THE NEW GHANAIAN | 1 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
10 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY (2001 - 2011) VOLUME 12 NO. 1 - JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 20, 2012 FREE
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Oil Industry Regulation Lags Behind As Ghana Ramps Up Production
On November 3, 2011, fishermen working near the Jubilee oil field 60 km. off the coast of Ghana spotted a large oil slick floating towards land. The next day a dark, syr upy ooze arrived onshore, coating b e a c h e s o f s eve r a l fishing communities and waterfront hotels in Ghana’s Ahanta West District, the coastal strip closest to the country’s new, deep water oil field. The fishermen told authorities they suspected the spill came from the offshore operations, but Cont’d on page 7
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HEALTH WATCH
How to Manage Your Stress Research confirms the effects of stress affect your health. The impact it has on your health, related to the physical, mental, emotional, and social can be harmful and devastating. Wow! Fa s t f o r w a r d t o t h e b r a n d n e w ye a r 2012! In the world we live today, our society may be individualistic, extended family based, etc. everything appears to be so fast paced that w e c a n h a r d ly c o p e , everyone has to face their own challenges, and often the pressure of these challenges are too much for a person to handle. This is the origination of stress. It creeps up on you. One may then ask, what is stress? What is Stress? A colleague of mine once remarked that “Life and stress go hand in hand.” True, we have all experienced some forms of stress in our lives. Stress is part of the package of life and our existence on planet Earth. In assessing the impact and the value of stress in our lives, it is helpful to have a clear definition of this phenomenon. Stress is difficult for scientist to define because it is a highly subjective phenomenon that differs from person to person. Issues in life that are distressful for some individuals can be accommodating or pleasurable to others.
Individually, we all respond to stress differently. Some define stress to be a disturbance of a person’s normal psychological or physiological state. Larry Alan Nadig, PhD a Clinical Psychologist defines stress as an “internal process that occurs when a person is faced with a demand that is perceived to exceed the resources available to effectively respond to it, and where failure to effectively deal with the demand has important undesirable consequences.” I n l ay m a n t e r m s , stress feels like – tension, pressure, nervousness, too much to do or a nag of butterflies in the stomach. Stress can be positive and negative. Stress can provide us with important warning signals and in doing so, provide a positive service. We also view stress as a negative force that can impact our physical wellbeing almost as acutely as our mental health. It is mismanaged stress or an over-abundance of stress which causes strain and can be devastating for the person or the body system. Causes of Stress One of the greatest causes of stress is threat. A perceived threat will lead an individual to feel stressed. Threat comes in different shades and forms. This can include physical threats, social threats, financial threats, spiritual threats, emotional threats, educational threat,
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the incident was greeted with seeming indifference. No official clean-up was launched, so the community was left to clean up the mess itself. “The lack of any clear information about the incident has made many in the coastal communities nervous about the future,” said Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah of the Friends of the Nation, a Ghanaian community development organization. Even as the Jubilee field was in development, environmentalists warned it was moving too fast. To activists, official silence surrounding the November incident was evidence that Ghana lacked the ability to properly oversee offshore oil operations. Re por ts by non-gover nmental organizations show that the companies that developed the Jubilee field, and the World Bank Group officials who lent hundreds of millions of dollars to jump start the project, were aware of the risks
Editorial More Hope, More of Everything
Daniel Ampomah, PhD, RN, NE-BC romance threats, and so on. In particular ones’ stress will be worse when the person feels they have no response that can reduce the threat, as this affects the need for a sense of control. When a person feels threatened, that threat can lead to fear, which again leads to stress. Fear leads to imagined outcomes, which are the real source of stress. Fear of the unknown can lead to stress. When we are not certain, we are unable to predict, and hence feel we are not in control, and hence may feel fear or feel threatened by that which is causing the uncertainty. Another cause of stress in our lives is cognitive dissonance. When there is a gap between what we do and what we think, then we experience cognitive d i s s o n a n c e , wh i c h i s felt as stress. Thus, if I think I am a nice person then do something that hurts someone else, I will experience dissonance and stress. Dissonance a l s o o c cu r s whe n we cannot meet or honor our commitments. We
from the beginning. What’s also clear is that everyone knew the Ghanaian government lacked adequate monitoring systems, regulators to police the industry and equipment needed to react to spills. Located along Africa’s Atlantic Coast, Ghana is slipping down the same unregulated slope as other countries that hug the Gulf of Guinea: Promises of economic development along with a lure of easy money have prompted governments to encourage the rapid growth of an industry in a regulatory vacuum. The oil industry, in effect, is left to monitor itself. Speedy oil development Ghana’s Western Region boasts some of the country’s most striking coastline. Rocky coves and tidal pools give way to palm-fringed stretches of sandy beach where dolphins and sea birds dash in and out of crashing surf and where a lucky visitor might spot a nesting turtle. Historically, the coastal region’s
We could not be more excited after our 10th Anniversary, and our 12th volume kicks off January 2012 and we are anxious to continue serving the Ghanaian community abroad and beyond with excellence. By sharing news that is both informative and uplifting we are knocking on the opportunities of the new year with both hands and we are excited about the community partnerships we feature that show our progress here in the United States. We a r e e xc i t e d t o include new contributions from decorated journalists & writers such as Kabral B l ay - A m i h e r e ( h e a d of Ghana’s Media Commission) & Cephas Haywood Amartey; don’t despair Rev. ThompsonQuartey, Rev. Otabil and M u r i e l Va n d e r p u ye ’s contributions are back in 2012, with depth and are more inspirational than ever. Daniel Ampomah,
RN, PhD will also be adding an insightful twist to our health articles. To e x p a n d t h e variety and voices that are expressed through the newspaper, we’ re also heralding a Young Vo i c e s s e g m e n t t h a t will feature, long time TNG contributor Mabel Obinim who is teaching in Abetifi in the Ashanti Region for a couple of months, Solace Awumee, a Ghanaian student at R a d f o r d U n ive r s i t y, among others. If you’re a young voice and you want your contributions to be read, pictures viewed or videos watched, do well to send your contributions to tngeditor@gmail. com and don’t forget to include Young Voice in the email header. We are excited to hear from young Ghanaians & friends of Ghana alike. On to one of the highlights of this edition: as part of our renewed
support for community prog rams one of our headline story features the African Community Resource Center (ACRC), in partnership with the West African Focus Group, Guiding the Jour ney among others. ACRC hosted a college prep afternoon program for students, and as one of many of such initiatives that allow young professionals to give back in meaningful ways to other students in the community, we are excited to report on this. The church of Pentecost’s youth group PENSA, also hosts SAT prep and resume critiques at their church premises, 8198-A Terminal Road, Lorton, VA. 22079 and o u r h o p e i s t h a t by reporting these stories with prominence we’re not only restoring hope but we’re encouraging hopeful acts that uplift the community.
believe we are honest and committed, but when circumstances prevent us from meeting our promises we are faced with the possibility of being perceived as dishonest. Generally, there are many, many causes of stress in life. The most obvious examples include: death of a loved one; health issues; family changes such as divorce; sexual problems; lack of
sleep; relocating to a new area; lack of money or owing it; responsibilities of a new job; wayward child; working too many hours at your job; unable to pay your bills; working alongside an employee who doesn’t like you, and so on. Symptoms of Stress There are many common signs and symptoms of stress including: cold or sweaty hands; dry mouth;
difficulty breathing and sighing; excessive anxiety and nervousness; tremors and trembling of lips and hand; stuttering and stammering; constant tiredness, weakness and fatigue; weight gain or loss without diet; increased smoking, alcohol or drug use; increased frustration, irritability and edginess; difficulty slee ping,
economy has depended on fishing, which benefits 2 million people – 8 percent of Ghana’s population – but is predicted to unduly suffer from pollution generated by oil operations. Government and industry officials acknowledge that they have no compensation fund to support fishing communities in the event of a major spill – the type of response that kickstarted recovery in U.S. Gulf Coast states after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. That reality leaves many coastal residents and environmental activists doubting the government’s promise that in Ghana, oil Cont’d on page 10
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PUBLISHER: Joseph “Sonny” Vanderpuye MANAGING EDITOR: Emmanuel A. Gamor SENIOR STAFF WRITER: EDWIN JANNEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Muriel Vanderpuye Eddie Ekuban (FASHION) CONTRIBUTORS: Rev. C. John Thompson-Quartey, Jemila Abdulai, Etse Sikanku, Nii Ayertey Aryeh, Edwin Janney, Oral Ofori, Edwin K. Otabil , GRAPHIC DESIGNING: Sonny Vanderpuye The New Ghanaian is a monthly publication of MEDIA AFRIKA, LLC, 5515 CHEROKEE AVENUE SUITE 100, ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22312 www.mytngonline.com or www.thenewghanaian.org To advertise or for more info call: 703.901.4277 | 571.435.4576 or send your emails to: tngeditor@gmail.com
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Faith
Baptism of Our Lord A few Sundays ago, Churches all over the world celebrated the Baptism of Our Lord. As I reflect on the significance of baptism in the life of a Christian, I am reminded of the value of an item that has become a commonplace feature in almost every household. I am speaking of the GPS. But several years ago, before GPS became common, I was convinced by a front desk clerk at the Hertz car rental at Philadelphia Airport to pay $9.00 extra per day on my rental car in order to receive a little gadget in my car that would get me to my destination safely. Being in an unfamiliar territory and having to make several appointments in a limited time period, I obliged. I must confess I found this new toy in the car to be an invaluable companion as I searched for addresses and local restaurants and convenience stores. Back then, the people at Hertz called this gadget the “Hertz Never Lost”. And true to its name, I was able to find my way around the city of Philadelphia and all its suburbs like a pro. I even made it to all my appointments on time without having to stop at every gas station to ask for directions. Those of you who own a GPS unit will agree that you can never get lost if you trustfully follow the instructions. But even with the GPS, I often get distracted and whenever I hear the words: “recalculating”, I know that I have missed a turn. Then follows the command: “make the next right turn”. In a few right turns, I am back on track to find my destination. In deed, paying the $9 for the Hertz Never Lost was the best investment I had ever made! In the gospel of Mark [chapter 1:4-11], we meet John the Baptist. We are told that John appeared in the wilderness proclaiming the baptism of repentance. Clearly those who heard John’s message and came to be baptized were those who have figured out that their lives were headed in the wrong direction, and
for them the baptism of John gave them a chance for a fresh start. The word: REPENT literally means to turn around; to return to a place of origin. So those w h o r e c e ive d Jo h n’s baptism were returning from past associations and former ways and patterns of behavior in order to reorient themselves toward the God who created them. For them (and for us), John is the voice in the GPS unit, which gently reminds us when we have made a wrong turn, to “recalculate” and “make the right turn.” The season after Christmas is known as the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is the season of light, when God shines his light into the dark places of our lives, and reveals himself to us in many surprising ways. But we will soon begin to understand that the entire life and work of Jesus Christ is a series of Epiphanies, where God makes the true identity of Jesus known to the world. In the bible passage cites above, we meet the man Jesus. Having outg rown the manger in Bethlehem, Jesus shows up in the wilderness of Judea to be baptized by John. Notice that he did not come to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (as Jesus, the son of God was sinless). Rather, we lear n from Matthew’s gospel that Jesus allowed himself to be baptized by John in order to “fulfill all righteousness.”- That is, to be in a right relationship with God. By taking on the baptism of John, Jesus identified himself with sinners in order to point them towards their true selves. And somehow in the baptism of Jesus, we begin to get a clearer picture of who Jesus really is. The opening of the heavens and the descent of the dove, coupled with the voice of God, point to one thing only: that God’s favor rests with Jesus. This gift of the Holy Spirit has become ours by adoption through our baptism. Just as God
Keeping Hope Alive
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."Jeremiah 29:1
Reverend Father C. John Thompson-Quartey spoke those comforting words: “you are my son, my beloved; with you I am well pleased”, God continues to say to us in our own baptism: “you are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” These words of affirmation are words that every child likes to hear from a parent: that we are beloved, we are valued, we are validated; and nothing else matters to God than for us to receive this affirmation and respond with grateful hearts and outstretched loving arms to embrace this gift of God. It is not different from the creation story in Genesis in which God looked at his work and saw that: “It was good!” Ever since the creation, when God fashioned us out of the formless void, God has worked tirelessly to restore us to our proper place: that of the beloved. Baptism, then, becomes for us an ordination by the God who fashioned us for himself and called us into relationship in the world that he so much loves. That is what Jesus took away from the river Jordan on the day of his baptism: To minister among the needy and to proclaim justice to the oppressed, release to the captives, and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor. “You are my beloved; in you I am well pleased” The baptism of Jesus is the climax of God’s unfolding mystery in the incar nation. And this unfolding mystery ends with an affirmation: “You are my beloved!” John’s gospel tells us that Jesus came that we may have abundant life! [John 10:10] The Holy Spirit, which is given to Cont’d on page 24
In the beginning of the year one's motivational level is high, one's spirit is ignited! The beginning of a new year signifies new visions and new dreams. Somehow though, some old ideas and plans are brought out of the archives dusted and polished to be assessed and, if possible, revived. Of course we are grateful to the Almighty for the successes and victories in the past year but surely with the downturn of the economy and many personal mishaps one can confidently say the triumphs came with some failures and defeats. But then this is a new year and thus a new beginning. Better still 2012 is a year that signifies dominion, and completion! Personally, it signifies a year of opportunity and that must surely come with expectations. One of my favorite quotes from the book of Isaiah 43:1821" Do not remember the earlier events, don't recall these former events. Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen. Do you not recognize it? Yes I will make a road in the deser t and a path in the wilderness." A very encouraging scripture. There is this excitement all around me because I believe I have crossed this phase of roadblocks, non-accomplishments and rough times, I look back at the past, praising God for the victories and reassessing the challenges I went through and thank God it's over. I try to put everything behind me and look forward enthusiastically toward the future and I begin to have what one calls HOPE. But my dear friend what is hope? In the Bible HOPE is an indication of certainty or in the Scriptures it means a strong and confident expectation. The last time I heard the word hope used so strongly was four years ago by President Barack Obama he promised to bring change to America
his campaign was not shy of promoting hope to the American people.... Most people were filled with hope, and with hope comes change. The masses hopes were raised, hope that was unrealistically impossible. Now some people have their hopes dashed because things did not turn out the way according to their expectation. In the hearts of some people America would be drastically changed for the better - a black president winning the elections meant at least for the minority this is someone they could reckon with, who felt their pain, there definitely would be a total turnover for the better that sounded good. After all the Bible announced in Proverbs 13:12 "Hope prolonged makes the heart sick; but when the desire cometh it is the tree of life". Surely this felt good for a while but when the effects of change is not being materialized hope begin to vaporize disappointment surfaced, why? My bible tells me in the book of Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusteth Jehovah and whose hope the Lord is". When we put our hope in man our future is not guaranteed it is only God who guarantees our future. The Scriptures shares that many are the plans of a man but it is only the counsel of God that will stand. Hope is good but in whom do we put our hope? Certainly not in man for it would not take a rocket scientist or some form of revelation to make us understand that in life nothing is constant except God. When we embarks on a journey we somehow have this surety that we will arrive at our destination, but my friend unforeseen events could delay our journey. At this juncture it is hope that gives motivation to succeed and despair gives us cause to fail.
