tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84239259637046365372024-02-18T20:25:53.835-08:00My Cup of TeaA burning desire to capture and bottle the passing breeze; to articulate the unspoken; to describe the seasons of the coming waves; to dress the scents of the hidden encounters; to perpetuate the dying drama; and to warn of the approaching fury of the unknown. On this adventure, you are invited to share with me, my cup of tea.posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-83878786097655368282015-04-19T02:45:00.000-07:002015-04-22T08:01:52.917-07:00The “Fama Nyame” Fetish and the Dearth of Strategic Thinking: A Pyrrhic Drought in Ghana’s Democracy.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 63.5pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In the aftermath of the defeat of the Romans in
battle at the beginning of the Roman ascendency on the Italian Peninsula, the
ancient ruler of Hellenistic Kingdom of Epirus, King Pyrrhus is recorded by the
Roman writer Plutarch to have exclaimed, “If we win another such battle against
the Romans, we will be completely lost.” This candid admission by King Pyrrhus
after witnessing the shattering carnage that ensued from the battle has ever
since become a key staple of strategic management over the years.
For those in need of biblical evidence, Luke 14: 28–32 encapsulates the need for strategic
thinking in the broadest sense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">However, unlike King Pyrrhus, who probably never
had the benefit of hindsight, there is no excuse whatsoever for a national
leader today to pursue national policies without a well-mapped out strategy. As
it stands right now, The President of Ghana, Mr JD Mahama, is in danger of becoming
a contemporary example of Pyrrhus in the Ghanaian context. Even before the end
of his current term, it is predictable and probably even obvious that his presidency
may end up being described by future historians as a pyrrhic moment in Ghana’s
democracy - the kind of democratic dispensation where the cost of efforts
employed overly outweighed the benefits accrued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let’s be frank, Ghana is a mess; and has been for a
long time. The matriarch elephant in the room is, firstly, the ignorance of strategic management at all levels in our society. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I have often wondered why a culture
imbibed with the treatise of the proverbial strategist, Kweku Ananse, is so
prone to haphazard decision making and catastrophic short-sightedness.
Strategic thinking is partly cultural and partly a learned behaviour. In Ghana,
there appears to be a huge distance between the strategic sensibilities that
lie within our culture-speak and the actual day-to-day practices and behaviour.
The former is strategy rich, the latter less so. I suspect that the reason could be primarily
an absence of literacy in strategic management. Strategic management is barely
taught in our institutions of higher learning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We can safely assume that for a country like Ghana, bedeviled with minimal formal practice of strategy in our day-to-day activities, the incorporation of even a little dose of strategic planning will go a long way towards economic success and hopefully a culture of strategic thinking. The reality is that an overwhelming number of the work being done by the government is barely driven by a coherent economic strategy. Often, the goal is purely political. For example, constructing an impressive interchange in one place or an international airport or a new bridge in another may send a politically conspicuous signal to voters that something is being done; however, most of these ‘political’ projects make little economic sense, are devoid of any synergies whatsoever and are strategically hollow.</span><br />
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To reap a higher economic dividend, we need to engage the development of our country on a much more systematic and strategic traction. At its core, the debate about economic motivations and sensibilities versus politics considerations and exigencies is not a benign academic debate far removed from the realities of third world economics. Invariably, strategic nations put the economic horse ahead of the political cart and never the other way round.