedom and justice”.

Yes, we want freedom in Ghana. But this is not the kind of freedom which my grandfather and his colleagues died for. Kwame Nkrumah must be weeping in his grave by now, as our law enforcement agencies sit down and watch some American dude with all his arrogance, trample upon the laws of our beloved country on NO OTHER PLATFORM THAN a programme designed for OUR MOST CHERISHED INDEPENDENCE DAY!

If the Ghana police and the army are afraid to enforce the laws of the land, how can the rest of Africa count on them to be able to enforce the law in areas where peace and security has been threatened?
I feel really sad about this development. How many Ghanaians will be allowed to mount a public platform anywhere in the United States or the United Kingdom and smoke a substance which is well known to be against the laws of the land and be allowed to walk free with a handsome $1million reward as Chris Brown just did in Ghana?

I call on the Ghanaian authority to sit up and ensure that laws of our land are adequately enforce at all times without any discrimination.
Let us begin to demonstrate that indeed, Ghana still remains the shining star of Africa and a leading example of Good governance and democracy in Africa.
Indeed, the "Hope City Concert" which seeks to bring about the "African Dream", would have made more sense if that $1million were invested in the lives of young and upcoming artistes here in Africa, rather than giving such huge amount of money to Chris Brown for him to come and influence the African youth to be smoking marijuana.
The African people must rise up and realize the danger side and the negative consequences of this corporate-controlled hip-hop is gradually having on the African youth. We have to act fast before the untold consequences begin to manifest in the lives of our vulnerable youth.
Dark days are truly coming ahead of Africa.

I rest my case.

Honourable Saka
The writer is a Ghanaian national who is very passionate about Ghana and Africa as a whole. He is the coordinator for the Project Pan-Africa (PPA), an organization that was set up to foster unity among Africans, to live together in harmony. Visit us at: www.projectpanafrica.org. E-mail him at: honourablesaka@yahoo.co.uk

I Weep For Africa: The Cry of a Worried African Youth

Father Africa has put himself in chains, yet he blames the Whiteman

By Honourable Saka

Africa is a lovely continent and the ordinary African is indeed one such nice person to discover. Africa is a continent of one people, though currently without a common vision, we still have a common destiny. The true African is always proud of his African identity. As a matter of fact, the African citizen, tend to cherish his identity even better, when he/she travels to Europe or America and all one can see on the streets are two colours: Black and White people all over. It is at this moment that he/she sees the Blackman as his true brother/sister.

As a proud African, when l walk on the streets of London, Paris, or Beijing and l see the Blackman anywhere, I feel proud to have seen my brother or sister in a foreign land. At that time, I care less about which African country specifically he might come from. I do not really care about his religion nor his ethnic background. I do not care whether he belongs to a political party or not. I care less whether he’s a Muslim or a Christian. At that moment, all l see and feel proud of, is my African brother/sister who shares my common identity. I shake hands and hug my African brother/sister with pride. Whenever Africans come together, it is a moment of joy and excitement.

For instance, during international sports competitions, the entire African people tend to rally behind any African team/country that is able to make it to the final stage against teams from other continents.

I remember during the 2010 world cup held in South Africa, when Ghana was left to carry Africa on her shoulders; the entire African continent came together in harmony. Many Africans across the world rejoiced in unity as they rallied behind Ghana.

In the end, even when Ghana couldn’t make it, Africans all over the world though they felt disappointed, they were proud. Such is the true taste of what it means for a people to come together, and live in harmony, rather than always having to fight among ourselves as the enemy wishes.

From Where Came All These Divisions?
Divide and conquer has always been the strategy the colonial masters often used to destroy a people. Imagine how lovely and wonderful this world would be, if the north, south, east and west were to live together in harmony, instead of wars and conflicts that often leave the innocent and the vulnerable suffering?

The whole world knows that it will be wonderful for a people to live together in harmony, yet why can’t it be so? Across the world, Africans are facing challenges in areas of racism and its discriminations.

Yet today, thanks to the lack of foresight from many of our leaders. Africa, a people who ought to be the most formidable force in the world, has been broken into pieces. From the north, the south, east the west, to the central Africa, Africans are fighting among themselves, killing our own brothers and sisters all in a bid to please the colonial master.

The colonial masters have succeeded in dividing the people into so-called “economic regions and countries”. Yet, within our own regions and countries, we’re still not free: we’re fighting for individual interests. Our people have been divided along political lines, ethnic and tribal groupings. Many of us are still struggling under the yolk of religious differences. Little regard is given to the fact that we’re all Nigerians, one Ghanaians, one Somalis or Sudanese, and that we are not different people, irrespective of our religious and political beliefs. But we have believed the enemy more than ourselves.