Muriel Vanderpuye Call of Esther Ministries A s mu c h a s I a m e n t h u s e d by m ov i n g forward and persevering to reach my goals, my hope is placed in God; hope in God like i said is the tree of life. For this tree to keep growing it needs the word of God to nourish it and that will be your pillar of strength. Romans 15:4 “For eve r y t h i n g t h at w a s written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” We need to meditate on God's word to give us the encouragement in times of challenges, especially when we have become weary and we want to give up. Paul the Apostle when addressing in the book of Romans 12:12 he said rejoice in hope, endure in suffering and persevere in prayer. Prayer is an effective tool that brings direction and answers from God. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11&12 “... then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” When the Joseph and Hannah went through trials and persecutions they had hope in their God but as they were patient in suffering and persevered in prayer, God heard them and their hor ns were exalted like the horns of a unicorn their heads were anointed with oil. In those tough time you build spiritual strength and power like the ox whose horns signifies strength and power to use his horns Cont’d on page 24
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would be a blessing, not a curse. What they’ve seen instead is a fast embrace of the industry: local boosters quickly adopted the nickname “Oil City” for the coastal region’s capital, SekondiTakoradi. Wh e n U. K . - b a s e d Tu l l ow O i l announced in June 2007 that it had discovered oil in commercial quantities, no one expected that crude would flow just three and a half years later. At the time, Tullow officials spoke of needing up to seven years to develop the field. But boosted by $215 million in loans from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the private financing arm of the World Bank – Tullow and its partners, the American companies Kosmos Energy and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, were able to get the $3 billion Jubilee field ready in record time. Ghana became the latest West African country to share in an oil exploration boom that had taken on new emphasis after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron-Texaco had been major players in Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Nigeria since the 1990s. After the terrorist attacks, the United States looked increasingly to Africa as a “safe” alternative to Middle Eastern oil. Then-President George W. Bush traveled twice to sub-Saharan Africa and met with a number of African heads of state. Exploration in the Gulf of Guinea was pushed by rising oil prices and advances in deep-water drilling technology. Nine years later the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster gave African offshore development an unexpected boost. From one gulf to another “The moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico left a lot of drilling rigs with nothing to do and then the oil companies are faced with these half-a-million-dollar-a-day contracts with nothing to do,” said Stuart Wheaton, development director for Tullow Oil Ghana. Operators moved rigs from the Gulf of Mexico to oil fields around the world and some made it to West African waters. In those same waters, Ghana’s offshore development had gotten its head start from the IFC, whose loans served as a “green light” for other potential investors. Mary-Jean Moyo, the IFC’s country manager for Ghana, said the corporation’s financial backing in 2009 was crucial in attracting other private investors to the Jubilee project. “This was at the height of the global financial crisis, so IFC played quite a critical role in terms of being a catalyst,” Moyo said. Without the IFC, “it might have been difficult to raise additional international financing.” Moyo also said the Jubilee project was classified as low risk for Ghana because “this is offshore and there weren’t any onshore impacts in terms of social displacement, in terms of destruction to mangroves.” But oil industry analysts at Oxfam America, the global relief and development organization, said the IFC agreed to help finance the project before
fully addressing safety and environmental concerns. Moyo acknowledged that the IFC loans to Tullow Oil and Kosmos Energy were approved before the required environmental impact studies had been completed. She pointed out that IFC financing followed strict rules, including “adherence to international safety standards in terms of having very good oil spill response plans and adequate safety measures.” Ian Gary, Oxfam’s top expert on extractive industries, said this sent a bad signal: “Bringing the project to a board vote prior to the completion of the environmental Impact assessment weakens international norms, since one of the basic purposes of an (assessment) is to determine whether, and under what conditions, a project should be supported.” In a review of environmental documentation prepared by the IFC, the environmental organization Pacific Environment also questioned IFC support for the project, citing: “Inadequate assessment of impacts on endangered species and critical habitats; inadequate assessment of noise impacts on marine mammals, dumping of drilling wastes into the sea,” and a failure to demonstrate compliance with international standards. Industry officials say the risks of the Jubilee development are manageable. “It’s fair to say the capacity and capability for national emergency response is low, but we’ll just have to keep working at it as the years go by,” said Tullow Oil’s Wheaton. “Everything has some sort of risk associated with it, so you try to minimize those risks and if we do have a spill, what we have done is we’ve brought equipment in,” he added. The company has clean-up equipment on-site and is a member of the industryfunded Oil Spill Response Ltd., an organization that says it can airlift equipment from the U.K. within 24 hours in the event of a major spill. Mohammed Amin Adam, a government transparency advocate and cofounder of Ghana’s Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas said his country doesn’t even have “the legal … frameworks to respond to these issues.” Even though Jubilee field production has started, Ghana has yet to update environmental laws governing extractive industries that were written a generation ago. Ghanaian officials said new legislation will be considered this year. GHANAIAN ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS ALSO SAID THEY ARE PREPARED TO ACT IN CASE OF A SPILL. “ T h e r e ’s a N at i o n a l S e c u r i t y Coordinating Committee involving the military, the navy, the police and local councils … the Ministry, the Maritime Authority,” said Sherry Ayittey, Ghana’s environment minister. “There is an emergency response unit always being trained, so that in the event of a spillage, within 24 hours, we would be able to move to the location and then handle the issue as quickly as possible.” REGULATORY VACUUM Production from the Jubilee field hovers at around 80,000 barrels per day, but that’s expected to increase substantially over the next decade. At Ghana’s April 2011 Oil and Gas
Summit, Willy Olsen, former senior adviser to Norway’s Statoil, predicted Ghana would become the region’s thirdlargest producer after Nigeria and Angola, “pumping upwards of 500,000 barrels per day.” As proof of their technical expertise, Ghanaian government and oil company officials have touted the pace at which the Jubilee field was brought to production. Environmentalists point out that the country’s first deep-water oil project was its first major oil project of any kind. Amid the ramp-up to commercial production, the Deepwater Horizon spill occurred. The blowout of the Macondo well off the Louisiana coast on April 20, 2010 was an “eye-opener” according to one Ghanaian official, who said the blast prompted the government to review all of its safety procedures. The Deepwater Horizon disaster did not slow down Jubilee development, however, and the government review has yet to yield any new regulation. In October 2011, Offshore Magazine reported on a deep-water technology conference in New Orleans where Dennis McLaughlin, Senior Vice President with Kosmos Energy, gave a talk titled, “Reviewing Lessons learned from the Jubilee project.” In it he acknowledged that, “large deep-water projects are inherently difficult and risky,” and then described what it was like to develop the Jubilee field in a country with no regulatory or commercial infrastructure. During the Jubilee field development Kosmos Energy experienced several mishaps. The company acknowledged spilling toxic drilling mud on three occasions, including a spill of some 600 barrels (25,000 gallons) in December 2009. Cephas Egbefome an environmental issues researcher for Ghana’s parliament, said the government fined Kosmos $35 million for negligence. B u t t h e f i n e , w h i c h Ko s m o s challenged as not following Ghanaian law and ultimately did not pay, raised a number of concerns, Egbefome said. The government probe was quick and opaque; the methodology for determining the fine was unclear. “Kosmos openly challenged the legal basis of the fine, describing it as totally unlawful,” he said. T R A N S PA R E N C Y A C T I V I S T MOHAMMED AMIN ADAM TAKES UP THE STORY: “What the law says is that in the event of a disaster, a spill, the polluter must pay. But the law doesn’t talk about a fine,” he said. “Kosmos spilled mud, a committee was set up to investigate Kosmos and the committee came out with a fine, contrary to our law. “What government needed to do was to get Kosmos to clean and pay for the cleaning,” Amin Adam said. “We just slapped a fine on them. And so they came to raise legal questions: whether we had the legal mandate, the authority to slap a fine on them.” KOSMOS DECLINED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUD SPILLS. Instead Jim McCarthy, the media relations representative for the company sent ICIJ a press release on the “amicable” resolution of several issues: “Kosmos and the Ministry of Science, Environment and Technology have agreed to a solution with respect to the accidental mud
