TRIBUTE | Victor Muisyo: Laugh at our grief, Lived your best, I'll Love Man U for you!

The thing about death is that it awaits all of us. It is today that we grieve over who is gone, before long it will be us – others will grieve for us and still move on. As we speak about others today, so shall we be spoken about sooner than later.

He ‘pretended’ to hate the ‘Vickie’ variant of his real name Victor but his name on Facebook is Viq Muisyo. It is after his death (read painful death) that I got to know he was also known as Mr. Mbinda. Viq is no longer responsive to stimuli but he was very responsive when he could. 

Twitter DM and the Al-Shabab book

I cannot recall the last time I saw Victor, but I remember exchanging with him over a book I wanted to buy, Inside Al-Shabab, he was away on vacation in Nairobi and I was still in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo; where we worked together in the Africanews newsroom.

I sent him a direct message of Twitter and at the end, it became clear that Victor had resigned and so I couldn’t get the physical copy of the book, I went ahead to buy a kindle copy of the book by Harun Maruf.

Facebook DM and Africanews website growth (2017 – 2020)

On Facebook, our last private exchange was when he reached out to alert me about the baby steps we were making with the Africanews website in terms of covering specific East African issues, especially Ethiopia.

 

2025 and the Nairobi meeting that never was

Then on WhatsApp and X, as recently as February 2025, I was asking about his availability for a meeting in Nairobi. I was attending a fact-checking review conference and wanted to see Vickie, if that meeting happened, it would have been the last time we saw.

As things stand, I can only hold on to the many memories and the banter we exchanged relative to football and to Kenyan politics on Facebook.

A boss at ‘beating himself’ with humour

Victor kept these vintage images of his old self that he occasionally reshared on Facebook to mock himself. He would post humour-laden critique of Man United losses and never miss a stinging swipe at Arsenal’s losses.

Vickie hardly missed weighing in on Kenyan political on goings when he was in Pointe Noire, nor when he left to Addis Ababa and finally when he returned back home to Nairobi where he served his family till his end.

If there is one friend whose page I will make it a point to visit occasionally, it is Viq’s because it a witty page by every stretch and oh, the images section is a meme trove, absolutely so! Mr. Muisyo’s witty sense will follow him to the land beyond, that much, I remain convinced.

A one-season Man U fan – Alfa doing the unthinkable for Viq

Viq loved Man United as much, if not more than he loathed Arsenal. Fair game. I was his opposite, an eternal opponent of Man United even as I resigned to the fact that Wenger, through to Unai Emery and Arteta; the season-ending heartbreak was going to continue for a lifetime.

Thanks to Arteta-ball, the 2025/2026 became the jinx breaker as Odegaard and the boys showed Pep Pepper to guard us and to guile Guardiola in his final season of what was a fairytale decade with Manchester City.

Viq lived to see the much dreaded Arsenal win after over two decades, even though it is instructive to note that the last time United also won the trophy was 13 years back in 2012 / 2013 season.

From all the foregoing, and since Man United is losing Viq for the current season, I elect unilaterally to be a one-season Man United fan, all the better to announce it now that the team got hauled off and down by Hull City. Hard to say but in Carrick-ball I trust.

GGMU! Viq is laughing at me from the land beyond but I am here, happy for him! Glory Glory Man United!

And oh Viq, he loved many things:

His kid

Family

The countryside

The country

Football (Man United)

Memes

Humour

Job

Media

Friends

Nature

Good food

Good company

His beer

A final message Mr. Mbinda will never read till we meet again

After Viq's death was confirmed and as we all mourned in the early days of his exit, I revisited my WhatsApp chat with him and at a point resigned to writing him a tribute on WhatsApp. Directed at him but for all intents and purposes to whoever saw it, I wrote and pressed the "send" button. Viq will be missed just as we all will be missed one day, some day. 

Robert Kodingo lost a brother, but Viq was a brother to far many people than only Robert. 

NB: Whenever I visit Viq's Facebook page to relive who he was and what he stood for, I will do well to always update this piece with any new discoveries from Mr. Mbinda! 

Akwaabakɛ wars: KIA, MTN, keypad onufui kɛ sisajii (snakes and ghosts)

For the records (as if anyone cares) this whole episode is needless, rudderless (to an extent) and clueless (for all it is worth).

Kɛ jɛ Nkrumah nɔ kɛyashi Kotoka side

In the midst of the welcome wars (Akwaaba ne Oobakɛ), the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum signage appears to be the trigger yet there is a Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Akwaaba inscription that has largely been cited in the exchanges.

It is curious that while the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) addressed the mausoleum issue, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has been quiet on the KIA signage.

