Accountable Policing in Ghana!

January 4, 2011
Stephen Arthur, a 19 year old orphan walked out of his house and hopped into a commercial vehicle, and that was the last time he ever walked. He is paralysed from the waist down. Has no control over his bowel movements or urine. Has erectile dysfunction and will never father a child.

The vehicle Stephen Arthur got onto that fateful day was stopped by a police officer asking for his Christmas gift. The driver obliged and gave the officer some money, only for another officer standing nearby, Constable Stephen Frimpong to approach the driver asking why his colleague officer was given money. An argument ensued between the constable and the driver, so the first officer (the one who collected the money) asked the driver to park well. In parking well, the driver had to move the vehicle. That was when Constable Frimpong opened fire into the back of the vehicle (I guess thinking the driver was running away). A bullet hit the spine of Stephen Arthur, and to say life has never been the same, would be grossly understating how life has been since.

The Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) in their investigation of this incident came out with the findings that Constable Frimpong's conduct was criminal. The constable was arrested and granted bail, but during a police service enquiry into this incident, he run away and has not been found since. Has he been looked for? If he has and has not been found, how safe are we in Ghana? How safe are we if one man has been able to escape police grips after all these years? How safe are we with all these terror alerts going on around us?

A benevolent law firm sued on behalf of Stephen Arthur and after much wrangling, the Attorney General decided to settle out of court 2 years ago. How is one compensated for all that this young man has lost? It has been 2 years since this decision was reached, and still nothing. How long did it take for Alfred Agbesi Woyome to be given his judgement debt by the Attorney General for doing nothing and for no damage to his person? Imagine how Stephen Arthur's life would have been with 1/10th of the settlement Alfred Woyome received.

Stephen Arthur has no one to take care of him. His brother who was caring for him started abusing him and Stephen has tried to take his own life once. He is 24 years old now, and to say his future looks bleak would be an understatement. He is in critical condition now at the Police Hospital, and has grown so lean he cannot wear adult diapers, but has to wear baby diapers.

March 8, 2014
Corporal Bernard Frimpong walked into a Cal Bank banking hall and opened fire right there in the banking hall because of an argument he had with one of the customers.

What next?
Superintendent Frimpong will walk into a mall and open fire on shoppers because he feels cheated by one shop owner?

One thing I kept repeating after Corporal Frimpong opened fire in the bank is, "it could happen to any one of us". Who in the bank that day thought they would walk into the bank and be fired at? Who on that commercial vehicle thought they would get onto a vehicle and be fired at, by none other than a Ghana Police officer?

It is all well and good fighting for accountable governance and fighting against corruption, but isn't this something worth fighting for? Our civil society organisations, in addition to finding the truth behind the bus branding saga, SADA, Subah and the rest, how about we fight for human rights too?
#ISpeakForJustice

The Power of Visual Images; The Power of Celebrity Status; The Power of The Police

Most of this played out in my mind barely 2 weeks ago.

Visual Images
Just about a month ago, I received a video via a group I'm part of on Whatsapp. Save for the comments from others in the group succeeding the upload of this video, I wouldn't have downloaded it (not very keen on using my data to download just anything). And then I downloaded it, and I've been able to watch the video just once. Too traumatising! The video was of an adult physically abusing a baby. From the group and later from news media, I found out the adult was a nanny tasked to take care of the baby. The images were just too horrifying. The video I learnt went viral over the internet, and from the BBC website, I learnt "... the case sparked outrage across the country (Uganda) after a video was released". I also learnt from the same website that the father of the baby reported the abuse to the police, and circulated the video online to family members. The footage was later shared more widely, provoking horror and upset internationally (worldwide). The nanny has since been arrested, tried in court and sentenced for her crime (all in the space of I'd say a month). Thank God. This nanny will pay for the crime she committed. She is currently serving her sentence. Glad justice wasn't delayed.

