[Review] ‘Africa Under the Prism’: 'Bewitched' by weird book full of Lagos photos

From the days of reading Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Shoemaker and the Elf, Alice in Wonderland, The Sorcerer’s apprentice; Little Red Riding Hood, Gulliver’s Travels and The Pied Piper of Hamelin even the Emperor’s New Clothes, one thing stood out.

We read them itching to flip the pages, on hindsight, not because we wanted the stories to end, but more because we wanted to see the photos that accompanied the material we read.

Then we graduated to much bigger books that kept taking away – better still, stealthily – leaving us with more words and lesser photos. The Famous Six, Robin Hood, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and others did just that. The latter had horrible illustrations accompanying their fairy-tale storylines.

African writers came in at a point but there was a bunch who were VERY POOR at incorporating illustrations. You hardly got any illustrations from most African writers – disclaimer, African writers I have read.

Ok, so after years of being motivated by our late dad to read, I think all my sisters – Mariam, Fuleira and Sharifa – have abandoned ship, I can say for myself, Sherif and our boss, Rayhann – we have remained on track with reading.

I do so on a monthly basis. Reading is hard work, it does take effort, it comes with challenges and all – a story for another day. The Quran is my most consistent reading document then my book for the month.

Let me add, there are months, I have failed to finish reading a book – twice this year. Fire and Fury and Ghana Must Go, I abandoned them with a plan to return to them. I love to borrow books, simple reason being that I’m challenged to finish and return them.

So for the month of September, I did an e-book, Chinua Achebe’s No Longer At Ease, find my review here. October was for a borrowed book, Briget Uzezi (Mrs. Macron), a colleague tweeted about a book, I requested to have it on Twitter and she delivered it – the physical copy.

The book was ‘Africa Under The Prism,’ I thought I was going to be handed a philosophical, continental, apocalyptical and psychosocial analytical piece of writing by some author.

First sight, oops, this must be some bulky piece of work. All smiley, I thanked Brigette and set out to peruse it. For the first time I was to read a photo book, no wait; do you read photos? It had a riveting foreword and intros worth reading anytime, any day.

The book was a collection of photos displayed over five years of the famed Lagos Photo festival. It technically meant there were hundreds of authors – i.e. the photographers whose clicks had contributed to the thoughtful, colourful and fanciful array of snaps.

I used the word ‘bewitched’ because for the first time, I finished reading a book but had the urge to go all over and a weird feeling of not wanting to return it to its owner.

The photos got you into a long trance jumping reality, confronting fiction, delving into the minds of the men and women behind the cameras, probing motives and motifs, fighting the rogue illustrations, wondering how perspectives were forced into focus.

Here is a rundown of five years of Lagos boxed into the pages of the bulky black pages of ‘Africa Under the Prism,’ Contemporary African Photography From LagosPhoto Festival.

Author: Hatje Cantz, a German
Introduction: Azu Nwagbogu – Director and Founder of LPF.
Photographers: 140 plus
Photo count: roughly 345
Years in focus: 2010 – 2014

Intro Summary: Nwagbogu digs into how being cut off from the world at a point inspired the need to start a photo festival for Lagos. He captures the spirit and letter of LPF chiefly to fight often negative press coverage. Apparently, LPF led to the ‘Everyday Africa’ Instagram pages.

Final four sentences in the introduction: “I have always argued that as Africans we need to re-imagine our tomorrow and we can learn from those on the margins, the visionaries and fantasists

“If we do not, we will find ourselves trapped in a vicious cycle corrupted by a false history and manipulated by contemporary media.

“Let us visualize and then realise a better, safer, more united continent that artists and cultural visionaries can crystalize and promulgate.

“When photographers and artists achieve this, perhaps then, we are able to fulfill our stated organizational goal: to unite the world through images.”

Breakdown of the years 2010 – 2014

Year, Theme: 2010, No judgment, Africa Under the Prism
Introduction: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Number of photos: 42
Photographer roll: 25
My best themes: Lagos street economics, Amarya, Power of Education

Year, Theme: 2011, What Next Africa? The Hidden Stories
Introduction: Marc Prust
Number of photos: 81
Photographer roll: 41
My best themes: China in Benin, Water No Get Enemy, Diamond Matters

Year, Theme: 2012, Seven Days In The Life Of Lagos
Introduction: Joseph Gergel
Number of photos: 70
Photographer roll: 29
My best themes: Makoko, E-Waste, Sand Merchants

Year, Theme: 2013, The Mega-City And The Non-City
Introduction: Unnamed author
Number of photos: 75
Photographer roll: 37
My best themes: Re-enactments, State Of The Nation, Poverty Photography

Year, Theme: 2014, Staging Reality, Documenting Fiction
Introduction: Unnamed author
Number of photos: 77
Photographer roll: 40
My best themes: Nigerian punishments, Maternal Culture, Red Gold

I’ll attempt to delve into each year in a separate write up – I’m not promising you, I promise myself, until then, I return Brigette’s book to her. Get reading.