But a critical look at the signage shows it is likely a corporate advertisement initiative by MTN. 

Imagine it being the company renting space and deciding to use an inscription of choice, how is that any government's doing? Yet, we had the minister jumping into the deep end over essentially nothing.

In the midst of this, mischief makers doctored the Akwaaba inscription with Oobakɛ, which misled people online to believe government / GACL had acted. 

The image was taken from a May 2024 video of the arrival of a Liberian blogger into Ghana.

Aawo Ga Mantsɛ he muji ni eyɛ minnla, I swear

Then the Ga Mantse video making the rounds, HRH has been "attacked" about the said comments, by at least Paul Adom-Otchere and Afia Schwar. 

But guess what? 

The video is in no way related to recent events. It dates back to July 17, 2025 when the Ga Mantse met Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. (32:45 - 33:45)

The 24 seconds video thrusts him into the ongoing nonsense via the back door. 

Onufui kɛ sisajii, nyɛnn bakɛ! 🐍👻

As for the ultra-ethno tribal keypad warlords (onufui kɛ sisajii), they often appear the rudderless, clueless bunch who put emotions ahead of reason and throw about their weight in a matter they remain visibly anonymous about, in the general scheme of events.

Don't stop, why should you, keep fanning the flames, one day the Otumfuo and Ga Mantse will commission digital loudmouths games and you will get your medals and trophies.

Tswa omanye abla wɔ!

Did i hear anyone ask, ni bo kwraa mini ji onaagba?

The social media noise appears to be a rallying point but for how long? The unhealthy social media tension and tribal rhetoric is counterproductive and the joke is on you because your leaders don't recognize it, they are more decent. 

Lastly, imagine us lookibg at this within the lenses of integration and inclusion, opening up the welcome well instead of widening the welcome war.

Akɛ yitso ekome eyaa agyina doesn't mean tsofatsɛ baanu tsofa eha helatse! 

Ayekoo, you have read this far. 😅🤭🫡

Alfashabanalfa@gmail.com 

8 Rabi'ul Awwal 1447 = 31 August, 2025

New Islamic Year 1447H - A continued advocacy to imbibe, imbue the Hijri calendar

 Introduction

On July 13, 2012; I shared a poem about time, maybe my best ever piece, on Facebook. A dozen years on, I went searching and found it. Time, perhaps to frame it and keep it on a wall at home. 

Whereas I remember it as Mathematics of every day, I am reminded that the title I gave it is Our Beginning, Our End! 

Well, here I am writing the third iteration of a classic piece on the need to imbue and imbibe the Islamic calendar, 10 years after I wrote the first one in 2015 (1436H) and the second in 2018 (1440).

The advocacy on keeping track of the Islamic calendar as Muslims is one that we must increasingly see as personal and while doing so, recruit (for want of a better word) other Muslims to do same. That will be a community building process that once strengthened at the individual level can be consolidated at the group level. May Allah help us!

The last few years have stood out with respect to the reality of short attention span that it has visited on us thanks to technology generally and more specifically social media and monetized content creation (subject for another day!).

Let me remind myself again, this piece is about the Islamic calendar and the need to make it centerstage in our lives as Muslims. In this piece, I make a case for leveraging digital tools to keep up the consciousness of our unique dating structure.

Digital steps to living the Hijri calendar

a. Download an Azaan or Hijri calendar app if you do not have one, and if you do, make it a point to interact with it more often.

b. Add Hijri dates to random messages that you share on social media (especially WhatsApp), it could be message to friends or family etc.

c. Record key dates in both Hijri and Gregorian dates (marriage, graduation, birthdays etc.)

d. Use optional fast dates to track Hijri dates. The White Days fasts (13th, 14th and 15th of each month) means you are able to know when each month splits in half. 

Whiles these are not cast in stone or hard and fast measures, at least one or a combination could help us keep track of the Islamic dates in our daily lives.

So what are the traditional measures that we have advocated over the years? 

1. Imams MUST make it a point to at all events be it at naming, marriage or funeral ceremonies to remind all gathered of the Islamic date.

2. Jum’ah Imams SHOULD adopt the habit of dating – verbally – their lectures across the board – Islamic and Gregorian dates for that matter.

3. Islamic schools MUST enforce the concept of the Hijriyyah dates into the minds of young Muslims they teach.

I hail my Islamic school teachers at Hamdaniyya Islamic School, Accra New Town, a special mention to Ustaz Abdul Kareem who unfailingly wrote both dates on the top corner of the board. A habit that I adopted without fail in the the years I served as Class 2 teacher.

4. Muslim show hosts should be tasked with reminding their audiences about the Islamic dates before and after each program. 