Celebrity Status
I'd say a day or so after I saw this video, I heard a story. Kwaw Kese, a Ghanaian musician (celebrity) was arrested by the police for allegedly smoking an illegal substance in public. Yeah, I'm sure countless of other Ghanaians have been arrested for smoking similar substances in public, but no one gets to hear about it. For obvious reasons, this is news. Oh no! I won't begrudge Kwaw Kese sneezing becoming news, whereas me doing same really is nothing. He is a celebrity and I'm sure he has worked hard to achieve this status. What really does get me thinking is, quite a number of other celebrities have spoken out against his arrest. I hear there is a campaign on social media calling for his release. Yes, there are problems with our police and the judicial system in Ghana, and some celebrities are calling for his release for a number of reasons.
Eg. 1. Chris Brown came to perform in Ghana and supposedly smoked an illegal substance while performing on stage. He was not arrested (I doubt if he was even questioned) and allowed to go back to his country.
2. The police themselves fail to arrest and prosecute their own when they commit crimes. cc: the #CalBank #GhanaPolice shooting.
While some are rubbishing what the police are doing in the arrest of Kwaw Kese, others are begging the judicial system to be lenient with him. Okay, if he did what the police are saying he did, then technically, he did commit a crime. Hardened criminals have friends and family who love them and don't want them to spend even an hour behind bars. Is that justification for releasing them? Well, Kwaw Kese has been behind bars for close to a month and he is not being granted bail. Apparently, narcotics related offences are non-bailable.
I'm sure there are issues here. Personally, I have problems with our judicial system and with the Ghana Police Service, but you won't get me calling for the release of a suspect in a criminal offence because of those issues. Our celebrities shouldn't forget that they are role models to a whole lot of people, children inclusive. What is the message they are sending out there? They have the platform to be heard by a wide array of people. They should use it carefully. There aren't a shortage of causes to lend their voices to. There are campaigns for eradicating poverty, for ending hunger and for world peace to name a few. There's even the #ISpeakForJustice campaign if they feel so strongly about the police in Ghana.

The Police
Rewind to March 8, 2014. Corporal Bernard Frimpong walked into Cal Bank and opened fire right there in the banking hall. The room was full of people, all of whom were unarmed. Why? He had a disagreement with one customer outside the bank and knew he could open fire inside the bank and get away with it. Three persons sustained gunshot wounds. A report was made against the corporal at a police station, and barely a month after the incident, the corporal was still in uniform and working at his station. Everything that happened was caught on camera by the bank's CCTV, which is now available to the police. In an interview in September 2014, a PRO of the police said the footage is being used to train their officers on proper conduct (no comment). I should add that right after the incident, a police PRO reported in different media in Ghana that the customer who had the disagreement with the corporal was a suspicious character who struggled with the corporal over his weapon, causing the weapon to fall and start firing (I wonder where that weapon was manufactured and how shallow minded the police think Ghanaians are). Eventually, this same PRO came out to say the customer was an innocent victim in an unfortunate incident, and that the corporal had been detained while investigations were ongoing (he didn't even apologise). Thing is, the harm was already done. Person A might have heard on medium A that the customer was labeled a suspicious character by the police, but person A might not have heard on medium B when the customer was labeled an innocent victim by the same police. In the interview in September 2014, the police PRO revealed that the corporal had been arrested and is out on bail. Apparently attempted murder of a roomful of people is a bailable offence in Ghana. Corporal Bernard Frimpong has supposedly been out on bail since March 2014. We are in December 2014.

