Features
Political gimmicking in Sikaman
The political temperature is rising slowly and political aspirants are busy palpitating and getting hypertensive. Some are already having running stomachs; Jesus Christ! The problem with politics is that it is hardly good for radiant health. The stress can be unbearable.
The run-up to the December polls is seeing quite interesting happenings and it is common to see a politician in a new pair of shoes and a new coat, most likely procured from the first-selection base at Kantamanto. A good ironing is all he needs to pretend it is imported from France.
Others are not too fussy about coats. Instead, they are making sure that they spot the latest haircut to match a lively moustache. The ladies are not being left out. Check out the hairdos, the manicure and pedicure. And when they walk, they do so with measured political steps.
Indeed, with some of the women, it can be an exercise aimed at defying the laws of gravity. They can actually suspend themselves above sea level soon after they start strutting along with the majesty of a peacock.
Politics and democratic politicking have brought about style in human ambulation and pomposity in common mobility. So be it!
APPETITE
But behind all the flamboyance and masquerade is the fear of the uncertain, which is a factor that is easily identified as the cause of those who have lost appetite for food lately and are suffering a rise in their blood pressures. But they needn’t worry. Politics is only a game.
From now till December, doctors do not need laboratory tests to make a prognosis or diagnosis of disease, if the patient is a politician. The man has spent almost half-a-billion cedis to become a parliamentarian and if he doesn’t win, he is likely to hang himself. So he certainly must be suffering from acute hypertension. If the doctor is a seer he can also prophesy stroke if the polls go against the patient.
So the patient must be advised to cool down. Instead of fretting, he should rather fast and pray and hope that God listens to prayers, especially the prayers of politicians.
There are, however, some categories of politicians who really do not care whether they lose or not. They are the current parliamentarians who have complained of late about their pay. They cannot even pay their car loans. And the grandeur with which parliamentary position goes has apparently not manifested in their case.
All that parliamentary position has brought them is the obligation they have to fulfil in paying the school fees of people they don’t even like and attending funerals of people who have once offended them, but which they must attend and donate cash for the sake of their political longevity.
Now the political landscape is registering the activity of carpet crossers and defectors who are first looking carefully at their stomachs in order to evaluate whether or not it is worth turning coat.
No doubt, the stomach has become a political organ of the human body and has long since stopped being an anatomical component, especially when elections are due.
But it isn’t everybody who defects because of bread and butter. Some defect because they feel they are in the wrong ideological camp or can no longer be pleasant bedfellows with their long-time compatriots. Others think old foes can now reason with them better.
CARPET
By far, the most likely reason why anyone can have to cross carpets, is the hope of clinching a post if the other party wins. But that will depend on whether the party indeed wins, if you ask Inusah, he can describe the feeling. It is a risk that needs to be taken with a lion’s heart; it can turn out to be a tragic experience, a disastrous decision of a life-time.
Defectors are actively announcing their new plans and hoping they are on the right track.
But it is always good to consult people like Inusah before making the open declarations. It can shatter your entire political future! At any rate, defections are part of democratic politicking and people are always welcomed from other side even if they look like spies.
Now, the good thing about the 2004 elections is that many dance styles are emerging. I hear they are being choreographed to suit the pre-and-election 2004 periods
The ‘Kufuor Dance’ is one, a slow but funky variation that should precede the voting. The Elephant Dance’ is a more vigorous boogie that needs four solid balls of kenkey to execute. It is a powerful dance form that should feature as an NPP victory dance.
BELLY DANCE
The Mills Highlife Dance is an ‘asomdwe’ pre-election choreography that should cool down tension before voting. But it is the Rawlings Belly Dance’ that will be the victory boogie, a very creative form of the popular belly dance that involves the gyration of the waist interspersed with staccato steps and gimmicks.
Certainly, these dance forms will be premiered at rallies, so that supporters can rehearse them before voting.
The race itself looks like a straight-forward one between NPP and NDC. As for CPP and the Grand Coalition, we can only wish them well.
In any political contest, the incumbent naturally stands a better chance of winning, but nothing is very certain till all the votes are counted. The party that wins will have a very grand Christmas
What ‘Sikaman Palava’ wish for all is a fair contest and a peace aftermath.
Everybody is calling peace, because it is the dear thing to lose. And peace cannot prevail when we watch the tongue. For the tongue is more power than petrol and a lighted match put together.
This article was first published on October 30, 2004
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
