February 22, 2016: That day, I landed in Congo Republic’s commercial capital of Pointe Noire. I was to take post as a journalist with a new news channel. The Accra – Abidjan – Pointe Noire journey on Air Ivoire needs vetting by a Special Prosecutor. Chai!
Hajia Fati was all moody as I left for the airport in small big sister Fuleira’s car. Then came Mariam (big big sister) who brought me $150 despite assuring her the company will pay me a relocation sum – she said I’d need money any which way.
On arrival, I ‘melted’ a third of Mariam’s dollars on day 1 – bought a SIM and call credits and paid the taxi driver who picked me from the lodge to the forex bureau, the MTN offices and back to the lodge. Called Hajia Fati to assure her son was safe and called for office location.
The remaining cash will serve me in several respects. My daily commute to work till my first pay cheque came in, the food I ate over the period and other petty expenses were all covered. Till date, I celebrate that $150 as much as I do my very respectable salary.
Now unto the main subject of this piece: Nii Ismail (Sheed) Akwei. In summary, he is an academic pal (Hamdaniyya Islamic School), a professional colleague (Ghanaweb, Africanews), a friend and married brother – if you want, a ‘meigida.’
I repeat, he’s a nice married guy – shout out to his wife Inna ‘Sunshine,’ hopefully, we can have a new member with the tagline ‘moonlight’ sooner than later – insha Allah. Ismail is decidedly tough, first class opinionated and blunt to a fault.
When our paths first crossed in the 90s at Islamic school, I thought of him as that soft type. One that grew up in the Muslim – dominated setting (Zongo) but lacked steel and grit typical of such upbringing. How wrong I was – but it’d be years before I admitted I was so wrong.
Work reconnected us after secondary school separated us. Makaranta lost him to boarding school – Aggrey Memorial SHS. We shared an office at Ghanaweb where he was in charge of sister site Cameroonweb. I applied for that job after he shared the opportunity on Facebook.
Through the LinkedIn platform, he was contacted by an agency recruiting personnel for Africanews – at the time, a new Pan-African bilingual news channel based in the Republic of Congo.
When the approach was made, he passed the news by us in the office and I mocked about how terrorists – specifically Boko Haram – could use employment baits to recruit. It seemed Shekau had other important things doing, maybe sheltering from the army’s combat. Lol!
We laughed it off but it turned out to be genuine and myself and other colleagues contributed our bit in urging him to ‘sign out’ of GhanaWeb and ‘log on’ to the new opportunity. So he eventually left us behind and started his new adventure.
Barely months at Africanews, Ismail will make a case for having another journalist to make work ‘bearable,’ he was the only English web journalist as against a French duo. So of all the people in mind, he called me to send my CV to him, which I did.
He’d assist me with the visa contractor who had helped him, he’d share what the experience was going to be and warn me to of all things to come along with an umbrella. I did and still have that umbrella which was of use on day one – I met crazy rains the morning after.
So exactly two years ago today, I arrived in Congo to begin work along with Ismail on the digital English desk of Africanews. A period that afforded us the opportunity to work closer than ever and which exposed our respective strengths and weaknesses.
Two issues stick with me throughout his almost two-year stay. Thanks to him, I got a hustle-free apartment. I almost walked into an apartment Ismail secured for me after my month’s stay in an official lodging.
And I got to know the real hard side of him which exposed my soft side and eventually helped me to toughen up in some respects. It’s something we have discussed and which is captured above, I repeat: Ismail is ‘decidedly tough, opinionated and blunt to a fault.’
Me, head of silent reactionary overtures. Where Ismail will send a stinging email or walk to the ‘offender,’ and deliver in black and white, I would reset conditions to suit myself and go on with what concerns me – insofar as my output remains intact. But I have since changed, don’t bring yourself.
I’m certain that Ismail owes people credit for his life’s journeys, so it is in my case, I owe Inna Mariam’s husband a whale of gratitude in many respects than above enumerated. He moves on to other stuff that will make him happier than he was – at Africanews.
Of course, there were the days of professional and even personal tension. We disagreed on style and other stuff. We fired shots where necessary and we ganged up against those that sought to make life uncomfortable for us.
Till his final exit of Friday, November 17, 2017; we continued to share ideas about life as we soldiered on in our different worlds. Africanews offered him the TV break after he’d done radio and digital journalism. He was boss of Sci-Tech on The Morning Call.
He is continuing with the digital onslaught as head of content (big post) with Face2Face Africa. He’s back home in Ghana but still with his continental reach intact, in fact now extending to the Carribean region et. al. Big men take big steps – Oga I greet you!