With this, Lucky Dube, the reggae legend who was eliminated by the usual mafia, shared his sentiments. Quoting Bob Marley, he said:

“Bob Marley said: how long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look? But little did he know that eventually, the enemy will stand aside and look, while we kill and slaughter our own brothers”.

Indeed it is a sad reality, because colonialism had it that, the African people were being suppressed, beaten and killed by the colonial masters. But sadly in today’s Africa, neo-colonialism has made it possible for Africans to be killing themselves and suppressing their own freedoms while the enemy rather sits somewhere and looks.

Why must the African people allow certain minor issues such as religion and political parties, to throw us into killing ourselves? Does it really make sense for Ghanaians, Nigerians, Kenyans or the Ivory Coast to be fighting and killing their brothers and sisters because of politics or religion; forgetting that we are all one people with a common destiny?
It is very sad that our African identity has been erased from our minds and our thoughts, to the point where instead of us coming together to solve our problems, we’re rather busying ourselves with how we can suppress one another for selfish gains.

Recently, the fact that we’re all Africans and come from one continent is not an issue that bothers our leaders. What happened to the spirit of living in a universal brotherhood? Where did we go wrong?

Many African leaders today are secretly busying themselves with how they can suppress the growth of their neighbouring African countries.

While some are secretly funding and collaborating with various terror groups in their attempt to sew chaos in other countries, others are equally busying themselves with how they can make life unbearable for the other Africans living in their country.

Then after all these distractions, African leaders shamelessly continue to gather at Addis Ababa, under the umbrella of the AU, as they hypocritically wine and dine on one hand, exchanging fake smiles and handshakes, whiles their governments continue to frustrate and intimidate the citizens of other Africans living in their countries on a daily basis. Why all these hypocrisy of a so-called African Union?

It is a big shame to our current African leaders that after all these years of drumming into our ears, unity after unity, Africa still remains more divided than ever.

At a time when we cheerfully welcome many of our Asian and European brothers into our countries; we shamelessly intimidate our own brothers and restrict their freedoms on their own motherland.

African leaders must change these habits and take immediate efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with all African countries. I am urging the AU to bring into discussion the urgent need to make efforts to remove these entire border and visa restrictions which the colonial masters have imposed on the African people through the colonial accord of 1844.

We the African people want the freedom to explore Africa and to interact with our brothers and sisters across the continent without being submitted to any unnecessary delays that comes with this visa queues and the long waiting times.

In this 21^st century where every continent is well integrated to facilitate the swift movement of goods and services that promotes economic growth and job opportunities, we in Africa have entangled ourselves in some colonial boundaries that were drawn centuries ago with our enslavement and suppression as the ultimate objective.

Yet, every year, our political leaders shamelessly celebrate independence as if to say Africa is independent from these colonial bonds. We are supposedly claiming political independence, yet, we have allowed some 19^th century’s colonial bondage to continually bind our freedom of living in a continent of universal brotherhood.

Until this colonial bondage is broken, Africa shall continue to remain impoverished, wretched and chained for another century to come. At the same time, our Asian and Latin American colleagues would have freed themselves from this bondage and become one of the most formidable forces at a time when Europe and America might have collapsed. By freeing themselves from the shackles of colonial bondage, the emerging economies will be doing business among themselves, creating more opportunities for their people, when we in Africa would be looking everywhere, fighting among ourselves and blaming the white man for our lack of foresight.

I weep for Africa, my beloved continent. But I won’t give up, because there is still hope for our current leaders to do what is right.
Long live Africa, our only home.

Honourable Saka
The writer is a Pan-African analyst and the founder of the Project Pan-Africa (PPA), an organization that was established to unlock the minds of the African youth to take Africa’s destiny into their hands. The PPA seeks to provide the biggest platform that will give international exposure to all hidden but exceptional talents in Africa. Please visit us at: www.projectpanafrica.org and support the project. PPA is grateful to ITech Plus and all media partners that support our vision for Africa. Email me at: honourablesaka@yahoo.co.uk

As The President of Ghana Passes On, May Ghana Unite

Tribute To HE J.E.A. Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana

By Honourable Saka

"It is with a heavy heart... that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana," a statement released by the president's office.

Mr President,

It was several weeks ago when you returned from the United States for medical check-up.

For those of us who love our country, we welcome you home and thanked the Lord for the life of our beloved president. 

We loved you and prayed for you, hoping that you would live to fulfil your vision for Ghana. Little did we know that you would leave us at this critical moment.