5. Muslim writers should also sign off with the Islamic dates.

Final words 

I wish respectfully to conclude with my poem about time, here goes:

Our Beginning, Our End!

As the chronometer ticks, by passes time;
The irreclaimable asset, once lost

A total of sixty ticks, adds up to a minute,          
Sixty minutes is equal to an hour

A sum of 24 hours amounting to a day,
An addition of one towards our graves

A subtraction of same of our lives on earth

Simple mathematics of every single DAY

May the New Islamic Year, 1447H, bring us all that is good. 

Thanks for your time, bis salaam!

Published this day - July 3, 2025 = Muharram 8, 1447H

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Ex-Teacher, Hamdaniyya Islamic School – Accra New Town

Journalist, fact-checker

My Ramadan 2025 scorecard: Hisnul Muslim rediscovered, Muheeb’s death, Quran recoup

Ramadan (the month, the concept, the processes) is unique in several respects. For me, it is the fact that you are able to plan for it, plan during Ramadan how to act after it and to assess oneself when it is gone.

The mainstay for me is that as the rightfully acclaimed ‘Month of Quran,’ I ensure that reading the Quran during Ramadan is as consistent as it is orderly. For Ramadan 2020, I failed, big time.

I was all over the place with my reading, lagging at one point, playing catch up, falling in line and slipping out again. I felt terrible with the way I was able to complete the Quran and to recoup my huge losses from Sha’baan.

The glimmer of hope for me was rediscovering the Hisnul Muslim app which has been on my phone since I started using smartphones.

My relationship with Hisnul Muslim before Ramadan has prior been very limited. I use it when travelling, while praying for the dead and importantly for the day and night supplications – I have memorized the latter thankfully.

Thanks to Ramadan 2025, I was able to read Hisnul Muslim cover to cover.

I discovered that most of the Qunoot that I listened to were a collection of supplications that the Prophet taught his companions. I bookmarked over 50 supplications and the plan post-Ramadan is to incrementally memorize same.

In all of this, the big win in the rediscovery mission was understanding the meanings of some of these supplications and reinforcing meanings that I have previously known.

Scorecard at a glance: Ramadan 2024 

Hisnul Muslim = B+

Quran = B

Taraaweeh = D

Tafseer (attendance + online) = D

Azkaar = C+

Muheeb Saeed, a light shines brighter to the end

“To Allah we belong, and to Him is our eventual return!”

We started Ramadan together and fasted for as much as 27 days with him, it would be safe to say that he had plans for Ramadan with the family, with his two widows and five children.

Muheeb taught me so much without speaking in some instances. His was an exit of a true gentleman who was:  

M – Master of his art

U – Ubiquitous

H – Hardworking

E – Endearing

E – Enterprising

B – Bulwark of ethics  

His death, reinforced a reality of the fleeting nature of this life that we live. Seeing him shrouded and being placed in the belly of the earth was a telling testament of why and how the affairs of man are essentially as Allah wishes it, nothing more!

I am still putting together how I came to know him and our last meeting in late December 2024.

May Allah grant him the lofty gardens of Jannah.

May Allah grant his family forbearance and the blessings of same.

May Allah grant his everlasting charity for his good deeds

May his children become a source of eternal charity unto him

May Allah grant friends and family another Muheeb. 

Ameen!

Hamdaniyya’s Mallam Sulley Garba: From Hill Street to Awudome cemetery, 16 years on

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

لِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ

Even though death is supposed to serve as a reminder to us, the living, of an inevitable end; it has often caused us to forget about those that we lose even as we wait for our end.

I found myself on a familiar street one Friday after saying the Jumah (Friday congregational prayer) at the Rashad Islamic School at Accra New Town. There I was using Hill Street – the stretch that connects New Town Road down to the Nima Gutter area and onwards to the Nima Roundabout.

I was using Hill Street on my way to the SS Shardow Community Centre at Stone City to join a volunteer team at the place – story for another day.

Hill Street evoked memories dating 16 years back, in 2009, when myself and 1000s caused the street to be blocked from the Bolgatanga House section all the way towards the New Town – Farisco – Circle Road.

We lined up on the street, many others joined on the fringes and others in the houses as we prayed the janaaiza (funeral prayer) for Mallam Suleiman Garba, Mallam Sulley, as he was affectionately referred to.

I remember how the National Chief Imam’s vehicle pulled up and the moment Mallam Sulley (gaawa [Hausa for corpse]) was brought out of the house for the final time on the shoulders of his brothers and uncles, the very ones he so respected, all of them betrayed by the brave faces they tried to put up as tears rolled down their cheeks or as they wiped off their tears.