Saudi govt can't represent Islam but Saudi Arabia can, does

The Saudi government for all its missteps in global and regional diplomacy, in the oil trade and petrodollar space, local policies and reported human rights abuses, is like any other nation - one with its good and not so good sides.

But again, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA - as it is officially known - is not just any other nation on the basis of historical context and of course significance till date and undoubtedly till the end of time.

The Kingdon is home to Islam. It is where the religion that over 1.8 billion people ascribe to this day was birthed and nurtured 1440 odd years back. Islam has since spread as Allah promised - and the promise of Allah is TRUE!

Its blessed lands of Makkah and Madinah are copiously captured in the Qur'an and Sunnah. They are two holy sites, the reason for which millions troop to the country in the months of the pilgrimage, hajj, and all year round for Umrah - the lesser pilgrimage.

Then the answered prayers of the Prophet that Allah blesses the land despite being arid. Who can deny today that Saudi is not just blessed, but beyond blessed.

A simple definition from Word Web says KSA is "an absolute monarchy occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy."

With the historical, religious matrix; Saudi Arabia is and represents Islam. Try deliberately turning to a different Qiblah (prayer direction) your worship is rendered invalid - simplicita!

Saudi politics and it's diplomacy is what does not represent Islam, and categorically whoever seeks to in the remotest sense try to claim the contrary is being downright ignorant, mischievous or self-serving.

The kingdom via the Gulf Cooperation Countries, GCC, bosses Middle East diplomacy. Their backing spreads as far as to Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea even Ethiopia on specific issues.

That 2017 blockade, call it squeeze on Qatar was a horrible show of force yet you had almost all the above mentioned nations plus the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and others backing the move. Saudi foreign policy should have but largely  has nothing to do with Islam.

Whipping Yemen to pulp - as the international press and aid agencies - continue to trumpet is worrying but it is political Saudi at  play - zero religion.

Where you want to equate Saudi to Islam properly look at the pronouncement of their leading clerics, it is they that represent Islam. In any case, even their fatwas (religious edicts) cannot be exported hook, line and sinker as per Islamic rulings.

Take the Islamic dating structure. The Kingdom largely carries Muslims the world over along. The numbers game that Nigeria or Indonesia has more Muslims than Saudi doesn't come up, Saudi will still maintain its status even if it has a handful citizens.

When Muslims are in distress anywhere, you first hear, so what is Saudi doing about what is going on, say in Palestine? May Allah ease the affairs of our fellows there. Ameen.

The 80-plus years house of Saud monarchy, are not representatives of Islam but are servants playing their role in advancing the cause of Islam. Millions continue to benefit from their vast programs across the world - education, health, relief, infrastructure etc.

Again I repeat, Saudi like any nation has its shortfalls but also has its firm roots and position as the representative of Islam from way back and going into the future. The power of its political leaders is no power for indeed Allah give and takes power to whom HE - jalla jalaaluhuu - wills.

Every Muslim has lofty expectations of Saudi on different fronts but truth is Saudi cannot fulfill every expectation - known to it or otherwise. We owe it a duty to pray for Saudi - as the birthplace of our beloved prophet. We owe it a duty to seek Allah's guidance for its current leadership - across all spheres.

We are all Saudis in a way or the other. Saudi binds us at a core convergence point. Sects aside, emotions and pent up bitterness kept at bay, Saudi Arabia is our motherland, the single one (emphasis mine) we have.

The dastardly, unconscionable, murderous, dizzying Jamal Khashoggi affair brought to the fore the Saudi - Islam "together-as-one" debate. May Allah have mercy on the deceased and grant his family a better replacement. Ameeen.

In his op-ed for Al Jazeera, Khaled A Beydoun, a law professor, and author of American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear, goes to great but often simplistic lengths to prove that: "The Saudi regime does not represent Islam."

He assumes that there is a conflation between the religion and the state - in his view by Islamophobes and via deliberate Saudi policy and what he calls propaganda proselytization.

Below are relevant portions for purposes of this piece: "And where Saudi Arabia is the subject of wrongdoing, Islam stands alongside it. Collaterally implicated and indicted as the source of the vile actions taken by a government that, since its inception as a sovereign state, has been popularly anointed as the living embodiment of the religion.

"Saudi Arabia does not represent Islam. Despite its best efforts to promote and project itself as the symbol and "centre of Islam," the Saudi state represents a regime steered by a desperate and austere few and, namely, one Mohammed bin Salman.

"But it does not represent Islam, before and especially today. Saudi Arabia is just one nation, which enshrines an austere and primitive interpretation of Sunni Islam, Wahhabism.

"Again, this is in great part the work of prominent Orientalists and modern Islamophobes, but also the intended fruit of Saudi policy and propaganda, proselytization and posturing. At most, Saudi Arabia represents the insular and static canon of Wahhabism."

