CAN WE? (MY NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO GHANA AND GHANAIANS)

It is that time of the year when individuals, groups, organisations and corporate institutions wish for themselves good tidings in the New Year. A time when almost everyone hopes to get the best out of the prospects of the New Year. To me, it is that time of the season when even the greatest believer of pessimism is optimistic.

In the afternoon of that day, the airwaves in Ghana were inundated with what most people have christened the greatest developmental discovery in post-colonial era in Ghana, my Land of birth. I remember very well on that day how those of us who did not have the opportunity to either listen to the radio or watch TV as the management of Kosmos Energy show to His Excellency, the president of the Republic, the newly discovered black gold, oil, in commercial quantities in the shores of Ghana specifically the Jubilee Fields. What a great feeling it was to having realised that we may also very soon be a proud member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This was in June, 2007. Even the worst enemy of Ghana will on this day celebrate with us because much work has been done towards the exploration of oil in commercial quantities since pre-colonial era and especially in the 1980s.

We kept our faith and God being ever faithful to us brought it into great fruition on that fateful day of 15th December, 2010 when the first oil in commercial quantity was drilled in Ghana from the Jubilee Fields.

The implications of immense natural resources in many countries abound for us to see. One crucial example is that of DR Congo whose landmass and quantum of enviable natural resources, arguable though, unparallel non else. But what has become of her people? The resource curse phenomenon, indeed, has been the identification marker of many highly endured nations. We in Ghana have been so much assured by our leaders that ours will not be a curse but a blessing. Since this landmark ceremony of drilling oil in commercial quantities, there has been three liftings of oil from our oil fields by the government of Ghana/Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. The question that comes to mind is how far have we come?

Being an ardent believer of ‘the school of not having to reinvent the wheel to succeed despite not compromising the power of creativity’, I will certainly say that we have so much to learn from the countries that are already making it big in this industry. One cannot in this regard but use the glorious and not only admirable but also exceptionally fantastic case of the best place to live on earth, Norway. Yes, that is how the UN Human Development Index puts it! Norway is the first country on the list of the just released (2011) indicators of human development, according to the UN.

Similar to the case of Ghana, some failed attempts were made in their bid to drill oil with the first major discovery in the summer of 1966 having to dry up. Yes, it got dried up. Later, in 1969, the Ekofisk field was discovered and it was here that that which will turn the hitherto “potato” based economy to one that will be the topmost ranked country of the world in human development in 2011. On 15th June, 1971, official production started on this field. Many other fields started been found almost a year after this. Then they adopted the principle of 50% state participation in any production licence in the country. Again, they knew that they were unskilled in the new business but must take over the industry if they would ever want to make the best out of it. So they employed expatriates who came to start working on the fields but not without the conscious effort of getting the citizens to take over the industry as soonest as possible. What do we hear in Ghana about this today? One cannot forget the usual rhetoric of “local content”. Is it a conscious one just like our heroes in Norway have done or it’s an unconscious one just like our ‘failed seniors’ in Nigeria and other places are doing? Wait a minute! The Norwegians did not keep to this principle. After some few years of using this, it was amended; the country’s parliament will at each moment determines the percentage of the nation’s participation and ownership of fields, pipelines and onshore facilities depending on prevailing conditions. This goes without saying that, with the passage of time, their involvement will increase. Has it? Yes, it has! This is just because they have gotten the needed knowledge in doing so. Why will she not be the best place to live on earth today?

When the first oil was lifted in 1971 in Norway which was 0.4 million standard cubic metre oil equivalents, the export value obtained was 75 million Norwegian kroner (GH¢20.63 million). For Ghana, the first lifting of 995,259 barrels of Jubilee crude from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah which was carried by the MV Poetic, a Greek flagged vessel, at 22.12 GMT on 9th March, 2011 to the US for Sun International, a subsidiary of Sunoco Inc. brought in about US $110 million. In 2011, the petroleum industry is contributing more than NOK 3 billion (GH¢ 0.83 billion) to the Norwegian economy. This is after 40 years of production. The question for deliberation again is what will we say after 40 years if we should still be in the petroleum business?