That funeral prayer ends almost immediately as it starts and the processes thereafter are well laid out, the women retreat and the men proceed to the cemetery to bury the deceased. The trip from Hill Street to the Awudome cemetery was understandably a long one.

It could have been longer but for the unofficial dispatch riding young men who blocked intersections to allow the hearse and cars carrying mourners to orderly transit despite the disorder and discomfort they create for other road users – Allah forgive them!

If my memory serves me right, the Chief Imam’s job was done after the prayers, the burial at the famous Awudome Cemetery was to be overseen by Ustaz Yusuf Musah of Hamdaniyya Islamic School and other senior Imams in New Town.

And the Imams spoke to the hearts and minds

I remember one of the Imams cautioning all those standing on tombs to desist and instead find other places to stand, his caution was against the background that we were a heavy (very heavy) crowd around the grave (call it final resting place) of Mallam Sulley.

Advice after advice, young men and old alike were admonished to take lessons from Mallam Sulley’s departure to mend our ways and do what pleases our Lord and what will serve as our guarantee or is it warranty when our end comes.

Work, Mallam Sulley worked!

One Imam, a friend of Ustaz Yusuf who had actually taught us Arabic Language in madrasa after his admonition concluded with the Quranic verse “limithli haazaa, fal ya’malil aamiloona.” That verse in Suuratus Saaffaat has since stuck with me.

“For the like of this, let the workers (on earth), work.”

Work in the cause of Allah, that is exactly what Mallam Sulley did as a student and a beloved teacher. He loved learning, more than anything, he loved the Quran, he read it, he lived it, he taught it. May Allah have mercy on Mallam.

Work, Mallam worked ruwa a jallo (tirelessly till the end) in teaching the Quran to the smallest and cutest ones along with the legendary Mallam Mohammed Sani. Mallam Sulley catered for every kid placed under his care.

Back to Hill Street – testimonies pre-janaaiza

I would return to Hill Street, I was there for more than the janaaiza, I had gone to retrieve a book, if my memory serves me right, about Twibbin Nabawiyy, Mallam Abdul Nasir had given it to Mallam Sulley through me.

Mallam Sulley loved books, he loved to read. Luckily for me, his roommate was able to find it and hand it back to me.

As we awaited the janaaiza, I was privy to an informal discussion with some of Mallam Sulley’s classmates, Mallama Muinatu and Fawziyya, I believe contemplated how Mallam catered for kids but had died without marriage, let alone having kids of his own.

The consensus, however, was that Mallam had played his part and our prayer was for Allah to bless him with sadaqatul jaariyah (the infinite good) that he planted by way of his teaching exploits. Allah ya saa haka!

Since Mallam left – life has gone on, hasn’t it?

To think that it has been 16 years since Mallam was buried on that fateful day in June 2009, politically; he had experienced a year of the Atta Mills presidency, here we are, we have seen Mills to his end, Mahama I, Akufo-Addo I and II, and now the return of Mahama.

Mallam loved Real Madrid and even more, he idolized Zinedine Zidane. As at 2009, Real had nine Champions League trophies, today they have 15, six since Mallam left. His idol Zidane will return to manage Real Madrid, Mallam Sulley never lived to see that era.

Mallam did not live to use WhatsApp, the very platform that we all today use so briskly because it is tied to our SIM cards and smart phones. Even if Mallam used a smart phone, then 16 years on, we are with smarter phones.

I am without doubt that some of the people who stood for the final prayer of Mallam Sulley have had their final prayers also said. Many have died and would continue to exit, including myself and you, this esteemed reader.

Sheikh Sa’id Mukhtar Abubakar (Mallam Sa’id) once told us that as important as it is to pray for the departed, it is worth noting that the day you do not hear of another person’s death, you are the dead person.

“Randa kaji shuru, toh kai kenan ka tafi,” he said, at least to paraphrase our respected Sheikh.

I write this grateful to Allah that he allowed me to come into contact with Mallam Sulley and to learn from the many bright traits that he exuded. Allah ya jikan Mallam, ya masa kewtan Al Jannah! Allah ya hada mu da Mallam a Al Jannah.

In naa lil Laah, wa innaa ilaihi raajioona!

Cardboards in mosque-less malls and Moh’s Qibla, boba tea and Jenifa!

The idea of tea has always been hot water, a tea bag, sugar and milk. On this fateful day, here I was with a cold liquid mixture with chewy tapioca gums in a plastic cup with extra-large straws, this; I was told is called boba tea; hot tea aside, ice tea is the only other type I had heard of and never once had.

But here I was having had hot tea all my life yet skipping ice tea and now having boba tea.