Observe how he subtly moves from the regime to pontificating that the entire Saudi Arabia does not represent Islam.

Then he goes on a tirade against Wahhabism which he seeks to paint as black and crudely as Saudi crude.

He blames Islamophobes and Orientalists for seeking to reinforce Saudi's interchangeability with Islam but long before these factors Saudi held its revered role not for politics or diplomacy but for all its worth, it's religious, historic significance.

Yaa Allah continually bless the land of your Noble Messenger Muhammad ( May Allah exalt his mention) may we be witnesses of its blessedness and feel its warmth someday insha Allah.

Long and short of it is: Saudi Arabia represents Islam depending on which matrix one looks at.

Wal Laahu a'lam wa ah'kam. Was salaamu alaikum!

17 Safar, 1440 = 24 October, 2018 

Sister Claudette: The Mother Theresa of Aquinas students welfare

St. Thomas Aquinas at every step of the academic journey policed students so much so that, the system probed far beyond the character formation, the academic and comportment angles.

Marking of attendance registers was a quotidian task of class prefects – Daniel Koffi, Form 1, Kojo Ayew Laryea (Anderson), Forms 2 and 3.

Ordinarily one would think that the registers were to just police who came to school and more importantly did not “escape” that is, bolt before closing. Registers were marked late in the school day.

It turned out that it was not only for purposes of computing how many days a student came to school that the records were kept. The welfare bit was closely tied to the registers, attendance if you want.

This is how Hajia Fati’s son suffered an ailment that kept boy outta school for a while. When health got back to normal settings, I arrived to continue the hustle of trying to be part of a crazy set that never failed to disappoint – Science Three, Agric.

Then I was sent for by Sister Claudette, at the time our ONE and ONLY foreigner staff. Ah, Sister Claudette looking for me, say what? I went, she offered me a seat in her cute office, oh yeah, she also had a cute car – some Tico be like that.

Then the questions began to flow. Among others; why was I absent, do I have issues at home, would I need financial support, how many siblings did I have and on and on. If it happened in the wake of 9/11 – that was a clear case of racial profiling.

I "fired back" that my old boy was a poor barber – a peasant one at that, but we lived a good life. I didn’t need jack from the system save for the education that brought me, records showed I hardly owed fees. I was fine, our old boy sacrificed enough to keep us comfortably bubbly.

I’d later come to know how some students had been put on a school financial support system apparently after checks had been made on their respective situations. Some I also learnt actually applied for the support.

You see, this was way before I came to know that SAT receiving schools gave financial aid – a rather cantankerous application process. Aquinas always stepped up to shoulder the burden of each person under its umbrella at any point in time.

Back to Sister Claudette, she was a sweet soft-spoken fella. Always in her sky-blue attire and of course the cross straddling her neck – more prouder that Weezy with his blings or Shatta and his Alumi (Sarkodie too dey worry).

Sister Claudette will on a good day be seen crisscrossing the blocks as she heads to and from the reading room top of the then Form 2 block, there was where her office was located.

She made it to assembly and other gatherings as and when she was around. She was of course also respected by other staff members. Whiles we bowed literally on seeing her, Old Toms usually fell short of scooping her and tossing her in the air.

In or at Aquinas if you like, it was much more than you bargained for at every turn. Roles were cut out, you hardly could claim not to know who did what. It wasn’t always joyful but it was worth the experience.

We students of Aquinas, in striving for perfection,
In spirit, soul and body; we pray to Most High God
With humility and steadfastness
We tread the footsteps of our patron saint
Aquinas, St. Aquinas, we plead with you to lead us
Aquinas, St. Aquinas, from victory to victory
From victory to victory

Depending on which matter led to you encountering her, she actually was but not limited to:

C - Cute

L - Loving 

A - Astute 

U - Usual 

D - Dedicated

E - Enterprising 

T - Timely 

T - Trusted 

E -  Endearing

16 Safar, 1440 = 25 October, 2018 

Moh Awudu: Nima varsity graduate repping African graffiti in Sao Paulo

My name is ibn Hajia Fati, a digital journalist with Africanews in the Republic of Congo, I'm a proud product of the Ghana Institute of Journalism - that facility equipped me with the skill from which I draw my salary – good money if you ask me.

I'm just one of a half-dozen platoon of now men and women who suffered a military upbringing principally at Accra New Town - opposite 37 station (in the YZ building) and later at the ZorZor line area. A story for daakye - the future.

My blog Thoughts of Hajia Fati's Son is one of my beloved outlets for sharing memories of times past when I used to be a child. On here, I have told over a dozen childhood episodes and still counting.

But for me, it only makes sense if I can tell the story of others, the journalist that I am. I recently decided to diversify content on my blog to tell the story of others.

