THE FAIRY-TALE OF MISS NASARA...Part One

Sorry I have been long away from you, but you cannot blame me for every mishap you encounter. Well all the same thank the creator I am back in safe hands just in peace as you I left you in one whole piece. I don’t seem too happy too converse with you today but I still cannot take off the news of that my friend who has or was accused of theft. What’s that her name again, yes, I mean that cutie that is bedecked with beauty? I mean to say Miss Nasara Mariam Abdul Rauf. She is the Ghana’s Most Beautiful winner until now that the news of her stripping off the crown came to many as a surprise and to many as a cook up plot to break the 2009 winner of the pageantry.
First it came as a teaser from a newspaper in Accra, Ghana, and then it followed as a tenser from other media houses. Do I still remember what that paper wrote as their cover? Pardon me, with the new flakes of stuffs in my brain, I have seem to forget but surly not the content of what followed that bugging piece. They fed the public with the fact that Nasara stole a mobile phone from the event she went to represent Ghana for. Yours sincerely actually couldn’t understand why such ‘yellow journalism’ or need I say ‘make-to-fall kind’ of journalism should come out from the press. I later got to know that the former manager of Nasara, Hafiz gave them the go ahead to publish the story. One thing is certain here that we all cannot be confused at the same time because I have it on that the newspaper had actually threatened the camp of Hafiz to pay the sum of $10,000 so that the news doesn’t come out to the public. Who is fooling who after all the ‘news’ is no longer news anymore.
What I learnt from the whole story is that as humans we cannot trust even our own mother because with the making of this ‘epic movie’, Nasara will be sweating where ever she is think of how the story got to the public, but let me give it to you this way; every year after winning the prestigious prize of the Ghana’s Most Beautiful which involves a car and then fat cash then a trip to represent the country in the Miss Earth Pageant. China and Philippines have both played host to the past winners, Ama and Adoley respectively. This year was to see Nasara go to Philippines which she gladly went and then the movie got the ‘take three, two, one, action!’ Had she known that the whole story will turn sour, the sister wouldn’t have taken the cross of representing the country and come back with ‘shame’. But come to think of it, is Nasara really guilty of the crime she is accused of? I know that in every rumor, there is an iota of truth but don’t we think that this rumor has been over blown out of proportion? I have dug deep into this movie script and heard as well as seen so many untold stories of the make up epic movie.
In all my years as a journalist, I have come to understand that the art of convincing fat cheques from ‘victims’, is in the idea of tainting or sabotaging them. But on another angle, do we need to progress with other’s down fall? Now where was I? I was at the point of telling how the whole epic started. Before driving you to through the make or mar episode, don’t you think as humans that there is some one out there trying to break Miss Nasara? Don’t you think that she has stepped on perhaps the wrong toes? Don’t you think that there is a little bit of hanky-panky surrounding this whole issue of Miss Nasara theft of a phone abroad? And how did the whole news fly miles away to this country to the extent that that particular media house got the news first? Don’t you think that someone is paying for the prize of pomposity or do I put it as arrogance? Don’t you think that there have been more issues at hand before this current edition broke hell loose? Don’t you think that somebody out there is writing his or her way to promotions over staining others? Don’t you think that someone out there is feeling bad for loosing another and the only way to pay back is to soil a built reputation? Don’t you think that somebody is trying to create another tribal war out of nothing? So many questions that may not be answered today in this part one, but trust me that part two of this epic is sure to blow our minds but I must warn that just as I have started receiving ‘threats’ or ‘friendly calls’, we must all be careful in reading what will or may become the ‘best selling epic’ just as my friend, Maame will always say jokingly.
Before I get crucified over talking and talking without spilling what I know happened which the director got it all wrong at location; now certain characters can or may be kleptomaniacs but what has that got to do with a theft script? Certain characters can or may be heartbreakers but what has that got to do with a theft script? Now we must know that out there when a stolen item is found in your possession, the first thing that happens is that one is arrested and either locked up or detained. But did happen to Miss Nasara? No!
Here is the first part, Miss Nasara travelled to represent Ghana at the Miss Earth competition. There as protocols demand, all the beauties were led to take a glimpse at the tourist sites and trust me that what emerged within a flash has led us to where we are today. Miss London’s cell phone fell out from her bag and as the case may be, they were all in a rush to catch the bus. There came Miss Nasara who gently picked the phone and dropped it in her bag with the knowledge that when they come back she was going to give it back to whoever was the owner. Here I have been asking that why didn’t Miss Nasara call out to inform anybody about the incidence? As the story goes on, they went out, enjoyed themselves and got back late. Miss Nasara went to take her bath and by the time she came back the phone was found in her bag after a search was made. What keeps baffling me is that the whole issue sounds as a set up just as the camera man who saw the whole issue unveiled.
Aha! Before I could blink to hear the whole storyline break down, I hear Miss Nasara isn’t taking it calm but what can she do? Now here is a lady who won a huge amount of money, here is a lady who was given a brand new Range Rover apart from the car she won in 2009, here is a lady that owns a big mansion in the north for her evolvement as the winner. Here is a lady who has been given the mandate to travel anywhere she wants under the bills of one popular airline, here is a lady who has put up a project of peace though she has started nothing much on it. So I quiz that where has all the money gone to? But that isn’t my business perhaps it may be that of the organizers to question. Now with all these to her credits, what will make Miss Nasara to steal a phone after we all know that she uses about four classic phones with a blackberry inclusive?
If the whole issue is about a set up, then who must have been so cruel to create this? If the whole issue is a case of one party being a kleptomaniac, then don’t we think that the organizers now have a huge task at hand to conduct thorough check on contestants before participating in subsequent editions? There is more to the entire fairy-tale than we see or hear.

