People & Lifestyle
Guest Feature: The Criticism of Africa by Africans – My Opinion
I am a student of life, I am a member of the African diaspora and I am a Pan-Africanist – that means I love Africa and my African heritage and it does not mean that I hate people or anything of non-African heritage. As a matter of fact, I am a citizen of the diaspora and owe my training and development to my country in Europe.
Over the course of my short life on earth, so far, I have observed with very keen interest how Africans, particularly the African diaspora, are quick and almost eager to always slam African leaders for all the negative things that we hear about in the media. For a naive while, I was part of that bandwagon; it is as if we desperately want to see them fail again and again so we can say ‘I told you so’. So that we can feel good about ourselves as being the special ones that God gave the wisdom to see the problems of the unfortunate others. So we sit on our high horses in Europe, America, Asia and everywhere else on the globe, outside Africa, to highlight the problems, denigrate our African leaders and paint our Africa very dirty in the countries we live in, perhaps to feel accepted.
But what I noticed after a while, a naive while, was that we provide very little solutions to these many problems of poor leadership that we very easily identify. I figured that perhaps, because of the remittances we send which is a great boost to the African economy, we feel entitled to criticise almost everything. And yes, we should be entitled to speak our mind, but when we criticise just for the sake of it without providing any solutions and support to addressing some of these problems then we only become hypocrites.
Yes, hypocrite is what I have observed majority of the African diaspora become. We see nothing good happening in our beloved Africa or we choose to ignore those when we see them. And even when we choose to comment on some of the ‘good’ we see, we do so sarcastically. We challenge the ‘real’ reasons for the good stories – if it is not for political reasons, then it’s because someone (usually the proponent of the good story, his family or friends) stand to benefit from it; and that is why the ‘good’ has happened. How can we continue to be such doomsayers of our own heritage, just because we have some sense of security abroad and therefore we can ‘talk anyhow’ (just borrowing some street lingua from Ghana, my motherland).
A case in point, of such good African story, is the recent lifting of the partial lockdown on affected cities in Ghana (Accra, Kumasi and a few other high-density environs) by her President, Nana Akuffo-Addo. Despite the salient reasons postulated by the President to have informed his decision, many ‘smart’ Africans are up in arms criticising his decision, enumerating unsubstantiated reasons to support their arguments. I have observed the majority of the critics, again, to be members of the African diaspora, who believe that Ghana has been too quick to lift movement restrictions of the partial lockdown primarily because Africa’s ‘big brothers’ in Europe, America, Asia and elsewhere haven’t taken that first step, so no African leader can do so! This is the singular summary to all their reasons for criticising the President of Ghana’s decision. They cannot believe his bold decision and cannot trust in his judgment as a LEADER to have the best interest of his people at the heart of his decision-making. Why? Is it because the African subconsciously lacks self-confidence in her own abilities to do right for herself, and, can only be confident in the decisions and handouts from foreign lands?
If the leader of any other country outside of Africa has taken such a decision, no one would have found reasons to criticise their decision. Because the scientific data and evidence they would give to support their decision must be right and it can be trusted, after all, they are ‘better’ than their African counterparts. Such defeatist mentality in some Africans, particularly members of the African diaspora, is very unfortunate.
Other critics are political opponents of the incumbent government and their supporters who have taken a political view of it for obvious reasons; their own parochial political interests. This year being an election year in Ghana, they must do their possible best to use any situation to turn people against the incumbent government. So, they would take advantage of a global pandemic to do just that. This is a global pandemic and no right-thinking political leader would jeopardise their own integrity to make hasty and foolish decisions just to bargain for votes. So, opposition parties should lend their support to the incumbent to win the war against this pandemic, in the national interest, rather than take undue advantage to score low political points. Take a cue from the Labour party’s support of the incumbent Conservative’s strategy of fighting the pandemic in the United Kingdom.