Again, one cannot talk about the Norwegian oil without mentioning the “10 oil commandments”. These are highly thought through and strategically, nationally placed, guidelines that regulate this industry in Norway. Just take a look at the first 3 of the “commandments”: National supervision and control must be ensured for all operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, petroleum discoveries must be exploited in a way which makes Norway as independent as possible of others for its supplies of crude oil and new industry will be developed on the basis of petroleum. Have they developed the new industry they have wished for in these four decades of oil production? An emphatic YES will surely attract three points to this question. Listen to how the Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy puts: “These resources belong to the Norwegian state, and they must benefit the entire Norwegian society. This has been the foundation for how our petroleum has been managed since the 1960s”. What are we doing? Do you still remember the many ‘noises’ that characterised the preparation of the working documents such as the Petroleum Revenue Laws and Regulations for our equivalent industry? When the Norwegians were talking about national interest, we were busily talking about party interest. Yes, we did. While the administration in power says it is doing the right thing, the opposition thinks it must be seen to be opposing, so let the opposing force be sent to work. To me, this is one great area we have failed as a people. We have and are almost always ready to give the highest sense of patriotism and allegiance to our ethnic groups than the country that binds us all. How can we come together if we continue to think along this line? This, again, is in sharp contrast to what our heroes are doing out there. The mere making of noise about one being a patriotic Ghanaian indicates not even the smallest iota of patriotism to Ghana. It must be shown in our attitudes and efforts in wanting to make Ghana better at all times. I will talk about this some other day.

In talking about the black gold, certainly maritime boundary disputes cannot be left out. Here, the Caspian, where Azerbaijan, Iran and Russian are in conflicts, comes to mind. As should be expected, luminaries in the industry using the “theory” of not having to reinvent the wheel should have worked on clearly drawing all our maritime boundaries at the time we had the greatest indication of entering into this industry. It, therefore, was a surprise when Cote D’Ivoire rose up one day to hold claim to part of the oil fields. Oh! Do we need to get ourselves into this? Quickly, efforts were put in place to solve this unwarranted problem again courtesy our retroactive mindset. Pretty unexpectedly, about a fortnight ago, we woke up to the news of our immediate Western neighbours still claiming ownership of many of the fields along that stretch of our maritime boundary including Tullow Oil's Jubilee, Owo Tweneboa and Enyenra discoveries. Why wouldn’t our experts in this field engage their Ivorian counterparts in the signing of international treaties and if need be bring in the UN that will prevent any further disturbance? In this New Year, let the thought of the future of the old days of you the old man and the glorious moments of the youth of Ghana and the dazzling days of the many unborn Ghanaians inspire you who have the mandate of the people to work on solving this crisis awake you. See, the future of all these people and that of your own old days lie in your hand. Arise!

Today, Norway does not only takes pride in being the best place to live on earth but takes pleasure in training the human resource base of many countries in all the continents of the world as well as contributing numerous humanitarian services to many disadvantaged people on the globe among others. It has one of the best scholarship schemes in the world that help students from many places on the globe including Europe, Asia and Africa. In Africa, students from countries such as Ethiopia, Angola, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana benefit from these scholarship schemes. For some years now, there have been many Ghanaian students who come to study for their graduate and postgraduate programmes in the major universities in Norway on these scholarship schemes. If a country such as this is ready to assist people of all shades, why can’t the leaders of our Land over the years also work toward nothing but the true betterment of the lives of the Ghanaian people?

Norway’s case has been a decision of value creation and a sense of working towards the true improvement of the lives of her people. Do you ever imagine these people also can use the oil revenues for parochial interests? Folk, I tell you, they can.

I do not share in the belief that our oil find will be the panacea to the plethora of challenges we are confronted with as a people. But one thing I know and that is we can make substantial improvement in the life of the Ghanaian if our leaders adopt the right attitude towards the management of our oil find. Again, once we are able to change our ways of doing things especially with regards to mismanagement in this industry, I believe it will have a rippling effect on the other areas of our national life. Certainly, we will be better off as a people in the years ahead.

As the honourable Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy puts it “our stewardship of Norway’s petroleum resources has been a success” in the 2011 edition of Facts: the Norwegian Petroleum Sector, I challenge our leaders this day to strive for the best in this industry so that in the few years to come we will have a better way to tell our story.

As we get to the elections this year, let us prove that it is about Ghana, it is about how the lives of Ghanaians can be made better and certainly it is about what we will leave behind for the next generation and not about who wins. Let the winner win as the will of the people shall reveal and let these things be achieved.

In one voice, I join with the many out there who still believe that Ghana is a place where we can all make it once we all especially our leaders set our minds to the unchangeable truth that it is not about individuals but about Ghana and reaffirm our resolve and say that YES, WE CAN.

Buddy, remember, your thought today can make the world (Ghana) better tomorrow. Wish you the best of the New Year, 2012. May God bless Ghana and make our nation even greater and stronger.