Visual Images, Celebrity Status, The Police
The police are not above the law, but increasingly, the police themselves are making it seem that way. So, the police say they are using the CCTV footage to train their own. How about releasing that footage online so Ghanaians can train themselves on what to do when a police officer opens fire in a bank? But seriously, imagine the international outrage that would follow, should a video showing a Ghana police officer walking into a bank, and opening fire on unarmed civilians, be released online. (I know you were all scared and running for your lives, but didn't anyone in the bank that day record this incident on their phone?) The power of visual images cannot be overstated. If a celebrity whose flight from the law will not be so easy, has been refused bail for a narcotics offence, then is it too much to ask that a police officer who attempted to murder a roomful of people should be refused bail?
Celebrities, please if one of your own is suspected to have committed a crime, how about you aid the authorities in their investigations, rather than call for the authorities to also break the law. The power of celebrity status cannot be exaggerated. If you want a campaign to lend your voice to, how about #ISpeakForJustice (that's me calling for support), at least then you'll be speaking out for justice, plain and simple, not asking that rules or laws be broken. That way, no international act can come to Ghana, commit a crime and walk away. Why? Because we have been speaking for justice and we have been heard. Or you could set up your own charity and help the less privileged in society.
Police, do not shy away from prosecuting your own. What example are you setting for criminals and potential criminals? The message I'm getting from you is, if you want to be a successful criminal, join the police service. Then, even your bosses will cover up for you if knowledge of your crime gets out there. The power of the police should not be overlooked.

P.S. Finally, (I just had to add this) if it were possible for me to die and come back, I'd make sure what ever crime committed against me is captured on camera, and that footage is available to me (viral videos, here I come). Or I'd come back as a celebrity. Even if I commit a crime, other celebrities will demand, while others appeal for my release (better yet I'd be the kind of celebrity that can go and commit a crime in someone's country, and walk away a free person). But, it would be best for me to come back as a police officer. I could commit any crime and get away with it. Even, rather than admit I was wrong, the police administration would cover up for me, and put the blame on someone else.
It really is not too late (Ghana Police Service, here I come!).
http://www.facebook.com/ispeakforjustice

Adventures in a Foreign Land - Support For Ghana

I was at work when the accountant walked into the office I shared with a lady from Ghana. He had in his hand a newspaper clipping of the Black Satellites of Ghana winning the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup by beating Brazil. Oh yeah, all the Ghanaians were excited about that and I was mighty surprised this guy even knew what football (aka soccer as football referred to a different sport for him) is and even more surprised that he cared. He congratulated us (myself and my office mate) and said how well the boys played (even I didn't watch the match).

Fast forward 2014, before the start of the World Cup and in a different country. I was with 3 Ghanaians and whenever we mentioned the country we are from, we instantly made new friends, the locals would gush, "wow! Asamoah Gyan", and go on to tell us how they feel Ghana will do well at the 2014 World Cup.

Congrats to the Super Green Eagles of Nigeria for making it to the next stage! Praying the Black Stars of Ghana will meet you guys there.
Go Ghana!
Go Black Stars!

Moral: it doesn't hurt to support your own country, but even if you don't, chances are, someone, somewhere is supporting your country.

As Useless As...

There really are hardly any bank robberies in Ghana. I'm sure (not 100%) in my lifetime, I've heard of only one. So, it really doesn't surprise me that police officers providing security at a bank (I guess against potential bank robberies that never happen) find other means of entertaining themselves, like doubling as parking attendants and firing AK47 rifles at innocent persons. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the AK47 rifles these officers wield have never been fired and I'm sure that irks these officers too.

I promise, I don't have a personal thing against Ghana Police

This police officer is stationed at a bank in Accra. The security at the bank that day were busy bickering with persons who had parked in the bank's parking lot without entering the bank (finding parking really is a problem in Accra). Rather than get involved, this officer deciding he wasn't a parking attendant, decided he taking 40 winks would be a more profitable use of his time.

I just got 3 questions for him.
1. Should armed robbers invade the bank, will he bother to go after them, and if so, will he:
(a) take his slippers off to go after them?
(b) go after them with his slippers on?
2. Is he aware that according to a PRO of the Ghana Police Service, should the AK47 rifle fall and hit the ground, it will start firing  (that's how smart Ghana Police officers really are)?
3. Did the possibility of a potential robber picking up his rifle and using it to rob the bank, or a madman/woman or psycho picking up the rifle and doing with it as they please occur to him?