But this was all the fault of my two roaming partners who have a thing for this ice tea. Our next stop was to the Accra Mall, for lunch and later in the day a movie at the Silverbird Cinemas before we head back.

Lunch at the Chinese restaurant was okay, I assaulted the assorted rice while Moh struggled with his water-based, seafood Vietnamese spaghetti dish. 

It dawned on us at a point that Zuhr (the midday prayer) had passed and we were inching towards Asr (the late afternoon) prayer. Ablution was the easy part for us, the ideal prayer place was going to be a headache especially on a holiday at the mall, simply too many people all over the place.

Sore to injury, we did not have a prayer mat (sajjaada) and we dared ask to use Mama Moh’s scarf. Moh and I, however, set out to use any storefront on the southern side of the mall that had the banks; we were certain they would not be opened on a holiday.

As we came out of the restaurant into the walkways and out the mall, down the stairs, I spotted some cardboards, Moh agreed it was a good idea to grab them as our prayer mat, so we did.

Climbed back up the stairs to a small emergency exit walkway, spread the cardboard and said both prayers even as people climbed up and down the stairs, most without noticing the upstanding, bowing and prostrating Muslims. 

Before our first Allahu Akbar (Takbeeratul Ihraam) Moh had a concern about the Qibla (direction to face for prayer). I pointed in the direction I believed was east, I was only using the same direction that the Asumah Banda mosque which is in the area faces, Mohammed did not disagree expressly and obliged me, so we prayed.

We carried our cardboard back to the restaurant because we knew Magrib (the sunset prayer) would come. We continued with the cardboard in our roaming around the mall and secured it somewhere around the cinema as we bought our tickets, snacks and took our seats.

We sneaked out to pray Magrib and luckily found the prayer mat safe and sound. Then Mohammed invoked the need to at least use the Qibla compass on the Azaan (call to prayer) app to get the right direction.

Well, it is refreshing to report that the young man was right, we had to tilt a bit off the initial direction we used.

OK, the thrust of this whole ice tea, Chinese restaurant, cinema story is how ‘unfriendly’ our public spaces are to Muslims but more importantly, how as Muslims we must prepare adequately beyond the dressing and money when leaving home for outings. 

Our prayer routine is spread across the day and the discipline to respect that routine should never be lost on us, let us commit to it and work towards same wherever, whenever and however. Allah guide our steps. Ameen!

And oh, the film in question was Box Office smashing ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ by Funke Akindele. A year before this one, I watched ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ with Mama Moh and we will lace our boots for the next Funke release.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

Bone, blood and flesh: A piece of Gaza in Ghana on day of ceasefire

 The doctor at the Lapaz Community Clinic was emphatic, “this would require plastic surgery, take her to Korle Bu” he advised. The victim was restless and the two escorts were even more concerned.

“You can see the finger is getting dark, we may lose it,” the doctor told his colleague who had initially assessed the victim.

It all started on a normal school day, she had been readied for school and had gone to greet her granny, on her way out, the wooden door was slammed against her tiny fingers – the result was blood, flesh and bone of the tinniest righthand finger.

Six drips on blood on the brown tiles, then a tissue load to contain the bloody situation, in 15 minutes, her screams of pain had been replaced with intermittent groans as granny held her hand in the soaked tissue and called desperately for first aid.

When the medic in their home prescribed a hospital assessment, it dawned on everyone that it was going to be a long morning.

I’ll be back in Accra.

HRH in all her glory (illustrative picture)

Over in Gaza, the Palestinian coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Isra-hell and Egypt, it had been 15 months of back-to-back bombardment.

Not fingers crashed by doors but complete human beings completely ripped apart by bombs and shot at point blank by soldiers. A genocide (at least per the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that played out in real time.

These were people (the Palestinians) living in the what has been called the world’s largest open-air prison, yet there they were being bombed in their homes, then in the hospitals where they’d ordinarily seek health.

Then their churches, mosques, universities and other places bombed, not even the refugee camps would be saved from the aerial bombardment. Many across the world became numb to the charred bodies of kids, whose lifeless bodies showed more blood, bones and torn apart flesh that we would ever have seen in a lifetime.

But Allah is, ultimately, the source of succour to the Palestinians and to all their supporters across the world. May the land of Palestine be free soon. Ameen.

Back to Korle Bu, as promised.

The medics at the Accident and Trauma Center of Ghana’s biggest referral hospital demanded an X-ray. Madam victim says not under her watch and twice the department drove us away but referred us to the Children’s block.

It was there that a nurse will playfully yet skillfully and professionally get Madam victim to concede for the real extent of damage to be scientifically ascertained.