Lawer Egbenya
(edlaw19@gmail.com /www.modernghana.com/author/daniellaweregbenya)

words of praise to the Lord

as i remember that fateful day at this hour, i am crying to the Lord for saving not only my life but the many on board. Ebenezer, accept my worship.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS!

merry christmas to you! i may 'not' be that special friend of yours but 1 thing i ask of u as u go through this day: take a minute off and say thank you to the Lord and ask Him to remember s/he who is on the street, homeless, sick, thirsty, hungry, in a war torn land, wrongfully imprisoned, tsunami stricken land, flood and in the forgotten parts of the world. will you? thanks.

LET’S TAKE A WALK

It’s been a mixed day so far. Why not just come on with me as we take a walk through the neighbourhood and share some interesting and exciting moments, buddy.

Life is really full of great and splendid natural settings to behold. The green vegetation that spreads on the low-lying land in front of us and widely interlaced with beautifully coloured flowers of our favourite colours: sea blue and purple, keep on striking my attention. It elicits much joy and ecstasy down my spleen and creates in me a heart of happiness to not only admire nature’s beauty the more but also the nice petals and sepals which depict our colours. The sunny trace of light passing through the pupils and lens of my lens give me another chance to look at nature in a more appreciable and varied dimension.

Unexpectedly, buddy, I just realised a change: my feet felt a jolt of coldness. “Do you feel same”, I asked. “Oh! My God! I don slip ooo!” I said jokingly. What a drastic change is this turning into? This reminds me of the slippery and slimy nature of that delicious and tongue-biting okra soup my sweetest mum use to prepare for us some years back when I was with her. I remember how on the eve of her Monday market days she would stay late into the night just to get that much awaited soup done for us to ‘deal with’ the next morning! How I wish I could still have some today! I guess I am having it today just that it has assumed another form; unfortunately, this form is distasteful, at least for today. “Buddy, take care, else you may kiss the ground”, I teasingly said.

On, on we went. I think we had a nice time together. It’s been a dream come true to take this walk together and while on it, do exercise and also appreciate nature’s aesthetics. We’ve walked, chatted and laughed. What a great day together!

Simply put, so far, so good. This is a real so far so good event and not the usual political rhetoric that greets us during electioneering periods. I dare say it is about to greet us in Ghana again as the seconds of the clock and the minutes tick pass and the hours usher us into 2012. Buddy, but seriously I wish it changed as quickly as possible for the better. Yes the stroll is being wonderful and I will forever appreciate every moment of it but I wish it gets better and it does that sooner than later. In fact, now is the most admirable!

Buddy, I think your thought today can make the world better tomorrow. Think about it.

edlaw19@gmail.com
www.danielegbenya.blogspot.com / www.modernghana.com/author/daniellaweregbenya

OH! GHANA AGAIN?

Is it true? Did it happen again? So when at all are we going to show to the world that we are indeed the beacon of hope, aspiration and greatness of Africa?

The negative effects of cocaine abound for all who wish to know about to get as much as possible. From this perspective, individuals, civil society groups, NGOs and governments all over the world have demonstrated strenuous efforts in curbing this menace. Records have it that the West African coast has for some time now being used as the haven for the barons of this enemy of human existence, cocaine. Ghana has over the years had her ‘fair’ share of the activities of these barons of this illicit drug.

“What did I seem to be seeing?”, I asked myself in a state of complete astonishment. I strained my eyes to read it again. Not convinced, I quickly checked on other websites. “Oh! My God”, I screamed to the extent that I had forgotten my flatmates also deserve their peace! How possible? “Another 2007 here with us?”, I said to myself.

In 2007, cocaine exhibits locked up at the Police Headquarters of the Republic of Ghana was swapped with powdered “Kokonte” (dried cassava powder). Yes, that was done. Clearly, someone out there did not do his or her job well, simple. Certainly, the admirer of politics in this part of the world will not missed to bet his last Ghana pesewa on the fact that the opposition party will use the incidence during the electioneering campaign. Did they use it? I dare anyone to tell me if this did not contribute vote to the fortune of the ruling party. And this time, what is new?

Cocaine exhibit, yes not a suspected substance as we are almost always told at the commencement of investigations because this has been tested in an established public and well recognised, well equipped laboratory to having tested positive, has changed its nature! This time not “kokonte” (maybe my village folks are struggling with the little “kokonte” left with them so no “kokonte” to be used this time!) rather that substance that has proven to be cocaine is now metamorphosised and charmed into sodium bicarbonate! How? What is sodium bicarbonate? Because of my dear uninitiated chemistry reader, I will only say that it is a white crystalline solid that looks like fine powder. It has a slightly salty taste like that of washing soda. Generally, it is referred to as baking soda and used in cooking. After sniffing the cocaine, who knows it is time to use it in cooking, I guess but not in the kitchen, in the law court!How on earth can this chemical reaction take place? Even in the laboratories of the world’s most renowned researchers, this chemical reaction cannot be confirmed! But hey! In the ‘labs’ of Ghana’s court, it did happen!