So I ask, what really is the essence of police officers at a bank? Waste of tax payers money if you ask me. And oh, the only bank robbery I ever heard of in Gh, well, the robbers got away with the money, and yes, there was police security at the bank at the time.
So, how useful is police presence at a bank?

All this to arrest a taxi driver? Really please, each of you just hold a tyre of the taxi. That will absolutely ensure the car won't move

Security in Ghana really have a totally weird-ed out way of tackling problems.

Open Letter To The Inspector General Of Police (IGP), Ghana Police Service

Dear IGP,
Your officers have gone rogue.

I apologise if that sounds harsh but I really do not know how else to describe some of your officers after the Cal Bank Shooting.

First, an officer of yours gets upset with someone and opens fire inside a banking hall without a care to the fact that there were other customers in the bank. Then, a PRO of your office chooses to brand the target of the shooting as a suspected armed robber, a suspicious person and finally an innocent person, without even apologising for the first 2 names he (the PRO) called him. Honestly, it makes me wonder:
1. What qualifies a person to be accepted into the Ghana Police Service?
2. What qualifies an officer of the Ghana Police Service to be given a firearm?
3. What qualifies an officer to be called a PRO of the Ghana Police Service?
4. When a person identifies him/herself as a PRO of the Ghana Police Service, when he/she speaks about a police case publicly, does that mean his/her words echo your thoughts as IGP? If so, DSP Freeman Tettey is belittling your thought processes.
5. If there is a case involving two civilians, and the Ghana Police Service through its PRO decides to comment, does the PRO speak about what only one party said, or does the PRO speak about what both parties said, or does the PRO remain silent and say the police service will comment after investigations are complete?
6. Should the same in 5. above apply when the case involves one policeman and one civilian?
7. If a PRO of the Ghana Police Service speaks, and there is no counter information from the IGP or a representative of the IGP, does that mean the IGP spoke through the PRO?
8. Does DSP Freeman Tettey have PR training? If so, where did he receive his PR training from?
9. DSP Freeman Tettey said last week after he was done with all his name calling that the police were waiting for the CCTV footage from Cal Bank. Has the Ghana Police Service been able to review the CCTV footage of Cal Bank?
10. If the Ghana Police Service has reviewed the CCTV footage of Cal Bank from the day of the incident, am I pushing in asking that we (Ghanaians) wish to hear what the police service has to say after their review of the footage? Or was it apt on the part of the Ghana Police Service though DSP Freeman Tettey to attempt to ruin a person's reputation when no footage had been seen, but after reviewing the footage (video evidence) that may vindicate a suspected armed robber (according to the police service), the police service keeps mum on the issue? Even DSP Freeman Tettey, who has had so much to say has gone silent.
11. Finally, as IGP, how do you advise your men to handle suspected armed robbers?

Does the Ghana Police Service ever apologise when all shows and proves that the service was wrong? I ask this because, I picked up the Daily Graphic today and there was a story that had me laughing all day. Story was captioned Campaign to boost public confidence in police starts tomorrow. Writing it out here has got me laughing so hard some more. Oh my! Looks like I'm getting all teary eyed.

Seriously?
You care what the public thinks about the police? You haven't acted like it at all. How about we ask families of persons who have been shot dead by police officers and have been told the person shot by the police was actually an armed robber, when all indications show the person was most likely killed by a stray bullet, what they think about the police. I am going too far. How about we ask someone who was shot in a banking hall by a police officer just because he could, and just when he thought it was just one police officer with issues, he hears the next morning that a PRO of the police service obviously speaking for you, IGP and for the whole police service calling him a suspected armed robber, and then video evidence which has obviously vindicated him is watched by the police and none of them, not even their vociferous PRO has anything to say. Ask him how he feels about the police. And oh, ask an innocent man who was placed in Nsawam prison on remand for 14 years and having 2 of his finger nails plucked out by police officers how he feels about the police.