That done, the doctor ruled that with minimal damage to the bone, stitching the finger was the way out. Stitch? I said to myself, who will tell this man about our experience with the X-ray?

Anaesthetic and a healthy dose of coaxing is how the itchy stitching process was undertaken. This is how they managed to return home in a roller coaster whirlwind 10-hour experience that left victim normalized, al hamdu lil Laah and all others with a tale of January 15, 2025, to be told and retold in the years ahead.

Ceasefire in Gaza

It took 467 days since October 7, 2023; for Isra-hell to agree a more durable ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which war had expanded to neighbouring Iran, Lebanon and Syria.

Thousands killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and millions directly and indirectly affected. Al hamdu lil Laah.

“Palestine tomorrow will be free,” as sang by Maher Zain is perfect to be re-echoed no doubt, our prayer is that Allah makes the tomorrow of Palestine today. Ameen.

Final words from Accra

We saw ripped flesh, smelled blood and fear that bones were broken. Madam victim’s tiny finger nail struggled to hang on and yet from the blood soaked tissues, the anxious journey to Korle Bu and the nail biting stitching of those tiny little fingers, we thank Allah.

The victim is my niece, the ever-bubbly Rukaiyah Akila Namzoya Suleiman. I am escort two and her mother was escort one. 

Special shoutout to sister-in-law Dr. Zaria Mahmoud (Mamalito) and to all cast and crew from the Tantra Hills Hill Top to the St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic School squad and the FactSpace support group.

Akila is fine and sends her regards.  

Muhammad Bagnya - An unknown profile Sheikh wrote 'in his own words'

In naa lil Laah, wa in naa ilaihi raaji’oon! - Indeed we are from Allah and unto him is our return.

When the death of Sheikh was announced online by Ibrahim Sannie Daara on his Facebook page, the Muslim social media space erupted with commiseratory posts and prayers for the deceased and rightfully so.

There was by far one of the most youth-centered clerics of our time and he served the Ummah in many ways than what many of us saw on the screens (with TV3) and from the pulpits.

The tragedy beyond his passing remains, where can we find a comprehensive history of the road he traversed and the paths he paved for many a young Muslim?

Iqra Today went in search of a profile online and found nothing significant. But luckily, the search led to a profile authored by himself and posted on social media platform, LinkedIn.

Our task is to weave as much of what he said of himself while complimenting with other sources.

The about section of his profile read: “simple, down to earth and a very good communicator. a respecter of time and always keen on not just getting the job done, but well done.”

Screenshot of the landing page of his LinkedIn profile

Media footprints 

The media played a big role in who Sheikh Bagnya became over the years. Hosting of The Iqra Show on TV3 was perhaps his most impactful run on terrestrial television. 

Little wonder, his status as host was a big deal on his LinkedIn page when he wrote: “Presenter at TV 3 Network, Accra-Ghana.” 

About the show itself, he said: “Presenting IQRASHOW (a socio-religious program) on t.v 3 for the past ten years. The show is aimed at educating the Muslim communities in Ghana on best Islamic practices as ingredients for peace, mutual respect and national development.”

An inventory of his Facebook page also showed that since 2020, he had been associated with Asaase Radio (since November 4, 2020) where he hosted the LIGHT UPON LIGHT programme.

On Facebook he described himself as: “tv personality, Gnostic, Minister of God, Women/Children Rights Activist.”

Sannie Daara adds a layer to Sheikh’s media strides when he wrote: “Together, we worked on numerous Islamic media projects, sharing a vision to uplift and serve our community. 

“As pioneers in establishing Gaskia TV, Ghana's first Islamic television station, he strived tirelessly to make Islamic knowledge accessible to all. His work extended far beyond the media, for he was truly a beacon of guidance and mercy, always advocating for the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Education 

But what made Sheikh tick as a media personality? Education, education, education.

It was this education that propelled Sheikh to the pulpit where he delivered sermons and lectures to a diverse cross-section of the Muslim Ummah over the years of his religious activism, so to say.

His Facebook profile spoke to a strand of his religious education where he disclosed being a former student of: The International Islamic Call College Tripoli Libya.”

In terms of secular education, Sheikh studied at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for an MPhil in Governance and Leadership. 

“My Thesis work was on ISLAM & WOMEN LEADERSHIP; Exclusion or Deficit? A Case Study Selected Zongos in Accra March 2014,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Allied to his strides in education, Sheikh’s other prominently known role was his time as the Head of Communications and External Affairs of the Madina Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), now the Lakeside University College Ghana.

Call

Like with Sheikh Bagnya, it is time to document the lives and times of prominent Muslims now that they are alive, so that they share their perspectives on life with young people and the Ummah at large.

