Ghana Made

In my line of work at my 9-5 we import a lot of what raw materials we use.
Recently the Ministry of Agric has brought new regulations about providing permits for individuals and companies to import meat products. Apparently now all importers are entitled to one permit per quarter and maybe even alot certain quotas. Now I'm still struggling to fully understand the new regulation but what I know is that it's supposed to encourage purchasing of locally produced animals and meat products in order to boost the animal production sector. This  is a long overdue move since the animal production sector has been crying for such regulations for decades now. My problem is if the actual background work to ensure that the local industry can support the demand  that this regulation will bring.

Now to what I want to talk about, so the government seems to slowly (and ever so slowly) getting into supporting those local industries that need to be promoted, but are the industries helping themselves.
As my 5-9 I work with a team of creatives at a digital firm where we produce music videos among other multimedia products. If you all remember recently some Ghanaian musicians were "crying" over why foreign and for that matter Nigerian artistes were being paid more money to headline shows than they local artiste were. For the most part Ghanaians  supported them in this fight arguing out the importance of valuing our own. You must therefore understand my displeasure with the growing trend of Ghanaian artiste choosing to pay Nigerian and South African video directors hefty amounts of money to produce videos for them. Some of these videos even turn out not being worth the amounts paid.

Ghanaian video makers like Phamous, NKACC, David Nicole-Sey, X Bills, Big OJ, Prince Dovlo, Pascal Aka, OM, George Freeman, Clockwork media, Lex MacCarthy, are doing some awesome work and producing video that can face off with any of the so called big directors from Naija and S.A. Videos like Edem's The One, Chases Pulling me down, DeeMoney's Finish Line (the original) and so many more are well produced well thought out videos that can stand the test.

My problem is in most cases you see these Ghanaian artiste pay huge amounts to these foreign directors  for videos that they could have gotten in Ghana for less, and then turn around and cry about not having money when Ghanaian directors give them budgets for videos. . How do you want to be treated in one way and treat your fellow artist in the same way your are crying foul about.

Now don't misunderstand  me, I'm all for globalization and exposing yourself to what is out there, but what use is that if you don't build your house. If our musicians cry foul about playing second fiddle to Nigerian and S.A. musicians why should they behave likewise towards Ghanaian video directors.
Why should you expect to pay less for similar quality video just because they are Ghanaians. After all they use the same equipment, same cameras and in quite a number of cases produce even better work.

This attitude pervades through all of our lives as Ghanaians. We cry buy made in Ghana when it suits us, then go looking for foreign good to show that we have "arrived".

Most musicians cry about there not being a music "industry" in Ghana. Well maybe if we spent a little more of that money to pay producers, proper managers and agent, video directors, dancers and all i Ghana, maybe then we will start to build an industry.

Aayalolo

I've never shunned the negatives of life, I always welcome them along with the positives. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I like them, I just believe they are just as important at make us who we are and will be come as the positives.
This way of thinking has made me really appreciate life in a rather different way, I think I enjoy life more for it.

2014, wheeeeewww!!!!!!!, what a year it has been. I saw some of the highest points in my life but I went some of the lowest too and in all I think I came still singing, dancing and laughing. I made great new friends and experienced old friends in a new way. I was challenged on all front of my life and somehow I think I aced all my tests. Work stretched me thin, but I found I'm better than Elastagirl and Mr Incredible combined. I felt the both the joys and pains of love in ways I have never felt before.I have laughed more and cried less that I should have and I thank God for that. I learnt how to be a project manager and a bit of construction on the way and came out an all round handyman. It's has indeed been a roller coaster ride.

Highlight of my year have been so many I don't know where to start.

NKACC, In this year we Transformed from a production house into a digital agency proper, got a new home in Kanda and made some of the best works ever. I Thanks to you my creativity is always being challenged. I won't forget having to be the snake handler or learning to burn ice. We have greater works to perform and I promise to give more time to you all. Nana Kofi Asihene, you are a friend, a brother and an inspiration. Norbert, Xorla, Skep, Kemist my true blood MFJs  we go higher. Adjah, Pomaa and Chris, the hustle will always be real.and to all the associate family members one love.

Barcelos, This year we have expanded from one restaurant to having three more branches and I have been in the centre of the war to do this. Being project Manager for three new restaurants was not an easy thing, especially since I have never done something like this before.At the end when i walk into each restaurant and remember the pressures and the stress and how the place looked when we moved in and how it is looking now I fill a great sense of achievement. I am grateful to my colleagues and the contractors without whom I couldn't have done a thing. My bosses who were the source of most of the stress but pulled through to make sure we were able to finish in time, awesome people. Though I may complain about them every now and then. I made two great friend in Barcelos this year Kojo Botchway aka NaabuShala and Francois van De Merwe the man who swear like he breathes, who above all were the bulwarks that helped me most in the projects.

Poetry, This year has been very busy for us Poets I was supposed to have two shows this year that never came to pass, but I have still had a great poetic year. I got to perform at the American Embassy, MCed more shows and helped to organize some of the best poetry shows in Ghana yet. I am grateful to The POETS especially Rhyme Sonny who has been a brother in arms like none other, God bless your hustle. Selikem, Chief, Nana Asaase and all the other guys.

