How to Stop the Ghana bashing This article has been provoked by a sudden surge in Nigeria bashing in the media as a result of a letter sent to a Nigerian newspaper, appealing to Nigerian government officials to refrain from spreading falsehood about Ghana.
In the first place, I am no where near a diplomat but the phrase "diplomatic channels" is a very familiar one. Secretly, one may even share such sentiments, but I would plead with a Nigerian super star to help me draw attention to this rather than go directly to the media and as it were speaking to the bearer of your letters of credentials through the media in an obviously angry tone that expresses no assurances of our highest consideration?
For one, it would have prevented a backlash. For two, the message would have gone down better. For three, we would not be having a situation where rather than enhancing and helping to deepen mutual respect and friendship the letter seems to have the opposite effect. I am sure the extenuating circumstances considered, we do not speak out of anger as Ambassadors but in the defence of foreign policy priorities, and a million diplomatic ways to do that could be an interesting exercise in a kindergarten ! There might certainly be a million diplomatic ways, but I would not like the ambassador of my country to put it that way and end it that way and send the message through that way.
"Our concern really is that such reckless and unguarded comments could have grave implications for bilateral relations and derail efforts by leaders of the two countries to forge strong bilateral ties. We think President Umaru Yar'Adua should call his ministers to order. The Ghana bashing must stop! Ghana is a well-respected member of the international community, and deserves respect from Nigerians, particularly top government officials."
Nana Yaw Aboagye, Ghana High Commission, Abuja, FCT Tools
Before you could say "Jack!", there was a courageous Nigerian in the forum to set his records straight:
"Oh yes, we eat eba and egusi soup in Nigeria.
But we don't FUCK PIGS in Nigeria, like you SHAMELESS GHANAIANS.
Was it your 'KENKE' OR the 'SMELLY BANKU' that is responsible for the acts
of 'ABOMINATIONS' IN YOUR 'BARBARIC BABOONS REPUBLIC' GHANA?"
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BOY HAVE SEX WITH PIG
AN ABOMINATION was recorded on Monday June 8 at Ahwerem-Domeabra in the Ahafo-Ano South district of the Ashanti region when a 16-year-old boy was caught red-handed having sex with a pig..."
The story went on. I invited my Nigerian friend to a truce saying: "Hey guy, I like your courage and style but I shall plead with yo to do a far better job than Ghana's diplomat in Nigeria and take a broader view and look at the face of Mother Africa and have mercy on these poor and sinful mortals. I'd like you to read my comments above : THAT'S A GOOD ONE! and would be pleased if you would be kind enough to let me know what you think! Have a nice day! God bless! Long live Ghana-Nigeria friendship! Long live the Pan-Africanist cause! Long live the CPP!"
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I was pleased with his response. This proves my point about diplomacy. We need to know that it is not all right to bash Nigerians and expect Nigerians not to retaliate!
HERE IS THE RESPONSE I GOT:
"I sincerely apologize to you 'Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro' and some other right thinking Ghanaians, for my HARD comments on this board. If you notice from my threads, I did not start the negative stereotypes. (I ONLY RESPONDED TO SOME OF THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS AGAINST NIGERIANS). I am very PROUD TO BE A NIGERIAN, and no one can take that away from me. I AM ALSO BLACK AND PROUD!!
I do NOT hate Ghanaians, and I WILL NEVER, hate my fellow black Africans, but there is a limit to human endurance.
Every comment on this board is being read worldwide, and it is very painful for some section of black community, i.e. (Ghanaians), to use the medium to paint the NEGATIVE PICTURE of fellow African countries like Nigeria, as if everything is 'hunky dorry' in Ghana.
I shall tone down my rhetoric, but please tell your people to STOP THEIR INCESSANT NIGERIA BASHING.
Thank you and God bless Mother Africa."
A DANGEROUS POWDER KEG
I would like to share my thoughts on this very dangerous powder keg awaiting for fire! My intervention is intended to diffuse a very stupid bomb that can spoil the relations between Ghana and Nigeria, fellow English-speaking and internationally and economically significant members of the regions humble efforts to integrate into an economically self-sustaining and viable zone. We have much to gain as friends than as enemies. We have much to lose as enemies than as friends!
What are we waiting for? Are Ghanaians shocked at the attitude of Nigerian ministers? I should be able to tolerate "surprise" as an answer rather than "shock", because, let's face it, we do our own good bit of Nigeria bashing in this part of town too! It is a collective shame for both Ghanaians and Nigerians that at a time the European Union is plotting a grotesque 419 under the nice name of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), at a time when our continent finds itself within the cross-hairs of the Pentagon because of our oil and other mineral resources. As is testified here in an old plan started by Donald Rumsfield: read the following excerpt from an article seems to indicate:
"The U.S. military is increasingly being converted into a global oil protection service. Secretary of War Donald Rumsfeld has a "strategy guy" whose job is to teach this new way of warfare to high-level military officers from all branches of services and to top level CIA operatives. Thomas Barnett is a professor at the Navy War College in Rhode Island. He is author of the controversial book The Pentagon's New Map that identifies a "non-integrating gap" in the world that is resisting corporate globalization. Barnett defines the gap as parts of Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia all of which are key oil-producing regions of the world.
In what Barnett calls a "Grand March of History" he claims that the U.S. military must be transformed in order to preemptively take control of the gap, so the U.S. can "manage" the global distribution of resources, people, energy, and money. [...]
Barnett predicts that U.S. unilateralism will lead to the "inevitability of war." Referring to Hitler in a recent presentation, Barnett reminded his military audience that the Nazi leader never asked for permission before invading other countries. Thus, the end to multi-lateralism. Barnett argues that the days of arms talks and international treaties are over. "There is no secret where we are going," he says as he calls for a "new ordering principle" at the Department of Defense (DoD). Barnett maintains that as jobs move out of the U.S. the primary export product of the nation will be "security." Global energy demand will necessitate U.S. control of the oil producing regions. "We will be fighting in Central Africa in 20 years," Barnett predicts. " Source: Alternative Press Review. see pastpeak.com
We have Climate Change and specific challenges to our continent and the sub-region. We have the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) a vital key to the livelihoods of easily 60% of our peoples, it is still in the balance and we are here trading insults about an individual's orgasm with a pig!
What is going to be the next? War? I call on all Ghanaians indulged in this Nigeria bashing to bow down their heads in shame! Do not forget that Nkrumah rightly told us that our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total emancipation of Africa! There is a purpose for that!
“We in Africa who are pressing now for unity are deeply conscious of the validity of our purpose. We need the strength of our combined numbers and resources to protect ourselves from the very positive dangers of returning to colonialism in disguised forms. We need it to combat the entrenched forces dividing our continent and still holding back millions of our brothers. We need it to secure total African liberation. We need it to carry forward our construction of a socio-economic system that will support the great mass of our steadily rising population at levels of life which will compare with those in the most advanced countries” - Kwame Nkrumah, Africa Must Unite
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Nana Akyea Mensah Blog: http://nanaakyeamensah.blogspot.com/