I also have a problem with the ‘sell-out’ African journalists who always look to find some negative in a good African story and bring it out to the world so they can be hailed as ‘good’ journalists on the international scene. You do not see them try to propagate the good news to the world as much, because the international media will ignore it and they will not receive the accolades they desperately desire from them. For example, the international media is not touting the very low infection/death rates of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa as compared to the rest of the world but there are shouts about the success story of Germany, South Korea, Japan, everywhere else apart from Africa; is it because no one expects anything good to come out of Africa. But we have these ‘sell-out’ African journalists to thank for that, because they will help feed the doubt of the international media with self-critical commentaries.
I will not go into the scientific data and socio-economic evidence that informed the Ghanaian leader’s bold decision, to argue for or against them, because that is not the reason for my article. The reason for this article is to challenge the African (everywhere) to start believing in themselves and their leaders and to find ways of helping their leaders and those at the forefront of African development and emancipation to achieve these for Africa and her posterity. Rather than knocking ourselves at every opportunity to feel good about ourselves – I hope you see my drift.
What the Ghanaian leader has done is to demonstrate that Africans can assess their own situations in a scientific manner, specific to them and their environment, and make informed decisions that works for their own demography. He might get it wrong but at least he has shown some BALLS! Why don’t we rally around to try and support him achieve the best results he intends to achieve from his decision. Perhaps, we would have found a success story that could work for the rest of Africa and the world at large. Africa would have shown leadership in fighting a global pandemic that is killing people, destroying economies, and disrupting international trade.
So I ask again, when will the African (those of her heritage) believe in herself, in her own abilities, in her own social and cultural systems, in her own economic science and her own scientific evidence to solve her bespoke problems. Rather than blindly use the sciences of elsewhere to try and work on her problems. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of fine-tuning needed on the African social and cultural systems and economic science but if we get to work on that, we will develop a bespoke AFRO-CENTRIC system that makes Africa prosperous. The issue is that, for years we have tried everyone else’s system and never given thought to how we can make our own unique (however strange) systems work for us and make us prosperous as a people.
Let us try that now! Because, I believe we have a crop of leaders who genuinely want Africa to prosper and not remain dependent on others for handouts. Leaders like Paul Kagame, Nana Akuffo-Addo, John Magufuli, Mo Ibrahim, Strive Masiyiwa, Aliko Dangote, Mensah Otabil, Nicholas Duncan Williams, Tudor Bismark, Matthew Ashimolowo, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, etc. These are examples of African leaders across the spectrum of our society – politicians, entrepreneurs, clergy, and religious leaders, etc. They are all influencing a paradigm shift and though they will make mistakes along the way, let us all support in charting this new course for Africa and her future generation.
Written by Kwaku Tano-Yeboah
Birmingham, United Kingdom
People & Lifestyle
Shopping For Emerald, Asscher, And Marquise Cut Diamonds Online
One question that can stump customers searching for diamonds online regards the cut. While round-cut diamonds are timeless, there are lots of other options. Emerald, Asscher, and Marquise diamonds all look great in diamond rings. But it helps to know the difference and what to look out for when choosing the best.
Anyone looking to shop Emerald cut diamonds needs to be sure they aren’t actually after the sparkler Asscher cut. There is also the option to shop Marquise cut diamonds online for a whole other look, but what color and what kind of diamond?
Emerald Cut Diamonds for Boldness and Clarity
Emerald-cut diamonds make a big statement, especially when designing an engagement ring. These stones are characterized by their simple lines and clean look, with a strong rectangular shape. Often designers use the stone on its own on a thin band for enhanced visual impact.
When choosing the best marketplace to Shop Emerald cut diamonds online, it pays for consumers to consider the clarity of the stone. There is a broad scale from included to flawless diamonds. I1 toI3 included diamonds will look too blemished for this cut. A VVS1 or VVS2 stone with imperceptible inclusions is much better. There are flawless diamonds at the high end of the scale, but they look much like the VVS1 stones to the naked eye.
Asscher Cut Diamonds for Extra Sparkle
There are similarities between the Asscher and Emerald cut diamonds because of their angular shape. However, buyers appreciate the Asscher cut for the step-cut design that allows for extra sparkle on an engagement ring. Search and buy Asscher cut diamonds online will shine brilliantly from any angle. Still, consumers need to be sure of getting something with the right color to enhance the look.