With all these happenings, some points are made obvious that even the seriously blind person who is suffering from all the ever known visual diseases in human existence can see. Yes, he or she can see them! Just take a look: in 2007, it was in the custody of the police when it was swapped. In 2011, it was swapped in the custody of the judiciary. Comrade, do not forget; these are the two most important state institutions in the country in charge of our security, law and order. Is it far to imagine where we are going and how far we have gone on our journey to that place? Is it also not too glaring that the so-called men and women in authority are involved? What else can’t that seriously blind person not see about these? Moreover, this case was brought before the competent court of jurisdiction since 2008. What evidence at all do they need to deliver judgement that has made the case travel this long? Pardon my ignoramus on security and legal matters, though! Again, with the political advantage gained by the ruling government, will anyone ever in his widest dream dreamt this would happen now? Again, any clue? What about the media? When the incidence occurred, it was quickly put out there wrongly: the swapping was done under the watch of the judiciary but they reported it was the police: who will benefit from this well calculated ‘mistake’?

In less than 24 hours since the story broke out, H.E the vice president of the Republic has challenged the police to initiate an immediate inquiry into the case. Shortly, thereafter, the information minister has drawn the world’s attention to the fact that the government wants the findings of the investigation to be out in 7 days. Just about this same moment, her Ladyship the Chief Justice has also instituted a committee to look into the incidence and certainly roadside ‘talkertives’ like you and I who will ‘always’ use our last water and energy in our stomach to go and stand under the scorching sun to vote for ‘them’ have also kept talking about it. That’s not all! Come to think of it that we are being told by someone who is even expected to know more that the earlier tested and proven cocaine substance by an expert in a well established centre may not have been cocaine! This is incredible! Let him keep that to himself alone, OK!Hmmm! Is it hypocritical or what? Will they come out with something worthy? Please, do not answer because time will tell.

To me, it is too long since this story broke out for some crucial measures to be taken. Some heads should and must by now roll. Yes, someone out there have not done his or her work that she or he happily drove in the best of cars that my subsistence farmer mum in the village has not even think of before to talk of her seeing it to the bank last month to withdraw monies we have all contributed through taxes as his or her salary. Your Excellency, Mr. President (Vice President too), I think the good people of Ghana have yet another means to either put their thumbs up for you or not. This is your time. Strike now and let us all behold that which you have come to do for this beloved nation of us.

Folk, we can be the beacon of Africa if and only if the people who claim the stand for us will stand with us at all times. Remember, your thought today can make the world better tomorrow. Think about it!


www.danielegbenya.blogspot.com

MY NEWLY FOUND LOVE

She is gorgeous. She is beauty personified, she is splendidly dressed. Oh! No you will certainly turn to behold her again after passing by her. Beauty’s beauty is her nicky. Oh! My love, I will forever love and adore you.

Buddy, I know you may not believe it because it is a part of wo(man) to sometimes doubt when his or her heart suggests to him or her to do so (lol!). But hey! Not this time! Yes, not this time for this is the truth. Yes, it is nothing but the absolute truth. My newly found love? Buddy, you go bow! That reminds me of what a guy said the last time when I was onboard a “trotro”. He said, “You must clean your hands before you can touch her”, as a result of a lady’s beauty. Yes, that in some way applies to her, my new found love. Yes, I must add, you must not only clean your hands but also clean all your other body parts, in fact you have to bath before you can touch her. Because if you should clean only your hands, the dirt from your elbow will diffuse to your hand and get the dirt onto her! Yes, buddy, you must.

The queen of my palace. The love of my life. The best friend of my life. You are beyond description. I love you, sweetie.

Sweetie, that which many who have come before you could not do, you did it. That which many who are your contemporaries could not do, you are perfectly and excellently doing it. To you, I say, bravo, Sweetie. Yes, it has brought curse to many. It marks the cause of much bloodshed and loss of immeasurable and unquantifiable properties. But hey! You have mastered it and brought great and broad smiles onto the faces of many and certainly not without me, your lover.

At a time, I wondered what made you who and what you are. Buddy, she smiled at me and said, “The greatest sense of feeling for every human being and knowing that what is right is right and must be done and this is what is termed discipline. These are the two things that make me who I am”.

