Features
Africans are our own enemies (final)
This concludes the series of articles under this headline inspired by the scripture: “A man’s enemies are those of his own household.”
With that scripture as the premise, juxtaposed against the treachery of Africans, we extrapolate that, indeed, we are our own enemies.
The sad case of Ghana’s founding father and first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was cited to validate that claim.
His top military and police officers colluded with the CIA and others to overthrow him and let him die in exile in Guinea. His only crime was that he was perceived to be a Marxist.
The second article dealt with a similar conspiracy of the compatriots of Congo’s freedom fighter and first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, a protégé of Nkrumah.
Congolese traitors, including Lumumba’s own personal aide, Mobutu, teamed up with the CIA and its allies like Belgium and France, chased him out of office and ultimately assassinated him in the most gruesome manner.
These enemies of progress conspired and got their stooge, Mobutu installed as President.
This final issue focuses on Captain Thomas Sankara, another proponent of Pan-Africanism and a champion of African personality, dignity, and excellence.
His obsession with negritude or blackness, and his desire to affirm the value of black or African culture, made him change his country’s name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso which translates to: “The land of upright people.”
The enemy within, in fact, his own boyhood friend, confidant, and his second-in-command, Captain Blaise Campaore double-crossed him.
Ironically, it was Compaore who staged a coup on August 4, 1983, and installed Sankara, as President after President Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo had repeatedly arrested and detained him over ideological differences and suspected disloyalty.
Sankara, then 33 years, had risen on the back of a nationwide popularity driven by his renowned military prowess, gait, and charismatic leadership, to become the Prime Minister.
In fact, Ouedraogo himself admitted that after the coup that brought him to power, Sankara was chosen as the President. But he ceded it to him, saying Ouedraogo, a major, was more senior in rank.
Sankara was unapologetically leftist and leveraged his position as Prime Minister, to travel and interact with famous Marxist freedom fighters around the world like Muammar Ghaddafi of Libya, SamoraMachel of Mozambique and Fidel Castro of Cuba.
Ouedraogo who considered himself a “liberal and true democrat” was not comfortable with Sankara’s ideology and sought unsuccessfully to rein him in before he was removed.
Just like Lumumba, Sankara was an ambitious nationalist who fought tirelessly to transform his poverty-stricken, drought-ravaged, landlocked country as fast as he could.
When he took over, Upper Volta, as his country was then called, was under serious threat. It was a tragic synthesis of all the suffering of mankind. The diagnosis was a bad one.
For instance, out of seven million inhabitants, more than six million were peasants; infant mortality was 180 per 1,000; while life expectancy was just 40 years.
The illiteracy rate was 98 per cent, if literacy is considered to mean being able to read, write and speak a language; only 16 per cent were receiving some schooling of some sort; one doctor for 50,000 inhabitants; and lastly, just over $100 per capita.
But, during his short rule, this orator of a soldier, through his inspirational can-do messages, mobilised his people and substantially reversed his country’s backwardness through a policy of self-reliance.
Sankara initiated programmes that vastly reduced infant mortality and increased literacy rates and school attendance through an immense campaign, for the education and training of children dubbed: “Let’s teach our children.”
He further empowered women in many ways more than any leaders in his era, including offering them governmental posts.
In the first year of his presidency alone, 10 million trees were planted to combat desertification which was threatening the very survival of his country.
He established local committees which were mobilised to embark on a vast house-building programme which resulted in 500 units in just three months.
The committees built health care centres, roads, and irrigation schemes to boost agriculture and enhance food production.
According to Ernest Harsch’s book, Thomas Sankara: An African Revolutionary, cereal production increased by 75 per cent during the first three years of his presidency, an astounding feat for a country where most people were subsistence farmers.
Sankara who resented the ostentatious lifestyle of the Europeanised political elite, meticulously practised his conviction that public servants were stewards of the people’s money.
His unpretentious frugal lifestyle, modesty, and integrity attested to that. The only assets he owned were known to all: a car, a refrigerator, a few bicycles, and several guitars.
He described as unacceptable, the reluctance of Africa’s elite minority to relinquish certain exclusive privileges to allow the masses enjoy a certain modicum of comfort.