As with clarity, there is another scale for color. Anything from D-F is colorless while S-Z has a light color. This could be a yellow or cooler tone. While some feel that colored diamonds are a sign of poor quality, that isn’t the case at all. It is possible to find highly-valuable stones in a range of tones. The unique nature of the gem also allows for interesting personalized jewelry.
Marquise Cut Diamonds for Elegance and Quality
Then there are sleek oval-shaped Marquise diamonds for a completely different effect. This a great when couples want an eye-catching feminine stone that isn’t a typical round diamond. This is another way to ensure maximum sparkle.
Another consideration when Shop Marquise Cut Diamonds online is whether or not to go for lab-grown or natural diamonds. Natural diamonds are great for those that want the inclusions and fluorescence that you can get with mined stones. It gives them character and can look great on those quirky marquise diamonds. However, there are ethical considerations with mined stones.
The alternative is to go for a more conscientious choice with a lab-grown diamond. Creators simulate natural conditions with no need to exploit the earth or miners. These stones are often much clearer and colorless, which makes them great for those clean-cut emerald diamonds.
Buying Quality Diamonds with Ease from Rare Carat
With so many factors to consider when buying these different diamonds online, it helps to turn to a trusted online marketplace. Rare Carat makes the process really easy for customers with a step-by-step approach. After choosing the desired cut, users can then use the sliders to determine the ideal carat, clarity, and color.
This means the option of a VVS emerald diamond with a D-F color, or maybe a cheaper I3 S-Z marquise for something more unique. The customization options are broad and user-friendly enough that all customers should find what they are looking for. On top of this, all diamonds sold by Rare Carat are GIA-certified based on the 4Cs of diamond quality. The company works with trusted unbiased gemologists to help provide the best quality gems while expertly matching stones to buyers’ preferences. This includes both mined and lab-grown diamonds.
This level of commitment and transparency, in addition to their range of stones and user-friendly platform, counts for consumers. It is why Rare Carat has a 4.9/5 Trustpilot score and is America’s #1 source for diamonds.
People & Lifestyle
Photos: 4th Ghana Giving Summit held in Accra
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People & Lifestyle
The Natural Frankenstein Monster Called Inflammation
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a complex biological response that occurs when the body’s immune system detects and responds to harmful stimuli—such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a cardinal part of the body’s defense mechanism and plays a crucial role in fighting infections and promoting healing. When the immune system detects a threat, it produces various molecules; including pro-inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. These cytokines help recruit immune cells to the site of inflammation and initiate the inflammatory response.
Demystifying the complexity of Inflammation
During inflammation, blood vessels in the affected area dilate, allowing more blood flow into the area. This is what causes the redness and warmth. Blood vessel permeability also increases allowing immune cells and fluid to traverse the blood vessels into the tissues causing swelling.
Inflammation also involves the activation of immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils (these are a type of immune cells; classified as agranulocytes and granulocytes respectively).
On the other hand, while acute inflammation is a necessary response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation can be deleterious, chronic inflammation occurs when the immune system remains activated for an extended period, even in the absence of a specific threat.
It can occur due to various factors, including autoimmune disorders, long-term exposure to irritants or toxins, or underlying health conditions.
It is very critical to note that chronic inflammation is the root cause of myriad diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Lastly, the symptoms of inflammation can vary depending on the affected area but commonly include pain, swelling, redness, heat, and loss of function.
By Dynasty Health LLC:
Dynasty Health is a nutrition-based company based in the capital city of Ghana. Our aim is to harness the medicinal properties of food (nutraceuticals) and prevent all forms of chronic diseases using food (preventive medicine). Book a flexible health session with us: +233558343127 or https://wa.me/message/XWWOZSNZNYBBB1
People & Lifestyle
Kendrick Lamar and ‘Move Afrika: Rwanda’ light up Kigali with sold-out show
The first ever Move Afrika event, last night in Kigali, was unlike any live show Rwanda has seen before. (more…)
People & Lifestyle
Optimism marks 2023 CIB Ghana Governors’ Day Annual Bankers’ Dinner
The 2023 Governor’s Day Annual Bankers’ Dinner, organised by Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana (CIB Ghana), was characterised by optimism for the near and long-term prospects of the banking industry and the broader economy.
