Congo akwantuo: Asaase aban Ghana dynasty and ‘otanhunu’ mutiny
I have worked directly with Ghanaians all my professional life, at a point or the other I have interacted with non – Ghanaians in the line of my work. February 2016 was to drastically change that when I accepted to work in Congo – Brazzaville.
I was the fifth Ghanaian to join Africanews in Congo’s port city of Pointe Noire. It was the first time working directly with a myriad of other predominantly African nationals – Kenyans, Cameroonians, Ivorians, Congolese, Nigerians, South African etc.
National allegiances seem to work for some, whiles others couldn’t seem to patch up anything close to being together. That seemed to be at the heart of the headache some had, seeing Ghanaman bind and bond – professionally, socially and culturally. But does we care?
For the records, the Ghanaians I came to meet included Veronica Narkwor Kwabla – a known face on TV3 news, Juliet Bawuah (Julie Juu) also of TV3 and Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey of Joy FM and Joy TV. Till Congo, I knew him by his voice as a Joy FM addict.
The least known must have been another Nii – Ismail Nii Akwei – a direct colleague at Ghanaweb. Ismail and I were web journalists, the other three were TV divas, another Joy News diva – Auntie Ama will later ‘storm’ the party – she was our biggest by a mile.
We were who we were, Ghanaians who met in our own corner outside the office to dilate on any and everything. We spoke Twi and Ga when it suited us and we related perhaps closest than other nationalities – but we, in essence, concentrated on our happiness than anyone else’s.
Our circumstance changed one nice Friday at an editorial meeting. After a fellow colleague honoured us with a dynasty status under very weird circumstances.
The fact that all Ghanaians at the time except me had raked up ‘posts’ in the different departments was apparently a head and heartache some people were harbouring. For how long they pained, is part of their ache, we doesn’t and didn’t cares.
To paraphrase this colleague: It’s as though you (Veronica, then a deputy head of language – English) created a dynasty, this is Africanews, not Ghananews,’ he stressed. And with that we birthed a dynasty. Veronica (Patrona), Juliet (Princess), GP Ama (Queen), knee Nii Akrofi (Prince), Nii Ismail (Mantse), Yours truly (Chef).
But as Lil Wayne put it, ‘does we care?’ And to butress with a french terminology we kept a 'je m'en fou' posture. The term means 'I don't give a damn,' and so di we, as a group collective, we no see them seff.
The dynastic levels will shoot in the coming months, our WhatsApp page was lit as we discussed and planned Ghana meetings over food and drink. Ismail away on vacation, I missed a beach trip because Ramadan 2017 was starting next day.
Later, we’d meet up at Ismail’s place over strictly Ghanaian dishes, of course only made possible because his wife Inna was around. Days later our Eid party clashed with the first series of capitulation. ‘Volatile’ Juliet was leaving and we had a send-off at a plush, posh place.
Post – Juliet era brought in more parties and get-togethers. A senior Ghanaian – Congolese, Andy, joined the ranks thanks to Ama. More food and drinks, we had time to unwind and rewind, we caught up with memories at home and in sojourn – Twi, Ga, English and French where applicable.
The "capitulation" will continue in earnest, Ama will step out and stage a return to the capital, thereafter; Narkwor nso b3 kor – back to Ghana en route to Turkey (TRT World), then Ismail jumped (Back to Accra for Afro – Carribean kpa kpa kpa).
The dynasty now has reached the level of a corporation where we dilate over the times we peppered those that wanted to. We talk about that which professionally and socially shoots us beyond the now – of course, the little gossip has crept in sparsely.
Mind you, amongst us, we had differences at certain times – but that was it about working together, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of one another but not allowing it to affect overall output.
The chapter is closed for those that jumped ship – for want of a better word. Nii and I have two other Ghanafuor joining – J Rice Chef and Ericus, but seems however that the dynasty was specially crafted for just six.
The sovereign relation template whiles in sojourn was one that we as Ghanaians close to perfected. It so worked well for us when we were together and months after the ‘exit flood.’ The two visits to the Ghanaian pastor were lit, to say the least – All hail our Patrona.
So for us, the "otanhunu" - dirty hate and propaganda championed with so much vile and venom purportedly against us was to leave smudge in the faces of its mutineers. They are still peppered by the shitty mess of a ‘fight’ that did not exist anyway.
From La Voile Blanche to Wharf, from Hotel Le Russeau to La Base Aeroport and from Pemba to the Si Bon pizza outing, we forged ahead with being Ghanaians whiles the job-place politicians kept campaigning in rampant chase for only God knows what.
Still headquartered in Congo, our international deployments continue to serve the cause, international comparisons, Carribean ‘krinkum krankum’ and globetrotting gambadoism thanks to Juliet – we remain, the ‘accidentally’ intentional Ghana – Congo dynasty.