<br /><br />Today, the pursuit of economic development by nations great and small is an incredibly refined version of the art of war espoused by Sun Tzu, the Chinese General and strategist; and only those with formidable strategic formulations have a chance of success. <br /><br /><br />Secondly, the Ghanaian mindset of “<i>Fama Nyame</i>” (i.e. the ubiquitous, naïve conflict-avoidance ‘kumbaya’ nonchalance) has dented our collective ability to critically analyse national issues and rendered us impotent in the face of diverse threats and opportunities upon which our very existence as a nation depends. As a nation we have given up on all manners of robust intellectual justification and cognitive persuasions in favour of trivialities and ‘midgety’ pseudo-spiritual alternatives that render neither physiological sustenance nor assuasive moral fulfillment. <br /><br /><br />As the current administration continues to defend the indefensible in the face of widespread nation-wreaking corruption, pathetic incompetence and gigantic mismanagement, while shamelessly resorting to emotional blackmail to create false impressions of wrongdoing in the minds of law-abiding Ghanaians who crave a hopeful alternative to the wanton economic and social carnage being unleashed mercilessly upon Ghana, I have often wondered why the tipping point hypothesis does not seem to hold in Ghana. Then, boom… an epiphany. It became clear to me that the perfectly elastic tolerance exhibited by Ghanaians is a function of our <i>Fama Nyame</i> culture. As a people, we have psychologically programmed ourselves to avoid dealing with problematic issues by passing them unto God. We do not do confrontation, instead we dish it all upon God to do the 'dirty work,' hence <i>Fama Nyame</i>. <br /><br /><br />In any case, <i>Fama Nyame</i> is not really about a belief in divine justice; rather, it is an attempt to rid oneself from our responsibilities by making God the scapegoat. This form of ‘bouc émissaire’ is not only the highest form of irresponsibility, it is totally ungodly but also morally, economically and politically detrimental. It justifies our reasons to do nothing because somehow God will do it; thus we keep on kicking the can down the road until it snowballs into a crisis, then we pass the buck. It explains why we are just not getting on with the cloak-and-dagger realities of life. Instead of rousing our battle instincts, <i>Fama Nyame</i> serves an override switch that keeps Ghanaians in a perpetual state of disengagement from dealing with our realities. As the stronghold of our internalised impotence, it has resulted in a psychological capitulation from doing whatever it takes to fix our problems. In a recent article, my friend and Man of God, Pastor Sunday Adelaja, addressed a similar issue titled “Only God can help Nigeria – What a myth” (Read his paradigm shifting article <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastor.sunday.adelaja/posts/10152894354013845">here</a>). The deadpan small-mindedness, cowardice, slothfulness, irresponsibility, mediocrity, corruption, docility and ‘<i>grit-less</i>’ness so prevalent in Ghana are mere symptoms of a much bigger problem, Fama Nyame. In short, <i>Fama Nyame</i> has deadened Ghana.<br /><br /><br />And so I imagine that in the long run, an analysis of the cost of the strategic illiteracy at the highest echelons of political governance to the economic fortunes of Ghana will tell a sad story of how our own collective <i>Fama Nyame</i> fetish is the other side of the same coin of strategic-less existence, and how these have significantly perpetuated our proximity to poverty.<br /><br />Alas, the pyrrhic decisions of our national leaders, coupled with the apparent national tolerance for mismanagement and corruption not only portray the incredible depth of ambivalence among many Ghanaians who do not regard corruption as a serious crime that warrant one to protest against but also how pathologically inured we are, and will continue to be for years, to woefully bad leadership.<br /><br /><br />To decisively tackle Ghana’s severely weakened economy, there is the urgent need to implement several structural reforms, the success of which will depend on how we successfully confront the twin evils discussed earlier. Firstly, economic policies should be based on sound and implementable strategies. That is the rational and logical pillar of any policy making paradigm. The second pillar should be deliberately motivational and premised on a behavioural imperative - zero tolerance of <i>Fama Nyame</i> in our political and economic posture. Ghana needs a merit-based system which rewards responsibility, competence, grit and performance, and punishes corruption, fraud, incompetence and the passing the buck in all it forms and shape. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ultimately, this will require the emergence of a concerted, strategic and paradigm-shifting leadership in our beloved land. As the lesson of King Pyrrhus shows, strategy and empowered mindsets are what it takes to avoid pyrrhic outcomes. Again as the examples of Singapore and other successful emerging countries suggest, incredible progress can be achieved through bold, concerted, strategic leadership. Ghanaians must therefore decisively do away with the nonstrategic mindsets and traditions that hold us back and with Christ's grace "mount up with wings as eagles" run unwearied and walk confidently towards our blessed lot (Isaiah 40:31). </span><span style="font-size: large;">Only what is considered globally to be the best should be acceptable to Ghanaians.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">If Singapore and others could do it, so can we. </span><br />
