TALKING DRUM: From Classroom to Newsroom, My desperate journey!

The writer, Solomon Mensah, poses to the camera at his GIJ graduation.

Nurturing a passion

  

“Kofi!”

“Is Kofi there?” called my Father.

It was somewhere in 1999. I was by then in the primary school. Such calls from my [Late] Father, especially when he sat in the corridor, basically involved two things; either he would teach me a life-lesson or he requested I helped him select a document from a bank of papers.

A night school he claimed to have attended only afforded him the ability to tell the time by his wrist-watch. However, when he called me on that day he would ‘read’ a national daily to my hearing. 

In the newspaper, Opanin Mensah Solomon stood by a plantain tree that had borne three buds. It was a mystery and he was, on that day he called me, touting his achievements.

“So, who wrote this about you?” I asked.

“A pressman,” he answered, instructing me to speak to his right ear for the left [ear] was failing him.

“A Pressman? Who are those people?

“Their job is to write news in the papers.”

He had educated me and from that day I said to myself I will also be a pressman.

I started writing

In the year 2000, I had failed entry exams into the junior secondary school level at the Sacred Heart Primary & JSS in Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region. I had not been able to convince my parents to buy me a lens so in writing the entry exams, I saw nothing written on the chalkboard as I was made to sit far away from the board. The invigilator would not heed to my cry to let me sit in front of the class. 

My [Late] mother, Ama Adease, got me admission at the St James Primary & JSS, also in Sunyani, as I protested against being repeated at Sacred Heart. 

In my new school, I met a teacher who rekindled my passion for journalism. The Social Studies teacher named Mr. Abebey once charged us to write as some students from Accra did in the Junior Graphic.

“Those students in Accra are not better than you. Start writing short stories and I will help you post them to the Junior Graphic for publication,” said Mr. Abebey, wearing a blue faded jeans that matched his arm-folded-long-sleeve white shirt.

When I got home the day Mr. Abebey motivated us, I ran to my Father to tell me a tale. He had a bank of Ananse stories.

Days later, the teacher brought copies of the Junior Graphic to class on one Wednesday. He was super happy. The Ananse story my Father told me had been published.

“Hey keep quiet [he told the class]. This is a story Solomon wrote and it has been published,” he said showing it to the class.

That publication inspired me to write more. I wrote ‘letter to the editor’ to The Mirror and Graphic Nsεmpa [an Asante Twi newspaper the Graphic Communication Group used to publish].

Journalism at the teachers’ training college

“Hello! Good morning and welcome to the BETCO Breakfast news. My name is Solomon Mensah … ,” that was my introduction.

It was at the dining hall of the then Berekum Teachers’ Training College (BETCO). My strategy was to listen to both Joy FM and Radio Ghana’s 6am news via their affiliate stations Sky FM and Radio BAR, in Sunyani, respectively, every day. I would jolt down the news, re-write and present it at the dining hall when students had their breakfast around 9am.

My College ID

The Students’ Representative Council led by one Kwasi Amankonah had subsequently made for me an ID card authorizing me as a ‘college journalist.’ I, as well, fished for stories on campus and in Berekum town to broadcast to my audience. In one of such reports, I interviewed Lord Oppong Stephen, then Berekum NDC Parliamentary aspirant, in 2007, via phone at the dining hall. 

To give my news a new feel of class, I approached a very pretty lady who sat just by me in class. I had, before then, been accused of having ‘something to do with her’ but we never went beyond friendship. 

Aside her beauty, Lawrencia Mintah’s voice was enough a Celine Deon’s song to the ear.

Capitalizing on the scratchy public address system at the College’s dining hall, I would give her copies of the news scripts and we read the news together. 

In other breath, I wrote and pasted articles on the College’s noticeboard using the pen name ‘Otiberεkε.’ The name which means the ‘wisdom head that wears a royal crown’ earned me the status of a campus celebrity. If I would not be (mis)taken for exaggeration, at any point in time one saw students gathered at the notice board reading my articles.

Indeed, the hand-written articles with its corresponding art work drawn by a friend, Kelvin Takyi, had some lecturers reading too. 

Dreams!