Enter social media, I have become friends with scores of people, I do not know personally, it's something about social media. But knowing what people do here, I told myself it was best to inculcate the story of others on here.

Moh Awudu is the first of many -Inshaa Allah.

All the better because of the rather colourful and beautiful nature of his story. The last I wrote about him was last year when he turned to human painting at the now famed Chale Wote street festival. Find my story on Moh as published on Meet Moh Awudu: the artist painting people in Ghana on Africanews two years ago.

So recently I was back in his Facebook Messenger, I'd seen him painting outside of Ghana, in faraway Sao Paulo, what was up with that, I needed that beat for my blog, he obliged and here we are.

Moh repping Ghana and Africa on the world stage.

Moh, describes himself as a product of the university of Nima. Nima is the cosmopolitan United Nations - whoever you are come let's stay -a society dominated by Muslims and bastardized by criminal elements - very sadly so.

But again, only if the positive, powerful stories of Nima will be told. Hold it! Moh is one of several Nima success stories. Shout out to the many that live the genuine life and project Nima as the Ni'ma (Arabic for blessing) that it has been, is and continues to be.

Quick question and answer session between Moh and Yours Truly. Pardon my feeble attempt at patois-lizing my questions

Son of Hajia Fati (SoHF): Yo Moh, what ya doing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, me audience wan know?

Moh Awudu (MoA): I'm in São Paulo for the 4th international graffiti fine art biennial which pooled together graffiti fine artist from around the world.

SoHF: Who den who power this visit for ya?

MoA: In my capacity as the sole African participating, I'm representing Ghana and Africa. My trip was sponsored by Acrilex Ghana and BTL Africa.

SoHF: Share with us man, some of the works you fired and how it felt to be part.

MoA: Over the three-week trip, I joined other artists to exhibit our works at the memorial for the exhibition, lapa train station, ibis budget hotel and the world famous street art center gallery, alma da rua.

For me, this was one event I always dreamt of as a urban fine artist and it’s a big breakthrough for me on the international scene and a learning field along the side.

SoHF: Sao Paulo, what de city be like. Jist we....

MoA: Beautiful city of beautiful people and a lot of freedom. It's a city of street art, exactly the way i have always imagined Accra'd be like. Accra can and must learn from the way they use art to create a tourism destination.

Moh busy at work

SoHF: Africa sure needs a street art thing as dat going on, you dig?

MoA: Yes Africa need to start art events that can continue projecting tourism, culture and positive image about us.

SoHF: What the role of dem government and others in the graffiti and fine arts industry?

MoA: Governments and private institutions need to support the art scene and public need to give artist permission to start using public spaces to project our culture.

SoHF: Last words boss, you wan share a message with dem young artists out there?

MoA: You must always be ready to sacrifice, believe in anything positive you (are) doing. You will become a global ambassador someday and that gives you the platform to tell the story of where you come from. It'd make - if you want, force; people to read abt your country, continent, culture and history.

Ghana meets Brazil on Sao Paolo walls

Here's the deal, if you got any such stories to share, come through. If I get contacts, I'd draft questions, if I get the answers, I'd blog the story. Come let's tell stories together. alfa.shaban@africanews.com, @alfaafrican

14 Safar, 1440 = 23 October, 2018

Pick out the Moh, clue: Man in blue.

Went to help save lives, they took hers: May Allah pardon Hauwa Liman

Bismil Laah, Al hamdu lil Laah; In the name of Allah, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.
In’naa lil Laah, wa in’naa ilayhi raajioon, We are from Allah, and unto HIM our return.

The international media scape is filled with reports that an aid worker with the Red Cross has been executed. Her name was Hauwa Liman, the Arabic term, ‘li man,’ is a query, for who?

I ask, for who was she killed? Perhaps for the people she had committed to serving before she was abducted by terrorists in the village of Raan, in northern Nigeria earlier this year.

A daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, an aunt, niece, a co-worker; she was as we all are, something to several people. But she went as a helper to serve and save lives, instead her life, painfully and ruthlessly, they took.

Who are they? Islamic State in West Africa, ISWA, an offshoot of Boko Haram, their warped understanding of Islam did not allow them read verse 94 of Suratul An-Nisaa, what did the Almighty say?

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is hell to abide therein, and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him, yaa Allah to the killers of Allah, to you we submit them, mun barsu da Allah!

Allah, these bunch of roguish thugs explicitly flouted YOUR directives they implemented a Haram – forbidden act – little wonder they are an offshoot of Boko Haram, the gross, crass distorters of Islamic injunctions.

She was 24, with a full life ahead of her, Hauwa could have gone on to become only Allah knows what but with YOUR leave, they took her life and we submit that indeed YOU know best why Hauwa exited this way.

For the family and all others – directly and remotely affected by her execution, Allah grant them patience and the blessings of it. Give them O Allah, a replacement that will fulfil the void Hauwa’s absence has created.