discharges offshore Ghana earlier this year whereby Kosmos would support the Ministry’s efforts to build capacity in the environmental sector.” Daniel Amlalo, Ghana’s acting Enviromental Protection Agency director, said the mud spills were properly addressed. “Lessons have been learned from that and government has put measures in place to ensure that it does not happen again,” he said. A REGIONAL PROBLEM Ghana’s troubled regulation of the offshore oil industry sits against a backdrop of other West African nations with dubious environmental records. The Nigerian oil industry, already infamous for its disastrous environmental record in the Niger Delta, also has problems offshore. In December, Shell said a spill occurred at its Bonga field, approximately 120 km. off Nigeria’s coast. This past December 20th and 21st, oil spewed from a ruptured fuel line connecting the Bonga platform to a waiting tanker. Before workers noticed the spill, Shell said that up to 40,000 barrels (1.68 million gallons) had leaked, reportedly making it the worst offshore accident in Nigeria since 1988. The Nigerian government takes a hands-off approach to clean-up operations, maintaining little in the way of vessels or equipment. Each company operating in the country is required to stockpile clean-up equipment and the industry leaders in Nigeria have also enlisted the U.K.’s Oil Spill Response Ltd. After the December spills, Nigerian Senator Abubakar Kukola Saraki denounced the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency for having to “rely almost exclusively on the grace and benevolence of the oil companies” in a clean-up effort. After years of denial, Royal Dutch Shell recently acknowledged that “operational issues” were responsible for two other large spills in Nigeria’s Ogoniland in 2008 – pollution in the Niger Delta that the United Nations Environment Program said would cost $1 billion to clean up. Shell said sabotage is thwarting cleanup efforts and more than three years later, oil remains in the water and on land. A November 2011 report from Amnesty International says the spills destroyed the livelihoods of 69,000 people. Angola offers another bad example, said Kristin Reed, an environmental researcher at the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Reed described Angola’s oil industry as one without any state or independent monitoring or oversight. She said the situation is made worse by Angola’s press restrictions that limit public information about oil operations. Anecdotal news of spills and pollution sometimes spreads via blogs and the Internet but official details on incidents and who’s to blame are rarely available. And the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea, an oil producer since the mid1990s, also has no spill response plan, no clean-up equipment or vessels, no independent press and no agreements with neighboring countries to combat Cont’d on page 26
Faith & Community
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 11 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
FRINDO SOCCER BOARD GAME LAUNCHED On Sunday, January 22, 2012, Frindo Soccer Board Game was launched in Virginia at the Ghana Community Catholic Church in Falls Church. The inventor of the game, J Y Frimpong said in his speech that, it was exactly forty years ago that the idea of Frindo Soccer board game was birth in Ghana. He thanked God for making it possible for him to realize his dream after all these years. The first five copies of the game were auction and the first copy was bought by Nana Adu Gyamfi for $752. The second copy went to Dr. Joe Amoako who was the MC for the launching. Cont’d on page 30
Nana Adu Gyamfi (left) being helped by J.Y. Frimpong (right) to unwrap the first Frindo Soccer Board Game auctioned
The Ghanaian Association of Baltimore Celebrates Their 4th Annual Fund Raising and Dinner Dance The Ghanaian Association of Baltimore celebrated a spectacular 4th Annual Fund Raising Dinner Dance on Christmas Eve at Gala Center in Baltimore, Maryland. T h e eve n t s t a r t e d around 9:00 pm with a live broadcast by Genesis Radio with approximately 250 people in attendance. The chair man of the event was Bishop Samuel Christian Fuah. In his acceptance speech, Apostle Fuah emphasiz ed the importance of punctuality to events and asked all present to consider the effect of lateness on others. In her keynote address, the Dr. Augustina Ojo, an Associate Professor at Howard University in Washington, DC, and also a Family Nurse Practitioner with Chesapeake Medical, praised Ghana’s Health
Insurance Scheme. She commended the successful implementation of the program and how well it is working to improve the well-being of all Ghanaians. She advised members to pay particular attention to their health and keep up with medical check ups. Mr. Richard KwayisiAhwireng, the Chairman Emeritus, and Co-founder of the association swore in the following new executives for 2012 and 2013: Chairman – Mr. Charles D. Sarbeng Vi c e C h a i r p e r s o n – Mrs. Joyce KwayisiAhwireng General Secretary – Mrs. Emelia MarfoSarbeng Assistant General Secretary – Ms. Priscilla Kankam Financial Secretary -
Mr. Francis Aning Treasurer – Mr. Joseph Addo Public Relations Officer – Mr. Patrick Fosu Assistant Public Relations Officer – Mr. Bengy Zancott The two-term chairman of the association, Mr. Charles Sarbeng gave a brief achievement of the association; the history of the association; and highlights on the proposals for 2012. An appeal for funds was launched and donations were collected. This year’s event was sponsored by the following local small businesses, Genesis Radio, Renee Photography, CITA Accounting Services, LLC, Afrik Sounds Productions, CITA Health Services, Inc, Afritouch Inc, Grace Dressmakers, Obaa Yaa African Braids, and Grace Daycare.
In attendance were sister associations; Ghana Unity Association of Edgewood, Ghanaian Association of Columbia, and Unity Club of Ghana. The following individuals were awarded by the association for the various roles they played during the year: The Most Dedicated member award went to Ms. Jennifer Oppong Korang; Ms. Priscilla Kankam received the association’s most converted award – Leader ship Award; and Member of the Year was received by Mr. Joseph Addo for his unrelenting dedication and commitment to the association. T he awards were presented by Mrs. Joyce Kwayisi-Ahwireng and Ms. Doris Nkansah.
POWER QUOTE
A man can fail many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame others. Apostle A. Arnolds, Springs Gate Chapel Listen to “Hour of Anointing” on www.sunlightradio.com. on Fridays at 11:00am Visit us this and every Sunday. 9:30am - 12:30pm 6621-H Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 12 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
FRINDO SOCCER BOARD GAME LAUNCHED
Group picture of some guests who bought the Frindo Soccer Board Game
Guests
Mr. & Mrs. J. Y. Frimpong with Dr. Joe Amoako
Osofo Amorfa
J.Y. Frimpong
Mr. J. Y. Frimpong shaking hands with Nana
Atto Kum
Autographing the game
Mr. J. Y. Frimpong with Mr. CNN
Rev. Father Owusu-Sekyere
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 13 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
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Laying Mrs. Josephine Quartey to Rest
Naayo (daughter), Francis (husband) and Albert (son) of the late Josephine Quartey
Former school mates of Josephine
Former school mates of Francis
Former Ghana Commercial Bank colleagues of Josephine
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 15 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012 Korean Firm Plans Building Solar Power Plant In Ghana
Ghana
Halla Energy and Environment, a Korean firm specialized in renewable energy, plans to invest in the country’s energy sector through building a 300 Megawatts solar power plant. Officials of the company and its representative in Africa MAGCOR, last Thursday met with the Energy Commission in Accra, for discussions over the proposed investment, as part of their feasibility studies. The Vice-President of Halla Energy, Kim B y u n g, b r i e f i n g t h e media disc losed they had fruitful preliminary discussions with the mission, adding that the investment climate in the country was conducive for investment in the energy sector, because Ghana was abounds in sunlight. With its 30 experience in the energy sector and environment al industry, Halla is now concentrating on renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy as substitutes to fossil fuels, to reduce carbon dioxide generation. Mr Byung said Halla had the capacity and capability to build environmental industrial plants, civil construction works on turnkey basis, ranging from feasibility studies to design, manufacture, construction and operation, as well as maintenance. He assured of Korean government support with this investment plan, once the Ghanaian authorities had given them the green light. Mr Byung said Halla had contributed to the economy of Korea and decided to turn attention to the energy sector of Ghana, because of the bilateral relationship between Korea and Ghana. D a v i d Ye b o a h , Member of Parliament for Afogya Sekyere East, in the Ashanti Region, and a member of MAGCOR, said the company’s investment would create4 more competition in the country’s energy sector and eventually lead to the reduction of the cost of power in the country. Source: Ghanaian Times
GHANAIAN HELD WITH COCAINE IN INDIA
NEW DELHI: In a mega cocaine haul by the crime branch, a 32-yearold man from Ghana was arrested from Indira Gandhi Inter national airport on Sunday for allegedly carrying with him 200 grams of cocaine wor th around Rs two crore in the international market. The recovery is significant as the cops had recovered 232 gm of cocaine in 2011. The police said the gang was operating out of Mumbai and serviced a niche clientele who frequented farmhouses and discotheques in south Delhi. Sources said the total market value of the drugs recovered was Rs 2 crore as it was being sold at Rs 32,000 per half gm in the capital, and for Rs 40,000 when illegally exported. The accused Paul Dika Acquah was apprehended last Friday from the air por t parking soon after he arrived in the city from Mumbai in an Air India flight, Sanjay Bhatia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. "The
cocaine was concealed in two polythene packets and was kept in the sole of his shoe," Bhatia said. Acquah had come to India in October 2010 on a business visa and started exporting ladies and children's clothes from Mumbai. "After some time, he travelled back to his country and returned to India again in November, 2010 as he had started a garments and shoes business. He visited Tiripur in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai for business purposes. In Mumbai, he came in contact with another Ghana national Timoti who is absconding. "Timoti introduced Acquah to the drug trafficking trade. He started carrying drugs for Timoti to various places. Later he went back to the Ghana and returned again to India in last month via Johannesburg as he was denied an Indian visa from Ghana," Bhatia said. Acquah had managed to get a visa from South Africa. This is the fourth case the crime branch has recovered cocaine this
year. On January 8, a 36-year-old South African national was arrested in south Delhi allegedly with 40 grams of cocaine worth around Rs 40 lakh while on January 3, a 28-yearold Nigerian national was arrested from V3S Mall on east Delhi's Vikas Marg. The crime branch had ar rested 98 dr ug traffickers last year, eight of whom were women. 16 foreign nationals too were arrested. Last year, while 232 gm of cocaine was recovered, heroin worth 43.65 kg, charas of 76.9 kg, ganja worth 1871.4 kg, opium worth 110 kg and poppy straw worth 74.5 kg was recovered. On New Year eve, another Nigerian national was apprehended with 175 g rams of cocaine worth Rs 1.75 crore in the international market.
Coup At Statistical Service
the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) for her refusal to alter the 2010 census figures in some of the regions to favour the ruling government. The Chronicle learnt that for some time now, the board has been breathing down the neck of Dr. Bediako to manipulate the figures, but she has since developed a tough skin against these forces, and the only way to kick her out is asking her to proceed on leave.