I have worked directly with Ghanaians all my professional life, at a point or the other I have interacted with non – Ghanaians in the line of my work. February 2016 was to drastically change that when I accepted to work in Congo – Brazzaville.
I was the fifth Ghanaian to join Africanews in Congo’s port city of Pointe Noire. It was the first time working directly with a myriad of other predominantly African nationals – Kenyans, Cameroonians, Ivorians, Congolese, Nigerians, South African etc.
National allegiances seem to work for some, whiles others couldn’t seem to patch up anything close to being together. That seemed to be at the heart of the headache some had, seeing Ghanaman bind and bond – professionally, socially and culturally. But does we care?
For the records, the Ghanaians I came to meet included Veronica Narkwor Kwabla – a known face on TV3 news, Juliet Bawuah (Julie Juu) also of TV3 and Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey of Joy FM and Joy TV. Till Congo, I knew him by his voice as a Joy FM addict.
The least known must have been another Nii – Ismail Nii Akwei – a direct colleague at Ghanaweb. Ismail and I were web journalists, the other three were TV divas, another Joy News diva – Auntie Ama will later ‘storm’ the party – she was our biggest by a mile.
We were who we were, Ghanaians who met in our own corner outside the office to dilate on any and everything. We spoke Twi and Ga when it suited us and we related perhaps closest than other nationalities – but we, in essence, concentrated on our happiness than anyone else’s.
Our circumstance changed one nice Friday at an editorial meeting. After a fellow colleague honoured us with a dynasty status under very weird circumstances.
The fact that all Ghanaians at the time except me had raked up ‘posts’ in the different departments was apparently a head and heartache some people were harbouring. For how long they pained, is part of their ache, we doesn’t and didn’t cares.
To paraphrase this colleague: It’s as though you (Veronica, then a deputy head of language – English) created a dynasty, this is Africanews, not Ghananews,’ he stressed. And with that we birthed a dynasty. Veronica (Patrona), Juliet (Princess), GP Ama (Queen), knee Nii Akrofi (Prince), Nii Ismail (Mantse), Yours truly (Chef).
But as Lil Wayne put it, ‘does we care?’ And to butress with a french terminology we kept a 'je m'en fou' posture. The term means 'I don't give a damn,' and so di we, as a group collective, we no see them seff.
The dynastic levels will shoot in the coming months, our WhatsApp page was lit as we discussed and planned Ghana meetings over food and drink. Ismail away on vacation, I missed a beach trip because Ramadan 2017 was starting next day.
Later, we’d meet up at Ismail’s place over strictly Ghanaian dishes, of course only made possible because his wife Inna was around. Days later our Eid party clashed with the first series of capitulation. ‘Volatile’ Juliet was leaving and we had a send-off at a plush, posh place.
Post – Juliet era brought in more parties and get-togethers. A senior Ghanaian – Congolese, Andy, joined the ranks thanks to Ama. More food and drinks, we had time to unwind and rewind, we caught up with memories at home and in sojourn – Twi, Ga, English and French where applicable.
The "capitulation" will continue in earnest, Ama will step out and stage a return to the capital, thereafter; Narkwor nso b3 kor – back to Ghana en route to Turkey (TRT World), then Ismail jumped (Back to Accra for Afro – Carribean kpa kpa kpa).
The dynasty now has reached the level of a corporation where we dilate over the times we peppered those that wanted to. We talk about that which professionally and socially shoots us beyond the now – of course, the little gossip has crept in sparsely.
Mind you, amongst us, we had differences at certain times – but that was it about working together, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of one another but not allowing it to affect overall output.
The chapter is closed for those that jumped ship – for want of a better word. Nii and I have two other Ghanafuor joining – J Rice Chef and Ericus, but seems however that the dynasty was specially crafted for just six.
The sovereign relation template whiles in sojourn was one that we as Ghanaians close to perfected. It so worked well for us when we were together and months after the ‘exit flood.’ The two visits to the Ghanaian pastor were lit, to say the least – All hail our Patrona.
So for us, the "otanhunu" - dirty hate and propaganda championed with so much vile and venom purportedly against us was to leave smudge in the faces of its mutineers. They are still peppered by the shitty mess of a ‘fight’ that did not exist anyway.
From La Voile Blanche to Wharf, from Hotel Le Russeau to La Base Aeroport and from Pemba to the Si Bon pizza outing, we forged ahead with being Ghanaians whiles the job-place politicians kept campaigning in rampant chase for only God knows what.
Still headquartered in Congo, our international deployments continue to serve the cause, international comparisons, Carribean ‘krinkum krankum’ and globetrotting gambadoism thanks to Juliet – we remain, the ‘accidentally’ intentional Ghana – Congo dynasty.
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