Features
The death threat of the dancing mosquito
I have just been informed that mosquitoes in Sikaman are manufactured in Dabala in the Volta Region, from where they are carted to Sogakofe where there is a depot to receive them in transit.
From Sogakofe, they are distributed all over the country to as far as Paga. But before they reach places like Paga, they are so lean and weak and cannot bite hard.
People claim Dabala is where the mosquito factory is located because Dabala mosquitoes have distinguished themselves in several ways.
They have jaws and muscles and some of them are so plump and might be suffering from hypertension and cholesterol. Some of them are in fact so fat they can’t even smile, sorry fly. But those with moustache do not bite. They only dance.
When I was a young student, my colleagues at St. Paul’s Secondary used to tell me that mosquitoes on their campus were not common mosquitoes. They had teeth and could tear any mosquito net and descend on their victim. Some students, therefore, decided to use calico to sew their nets to avoid ‘death by mosquito squad.’
Whatever it is, the mosquito is a very romantic creature. It doesn’t only bite. It sings love songs to the annoyance of the human ear. When they are two or three in number, they form an orchestra and entertain all night long. I hear it is the males that sing. As for the females they are always busy looking out for a bite. Fear woman and live long!
Sikaman doctors are always thankful that mosquitoes are in abundance in the country. The mosquito gives them money. Doctors at private clinics make their money via the female mosquito. About 80 per cent of heath cases are malaria-related.
So if you want to wipe out mosquitoes, a private doctor is likely to warn you before informing you that mosquitoes have the constitutional right to live.
If you want to wipe out mosquitoes from Sikaman without parliamentary approval, we shall deal with you. We shall make sure that mosquitoes enjoy their right to life. This will be by decree.
Well, mosquitoes will have to be wiped out any way if we can because some of us are too prone to malaria. Kwame Alomele, for instance, suffers from malaria fortnightly. Just one mosquito bite is enough to knock me out but I’m now used to the situation. Now malaria to me is like another stomach upset. In any case the drugs are becoming less and less effective in curing the disease, so most often I leave the disease to cure itself.
MYTHS
There were and are many myths about the tropic’s most common disease- malaria. When the cause of the disease was not known, it was generally attributed to bad air from which it got its name -MAL (bad) RIA (air). People were advised not to breathe the cool night air because it had malaria parasites in it. They did not know a tiny creature was causing all the havoc.
Even today, some people attribute malaria to beer drinking. Some say too much bitters give malaria. Others claim too much of sex makes one prone to malaria. If that were so, my uncle Kofi Jogolo would have died a century ago. His stylish moustache not-withstanding, he is well addicted to beer, the brand doesn’t matter. He takes bitters occasionally and openly declares that he has a restless waist. I don’t remember the last time he got sick of malaria.
So the cause must naturally fall on the mosquito. That is the culprit yesterday, today and forever. The problem with the mosquito is that it is difficult to wipe out unless the environment is carefully attended to- no stagnant water, no water in empty milk tins, no bushy surroundings, and no choked gutters. It is a very versatile creature which can breed anywhere water collects for a while.
As it were, no mosquitoes are bred in Dabala and distributed via a depot in Sogakofe where I once lived as a kid. That was where I thought I could beat my elder brother but I often made the wrong judgement.
He was a quiet fellow and I was more open and aggressive. We fought a number of bouts and although I was losing 70 per cent of the fights, I still had hope I could floor him, taking into consideration my style, footwork and agility.
I relied on speed and aggression, but the guy was, growing faster and bigger and had more punching power. He would beat me to coma-point but I fought back gallantly and once I was praised for my accuracy and precision in punch delivery.
Years later, my Mum told me when we were at Sogakofe I was sick of malaria so often and it was so frequent she thought I wouldn’t live. But Kwame Alomele has always been a survivor. When I learnt recently that Sogakofe was a distributing point of mosquitoes, I realised I had once lived in dangerous territory where I started my early boxing practice.
My concern with malaria is not so much about prevention but cure. Prevention lies in our hands-KEEP A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT but cure is becoming a problem. Chloroquine which used to be the most medically suitable drug has apparently lost its ability to deal with the disease.
Some doctors I spoke to said this is happening because people are self-medicating and abusing the drug. For example, if you do not take the full course of chloroquine and only go half way through, all the parasites wouldn’t die. The remaining parasites will survive and later get inured against chloroquine. So further administration of chloroquine least bothers the parasites.
The doctors say chloroquine is still the most effective drug. If so, there must be some education on drug use countrywide and on why people should not self-medicate. They should not self-medicate, for instance, because the disease might be typhoid and not malaria; and typhoid cannot be cured by chloroquine.
But one thing the doctors will have to explain to me is why I have malaria so often when I am not a sickle cell patient.
This article was first published
on Saturday, May 16, 1998
Merari Alomele’s
- Mosquito is a romatic creature
Your Weekend Companion
www.spectator.com.gh
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
