The Suspension of the Periodic General Cleaning Exercise In Sierra Leone and its Possible Public Health Implications

~ By Amadu Wurie Jalloh

Sierra Leone and its West African counterparts are fraught with several public health related issues that literally deserve the same urgency of treatment as Coronavirus, and one of which is environment health management crises.

But just how serious is environmental health management a problem globally?

Globally, an estimated 12.6 million people die annually because of poor environmental health related issues, which is almost 1/4th of all global deaths per year (World Health Organization, 15th March, 2016).  Demographically, the WHO (Supra) emphasized that young children (under 5) and older people (between the age of 50 and 70) are affected the most by environmental risks with an estimated 1.7 million deaths and 4.9 million deaths, respectively. And geographically, the phenomena takes its greatest toll on low and middle income countries (mostly South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions). Environmental health related complications accounts for 2.2 million deaths in the African Region. Cardiovascular diseases and ischemic heart diseases are the major causes of environmental health related deaths. And the indiscriminate and irresponsible disposal of waste is one among the many causes of this crises globally.

According to Godfrey et al. (24th July, 2019), in other to achieve the SDGs 2030, environmental and public health provisions encompassing sustainable waste management approaches should be given the serious political attention it deserve. As at 2012, Municipal Africa generates an estimated 125 million tonnes of solid waste (MSW) annually-- sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 81 million tonnes (65%). The situation is expected to aggravate by 2025 to 224 million tonnes annually. Unfortunately, only 55% (68 million tonnes) of waste is collected. MSW collection in sub-Saharan Africa only averaged 44%. The remainder of our municipal solid waste could be found in our streets, parking lots, sidewalks, drainage facilities, open fields and rivers as pollutants. Also, it's not all collected waste could end up being recycled or put into some other use. In fact, only 4% of generated MSW end up being recycled-- we have marginalized informal peekes and reclaimers to mostly thank for that.

Sierra Leone is seriously challenged with solid waste management, water, sanitation, and hygiene problems. Blinker (2006) argues that only a small fraction of solid waste is collected in Sierra Leone, with up to 90% of Sierra Freetown's residents relying on on-site sanitation with serious overflowing constraints during the rainy season. The country experiences flooding almost every year, causing serious damages to properties and deaths among many Urban settlers (especially informal settlements). The August 2017 mudslide (partly caused by heavier precipitation level and land-cover loss) and flash flood (partly caused by poor drainage system/blockage to accommodate the change in magnitude water flow) could claim the lives of over 300 people in the outskirt of Freetown. The increase in heavy precipitation during the rainy season (largely due to climate change) is largely unprecedented for, the infrastructure in urban settlements are not well planned to contain the new wave of heavy waters surging from the hilltops and from the mostly tightly arranged/fitted structures in its Urban centers forming from the periphery. 

It was on this backdrop that the government reinstated the monthly general cleaning across the country. The central Government of Sierra Leone spends 3.9 billion Leones every month to keep the project going. The money is distributed among local council authorities with the aim of keeping the urban communities clean and healthy. It's hoped that the cleaning exercise will help avert or mitigate the effect of environmental health challenges. The result are obviously impressive. The country experienced less flooding and environmentally related catastrophes in 2019.

Meanwhile, due to the economic impact created by Covid-19 and the urgent need to redirect funding to the fight against Covid-19, the government of Sierra Leone has since April, 2020 suspended funding to local council to continue the monthly cleaning exercise. But this move will likely have serious health implications if not reinstated, especially so when the rainy season is about to start now.

Less than 40 percent of Sierra Leoneans have access to clean drinking water. Waterborne diseases and hygiene related crises such typhoid, diarrhea, and malaria are some of the leading causes of deaths in the country. The cut off of funding to continue the monthly cleaning exercise means more wastes (especially solid waste) are going to be accumulated in open fields, drainage systems and other spots in communities. This will create a breeding grounds for mosquitoes and accelerate the rate of mosquito bite and malaria. The situation would also threaten to encourage houseflies multiplication and the spread of typhoid and elephantiasis diseases. To make matters worst, as we approach the rainy season, with the recent increase in heavy precipitation caused by climate change, the untended gutters and general drainage facilities would expose communities to flooding and other environmental health crises. The rains will also transport all poisonous substances to community Wells and water sources where most people rely on to fetch drinkable water from.

Given the country's environmental profile (Sierra Leone lists as third country mostly prone to the effect of global warming), the government should hurriedly resume its usual cleaning exercise before the rains increase to avert possible public health crises. We should be expecting heavier rain fall in the ensuing years. Hence, the gutters should be cleared now, landfills be emptied taking the waste to appropriate sites,  and waste collected and dumped at the various appropriate sites across the country be recycled to prevent cholera, malaria, diarrhea, and other hygiene related crises. Though an expensive exercise (given the time), we cannot risk putting this nation into another yet horrific Public health crises when we can prevent their occurrences.