LESSONS: social media outrage, uniformed photo

Social media has been awash with condolence, outrage, condemnation and accusation. The main denominator being the condolence, across board people are seeking that Hauwa rests in peace given the manner in which she left.

In this photo happy era, Hauwa’s photos are slashed all over, news portals continue to zip if around as are condolers across social media. Every photo has a veiled Hauwa, personally I don’t ascribe to using the photo of deceased persons.

But for those that post any and every photo of theirs on social media, remember that it’s a public place and when anything connected to you pops up, people will first come looking for you on social media. Hauwa left a refreshing photo trail, disclaimer, I’m against posting one’s photos on here.

The big reminder:

Our lives are not in our hands, they are in the hands of ALLAH and by extension the angel of death. Death is the inevitable that we all will taste come what may.

Hauwa’s end was to be in the hands of the thugs, her family will be at rest, she is not in captivity, the terrorists have ended it even if they don’t retrieve Hauwa’s body for burial, they can be sure it will be buried any which way.

I have written at least two recent blogs relating to death, when I recalled the living days of my old boy and when a man married and died same day in a car crash.

One day, I might be the subject of a blog by someone else, that that son of Hajia Fati has died. Look forward to it or not, death will at a point come forward and love or hate it, you’ll be forced to step forward. Let’s put our deeds right before that time comes.

Hauwa, we grieve because it is human nature and moreso for a young person like you. The Nigerian government said they did all they could to save you, that’s human effort, Allah had this planned, may HE forgive your trespasses and grant you Jannah, ameen.

11 Safar, 1440 = 20 October, 2018

[Poem] They killed harmless aid worker Hauwa Liman, Allah knows best

Bismil Laah, Al hamdu lil Laah; 

In the name of Allah, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.

Men, masquerading as Muslims, but with stone-dead hearts
Took her hostage, held her for months and threatened ‘darts’

No amount of pleas from home and abroad will have them spare
Spare the life of the life saver who they held with her innocent stare

Hauwa Liman was just another aid worker with ICRC, the Red Cross
She paid the ultimate price and the world united in mourning her loss

At 24, she may have had a life to live but it all ended in the worst
We seek divine wellbeing for the family, admitting Allah knows best

Her killers, Islamic State of West Africa, affiliates of Boko Haram
Had explicitly committed of the religiously forbidden – i.e. Haram

Yaa Allah, the recompense of one who kills a fellow Muslim is Quranic

Yet, these masquerades indulged in what is at best moronic demonic

We seek YOUR patience and forbearance for the family, Yaa Allah
We seek full retribution unto the rogue killers of Hauwa, Yaa Allah

Insurgency with its deaths, displacements and abductions, a furnace
Strengthen O Allah, all persons involved in combating what is a menace

For Hauwa and others snatched by the madness of these insurgents
We pray you grant then Jannah and steel others to be more resurgent

As Hauwa appears in most photos shared on social media, veiled
May the communities and people she served till death, not wail

In’naa lil Laah, wa in’naa ilayhi raajioon,
We are from Allah, and unto HIM our return.

Safar 8, 1440 = October 17, 2018

Hauwa (L), Saifura killed earlier this year.

Small advice: I'm strictly against using photos of deceased persons on social media. I feel it violates a certain amount of the family's privacy at a very difficult time. It's a personal conviction that I hope others will reason up with me on.

Was salaam!

Ghana dynasty patrona: Narkwor, the ‘tall order' kick-ass leader of men

From a distance, an acquaintance from way back

The word "kick-ass" sounded someway to me till I looked it up and it meant, "Successful, effective, aggressive, forceful," I hope the script below justifies that label for the "tall order" that a relatively short subject of this piece achieved - in a short period.

Entering the same professional knicker with Veronica in 2016 in the faraway Congo Republic was for me, a rebirth of someone I’d known but not known. Don’t be quick to brand me confused, I’m just too known with words, ask THE Ama.

Real name, Dynasty patrona, more popular alias Veronica Narkwor Kwabla, was to me known since she was in Senior High School, me in Junior High, she was big sister Fuleira’s friend.

Both attended Accra Girls but she was in the boarding house. The reason I got to know where she stayed. I escorted Fuleira to their home to collect commodities for her a number of times.

Then I got to secondary school and found myself in Accra Boys secondary school, we, at St. Thomas Aquinas, were the boys school for Accra Girls. STAAGA was a union to bask in.

Veronica on Africanews set (L), Narkwor at KIA (M), Ms. Kwabla in Africanews "corridors of power" 

Vrooom, next stop the screens – TV Africa, TV3 and out

I’m not attempting to write a biography of someone, of all people Veronica knows I cannot. But big sister always spoke about her when she popped up on the screens way back, of TV Africa.

Then from TV Africa, a drastic upgrade. She left behind the then one-way TV Africa settings in Awudome – famed for a cemetery, then did she BURST into life.