Sankara saw that as a drain on the economy and introduced some austerity measures to curb it. Among them, he abolished the use of limousines, expensive sedans and long motorcades for himself and other top government officials.
He opted for the unimposing black Peugeot 205 while he lived on a salary he pegged at the equivalent of about $462 per month.
Determined to deal with corruption, Sankara established public tribunals that tried hundreds of government officials and civil servants for the misuse or theft of public funds.
In the heat of the moment, some lost their jobs and many of the country’s elite who were affected, harboured bitter grievances against his radical reforms.
Sankara rejected foreign models of development as a ploy by the West to perpetually enslave Africa and make it permanently dependent and subservient.
“There will be no salvation for our peoples unless we turn our backs completely on all the models that all the charlatans of that type have tried to sell us for 20 years,” he said as he outlined his development paradigm.
He challenged Africa’s technocrats to lead the crusade to open economic doors for the masses of the continent by looking within for workable local solutions whose success would compel the international community to adopt them.
At the 39th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City, on October 4, 1984.Sankara was in his element, damning the consequences as he gave a soul-stirring address punctuated by the raw, biting truth, which left the West with a lingering sense of guilt.
Criticising the oppressive tactics of the Western countries to their faces, he said: “They have trampled on the truth of the just. They have betrayed the word of Christ. They have turned His cross into a club, and after putting on His robe they have tom our bodies and souls to shreds.
“They have obscured His message, making it a Western one, whereas we saw it as a message of universal liberation. Now our eyes have been opened to the class struggle and there will be no more blows dealt against us.”
Notwithstanding the substantial improvement in the lives of the people, opposition began mounting gradually against the beloved Sankara as the austerity measures bit harder.
The older political elite, moderate in their philosophy and puppets of their colonial master, France, opposed Sankara’s socialist policies, though they were progressive.
Destitute of all relevance in the body politic, they sought some redemption as they hid behind the scenes and sponsored students and other disgruntled elements to distribute pamphlets criticisingSankara.
But Sankara was unflinching in his belief that his paradigm shift would achieve ultimate success. As if speaking by premonition, he said during a public address in Ouagadougou: “Che Guevara was cut down by bullets, imperialist bullets. You cannot kill ideas,” he added. A week later, he was dead.
His vice, Compaore who was never a revolutionary, made some clandestine moves sowing discord among members of the ruling junta and winning people of his ilk, the pretenders, to his side while he bided his time to strike.
He chose October 15, 1987, while Sankara was holding a cabinet meeting. He should have been there as the number-two man, but he stayed behind and sent soldiers loyal to him to spray Sankara with a hail of bullets without any reason. Sankara was just 37 years.
He denied involvement but by nightfall, the traitor had installed himself president, remaining so for 27 years before a popular uprising compelled him to flee to exile in La Cote d’Ivoire after undoing all the good work of the charismatic and courageous Sankara.
It has been almost 35 years since his death but on hindsight, his people now regret their mistake in betraying a man whose inspired leadership they might never get again, a man who sacrificed himself in selfless service to his people for their good.
For decades, the West has used one pattern – find an enemy within, divide, and rule, and keep Africa perpetually under.
Africa wise up!
By Tony Prempeh
When Abigail Fremah steps up to the Armwrestling table, the noise fades, the tension settles, and order takes over.
Despite a calm, but firm and meticulous disposition, she has become one of the quiet forces shaping Ghana’s growing reputation in the sport, not as an athlete, but a referee trusted on the continental stage.
Abigail’s journey into Armwrestling did not begin at the table. Like many Ghanaian sports enthusiasts, she grew up playing several disciplines. Football was her first love, but she also featured in volleyball and basketball during her school years. Sports, she says, was simply a way of life not just for her.
“It runs through the family. All my siblings are into sports,” she stated.
“I was involved in almost every sport in school, football, volleyball, netball, hockey; I did everything,” she recalls.
Her academic background in Health, Physical Education and Recreation laid a solid foundation for her sporting career. While on scholarship at the university (University of Cape Coast), she often used her modest budget to support young athletes, sometimes sharing skills and even T-shirts at programmes she attended. Giving back, she explains, has always been part of her motivation.
However, as she matured as an athlete, Abigail made a critical self-assessment.