The Chronicle was told by usually reliable sources that the GSS had set April 4th, this year, to release the final census results, but, the current development is set to derail the schedule, and at worst, bring into dispute the credibility of the figures when they are finally released. The Chronicle further established that some individuals are also eager to take over control of
Daniel Nonor, Ghanaian Chronicle Credible information reaching The Chronicle indicates that the Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, has been ordered to proceed on leave by the board, headed by Prof. Francis Dodoo, under bizar re circumstances. The second deputy, Dr. Philomena Nyarko, has been asked to take over operations at the Service. T e c h n i c a l l y, D r. Bediako's First Deputy, Mr. Opoku Manu Asare, should have automatically taken over, but he too has been ordered to proceed on annual leave, because he is perceived to be in the good books of Dr. Grace Bediako. The shocking decision was taken at the time Dr. Bediako had traveled to South Africa on an official trip. She is expected back home today. Information gathered by The Chronicle indicates that Dr. Grace Bediako is being hounded out of
Cont’d on page 24
VISA AND PASSORT APPLICATIONS
The Embassy is inundated with numerous calls and e-mails from several applicants who complain of not getting their passports back after processing for both visa and passport renewal. The Embassy wishes to inform all applicants that: without a self-address return registered envelope processed visa or passports cannot be mailed back to them. Thank you for your understanding. Source: info@ghanaembassy.org
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‘Pan African Bouquet’ Your network for African News, Movies, Music and entertainment. Bringing African news, movies, music and other forms of entertainment to the comforts of your living room, is one that has become much more accessible and affordable in recent times, thanks to Dish Africa TV, a section within the Dish network system which clearly distinguishes itself from Direct TV and cable as the network for the African in diaspora. DISH Network maintains the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy the largest high definition line-up, featuring the highest quality of programming and technology as well as, the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most and best of international channels, and the award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network's subsidiary, Blockbuster L.L.C., delivers family entertainment to millions of customers around the world. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. The New Ghanaian had a rare opportunity to recently speak with some representatives in the African section of the network who did not hesitate to turned on the light to enhance the radiance of the much talked about ‘Pan African bouquet,’ an unique array of Dish Africa TVs package of afro centric news, movies and music, the first of its kind in the US through the Dish Network. The latest introduction of TV9ja a movie, lifestyle and music channel, dedicated exclusively to broadcasting topquality African movies and TV series mainly from
Nollywood (the prolific Nigerian Film Industry) and the major motion picture houses. This move, is geared towards providing a medium for communication, pride and self-expression. Quality programs in this ‘Bouquet of entertainment’, are presented in both English and in French. On Afrotainment also, viewers can catch awardwinning African TV series and movies from the best African producers and directors, starring the most popular African and Nollywood actors. With hundreds of African music videos of all genres, and from all African countries scheduled on a daily basis, Afrotainment Music is the only channel in North America offering the best African music videos from the biggest and upcoming African artists, along with the best African live performances 24/7. Africa 24, is the first French-language International news channels broadcasting directly from Africa, featuring continuous news bulletins and covering the latest economic, political and cultural issues from an African perspective. This bouquet is undeniably impressive and colorful. But does the company earn the next date with our readers at this point? Why Dish Africa TV? Juggling with the daily activities of work, family, bills, and life in general in the diaspora as a whole, does not come easy in this economy. So does the stress of staying in tune with your cultural heritage and the changing trends in Africa today come any simpler. The good news is that, the unique and soothing benefits of having access to Dish Africa TV, helps provide first-class entertainment, access to exclusive programming, mindblowing high definition and cutting-edge equipment that delivers a crisp, theatre quality picture and sound to you
whenever, and wherever. In fact, most of the readers we talked to, agree that only Dish Africa TV offers the best value in satellite TV afro-centric news and entertainment, giving the African in diaspora the lowest all-digital best deals in prices. Africa today is no exception to the fact that, Society is dynamic and continues to evolve. There is every indication that the population of Africans living in the diaspora prior to the eighties especially here in the United States, have more than quadrupled in recent years. Africa we all know is endowed with immense natural and human resources, as well as great cultural, ecological and economic diversity. Globalization opens people’s lives to other cultures and all their creativity and to the flow of ideas and values. Information and communication technologies have eased interaction among countries and peoples. Some Americans, as well as many Ghanaians living here in America are beginning to take very keen interests in the unique developmental trends in the country with an aim to invest in business. The need therefore to keep tabs on developmental trends through up to date news and entertainment is very significant more than ever. With the undeniable fact that cable TV is much more expensive, with fewer channels, allowing options for few or in some cases no African programs, and Direct TV which presents more programs but still lacking in providing Afrocentric cultural empowering programs, The Dish network featuring Dish Africa TV provides the added benefit of an action packed package of African news and entertainment: ‘The Pan African Bouquet’. By Edwin Janney
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Welcome Home! How to Manage Your Stress Cont’d from 7
nightmares, disturbing dreams; forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion; frequent headaches; and teeth grinding, to name a few. Remember, stress affects us all. Furthermore, individually we all respond to stress differently. Therefore, if you can spot the symptoms, you can manage them. Physical impacts of Stress Stress can affect your body’s resistance to disease. As an aggravating source for chronic conditions, stress is known to create or cause flare up with conditions and problems such as: headaches, diabetes, heart problems, constipation, diarrhea, lack of energy, tension, weight fluctuations, high blood pressure, neck and back pain, stomach bloating, and stomach cramping, Stress can have wide ranging effects on emotions, moods and behavior. Equally important, but less appreciated are effects on various body systems, organs, and tissues. Thus, stress that is unattended to or inappropriately handled can be a health killer. Managing Stress There is no absolute right way to manage stress. The first step in dealing successfully with stress is deciding to make a change in how you manage stress. The next step is identifying your stress triggers. Once you’ve identified your stress triggers, you can start thinking about strategies for dealing with them. Some of the most used and helpful strategies are: avoid stressful situations; avoid extreme situations that would lead to anxiety; set realistic goals; change how you see a situation; change how you react to stress; set priorities that are manageable; take control of the situation; discover new relaxation techniques, such as meditation; exercise your body; and finally please get some sleep, sleep is really good for your body. Final Thoughts We are almost into the third week of the New Year, why don’t you start this brand new year with a new you? Watch out for your own stress, and help others to reduce theirs. Above all, remember that stress is caused by perception, which may not accurately reflect reality. Please, take care of yourself.
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Africa
NIGERIA: Timeline Of Boko Haram Attacks And Related Violence DAKAR, 20 January 2012 (IRIN) - Bombings and shootings by the militant Islamic group Boko Haram - also known as Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnah Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad - have increased sharply in recent months, leaving many worried that widescale sectarian violence could break out. Some 80 people have been killed in Boko Haram (BH) attacks in recent weeks, while 500 are reported to have been killed over the past year. Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been forced to flee their homes. As the gover nment struggles to cope, experts are urging leaders to seek a political solution to try to quell BH violence, backed up by sharper intelligencegathering and professional military support. Below is a chronology of proven or suspected BH attacks both recent and over the past few years. 18 JAN 2012: A key suspect in the 2011 Christmas Day bombing in Abuja, which killed more than 40 people, escapes police custody. 17 JAN 2012: Two soldiers and four BH gunmen are killed in an attack on a military checkpoint in Maiduguri, Bor no State. Soldiers arrest six high-profile BH members in a raid on a sect hideout in the city. 13 JAN 2012: BH kills four and injures two others, including a policeman, in two separate attacks on pubs in Yola (Adawama State) and Gombe city in neighbouring Gombe State. 11 JAN 2012: Four Christians killed by BH gunmen in Potiskum, Yobe State, when gunmen open fire on their car as they stop for fuel. The victims had been fleeing Maiduguri to their home town in eastern Nigeria. 10 JAN 2012: A BH attack on a beer garden kills eight, including five policemen and a teenage girl, in Damaturu, capital of Yobe State. 9 JA N 2 0 1 2 : B H gunmen shoot dead a secret police operative along with his civilian friend as they leave a mosque in Biu, Borno State, 200km south of the state capital, Maiduguri. The president says BH has
infiltrated the executive, parliamentary and judicial wings of government. 7 JAN 2012: Three Christian poker players are killed and seven others wounded by BH gunmen in the town of Biu. 6 JAN 2012: Eight worshippers are killed in a shooting attack on a church in Yola. BH gunmen shoot dead 17 Christian mourners in the town of Mubi in the nor theaster n state of Adamawa. The victims are friends and relations of one of five people killed in a BH attack on a hotel the previous day. 5 JA N 2 0 1 2 : S i x worshippers are killed and 10 others wounded when BH gunmen attack a church in Gombe city. 3 JA N 2 0 1 2 : B H gunmen attack a police station in the town of Birniwa in Jigawa State killing a teenage girl and wounding a police officer. 1 JAN 2012: President G o o d l u c k Jo n a t h a n imposes a state of emergency on 15 local government areas hardesthit by BH attacks, in Borno, Yobe and Plateau states. He orders the closure of Nigerian borders
in the north. 30 DEC 2011: Four Muslim worshippers are killed in a BH bomb and shooting attack targeting a military checkpoint in Maiduguri as worshippers leave a mosque after attending Friday prayers. 28 DEC 2011: A bombing and shooting attack by BH on a beer parlour in the town of Mubi, Adamawa State, wounds 15. 25 DEC 2011: A Christmas Day BH bomb attack on Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla town near Abuja kills 42 worshippers. Three secret police (SSS) operatives and a BH bomber are killed in a suicide attack when the bomber rams his bomb-laden car into a military convoy at the gates of SSS headquarters in Damaturu. A policeman is killed in a botched BH bomb attack on a church in the Ray Field area of Jos, capital of Plateau State. 22 DEC 2011: BH bombs in parts of Maiduguri kill 20. Four policemen and a civilian are killed in gun and bomb attacks on a police building in Potiskum, Yobe State.
Around 100 are killed following multiple bomb and shooting attacks by BH gunmen and ensuing gun battles with troops in the Pompomari outskirts of Damaturu. 19 DEC 2011: One suspected BH member dies and two others wounded in an accidental explosion while assembling a homemade bomb in a hideout in Damaturu. 17 DEC 2011: A shootout between sect members and policemen following a raid on the hideout of a BH sect leader in the Darmanawa area of Kano State kills seven, including three police officers. Police arrest 14 BH suspects and seize large amount of arms and bombs. Three BH members die in an accidental explosion while assembling home-made bombs in a hideout on the outskirts of Maiduguri. 13 DEC 2011: A bomb attac k on a militar y checkpoint by BH and resulting shooting by soldiers in Maiduguri leaves 10 dead and 30 injured. 7 DEC 2011: An Cont’d on page 28
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THE NEW GHANAIAN | 21 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Youth Voices The Imported Ghanaian For the last 10 years of my life, I have take pride in my dual heritage of being both Ghanaian and American. Of late, such pride comes in handy, especially when I am provided the opportunity to teach my American friends new Ghanaian dance moves, like the Azonto. Usually, it results in me looking more “American” than “Ghanaian” because I haven’t really gotten the hang of the calculated moves. All the same, I have come to enjoy my ethnicity in all of its intricacies. The food, the language, the clothing, the charismatic churches, the whole nine yards. It has not always been the case. As a child, being Ghanaian was quite burdensome. I was one of very few Africans in my neighborhood and for a brief period, the only African in my school. Africa, even more so Ghana, was a mystery to me as it was to my classmates. I only knew as much of my culture as my family permitted. The language was not strictly enforced in our house so my siblings and I never got past the basic Twi phrases that every Ghanaian child knows: “gye”, “bra”, “woye akora bone”. I only had a few assumptions of what Africa was like. First, it probably wasn’t so nice because my parents always threatened to send us there if we misbehaved. Also, the only thing I could associate to Africa was the assumed royalty aspect of the culture; my mother was quite fascinated with Asantehene as we had plenty of magazines and tapes that graced his face on the cover. It didn’t help that most Americans thought that Africans were either grand kings and queens or people who didn’t own shoes and scratched their “booty”. It didn’t help that as a child, I thought the same thing. Ghana was a façade, an idea based on my parents’ recounts. I could only deduce Ghana to a land that required its people to travel by miles on foot (because there were no cars of course), the music was old and wearisome and usually sung by men; the heat was unbearable;
the manual labor the same as the heat; but in spite of these presumed troubles somehow, Ghana was still “better” overall, to my parents, it was better than here. America. Okay…. You could only imagine the thoughts that circulated my mind as we boarded the plane for Accra, Ghana summer of 2002. I was fifteen, coming of age, and finally visiting this intriguing land. It was not just the storied heat that I feared, I was afraid of the newness of it all. And it didn’t help that I had just started watching a lot of African films at the time and was rightfully afraid of the witchcraft. Though it was a six week vacation, it changed my life forever. Friends know me as a melodramatic person who is somewhat exaggerative at times, but truly, it was the turning point in my life. I was introduced to a host of Ghanaian dishes that surpassed the typical rice/ stew, fufu/soup meals we were given at home. Aside from learning some of the language and dealing with the heat, I got a chance to draw closer to my extended family and enjoy a new and vibrant environment. That’s putting it in a nutshell though—going to Ghana did so much for me. The trip turned me into the ever-Afro centric Ghanaian/ American. I came home and let everyone know that I had another name: Nana Ama Kyeiwaa. I jumped at the opportunity to talk about my time in Asafo, Kumasi. I began to approach my mother’s cooking with more eagerness and satisfaction. I b e c a m e a n e ve n m o r e hardworking student. I studied with a ravenous passion for knowledge and deep appreciation of my accessibility to quality education. My homepage was Ghanaweb. com. I began to write for The New Ghanaian, showcasing the prospects of fellow Ghanaian high school graduates. The epiphany from my Ghana experience was the subject matter of every college essay and scholarship application I submitted. It
What Used To Be and What is
shaped my future passion for becoming an educator. My desire for things African rewarded me the position as a leader for the African Students Association at my university. It stayed on the forefront of my mind when I started teaching. That six week experience left me yearning for more and it eventually brought me back to serve the country on my own ambition, time, sacrifice, and money. I was blessed with the opportunity to teach in Ghana for a year but I am more on the receiving end than the giving .“Returning home” has left me in a state of wonder and satisfaction. I am marveled at how well I have adapted to my quaint bungalow in AbetifiKwahu. I am surprised that I am living comfortably off of $10 a week, water shortage, constant light-out, and lack of teaching supplies. I am amazed at how quickly Twi flies off my lips nowadays. My whole life I would conclude “I can’t speak Twi”, and in many ways, I could not and still, can’t! But now that I have to get around with the language, it no longer seems as tasking to me. I guess it wasn’t that I couldn’t speak Twi, I never truly had the chance. I am not subject to the constant rush of American life; I don’t find myself pulling my hair about money. I have time to read more, pray more, and laugh more. It almost makes me feel that I should have been in Ghana a long time ago. But then again, my perspective is somewhat jaded because I never lived in Ghana before and in comparison to the typical Ghanaian, I’m living large. So yes, I am speaking from the foreigner aspect, but all the same…Living here is allowing me to see why my parents ran away and also why they want to run back. In all its joys, Ghana equally gives its inhabitants a fair share of pain. You can only wonder how long water shortage will remain an issue, how long until fair and quality education is provided to all. I had the pleasure of reading
Every time I take a pen and paper, or I sit by the computer to write, I stop and stare because as I know where to start but I wouldn’t know how to end it. The me-and-you thing is like a story telling. But it doesn’t have an ending. It is always a mystery with me and you because I keep digging into your chest hoping to find your heart. I may not know you well enough yet but you don’t know yourself either. I’m pretty sure if you read this you would argue with me on that statement right now. Hahaha! truth is no one actually really knows themselves because we keep surprising each other and ourselves everyday. I pray for you because I care for you. You really make me nervous because I feel like one day I wont be able to lie to you. not that I lie to you now, actually I’ve never lied to you except for that first incident... I gave you and I an opportunity because I knew that "used to be" wasn’t there anymore. I asked myself before we started talking that if "used to be" came back into my life right now, would I leave you to go back to him because that’s where my love laid. the answer was a quick no..SURPRISINGLY. Or else I wouldn’t have come this far with you. My reasoning was as follows:
First of all I had no love anymore, he destroyed it totally. And Secondly i wanted to give us a chance and rebuild both our hearts because mine was no more and though you wouldn’t admit it or say it i knew yours had been damaged too. I stood by my decision because "used to be" came back into my life, as a matter of fact he still IS in my life but now only as an associate and not even a full friend. I know the mistakes I made with him, so I paid close attention to not repeat those mistakes with you. I kept us in prayer and put us before God in thought and in deed. I didn’t think too hard about us because I wanted God to work His own way. There must have been a good reason you came into my life and I yours. But I sense a repeat of my lost love...I sense a new trend of pain where no heart lies. I sense a start of disdain for "your kind" by this is what i mean by there is no end to a story starring you because this one is incomplete, I we have not finished yet.. Solace Awumee is a student at Radford University, her musings, writings and poetry will be featured on the Young Voice segment of The New Ghanaian. POEM
Yes I do To the most ambitious plan yet birthed, From the minds of the dreamer the kid at heart To the widowed planner, Intentions split apart. Yes I Can Harnessed in the strong belief. Faith. An assurance that the imaginary becomes reality and foresight is rewarded in actuality. Yes I did Comes full circle because in dreaming I half achieved what I wanted to do, c and in doing I done did what the nay sayers said I couldn't do. And then the question arises, peering out from the clouds of doubt. Majestic, bold, forgetful and shouts: ”And what is it, that YES, can not do?” -Agbeko
Cont’d on page 22
If you're younger than 35 and want to submit articles, stories, poems, photographs, announcements for a young audience, kindly email them to tngeditor@gmail.com or visit www.mytngonline.com for more details.
