Features
Questions for America
• World’s policeman
If there is one single country that fascinates me, it is the almighty United States of America. A very boastful nation, the US catches my attention every time there is news about that country.
I was taught by Americans during a period I consider critical in my development as a human. Ms. Elizabeth Suhre taught me English language for three years. Carol Wool and one Ms. Fenning taught me Physics and Mr. Brunner taught me Chemistry. They were Peace Corps Volunteers in the sixties and seventies.
I know the economic geography of the US at my fingertips, and I respect Americans for their work ethics, especially their farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers. Americans generally don’t care who occupies the White House so long as life is bearable for a comfortable existence. A democracy that suits America is made to work like clockwork.
The system set out in the articles of statehood is made to work, irrespective of who their president is. Now, my question is: Why doesn’t America allow other countries to run their affairs the way they are best suited to their own circumstances? Does America really believe Western democracy is the ideal and workable system for the rest of the world?
Conferring on itself the role of policeman of the world, America tries to impose its values on the rest of the world and whip ‘recalcitrant’ countries into line. Without recourse to the cultures of other nations, the US uses brute force, overthrowing some in the process.
Cases abound to prove this. Between the time the US invaded Iraq and the time they left that country, how many Iraqi and American souls were lost? If Saddam Hussein were still in charge, would that number of his countrymen have died? Would thousands of American soldiers have died needlessly? Has Iraq fared better after the Yankee invasion?
Let us ask the same of Libya. Libya has known no peace since America, aided and bamboozled by France, murdered Muammar Gaddafi. The late Libyan leader’s crime was to make Africa independent of foreign direction. Also, the West could not come to terms with the fact that Libya did not tie its economy to the apron strings of the Bretton Woods institutions.
America has not learnt any lessons from the humiliation it suffered in Vietnam, yet it has ventured out to Somalia, Iran, and Afghanistan. Not only that. With all the gloating over being the most powerful nation on earth, America cries out to the world about cyberattacks from outside its shores anytime there are elections. They blame this on China, Russia, Iran, and others they see as rogue states. How come?
I think America has the largest technology hub in the world, located in Silicon Valley. Yet they cannot build firewalls to fend off cyberattacks? So, wherein lies the might of the US? Aren’t there more questions for America than there are answers?
Why should any country be interested in who Americans elect? It is because the US is too loud-mouthed. They brag about almost anything under the sun while others sit quietly strategising about technological advancement. Every noisome pestilence has a soft underbelly that is exposed to attacks from the irritated enemy. And this fact is lost on the US.
Is the US aware it irritates the rest of the world by imposing its will on the rest of us? In the end, they end up paying the price for their misdeeds. Osama bin Laden was a progeny of American foolhardiness, yet he bloodied America’s nose on 9/11, not so? To the extent that the US has become so skittish, it has deployed $400,000 missiles to shoot down $25 balloons after the scare of a Chinese spy balloon. I can’t laugh well enough.
Can America point to just one country they went into and left a success story behind? I am not happy with Czar Putin’s war on Ukraine. It is my prayer that Ukraine drives the Russians out of its soil because no country has the right to want to annex another. This argument about Russia being wary of NATO expansion seems balderdash to me.
I believe that because many of these countries, including Russia, have too many stockpiles of weapons they need to dispose of and build new ones, Ukraine comes in handy. In the final analysis, Russia and NATO will be richer because Ukraine will end up paying billions of dollars for all the armament supplied to it.
I still have questions, though. Will America tolerate Russian military bases in the western hemisphere in, say, Cuba or Haiti? How about Mexico asking Czar Putin to build a nuclear plant on its soil? I will not claim to understand geopolitics, but this idea of “you are either with us or against us” must give way to the acceptance of every sovereign nation to choose their own path to suit their needs and circumstances.
By its posturing, America does not want any country to have a mind of its own. Meanwhile, Americans speak and write English language the way it suits them, and not even the English complain. Americans play football, not with their feet. America speaks descriptive English, not classical.
Americans do not ride horses; they ride ‘horse back.’ Simply put, they just want to be Americans. How come they don’t want others to be what or who they want them to be?
Haiti has descended into anarchy, insolvency, and failure just next door, but America will not help sanitise that hemisphere. What sense does it make to want to help Ukraine while there is bloodshed on a daily basis close by? I am not suggesting that Ukraine not be helped, but is it because Haiti is of little or no economic significance to America’s interests? Or because that country was a French territory?
I believe the rest of the world will applaud the US if it sends troops to take down the criminal gangs that seem to be taking the whole nation of Haiti hostage. That is what a big brother does. But America will talk so much about China without talking to the Chinese themselves.
They talk plenty about Russia yet stay away from talking to the Russians. It is the same with Iran.
About a week ago, Iran claimed it had almost reached an agreement on a prisoner swap with the US, but Washington quickly denied ever talking with the Iranians.
What hurts is the fact that there are many Americans who have become early veterans before age 25. I have children of friends and relatives who have seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan before they could mature as young adults. Many of their war veterans suffer lifelong post-war trauma. Some have become drug addicts, homeless, and destitute. Theirs is a wasted generation.
Now, francophone Africa seems to be awakening to France’s economic strangulation that has been their lot since that country colonised them and is breaking ranks. Mali and Burkina Faso are very recent examples, and the West has every reason to be worried. Worried, not because the people want to chart their own path but because of their romance with the criminal gang called the Wagner Group.
These are mercenaries who will plunder these countries’ mineral resources in return for their ‘services.’ America is not blind to the fact that France gets these poor countries to deposit their foreign reserves in France. When these countries need loans, France lends them its own money and charges interest on the same money. Has America ever called France’s attention to this immorality?
What kind of policeman is the US? Personally, I feel nervous about this Wagner Group on African soil. Those of our leaders who have opened their borders to this group are playing with a venomous reptile. But America and the West must admit that their actions are driving others into the arms of groups like Wagner.
This writer may be simplistic in looking at these things, but when common sense is ignored, it becomes rather expensive to mend destroyed fences.
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
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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