“Armwrestling involves a lot of strength,” she admits. “Looking at my body type, I realised I couldn’t fit properly as a competitive athlete.”
That moment of honesty pushed her to a different trajectory but equally important path in sports; which is officiating.
During her National Service, she was encouraged by Mr Charles Osei Asibey, the President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), to consider officiating. He introduced her to a technical official, Mr Hussein Akuerteh Addy, who formally took her through the basics of Armwrestling officiating in 2021.
“I started as a case official,” she says. “We moved from region to region every week, officiating competitions. That’s where it all began.”
By 2022, Abigail was actively involved in national assignments, though she missed the African Championship that year. Her breakthrough came in 2023, when Ghana hosted the African Armwrestling Championship.
It was her first experience officiating at a major international competition and it changed everything.
“That was my first national and international exposure at the same time,” she says. “It really opened my eyes.”
Today, Abigail is a World Junior Armwrestling Referee, a status earned through performance, consistency and discipline. She explains that progression in officiating was not automatic.
“It’s all about performance, your appearance at African Championships, your conduct, how you handle pressure; that’s what takes you to the world level,” she stressed.
As a referee, Abigail’s priority is safety and fairness. Armwrestling, she notes, comes with risks, particularly injuries to the wrists, elbows, shoulders and arms.
“If athletes don’t follow the rules or refuse to listen to officials, injuries can happen,” she explains, adding that focus was everything.
Before every match, she ensures that all equipment which includes elbow pads, hand pegs and table alignment were properly set. Athletes are not allowed to cover their elbows, must grip correctly, and must follow the referee’s commands precisely.
“We make sure everything is fixed before the grip,” she says. “Once we say ‘Ready… Go’, there should be no confusion.”
She is also firm on discipline. Warnings are issued for infractions, and repeated misconduct attracts penalties.
“The referee must be respected, if you don’t listen, the rules will deal with you,” she says.
Abigail credits her confidence partly to her sporting family background. Her mother was a volleyball player, while other family members also participated in sports. Though they were initially concerned about her safety, her rise to the top reassured them.
“They were afraid at first,” she admits. “But they were also very proud, especially because some of them never got the opportunity to reach this level.”
Looking ahead, Abigail is optimistic about the future of Armwrestling in Ghana. In less than a decade, the country has produced African and world-level medalists, a sign, she believes, of great things to come for Ghana.
“Whenever we go out, we come back with medals such as gold and silver,” she says, and to her that was a sign of growth.
In the next five to ten years, Abigail sees herself rising to become a World Master Referee, the highest officiating level in the sport. Until then, her routine remains intense, training four times a week, working closely with athletes, standing on her feet for hours, and constantly refining her understanding of the rules.
“I love this sport,” she says simply. “That love is what keeps me going.”
Abigail encouraged women to be bold and intentional about their place in sports saying “don’t limit yourself because of fear or stereotypes.”
She also urged women to invest in learning, discipline and consistency, stressing that respect was earned through performance.
For Abigail, as Ghana’s armwrestlers continue to make their mark, she will remain where she is most effective at the table, ensuring the game is played right.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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As he had promised Aperkeh, the elderly man and his wife and three daughters stopped by Aperkeh’s parents’ house. Mr Amando and his family were preparing to settle in for the night.
“Brother Ben and family”, Mr Joshua Amando said warmly, “although I know you are here on a matter that can hardly be described as joyous, it is still good to see you. You are welcome. Please sit down while I bring you water”.
“Yes, we will take water, even though we are hardly thirsty, because this is our home”.
“Okay, Ben”, he started after they had drank, “Let me go straight to the point. My daughter Priscilla has told me about the goings on between her brother Aperkeh and our daughter Stella.
Before informing me, Priscilla had expressed concern to Aperkeh about some habits he is adopting, especially the late nights and the drinking. She tells me that one Saturday morning, she was there when Stella complained about his drinking and some girls who had come to the house to look for him, and he assaulted her.
I called him and complained, but all he could say was that I don’t know what caused him to react that way, so I could not judge him. Now he does not answer my calls.
I have sent Priscilla to his house to call him, but he has refused to come. Unfortunately, Ben, my son is a much different person than the young boy who completed university and started work at the bank. I am really embarrassed about his treatment of Stella”.
