Features
Israel: My take on two things
As a journalist and teacher, I cannot remember the number of times I have asked people that, given the chance of a lifetime visit, where is their preferred destination. Majority mentioned the United Kingdom, followed by the Caribbean, Canada and Israel. The few who mentioned the US did not want just to visit but to stay.
Personally, my dream is to visit far-flung places like Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. The people there respect nature and its offerings and tune their lives accordingly. When their fishermen haul in their catch they apologise to the spirit of the fish for sacrificing them for their own sustenance. They do same for plants and animals they feed on. My prayer is to get sponsorship soon to visit such a place. As a naturalist I am very interested in societies that respect nature’s laws.
Visiting Israel had never been on my mind. I have read many a historical account on the formation of the State of Israel. Knowing the perennial conflict with Palestine, I thought there would be police or military presence every few metres all over the place. Described as the Holy Land by many, I was not inclined to think I should visit, probably because I am by nature a non-conformist. But then, it happened that I was on a pilgrimage to Israel in July of 2016.
As our tour bus left the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv en route to Tiberias, I noticed a knoll just a few 100 metres to the right. It looked strange to me because as a good student of Geography, it looked incongruous against the landscape as I am well aware of formation of hills, mountains and valleys, so I asked our guide, Major (Rtd) Abirama Harris, what that knoll was.
She said the site used to be a refuse dump that attracted a lot of vultures and other avian scavengers that posed a danger to aircraft taking off or landing. There were occasional bird strikes by aircraft. As a result, Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, decided the site be covered with grass. The rotting garbage thus produces methane gas that has been piped, harvested and adds two megawatts of electricity to their national grid.Is there a lesson in here for Ghana?
I did not see police officers in the street corners of Israel; none. It was only when we were getting into Jerusalem from Bethlehem that I saw two at the checkpoint. Then I bumped into three young soldiers when I was getting out of the Dead Sea enclave. This, I was told, was because east of the Dead Sea is Jordan, considered not friendly towards Israel. I took a picture with these young soldiers.
I learnt that every Israili citizen is a soldier. At age 18 when one would have completed high school, you do a three-year military training and service after which you go for higher education if you so qualify. So, in the event of what they term terrorist attack, casualties are minimal because their military background kicks in, in that event. The women do half the time.
However, Palestinians who are citizens of Israel have no compulsion for military training, unless they so desire. Reasons for this cannot be far-fetched. I think it was during the Rawlings era that the government mooted the idea of military service for our university graduates. There was hoopla over this at the time, but a cue could have been taken from the Israeli experience, not because Ghana has hostile neighbours but because of the discipline military training engenders. Now, thousands who want to join the armed forces are turned away.
Everyone has their version of the problem between Israel and Palestine, but I have tried not to bother understanding any. Don’t I have my own headaches already? But in Israeli cities and towns I saw Palestinian registered vehicles moving about freely, but Israelis were rather more cautious in Palestinian areas. Major Harris herself did not go to Bethlehem with our group.
If you have read and followed the historical narrative of the Holy Bible and walk through the places in Israel and Palestinian areas, it feels as if the Bible has come alive and you are a participant in those events. That was what I felt in Israel. Israel itself is just a few 100 square kilometres bigger than Ghana’s Oti and Volta regions put together. Within five days we had covered the whole of the area.
The climax of every pilgrimage to Israel is the visit to the Wailing Wall. Some call it The Western Wall, others call it the Post Office. Post Office, because there are little crevasses in the wall in which the faithful thrust their written prayer requests. To the left is the Muslim area where the famous Al-Aqsa Mosque is and the Jewish side to the right. This one is open to all faiths so long as you put the cape with the Star of David on your head.
I guess it was this day that I sold my country as tolerant of all religious faiths. I had a prayer request from one of my best journalism students who is Muslim. Then I spotted two women heading for the Mosque. They were speaking Bangla so I surmised they were wives of Muslim clerics from Bangladesh. They were suspicious of me when I called out to them. Could they have thought I was going to beg them for alms?
I read their minds, and to put them at ease, I said, “Sorry to bother you ladies, I am a Christian pilgrim from Ghana in Africa, but I have a prayer request from my Muslim friend. Could you, please take it to the mosque for her?” I could see the surprise on their faces. To test me, they asked the name of my friend. “Jemila,” I said before the question reached my ears. A female? I said yes and pulled out the envelope from the pouch slung over my shoulder. Their befuddlement was clear.
The one who spoke better English asked if various faiths mixed freely in my country. I said yes and added that we had no inter-faith problems in Ghana. They took the envelope with a certain reverence I cannot describe. Then I asked if they could get me a good quality Misbaha or Tasbih, the Muslim prayer beads, for my friend and her sister because I was afraid some cheap imitation might be sold to me.
At 20 dollars, one went and brought me three of the beads. I thanked them profusely for giving me their time. It was an honour to them that a “non-believer” like me could be of service to a Muslim friend. “Your country will be great,” they said to me as I headed for my side of the Wailing Wall. With the satisfaction of having sold my country positively, I strode to do my own meditation.
Israel may be called the Holy Land, but not everything is holy. You could buy fake items if you are not smart to detect it. I had the experience in Jericho, where supposed pure leather belts were on sale. A cousin had asked me to get one for him. The vendor swore to high heavens that nothing could be better than that in quality. I paid top dollar for the belt. I am ashamed to describe what it turned out to be less than two weeks after my cousin started using it. But one fake belt should not overshadow the holiness of the area, should it?
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
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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