Your term of office saw Ghanaians on many occasions, completely united in glory on the international stage. During President Obama’s visit to Ghana, the whole world praised Ghana as a model of peace for Africa.

Also, during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana under your leadership made the whole of Africa proud. Ghana has also been a shining example economically when in 2011, under your leadership; our beloved country became the fastest growing economy. 

Even though we’re not there yet, we still believe that someday, we will be the shining star of Africa.

Suddenly, you are no more with us.

Mr President, our hearts are troubled and our eyes are filled with tears.

We still remember when you turned on the tap two years ago, for the flow of oil production in Ghana. 

It was a moment of joy, peace and harmony and hope.

That day will never be forgotten just as you will never be forgotten. 

It is very sad that you could not live to witness how this resource would be managed to impact upon the lives of the people of Ghana and Africans at large.

Three days ago, you celebrated your 68th birthday in glory. Sadly, you left us just a few days later.

You are in our hearts, our minds, and in our thoughts. We pray for the people of Ghana in this troubled times.

We will meet again one day. Once we're together again it will be a celebration of love.

Even as you leave us in this state of dismay, sorrows, tears and sadness.

We pray that your soul will find rest in the bosom of the Lord. We also pray that you will tell our ancestors to send us all the guidance and the blessings we need to fulfil the destiny of mother Ghana.

Rest in peace Mr President

May God Almighty grant you eternal rest. And may He grant your family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Most importantly, may your death, create the biggest opportunity for the nation Ghana to unite and work together for our common destiny.

Long live Ghana, my beloved country!!

Long live Africa!!

About Honourable Saka

The author is a regular writer and a political analyst on African affairs, and a well-known social commentator in Africa. He is currently seeking the establishment of the "Project Pan-Africa (PPA)" to create a mental revolution across Africa. He is the editor of “The Doctor’s Report”, your most reliable source of critical analysis on African affairs. He’s strong Pan-Africanist, a youth activist and founder of the “Leaders of Tomorrow”, a transformational and inspirational group of possible future leaders. Please visit his blog at: www.honourablesaka.blogspot.co.uk and Email him at: honourablesaka@yahoo.co.uk

Also visit us at: www.projectpanafrica.org

APOSTLE KWADWO SAFO'S INVENTIONS - Is it a technological vision for Ghana or an endless annual circus?

By: AKWASI OSSEI NKRUMAH

After independence, Ghana under Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah launched a radical drive to industrialise our young nation. This manifested the first leader'sunderstanding of the importance of technology-driven industrialisation to a nation's quest to actualise and consolidate the gains of self-government. It is not the authors intention to list the several of such attempts since this piece is not meant to serve any political goal; rather it is purposed to ginger serious discussions on the works of Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo and other inventors vis-à-vis Ghana's technological advancement.

It is sad to note that Ghana, in this age of technology remains a net consumer of technology. In this situation, it is highly improbable that our national budget can record a surplus; since the value of our primary goods export cannot compare to the highly expensive yet necessary technological imports such as automobiles, electronics etc. We export our raw produce for extremely low values; and are always happy to hear that cocoa exports have improved whilst our balance of trade remains a huge deficit. The first post-independence government of Dr. Nkrumah aside, Ghana has not had any planof using technology to drive our economy (I stand to be corrected) government ingovernment out. India, after independence in 1947 adopted a national vision to use science and technology as the fulcrum of their national development plan; and today India is not only a net exporter of technology but also a nuclear power. In the half century since independence, India and its people have been committed to the task of promoting the spread of science and have recognized the key role of technology as one of the most important elements of national development (credit:

Science and Technology Policy of India, 2001

Ghana as a nation with over 50years self-rule cannot afford to sync so easily with the present status quo. The world is moving fast thanks to technology and it does not augur well for any country that is left behind.

In an introduction to its science and technology policy India’s Minister of State for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, Hon. Shri Kapil Sibal, had this to say; hear him:

“Since independence, the government of India has been strongly aware of both needs – the need to build up a powerful science base, and the need to ensure that science is not restricted to the university laboratories.

Under a succession of enlightened leaders, Indian governments have long recognised the need for any country that aspires to call itself a modern nation to invest heavily in science and technology"

(My Emphasis).

"The fruits of this foresight are now widely visible. Thanks largely to the government'sdetermination that the country should build a strong independent base in science and technology, India has been able to build up a capacity in a wide range of areas of modern technology, from software engineering to health biotechnology.

 And this has placed it in a strong position to engage in the global knowledge economy, rather than remaining on the margins"

The above long quote encapsulates what I think should be the thrust of our nationaldevelopment efforts. I do not see Ghana, presently, being in a strong position to engage in the global knowledge economy and I wonder whether we are anywhere near the margins. Ghana is simply not in the picture.