“Joshua, let me assure you that even though what is happening is very unfortunate, it will not affect our relationship.
We have been friends since childhood, and I thought that with their parents’ blessing, the relationship between Aperkeh and Stella would grow to become a blessing to all of us. But there appears to be a real challenge now.
Stella thinks that Aperkeh wants her out of his house, and indeed Aperkeh himself told me that, about an hour ago.
So I’m taking my daughter home. I suggest that you do what you can to straighten him out, but if it does not work out, let’s accept the situation and continue to be one family.
I am sure that being the well behaved girl that she is, Stella will meet a young man who will cherish her. Fortunately, this problem is happening early in the day, so they can sort things out if possible, or move on with their lives if they are unable to stay together”.
“I’m really grateful for that, Ben. I will do my best in the next few days to reason with him, because apart from the relationship with Stella, Aperkeh is risking his job and career with this lifestyle.
A good job and salary offers an opportunity to gather momentum in life, not to destroy yourself”.
“Okay Brother Joshua. We will say goodnight. I hope to hear positive news from you”.
As he descended in the lift from the fourth to the ground floor, Aperkeh wondered who would be waiting at the reception to see him at nine on Monday morning. He had spent good time with both of his new girls during the weekend, so it had to be someone else. He got out of the lift and pulled a face when he saw Priscilla.
“Priscilla”, he said as he sat down by her, “what do you want here? You know Monday morning is a busy time at the bank. I am a very busy person, so say what you want, I have work to do”.
“You are very funny, Aperkeh. You are telling me, your sister, that you have work to do, so I should hurry up? Okay, Dad says I should advise you to come home tonight, because he wants to discuss the issue of Stella with you. He sent me to you twice, and you did not come.
He has tried to call you quite a number of times, but you have refused to answer his calls. He says that if you do not come tonight, you will be very surprised at what he will do. He says you will not like it at all, so better come.
“What is all this? Why won’t you people leave me alone? Stella is very disrespectful. I told her that if she wanted to continue to live in my house, she must obey me. It is that simple.
She chose to continue ordering me about, controlling me in my own house, so I told her that if she could not live under my conditions she should leave. And she left. In fact, her own father came and took her away. So what again?’’
“How did she disobey or control you? Was she complaining about your continuous drinking and late nights? And did you slap her on several occasions because of that? Did you tell her that if she could not live under your conditions she should leave? You actually said that to her father? You have forgotten that before she came to live with you, our two parents met and agreed, and gave it their blessing?’
“Why don’t you leave, Priscilla? I don’t have to listen to all that”. “Okay, I will go. Your father who gave birth to you and educated you to university level sends me to you, and you ask me to leave? I wish you would defy him, and refuse to come home as he’s telling you, because he is planning to give you the discipline you badly need. Let me tell you. Stella is such a beautiful and decent girl, and I assure you that someone will grab her before you say Jack. You are only 30 years old, and you have already become a drunkard”.
As he walked towards the lift, Aperkeh decided on what to do. He would go home, and calmly listen to what his father had to say. The old man was very unpredictable, and he wouldn’t dare ignore him. So he would take all the insults and threats, but as for Stella she was history. According to Priscilla, Stella was beautiful and all that, but she had not seen the two curvaceous princesses who were all over him, ready to do anything he asked. And these were not barely literate waakye girls, but university graduates from wealthy homes, really classy girls. With stuff like that, who needs a waakye girl? He smiled as he took his seat.
A few minutes to five, Aperkeh was packing up to leave for home to meet his dad when his phone rang. It was Priscilla.
“Aperkeh, Dad says you don’t need to bother to come. Stella’s dad says she came to him early this morning to plead that she would rather stay at home than return to your house. She thinks you are already decided to be rid of her, and she does not want to risk being assaulted again. So it’s done. You can go ahead and enjoy the nice life you have started”.
Before he could tell her to go to hell, Priscilla hanged up the line. He was partially stung that his dad had virtually cut him off. The last thing anyone would want was to fall out of relationship with his own family, which had always supported him.
But the truth was he was no longer interested in Stella. What was wrong with going by one’s feelings? He could only hope that one day, his parents and sister would try to reason with him.
By Ekow de Heer
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