Cue in the flashy studios of TV3 right about the diplomatic, presidential enclave in Kanda. Got lost from screens and we didn’t know to where, she was not my friend, I didn’t care.

This piece is written to coincide with the second-year anniversary when she was crowned with Health and Medical Award at the 2016 CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Location Johannesburg, when we grabbed award for Ebola efforts.

Africanews and the feisty face up to nasty enemies of the dynasty

“Narkwor isn’t the tallest person in the room. For whatever reason some folks felt, that plus the fact that she is female will make her a walkover. That’s what I figured. She may be under 5 5” but she packs a punch,” professional summary of Veronica, thanks to THE Ama.

“As Shaban will say, don’t bring yourself. She’s a live and let’s live kindda lady. You underestimate her at your own peril. She fought their fire with professional fire,” THE Ama continues in her blog post, A tribe called DYNASTY.” 

So is the story told of Cameroonians, Nigerians and Kenyans who set out to accuse Veronica of bias and favoritism. After proving that the claims were spineless. She stood up, despite her height, and demanded that standards are adhered to – have I stated that she was the English desk chief at the time? Ok, now you know.

We, Ghanaians at Africanews, sojourning in Congo, six of us in as many months. Not exactly the Big Six, we were already independent and didn’t need liberation but one Veronica was Nkrumah, Obetsebi, Ako Adjei, Danquah et. al. even add Kwegiri Aggrey.

Our escapades as a group is captured in an earlier blog I wrote titled: “Congo sojourn: Asase aban Ghana dynasty and our je m’en fou swag.” All this while she didn’t know I knew her. One day, outta the blue, the facts came to bear. I mean, just like that!

Three professional landmarks I chalked under Narkwor’s leadership

Africanews.com started in 2015 but went live in January 2016. I joined in February same year. Despite the benefit of having a bigger sister company, Euronews, we had different audiences and needed to cultivate our niche and if you like, curate our audience.

We set out to cover elections in a special way. The LIVE page. Then South Africa’s local polls came along. I was on daytime duty and Veronica asked that I keep a keen eye on the vote. Long story short, that LIVE page became the biggest read on the site since kick-off. It elicited an appreciation email from company CEO in Lyon.

I sent Narkwor an email thanking her for the heads up. She saw the mail late and replied with a terrorism laced test – 100% magnanimity. “… you did it man. Congrats. More grace to do higher things…” apt from a 5 5” boss.

Magnanimity, you doubt?

Then came my days of mistakes, supervisors got worried. Shaban had a good eye for stories but would commit a spelling or grammatical blunder somewhere in there. Solution, I needed a second eye before publishing article – step in, Veronica.

I did a story on Kabila visiting Uganda where he spoke about elections that were expected in late 2016. It was a long article, sent to Veronica to vet. Then she replied that from a journalistic angle, Kabila speaking about polls is more important a headline.

Available options, I either broke the story into two or bring his views top of the article. I chose option one. Since then, I have developed a keen sense of picking story angles, subsequent successes have largely been built on that.

Lastly, I still have an inheritance she bequeathed to a colleague when she resigned. Real name aportoryuwa, alias earthen ware pot and grinder. She left it for Smart Akrofi Abbey Nii, THE star boy. When Nii decided to quit, I got it.

That aportoyuwa is currently doing the work of the Lord in my kitchen. My days of tomatoes and pepper slicing evaporated, just like that. Don’t ask me how Congolese grind pepper. And don’t dare question the professional nature of this last point.

Long Walk to Freedom – Pointe Noire, Istanbul via Accra

When Veronica finally said “Time Up,” she meant it. Double-header party, evening pizza and drinks on last Friday – Veronica, Ismail, Nii and me.

Part two, a weekend at Andy’s residence. The day J-Rice chef said a prayer and served us a blast. Andy is an affiliate dynasty member, ask THE Ama.

Away into the skies, she flew back to Accra and onwards to Turkey where she took post at TRT World. From Africa to the world, another summary to the person and character of Veronica.

The daring Ebola reports from Sierra Leone and Liberia crowned our patrona best health journalist on the continent, CNN Journalists award. T’was at a time she had collected enough at home, go and ask the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA.

Sunset on Congo, Pointe-Noire, Vero in shot straight from Istanbul.

Dear Veronica,

That your life of looking in people’s faces and telling them off eh, I recall when I responded to your tweet with official Africanews account. You were like, “do you know you have insulted me?” Surprised I responded, “Ow….” Then the fire, “Fii…” Quietly did I go and delete le tweet.


And oh, Narkwor and Ismail even sparred on pronounciations, what word was it? J'oublie. Ismail, web + TV journalist, opinionated, cantankerous, racist hating Face to Face Africa boss. THE Ama describes him best.

And then, there was Narkwor's ORDER to the office drivers to wait after midnight to take journalists home. Veronica was like, “ici c’est media, c’est pas boulangerie.” Translated: This is a media house not a bakery. 