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 22 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Rev. Dr. Wanda J. Sisco Guest Speaker
Call of Esther Ministries invites you to its first conference of the year dubbed
Muriel Vanderpuye Host
POSITIONED FOR VICTORY
“When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins”. Genesis 38:27
Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Wanda J. Sisco
Rev. Dr. Wanda J. Sisco is the Senior Pastor and Founder of Beyond the Veil Worship Center. She has a Masters of Divinity in Theology and Counseling and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and is a Certified Marriage and Family Therapist. She oversees Adonai Counseling Center, a Christ-centered organization which offers various forms of therapy and counseling services.
Venue: Springfield Hilton, 6550 Loisdale Road, Springfield, VA 22150 Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012 Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm For more information please call: 571.577.0937 Cont’d from 21
a book titled, “The Imported Ghanaian” by Alba Kunadu. In the book she recounts her perceptions of returning to live in Ghana and the harsh culture shock she inevitably faced. Though sarcastically and wittingly written, she does point that as most Ghanaians say they want to “go back home” they should be prepared for the obvious changes and mental adaptations that are necessary. It is not as if you can up and leave the States and bring your Western expectations with you. But it also doesn’t mean that the stark differences are unbearable. In a sense, I too PRESS RELEASE
am an imported Ghanaian. No matter how much “ntoma” I own, how I try to blend in with the market crowd, I still stand out. I am obviously the foreigner in this country even when I try to hide it. Though my stay here is short-term, I find a lot of the bemoaning that Africans have about home is because they fail to change their thinking about home. It’s the same argument we give to Ghanaians: we complain they are un-progressive thinkers. In our case, it may be that we are over progressive thinkers. This is in the sense that we may be unwilling to meet the everyday Ghanaian where they are instead to guide them along the way. It
is not about halting all activities and making sure things are done “the American way”. It’s about figuring out how to cope and build upon “the Ghanaian way”. I can’t say much for my parents but I think about my generation of Ghanaians. We are the lucky ones to be born in “abrokyire” or at least get there when we were young. Many of us have grown up, completed school, and made our families proud. Many of us toy with the idea of returning to our parents’ home to ‘give it a shot. Some of us wouldn’t even fancy the thought. I can only wonder what idea of Ghana our parents have imprinted in our hearts and if now, we would be willing to
contribute to Ghanaian society, or even consider it as our society. As an adult, my parents are pushing for me to find a way to establish myself in Ghana. I don’t know if that would ever be but it only makes me think of all the other Ghana- American kiddos. The ones who saw Ghana as a threat as child but grew up to see Ghana as a place of possibility, a possible place to call home too. As I am here, I can only tell my peers to give it a shot. Come and try Ghana without Osu’s Oxford Street, Frankie’s dinery, and the snazzy clothes and style. Come and experience Ghana for what it has to offer, not for how it compares to the States. It is not
just a place for business prospect and financial gain but it has a history and culture that needs to be maintained and respected by the rising generation. Young people: come to Ghana with imported skills, ideas, visions, and education that can help build and blend the nation. We have so much to give to offer to this world. Don’t forget Ghana as a world that your kids can also learn from and contribute. Mabel Obinim is a recurring guest contributor to TNG and Sunlight Radio. You read (and catch up!) about her continuous learning experience in Ghana on her blog at: mebolife.blogspot.com. Send comments/suggestions at: mfobinim@gmail.com
A celebration of African American History Month 2012. Theme: “Reclaiming The Promise / Spirit”
African American history month would be celebrated throughout the month of Febr uar y 2012 within the United States of America. In Lancaster city there would be several venues of celebrations. A group of concerned young African Americans and African first generation groups from throughout the Mid Atlantic region are pooling their resources to host a week long series of events in Lancaster PA. This week would include a Film
festival with Drum circles, a spoken word concert, a multi ethnic concer t, a Fashion presentation, an African food fair, Spiritual historical sessions, a recognition ceremony for present sitting African American Mayors within the Mid Atlantic region, Seminars and would begin February 18th running through the 26th. Activities would be centered within the several well known facilities within the Seventh Ward district of Lancaster PA.
These facilities would include the Urban League of Lancaster County at 502 South Duke Street, Crispus Attucks Community Center at the corner of South Duke Street and Howard avenue, Arbor Place new Community Center at 520 North Street, San Juan Buatista cultural center 441 south Lime street and Brightside Opportunity Center 515 Hershey Avenue. This week of activities would also feature the celebration of those in leadership, who would
have achieved the unthinkable in spite of a negative social and economic climate. Our desire is to celebrate the achievement of the human spirit and champion the cause of the oppressed from whatever race, circumstance and background. Special invitations have been extended to African American Mayors within the Mid Atlantic Region who would who would have come into office within the last two years. To this list we would have added a surprise
speaker; an African American Mayor of a major Mid western City, who is now one of the longest serving majors of a major city and would have been doing so since 1999. A celebration/recognition ceremony would be held for Mayors from the cities of York, Har risburg, Chester City, Philadelphia, Reading, Baltimore and Columbus Ohio. The film festival would be conducted at three of the above Cont’d on page 30
Letter From Ghana
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 23 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Traffic In Accra Getting Worse
Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere The talk in town since the end of last year to date in our beloved Ghana is, as you can guess, centered around Elections 2012. But the pre-dominant talking point on our airwaves and in newspapers is what has come to be called the Woyome Saga. It is all about unravelling the mystery about how the Ghana government paid a debt judgement in the millions of cedis (the figure in question is over 50 million Ghana cedis, with the opposition saying it is close to 90 million Ghana cedis). The heart of the matter is whether the Ghana government ( during the Kuffuor re gime) ever entered into any contract which was cancelled over the building of stadia for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations with Mr. Woyome; and the circumstances thereof under which the Mills government agreed an out-of court settlement with Mr. Woyome. Another bone of
contention is whether the President John Evans Atta Mills knew about the transaction. He says he never knew about the payment. As I write this piece, the Woyome saga has already claimed two “victims”. Mrs. Betty Mould Idrissu, Minister of Education, who was the Attor ney-General and Minister of Justice and brokered the payment deal has, after weeks of Press criticism, resigned her post. She did not give any reasons for her resignation. Her successor, Martin Amidu who opened a Pandora Box by publishing a public statement full of insinuations about a colleague Minister engaged in “gargantuan corruption” has been fired by the President days after initiating the process for the state to collect the booty paid to Woyome. The reason for his dismissal, according to the Castle is for “misconduct”. He has not spoken much since his ter mination but has dismissed the “misconduct charge” in a brief newspaper interview. The last word is yet to be heard about the Woyo m e s a g a a s t h e
President has ordered the Economic and Organized Crime Office to investigate the matter and the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament waits on the sidelines to conduct its own public hearings on the matter; as the Woyome affair was captured in the Auditor General’s Annual Report. The two for mer Ministers of State are bound to speak out sooner or later. T h e f a c t t h at t h e Woyome saga will linger on and became an issue in the 2012 elections is very clear. But for now, away from politics and the Woyome saga, what stands out as a pain in the lives of many residents in our major cities, Accra and Kumasi in particular, is the grinding nature of vehicula r movementTRAFFIC. I know cities like New York, Tokyo, London and Paris have their own T R A F F I C bu t t h e s e cities have alternatives for moving around -by riding on the subway, metros, buses and trams. Accra has none of these and because the road network is linear
Two West Africans charged with ID forgery BY JOHN WINTERS, THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
Two West Africans were arrested in Coweta County on felony charges of computer forgery for attempting to get new identifications. The two were arrested Wednesday in Newnan at the Georgia Department of Driver Services office in Eastgate shopping center on Bullsboro Drive after using forged documents to try and obtain new identifications and licenses, according to
Major Jimmy Yarbrough with the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. The suspects were being watched by agents with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement department. ICE agents made the arrests with help from the sheriff's office, the major said. One suspect was arrested about 1 p.m., and the other, who came in to the license bureau later, about 6 p.m., Yarbrough
said. Arrested were Enoch Bediako Appiah, 36, who listed an Atlanta address, and Martines Ephson, 35, who gave a Lithia Springs address. Both were charged with computer forgery, a c c o r d i n g t o C ow e t a County Jail records.
