Features
Is Africa at the crossroads?
Almost a fortnight ago, the Presidential Guard took over power in the Sahel country of Niger deposing Muhammad Bazoum. This sparked a wave of anger worldwide, except the masses of that country. Our Africa Union and sub-regional body, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have issued threats of reprisal.
The Western powers have also threatened sanctions if the deposed President was not reinstated. ECOWAS went further to give the military junta one week to restore democratic rule or face military action. Their ultimatum expired last Sunday.
But one question no one seems to ask is how come very recent military coups in the West Africa sub-region are happening in Francophone countries? How many of us have averted our minds to this, and made any attempt to find out why?
Before I delve into that, let me address the ECOWAS posturing first. I am amazed at the people leading this Group. An ECOWAS that for over three decades of its establishment has done very little to take our nations out of poverty, political ineptitude, corruption and integration cannot be taken seriously.
How does a serious group of people even consider to elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who just won a supposedly flawed election and was yet to name his cabinet, Chairman of ECOWAS? Are we bereft of serious thinking? An ECOWAS that turns the other way while despots in their midst flout their constitutions to perpetually remain in power is a threat to West Africa and the African continent.
They only find their voices when soldiers remove one of their colleagues as in the case of Niger. Most importantly, their voices are loud because they each fear it could next be their turn. They only fight to protect their power. What they do not know is that nobody takes ECOWAS seriously anymore. Let them do a count and prove this assertion wrong.
I am not one to advocate for usurpation of the democratic process, though I support military in power anytime. But ECOWAS sending soldiers to Niger is laughable. How do they hope to execute this? If the masses of any country support their leaders, not even the might of the superpowers can defeat a determined people. If ECOWAS want to be foolhardy, let them try it. Whose interest are they seeking in this circumstance, anyway?
Already, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali have served notice that any foreign attack in Niger will be considered an attack on their countries as well. Is ECOWAS pandering to Western interests? Maybe.
Now, I have no sympathy for the French, though I abhor the assault on their embassy building in Niamey. France has always deluded itself into thinking that they could subjugate their former colonies for eternity, plundering their natural resources under the guise of armistice.
No former colonies can trade among themselves without the consent of Paris. Not only that; every former colony is bound by French law to keep their foreign reserves in France’s Central Bank. They borrow from their own reserves and pay the interest to France. Call it French hegemony if you may.
Niger has Gold, Coal, Oil, Iron Ore and Uranium. Indeed, Niger is the fourth world leader in Uranium extraction. Over a third of France’s energy comes from Nigerien Uranium, yet the ordinary Nigerien lives below the poverty line. To protect their economic interest the French have military bases in their former colonies. But for their former colonies, France would be the poorest country in Europe after Portugal.
At a point, every head of state of Francophone Africa was an automatic member of the French Parliament. But our African compatriots cannot be fooled anymore. They are no more the half-educated stooges with no intellectual capacity for discernment. These are intelligent people with solid education and now understand what their colonial Master has done to them.
Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and, now, Niger have “woken” up. Let no one think these young military officers are mere adventurists seeking attention. They want to take control of their own natural resources for their people.
It is about time these Western powers and those still with a colonial mentally realised that Africa is no more the patch they met in Berlin and used a pencil to carve to themselves. Africa is no one’s backyard. We have been run roughshod over for long and we cannot take it anymore. And this is the message from the Sahel.
There are still Western stooges in power across the continent of Africa. They know themselves and they have been put on notice. We have them who betray their own ECOWAS and the Africa Union. They have been put on notice.
Our people have been enslaved, our resources pillaged, our women raped and killed in the name of colonisation. Even today, Africans suffer racial abuse all over the globe, yet our resources hold attraction to them. Sadly, there are myopic and self-seeking leaders who still pander to the whims of the imperial West. This is Africa’s dilemma.
What interest have America and the West got in the Sahel other than to steal the wealth of the people under the guise of curbing activities of jihadist movements? Let them tell us how the jihadists come about in the first place. There is a suspected deposit of materials used in the production of californium. Californium is a nuclear material that costs $27million a gramme. Imagine how much a kilogramme will cost.
This explains Wagner mercenaries’ interest and Western opprobrium to the coup in Niger because only the United States and Russia produce californium. That is why the US and France did not coerce ECOWAS for military action in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali because they hold not economic attraction to them.
Who are the West to determine standards of governance for the rest of the world? Even after almost 250 years of independence, the mighty United States of America is in a political turmoil, divided right through the middle on Republican and Democratic lines. These are the people who preach democracy to us who are barely 70 years into nationhood.
An Ewe proverb loosely translates says a bird destined for life never lacks feathers. Left alone, Africa has the capacity to chart a way for economic and political development and progress. No one should stampede us to run their races; we have our own pace.
The so-called advanced countries that cannot protect their cyberspace are the ones setting standards for the rest of the world to live up to. It makes no sense. Haiti is burning in their own hemisphere but they are blind to that country, simply because Haiti does not have resources worth pillaging. Their attention is on Africa just because all natural resources imaginable are on the continent.
No country can claim to love Africa more than Africans themselves. If they so claim, the best they could do is leave Africa to chart its own path. They must respect us for who we are just as they want to be respected for who they are. Who is better equipped to run our lives but ourselves?
But as Africa begins to ask to be left alone, the continent must not let any other foreign elements take their place. That Burkina Faso, Mali and the Central African Republic have opened their doors to the Wagner mercenaries spells doom for those countries. Just like France and its allies, the Wagner Group must also be driven out of the continent. We cannot get one devil out and embrace a more devious one.
Let us do business with America and the West, Russia, China and all other nations, but none should be allowed to plunder our resources.
Back home, it is unnerving that Ghana has allowed a US military base on our soil. It is equally dangerous that the US military has an unfettered access to Terminal One of our Kotoka International Airport, which by all intents and purposes is a security zone. Only God knows what these Yankees do in and out of our space. Would America allow this on their soil?
Personally, I don’t hate America and its people, even if Americans are the most ignorant and ill-informed people per capita worldwide. Anyone who has lived in the US knows this for a fact. It is their Rambo-style foreign policy that is a worldwide irritant.
Let Africa rise up against foreign military bases on the continent immediately. We have the capacity to be at peace with ourselves.
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
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Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
