Britain is poised for its first Black Chancellor of the Exchequer

reimagining

Ekow Nelson

Many hoped Britain would elect its first non- white Prime Minister after Boris Johnson. It may instead get its first Black Chancellor of the Exchequer, one- door (and possibly one-step) removed from PM. But who exactly is he?

Rt. Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng- Business and Energy Secretary, United Kingdom

A few weeks ago, I wondered aloud whether Britain would elect Rishi Sunak as its first non-white Prime Minister. Were the decision up to the elected members of parliament, Sunak would be cruising to No. 10 Downing Street.Alas, this is unlikely to happen.

As the British Conservative Party’s leadership campaign narrows and its membership of older and largely white men and women cast the deciding vote, it is becoming clear that Liz Truss will be Britain’s next Prime Minister on 5^th September 2022.

Avenging Johnson’s fall

The cavalier and sometimes shambolic style of Boris Johnson may not have endeared…

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The Life Story of Madam Christiana Kwaley Sawyerr — AdeSawyerr

Christiana House in Tudu – Painting by Charles Paddy Sawyerr Jnr, It is a New Year and I am trying to do new things. The Year 0f Return has triggered a desire to also go search my roots. I am hoping that my Sawyerr family will get more focussed on finding out a little bit…The Life …

Will Brexit affect Africa at all?

MATTERS ARISING - ADE SAWYERR THE fascination with Brexit continues with the torturous process of democracy being showcased. All the important institutions of the state are playing a role, the executive, parliament, the Supreme Court, the Queen – and it has already cost Britain, two prime ministers. But it is the effect of Brexit on …

Why I have now joined the Labour Party

By africanvoice -October 11, 20190409Share on FacebookTweet on Twitter By Ade Sawyerr – In 2008, I was invited to a Labour Party fundraising event in Streatham.  I met the Labour Party MP who was in conversation with the person who eventually succeeded him. When asked about my politics I told them that as an Nkrumaist, the foundation of …

Look how far we have come: Ghana Union in retrospect 40 years on!

Look how far we have come – Ghana Union in retrospect Ade Sawyerr flanked by Ima Plahar and William Adjei c1998 The origins of Ghana Union can be traced to the old West African Students Union that was vibrant in the early part of the last century, when students on scholarships and private study alike, …

Relevance of Nkrumah’s Vision for Ghana and Africa – Ade Sawyerr

MATTERS ARISING – ADE SAWYERR Will Africa ever achieve the potential envisaged by the leaders at independence? Will Africa ever rid itself of the poverty that continues to rack the continent amid all the wealth and resources that exist on the continent?    The answers to these questions depend on whether Africa can return to …

Happy birthday Ghana, a maturing 62

Ghana is a great country and will ever be so. The foundation of our independence was well laid by all who fought for our nation to be independent. The question of what type of Ghana we wanted was settled at independence that we want a unitary state that would grow with its own distinctive culture …

Where have all the ethnic Ga politicians in Ghana gone: must representation in parliament still be based on ethnicity and residency?

This article was published in the Daily Statesman http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/index.php/politics/4420-where-have-all-the-ga-politicians-gone-part-i WHERE HAVE ALL THE GA POLITICIANS GONE? (PART I) ADE SAWYERR16 JANUARY 2019 HITS: 139 POLITICS Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, the late MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, served his constituency well. We must all mourn his death and hope that he rests in eternal peace in the …

Going to the President to find a Chief?

I just read that some Ga chiefs went to Flagstaff House to ask the President of the republic of Ghana to come to their house and decide for them who will be their chief, the response was genuine and sympathetic but at the same time it is yet another manifestation of what is wrong with …

In praise of Kpele wontsemei – Marion Kilson

In Praise of Kpele Wↄƞtsԑmԑi By Marion Kilson                                            Caught by her god,                                                           Chosen messenger between god and human;                                            Caught by her god,                                                           Defamed no more as childless and unschooled;                                            Caught by her god,                                                           Crowned with the five corners of the world;                                            Caught by her god,                                                           To perform …

Transformation by Marion Kilson

Transformation By  Marion Kilson Brought from inner sequestration  Into a guest-filled yard. Laid upon the ground at twilight; Lifted to the star— Not once but thrice. Distilled drink passes among guests;  Each one whispers the name. Each one sips from a coconut. Each one whispers again— Not once but thrice. The trash heap no longer …

Just athought – The (Im)possibility of Equality: Can it really be achieved?

Just a thought - The (Im)possibility of Equality: Can it really be achieved? I start bythanking the speakers for their brilliant thoughts on this tortured issue ofrace equality that is still topical several years after the first Race Relations Act was passed in 1968. Their views have been as divergent but no less important to …

The fantasy, the dream and the Brexit Vote.

