Kenya on the move with a New Constitution: Implications for Ghana's own review process?

Picture from the Kenyan Daily Nation Online showing "Mr Simon Wachira of Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit [being] assisted to climb Mt Kenya, where he placed a copy of the new Constitution on Friday" 

Let's face it; as soon as some of us hear "Constitution", we automatically go into snooze mode. That's exactly the attitude I had when I heard that Kenya had a new constitution. I knew there had been a referendum on the constitution, I had even caught glimpses of a glitzy ceremony and was sure there had finally been consensus between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga but frankly, it did not seem too exciting to me. I could not have been more wrong. Shamefully, it was only after I had listened to young Kenyan points-of-view on the constitution aired on BBC World Have Your Say that I actually became interested in the process and its implications.

New Constitution Day: Kenyans Jubilating (Hmmm...where are the women at?)
Source: AFP via the BBC

Not only is this Kenyan constitution cutting-edge for an African democracy, it is particularly poignant coming from a country with a long history of ethnic tension and a very recent history of post-election violence. The constitution also paves the way for similar processes in other African countries. Did you know Ghana is currently undergoing a constitutional review process? In 2010, a Ghanaian Constitution Review Commission was set up. They have commissioners working hard already and also have a pretty helpful website (www.crc.gov.gh).

According to their website:

"The Constitution Review Commission was set up by a Constitutional Instrument 2010 (C.I.) 64 as a Commission of Inquiry to conduct a consultative review of the operation of the 1992 Constitution."

*Sigh* All those 'C's in that one sentence above may elicit instant boredom but we often forget that a constitution provides the sets of laws/rules by which we are all governed and protected in any democracy. Therefore, it is imperative that we take more interest in any constitutional review.

Did you know that the Ghana Constitution Review Commission:

• Has a radio promo? 
• Is on Facebook and Twitter? 
• Has a blog? 
• Has been criss-crossing the country hearing views and suggestions from ordinary people regarding the constitution? 
• Has an online submission form on their website? 

Apparently 31,000 submissions have been made so far. This surprises me since I am not sure how seriously people (especially young people) are taking this process.

I do have questions of my own regarding this constitutional review process:

• Young people (0-24 year olds) form the vast majority of the Ghanaian population and are also those who are going to be most affected by any constitutional changes. How seriously engaged are they in this process? I am talking specifically about the 18-24 year olds? 
• How are all the submissions being sifted through and narrowed down? 
• Which suggestions will be deemed worthy to be part of the new constitution or a referendum ? 
• If a suggestion is not in the government's interest but comes from a sizeable number of people what happens to that suggestion? 

Anyone out there with thoughts on constitutional reviews and amendments? What suggestion would you have for a new constitution?

Today on Twitter: #RIPAaliyah

Today one of the hottest topics on Twitter, or what we tweetheads call "trending topics", was #RIPAaliyah. In my spaced-out state of mine, I  had first thought people around the world had only just realised that the amazing RnB singer Aaliyah Haughton had passed on. It eventually occurred to me that today marks 9 years since the sad death of Aaliyah. 

I always remember Aaliyah's death for two reasons:

1. She  was super-talented and was one of my favorite female RnB singers

2. New York was just recovering from Aaliyah's death (she was born in Brooklyn and raised in Detroit) when chaos rained supreme exactly 17 days later. 

Aaliyah Haughton: January 16 1979 - August 25 2001

So here's to always remembering that special talent that was Aaliyah Haughton. She may be gone, but just as Twitter proved today, she has never been forgotten. 

 

 "It's been too long and [We're] lost without you/ What [are we] gonna do.." #RIPAaliyah; We still miss you!

Ghana Politics 101: To avoid unnecessary damage, control your loose cannons

Cannons at Fort Antonio in Axim in the Western Region, Ghana
Source:  My personal album of fabulous pics

In military history, cannons transformed the art of warfare and were essential artillery for some key battles dating back to Ancient China. Cannons were also vital to naval combat and the phrase 'loose cannon' alludes to the fact that if your cannons were not secure, they were likely to roll about on deck and cause damage to your ship.  It is not surprising therefore that modern English has adopted the term:

Main Entry: loose cannon

Function: noun

: a dangerously uncontrollable person or thing

Source: Merriam-Oxford Dictionary Online

Over the years, a number of colourful 'loose cannons' have dotted the Ghanaian political landscape and just like improperly secured cannons, these are usually from one's own armoury. For some reason, some chairmen of incumbent parties have  demonstrated uncanny propensities towards mis-speaking in public. 

A few years ago, the chairman of the previous administration's party was caught on tape making damaging disclosures that appeared to amount to corruption and graft among his party members. Just this past week, the chairman of the current ruling party made statements about cleansing the judiciary that supposedly could be interpreted as inciting others towards violence.  

It is not surprising that these comments have sparked a real storm in a tea-cup. 