APRIL FOOLS VIGIL IN JANUARY

Krinnnnnnnnnn…Krinnnnnnnnnnn… That was my cell phone ringing; perhaps I must use the right word to describe an annoying call which came in the wee hours of 2.07am on the 18th of January, 2010. What was it about, something special or should I say something provocative, it was a call from Maame Efua, she yearned hastily as if she was running a hundred metre race, ‘Yemmey, quickly leave your room and stand outside. They said an earthquake will occur soonest. I love you. Bye.’ She had hung the call before I could even blink and reciprocate. The only thing I quickly did at a short notice was to hop from my bed, jump into my shorts and ran outside. You may smile asking, ‘why did you run outside?’ to either save my life or avoid the ‘had I known’, last message. But on a second thought, how about those who did not give a hoot at the ‘announcement’? Like my bosoms for real, Shadrach Meshach, and you hoping to hear Abednego? No lie. Then I whisked again to take the first option and boy-oh-boy what I saw was a throng who have gathered outside our compound to circumvent death. I smiled and went back indoors ruminating over my own stupidity of running outside when I know fully well that death can come to one no matter the location. Casualties do take place irrespective of a million and one caution. Now think with me on this; the ground we all ran to outside our rooms, wasn’t it a very suitable location for the quake to consume us all in bunch? What even pissed me off was that we copy almost everything we see others do without a re-think. Because thousands Haitians gathered in open spaces overnight in the capital because they were scared to sleep inside damaged buildings. Ghanaians also decided to leave their abode even when it was a rumor; they decided to troop outside and stay overnight until morning. The only difference between the Haitians and Ghanaians was that the Haitians sang hymns to keep up their spirits while an average Ghanaian was so scared to even open his mouth and utter a word of praise, rather they busy murmuring and gossiping on issues irrelevant to their sleepless status at that point in time.

Funny enough, I wasn’t the only one who had such a phone call, almost all the inhabitants in Ghana got such either from a distant friend or from a closer foe, calls sure did come. My neighbor had woken all his five children to stand outside by the road side all in their pajamas. One wonders what will drive a hefty man with his beautiful wife and children to stand still all keeping vigil. My cousin was cooling off at a night club with his new ‘catch’ in town. One wonders what will have been his fate with his new girlfriend had the rumor mongers succeeded. Funny it sounds but my dear strange things happen each day and this wouldn’t have been an exception. Claris who has never misses her bed time once it is 9.30pm, no matter where she is or she is doing, kept the ‘vigil’ till morning. Amazing, right? I tried calling my pastor for divine prayers ahead of the mass death, but he wouldn’t picked his calls and the next thing I knew was that his phone had gone off either deliberately or otherwise. Another sick thing that sickened my heart was the disadvantage a house which was robbed during the rumored earthquake and its equivalent aftermath. All tenants had run outside screaming for help from the quake which was invisible and not the visible armed robbers who squandered away with their belongings.

What breathes live into this tale to be pleasant is the fact that Haiti recently witnessed an earthquake in which the world celebrities cum world powers are still trying to put their houses in order to support the small Haitian country. Another hilarious thought is that was Ghana going to be another point where the Red Cross team will fly to, to give aid? Arcane as it may be, a top Accra based radio station lamented on the issue or need I say that they helped ignite the ‘vigil’ among innocent Ghanaians. When I heard of the pre-proposed ‘earthquake’, I quickly imagined that we may soon become like Haiti but God was on the side of Ghana.

Let me take your mind back a bit on what happened in Haiti. An earthquake occurred with which even the President is still staggered at the exact amount of persons dead. Now for future reference, the earthquake in Haiti was about 7.0 magnitude quake. It struck at 4.53 local time, which is 9.53 GMT on 12th January, 2010, 15km south-west of Port-au-Prince. According to the earth sciences department at the United Kingdom’s Durham University’s Prof. Roger Searle, ‘the energy released from that quake was the equivalent of about half a megaton of TNT.’

Must we be tricked or fooled every time for no course? Must we be so childish in our brains not to know truth from lies? Must every fabrication be our portion served to us even at odd hours just as this day turned out to be? Where did all our faith varnish to? Where were all our men, women and children of God? Is it that we have soon forgotten our celebrations such as Christmas Day, New Year Day, Easter Day and April Fools Day? Have we soon forgotten that we are still in the month of January, so there was no need for the chicken tricks of April fool? So why did we so mess up our sleep with some kind of unscrupulous communiqué from vague source? Kuukua called me as soon as it was 5am GMT and her question sparked me a long thoughtful day, thus she asked, ‘Yemmey will God have sat up there and see Ghanaians go down like it did happened in Haiti. Then we will all have asked HIM, where have all our prayers we do have gone to?’ She went on, ‘Yemmey are you there? You see it pays to be a Christian if not the uncertain would have happened.’ I couldn’t just say anything but all I did was to sigh and tell her to call me back in thirty minutes; there and then I switched off my phone and went into a deep thinking.