There is no way we can tackle Covid-19 as a public health crises without considering other equally worrisome health risks in the country and the subregion. Government needs to ensure the programme resumes soonest before the rains get bigger (as they already have started coming). The need for clean water supply in the fight against all public health crises can't be overemphasized here. To cut down the tonnes of plastic waste accross the country and reduce the burdens of clearing gutters and collecting solid waste, SALWACO should be empowered. Households should have access to clean drinking water through their taps, and they will eventually reduce buying plasticised filtered water. This can help save lives and government funding.

Photo credit: Freetown City Council

©17/05/2020
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation
® Students Analysts and Writers Network

References:

https://sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=87478

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/15-03-2016-an-estimated-12-6-million-deaths-each-year-are-attributable-to-unhealthy-environments

https://standardtimespress.org/?p=8290

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930214511.htm

https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/solid-waste-management-in-africa-governance-failure-or-development-opportunity

Political Fascism and Patriotism: Civilizational Malapropism

We have a problem in Sierra Leone. A so huge a problem that if not addressed urgently, we shall  never, I repeat: we shall never progress as a country. This problem has established itself in almost all spheres of life in society, and we don't want to talk about it, or (better) still we think it may not have reached that level of seriousness. We have got political fascists to deal with in this country. Yes, I mean political cultists, totalitarians, extremists, zealots, myrmidons, idolaters, ideologues, sheeples, bigots, fanatics, etc. Name it, we have got those people. And you know what, they are threatening to erode our national values of a tolerance, perseverance, civility, love, equality, justice, freedom, and most importantly respect for dissenting ideologies and diversity.

But more worrisome is the silence of our activists and educated youths on the matter. We seem relaxed and careless over the ploy to destabilize our democracy by a few idiots who are on a mission to make accomplices of their gullible listeners and supporters. Make no mistake, you can find such idiots from both the ruling party and its main opposition. Their defensive mechanisms is profanity as opposed to constructive debate. They use obscenities to fray off any critical person. They will so much so pressurize you to make you feel guilty for not being on their sides. Their definition of patriotism?: being on their side (APC or SLPP); violence and not the ballot box to bring about change; bastardizing anyone who questions their gullibility and the people who feed them poison; hating a people (from an ethnic or regional whole) who have no role in your wretchedness. They simply don't want to take responsibility of their blunders. They don't want to acknowledge the fact that they had exhausted their one chance to vote candidates with the wits and moral qualities to represent them and steer the wheel to a brighter future. They now see five years too long a time  to correct their blunders. That mistake of voting in someone you barely knew, some guy from overseas presented to you by your party to love and follow after dumping your best guy whom you knew and are still aware that knows your constraints and have been responding to your needs with the little resources they had.

Isn't it ironic that someone who couldn't stand up against his/her party when they disenfranchised them by dictating who leads them as opposed to their choices would today dare stand up against a whole nation to question the power that be? You couldn't stand up against your party big-guns when one man bulldozed his way unto the top declaring himself winner, and yet you want to stand up against a whole civilization and deny them their peace?

You know what patriotism is? Patriotism is best defined by honesty. We should be honest to ourselves. We should be honest to accept that we brought this upon ourselves as youths. We don't have to make that old woman in the village, that woman in the marketplace, those girls and boys in our homes, and the innocent many whom we should have sensitized, engaged, and educated on how to make a better choice to pay for our stupidity by unleashing anarchy in society. Patriotism is best defined as one being honest in their dealings with their nation; one being honest enough and thoughtful in making a decision that will affect the whole nation; one being honest enough to vote their country and not ethnic or regional divide; and most importantly one accepting their mistakes and protecting the nation from any destructive force (from within or external).

We are the problems were are going through right at now. Even if you did not vote for this president, you sure voted for that member of Parliament who in November 2018 requested for 300 percent increment of their salary neglecting the plight of the over 50 percent of the unemployed many and the other civil servants who are underpaid. You indeed are the one who voted for that member of Parliament who in November 2019 approved the Finance Bill 2020 granting the president, vice president and the speaker of Parliament the privilege of spending thousands of US dollars on oversea vacations without having to account for it (which by the way the president in his wisdom refuse to sign ). Yes, you voted for those parliamentarians who set up a ploy to hijack the speaker of the house from the majority party in Parliament. Yes, you did vote a parliamentarian who until now cannot repeal subsections (k), (I) and (m) of section 77 of the Constitution that allow them to be loyal to their parties than to the state. And most importantly, we voted parliamentarians who endorsed a 12 months (I mean a whole twelve months) Public State of Emergency without flinching a bit. Isn't it ironical for KKY to be complaining about the excessive use of decrees by the government to rule the country in recent times when he was one among the many of parliamentarians who approved a 12-month SOE? Didn't he think it twice to know that was too much a time to allow for a review of the failures, lapses and lessons learnt under such circumstances in order to rectify it in time?