It doesn't hurt to say, I was wrong, I am sorry. It doesn't hurt to say my man/men made a mistake, please accept my apology. Until the police learn to get off their high horse and do that, I'm sorry (see how easy that was to say) what you are trying to do, will remain a joke to a whole bunch of us. In other words, it will fail abysmally. We are human, we are all fallible. Accepting that is the first step to being a better person/institution.

I however haven't forgotten that, "there may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but let there never be a time when we fail to protest".

Yours sincerely,
Efua Dentaa.

P.S. Why am I going off on this whole PR thing? Well, let's see, could be because I hold an MPhil in the subject.
And oh, the person your officer shot and wounded who was called a suspected armed robber still has shrapnel (bullet fragments) in both legs that doctors say is not advisable to remove as their removal might lead to other complications. Imagine living the rest of your life knowing you have foreign unwanted material (bullet parts) in your body (the psychological trauma).

Open Letter To Cal Bank

Dear Management of Cal Bank,
The Cal Bank Shooting is as much your problem as Ghana police and the victims.

Trying to act like an ostrich will not make it go away neither will it make it not your problem. After the incident, you have issued out one statement stating you have been informed of the incident, the injured were given medical care, the incident has been reported to the police (out of curiosity, who reported? you or one of the victims?), you are cooperating with the police investigation and the safety of your customers has always been of paramount concern to you so customers should continue to do their business as usual with you. Seriously? If you are concerned about the safety of your customers, either you show it or issue them bullet proof vests and helmets before they enter your bank.

When there is a crisis, you manage it (yes, this is very much a crisis for Cal Bank) that is why there's something called crisis management. Never heard of a wing (no pun intended) of it called "ostrich crisis management", which really is what you are practicing. Your statement could have started off as you stating how appalled you are by the incident that occurred in your bank (who was right, who was wrong, it was after all appalling), offering your sympathies to the victims of the incident and their families, assuring your customers of their safety in your branches and assuring them you are cooperating with Ghana police in their investigation. Don't urge them to do business with you. Makes you come across as insensitive. Lives could have been lost. That would have sounded like something written by persons with feelings not something written by an automated machine only concerned about profit making. A statement like that does not come across as you judging the situation nor refusing to assist with the police investigation. I know your tag line is "bank on our service" and not "bank on our human relations", but I must have mistook the service you talk about to include human relations. My bad. You are a bank and your service really is collecting people's money and making profits off of it. How they live and die really is no concern of yours. Leave that to human rights activists.

Another thing Management of Cal Bank, if you are not aware, well, officials at your branch where the incident happened, Derby Avenue, are. Your security men at that branch sold (who knows? maybe they still do) parking spaces to shoppers in Accra. So, you get to Accra to shop, can't find parking, you park in front of the bank, pay something to security over there then you go do your shopping. I am guessing proceeds were shared with the policeman at the centre of all this. Why then would a security man, send a policeman after a man because of parking space? Why would the policeman oblige? Something must have driven him. Unless Ghana police can come out and prove that he was under the influence of drugs/alcohol or was controlled by juju or their officers now double as caretakers of parking lots, I'd like to speculate and say the love of money drove him to what he did. Did I already say officials of the branch knew this? They knew and did nothing until this incident happened. Imagine they had put a stop to it. Now, imagine someone comes out to say your security has collected money from them to park over there before. Don't rule that out just yet. It just might happen.

And oh, you saw the communication that was coming from Ghana police and you, having some of your staff witnessing what happened and watching everything on your own CCTV said nothing?

Remember, "there may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but let there never be a time when we fail to protest".

Sincerely,
Efua Dentaa.

Open Letter to Ghanaian Media

Dear Media of Ghana,
With reference to the Cal Bank Shooting, ASK RELEVANT QUESTIONS!

Many thanks to media who told the story of the victim. For the media who chose to set the agenda for Ghana police, you forget that you each have bank accounts and this unfortunate and extremely bizarre incident could happen to you. I guess if it happened to you, you wouldn't be telling the story of Ghana police but your own story. Sometimes in certain situations, it helps to put yourself in the shoes of the other person before you act.