Hajia Fati was all moody as I left for the airport in small big sister Fuleira’s car. Then came Mariam (big big sister) who brought me $150 despite assuring her the company will pay me a relocation sum – she said I’d need money any which way.
On arrival, I ‘melted’ a third of Mariam’s dollars on day 1 – bought a SIM and call credits and paid the taxi driver who picked me from the lodge to the forex bureau, the MTN offices and back to the lodge. Called Hajia Fati to assure her son was safe and called for office location.
The remaining cash will serve me in several respects. My daily commute to work till my first pay cheque came in, the food I ate over the period and other petty expenses were all covered. Till date, I celebrate that $150 as much as I do my very respectable salary.
Now unto the main subject of this piece: Nii Ismail (Sheed) Akwei. In summary, he is an academic pal (Hamdaniyya Islamic School), a professional colleague (Ghanaweb, Africanews), a friend and married brother – if you want, a ‘meigida.’
I repeat, he’s a nice married guy – shout out to his wife Inna ‘Sunshine,’ hopefully, we can have a new member with the tagline ‘moonlight’ sooner than later – insha Allah. Ismail is decidedly tough, first class opinionated and blunt to a fault.
When our paths first crossed in the 90s at Islamic school, I thought of him as that soft type. One that grew up in the Muslim – dominated setting (Zongo) but lacked steel and grit typical of such upbringing. How wrong I was – but it’d be years before I admitted I was so wrong.
Work reconnected us after secondary school separated us. Makaranta lost him to boarding school – Aggrey Memorial SHS. We shared an office at Ghanaweb where he was in charge of sister site Cameroonweb. I applied for that job after he shared the opportunity on Facebook.
Through the LinkedIn platform, he was contacted by an agency recruiting personnel for Africanews – at the time, a new Pan-African bilingual news channel based in the Republic of Congo.
When the approach was made, he passed the news by us in the office and I mocked about how terrorists – specifically Boko Haram – could use employment baits to recruit. It seemed Shekau had other important things doing, maybe sheltering from the army’s combat. Lol!
We laughed it off but it turned out to be genuine and myself and other colleagues contributed our bit in urging him to ‘sign out’ of GhanaWeb and ‘log on’ to the new opportunity. So he eventually left us behind and started his new adventure.
Barely months at Africanews, Ismail will make a case for having another journalist to make work ‘bearable,’ he was the only English web journalist as against a French duo. So of all the people in mind, he called me to send my CV to him, which I did.
He’d assist me with the visa contractor who had helped him, he’d share what the experience was going to be and warn me to of all things to come along with an umbrella. I did and still have that umbrella which was of use on day one – I met crazy rains the morning after.
So exactly two years ago today, I arrived in Congo to begin work along with Ismail on the digital English desk of Africanews. A period that afforded us the opportunity to work closer than ever and which exposed our respective strengths and weaknesses.
The Ghanaman dynasty led by Patron Veronica Narkwor Kwabla. Inna (veiled) special guest amongst 'Big Six.'
Two issues stick with me throughout his almost two-year stay. Thanks to him, I got a hustle-free apartment. I almost walked into an apartment Ismail secured for me after my month’s stay in an official lodging.
And I got to know the real hard side of him which exposed my soft side and eventually helped me to toughen up in some respects. It’s something we have discussed and which is captured above, I repeat: Ismail is ‘decidedly tough, opinionated and blunt to a fault.’
Me, head of silent reactionary overtures. Where Ismail will send a stinging email or walk to the ‘offender,’ and deliver in black and white, I would reset conditions to suit myself and go on with what concerns me – insofar as my output remains intact. But I have since changed, don’t bring yourself.
I’m certain that Ismail owes people credit for his life’s journeys, so it is in my case, I owe Inna Mariam’s husband a whale of gratitude in many respects than above enumerated. He moves on to other stuff that will make him happier than he was – at Africanews.
Of course, there were the days of professional and even personal tension. We disagreed on style and other stuff. We fired shots where necessary and we ganged up against those that sought to make life uncomfortable for us.
Till his final exit of Friday, November 17, 2017; we continued to share ideas about life as we soldiered on in our different worlds. Africanews offered him the TV break after he’d done radio and digital journalism. He was boss of Sci-Tech on The Morning Call.
He is continuing with the digital onslaught as head of content (big post) with Face2Face Africa. He’s back home in Ghana but still with his continental reach intact, in fact now extending to the Carribean region et. al. Big men take big steps – Oga I greet you!
OMG, this guy has broken a record. No one has written about me before. Grateful for the bitter sweet moments and may our hustle pay off, Ameen.
ReplyDeleteMaasha Allah
ReplyDeleteTotally enjoy reading this....Congrats and bless your heart!
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