I won’t go into your ”fireball” episodes with people during Friday meetings. The dynasty is proud of your continued leadership. You served the motherland well. Kiki as Juliet and THE Ama called you, many are those you kicked and “keeked” – Ghana term for electrocuted.

This was her message to those that brought sand to the gari party.

Long may you continue along that path of impacting. It is only for you we pray the Lira strengthens. Cheers to the future – professional, love and family, old age and all the fun that comes with it.

End of my nonsense, at least I have said my own.

Safar 8, 1440 = October 17, 2018

Photo Galore - Times and seasons

Checking for mistakes on the website, maybe....; in shot, THE Ama

Dear Allah, a billionaire proof of your will at work, ease his affairs, ameen.

Bismil Laah, al hamdu lil Laah!

Indeed all praise and thanks is due to Allah for the blessing of Islam and of life. We'd be of the ungrateful to not give thanks and praise to HIM for all we benefit of his boundless largess.

Our continued frailty and vulnerability even through the actions of our fellow man is always thrust into our faces at every turn.

That we will wind up in a totally different state that we were the next minute is something that Islam teaches us so that we can be mindful of all we do at every and any point in time. So goes the hadith, that if morning reaches us, we should not think it is constant that we'd make it to the evening and vice versa.

The gentleman in the photo below is Africa's youngest billionaire - Mohammed Dewji of Tanzania. He has since Thursday morning been kidnapped. He was going to a gym at a plush hotel in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam when his abductors struck.

A prayer: Yaa Allah, comfort all persons directly and indirectly affected by this incident. Return the brother safely in due course and may this episode be a blessing to all concerned in the general scheme of events. Ameen.

Photo to the left is of him praying, just last Friday with a message I surmise was in Swahili. Apparently, on the same day, he attended a book launch by his sister. He couldn't have ever thought that he'd be held by strangers come the next Friday - but is that not the exact point about our reality?

A billionaire worth over $1bn, what could have stopped him from putting a state-of-the-art gym in his bedroom, not even in his house.

How much would it have cost for him to hire muscular men or contract private security even as the state for police guards seeing that he is a former member of parliament?

There certainly are many more commonsensical question all can peddle but reality is what it is that Allah plans for our lives will be what plays out.

Allah tests us as HE will, may this be a test for the brother and for the family and other associates. And for the abductors, may Allah deal with them as it pleases HIM.

Let us as a people cherish the ability to move around and appreciate the strength and state of mind to conduct our daily affairs. Let's for our own good, be good to all and seek Allah's assistance whiles at it.

Safar 3, 1440H = Octover 13, 2018

Black Panther – Vibranium technology, wizardry in fanciful wakanda

I had interacted with the super-hero movie, Black Panther, on different levels as a journalist since it was premiered in February 2018 to much global acclaim.

I had read news around how it was breaking box office records, how its premiere across the world was attracting hundreds of patrons seeking to have a taste of the goodies cooked and served from the imaginary land of Wakanda.

From Pointe Noire heading to Addis Ababa on transit to Accra, it was but a pleasant surprise when I saw that Ethiopian Airlines had Black Panther on its movie menu.

I made a mental bookmark of the film as I went on to nose around which other films were on the menu. Naomi’s Dilemma (Nigerian) and ‘The Intern’ (American) are two other films I watched on board.

So after checking out the array of films, I settled back to explore for myself what the pant and or rant was all about Black Panther.

The three themes that I collected over the 90 minutes plus movie were: technology (high-end), culture with a tinge of wizardry and power play.

A cross-section of the cast.

Vibranium-backed technology

So in Wakanda – the independent and imaginary African land in which the movie is set, technology is a big deal. It is employed in the critical areas of territorial defense, health and transportation.

Outside of Wakanda, some rogues get access to vibranium which Wakanda has in abundance and were using it to perpetuate suffering on others. The kingdom is looking to protect the resource from the wrong hands.

In the lab of King T'Challa's sister (Shuri), there are jets that are mounted and remotely controlled to engage in combat thousands of miles away. The lab also healed an American spy who was shot in the spine. In the end, he got healed thanks to vibranium.

Then there is the part about the wreckless rascal (Klaw) in whose hands vibranium ended up - wrongly so, it turns out that he got it from Killmonger's father. Killmonger is discussed later on. Despite Klaw causing havoc whiles in contact with vibranium, the earth was saved when he was finally rid of it, whew!!! Those scenes were chaotically breath-taking.

Culture with a pinch of modern-day wizardry

The African outlook is generally reflected more in the setting of Wakanda, of their apparels and mannerisms – chiefly among them, the main greeting of the crossing of arms on one’s chest and the use of South Africa’s click language ‘xhosa.’ The predominant language used is English with a tinge of Korean and Swahili.

So when the king is in full regal gear, his dressing, his throne, the appearance of servants of the kingdom and I can’t forget the chief priest (Forest Whitaker, Zuri) who sacrificed his life to save the kingdom.