Comrades, I assure you, if we truly wish for a change in this country, we should have to pressurize our MPs in our constituencies to repeal the bad laws; rectify ambiguous laws; and draft bills that can ensure the Independence of the judiciary and the depoliticization of our security (especially the police). If changes is what we truly wish for, we can start questioning the leadership choice of our political parties that do not represent our choices. We should not allow them to impose on us leaders we don't Know, or choose. Change has to start somewhere within us first. It has to start with change of mindset. With a positive mindset, we can change the hierarchical structure of our political parties; with a positive mindset, we can learn to identify our leaders by their deeds and not by what we are fed; and with positive mindset,we can learn to engage in constructive debate rather than being obscene and violent. And most importantly, with a positive mindset, we can learn to accept that as at this time, the whole world is faced with hardship like never before. People everywhere in the world are crying of violation of human right and  a threat to their livelihood. It can be harder for us if we choose violence than constructive criticism of happenings.

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh
©2020
® Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

As Covid-19 threatens to increase food insecurity in West Africa, our government should get their act together and face the real threat to public order: Hunger

The Sierra Leone government should at now try to focus its attention to the issue of livelihood and the fight against Covid-19 rather than getting involved into another warfare: a political one. We are already in a more deadly warfare with an invincible enemy, Covid-19 is squashing our economy slowly but intensely, and as things get uglier, it's the poorest of the poor that could pay the highest cost. For instance, according to a report released by USAID on the 30th January, 2018, the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic exposed the whole of Sierra Leone to a grave health impacts, and aggravated food insecurity problem in the  country owing to disruption of livelihood support activities, decrease in purchasing power and quarantine measures. The report, referencing the United Nations World Food Programme and the World Bank, further expressed that more than 50 per cent of Sierra Leone's population live under the national poverty line; and that, according to the 2017 Global Hunger Index, hunger is very widespread in the country, with approximately 38 per cent of children below 5 years of age suffering from stunting due to severe malnutrition.

This time things may get worst as livelihood disruption and quarantine measures are ubiquitously observed across the world. The IMF has warned that in 2020 the world may experience the worst recession since 1930s with global economy set to contract by 3 per cent in 2020 as opposed to early January forecast of a global GDP expansion of 3.3 per cent for this year.

How Ready is Africa to Face this Issue?

A report by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), indicated that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic could see the spike in number of people at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition from 17 million to 50 million between the period of June and August 2020 alone. Meanwhile, "nine out of 10 African children do not meet the criteria for minimum acceptable diet outlined by the World Health Organization, and two out of five don’t eat meals regularly...." Annually, child hunger costs Ethiopia 16.5% of its GDP. The rate for Rwanda is 11.5%. The report says “for every dollar invested in reducing stunting, there is a return of about $22 (£17) in Chad, $21 in Senegal, and $17 in Niger and Uganda”, and if the investment is made early in the child’s life, the return rates can be even higher: up to $85 in Nigeria, $80 in Sudan and $60 in Kenya" (Saeed Kamali Dehghan, 5th June, 2019). Dehgan (Supra) further emphasized that by 2050, if things continue as they are now, undernourished, malnourished and hungry children and young people will amount to one billion in Africa; and more than half of African countries are presently off track to achieve the targets required in the African regional nutrition strategy (2015-2025).

Meanwhile, the agricultural season is ushered in this time by difficulty, perhaps more severe now than before. Farmers and producers have already suffered great economic downturn and market structures/system are ever more constrained this time due to the crisis making it difficult to access quality seeds and fertilizers. Agriculture makes up of 30.5 per cent of West Africa's economy, making it the largest source of income and livelihood for up to 70-80 percent of the population (with women in domination).