It almost became tormenting the frequent dreams I had in my sleep. In those dreams, I would see myself either holding the microphone interviewing people or shooting a scene with a camera on my shoulder while I squint-eyed. 

In all these dreams, it was only Kelvin Takyi I informed and he had one response; “Take it serious and pursue your dream.”

In search of a mentor

If for any reason I will miss Radio Ghana’s news, I will in no way miss a segment on the news called “News Commentary.”

The News Commentary gives writers and social commentators the opportunity to write about issues happening in and around the country. One name was frequently mentioned on this segment.

“In News Commentary, today, Manasseh Azure Awuni, SRC President of the Ghana Institute of Journalism argues that …,” that young man’s style of writing was unmatched. I looked for him online, sent him a mail, exchanged contacts and he has since been a great helper.

The GIJ admission 

The passion for journalism was hard hitting me in all this while. But I needed to complete the college for my mother. 

I applied for internship at both Space FM and Chris FM, in Sunyani and Berekum respectively. I was denied.

I consulted both a counselor and one of my brothers that I wanted to study journalism. Their answers made me buy Ghana Institute of Journalism’s admission form. When Manasseh called to tell me I had been shortlisted for a course in Diploma in Communication studies, I knew the time had come. 

Coming to Accra & the hustle

I eventually had to relocate to Accra. After three months asylum with some good friends at Mamprobi, I [peacefully] parted ways to settle at Labadi to start city life on my own. Here, getting access to water, bath and toilet were a miracle.

City life was as hard as squeezing water from stone. Opposite the entrance of GIJ, was a banku seller. Together with a friend we bought banku on credit. However, I would go to the rural areas in Brong Ahafo for stories whenever I got some little amount of money.

My first television report dubbed “Disabled Man in Berekum” was aired on GTV on 30^th May, 2012. I was by then in second semester, first year at GIJ. I thereafter did freelance for Adom TV, Joy News and wrote for Agoo Magazine among others.

On campus, I wrote and pasted articles using the pen name Aniwaba and as well wrote for Radio Ghana’s News Commentary. 

Cutting a long story short, becoming a journalist has been one desperate journey travelled with determination. Today, the struggle seems to be over and I am proud I took a risk following my passion. 

On September 17, 2016 I graduated from GIJ with a Second Class Upper in Bachelor of Arts. I have never felt fulfilled as on this day.

Whereas following one’s passion is important, we must not let money lead us. Many were my [teacher] friends who asked whether journalism paid much more than teaching. I had one answer for such folks.

That, we do not study journalism because we want to amass wealth. We study journalism because it is either an undying passion or a calling to serve humanity. 

Go out there and chase your dream. Trust in God and you will emerge a success. I have trusted God that He will plant my feet on a higher rock in my chosen field. You can trust Him too.

The writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM 92.7. Views expressed here solely remain his opinion and not that of his organization.

Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Aniwaba

TALKING DRUM: Ama Ata Aidoo must apologise to University of Ghana!

                                                                                                    

Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo on CEGENSA's cover

"Writers don’t give prescriptions. They give headaches,” Chinua Achebe, the great literary wizard of all time, once said.

It was not until last Saturday, September 3, 2016, that the true meaning of Achebe’s assertion hit me like mangoes hitting a wall in a torrential storm.

On that Saturday, the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) of the University of Ghana had gathered for an awards night. The awards night would see an Ama Ata Aidoo Short Story Competition held as part of CEGENSA’s 10^th anniversary celebration.

However, like the story of the boy who angrily took away his football after a misunderstanding on the pitch, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo did not hesitate walking out of the ceremony with her ‘ball’ too.

Yes! News reports suggested she was pissed off. Prof. Aidoo’s beef was simple but it was, enough, a headache to whoever read the story. 

The organisers of the Ama Ata Aidoo Short Story Competition had spelt her name on both the banner and programme cover as “Ama Atta Aidoo” instead of “Ama Ata Aidoo.”

This, the celebrated Ghanaian Author’s daughter briefly explained on social media what happened and later on justified the walk-away.

“My mother walked out of a CEGENSA event today meant to celebrate her and winners of a short story competition. 

