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Election 2020: An astrological perspective of ‘God’s Confusion’
I was not surprised when my media colleague, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, stated that God must be confused, in response to so-called men of God making varying prophesies about who God has destined to win Ghana’s Election 2020. If it can be proven that every presidential aspirant has his own god, then these ‘prophets’ can be forgiven for their weird preferences. But if it is the one omnipotent God we all know who is revealing these conflicting predictions to these people who claim to be His men, something must be wrong somewhere. Is God really confused?
First, God is not, and must not be, mocked. What will the one whose prophesy fails give as an excuse? But why these pastors fall over themselves in the manner they do beats the mind. Methinks it is only a ploy to court social media attention or to make themselves relevant.
In my article on Astrology in National Elections, carried by the Daily Graphic on January 4 this year, I explained how elections and even world affairs are influenced by interplanetary positions in the cosmos. That was how I predicted Elections 2008, 2012 and 2016, with the most difficult being the Triple Conjunction of the 2008 elections because there’s provision for a second round, not third in our elections. But Tain Constituency in the then Brong Ahafo proved the Triple Conjunction theory right.
The Nominal Ruler of this year is Mercury, the Planet that governs Intellect. But Mercury is less favourable in the Chart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) than the New Patriotic Party (NPP) this year. A smart move by the NPP can get them to retain power, come December 7. That, however, is not automatic because a smart move predicated on the negative could lead to an implosion in their party’s fortunes.
Another Planet, Pluto, has been in transition since December ending of 2008. Its influence on the NDC since then has been negative for the party. Prominent members turning their backs on the group are but a few of this planetary influence.
A retrograde Pluto, Neptune and Uranus bodes problems for the NDC until 2026 when Pluto’s influence would have abated. However, the feminine aspects of the constellation are the likely plus to the fortunes of the NDC with the choice of a woman on the presidential ticket. Let’s not forget also that there are more women on the presidential tickets than have ever been.
In 2016 I predicted that the Universal Energy favoured an Akuffo Addo presidency. That Energy has not dissipated, thus giving him an edge over the other contestants in December. But the Law of Opposites could work against him if he does not open up to the realization that negative forces he has attracted to himself could be at play to force him to look too much inward. In the last elections I also predicted a Tsunami in Parliament. This time if the women candidates give themselves the necessary push and work very hard, there might just be more women in the House than previously. This election will likely see a tremor in Parliament; a wave none has the power over.
As soon as the Electoral Commission (EC) completed balloting for placement on the voter list for the presidential slot, social and main media were in frenzy with all manner interpretation and forecast of who becomes president. For the uninitiated party activist, reading uniformed meaning into the placing creates fun for their campaign machinery. But does Numerology play a part in who wins a contest? The answer is yes, it does; but the placement at a glance alone does not determine anything unless the calculations involve the name and date of birth of the contestants, juxtaposed on the placement on the ballot. Chaldean Numerology has been proved to be the most accurate in these calculations.
People change their names quite often; and this can befuddle the mind sometimes, especially getting the numbers for permutation. Some change their names for numerological reasons or very many other reasons, which must be factored in any calculations; not what we think it should be. So the current name it must be. However, if a contestant changes his/her date of birth, that’s a rather difficult one. For astrological purposes, it is important to know that the exact time and date of birth has an indelible print on the individual, so changing it does not change anything actually. No one can do anything about their ripe destiny.
Some people are quick to condemn these as mere superstition. Well, they cannot be faulted so long as they have not studied some of these Esoteric Sciences. We all come under the influence of these planetary bodies, unless we have overcome the four elements of Air, Fire, Earth and Water. Someone will say, “If you know you know.” But I also want to believe that superstition is in the DNA of humankind.
Esoteric Science is not easy to assimilate. But let me point out that Esoteric Science is predicated on the natural Law of Probability. And a lot of study is involved here.
I am asked the vexed question of what happens when or if a party rigs an election. My simple answer has always been that there is no forgiveness in Nature. The Laws of nature are not left to the whims and caprices of mortals. Rigging the sovereign will of the people is akin to a violation of Natural Law and the consequences can be dire for future generations of the perpetrators. Alternatively, it could plunge the whole society into such upheaval that lives might be at risk. The Natural law of cause and effect is never negotiable.
Paradoxically, every religion knows this, either as the Law of Karma or the Law of Retribution. So, we go back to the question as to whether God is confused. The answer is No.
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
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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.