Media men and women of Ghana, I was under the impression you are supposed to be neutral and impartial. I was under the impression you are supposed to be a check on society for all Ghanaians. We all will not be able to interview the public relations officer of Ghana police and make ourselves heard or question certain things. The media has that opportunity and under normal circumstance is to do that for all Ghanaians. In a situation where a case is pending investigation and there are two sides to it, does it hurt to quote what each side has to say and add that the case is under investigation? However, you are free to pick a side. It is after all your media and you are free to do with it as you please. It'd however be a very good idea if you pick the side that is telling the truth (you do have investigative journalists don't you?). Otherwise you'll just come out looking foolish as you will have to keep changing your story as and when the side you chose changes their story.

Ask relevant questions! It really doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise they should ask Ghana police why a suspected armed robber was shot by one of their officers and was never arrested, never charged for any crime and has been a freeman ever since the incident. If Ghana police honestly felt this person was a criminal, trust me, he would have been behind bars right after the offending officer told his side of the story. It doesn't take a rocket scientist either to realise they should ask how an AK47 fires 3 times on its own during a struggle. Why? Was it locally manufactured?

For the media who did not have the contact and opportunity to interview the victim, heard the Ghana police account, went on ahead to get experts into their studios and question and discuss what Ghana police was saying, God bless you. You showed your media house is run by human beings with feelings. For those who chose to ingest all they were being fed by Ghana police, no questions asked and tried to feed it back to Ghanaians, really? Was under the impression that all journalists were trained to be more open minded than that.

Interestingly enough, no one seems interested in getting Cal Bank's account of events. Aside the statement Cal Bank gave out, which really was speaking in their own interest, nothing. Did I already mention that I was under the impression that the media acted as a check on society? I really would love to be patriotic as some media houses have chosen to focus on this month of March and not say what I am about to, but tell me, how does one stay patriotic to a country where its police shoot and injure you, try to tarnish your image and a section of its media aid its police in covering it up thus making themselves look good? Would any international media have handled this incident like some Ghanaian media have? Would the media of developed countries have handled this as some Ghanaian media did? Or Ghana is not there yet?

Remember, "there may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but let there never be a time when we fail to protest".

Sincerely,
Efua Dentaa.

Open Letter To Ghanaians

Dear People of Ghana,
I hope we all have heard about the Cal Bank Shooting. For those who haven't, and for non-Ghanaians who don't know what is happening in Ghana, and for those who have heard a twisted version fabricated by #GhanaPolice, Cal Bank Shooting. This account of the incident which happened on Saturday, March 8, 2014 was given by the victim.

For accurate reportage, which some Ghanaian media who have chosen to set the agenda for Ghana Police are not doing, I should include the story Ghana Police is telling (represent both sides of the story). Thing is, I cannot. Why? Because I don't know which story to upload. I have lost count of the different versions of the Ghana Police account of events since Sunday, March 9, 2014. The victim has moved from a suspected armed robber who struggled with the police officer over the officer's AK47, hence it misfiring, to a suspicious character who transacted no business in the bank, yet hang around the bank and caused the police officer to fire when confronted, to still a suspicious character transacting no business in the bank and the AK47 firing in the process of the officer handcuffing him. Today, the Ghana Police story is the event was a "mishap" and that there had been "negligence and recklessness on the part of the policeman, leading to the unlawful cause of harm to the three innocent persons". Today, Ghana Police counts the victim among innocent people. The story of the victim has however remained the same.

Why should Ghanaians be concerned? After all, not all of us are foolhardy enough to return a policeman's slap even when the slap was unwarranted. Well, there were two other victims who were shot. These were innocent bystanders who were in the banking hall transacting business. Either of them could have lost their life. Either one of them could have been any one of us. Let us not forget that there is at least one armed policeman in front of every bank in Ghana. This could have happened in any bank.