Yarbrough said the two originally were from Ghana, which is in the western part of Africa.
a n d n a r r ow, wi t h no arteries, commuters sit for hours in traffic. Add indiscipline and the desire for commercial drivers to cut corners to the equation and you have chaos and chaotic transportation sector. For an illustration just consider this: for most workers who live in what may be called sub-urban Accra-Adenta, Madina, Ofankor, Spintex Road, Weija and Kasoa, dwellings just about 10 or less miles from the centre of Accra where most business takes place, they wake up and the starting time for the journey to the office better be 5.00 am. Those who leave after 6.00 am are doomed to spend two or more hours in traffic. It is worse for those who live around Weija since that serves as the trunk road for cars from the Central and Western Region. Many pupils, in order to be punctual for school, must wake up at those
ungodly hours. The return journey is equally painful and dreary, with commuters spending two to three hours. Those who want to break the traffic, stop at drinking bars, long enough to waste money and hope the traffic would have reduced. A n d i f yo u t h i n k traffic jams are things of rush hours, just try driving around the city at any time of the day, and chances are that you will be caught in GO-SLOW. There is bound to be a negative effect on productivity since residents in our major cities seem to be spending more time on the roads than at work. The poor state of Internet connectivity m e a n s t h at bu s i n e s s cannot be effectively done online. There must be a solution to this madness on our roads. Nigeria’s solution to the traffic mess years back was to rule that vehicular movement will be based on odd and even registration numbers; one day for odd numbers, the second day for even numbers in that successive order. With the oil boom,
Lagosians thought they will beat the r ule by acquiring odd and even registered vehicles. Just as that rule did not work in Lagos, neither will it work in Accra-Tema where the car population increases by the hour. A taste of what Ghana needs to solve its problems is the ongoing George Bush Highway, a six-lane dual carriage from the Tetteh Quarshie Circle to an American-style interchange at Mallam Junction. Ghanaians see this new highway and tell themselves-WHAT MONEY CAN DO. This new road made possible by a US grant, is about USD 100 million dollars. As some talk about t h e Wo y o m e a f f a i r, they wonder what the judgement debt paid to Woyome and many more paid to others in the high millions could have done in terms of development. Not to mention the personal impact in our lives if said development included reconstructed roads, public rail systems and the like.
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THE NEW GHANAIAN | 24 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Crossing Mallam Junction
Cephas Haywood Amartey (Rev.), Accra
It was kind of weird to do this as a maiden article in the beginning of 2012. Generally in the New Year, we all want to hear messages of hope and faith and an assurance that the best is yet to come. Somehow though, I was not prepared to pen anything at all unless I got this one off my chest. After another excruciating three hours in the early morning, for a drive that should on a free highway take less than twenty minutes, I knew it was truly time to harp on the curse of crossing the Mallam Junction. Sitting in your ride and surrounded by a sea of cars, buses and heavy duty trucks of all shapes and sizes, one wonders whether the decision to either rent or own a house in this part of the nation’s capital was worth the effort. You kind of get a funny feeling that you have invested heavily in social retrogression on a monumental scale. LIFE is indeed irritating for those of us who have to literally crawl our way through this burdensome traffic on a daily basis. And the challenge and agonies one has to pass through are, to say the least, innumerable. But really what does it mean to crawl through the Mallam Junction especially for us daily commuters? The answer, as you will soon find out, leaves one grappling and groping in the dark. RUSH HOUR @ ACCRA WEST Someone should have been smart enough to turn out a documentary covering the life Baptism of Our Lord Cont’d from 8
us in our baptism, makes us all a new creation for God! When we make decisions that set us on the wrong courses in life, the Holy Spirit says to us: “Recalculating”. If we trust the voice that is calling us to recalculate and make the right turn, we will always end up where God wants us to be: ministering to the needs of others. This gift of the Holy Spirit serves as our GPS, always redirecting and re-orienting us to the true source of our being. It
and times of those who hustle at dawn daily and their regimental efforts to outdo each in the race to cross the Mallam Junction. Parents screaming at their sleepy children as they rush them to the bathhouse for a quic k shower, fast cereal (hopefully breakfast) and the quick rash to the family car or to the roadside to catch the tro-tro (public buses). But once we hit the highway in our private cars, it’s impossible to tell between the pastor and the flock. The speed at which we drive is directly determined by our commuting phobia as to how long before we get to the other side of Mallam and head towards Kaneshie-Accra or Lapaz-Achimota. From dawn till after nine in the morning, this is our hustle. Our love for our children has also been marred by the way we rough and hustle them on a daily basis to cross M Junction. This is the main feature on weekdays but try resting a bit longer on a weekend or on one of the public holidays and reality you will still be waiting when you try to make the infamous crossing at M Junction. MEDICAL EMERGENCIES From Tarkwa to Takoradi through Cape Coast and down to Mankessim and the surrounding Gomoa districts. From Swedru to Winneba through Kasoa to Weija and the ever popular McCarthy Hills - once any of the clinics and hospitals berthing these places refer a medical case to the mother of all hospitals – the celebrated Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra - unless you believe you can fly or have the connections and contacts to hire the services of a helicopter, your case will get to Korle Bu by road and that means you are another statistic doomed to cross the Mallam Junction.
The effort to cross the Mallam Junction in the heavy morning traffic especially when you have a critical person is simply agonizing. Taxis and private cars with horns screaming - trying however desperately to get very ill and sick people through a traffic jam will sometimes not budge for hours. How many and where can we find those who will tell us the tragic tale of losing a loved one because they simply could not get him or her through the traffic and across Mallam Junction early enough! How many times has a doctor regretfully told others that if they had arrived minutes earlier, the life of their precious one may have been spared! CHANGING LANES Time in traffic is quite interesting as one desperately tries to change lanes. For the most part though, there are other little besetting things that add to our headaches when one is stuck in traffic. For example someone you have been avoiding all these years can spot you from inside a bus or tro-tro and this time, stuck behind your wheel of steel, there is simply nowhere to run. At the same time, nature still rules the day and stuck in this merciless traffic, nature has a ruthless and unfair way of knocking your . . . (whatever). There are basically two calls and one is to be preferred by far above the other. The first and fair one is the call to URINE. You see guys darting in and out of both private and public transport and herding fast to the edge of the road. At first I thought there was a mobile praying man ministering by the gutters but it turned out to be outlets of urine. The second is the mother of all highway calls – RUNNING STOMACH! This is the one that sends us closer to the Lord
in a traffic situation. You are well and sharply dressed for an important meeting in town and you have anticipated the usual traffic so you have left in good time to avoid further inconveniences. However what you didn’t take into account was your last meal the night before and the chicken that had began the royal rumble in your insides, are now ready to go to press and they have chosen rush hour to rush out of you. In your best work dress, all perfumed up, agonizing rumble in your jungle, and of all places here you are – stuck in the Kasoa – Kaneshie Mallam traffic and crawling your way to implosion. Next time you see a man or woman looking so very noble yet acting quite funny as he or she gets out of the car and doing Michael J’s MOONWALK, take heed to yourself lest you mistake the person to be less endowed mentally. For all you know, it is a highway case of belly reconstruction. BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS Commuting back after five in the evening, it is the same story rhyming to the same song. Relationships suffer. “Honey where are you now?” “I just crossed the Odorkor traffic light.” The old fox looks at the clock and the time is six ten. On a normal day, from Odorkor to Odorkor Tipper Junction is ONE MINUTE away but he gives her a full sixty minutes and checks up. “Are you fine and where are you now?” By now she is thinking to herself, “Lord, please not today, don’t let him start another one otherwise I will strangle him when I get home...” nicely and with a retired voice replies, “At Odorkor Tipper, you can imagine . . .” but she runs into our usual network hustle and the call drops. Old Fox takes a long look at his phone and like
is in redirecting our attention to God that we are made a new creation in order to face the constantly changing world. Baptism is a call to service. When we reach out our hands to the world in love as God reaches out to us, we please God tremendously: This is my child, the beloved; with you I am well pleased! Baptism re-orients us to the universal church; to the particular community of faith; but above all, to the God who created us and called us “good”. We are not to be afraid. We simply have to know that God is pleased with us, because we are his beloved. When we re-orient
ourselves to God, we shall never get lost in the world. We are then able to become the voice of God that calls those who have turned astray to recalculate: and make the right turn- towards God.
Keeping Hope Alive
Cont’d from 15
a World Bank fund allocated to the Statistical Service for its operations, but risk being withdrawn by because it has not as yet been utilised. This reporter was told by a reliable source yesterday, that the Acting Statistician, held a marathon meeting with the senior staff yesterday, where she urged them to give her their maximum support.
Cont’d from 8
to defeat his enemies. Joseph and Hannah triumphed over their enemies. Beloved after reading this article I believe the year 2012 will definitely be a year that you will take dominion over every challenge in your life because you know the God in whom you have put your trust in. I end here with much hope myself that: I will not only take victory over my enemies but also may every unfinished assignment that I have been struggling with be completed this year for I know
a modern day digital prophet concludes, “she cut the line on me.” Thirty minutes, later but this time with a touch of icy hell in his voice, “Where have you reached?” She is quick with her answer, “I told you I am at Tipper.” The bad recipe for the night has just been established in another good home and once again, the hustle to cross Mallam Junction has set another house on fire. The cost to marriages and relationships as a direct result of the terrible traffic is unfortunate. But somehow we endure it because we simply do not have much of a choice. BLISSFUL RELEASE After endless hours in traffic, you get this sense of release when you pass the Mallam Junction into town. After the unwanted prison-style crawling traffic, you are grateful that you have successfully broken through. THE PAMBROSS BYPASS Since construction work peaked on this famed highway, and even way before then, residents and commuters have been going through the very worst that traffic congestion could roll out on helpless commuters. More recently, in a bid to ease down the hustle, s o m e a r r a n ge m e n t s w e n t through which now gives access to commuters with their private cars and taxis (no trotro or buses allowed) to use the access road through the Pambross salt fields which connects through to Dansoman. That eased the situation considerably, but for some reason, the traffic still builds up but here is the catch twenty two. In the beginning it was a free course way through the Pambross bypass but that is fast changing. Three days ago when I drove through, it was the fastest go slow bypass in our history. Better than the major highway but definitely growing up steadily and when that peaks to a snail’s pace where do we go from there? We will be back where we were before all this. that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I have this heart of gratitude when I sing this song "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand." May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. (Romans 15:13 AMP).
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 25 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
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THE NEW GHANAIAN | 26 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
College Fair For Africans Kids
Youth at the fair Oil Industry Regulation Lags Behind As Ghana Ramps Up Production Cont’d from 10
pollution. In Equatorial Guinea, oil companies monitor themselves and handle their own cleanups. The ICIJ asked ExxonMobil, how the oil companies conduct self-monitoring in the region and to whom they report. David Eglinton, a spokesman for ExxonMobil, promised a response. He has yet to give one. Dead whales I n S e k o n d i - Ta k o r a d i , Ghana’s “Oil City,” activists from Friends of the Nation work with the communities closest to offshore drilling operations. In two years of monitoring on behalf of local residents, the group’s Kyei Yamoah, has noted an increase in whale deaths. “A whale washed ashore in October, bringing the total number of dead whales on our beaches since late 2009 to eight,” Yamoah said. “After the death of the first whale, (the government) claimed they had taken samples to determine the cause, but they have never made their reports public,” Yamoah said. “Now we have seven more [dead whales].” This past spring, the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, a group that includes industry experts, government officials and community activists, issued a “report card” on Ghana’s emerging oil business. Speakers at the report’s unveiling included
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Ghana’s deputy energy minister, and Ishac Diwan, the World Bank’s Ghana country director. The report commended the government’s transparency effor ts and the passage of an oil revenue management plan, but gave the industry and government regulators a “D” grade on social and environmental issues. The report said pollution controls and environmental regulation of the offshore industry are still just legislative proposals. Ghanaian transparency advocate Mohammed Amin Adam said the repor t was designed to draw attention to the potential danger the country faces. The attention is needed, said Ghanaian government researcher Cephas Egbefome, because the environment and risks in offshore oil production seem to be non-issues for most politicians and the public. In a country where a significant percentage of the population struggles just to get by, Egbefome said, it’s hard to muster much concern for an oil operation 60 km offshore that few can see. B y C h r i s t i a n e B a d gl e y, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
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in, how to apply for financial aid, and how to organize a resume. Founder, Dennis Bioh and the members of the African Community Resource Center (ACRC) hosted their first College Workshop Day to provide this community with some answers to their inquiries, and insight into the best approach towards embarking on a journey toward higher learning. This event was also orchestrated to shed some light onto the mission of ACRC and what the organization seeks to accomplish in the African community. To a c c o m m o d a t e a l l at t e n d e e s , t h e eve n t w a s divided into four parts: College Search and Application Process, Financial Aid and Advice, Application Letters, and Resume Building. Guiding the Journey Partners of ACRC did a presentation of the ten main things for prospective college students. Ms. Erica Danquah did a phenomenal job at educating the audience about the preliminary measures that must be taken, or at least considered, during the “College Search and Application Process” portion of the workshop. Ms. Danquah also discussed a variety of personal factors that prospective college students need to be aware of in order to determine which institution is most compatible and suitable for their scholastic and overall future goals. Business partners, Mr. Leon Mensah and Mr.