This year’s event comes on the backdrop of what was in many ways a difficult year for banks but one that has witnessed a marked improvement leading to the end of the fiscal period. This year Governor’s Day celebration formed part of the Institute’s 60th Anniversary events.
CIB Ghana President, Benjamin Amenumey, in his address, acknowledged the resilience displayed during the tough times, expressing confidence in a continued rebound throughout the coming year. “No one would deny that it has been a tough year but the rebound has been remarkable and I believe it is safe to say this points to what we should expect in the coming year,” he remarked.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the President of the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB), Mansa Nettey. “As an industry we have all had an extremely challenging year and we are so glad that we have done to the end of 2023. Thankfully we have turned the corner as banks, and we are already seeing some positive signs. We are looking forward to 2024 with a lot of confidence and hope,” she said.
Focus remains strong on ethics
While recognising external challenges persist, Chief Executive Officer at CIB Ghana, Robert Dzato emphasised the Institute’s commitment to aiding the industry in addressing internal issues, particularly ethics. “The Institute will allocate significant resources in the medium term to focus on ethical considerations, a central theme highlighted in our annual conference, which this year was called the National Banking Ethics Conference,” he noted.
Mr. Dzato further highlighted the Institute’s integration of technology, especially Artificial Intelligence, to enhance learning outcomes and drive innovation.
Bank of Ghana comments
In alignment with the positive sentiment, Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Ernest Addison reassured attendees of the economy’s upward trajectory, citing improvements in growth, declining inflation, and overall stability.
“Let me assure you that the economy is on a gradual rebound. Growth is improving steadily, inflation is declining, the fiscal and external positions are improving, alongside relative stability in the exchange rate. Absent unanticipated shocks in the outlook, the continued implementation of prudent policies will further strengthen the recovery process and reinforce the disinflationary process. These conditions will improve the operating environment for the banking sector to remain stable and strong to support the economy,” he noted.
He pointed out the Bank’s commitment to closely monitoring potential risks and taking decisive actions when necessary to maintain stability.
“This notwithstanding, let me use this opportunity to once again assure the public that, on the back of the DDEP and other risks that may emerge in the banking sector, the Bank will continue to closely monitor developments and, where need be, take appropriate and decisive actions to address same. Also, the Bank will ensure that depositors’ funds remain safe, and that the financial system remains stable and resilient,” the Governor added.
Honours on the night
The night saw the acknowledgement of new Associates as well as three new Fellows of the Institute.
The Fellowship awardees were Sina Kamagate, a Chartered Banker and Chief Internal Auditor at GCB Bank PLC; Kwame Achindiba Abbey, a Chartered Banker and Deputy Managing Director, Support at Société Générale Ghana as well as Michael K. Kondor, another Chartered banker with over 17 years of work experience in the banking sector at Ecobank Ghana Plc where he serves as a branch manager.
About CIB Ghana
The CIB Ghana remains committed to its mission of advancing banking studies and overseeing the banking profession’s practices within the country. Recognised as one of the nation’s premier institutions for professional qualifications and financial education, the Institute serves as a pivotal professional entity for banks and other financial institutions. The Institute strategic objective is to produce trusted professionals for the financial services sector.
Its primary goal is to establish ethical standards and foster the development of skilled professionals, empowering banks to provide efficient and competitive services that meet or exceed the evolving needs of customers. Established through the Chartered Institute of Bankers Ghana Act, 2019 (Act 991) by an Act of Parliament, the Institute, now named Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, boasts over 1,500 active Professional Members, 26 Corporate Members, and an impressive student membership exceeding 4,500 as of July 2023.
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