“Both banner and programme cover had her name as ‘Ama Atta Aidoo’ and not ‘Ama Ata Aidoo,’ which is the correct spelling of her name,” wrote Kinna Kintu.

I bear Ama Ata Aidoo no grudge for getting worried over her name being spelt wrongly. An interesting tale is told of a man who went for treatment at the then Sunyani Municipal Hospital.

When (Opanin) Kwasi Nnuro got to the hospital that very day, the patients on admission had been served porridge. Out-patients were excluded of this breakfast and the man had taken notice of the apparent segregation. Then, after consulting the doctor he would be told to go for his medicine.

“Nnuro Kwasi!” called a nurse.

Dead silence.

“Nnuro Kwasi!”

There was yet a dead silence. Then, the patient sitting next to him asked; are you not the one the nurse is calling?

“My name is Kwasi Nnuro [and] not Nnuro Kwasi,” he replied. “When they were sharing their porridge did they invite me? Why, then, the medicine?”

Certainly, getting one’s name pronounced/spelt right is as important as anything else. Failure to get this done, we see a man shivering to death refusing to take his medicine or an Author walking out of a ceremony meant to honour her and some budding writers. 

According to 3news.com, CEGENSA said the short story competition was in honour of Ama Ata Aidoo for her multiple roles as a pan-African feminist, an author, poet, playwright and academic as well as her contribution to Africa’s renaissance.

So, was Ama Ata Aidoo walking out of the ceremony because a “t” had been added to her “Ata” justifiable? On at least three populated WhatsApp platforms that I am on and on Facebook, people fiercely shared their views. For most people, she did the right thing. 

In the subsequent lines, I give you reasons why Ama Ata Aidoo must apologise to the CEGENSA and the University of Ghana as a whole.

Many were those who equated CEGENSA’s “Atta” as a show of mediocrity. Their argument was that university students could have done better by doing due diligence. 

For a friend like Fred Darko Effah, getting the name spelt wrongly in one’s documents at the embassy amounts to being denied a visa. All are genuine concerns and I must admit to it.

However, inasmuch as I cannot independently defend the students, if we are to go by what we all read, then I see no need tagging CEGENSA’s possible mistake as being a subject of mediocrity. 

If the so called mediocre-students were reasonable enough to have sat down to choose Ama Ata Aidoo to honour her, then, I strongly think they don’t deserve our bashing that much. We should not act as holy apostles of due diligence. Yes, at times we commit mistakes before realizing we have.

I have on a number of occasions screenshot headlines and stories riddled with mistakes on some news websites including the BBC, Myjoyonline and my own 3news.com among others. As well, friends have pointed out to me one or two mistakes in my writeups.

Yes, mistakes do happen. CEGENSA’s blunder could have been a sheer mistake which was/is pardonable.

When Ama Ata Aidoo walked out of the ceremony, she walked out with the courage that the budding writers need to confront societal issues. 

Ama Ata Aidoo could have taught the students their lesson the hard way. She could have told them to postpone the ceremony to get her name right on the next occasion. 

It could have also been the ideal ground for her to register her displeasure of her name being spelt wrongly and take the opportunity to advice the young writers to pay attention to what they write.

It is rather unfortunate Ama Ata Aidoo failed to recognize these only for her daughter to lament on social media.

It will, therefore, not be out of place Ama Ata Aidoo, first, deeming it important CEGENSA’s award named in her honour and apologise to them for her walk-out. 

Such a walk-out discourages the youth from honouring their heroes for the fear of possibly stepping on their toes. This does not mean condoning the youth’s wrong. 

Our elders say, it takes a village to raise a child and our elders must have the heart to raise these children.

Talking Drum is published on www.3news.com on Fridays.

The writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM 92.7. Views expressed here solely remain his opinion and not that of his media organization.

Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Aniwaba

TALKING DRUM: Still! Mr. Moderator ‘Biegya!’

Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey

“Yes…! What don’t you understand?”

The very patient teacher would ask the back-benchers for clarification on what they say they didn’t understand. For some of us, just the mere topic “Mathematics” written on the board was enough a sleeping tablet. 