I asked myself that if the rumored quake did not occur then God must be a Christian as Kuukua hunted me to understand. Then I figured it out that maybe the Haitians must all be ‘sinners’ that was why God turned his back at them? This question of Kuukua reminisced me of the discussion I had with my soul brother, Cookey on whether God was a Christian? If HE was, then why have the Pharaohs of Egypt in terms of African soccer being the only team that have won the trophy for a records six times? I quizzed because the Egyptian national team will only allow you to play in their colors if you believe in the ‘Islamic faith’. Nothing more, nothing less. Jokingly, we decided to check out the title: ‘Godstian’, and remain in that our new found faith until we get further insights into our sought of ignoramus state, if you think so. But thank God it didn’t happen if not where would you and I have been?


Back to the issue on ground, I strongly feel that there was somebody out there to tease our faith or better still I feel that there was something out there wanting to mock the reserved dignity for such a ‘peaceful’ state. On a brief thought, there must be a news house that broke such news of terrific gravity, and surely should be brought to panel on why and what led it into such a rumored state to scare the amicable masses of Ghana. It wasn’t a case study of taking a deep breathe on the ‘April Fool’ thing, because if it was, my calendar tells me that we are still in the month of January. So why the fool fooling himself or herself? Little jokes root the biggest mishap, so we beg of you, all rumors mongers to desist from your pranks for it shall only tear off our school shorts and enemies go fall.

WHEN THE EAGLE PRETENDS STRONGER THAN THE SKY

This week, I am going to tell you a story which you will soon understand and then smile and say, ‘what a wicked world.’ This story I want to tell isn’t a mere say but it is what is happening around you, whether you know or you don’t know, it is happening. Now you want to ask, ‘what is really going on’, well it is inequality in the highest order. For the benefit of my true story, you will be required to close your eyes, ruminate over the evil act we play at each other. Again I must warn that for this true story to make any impact in our hearts, I will not want to call names, but soon we shall know who and who is directly involved in this whole prance, but for now I will be permitted to use names as A, B and C. Hope I have made myself crystal clear.
Now my story goes thus… Two friends (A, a banker & B, a medical practitioner), met along the line after a long sojourn of B outside the country Nigeria. B came back with lot of vigor to start up a business which I don’t really know of its worth. Then he needed some huge amount of money and the nearest person he could turn to was his friend, A.
A was doing well, and he sought to assist his friend by borrowing the money from another bank which he once worked with. He gave B the sum amount of $43,000. B got excited and absconded into the thin air. Hell broke loose out there in Nigeria as A was critically accused of falling a deep victim to B’s skimming. But was he really a fool? Was he really out of his mind? I will beg to say a big NO! Any one can choose to be nice to his or her friend depending on the upbringing you both had in time past, so we stand no chance blaming A. now I continue my story, B ran away to the neighboring country for solace, Ghana to be precise. He squandered the money on vanity leaving a fellow friend in pains as A was sacked form his job, his wife and 2 year old child evicted from their home in Lagos. A got the information that B was in Ghana, as soon as possible, he flew down to Ghana and caught B.
This story makes me shed tears anytime I ruminate at this point in time. B was put in police custody for a while, and then an Eagle went behind using his credence to bail B. C stood for B in case he flees away. Believe me on this, B ran away again from the grip of C. from my own analysis, I think that C asked B to flee. Having known the gravity of what is bound to happen after a long time, C sent down $30,000 from his base to be given as part payment of his deficit. Sad enough, Eagle C used his powers to sit on the money refusing to give A. he bluntly told the world that the money sent by B was for his professional examination. How on earth can that be true?
A has since been in Ghana for the past one year fighting this case and to no avail, C is plating hard prance with the lives of innocent ones. He is willing using his guts to depress others and going unpunished.
The case is now in court and sincerely speaking, C is still frustrating A with this wit. Even recently I heard that he has filed a court case at A for libel. Can you believe this?! All documents are intact showing that C actually collected the money from B to be given to A, yet he did not do as asked. C is really a tough bone to crack but must this erupt at any point in time. Isn’t there any justice for chicks whenever Eagles are playing off key?
The true story before us, isn’t a gist to talked about and thrown into the trash can but it is for justice to prevail, tranquility to be the subject matter as the case now is getting out of hand and therefore may turn country to country affair as C is willingly using the law against A when it is a glaring fact that this is scamming.
I cannot believe that all this is happening in a country that has been portrayed before the world’s view as a country where sanity prevails, but with the inclusion of certain Eagles, the country I beg to say that this country is a farce.
I know that these persons will be reading this piece today. Please with all respect, let us be real to our conscience and allow sanity, justice and peace to reign.