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posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-80906998133204158032015-02-04T05:28:00.000-08:002015-02-07T22:38:08.771-08:00Could Behavioural Economics Help Ghana Overcome Its FTT?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Ghana's political governance has never been the most sophisticated in the world. Granted. That said, a few years ago, the country was considered one of Africa's most promising, fertile entrepreneurial fields. That was, until its nascent oil industry became a showstopper. Rampant </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">suboptimal</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> decision-making, caused by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">behavioural and judgement biases, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">lies a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">t the root of Ghana's economic mismanagement and underperformance. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">To understand current economic problems, looking back to the 1960s and 1970s for lessons on Ghana's Failure To Thrive (FTT) syndrome is instructive. </span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Then, Ghana was newly minted as the first independent country on the continent and a vanguard of the anti-colonial struggle across Africa. Kwame Nkrumah's triumphalism atop the explosive mix of nationalistic optimism and the euphoria of independence morphed into a fetish cult of personality and hero worshiping. Ultimately, this paved the way for dictatorship, unquestioned wasteful expenditure, corruption, and... finally, when government expenditure could no longer be covered by government revenue, a catastrophic fiscal disequilibrium brought the party to an abrupt end. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">According to Vito Tanzi (1982), the causes of disequilibrium are classifiable into five categories: export boom; price-inelastic tax system; public enterprise performance; increased expenditure produced by political exigencies or administrative weaknesses; and worsening terms of trade. In Ghana's case, one of the most serious problems encountered by Nkrumah government was rising government expenditure caused by inadequate control mechanisms and certainly Nkrumah's hubris that he could create heaven right here in Ghana within a generations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">And now? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Ghana is newly minted as an oil producer and the same cancerous atmosphere of leadership hubris, euphoria and unquestioned optimism of the masses (herd mentality) has resurfaced. In the current dispensation, the twin evil of ethnocentric political exigencies and severe administrative incompetence has skewed political governance along a path of least resistance toward a catastrophic feeding frenzy. The ongoing wasteful expenditure, wanton patronage and spiteful corruption, to an absolute certainty, have led to a very severe fiscal disequilibrium. Thus, instead of a strategic and judicious management of the temporary windfalls to establish a foundation for a long-term economic prosperity for the country, the inordinate serial blunders by the corrupt ruling class have squandered a unique opportunity for an economic quantum leap. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Ghana,
essentially, is once again a heavily indebted poor country (HIPC). By most conservative analyses of the current
economic and political landscape, Ghana is bound for a very austere
IMF-prescribed path of economic reforms. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Because of fiscal indiscipline across the board, the hand of the prodigal government has been forced to turn to the IMF for help to deal with the debilitating self-inflicted wounds. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">As the denouement of Mahamanomics plays out, Ghanaians would have to buckle up for what is set to be a very difficult economic environment up to 2017, at the earliest. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> Given that IMF assistance is conditional on the government of Ghana meeting a range of economic management and performance targets, Ghanaians will have to condition themselves to bear the indignities of the IMF's undesirable pressures. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24.5454521179199px;">The truth of the matter is that in the next few years, Ghana will be leashed and led along a path of austerity to an unfamiliar territory of extreme frugality. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">For a nation that has just barely tasted oil wealth, the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">prescribed medicine would be particularly bitter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The behavioural economics lessons at stake here border on causal ambiguity among Ghanaians in general. And that is: what a little bit of economic discipline on the part of the government could have accomplished with much less pain for everybody, will now be imposed on Ghanaians with amplified pain by a bunch of youthful number crunchers at the IMF; all because when it mattered the most our leaders made reckless decisions with our money. The sad truth is that while our sovereignty is tossed over to the IMF, the architects of the mess will </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">have the time of their lives</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">, counting their looted stash. Shame. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">What Ghanaians