Class, the take-home message is simple: if you do not want your political opponents to make mischief of ambiguous statements emerging from your camp, then control your  loose cannons. If you are unable to do so, the ensuing damage could be serious. You would then be forced to field spokespeople who have the excruciating task of explaining the indefensible to the general public. At that point, you just have to hope that the spokespeople are able to use enough circular logic to dazzle the populace and prevent further questions.

Sign of the Times: Close Elections

Sunday morning and the world woke up to find that the just-ended Australian election was inconclusive with no party likely to emerge with an outright majority. At the moment, the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard is attempting to form a coalition government.

Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard (left) and her main contender Tony Abbott
Hmmm Tony Abbott looks mysteriously like Tony Blair in this picture
Source: BBC Online

Interestingly, this outcome was very similar to the British election of 2010 that resulted in one of the strangest marriages between liberals and conservatives that the world has ever seen. Closer to home, the 2008 Ghana election was the closest in Ghanaian history and probably one of the closest in world history.  

The BBC Focus on Africa magazine cover that aptly predicted the outcome of
the 2008 Ghana election

So are close elections the new sign of the time? What do they indicate? Are they a sign of a vibrant democracy or perhaps apathy and ambivalence of electorates across the globe? Food for thought.

Is Young Mario Balotelli part of the Ghana-Deniers Club?

The victorious Italian national football team (Azzurri) hoisting the World Cup at Germany 2006
Source: http://www.i-azzurri.com/ 

Even if you are not a football fan, you may know that a certain Mario Balotelli of Italy has just been scooped up by the millionaire football club, Manchester City. Just in case you did not know, Mario Balotelli is the 20 year old Italian footballing whizz-kid known to have a little attitude on and off the pitch. Mr Balotelli is also known for his smouldering exotic looks. In fact, he is so exotic that if you saw him, you may be inclined to think he looks alot like:

1.  That trotro* mate who refused to give you the correct change on your way to work last week 
2.  The guy selling DVDs at Adum Market in Kumasi who tried to get you to buy The Ultimate  Steven Seagal collection 
3.  A cool young guy hanging out with his buddies at Accra Mall 

Mario Balotelli (nicknamed 'Super Mario') in football action
Source: www.goal.com

So how does a guy that looks so typically Ghanaian end up with such a distinctly Italian name? Is he part of the Ghana-Deniers club that has featured prominent personalities such as pro-wrestler Kofi Kingston formerly of Jamaica now of Ghana? 


Well, according to the folks over at Wikipedia, Mario Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah in Palermo Italy to Ghanaian immigrants. Due to his childhood health-problems, his struggling immigrant parents eventually turned him over to social services where he was fostered by an Italian family named the Balotellis. He later legally took the Balotelli name and formally became an Italian citizen in 2008. His contact with his real family is apparently minimal.

Recently, Mario’s real parents featured in the Italian press   explaining how they lost their son and how they had tried to get him back over the course of 10 years 

Super Mario came out blazing to lambast his biological parents in an official statement:

“I have no other recourse than to repeat what I said two years ago: if I hadn’t become the football star Mario Balotelli, they wouldn’t have cared what happened to me."

                     Source: Ghanasoccernet.com via Joy FM online

It appears that young Mario has some deep-seated feelings of abandonment. Interestingly, he was courted persistently by the Ghana Football Association to join the Black Stars, but always stood firm that his dream was to play only for Italy and never for his country of origin. This was despite the fact that some Italians had serious objections to him joining the Azzurri. 


But what about his real parents? Is it a case of giving away a lottery ticket with a winning number or parents' honestly yearning for the child they gave up only thinking about his welfare?? It's quite impossible to know now. In the meantime, I would love to see how Balotelli gets along with his Ghana-loving Togolese team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor. Perhaps Adebayor can teach him a thing or two? 

The always charismatic Emmanuel Adebayor
Source: Daily Telegraph online

**Trotro: A commercial mini-bus that operates in most Ghanaian cities and towns 

The Beauty, The "Dirty Stones" and Urgent Curriculum Changes needed at Supermodel Finishing School

Let's face it; model Naomi Campbell's long-anticipated appearance at the Charles Taylor war crimes tribunal in The Hague is akin to life imitating art. It is the stuff that actual movies are made of. I can just imagine the synopsis for the upcoming blockbuster...