William Bruno presented the Financial Aid/Advice segment of the college workshop. Both Mr. Bruno and Mr. Mensah spoke to a general body of guests, but also hosted more condensed sessions to answer personal questions presented by students and parents alike. Mr. Mensah and Mr. Bruno also shared some alternatives to attaining a college degree outside of the traditional four year term at a university. Next, Ms. Rita Kusi lectured on the subject of constructing an Application Letter for admittance to a college and for employment. Ms. Kusi’s presentation primarily addressed the purpose of an application letter, and how it should be structured to most effectively convey its purpose to admissions officers. The Résumé portion of the ACRC College Workshop was hosted by Mr. Yaw YeboahKankam. Mr. Yeboah-Kankam’s presentation explained the purpose and potential power of a well structured résumé. Mr. Yeboah-Kankam also stated that, “…a résumé is a tool that all college students must equip them with if they intend on entering the professional realm." “It's never too early to start preparing for college. That is why students, parents, mentors and volunteers are encouraged to participate in the ACRC’s Road Map to College Workshop. Education is the only means through which we can achieve success and can be an effective member of society. However, we need the guidance and mentoring
in order to achieve that goal. I am impressed with the conviction that the African Community Resource Center will be the center to promote education and progress for stable posterity, as well as will allow us to raise a generation of young people that are prepared to assume leadership of the future,” said Dennis Bioh, President of The African Community Resource Center. With partners including Guiding the Journey, West African Collaborative, The S k i l l S o u r c e C e n t e r, a n d Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. The amount of enthusiastic support received has been phenomenal. “We are determined to go the direction of the program by the feedback we received from the participants," Dennis said. The date is set for the followup on February 25th “the workshop will have a specific focus, but in the workshop phase individuals will have time to work on their particular projects," Dennis said. Students and parents can bring whatever they are working on related to the college preparation process and mentors will be on-hand to provide feedback and assistance. "We welcome anyone with expertise on writing a college application, the financial aid process, etc. to share their expertise. Ideally, we'd like to have a mentor or a facilitator to help every participant who attends," he said.
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 27 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS MATCH FIXTURES
Sport & Leisure
TIME
STAGE VENUE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012 11:00 ET Libya v Zambia Group A 2:00 ET Equatorial Guinea v Senegal Group A
Estadio de Bata Estadio de Bata
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012 11:00 ET Sudan v Angola 2:00 ET Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso
Group B Group B
Nuevo Estadio de Malabo Nuevo Estadio de Malabo
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012 11:00 ET Niger v Tunisia 2:00 ET Gabon v Morocco
Group C Group C
Stade d'Angondje Stade d'Angondje
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012 11:00 ET Botswana v Guinea 2:00 ET Ghana v Mali
Group D Group D
Stade de Franceville Stade de Franceville
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012 1:00 ET Equatorial Guinea v Zambia 1:00 ET Libya v Senegal
Group A Group A
Stade d'Angondje Estadio de Bata
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012 1:00 ET Ivory Coast v Angola 1:00 ET Sudan v Burkina Faso
Group B Group B
Stade d'Angondje Estadio de Bata
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012 1:00 ET Gabon v Tunisia 1:00 ET Niger v Morocco
Group C Group C
Stade de Franceville Stade d'Angondje
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012 1:00 ET Botswana v Mali 1:00 ET Ghana v Guinea
Group D Group D
Stade d'Angondje Stade de Franceville
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012 11:00 ET Winner Group A v 2B 2:00 ET Winner Group B v 2A
Quarter-finals . Quarter-finals .
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012 11:00 ET Winner Group C v Runner-up D 2:00 ET Winner Group D v Runner-up C
Quarter-finals . Quarter-finals .
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 11:00 ET W25 v W28 2:00 ET W27 v W26
Semi-finals Semi-finals
. .
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012 2:00 ET Loser Match 61 v Loser Match 62
Third Place
.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012 2:00 ET Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
Final
Majid Michel warns fans against fake Facebook profiles under his name Facebook has been unfortunately in recent times being used to scam innocent victims. These criminals pose as celebrities and steal money from unsuspecting fans. Amazingly, there are as many as 7 fake Facebook profiles all attributed to popular actor Majid Michel. In a recent In a recent chit chat with a sister news outlet, Majid commented about the issue and his caution to fans who are looking for ways to connect with him:
“I’m not on Facebook. I don’t know how far those scammers will go to destroy my name on Facebook. I know they are using names of other stars as well to dupe people and commit lots of other atrocities.” “But I can only advice my fans that have fallen victim of such scams to be careful and know that I’m not on Facebook. So, any time they see the name, they should know that it is not me. I’m not on Facebook.”
John Dumelo in the United States to launch his “J MELO” product line
Actor John Dumelo has arrived in the United
.
States of America, where he will be launching his J Melo fashion brand soon. The J Melo fashion brand, which comprises a jewellery line, hair pieces, handbags, casual African apparels and Africanprint boxer shorts was launched in Accra, Ghana on December 27, 2011. T he launch in the United States of America is aimed at getting closer to his fans in the States and also supporting a good and worthy cause back home in Ghana. He will use the products to raise funds for his John Dumelo Foundation which is embarking on a school building project up in the northern part of Ghana. Prior to his departure from Ghana, he had this to say: “preparations are
far over and done with to launch in 10 states in the USA. Hopefully, everything will go well and yield the necessary results that myself and my team wanted. I will update you on whatever happens out there.” It was initially unbelievable when rumors started making the rounds that John was launching a hair and jewelry line. But it became a reality after the launch of J Melo fashion brand at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra. His female fans and friends in the showbiz industry turned up in their numbers to support their brother, especially when most of the J Melo designs favored ladies than men.
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 28 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
AFRICAN CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMEN FELLOWSHIP (AFRIFELLOW) Coming to the Washington Metro Area In March of 2012. Interested? Call.: 703.901.4277 “Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” Deuteronomy 8:18 Cont’d from 19
explosion linked to BH kills eight in the Oriyapata district of Kaduna city. 4 DEC 2011: A soldier, a policeman and a civilian are killed in bomb and gun attacks on police buildings and two banks in Azare, Bauchi State. BH open fire at a wedding in Maiduguri, killing the groom and a guest. 27 NOV 2011: A Borno State protocol officer in the office of the governor is shot dead by motorcycle-riding sect members while driving home. 26 NOV 2011: Three policemen and a civilian are wounded in BH bomb and shooting attacks in Geidam, Yobe State. Six churches, a police station, a beer parlour, a shopping complex, a high court, a local council building and 11 cars are burnt in the attacks.
9 NOV 2011: BH members bomb a police station and the office of Nigeria’s road safety agency in Maina village, Borno State. No one is hurt. 4 NOV 2011: The motorcade of Borno State governor Kashim Shettima comes under BH bomb attack in Maiduguri on its way from the airport to the governor’s residence as he returns from a trip to Abuja. Around 150 are killed in coordinated BH bombing and shooting attacks on police facilities in Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State. Tw o B H s u i c i d e - b o m b e r s blow themselves up outside the military Joint Task Force headquarters in Maiduguri in a botched suicide attack. 2 NOV 2011: A soldier on duty is shot dead by sect members outside Maiduguri’s main market. N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 1 : B H says it will not dialogue with
the government until all of its members who have been arrested are released. 29 OCT 2011: BH gunmen shoot dead Muslim cleric Sheikh Ali Jana’a outside his home in the Bulabulin Ngarnam neighbourhood of Maiduguri. Jana’a is known to have provided information to security forces regarding the sect. 25 OCT 2011: A policeman is shot dead in his house in a targeted attack by BH gunmen in Damaturu. 23 OCT 2011: Sect members open fire on a market in the town of Katari in Kaduna State, killing two. 23 OCT 2011: BH members kill a policeman and a bank security guard in bombing and shooting attacks on a police station and two banks in Saminaka, Kaduna State. 3 OCTOBER 2011: Three killed in BH attacks on Baga
market in Maiduguri, Borno State. The victims included a tea-seller, a drug store owner and a passer-by. 1 OCTOBER 2011: A butcher and his assistant are killed by BH gunmen at Baga market in Maiduguri in a targeted killing. In a separate incident, three people are killed in a shootout following BH bomb and shooting attacks on a military patrol vehicle delivering food to soldiers at a checkpoint in Maiduguri. All three victims are civilians. 17 SEPTEMBER 2011: Babakura Fugu, brother-in-law to slain BH leader Mohammed Yusuf, is shot dead outside his house in Maiduguri two days after attending a peace meeting with Nigeria’s ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in the city. BH denies any involvement in the incident. 13 SEPTEMBER 2011: Four
soldiers shot and wounded in an ambush by BH members in Maiduguri shortly after the arrest of 15 sect members in military raids on BH hideouts in the city. 12 SEPTEMBER 2011: Seven men, including four policemen, are killed by BH gunmen in bomb and shooting attacks on a police station and a bank in Misau, Bauchi State. The attackers rob the bank. 4 SEPTEMBER 2011: Muslim cleric Malam Dala shot dead by two BH members outside his home in the Zinnari area of Maiduguri. 1 SEPTEMBER 2011: A shootout between BH gunmen and soldiers in Song, Adamawa State, kills one sect members while another is injured and captured. 26 AUGUST 2011: BH claims Cont’d on page 31
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 29 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Now Available in African Shops
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 30 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012 Cont’d from 22
mentioned facilities with the Urban League, Crispus Attucks Community Center and Arbor Place Community center, hosting the bulk of the showings. These showings would include history Documentary, Docu-drama, Comedy and Current events. Our Seminars would be conducted by noted and certified Trainers/practitioners and would focus upon entrepreneurship, leadership and socio economic issues which plague the African American and other minority communities. Seminars it is hoped would critically examine the successes and failures of human interaction, social and spiritual failings, economic and political disintegration. These seminars in the main would look at the successes in education, entertainment, commerce, sports, Science, religion, politics and diplomacy and how to increase their pervasiveness . Presenters are Ms Vera Cornish of Cornish and associates, Deeawn Roundtree of Roundtree consulting LLC and Mr. Rodney Reynolds of American Legacy Magazine. The week of activities would culminate with a ceremony of spiritual awakenings and food festival which would chronicle the spiritual contributions of the African American to American cuisine and religious belief and the richness added to the fabric of the American spirit as a result of the Pride, struggles and triumphs of slaves and their descendents. Schedule of events are as follows: Seminars: Venue (1) – 30 North Lime street Lancaster PA February 18th 9.00 am to 12.00 Noon – Presenter Ve r a C o r n i s h – ‘ S u c c e s s and Abundance’ for female minorities. February 18th 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm Presenter Deeawn Roundtree – ‘Presentation for success’ the female experience. S e m i n a r : Ve n u e ( 2 ) – Brightside Opportunity Center 515 Hershey Avenue, Lancaster PA February 25th 9.00 am to 12.00 Noon – Presenter Rodney Reynolds - A look at African American legacy- (Especially for teachers and trainers) Film Festival schedule: Venue – Audio Visual room, Urban League of Lancaster County, 502 South Duke Street Lancaster PA February 19th – 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Film- Slavery and the making of America. February 20th – 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Film – Black inventors/Tuskegee Airmen. Film festival schedule: Venue – Crispus Attucks Community Center, Corner South Duke Street and Howard Avenue
Lancaster PA. February 21st – 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Film – 500 years/ The harder they come (comedy). February 22nd – 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Film – The great Debaters. Film festival Schedule: Venue – Arbor Place, 520 North Street Lancaster PA. February 23rd – 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Film – (1) African American influence on the Caribbean and Latin America (documentary professor William Gates). (2) The Mass Man (Documentary). Concerts: Febr uar y 24th 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm -Spoken WordPoetry, Rap and others – Venue – Crispus Attucks Community Center Corner South Duke and Howard Avenue. February 25th 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm – Afro jazz/ Afro Caribbean/Afro Hispanic/ African concert, Venue – San Juan Bautista Cultural Center, 441 South Lime street Lancaster PA. Other major activities Venue: Arbor Place -520 North Street Lancaster PA February 25th 9.00 am to 5.00 pm – African American food festival. February 25th 5.30 to 7.00 pm – Celebration ceremony of African American Mayors political achievement. February 26th 9.00 to 12.00 pm – Spiritual Awakenings (Brightside Opportunity center 515 Hershey Avenue Lancaster PA). February 26th 11.00 to 5.00 pm African Cultural Parade and continuation of food festival. A conduit would be reestablished between the ‘Dream’ of martin Luther King Jr. the emancipation proclamation of Abraham Lincoln and longing of our ‘Now’ but restless generation. Additional information can be obtained by visiting our website Vending space is available to restaurants producing Afro centric cuisine, Afro centric producers of clothing, textiles, jewelry, accessories, educational material and other things. Tickets for the concerts and Food fair can be purchased from our office at 3o North Lime street Lancaster PA or by calling 717-723-7490 or email lancyfpa@yahoo.com.