hope for, and expect, is for the pathological binge borrowing under the current administration to be
brought under some form of rational sanctity and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">control</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">, and that the disparate, and often
conflicting, policies currently in vogue will be given some strategic alignment to
propel the economy forward. It is my cherished hope that the state will emerge out of the current crisis with a more streamlined and disciplined governance framework, including a much stronger checks-and balances element, and that the IMF will resist all forms of political pressures arising from the 2016 general elections to deviate from the much needed reforms. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Is that too much to ask?</span></span></div>
posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-1117221309012184222015-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:002015-01-07T23:04:53.234-08:00Ghana in 2015: An Outlook<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To an absolute certainty, 2015 will have huge implications for Ghana's political, economic and social developments for many years to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One scenario stands out as the most probable: A severe economic downturn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">By the middle of the year, the accretion of the
systematically irrational decision making at the highest echelons of political
governance over the last couple of years is expected to reach a crescendo. The worsening fiscal
disequilibrium, severe balance of payment deficit, shrinking foreign reserves, huge debt repayment requirements and
a depressive business environment will lead to an oppressive economic downturn.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">To a large extent, the tragedy of Ghana's failure to thrive at this crucial hour of Africa's rising only illuminates the magnitude of the cripplingly bad decision making at the centre of our political governance. As our reputation as a viable frontier economy takes a beating, foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected to dwindle significantly, wreaking havoc on our economy with severe repercussions on the already weakened cedi.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">With he advent of another IMF-prescribed economic recovery programme, troubling echoes of our recent past will come knocking, tearing down further our collective pride as a nation. All in all, the cedi is expected to bleed again and inflationary pressures are likely to be on the ascendancy in 2015, weakening the hands of our national leaders in any negotiations with IMF.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Contrary to familiar presidential pronouncements, p</span><span style="line-height: 27px;">roblems with electricity supply will not get better in 2015.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> In fact, “dumsor” will
get worse, dragging down economic and social welfare across the country. Thus
in 2015, Ghanaians will increasingly feel the heavy weight of the state’s administrative
incompetence.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Because our political decision makers manifestly lack the kind of discipline necessary to sort out the problems they have effortlessly created, Ghanaians should expect an environment of economic haziness and a clumsy misery of confusion throughout 2015.</span></span><br />
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Alas, investors, business people and Ghanaians in general would need to temper their expectations; for Ghana will fare rather poorly in 2015.</span></div>
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posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-76020451307459629172012-12-22T22:37:00.003-08:002012-12-22T22:39:59.284-08:00I am Back!Its been a long while. Almost 2 years.<br />
I moved away from this wall on 14 January 2011 to pursue an academic goal.<br />
After the holidays I will be submitting the final dissertation.<br />
After that I hope to tap into the accrued angst to share a few thoughts.<br />
Until my next post welcome to these shores again.<br />
Wishing you all a Blessed and Merry Christmas. <br />
