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Dead babies, no grave
Many babies are conceived but do not, see the light of day
Man is God’s most wonderful creation. According to biblical legend, man was created in “His own image”, and was made lord over all living things on earth. Apart from the first man, however, all human beings had to be conceived in the womb and born of woman. Such was God’s design for the human race.
No matter one’s origin or race (Asian, Caucasian or Negro), the life of every human individual begins right from the time it is conceived. The male sperm unites with the female ovum and LIFE begins therefrom. Nine months, thence, a baby is born. It grows and grows to become an adult.
Many babies conceived do not, however, see the light of day. They never will.
They are scooped out of the womb before they develop eyes and limb. As such, they are deprived of the right to live. And their plight is apathetic instance of human cruelty.
And do they complain? They can’t! But assuming they could, all aborted babies in their frightful multitude will protest these injustices in a demonstration never before held on the planet. And a typical placard will read:
“My Mother Aborted Me
When I Was 3 Months Old
In Her Womb. How Much I
Loved My Mother. But She
Never Loved Me. She Killed Me.
O My Mother. She Killed Me.”
The blood of such a baby is forever upon the head of those who terminated its life against its will. The soul of the child cries to the Lord. The voice is tiny, but it reaches the ear of the Lord.
“O Lord, why did thou allow
My conception in the womb
Of that cruel woman.
Look at what she’s done to me.
She took me to a doctor who
Destroyed me with a dangerous weapon.
I bled and bled.
My soul returns to eternity.
That is the sad tale of my short life,
O Lord.”
Tens of thousands of human foetuses are aborted every single year. And in Sikaman, not less than 10,000 babies are returned to where they are supposed to have come from. They have no right to live. On their foreheads is written: “If undelivered, return to sender.” And for sure, they are dispatched with the promptitude of first class mails.
There are several ways of killing unborn babies. “Many ways of killing a cat.” But until the advent of modern-day methods of death, crude means were sought to get rid of babies growing in human wombs.
Concentrated dosages of chloroquine, sugar, coffee, blue (for washing) are abortion agents that painfully terminate the lives of babies. In the attempt, however, these unsafe methods are also effective in dispatching both mother and child to eternity. TOGETHER WE PERISH!
The modern method is Dilation and Curetage (D and C), which is the most ingenious way of killing unborn babies without arranging for an obituary for the mother also. And prices paid for the murder are quite high of late.
A recent survey has shown that the effects of the ‘Gulf Crisis are felt here too. If you want to abort a one-month pregnancy, you’re sure to dish out ¢7,000 to the killer. Two-months -¢8,500, three-months- ¢10,000 etc.
And some rationalise why they feel compelled to lend their babies to the slaughter houses. They cite such reasons like economic constraints, family planning or the father denying the pregnancy. Others who are prostitutes by profession say that babies disrupt the business and must, therefore, be gotten rid of.
My view is that abortion in some cases may be justified, for example in cases of rape. A fifteen-year-old girl who got pregnant after she was raped by several soldiers in the United States, was granted the choice for an abortion by a law court, although it was illegal at the time.
Abortions may also be justified when the health of the mother is jeopardised as a result of the pregnancy, which is for medical reasons.
Aside these extreme considerations, to willfully abort a foetus is a transgression abominable to God. This is so, but because moral decadence is so widespread, no one cares whether or not a baby is killed. No wonder that certain countries legalise abortion to control population.
But why not prevent pregnancy rather in lieu of KILLING babies? To prevent pregnancy is not as disastrous as killing babies. And abortions sometimes have irreversible effects on mothers-barrenness.
These days, the first borns of some people, are not their first-borns. About four or five earlier ones have been thrown somewhere without offering them graves. And sooner or later, some of these dead babies will become personified and preach the gospel of revenge:
“Dear Wicked Mother
When I Was 5 Months In Your Womb
And You Were Planning My Death,
With My Cruel Father
I Wanted To Put In A Word
For Myself
But I Could Not Be Heard.
My Heart Was Punctured.
I Bled And Died
God Bless You.
And God Curse You!”
This article was first published on Saturday, November 24, 1990.
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