At Iqra Today, this is a mission we are committed to in terms of publishing as many profiles as possible using publicly available information of Muslims on The Ghana Muslim section of our website.

It is heartwarming the volume of commiserations that followed the announcement of Sheikh’s death, may Allah grant him the lofty gardens of Jannah.

May Allah grant the family patience and the blessing of same.

Allah bless and make his only daughter a source of sadaqatul jaariyah for him. Ameen.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

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A Tribe Called Judah: My debut cinema experience with Funke's box office hit

I heard my auntie and cousins speak very bad English and laugh about it. When I asked how they manage to speak it with a rehearsed perfection, they asked: 'Ah, you don't watch Jenifa's Dairy?'

Of course I did not, didn't know why I should, what did I care about Jenifa, who clearly was exciting them with bad English, English that my nephews and nieces will cringe at.

Jenifa, it turned out that I knew by face from Nollywood but she didn't rank anywhere close to the Genevieve Nnajis, Omotolas, Mercy Johnsons, Rita Dominics and Patience Ozorkwors that I grew up watching, add the evergreen Kate Henshaw.

Jenifa was Funke Akindele and when I watched an episode or is it read an episode of her diary from YouTube, I binged on it. I went to the first episode from her Ayietoro Town days through to arriving in Lagos, her saloon worker days through to saloon owner days - whiles brutalizing the English language.

Funke's story lines in Jenifa's diary were as diverse as were her talents; from social justice, love, immigration, social values and vices, striving for excellence, law, education, respect for parents, drug abuse, politics, marriage, corruption, deception and what have you.

I knew she had some other independent productions - in English and her native Yoruba. Then in recent times her box office cinema movies, from Omo Ghetto, the Saga; the Battle on Buka Street and "A Tribe Called Judah."

The latter, a brilliant piece of Nigeria storytelling marked my first time going to the cinema and boy oh boy, what a memorable way to break my cinema-going virginity. 

T'was at the Accra Mall's Silverbird Cinemas, larger than life images, surround sound system, tucked in the upper seats with my cinema friend - a mad head to boot, we had drinks and popcorn all set. 

Emotions overload from start to finish, from the lamentations of a mother, fixation of her five kids all with different fathers, the anguish of losing a life, desperation of a fraudster, twist and turns of fate, unbreakable cord between granny, mommy and boys; comfy displays of Ejiro's Confidence, plan and plot for a costume party and a planned raid turned bloody faceoff with criminals and the hype of a thug boss as a canoe with stolen dollars left an obscure lake front. 

The end.

I loved the day out, I would relive the experience and Funke with the box office smash hit, long before Jenifa's Diary, has shot up the rankings in my female Nollywood stars list.

Wooo, sooyaa weyrey ni? Yoruba for, 'ahhhhh, you dey craze? 

Abeg yes. Yes ooo, on top Funke matter, I dey craze. 

The end, this time, roll the credits.

G for galamsey: Aisha Huang dissing our G-strings after messing our G-spot

Every G in the heading represents galamsey, i.e. illegal small-scale mining. Whichever other meaning known to you or which you want to customize and or seek to coopt doesn’t apply. For all it is worth, this is my piece.

Galamsey queen so-called, Aisha Huang, left the shores of the country on a controversial note, certainly not as controversial as my headline.

By her G actions at the time, Ms. Huang, then known only as Aisha Huang, touched very sensitive spots of the Ghanaian sensitivity relative to environmental degradation.

Alleged at the time, Aisha and her G-gang were accused of engaging in galamsey despite the pain it was causing Ghana’s farmlands and waterbodies.

Their action was akin to touching our collective G-strings, even as we (the wearers) had expressly asked against the G-gang doing so – crime detected. Aisha and her G-gang triggered lots of worry for their breaches and the itches they ostensibly caused.

The nolle prosequi of 2018

Here, the state decided through our AG at the time that Aisha was anointed and needed not be touched and with no need to be asked further questions despite her G-crimes.

I put it to myself: could she have been driven in a G-wagon and sent to KIA for her flight to somewhere, Beijing or Guanghou? We are told she left aboard Ethiopian Airlines and transited in Addis Ababa on her journey away from our G-sites.

Four years on, Aisha returns having mutated, but like a COVID variant, still in the coronavirus family, Aisha we hear was still in G-related business, she is re-arrested and boy oh boy we all go into a new round of G-frenzy.

Thanks to Non-Citizen G-Card records, we now know Aisha was not her real name, in comes the official name “En” thanks to the National Identification Authority.

The news that Huang En was back in G-business after her ‘Second Coming,’ a re-entry which is currently disputed, with government claiming it was via official routes whereas a prosecutor claims it was a “sneak in.”