Indigenous inventors – a frustrated pack 

Like the voice of one that cry in the wilderness ……. . Ghanaian inventors have been begging us as a nation-state to listen to their lonely shrill cries and we have always treated them with derision or, directed to them, the attention a kid gets when she makes a craft; nothing serious just an intelligent and precocious kid. That Onua Amoah was frustrated for lack of serious attention for his biogas project is not privileged information. He was born into his own at atime his own was not ready for him, may his soul rest in perfect peace.

Barima be ye bi (a man can only try his best). 

The late Onua Amoah was not alone in his predicament; there are several others among them Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo, in my view the most notable of them mainly because of the extent to which he has gone to publicise his inventions (I use inventions in defiance of a certain notion making the rounds that they are not such). Apostle Safo has been very bold, about his claim to these inventions we see on TV every weekend, and has taken for example thevehicles to the Vehicle Examination and Driver Licensing Department (VELD) to beexamined. I do not know what happened afterwards, but I have personally seen this vehicle in question, the Kantanka 4x4, moving swiftly on one of our nation’s highways. Americans say

if it moves like duck, stands like a duck, feeds like a duck ……then it is a duck.

The Kantanka 4x4 runs as swift as any other four-wheel-drive; indeed it looks like most four-wheel-drives and looks equally as strong or even more rugged. So what is it? It is a four-wheel-drive rugged vehicle made in Ghana, of course. And how have we received it? Fit for a circus-like display in annual technology fairs, and on television displays where dignitaries and non-dignitaries alike, go to express their amazement and applaud the great Apostle for his vision and that’s it. Whilst we continue to finance the economy of other countries with hard currency, through importation of vehicles needed to run the affairs of state, totally oblivious, of a clear plan and strategy to wean us of such needless dependence on other countries.

Car – making in Ghana a reality

Bob Marley once sung “

…in the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty”.

There is an abundance of evidence available in Ghana today, that car – making here in this country is no more a dream but a reality. Henry Ford was right when he said,

“whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right”

Listen to Walt Disney

“all our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them”.

Yes. A Ghanaian has demonstrated the ability to manufacture cars right here in Ghana. This should be more than good news for any serious nation bent on using technology to advance its development. Have we the courage as a nation to take charge of this reality and develop it as a vital resource for our technological advancement? Enough of the circus-like displays; it is about time for serious action. I am talking about state intervention. In a few words I will describe how the state should intervene.

The role of the state

The state should set up a body of experts to critically examine the vehicles manufactured by Apostle Safo. The purpose of these experts’ work, would be to calibrate the vehicle and itscomponents, to see, whether they conform to acceptable standards. When this is done, shortfalls that would be identified would then be made known to the manufacturer to work on them, till the vehicles meet every acceptable standard. When this stage is completed, we will have a vehicle that is durable and reliable. The next stage would be to form a business development team, together with themanufacturer, to assess the requirements in terms of capital, technical improvements, human resource, materials and raw materials supply with the sole aim of putting up a manufacturing plant. Any shortfall of capital required must be supplied by the state as equity in the business. Say we start with a plant capacity of 50 cars a month. Government would have no reason procuring cars from outside, once we have perfected our own car manufacturing ability and would be producing cars. The government of Ghana would then be the key consumer of cars churned out of the established plant; four-wheel drives for MMDAs, DMHIS, police patrol and the military; buses for workplaces and schools. We stand to gain a whole lot from ensuring the sustenance of this dream-become-a-reality. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footstep. John C. Maxwell has said  “You are only an attitude away from success”.

It is said,

a pessimist is a person who, regardless of the present, is disappointed in the future

As Ghanaians we need not be in this category of Homo sapiens.

 Let these words of Dale Carnegie shine the light of optimism in our hearts – 

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way

.

Allow me to paraphrase Karl Marx’s conclusion in the

Communist Manifesto,

We have our chains (of underdeveloped status) to loose and the whole world (and its knowledge economy) to gain.

 God bless our nation Ghana.

NOTES:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25949129/Apostle-Kwadwo-Safo-s-Inventions

By: AKWASI OSSEI NKRUMAH

This was just me thinking aloud on a matter I felt very attached. This article was sent to the Daily Graphic newspaper in Ghana on 09/07/2008 but was never published. Someone in there felt it was not worthy to be published. What is your own assessment? Please help let us together put pressure on the government of Ghana to support Apostle Safo Katanka, and African governments in general to support the initiatives of Africans.