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We do house calls for just $40 We also sell used flat screen TVs Cont’d from 11
Mr. J. Y. Frimpong-Manso was first inspired to invent Frindo Soccer Board Game by an injured talented international soccer player in the olden days known as Baba Yara of the blessed memory. He wondered if the paralyzed player would ever be able to enjoy soccer again, and it occurred to him that an indoor Board game version of soccer could be useful for this purpose. Intrigued by this idea, he began pondering for such a game. In 1972, at his first year post secondary teacher training course at Akrokerri, his English Methods teacher, Mr. Chandlera peace corps- instructed each student that since teachers are resourceful, they should come out with an indoor game that would be used by their pupils in case they are posted to a remote rural area where there will be no equipment and facility for outdoor games. The idea of Soccer Board game resurfaced .Mr. Frimpong-Manso was able to come out with the design that was used at his teaching practice and proved interestingly successful. The inventor in the late 1980,
partnered with his friends in importing Pharmaceuticals from Italy. It was a lucrative business but he was pushed to revisit the board game after making sketches of the game for his friends to play just to while away time when less busy. It took him approximately three months to upgrade the sketches and named it, FRINDO SOCCER meaning, ‘FRIMPONG -- INDOOR--SOCCER.’ An exhibition was then mounted at Ghana Trade Fair to test the pause of the public. Having proved successful, 500 copies were first printed at Accra Catholic Press for sale. It won much recognition notable among them was appearing on the National Television Programme called Hobby time. Copies of the game were donated to the Three Ghana National Teams namely, Black Stars, Satellites and Starlets in early 1990. Copies were also donated to the Regional Directors of Ghana Education Service in Ghana at the Frindo Soccer Exhibition booth at The Buy Ghana Export stand, Ghana Trade Fair. Frindo Soccer had its first Inter national Fair at the AFRICAN WORLD EXPO in
Detroit in 1995. Having introduced and demonstrated the game to the former Director General of Ghana Education Service, Mr. Atta Quaison , J.Y. was given a letter to introduce the game to First and Second Circle schools in the Country. A copy of the letter and paper cuts of all presentations and donations are currently on file. The response from the pupils and students of secondary and Teacher Training Colleges was positive and FRINDO SOCCER was well received. The opportunity to come to United States helped push the FRINDO SOCCER GAME dream to the next level. There had been uncountable challenges in the process that could have dragged this vision into oblivion BUT the ONE behind Mr. Frimpong-Manso who has given him the courage, strength, eyes to see what is ahead, pushes him to continue and always makes things easy at tough times. Mr. John Y. Frimpong-Manso would like to thank all who by virtue of God’s grace became the ladder upon which he so willingly climb to the height we are all observing now.
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 31 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
Azonto Killed My Music - Okyeame Kwame
FASHION This Winter has not yet been brutal, but we still need to be clothed appropriately since the ‘what- ever goes’ fashion rule is lingering on this season. A word to the wise is once again, enough. Mannish shirts, suits, boots, and hats are one of the trends making headlines this winter. ‘The boyfriend’ outfits are an in thing for the fashion forward woman; so ladies you can borrow a jacket or other from your boyfriend or hubby. And if you haven’t been snagged by some man, no worries, you can buy some of the outfits in stores. Pleats, frills, cute r o s e t t e s a n d l ov e l y embroidery augment a romantic look preserving the fragile woman who doesn’t want the strong and courageous manly look with the ‘boyfriend’ outfit. For color this season: brighter hues like crimson, neon orange, pur ple, sky blue and others are in. Besides, these eyepopping tones can come in
daring combinations. Sure the "Little Black Dress " continues to be the number one women's choice for after-five events, and the color black for outfits seems to reign. Winter can be a time when the faint at heart put away their white fashions. However, this old fashion "rule" is so meant to be broken. Winter white coats have been around a very long time, and are here to stay. Hey, don't let your curves deter you from wearing winter white. White is actually a figure flattering color on all sizes of women contrary to popular belief. Next time you’re out shopping, try on some white fashions and you will be pleasantly surprised at the magic of
white. T h e 4 0 ’ s Fa s h i o n ele gance is re peating itself and designers have reinvented some of the outfits, so have fun shopping to look like the Lena Horne or Grace Kelly of the 22nd century LOL. Wide- cropped trousers is one fashion item many women try to avoid, thinking those will look really unflattering. However if styled well, such trousers can look fantastic; and oh by the way, it is still a chic fashion piece. T he “sheer” trend isn’t the wisest for Fall and Winter but it is still popular since throwing on a winter Jacket solves the cold dilemma.
FASHION KOTI Leggings are fun to wear, and can be worn with different types of tops, but their tight design leaves little to the imagination and can actually exaggerate cellulite ripples and other flaws... Eeei... not to speak of some of the sheer designed ones , hmmmm. Leggings frequently make ones behind appear wider than wide and so if you Know ladies that you already have a big ‘behind’ LOL, please cover them. The ‘Bayaaa’ effect, we don’t love, at least this goes for a good majority of men!!!! Reporting for Duty. Eddie Ekuban
O k ye a m e Kw a m e , arguably one of the Ghana's most accomplished and consistent musicians in the last decade, seems to be the only artiste who fell on the wrong side of the latest dance craze to hit Ghana - the Azonto. While several new artistes strolled to the bank after the Christmas season, Okyeame Kwame was left lamenting on how he had gotten it all wrong. According to the musician,
his latest single, 'Sika', a pensive melancholic reflection on the many effects of money on the human race, tasted dust throughout the Christmas season. Speaking to the Globe newspaper, Okyeame Kwame said he had been left second guessing his promotional tactics when under his very nose the Azonto fever swept his song to the curb. The Ghanaian dance craze - Azonto is making
wide waves around the world as dance enthusiasts try to outdo each other by posting the most hilarious or the most captivating Azonto moves online video channel, Youtube. The current spokesper son for the Musicians Union of Ghana, Okyeame Kwame says on hindsight, "I was supposed to have released a lighter, happier song." S t o r y f r o m peacefmonline.com News:
killing two. 7 JUNE 2011: Attacks on a church and two police posts in Maiduguri, blamed on the sect, leave at least 14 dead. 6 JUNE 2011: Muslim cleric Ibrahim Birkuti, critical of BH, shot dead by two motorcycle-riding BH gunmen outside his house in Biu, 200km from Maiduguri. 29 MAY 2011: Three bombs rip through a beer garden in a military barracks in the northern city of Bauchi, killing 13 and wounding 33. BH claims responsibility. 27 MAY 2011: A group of around 70 suspected BH gunmen kill eight people including four policemen in simultaneous gun and bomb attacks on a police station, a police barracks and a bank in Damboa, Borno State, near the border with Chad. 29 DECEMBER 2010: Suspected BH gunmen shoot dead eight people in Maiduguri, including the governorship candidate
president following the killing of 17 BH members in a joint military and police operation in Borno State. This was after a disagreement over BH members’ alleged refusal to use crash helmets while in a funeral procession to bury members who had died in a car accident. 2005-2008: BH concentrated on recruiting new members and shoring up its resources. As evidence of their growing popularity, Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff appoints an influential BH member, Buju Foi, as his commissioner of religious affairs in 2007. 10 OCTOBER 2004: Gunmen from a BH splinter group attack a convoy of 60 policemen in an ambush near the town of Kala-Balge on the border with Chad. The militants took 12 policemen hostage and police authorities presumed they were killed by the gunmen because all attempts to trace them failed.
23 SEPTEMBER 2004: A BH splinter g roup launches a militia attack on police stations in the towns of Gwoza and Bama in Borno State, killing four policemen and two civilians. They took to the Mandara mountains along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. Soldiers and two gunships were deployed in the mountains and after two days of battle 27 sect members were killed while the rest slipped away. Five BH members who crossed into Cameroon were arrested by Cameroonian gendar mes who had been alerted by Nigerian authorities. The five were deported and handed over to Nigerian authorities. 7 JA N UA RY 2 0 0 4 : Seven members of BH killed and three others arrested by a team of local vigilantes outside the town of Damboa, Borno State, near border with Chad. Bags containing AK-47 rifles were recovered from sect members.
J U N E 2 0 0 4 : Fo u r members of BH were killed by prison guards in a foiled jail break in Yobe State capital Damaturu. 2 3 -3 1 D ECEMBER 2003: A group of about 200 members of a BH splinter group launched attacks on police stations in the towns of Kanamma and Geidam in Yobe State from their enclave outside Kanamma on the Nigerian border with Niger. The militants killed several policemen and requisitioned police weapons and vehicles. Following the deployment of military troops to contain the insurrection, 18 militants were killed, and a number arrested. 2002: Mohammed Yusuf fo unded B o ko Haram in 2002, establishing a mosque called Markaz as the headquarters of his movement, following his expulsion from two mosques in Maiduguri for propagating his radical views. aa/aj/cb
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responsibility for a suicide bomb blast on the UN c o m p o u n d i n A bu j a , killing 23 people. 25 AUGUST 2011: Gun and bomb attacks by BH on two police stations and two banks in Gombi, Adamawa State, kill at least 16 people, including seven policemen. 3 AU G U S T 2 0 1 1 : The government rejects negotiations with BH. J U LY 2 0 1 1 : Government says it will open a negotiation panel to initiate negotiations with BH. 27 JUNE 2011: BH’s gun and bomb attack on a beer garden in Maiduguri leaves at least 25 dead and dozens injured. 20 JUNE 2011: Seven people including five policemen killed in gun and bomb attacks on a police station and a bank in Kankara, Katsina State. 16 JUNE 2011: BH targets national police headquarters in Abuja,
of the ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Borno State. 24 AND 27 DECEMBER 2010: A series of attacks claimed by BH in the central city of Jos and Maiduguri kill at least 86. 7 SEPTEMBER 2010: A group of BH gunmen free over 700 inmates including around 100 sect members from a prison in Bauchi. Four people including a soldier, one policeman and two residents were killed in the raid. 26 JULY 2009: BH launches a short-lived uprising in parts of the north, which is quelled by a military crackdown that leaves more than 800 dead - mostly sect members, including BH leader Mohammed Yusuf. A mosque in the capital of Borno State (Maiduguri) that served as a sect headquarters is burnt down. 11-12 JUNE 2009: BH leader Mohammed Yusuf threatens reprisals in a video recording to the
THE NEW GHANAIAN | 32 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
GHANA WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Come join us worship this and every Sunday in Woodbridge: St. Paul United Methodist Church 1400 G St., Woodbridge, VA. 22191 11:00am - 12:00noon in Arlington: Calvary United Methodist Church 2315 South Grant St., Arlington, VA 22202 1:00pm - 3:00pm Officiating Minister: Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah For further details please call: 703.342.7886 THE NEW GHANAIAN IS PUBLISHED BY MEDIA AFRIKA, LLC - TEL.: 571.435.4576 | 703.901.4277 - EMAIL: tngeditor@gmail.com