Oxfam International (20th April, 2020) warned that the impact of Coronavirus combined with the lean season and conflict and insecurity, which will overwhelm the population of the subregion, should be looked into and international cooperation and concerted efforts among states remain the best ways to counter the challenges.  Recent developments in Sierra Leone however indicate disregard for the eminent challenges in the subregion. Political, regional and ethnic divides are becoming more widespread and tangible, and such developments are posing major threat to both food security and  physical security. The pace of politically motivated arrests have seemingly reached an explosive pitch. The country is at crossroads, it must now choose to either stay its course and consolidate its peace and unity while at the same time building public trust in institutions, or divert attention to political warfare and arbitrary arrests that will undermine our ability to tackle Covid-19 before it becomes explosive. We have already started experiencing the wave of disobedience and anger among Sierra Leonean youths, a development that will further increase the fragility of our nation state and repel potential investors. As the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres would warn the UN security council members of other pressing risks to global security from the pandemic: "armed groups seeing an opportunity to strike, potentially with a biological attack; the erosion of trust in public institutions; economic instability; political tensions from postponing elections; uncertainty sparking further division and turmoil in some countries; and COVID-19 "triggering or exacerbating various human rights challenges", we should be concerned with this growing tension reminiscing the cause of twelve years Civil War as is narrated in the TRC report.

In the meantime, the following remarks by the secretary general should be a food for thought for our politicians at this material time: "To win against it and to overcome its consequences we need also to overcome our prejudices, phobias, hatreds, distrust, suspicions,"... And to us the ordinary people: "It's not the time for contests - who did what and who was more successful than others. It's not the time for blaming and finger-pointing. It's time to help, to share experiences, and to listen to each other and find ways to work together."

It's evident that things are rough and almost unbearable, but we can overcome in this fight. The hardship is a global reality at this time. Many people are angry even in advanced economies like the US. We should maintain the peace to save innocent lives and break the chain of transmission. We have few more years to express our anger and disappointments through the ballot box.

The ruling government should learn to from the mistakes of past adminstration and get their acts together to avoid committing the same blunders of the past. Sierra Leone is a fragile state. The judiciary should perform its duty in a free and fair (and independent) manner. Political prisoners (or accused) should be accorded their full right to justice. The habit of indefinite detention should stop. It has the potency to raise tension and anxiety, some of the breading grounds for social unrest.

The government should acknowledge people anger and the effect of the pandemic on livelihood. Efforts should be made to assist or bail out farmers and SMEs to cushion the economic and social effects of the pandemic. And where and when possible, citizens should be supported with food supply to ensure adherence to physical distancing. It could be costly, but a stitch in time can save nine. Lockdown measures should take into consideration the living conditions in the country. We should not assume a  one-size-fit-all strategy in the fight against Covid-19 in an impoverished nation as ours. Transparency, professionalism and equality are key in this fight. The security should be professional in dealing with people in quarantine or isolation units to safeguard both patients and the masses. As a people we should be transparent enough to report cases when we meet case definition. And as a government we should ensure transparency in treatment and response action in order to build trust. And equality in treatment should apply to all. We should not allow powerful or connected people to beat the system and expose the rest of the ordinary masses. We should ensure that the measure and policies apply to all irrespective of social status. Everybody should be regarded as a potential case.

We can overcome!

© Amadu Wurie Jalloh
®The Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

Refs:

(https://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone/sierra-leone-food-assistance-fact-sheet-january-30-2018)

(https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/covid-19-50-million-people-threatened-hunger-west-africa)

(https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jun/05/nearly-half-of-all-child-deaths-in-africa-stem-from-hunger-study-shows)

(https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/04/chief-warns-coronavirus-threatens-global-peace-200410062544018.html)

Photo credit: anonymous (Said to have taken in northern Congo


Disclaimer: the above photo does not indicate what country it was taken.

OUR MOTHER @59 

BY Moses Alankay Mansaray

Mama will be retiring next year, today we are celebrating her 59th birthday, mama has suffered so much, I can see the wrinkles in her face, the blisters in her hands and the scars all over her body, many of which are inflicted by her very own sons and daughters.
Our elder brothers and sisters that ought to have taken up the responsibility of looking after us and her, are not matching up to expectations.
Our beloved mum was blessed with illuminating beauty and elegance, she was admired by all her compatriots coming from the same clan to an extent that, she was the favourite of the numerous wives our former stepfather was having.

She suffered so many abuses in silent, she never complained because she was taught by our forefathers to be obedient and loyal.

Two of our other stepmothers and cousins to our mum (Ghana and Nigeria) were suffering the same abuses from our stepfather, this led them to seek for a divorce and they left the marital home we were all sharing.