The point about wizardry is embedded in the rites for a new king. Where he lies in the earth and is covered with sand as he makes a transition to the other world where he is able to interact with ancestors and to seek direction on issues.

                                

Power play and how loyalty saved the kingdom

It turned out that the politics of Wakanda was steeped in a battle between two brothers. The choice of a leader was also somewhat premised on a show of bravery and for that matter a fight that had a winner-takes-all result.

T'Challa, the heir to his father won and lost a fight in the film. He won against a challenger to the throne (M'baku) and lost against a lost son of the Kingdom – a son of his uncle (Erik Killmonger) who returned to Wakanda with a vengeful and bellicose mentality.

In the end, it took the loyalty of some key allies of the regime (Nakia, Okoye) along with help of an adjoining kingdom led by M'Baku, to bring T'Challa, from the brink of death, to save the kingdom and by extension the world. A former ally, W'Kabi, who switched allegiance to Killmonger, was toast for his move.

My star of the movie, loyal kick-ass Okoye, real name Danai Gurira

Other themes that came up included arms race and diplomacy. Wakanda will insist on not sharing their technology with the world especially in the area of arms. They will not that their arms be used in the senseless wars displacing people across the world.

In the long run, however, the kingdom came to accept the reality of integration and how they had to play a part in global diplomacy. The last scene of the film is of T'Challa leading a Wakanda delegation to address the United Nations – cool end if you ask me.

My advice: If you come across Black Panther, lose guard not, watch it and share your views. Cheers.

Islamic date: 29 Muharram, 1440 = 9 October, 2018.

So who is the Black Panther, T'Challa? 

His role played by Chadwick Boseman

T'Challa is the Black Panther – a righteous king, noble Avenger, and fearsome warrior. Under his leadership, the African nation of Wakanda has flourished as one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

And though he’s a card-carrying member of the Avengers, his first loyalty lies with his people, and he will defend them to his last breath.

All smiley here, this was a chaotic bunch over the time the film lasted. Chadwick with hand on his chest.

Sadaqa Train: Goodness railway with humanity at heart

Introduction

Sadaqah Train, ST, is simply an Islamic youth group touting (strongly advertising) itself as having the Ummah (Muslim Community) at heart. At its own heart – effective mobilization, sacrifice and credibility.

I am 100% "dormant" member of the lot who do all it takes to ensure that the plight of Muslims particularly in the hinterland is bettered – bettered one step at a time, with measured impact at every turn.

One cannot call it a fast-bullet type train but even if it were a locomotive machine the likes of which were first built, Sadaqah Train can boast of so much than perhaps its leadership envisaged when they formed it years ago.

The Triple Trip of September 2018

ST’s most recent undertaking was as is usual, a three-pronged mission to impart and impact the lives of people in a community each across its three sectors. Its flier for the coordinated September 21, 2018 trip read in part: ‘Triple Trip – Someh, Offinso Adagya, Ngani Witch Camp.’

Okay, so the train has been split into three main sectors – the Southern, the Middle and Northern sectors. Anyone with a good knowledge of Ghana’s geographical algorithm should grasp the rationale.

One would think the trip will be strictly based on religious grounds but guess what, the southern sector mission as far as I followed it took medical expertise and care to the people of Someh located in southern Ghana.

For the year 2017, ST undertook a mélange of activities that spanned the education (literary project), health (hospital visitation) and humanitarian (orphan support, borehole drilling) projects.

With the ending of one trip comes the rolling out of the next, it is a ‘no time to waste time,’ regime that comes with challenges but which a core group of activists help to carry along at each turn – may Allah reward the efforts of the active ST powerhouses.

ST – The who and why?

ST wrote on their website: 'The word “sadaqa” is an Arabic word which means voluntary charity. Sadaqa Train is an association of Muslim youth registered as a non-governmental organization with the Registrar General’s Department of Ghana.

'Our main aim is to help the vulnerable, poor and needy people in our societies in the best way we can and also to bridge the gap of comfort and knowledge between the cities and the rural communities in Ghana.

'To achieve this noble cause, we have endeavoured to visit many communities in all the regions of Ghana since our inception in August 2013 (Ramadan 1434).'

Since its inception as they say from humble beginnings, the Train’s footprints continue to spread across the country. The herculean organizational processes notwithstanding, ST continues to accrue credibility in different areas.

Wrap up

The growth spurt and trajectory of the train shows that it will have to continue building more rails for now across the country.

So that when it is that the locomotive engines become well-grounded from within, bilaa shaqq (without a doubt), we gon break boundaries insha Allah, bi idhnil Laah. ST says it has the Ummah at heart surely the beneficiaries and donors also have them at heart.

May we together as one be at the heart of Allah’s pleasure. Ameen

22 Muharram, 1440 = 02 October, 2018