I've met some awesome people this year, Goyor snr. who make me think, Oyoo Quartey whose lips I like, Alexia Quartey, my six pack mami who makes me laugh, Kojo Botchway who is just an idiot, but taught me a lot, Francois who teahces me something new everyday I spend with him, Skep the consultant my original MFJ, Xorla and Norbert, the old married couple in my life and all the other awesome people.

I apologize to to everybody I wronged in 2014, know that I can be hot headed and stupid sometimes but I never really mean to wrong people. I especially apologize to London  who I failed the most, forgive my inability to be what I must to you, but please know that you will always have a friend in me.

I am grateful for family, Kofikorshi, my dad, who started work in aviation again, Alikem my mum who retired this year, Dede-Terko my sister who gave birth in this year, Onisha my big brother who can be an idiot and an inspiration all in one and Wizzy with whom my relationship have blossomed this year, I am glad you have been called into Ministry.

I am grateful for the life of Kwaku Baah  who I almost lost, though we don't stay in touch much you are a brother to me like we were blood. Yoofi my nephew who joined us this year, Keni and Adamtey, my pride and joy, if I ever amount to anything I give it to these three cos they bring me touch my heart.
Thank God for Obaabeng's life this year I gave you off in marriage and as a thank you your christmas present was another niece. God bless you immensely.
Kotei who advices me , Nana B who laughs with me, Smith my no man, Jones my estranged brother. Akyana who is a challenge to me every day I talk to him.

A big than you to Capt. Enoch Amoah my best friend second only to my sister and Nii Odoi Conarl, who have had my back through the pain and darkness into the light.

To my girls, my lovers, my wing women, Ama, Edyth and Vanessa, this year our friendship has become more than friendship, we have laughed and cried together, danced and drank together. When people see us they see only our awesomeness and not our struggles and pain. I love you three dearly. 2015 will an awesome year for us trust.

Than You God, we've been through highs and lows this year and you have shown yourself to me more this year although the darkness has threatened to take me. I love you above all ( i know I sound like a cheating husband but you know my heart)

2015 will be so fucking awesome, bring it on!!!!!

A YEAR LOST AND GAINED

Today is exactly two after my twenty eighth birthday, a day that as serendipity will have it fell on my day of birth, Monday. Maybe it was not so serendipitous since I am finding out that it is expected every person’s 28^th falls on the say they were born. Oh well chance or not I was totally thrilled by the idea. My birthday has always brought an excitement outta me I never really understood.

As a child I live the earliest of my years in a compound house in a compound neighbourhood. Much Akin to the ideal Ghanaian society everybody older than you was a brother, sister, uncle or aunt depending on their age.  And though most of the families in the neighbourhood were not too well off birthdays were a special. It was celebrated by the preparation of ot), a meal made by crushing boiled yam and mixing it with palm oil. It was served with boiled eggs in an earthen ware bowl. Now the ot) in itself was special since in the neighbourhood it was our equivalent of a birthday cake and so only appeared on such days, but the best part of it was when all the neighbourhood kids were gathered for the photo. The celebrant sits on a kitchen stool behind the mound of ot) properly garnished with eggs sliced in half with one whole egg sitting at the very pick. The rest of the children stand or squat around him and as he poses as if to take the first morsel. It is classic.

No number of birthday cakes or parties can beat that feeling of being the only kid to eat a whole egg on that day. All the other kids got halves. There were no special birthday gifts not trips to children’s park nothing, just ot) and photos, but it was more than enough.

Somehow this genesis has made me modest in my celebration of my birthday, it’s never been about presents or outings  but about the number of people or for the sake of saying “neighbourhood kids” who remembered and wished me well on the.  I would count how many twitter mentions and Facebook wall posts I got. How many text messages, whatsapp messages and calls. The more I got the more it felt like the neighbourhood kids gathering behind me to take that photo with the ot) mound.

This year though was quite different , some of the people I looked forward to hearing from the most forgot, the tally on social media was not so high, the text and whatsapp messages were also not as many. This year too I had more to reflect on, see this  at twenty eight my elder Brother Onisha who is the one man second to my dad that I look up to the most was getting married, at same age my only sister, best friend and confidant was also planning  her wedding. At 28 Onisha was had just become a houseman and was well on his way to becoming the superstar doctor he had always  wanted to be , Terko at the same age was a well-established and respected voice in aquaculture in Ghana and was also on her way to do great things. So at 28 who am I, where am I headed, what am I doing with my life.

I still have some of those pictures from my childhood, and every once in a while I’ll look at them remember the old days, and some of the faces. I’ll try to tell where everybody was and what they were doing with themselves now. It amazes me how we all started together and have transformed. Our paths have led us into diverse places and scattered us to the winds but the bond we shared is still strong whenever we meet.

I choose to define myself in this, that I am the boy, tiny and frail in the front of the picture who has become the man who will change his generation. That I am the boy God has raised from humble beginnings and is about to do great things. Though most of the earlier questions I asked of myself remain unanswered I know one thing that this path I have chosen will take be beyond the reach of the heavens.  Happy birthday to me.