So, this teacher, Reverend Nyame Duodoo, had no problem in the hands of the sleeping students. 

Indeed, Rev. Duodoo was patient. Not even the annoying response of “the whole show” from a student- to mean that he/she did not understand everything taught- pissed him off. He had heard we called him Ja Rule because whenever it was time for his class, he will show up with his file capped under his armpit. He was “Always on Time.” Yet, he was not perturbed. 

But that afternoon at the 3Arts3 classroom at the then Sunyani Secondary School, Rev. Duodoo was worried. Some students had seen him riding a bicycle on campus and the ‘news’ had gone viral. For these okra[o]-mouth-students, he was not expected to be in the bracket of bicycle riders.

Silly, it sounds? Unfortunately, our larger society turns to make similar remarks about some group of people we think are too holy to comment on national politics. Indeed, so men who propagate the gospel are seen as such.

It is, therefore, not surprising that the back and forth of the news of the controversial preacher, Bishop Obinim and the infamous Montie 3 got drowned in the wake of the outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s $100, 000 bribe claim.

Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 made a claim that some politicians attempted to bribe him with an amount of $100, 000 in order to tame.

“Politicians had tried all means to muzzle me, to get me but they can’t, they come with bribes, fat envelopes, $100,000.

“[They also come with] the promises that if you keep quiet, we will give you a house at Trasacco with swimming pool… We will give you Four Wheel drive. But you know what; these people were lucky that I do not have big dogs in my house else I would have released the dogs for them to bite them.”

Could Prof. Martey’s claim be true? Well, this has been one question that has been tossed like a dice on Ghanaian media’s ludu and I would not want to base my argument on it. After all, you and I were not there. 

My concern has to do with some people who say Prof. Martey is a minister of God and should be remained as such without talking politics. So, what is politics and who can talk politics?

In an article on 3news.com dated August 31, 2016 and titled “Rev Martey ‘can now wear NPP jersey,’” General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, is reported to have asked Prof. Martey to go public with his affiliation with the opposition New Patriotic Party.

“He can wear the NPP shirt and walk around, and possibly, the NPP can choose him as the running mate or the flagbearer…that will help him instead of hiding behind the Presbyterian Church to make unguarded comments.”

In our country called Ghana, many are those who have pretended and still pretending deaf and dumb for fear of commenting on political issues in other not to be tagged as an NPP or NDC.

But if men of God have voter’s card and they are equally legally allowed to vote, then, why do we attack them when they criticize policies or ideas of a sitting government or the opposition respectively?

Prof. Martey, we know, has been very critical with the sitting government but does it in anyway make him an NPP?

Who would have thought that former Supper Morning Show host of Joy FM, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, was/is an NPP member?

In the Election 2012, Mr. Nkrumah was the lead anchor of his station’s election coverage and he projected victory for the NDC. This, his own party members [who perhaps never knew he was with them] would chase Joy FM’s reporters in town threatening to beat them up.

Sad enough, we often draw conclusions of people who criticize us as being our enemies. If General Mosquito and the NDC in general prefer Ghanaians keep quiet and watch things unfold in wait of another election period, they should tell us.

I think that it was totally below the belt General Mosquito adding that: “If he [Prof. Martey] wears the NPP jersey openly, we can then attack him when he make political comments but if he wants to be neutral, then he should not talk about political issues.”

According to the White House, President Obama reads 10 letters from Americans across the country every night. In one of his response to a young lady, who had sent her letter via Facebook Messenger, Obama encouraged her.

“As you continue to advance your education, find your voice and seek out opportunities to make the world a better place. I encourage you to speak up on the issues that matter to you,” wrote the world’s most powerful man to Kathleen.

Indeed, Prof. Martey and men who seek the good of Ghana will and must continue to speak on issues that matter to them.

While you choose to do so, in Ghana, remember the attacks will definitely come as they are tearing the man of God to shreds. But relax and take a cue from Mahatma Gandhi.

He once opined: “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.”

The writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM. Views expressed here solely remains his opinion and not that of his media organization.

Email: nehusthan4yahoo.com

Twitter:@Aniwaba