Circumspecte

I believe deeply that Ghanaians and Africans can make the necessary changes for development. Yes, there are obstacles. Yes, we have day-to-day responsibilities. Yes, times can be tough. But that's not the entire story. We also have stepping stones, passion, inspiring moments, and above all, we have EACH OTHER. In Ghana's case especially, having each other and keeping the peace is probably the biggest factor in how far we have come so far. Yet, if the events (revolutions) this year are any indication, our peace is not guaranteed , particularly when it is sitting on a minefield of inequalities. Enter Northern Ghana. Northern Ghana has probably been exhausted on here, so I won't take that route. If you want to know what my thoughts are regarding why development in the region is in the best interest of ALL Ghanaians, click here . Instead, I'd like to send you a personal invitation to take a step in helping initiate sustainable change in Northern Ghana for Ghana: BarC...

Dear Ghanaian Movie Industry, Initially, I was upset because you weren't exploring the depth of your potential. But now, you've done the ultimate and unleashed untold anger upon yourself. And not just from me. By sashaying your hips into the 'soft porn' industry, many Ghanaians - and Africans - are fuming mad! There's even a Facebook group called Ghana Movie Industry, What's Going On? Enough Is Enough . What's that you say? Who am I to dare chastise you? Well, for one thing I'm a concerned Ghanaian who's tired of seeing your tasteless movie trailers. For another, I'm your consumer - the consumer is always right, no? - and even though I'm not a big fan of your products, I have sisters, a brother, family and friends who are exposed to your latest exploit. So, it ends up being my business. And finally, I'm someone who really believes that Ghanaians have a lot to offer and consequently, deserve more than you're giving. Great, now th...

Yes, I just went there. I dared say that it's time to tuck away our beloved Kwame Nkrumah , the Big Six, and all those other valiant Ghanaian men and women who have done more than their part in Ghana's development. We've lauded their deserving work for over 50 years. But guess what? It's a new decade, and whether or not we have things to celebrate in Ghana's future now depends on us. YOU and I. Each one of US. So yes, I went there. And guess what? I'm only getting started on the "ridiculousness". Why Ghana? Have you ever stopped to think, why Ghana? And I'm not talking about why Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence, or why our Black Stars were the first African football team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Like I said, this is about you. Why did you end up Ghanaian or in Ghana? Why do you have these ties to a relatively small West African country, instead of the big shots like the US, UK, France, China, India and so on...

In Ghana, the first Friday of December is set aside to acknowledge the hard work of some of the country's most important individuals - farmers and agricultural workers. So that would mean today! Happy Farmers' Day !! For a while now I've wondered about the future of agriculture in Ghana. It has been Ghana's predominant sector since the early days of independence, and even though a lot of activities are undertaken, the potential for growth still remains. Question is, are Ghanaians willing to take up that charge? Or more specifically, are Ghana's youth willing to do so? One of the typical composition questions featured in English examinations in basic schools when I was younger was: "The Farmer and the Doctor: Who Is More Important?" I always grappled with that question, but more often than not, it came down to the farmer. Why? Because basic human instinct seeks nourishment before other needs or wants. Maslow's theory confirms this, and it's al...

About a month ago, I did a review of Bronx Princess ; a short film about a young Ghanaian living in the U.S. I was really impressed with the film and most of the people I shared it with were too. But I was also curious. Really curious about who the actors were, who the producers were, how come they made such a great and genuine short film, and especially, how the non-Ghanaian producers were able to capture elements of Ghanaian culture that a lot of "Ghanaian films" fail to communicate. So, I contacted one of the producers, Yoni Brook, and we had a little chat about all that. Here are all the interesting details. Enjoy! Circumspect: Who are Yoni Brook and Musa Syeed? Yoni Brook: Musa Syeed and I are co-directors that met at NYU’s film school in 2004. We made a film together that was on PBS in 2008 called “ A Son’s Sacrifice ” about a father and son working together at an old-school slaughterhouse in Queen’s New York. That had nothing to do with Africans; it had to do wit...

Dear Diary, It’s the night of the big game and me and my boys are in front of the TV waiting patiently for the kick-off. We are evenly divided, four of us supporting Arsenal and the other four supporting Man United. The tension in the room is so apparent as the match commences. With sporadic shouts of “what dey wrong this player” and the usual “Oh!” So many minutes have passed but no goal and frustrations are beginning to show. I’m not talking about frustrations on the pitch mind you, but in our mini stadium. “I don’t even know why we bought this player, he’s useless”, Ekow declares. Five minutes later, the useless player scores th e opener for Man United. Kojo’s reaction? No comment. My team is down by a goal and Murtala takes the opportunity to taunt me. “So Mash, who be your chick?” I mean, can you believe him? Well I’m not the least amused by that question, not when my team is down. I’m about to give him a piece of my mind but just then Arsenal equalize. My fellow gunnas go beserk...

Dear Diary, Today, I had to come to terms with the fact that I lied. There’s nothing worse than lying to yourself, especially if you spent half a year’s savings on celebrating the lie. Then again, it wasn’t exactly a lie… it was more like me conceding defeat, kind of like saying okay, so I cannot have this, so fine, I’ll try to live with it. Okay, so Diary, after how many days of convincing mysel f that I’m totally over Kuuku , one, just one (long, sweet, dreamy… sigh) conversation made me think otherwise: So here I am, all ready to go to Samira’s when Adjeley texts that she’s coming over, and I better be at home or else… (What can I say; a best friend has certain privileges). She gets here and say s she’s been talking to Kuuku online and he’s going to stay on for a long while, and he said to tell me that. Meaning he wants me to come on, right? So in a fla sh, me, Samira, Adjeley and Mansa , who just happens to stop by at that moment, fly to the café. My guy was really online! Did...

Dear Diary, I’m totally convinced that some “friends” just make it their official duty of letting one down. One thing I can ’ t stand is being disappointed and that's exactly how I feel right n ow. I mean, how the hell can Olesugun back down on the deal we planned ages ago? I really don't think I’ll get over this one anytime soon. Mayb e I need to review my friend's list and right now, one na me stands the opportunity of being deleted and trash- canned . I know he's avoiding me, but I 'll get him soon, and believe me , there will be fireworks, and I’m not talking about the 6th of March. ADVICE “I’ll be here for you no matter what.”, “I got your back”, “We’ll stick it through the hard times as one.” All these remarks build up a sense of trust and loyalty for our friends. However, these words are quite unrealistic in their own way. For one thing, our friends cannot ALWAYS be there for us. Sometimes, circumstances get out of hand and thus prevent them from do...