To all Cal Bank customers, future customers and all Ghanaians, in all of this, the bank has issued one statement. Cal Bank's Statement telling Ghanaians to keep doing business with them and everything is safe in their banks despite what happened. Meanwhile, officials of the bank and workers of the bank were present when all this was going down and the bank has, and has watched their own CCTV footage of the incident. Cal Bank has seen and heard how Ghana Police have decided to report the incident and have said nothing. This incident involved their very own customer. It appears the bank is more concerned about business going on as usual in their banks than about their customer and the fact that three of their customers could have died due to the negligence of one Ghanaian policeman. The bank is ignoring the fact that the image of their customer is gradually being tarnished by the very same Ghana police that tried to kill him for no valid reason (do they even care about that). It would probably be better if time was taken to assure Ghanaians of the provision of bullet proof vests for Cal Bank customers by the bank. At least that would show some care and concern on their part.

Ghanaians and the rest of the world, let us open our eyes and see what Ghana police has done and has been trying to do. Let us open our eyes and see just how much a bank cares about its own customer.

Remember,"there may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but let there never be a time when we fail to protest".

Sincerely,
Efua Dentaa.

Pet Peeves III!

And picking up from Pet Peeves! and Pet Peeves II!

10. Water.
I am back on the subject of water. No, my taps aren't running (still). Well, the Ghana Water Company after 3 days of no water decided to turn the taps on yesterday at about 11am (like most people weren't at work) and turn them off again at 10pm. I get home like 6pm and the water is barely trickling through my taps (it took about an hour to get a full bucket of water) until the taps eventually stopped running at 10pm.
Ok, ok, ok, I now know it is very possible for me to actually take a bath with a bucket (more like half a bucket) of water. I promise not to use like 10 (that's if I can quantify how much water I use) and I promise not to wash my hands like 15 times everyday (it really doesn't matter that I have a very mild OCD). I promise, I'll conserve water (even though I pay for all the water I use and don't cheat the system). Now please let the taps flow!
On my way to work this morning, I'm seeing people washing their cars and I'm thinking, really? And then I could have sworn people were fetching sea water. I saw a truck with barrels of water on it being pushed by 4 men and they were coming from the direction of the sea (I used the beach road). I hope they aren't drinking it. For cooking, washing and bathing, I guess it's ok (not 100% sure though). But really, that's how bad it is. Sea water. Hmmmmmm...

11. Ludacris.
What has he got to do with me? Nothing, except that just about every barber shop in Accra (not sure about the rest of Gh) has to have this particular picture on their billboard/signboard/something.

I got curious about where the people were getting the picture from so I Googled him and voila!

Is it about the way his facial hair is cut or what? I'm sure he's not the finest, most popular guy in the world. Aren't there any Gh men who qualify to be used to advertise a barber shop?

One example of a thousand other barber shops in Accra

I'm sure when he came to Gh, organisers of the concert didn't take him on a tour proper of Accra. If they had, one of two things might have happened.
a) He'd have freaked out and left Gh that very instant, concert cancelled.
b) He'd have stayed for his concert and stayed after to be king of Gh. Oh yeah, his face is more popular on the streets of Accra than it ever was in any family album of his.

12. Gh Police.
Is it just my overactive imagination or is there always extra traffic when police officers are directing at a traffic light (faulty or just cos they feel like it)?

13. DP and DV number plates.
I was under the impression that DP plates were issued usually at the ports (for imported cars) and expired 15 days from the day of issue.

How have you been doing it? Avoiding or palm greasing?

So why am I seeing a 2013 DP plate a month and a half into 2014? Even if the plate was issued on December 31, 2013, I'm sure we're more than 15 days into 2014.
Then the DV plates. They last longer (a maximum of one year) and are supposed to be used on a car after the DP plate expires, until the car is registered. There are a whole bunch of rules as to how they are to be used (as in cars with DV plates). Eg. you can carry only a certain number of people in the car, the car can only be used from 6am to 7pm, the car can't be used for funerals, weddings etc. DV plated cars really are to be used for testing by potential buyers. So I ask, what is a 2013 DV plated car doing in 2014?