Either way, the fact that Aisha / En Huang was back in town and doing G-business was a case of a person who had mastered the art of toying with our national G-spot.

The sensitivity I alluded to earlier is of our collective security amid looming terrorist threats. Aisha had at a point beaten the ‘system’ and had exposed our G-spot.

The associated politics is / was to be expected and the deportation, repatriation, sneak in – sneak out whataboutism is little but a play with the G-strings of over politicking with a matter that has exposed that spot that we collectively agree must be protected at all cost.

Our G-spot. This last G refers to ‘gold,’ our Gold-spots are predominantly being Huang-ed by ‘Aisha En’ co. And oh, now the official documents show that she is also Ruixia.

Without prejudice to facts deposed to in affidavits before the courts – if any, as for me, what I know is that strings or spots, we must sit up and do right by ourselves before one day, all we can say is ‘Geez.’

Time is now my Gs. Peace, out!

Twitter’s role in the birth of ‘chatty’ western ambassadors in Ghana

 Introduction

An ambassador few years back could only be spotted at state functions, seated at a designated area marked ‘Diplomatic Corps,’ the other pointer being the red CD number plate of their often-flashy cars.

Quick digression, back in primary school during a mental session on Roman Numerals, our teacher asked for the equivalent of CD in numbers, only for a colleague John Fafa Kuwornoo to write Corp Diplomaire in a mathematics. John made history and the rest was history.

Diplomacy has changed in many ways than one thanks to the advent of social media. Today, governments can respond to concerns and criticisms in real time because of technology – especially Twitter.

Twitter, the birdy microblogging platform, has become a key platform for engagement between people and institutions. In the last few years, Ghanaians have had very close contact with diplomats thanks to the platform.

This article looks back at five of the most prominent western ambassadors who have leveraged on Twitter to interface with Twitter users.

Sophisticated Sophie de France

Anne Sophie Ave, the immediate past French Ambassador, redefined the use of Twitter as a bridge between multiple social actors, from people in governance, the entertainment space, academia and ordinary Ghanaians.

Madame Ave hired a social media manager and facilitated cultural exchanges between Ghana and France using the power of social media. Her TV programme, ‘A Touch Of France,’ also proved not to be a novelty for an ambassador but also that it achieved great mileage and leverage.

Bike-riding walker of UK

Former United Kingdom High Commissioner, Iain Walker, would be remembered for his cross-country bicycle tour that saw him touch base with Ghanaians and institutions along his way.

He came to the role barely with a presence on Twitter but the profile of his predecessor meant that he had to partly takeover from where the departing High Commissioner was leaving off – despite that being impossible on multiple fronts.

Booming Benjamin of the UK

Cue in the predecessor, Jon Benjamin, by far the most controversial ambassador under the Fourth Republic. Benjamin commented on all subjects, ranging from politics, governance, football, food, corruption even religion.

He won’t back down or out irrespective of the critique that was directed at him. From president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to John Dramani Mahama, John Dumelo to Kwesi Nyantakyi, Ibrahim Sannie Daara to Bishop Daniel Obinim, Benjamin hardly ever held back – thanks to Twitter.

Nature loving Andrews of Australia

Another character who courted controversy was the Australian ambassador, Gregory Andrews, whiles like Iain Walker, he carved a niche for visiting natural habitats and forest reserves across the country, his human rights activism got him into a crisis over gay rights.

Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam Nartey George, had cause to openly threaten to aggress the ambassador after he (Andrews) openly campaigned for same-sex rights. He also came under fire from Ghanaians who are stiffly opposed to the LGBTQ+ agenda.

Daniela d’Orlandi of Italy

Representing Italy as its ambassador in Ghana and Togo, the diplomat has also engaged in the usual ambassadorial duties of strengthening trade and other development allied relations with the two countries.

Keeping in line with the new era of interfacing more with people on social media, she met in June 2022, a group she described as top bloggers, young entrepreneurs and artists “on cultural exchanges, lifestyle and sports to further strengthen the relationship between Ghana and Italy.”

Conclusion

Other Western diplomats playing in the same category include the European Union permanent representative and the current British High Commissioner.

Global diplomacy continues to be drastically redefined thanks social media especially Twitter, that state of affairs will if anything at all, continue on an upward trajectory and if so, I beg to ask; what are African diplomats doing to engage more? The time is now, innit?

Alpha Barani Shaban [BACS231189] is a digital journalist and Communication Studies student at GIJ

Left - Right: Ex-UK HC Jon Benjamin, ex-Australia ambassador Gregory Andres, ex-French ambassador Anne Sophie Ave and current Italian ambassador Daniela d'Orlandi