<br />posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-55730400035668913652011-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:002011-01-14T12:24:06.352-08:00Moving OnSeasons<br />Decked in their finest robes<br />Calling<br /><br />Melodies<br />From within my boundless sanctuary<br />Bubbling<br /><br />Faith<br />The chequered currency of glory<br />Beckoning<br /><br />Footsteps of the purple twilight<br />Whirlwind of contentment<br />The summon of courage<br /><br />Close at hand<br />The time<br />To move on<br />To press on<br /><br />Blessed are those<br />Led by the guiding whispers of accompanying audience<br />Trust fate in the embracing arms of hope<br />Carried on wings of favour<br />To the womb of resurrectionposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-85675034892471101192010-11-12T04:50:00.000-08:002010-11-12T05:04:38.447-08:00Quote Of The DayI share my life with six honest and selfless companions.<br />They help me in all I do. Their names are:<br />What<br />Why<br />When<br />How<br />Where and<br />Who<br />....................................................Adapted from Rudyard Kiplingposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-57892438669838357032010-10-14T03:40:00.000-07:002010-10-14T04:43:21.234-07:00The Shredder In My MindYour mawkish choice to make your heart a museum<br />Of our past encounters is the least of my bothers<br />I will however not fail to let you know<br />That I have already shredded that past from my mindposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-66870262127995808342010-08-26T05:10:00.000-07:002010-11-13T05:18:21.849-08:00D.R.U.N.K.A.R.D.SCaptured phantoms<br />Fading souls<br />Hollowed pieces<br />Trapped in endless empty plains<br />Eclipses of despair dancing to drowsy beats of concocted reproach<br />Echoes of self-loathe drifting out of surrendered worth<br />Chasing dangerous excitements<br />Lives ebbing away<br />Gulp by gulpposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-43911750368925903342010-07-30T03:58:00.000-07:002010-07-30T04:27:38.375-07:00Thoughts About A Father<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; 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margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">Walking through fallowed fields of my soul <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">Happy memories of a father<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">The price of precious pursuits<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">The charm of unfeigned sobriety<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">The endearing portrait of virility<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">The assurance of strident care<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;">The fervency of fortitude<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;"><u1:p>A </u1:p>surreal <u1:p>thesis of fatherhood<o:p></o:p></u1:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Arial;"><u1:p>Engrafted upon my heart
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<br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></u1:p></span></p> posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-82005926511830712312010-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:002010-06-29T06:36:03.601-07:00ExaminationIn a psychopathically-patterned gray vacuum<br />Entirely drained of sanctity and desire<br />A frozen horizon symbolic of doom<br />A Concentration camp for wannabees<br />Congregants<br />Willing prisoners<br />Seated<br />Dead-like<br />Silence<br />Pregnant minds<br />Birth pangs<br />Pens and papers<br />Neuronal marathons<br />Rhythmic inscriptions<br />Three hours<br />One by one<br />They leave<br />Cheerless<br />An MBA examinationposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-15473070174902926962010-06-25T07:02:00.000-07:002010-06-25T07:21:11.014-07:00A Mob-Persuaded AdventuristThe probabilities are pretty good.<br />So finally I have persuaded myself to do it.<br />This weekend.<br />Mobbish group of friends are to blame.<br />This adventure sure to be nerve-whacking.<br />Already feeling the Adrenalin rush.<br />So here I hang my hormones on the ropes.<br />For I am going Bungee jumping.<br />Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-77006040691134880052010-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:002010-06-16T08:11:29.943-07:00Generic Taxi DriverThe amplitude of his suffocating thickness<br />The unbearable drama of crude dense-ness<br />Pigheaded brat<br />Roadhogging rat<br />First he cuts right in front of me<br />Screeched to a halt right ahead of me<br />Then proceeds to show me his middle finger<br />My attempt to move to the right lane<br />Provokes his insanity to do the same<br />Who else but the generic taxi driverposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-29637950750084638602010-06-10T01:08:00.000-07:002010-06-15T05:31:19.948-07:00God Must Be Blowing A Vuvuzela!Yesterday was spectacularly awesome in the streets of South Africa.<br />Sandton was the centre of this extreme excitement. Close to 100 000 people congregated around the area to salute Bafana Bafana as the team rode in an open-top bus in the push suburb.<br /> Around noon, most workers come out of their offices to the streets to stand together behind Bafana Bafana. <br />The Spontaneous celebration unleashed country-wide to boost the morale of the entire nation was beyond belief.<br />The Colours, the flags, the songs, the dances, the hooting, the jubilation, the vibe-right in the streets-was irresistible.