How are you also doing it?

And I had to end at number 13. Then again I am from Gh and the number 13 really is not supposed to have any significance for me (yeah, just like it wouldn't make much sense to sit here in Gh and celebrate Thanksgiving).
But seriously, Ghana Water Company, I really can't do the one half bucket of water no more!

Pet Peeves II!

I'll pick up Pet Peeves! where I left off yesterday with MTN (makes sense since I ended with MTN).

5. Thank you MTN for the birthday present. It was very thoughtful of you and especially since you were one of the first to wish me a happy birthday with a text message at 12:35am.
Again, you chose not to tell me the 30mins free airtime, 10 sms and 30MB data would expire in 3 days. From my experience last year though I knew it would so I wasn't caught unawares. You were kind enough though to inform me that all the free stuff you gave me were for on-net transactions (thanks for the heads up), but you know I am subscribed to your BlackBerry service so there is no way I could use the data package you gave me, and I hardly send sms (I was able to send like 2 before the package expired). I am so not trying to sound ungrateful. I do appreciate the gesture and it really is the thought that counts. Next year, I'll get an Android phone so I can at least use the data package you send me :D

6. Water.
I (plus just about the rest of Accra) haven't had water running through my taps for like 3 days now. Eish! Have things got that bad in Ghana (I know things are bad but water)? Yesterday, I had no electricity and no water, and I knew I should expedite my conquering of mars mission or maybe I should switch to the Amazon jungle, since it has been proven to me beyond reasonable doubt that I can very well survive without certain amenities I used to think were basic.

7. Shoprite.
There's no way I could do a pet peeves post without mentioning Shoprite (would raise questions now, wouldn't it?). Aside the usual, there really isn't anything new to report. Was at Shoprite at the Oxford Street Mall last week and I'm proud to say the flies seem to have relegated themselves to just the fruits. No personal shopper this time. A friend did tell me that the apples in the Shoprite at the Accra Mall have been covered, but I haven't been there in it seems like forever. It appears I am able to tolerate flies more than roaches.

8. YFM.
Now how did they make it here? I love YFM. I keep winning stuff over there and they did send me to SA last year to see Rihanna.
8 (a) Ms. Naa. How did she make it over here? I love her morning show. It wakes me up long enough to last the hours at work before lunch time. What can I say? I have a reason for loving everyone and everything. So this morning, on Ryse and Shyne (Ms. Naa's show on YFM), she gives out a riddle and asks listeners to tweet the answer for a prize. The prize? A voucher to browse for free at the Accra Mall courtesy BLU (there were 2 vouchers to be won). The problem? A rep from BLU was on Ms. Naa's show I think sometime last week and he did say anyone can browse for free at the Accra Mall as long as the anyone makes their way to the BLU stand at the Accra Mall. I was at the Accra Mall on Monday and I made my way to the BLU stand, picked up a voucher (matter of fact, 2 cos the first one run out) for absolutely free and browsed for absolutely free. How then are free vouchers now prizes to be won on YFM? Unless of course y'all trying to say browsing at the BLU stand ain't free no more (which I doubt).

9. Food.
It really is none of my business what people choose to cook and others choose to eat. That's the thing. It's their choice and it has absolutely nothing to do with me. But...

drawing does kinda look like chicken thighs to me though

Really? hmmmm... like I already said. It's their choice and has absolutely nothing to do with me.
This week on Ms. Naa's show she gave a bizarre news story about human meat being sold in a Lagos (I think it was or at least somewhere in Nigeria) hotel (the restaurant) for ₦700.00 ( that's about $4.24) a piece I guess. Apparently some customers were consuming the meat without knowing it was human meat. One pastor ate the meat and tipped the police off who later found 2 human heads in the restaurant (back room I guess).
That one is the police business not mine. So I guess everyone will just mind their own business. But seriously, human meat for sale, what is this world coming to?

I really didn't want to, but there's a Pet Peeves III. Coming out tomorrow. Real short this time.