The Beauty, The Despot and the Blood Diamonds

Our heroine, the forever radiant, always weavelicious international superstar model Miss Rayomie   Rambell escapes the hustle and bustle of life as a jet-setting supermodel to sojourn in the blissfully enchanting African Kingdom of Zamunda. While in Zamunda, Miss Rambell attends a grand banquet hosted by the benevolent King Jaffe Joffer. One of the other guests at the dinner is the evil, conniving dictator of the nation of Mogambo, Kunta Kinte. Mr. Kinte is charmed by the sultry supermodel and presents her with a gift of sparkling diamonds. She graciously wears these on a necklace. Years later, Mr. Kinte is implicated in fuelling a vicious and ferocious conflict in Mogambo's peaceful neigbour, Narnia. This conflict revolves around the control and extraction of diamonds.There is no evidence linking the cunning Mr. Kinte to the vicious civil war and he is just about to get away with his heinous crimes. In the closing scene of the film, Miss Rambell bursts into the international tribunal that is trying Mr. Kinte and demands to be heard by the panel of judges. In a cinematographically  dramatic moment akin to the courtroom scene in To Kill a Mocking Bird,  our heroine tears the diamond necklace off her neck and holds it up declaring that the diamonds were given to her by Mr. Kinte and that they are proof that he was involved in the deadly conflict. There are cheers of joy in the courtroom as victims of the conflict mouth the words "Thank you" and tears of joy roll down Miss Rambell's high sculptured cheekbones. The film closes with Nkosi Sikelel' iAfriKa (God Bless Africa)  playing in the background. Justice prevails as good triumphs over evil.

CAST

Rayomie Ramble     -----------------    Kerry Washington

King Jaffe Joffer   ------------------   James Earl Jones 

Evil Kunta Kinte      ------------------   Denzel Washington***

***Yes, Denzel Washington as the evil despot. After all, we know Denzel can play bad people. Did someone say Training Day? Besides, what's a big black blockbuster movie without Denzel?? What's any blockbuster movie without Denzel? 

Unfortunately, real-life is more complex and far less polished. As it turns out the 'diamonds' were hardly the proverbial "girl's best friends". Ms. Campbell herself described them as "dirty stones". Moreover,  Naomi Campbell is not quite the Hollywood heroine by blockbuster standards. She is stunning but however, is also notorious for her ability to deliver a mean bitch-slap to her employees as well as a perchance for throwing tantrums and assaulting various people. Who can forget that she actually refused to appear at the tribunal  and eventually did so only when subpoenaed. According to excerpts of her testimony available on the BBC news online website, she said her appearance was "an inconvenience" I think Ms. Campbell must have gotten that word lost in translation! She also went on to explain that she feared for the safety of her family.  

Perhaps the most surprising revelation  that may have stunned  Africologists and Afrophiles alike, was the following excerpt from BBC online:

When asked if she had also believed Charles Taylor had sent the Diamonds; 

"I assumed it was. I don't know anything about Charles Taylor. Never heard of him before, never heard of the country Liberia before. I never heard of the term 'blood diamonds' before. So I just assumed that it was."

Clearly, Supermodel Finishing school needs to expand its curriculum to include a little geography, current affairs, decorum and above all altruism.  This way, highly successful alumni  will not go out and make complete asses of themselves in public. 

Naomi Campbell oops I mean Kerry Washington

Source: Star.media.com

The Temporarily Relocating Procrastinator

One thing I will always regret is that that I took up blogging AFTER my trip to Gabon in 2008. After all, Gabon's beautiful green rolling hills, warm tropical environment and colourful people provide ample fodder for anyone's blog. As did the surreal research commune I was living in where at some point, I was convinced we were participants in some twisted reality television show being broadcast on German television. Moreover, the Gabonese culinary approach i.e. anything-that-moves-in-the-forest was *erm* fascinating. I admit  that  indeed, I did enjoy the little python I had.

That's me at the official Equator line in Gabon. Standing between the hemispheres

Anyway, I digress, for the next couple of months, I will be leaving the fair shores of Ghana for the Netherlands. Another regret I have is that I was unable to complete a piece on foot-soldiers before I left. Ghanaian political foot-soldiers  that is NOT Dutch ones. Speaking of Dutch soldiers did you hear they have pulled out of Afghanistan? Alas, I digress again. The foot-soldier post has proved challenging because  this group is probably the most dynamic and fluid aggregation on the Ghanaian political landscape today and thus very hard to pin-down and characterise. I can still complete that piece from the Netherlands but it does seem a little disingenuous blogging about Ghana from elsewhere. After all, I need to be surrounded by inspiration from the tropical sun, traffic, flavours and the wonderful glow of Ghana living. 

So what could one possibly blog about from Holland?

• Is it true that it is mainly Western foreign tourists that smoke marijuana in The Netherlands while the Dutch are largely uninterested?
• Is it 'Holland' or 'The Netherlands' anyway?
• Leave your bicycle unlocked and it WILL be stolen
• Why are Dutch people so tall?
• How long does it take a tulip to grow?
• Do people still wear clogs in the Netherlands?
• Dutch Politician Geert Wilders is popular among some and it is not only for his *shocking* blond hair

Okay, I'm being facetious. I'm sure I will find interesting things to blog about! In the meantime, I'm dreaming of Dutch pancakes already. *Hmmmm*

Delicious Holland Style Pancakes