<br />South Africans have really embraced the spirit of the world cup and I can't wait to see the opening ceremony and the first match on Friday.<br />We are told that from 1400 hrs to 1407 hrs something extraordinary will be showcased during the official opening ceremony.<br />BTW, I think I know who are going to take the cup home-the Germans. They will play against the Spanish in the final and Germany will win. That is my prediction!<br />As for Ghana... hmmmm, they will proceed to the next round and we will see what happens from there....posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-6987244393544824752010-05-26T04:12:00.000-07:002010-05-26T04:16:24.814-07:00Shattering Assumptions With Femme GravitasA 3D mathematical oddity<br />Beautifully proportioned<br /><div>Infinitely long legs<br />Disarmingly sweet-faced<br /><div>When she spoke I almost sighed with delight<br /></div>Here was a differential equation buff<br />The professorial kind<br />With grace and refreshingly endearing attitude<br /></div>Defying all essential assumptions<br />That to be taken serious<br />A mathematician must be<br />Bald<br /><div>Boring </div>Socially inept<br />Beyond comprehension<br />And possess the personality of a wet blanketposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-58950721949615283352010-05-21T01:52:00.000-07:002010-05-21T02:28:58.833-07:00Jennifer Hudson on my MindOn my way to work today, Radio <a href="http://www.702.co.za/pages/index.asp">702 </a>was playing Jennifer Hudson's Spotlight song.<br />It's been more than two hours now and I can't seem to bring myself from under Jennifer's spell.<br />After catching myself belting out the song the umpteenth time, I am beginning to wonder why there is such a strong cognitive itch with that particular song just a few days after my birthday?<br />Is there perhaps a relevant lesson hidden somewhere in the song for me today?<br />I wonder.posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-63811272738226424582010-05-19T06:20:00.000-07:002010-05-19T06:54:45.933-07:00A Project within a ProjectOne late Thursday evening<br />Recently<br />In my favoured corner<br />In a corporate reading room<br />All by myself<br />Tackling a CBA project<br />Lost in the heated permutations of deadlines<br />Surreptitiously I feel the probing stare<br />I turn <br />First<br />To the left<br />Then<br />To the right<br />To a great view<br />From a window<br />In the opposite office<br />A pair of beautiful smiling eyes<br />Starring coquettishly<br />Hands-on-the-hips invitation<br />I wave<br />Wondering. . .<br />Is that for me?<br />Waves of rapid permutations float through my mind<br />Then I remember I have a presentation<br />Early Friday morningposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-65914149668074402452010-04-26T02:55:00.000-07:002010-04-26T03:02:29.936-07:00A View from the FiresideNext to the fire<br />On a cold colourless rainy day<br />Feeling supremely phlegmatic about all things<br />The kind of wheeze that one can only dream about<br />A million thoughts run through my mind<br />Then I remember<br />The Cold comfort of visiting a wall<br />Suffering pangs of conscience<br />Suddenly blogging feels numbingly Cathartic<br />Quite liking coming back to this place<br />For now busyness can waitposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-73447221837891389592010-03-26T00:34:00.000-07:002010-03-26T00:55:05.630-07:00National Cleavage Day 2010National Cleavage Day is here. Again!<br />Today, I hear, is officially NCD.<br />So here is a toast to this year's 'celebration'.<br />What should people wear to celebrate?<br />Dark glasses, I say!posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-50161804337631669322010-03-23T04:51:00.000-07:002010-03-23T04:56:56.564-07:00The Delimma Of A Middle-aged Orphan1978<br />A besotted night<br />A full-blooded knight<br />A dutiful dame<br />A cherished game<br />9 moons<br />A birth<br />A child<br />A son<br />A man<br />In the footsteps of time<br />A tragedy<br />A cruelty<br />A mother's unscheduled exit<br />A breached heart<br />Having never grieved<br />Sits like a stone in the corridor of anguish<br />Days and nights in flight<br />Seasons passing in haste<br />Years going in and out without care<br />The other night<br />The precious knight<br />Falls into perpetual sleep<br />In the path of the unending exodus<br />Now<br />With all the architects gone forever<br />In this silent autumn<br />I ask of those still around<br />Where are the happy dreamers?<br />What do I do with these memories?<br />Where do we belong?<br />Here?<br />There?