Folk, am sure you would want to see her and behold at first hand who that beauty is. “The direction to her house?”, I know you will ask. The queen of my life, the only person on earth who causes me to act beyond my highest imaginable ability, the girl whose lips takes me to “paradiso” has no way that leads to her house! Lol! Yes, she neither has a name nor way that leads to her house. That is my love. Honey, I will always be there for you, I will always love you.

Everyone who is associated with her is always ready to make his or her best at all times. Her little children and the disadvantaged are the ‘kings and queens’ in her heart. Her pedestrians are highly respected than the car owners and drivers that drive her. She does what makes her and her people look good, benefit her and her people. My love does everything of hers only with three main things in mind: benefitting humanity! benefitting humanity!! benefitting humanity!!!

But hey! To thee my first love, I will always remember you. My heart is with thee. I will always honour you and owes my solidarity to you and you alone. I pledge to thee to be by thee side at all times. Thou art the land that bears the placenta that disconnected me from the mum of my life. You are my true love and forever you will be. But please, remember to improve the lives of your children, the people who made you what you are. Do not forget, without these people you are non-existent. My dear true love, always bear in mind that the people are because you are and you are because the people are. Life can be made better, so let it be.

Buddy, your thought today can make the world better tomorrow, think about it!

A FEW GOOD MEN

It is thrilling, it is captivating and certainly, it is full of suspense and all the best descriptions that characterise a good movie. Buddy, the movie, a few good men, is really nice to watch and I guess having done that, your opinion about it would not differ from mine and that of certain friends who have already done that. Great movie, it is.

There are moments when one really is confronted with that exceedingly relevant question of the 21st century of whether there are a few good men (and by implication a few good women) in the world today. Hmmmmmmmmm! Are they? A seemingly simple question in terms of construction and diction, I guess! But hey! In terms of providing an answer, it is really extremely difficult and complex.

It is the land that has been full of bad news despite there are some moments which call for celebration. It is that part of the world that is almost always in the news for the bad reasons. It is that part of human existence that comes to the world’s attention only for extremely negative and dehumanizing tendencies and unthinkable atrocities. It is that part of human habitation whose whole generation of people in certain parts of it may only hear about peace as an abstract and unreachable situation whose home is not in human existence. It is the land where people easily answers the question of whether there are some few good wo(men) in the world in less than a twinkle of an eye. Yes, it is that land. Ironically, it is the land that looks like the vessel of peace, harmony, love and care – woman. Why did it look like that but yet the inhabitants exhibit opposite behaviours? That is what they have been reduced to just because of the actions of a few wo(men).

The African continent is full of one form of extreme challenge or the other that is characterised by massive loss of lives almost at every moment in time. Can’t she partake in the oasis of peace, harmony, love and care that its geographical representation depicts? As I write, folk, the atrocities being meted out to the children, youth, women and men in Somali is still fresh on my mind. One cannot behold the denigration of human dignity through disease, starvation, massacre and death around us. Many, day-in-day-out, are losing their lives just because of a greedy bastard out there who wants to hold on to power, that power which in its true meaning derives its authority and strength from the masses (people who are been killed) just because he or she believes that he or she is the repository of wisdom and must rule. What an unforgivable mistake! Sometimes, it baffles me when I thought they are also beings called human. How on earth can a human being preside over the killing of his or her fellow human being for no other reason than just because of greediness of heart?

Some few days ago, the good people of Zambia were put to the test, that test that had led to the oozing of immeasurable litres of human blood in some parts of this land. They have to go to the polls to elect their leader. Crucial as it is expected to be courtesy the fact that it is being held in an African country and also the fact that the incumbent president is in the race after several years of being in power, many not excluding my good self nearly experienced astronomical rise in our adrenaline level just because we are afraid of another dozens, hundreds and thousands of God’s own-imagined beings losing their lives again. Then, the day came. Despite some few skirmishes reported, it started and continued, generally, well.

Then it was on air that some fighting broke out at certain parts of the country. “Oh! My God, so it has happened again?” was the question on some lips. The greatest moment came when the incumbent president, Rupiah Banda, who was again hoping to be maintained in power, delivered his conceding speech. Yes, he ‘wilfully’ (because his attitude seems not to be the norm) admits to relinquish power to the president-elect, Michael Sata. At the end of his conceding speech in which he stated that “the people of Zambia have spoken and we must all listen”, the BBC reported that he (the incumbent president) cried. At this point, I felt to cry and had droplets of tears formed on my eyes which are tears of joy. Buddy, there are still a few good men.

Folk, it is all not lost yet. There is much to preserve and live for. Let us continue to make it great in life because we can and we must. Do not forget, your thought today can make the world better tomorrow. Think about it.