What started out as an internecine war within the Conservative party has engulfed the whole country and turned into a farce with politicians billed as fantasists and dreamers, with some who are delusional thinking that they are realists. It was a Conservative leader Ted Heath, who in 1973 took us into Europe much against the …

Tribute to a modern day hero – Bra Ate Ofosu-Amaah

  Whilst we must stoically accept the passing of Bra Ate, because we knew that he had been unwell for some time, his death nevertheless leaves a deep void. The entire family and his many friends will continue to mourn the death of this man of many parts who played different roles in their lives. …

Coming of age in Konforidua!…Ghanass, Beacon of the East

Som som som……som cocoa dua!  and we made a song out of it to the tune of Yiadom Boakye by Ramblers International – miyɛ ahɔhɔro wɔha,.. minim krom ha asɛm, mi pɛ nmaa na maware Konforidua was such a beautiful place in the mid-1960 and it is still on my retirement agenda for peace and …

Time for Homowo again – 8th September 2018

Awo Awo Awo Awooooo!                 Mother oh Mother Agban ee                                             Agban the diety Bleku Tsor                                          Let Bleku rain/pour down Esu Esu                                               Water, plenty of Water Enam Enam                                        Fish, let us have a lot of fish manye Manye                                     Glory, let glory reign Adban Kportor                                    Let the food be in abundance       It is …

Proverbial Gems: Book review of ABETEI – Modern Gadangme Emblems

  ABETEI – Modern Gadangme Emblems Created by Ishmael Fiifi Annobil, Totem ISBN 978 1 899151 08 0 2016 Proverbial Gems I have always been fascinated by Adinkra symbols that were popularized by Professor Ablade Glover with the posters that he sold from his studio at La and I led many tourist in the 70s …

The Kyebi Ritual Murder influenced the pace of the campaign for independence so why has it disappeared from public discourse?

masterfully written

reimagining

Ekow Nelson

The Kyebi Ritual Murder and the protracted legal battle that followed it had more influence on Ghana’s politics than many appreciate. Strangely, and rather worrisomely, not much is written about it in Ghana and it is hardly ever discussed – not even in the context of the biography of its key defence protagonist, Dr. J.B. Danquah. There is a deafening silence about his role in the interminable legal challenges that followed the awful murder of the Odikro of Apedwa, Nana Akyea Mensah.

Murder at the Omanhene’s Palace

Six months after the death of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I in August 1943, the Odikro of Apedwa disappeared. According to evidence presented at the trial that followed, while Nana Akyea Mensah was on his way to the Palace to perform the traditional custom of Wirempe – the consecration of the stool of the deceased Omanhene with ‘a mixture of soot…

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The origins and the case for introducing preventive detention under Nkrumah

updated and still relevant contribution to our debate,,,,

reimagining

Ekow Nelson and Dr. Michael Gyamerah

August 2010; Updated January 2013

For all the criticism of Nkrumah from much of the western press and the opposition in Ghana, he did not kill any political opponents; neither did he massacre groups of people opposed to him. Indeed in his often cited work – ‘Ghana without Nkrumah-The Winter of Discontent’, Irving Markovitz confirms that at the time of Nkrumah’s overthrow, “Ghana was neither a terrorized nor a poverty-stricken country”. Yet Nkrumah’s detractors would have us believe his was the most cruel administration in history, citing in their defence, the much-debated Preventive Detention Act (PDA) of 1958. But how did this piece of emergency legislation, not too dissimilar to the wave of anti-terrorist laws adopted by many countries after September 11 2001, come about, and was it justifed?

We argue in this paper that the PDA was a necessary piece of emergency security…

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Dr. J.B Danquah’s achievements are being over-hyped

We thought that the history of Ghana was straight forward and has already being written and settled…then in comes a politician historian whose main sock in trade is revisionism

reimagining

A few years ago, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata triggered a debate about Dr. J.B. Danquah’s legacy and profile when he said rather blithely that the latter’s imprisonment under the Preventive Detention Act and subsequent death may have exaggerated his influence and contribution. If Dr. Nkrumah hadn’t detained him, his reputation might not loom as large as it currently does. Or something along those lines. I have thought about this over the years and still find it profound and intriguing.

Irrational comparison

Increasingly, there is an equivalence drawn between Dr Danquah and Dr. Nkrumah. If Dr. Nkrumah is honoured, there must be an equivalent for Dr. Danquah, otherwise we are biased, we are told. The effect is we tend to judge Dr. Danquah more as a countervailing force to Dr. Nkrumah rather than on his own merit – warts and all.

So, for example, while Dr. Danquah is hailed as a scion…

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