<br />Left behind<br />I feel so abandonedposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-37832081418623987972010-03-20T22:04:00.001-07:002010-03-20T22:34:04.048-07:00Fields Of PuzzlesThe cruel tricks that life ever plays<br />The games of chance he dearly frays<br />Perpetual winner he never vows<br />Glorious trophy ever in his paws<br />Trailing voices all around<br />Diminishing choices set abound<br />Tension<br />Contention<br />The valiant ones amongst them say<br />Hold sturdy for yet another day<br />Beyond the sighs the victory songs<br />Rays of hope on redeeming tongues<br />Sacrificial patience<br />Animated nations<br />Steely-eyed we crave some easing<br />Transcending limitations of feeling<br />This place where life feels so strange<br />Our lot has got to changeposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-39654578430760810462010-03-19T03:48:00.000-07:002010-03-19T03:56:43.046-07:00Contemporary Ghanaian ContrivancesLiving outside the borders of Ghana, as I do, one of the few self-preserving delusions I allow myself to harbor and indulge in regularly is this puritanical and idealistic image of Ghana and Ghanaians-the feel-good this-type-of-sh*t-can-never-happen-in-Ghana lines, refrains and pretences Ghanaians so love to carry like a badge of honour.<br />Perhaps, like many a Ghanaian, I have developed an image of Ghana largely based on false idealism- a hollow concept that places Ghana on an impeccable pedestal of high moral excellence.<br />On many occasions, I have found myself comparing the Ghanaian way of life to those of other people, cultures and value systems and puffing out my chest proudly in the belief that our way, the Ghanaian way, is far superior. I have always contented myself - that Ghanaians are not criminally minded as others; that the cases of teenage pregnancies in Ghana is below the continental average even though I do not have the facts to support such an assertion; that Ghanaians are a breed of hard-working geniuses; that Ghanaian men do not rape their women and girls; that our education system is one of the best, if not the best in the whole continent; that Ghanaians are the most friendly and peace-loving people in the entire world. . . . .I suppose that I am referring to my own irrational assumptions of Ghanaian exceptionalism.<br />I am perfectly aware of the fact that Ghana is far from this idyllic picture of perfection I have chosen to believe in, however I cannot seem to bring myself to admit that the view I hold of Ghana, when outside, is outright naive, unreasonable and even deceptive. Call it patriotism, nationalism or whatever you like.<br />Every time I am in Ghana, my idealist views come into sharp confrontation with what pertains in the real world of today's Ghana. But as soon as I am outside Ghana's borders, guess what, the same idiosyncratic mindset creeps in. So today I want to dwell on some Ghanaians peculiarities for a change.<br />This preconceived Ghanaian 'superiority complex' has got to go.<br />To accept an image of Ghana which is totally different from the enormously deficient one I have been carrying, I believe, is the beginning of a therapeutic release from my self-imposed idealism. So? ? ?<br />Here are a few of my observations regarding the absurd contrivances we so cherish and love to pursue.<br /><em><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Our funerals</span></strong></em><br />We are a bunch who love entertainment. So we even trivialise the funerals of our departed ones and turn what is supposed to be solemn moments into mindless occasions for parties, where all sorts of debauchery are not only permitted but encouraged with glee. How we love to lavish attention on the dead as supposed to the living! No wonder funerals are the primary occasions where families and communities come together. In many cultures, a funeral is short and simple-solely built around bidding farewell to the dead.Nothing more nothing less.<br />Our cultural mindset is the opposite. We are always looking back such that we place obscene value on what is dead and past and not enough focus on the future, on our children, our jobs and our dreams.<br />Perhaps, it is a symptom of our collective fear of the future? So we hold unto the past?<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Valentine day celebrations</em></span></strong><br />Not only have we embrace the vanities of other cultures but have jump into them head first. A case in point is the celebration of valentine day. We have managed to take it to levels previously unheard of any where else. Husbands leaving their wives at home and splurging on mistresses and other people's wives with wanton gifts they cannot afford, whilst their children walk around in tattered clothes. Misplaced priorities.<br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Sakawa<br /></span></em></strong>The get-rich-quick by-all-means phenomenon of sakawa is another contrivance in Ghana today. We have perfected the science of swindling other people of their hard-earned money for our selfish use.<br />We have become a society gripped by the urgency of 'having, using and enjoying' instead of one concerned with 'doing, creating and becoming'. And the sad reality is that nobody bothers any more to ascertain the source of people's wealth.<br />To us wealth is wealth irrespective of the source and the processes involved in its acquisition. That is why many Ghanaians never bother to learn and develop the habits, skills and the value systems needed to create wealth for ourselves and our communities.