Instant reflections of life in Ghana today

Thursday, 30^th November 2023

First today –  football! The Daily Graphic reported – 

“Finally Inaki Wiliams scores his first goal for the Black Stars of Ghana. In a closely contested match during the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ghana secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Madagascar on Friday evening, courtesy of a late goal from Inaki Williams, reports Graphic Online’s Kweku Zurek.”

Football is a big thing here. The National team is a chance for Ghana to be seen on the world stage. It is managed by an English Manager, and in the African countries around us  there are many Premier league players –  Premier League trio Ibrahim Sangare, Simon Adringa and Hamed Traore all scored for Ivory Coast while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore are also in their national sides.

Getting through to the world cup is so much more important here in Africa than perhaps in the U.K. When Ghana plays, everything stops. I don’t need a radio to tell me the score.  When Ghana scores the whole city of Accra cheers!  Qualifying is vital for African nations. Africa has a guaranteed nine qualifiers for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico. let’s hope Ghana is one of them.

Next the “reparations” issue. Here’s the media report –

“African leaders have come to Accra, to advance the cause of justice and the payments of reparation for the exploitation and atrocities meted out to Africans by the Atlantic slave trade. At the “Accra Reparations Conference,” leaders on the continent, the diaspora, academia, legal experts and civil society organisations have met in Ghana’s Capital to share knowledge and formulate actionable strategies to address the historical injustices spanning the slave trade era, segregation, colonialism, apartheid, neo-colonialism and neo-liberalism.”

This is a much bigger issue here than it appears in the West. The pain of the slave trade runs deep and is an enormous agony in the emotions of the nations affected – especially Ghana. It’s a vital issue and I feel it deeply. The slave trade and the colonial era that followed left little that was good and lots that was very bad. Personally, I think the reparation talk does not help. The past should be left in the past, and the U.K. and Ghana must work together, recognising the mistakes we made and working together for a better future. I fear I am very much a lone voice.

Blessings
Jim

Watch a video of the centre of Accra as you probably would not expect to see it! Click here.

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