<br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Disregard for integrity</span></em></strong><br />We are as vain as it gets. Most of us claim to be believers but our actions do not bear testimony to our faith. The idea of integrity is a foreign concept to most Ghanaians. Our own kith and kin do not brink when it comes to taking advantage of us. Comfort and convenience triumphs over integrity and accountability in our corner of the world.<br /><br />And I think that we are not as awesome as we think we are!posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-66055608080065537002010-03-18T02:36:00.000-07:002010-03-18T02:41:16.456-07:00You Are Not Her Match!It is said by those who really know their stuff that, a woman on an average day can spit out approximately 6000 words with ease.<br />This is a remarkable feat judging by the fact that most men can barely manage 2000 words in the same time span.<br />That means, in simple proportions, that for every word spoken by a guy, a woman is able to breathe out three effortlessly.<br />For most people this is a obvious fact of banal interest.<br />But it is a whole new ball game if you come to really grasp the implication of this gladiatorial advantage of the fairer sex.<br />The probability is: if your are a man, you will never be able to match your woman as far as the daily requirements for a healthy verbal self-expression is concerned. As quiet as she may appear on the surface to you, your woman's need for 'rich' conversations and communication is quite literally insatiable.<br />So it must become obvious to you that she will need verbal affairs.<br />So how do you make sure that this psychologically essential need of your woman is catered for? Simple. Introduce her to other women who are potential chatting mates.<br />Remember that, as a man, you are wired to meet only a third of her optimal need for interactive communication of the round, colourful and floral kind. And you know what? Your relationship will be better for it. That is a promise!posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-79268803166058462972010-03-08T03:40:00.001-08:002010-03-08T03:53:02.435-08:00A Big Fat Bigoted LoserA demented bigoted bore<br />Cold-hearted and frozen to the core<br />Perched on a wall in the neighborhood<br />With a penchant for war against negrohood<br />Still living in the bubble of apartheid's pampered airs<br />He dishes out generous loads of unimaginable slurs<br />Those favoured with continental pigment are his stoke<br />Having lost his bread and butter to a melanin-rich blokeposekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-10397734597763345622010-03-06T08:29:00.000-08:002010-03-09T23:28:35.039-08:00Advice For The Scared and The Shy<div align="justify">It takes just a second, two or perhaps three</div><ul><li><div align="justify">to smile</div></li><li><div align="justify">to wink</div></li><li><div align="justify">to wave</div></li><li><div align="justify">to say Hi</div></li><li>to hold my hand</li><li>to squeeze a hug</li><li>to plant a kiss<br /></li><li><div align="justify">to look into my eyes</div></li><li><div align="justify">to let me know I stand a chance</div></li><li>to whisper your salient point<br /></li><li><div align="justify">to say I love you </div></li></ul><p align="justify">There are 86 400 seconds in a day and over 31 536 000 in a year.</p><p align="justify"> So what are you waiting for? </p><p align="justify">You will never know until you try. </p><p align="justify">Do it now.</p><p align="justify"> </p>posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8423925963704636537.post-90501019011731582092010-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:002010-03-05T15:06:21.397-08:00Contesting RealitiesOn this side of the political wasteland<br />The real unending terrain of utter depravity<br />Sustained purely by auspicious idealism<br />In a world of<br />Unfettered neighbourliness<br />Obscene warmth<br />Colour<br />Culture<br />Humanity<br />Great Friendships<br />Genuine selflessness<br />Gifts of beautiful smiles<br />And little else<br />But chronic anger<br />At<br />That side of the divide<br />The mundane world of the privileged<br />Inhabited by sub-souls devoid of ubuntu<br />Driven by rat race persuasions<br />The neo-apartheid world of heartless realism<br />With their<br />Cocooned spaces<br />Celebrated self-imprisonment<br />Emotional coldness and distances<br />Personalised boundaries and walls<br />Obscene consumerism<br />Incorrigible selfishness<br />Rotten personalities<br />Disdainful attitudes<br />Repulsive glares of wanton animosity<br />And mulish conformity<br /><br /><br />Having tasted the free lunch of the looted kind<br />They want more<br />And more<br />Now they have forgotten how to be human<br />How did these ordinary folks become such utter degenerates?<br />Letting themselves go so far<br />Becoming slaves in a world of no return<br />I dread a monumental collision of these contesting realities<br />Is there a way out?posekyerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15870664935467967524noreply@blogger.com4