A few years later, two of our elder brothers decided with other relatives that it was time for mama also to seek for divorce with the promise that they are of age and ability to look after our mum.
The whole problem started during the divorce hearing at the land of our stepfather, they disagreed and returned home divided, our selfish stepfather and his people took advantage of the situation and granted the divorced on very bad terms which are still affecting us to this day.
Mama was left empty!
Our beloved elder brother who was raised at our stepfather's homeland and who was insisting that the divorce should go on died shortly after taking up the reigns as head of the household.
Our other elder brother who was raised locally was very smart and crafty, after struggling with one of our other siblings, he finally succeeded to be the head of our new home, he entrenched himself to everything and other members of the family who were charged with the security of our household felt aggrieved, marginalised and ostracised, they forced the handpicked of our elder brother who has just taken over as head of the house to relinquish power to them, this struggle went on for so many years and many other unfortunate occurrences occurred during this period, our stepfather and some of his friends returned to mediate peace and helped us design ways to sustainable and mutual living, some of our brothers that connived with our neighbours to bring unrest were punished, banished and some are still in exile to this day.
We restarted in a very good footing but the selfishness of our elder siblings would not allow us to enjoy the remaining wealth of our mum.
Ebola came and killed many in our household and neighbours, shortly after, mudslide came, we had to spend the little we have to help those affected but were still stranded and had to shamelessly return to our stepfather like always to beg for assistance, our brothers are busy and bent on siphoning the money that was given to us as help.
Just when we think that we have survived all these and it's time for us to start rebuilding and moving forward, a strange sickness (Coronavirus) that has killed many in our stepfather's household and those of his friends and good neighbours visited us as poor as we are. We don't have where to turn to, and yet our brothers currently at the helm are exploring ways to benefit themselves.
Oh mama, I feel your pain, we the younger ones are hopeless about the future.
Many of us have finished school years back but we are still wandering around like idlers whiles our colleagues of the same age are prospering and excelling in other parts of the world.
Our pregnant sisters are dying before laying to bed, our younger siblings are passing away before they are five years of age.
You were respected by many for your discipline in education and resource management but today all we see is corruption.
We have few of our siblings that are trying to regain your past glory but the corruptible forces against them are sometimes too hard for them to withstand.
As you retire next year mama.... 😭😭😭😭😭 (burst into tears) unable to end.
*I love you mum even at 59.*

*Your son, Moses Alankay*

Vlogging: A Virtual Market Space for Our Sierra Leonean youths

What if I told you that Ghana and Nigeria are winning in the ongoing battle of rap supremacy between our own Hip-hop heavyweight and the rest of the OGs across Africa? Would you not be quick to jump into conclusion accusing me of betrayal unto a country fellow-- Kaodenero? Yes, you would. Especially so when I am the same guy who was taunting him and his fans yesterday and unto today afternoon when I finally decided to forgive and forget his folly. We are starting fasting tomorrow, and we should forgive ans forget.

I however want to tell you that this post is not about Kaodenero, or any of those rappers he's lyrically fighting with. Rather, this post is about our youths in general, but especially Sierra Leonean youths.

A few days ago I wrote a piece asking that people cheer up Kaodenero's project for both its market viability and the chance to promote the African culture and awake its people to a renaissance movement. Well, today again I want us to give a critical insight into the project as a whole and evaluate our gains so far.

But here are a few things you should know. Once more, this is not a piece about Kaodenero or any rapper, but a piece for us the African youths, especially Sierra Leonean youths. Kaodenero is a business man. His every move is a well calculated one. And he is set to upgrade himself, hence, he is packaging his career for the international market since the gains at home have not been huge, and worst still it seems to be getting more derailing in recent while. But he's not relenting anyway, he thinks he has something to offer the world: his talent, and he is making a through. He's now social media sensation across Africa, especially among Hip-hop lovers.

I however am concerned about the way Sierra Leoneans (especially his fans) have been partaking in the whole project. They can be seen in almost all social media platforms discussing about Kaodenero. They hit the like button more than any other nation; they make the most comments; and they share the links more than all others. They basically are loyal to the core. But hey!!! What if I am to tell you that that's not how to win this battle, would you mind taking your time to read this piece in its entirety just so you can understand my point?

Well, to make matters simple. I want us to look at it from a business perspective and not just about the hype. Don't get distracted. You are letting a market opportunity escape you. Don't just cherry pick punch lines and retorts to amuse fans or provoke the other side. But take your time and observe how the other guys are playing it. Observe how they have assumed panel of judges over the matter. They are the ones who administer the Facebook pages we like to partake in the discuss; they are the ones administering the YouTube accounts that analyse the Lyrical battle; and they are basically the ones making money out of it.

Whilst they are monetising it, we are expensing on it. We simply cannot fathom the market viability the beef is opening up. We are mere cheerers and not chairing it. How many of us know that Video blogging (sharing videos on social media such as YouTube) is a payable business for many people across the world? Few, hu? Well, what you are looking at is Ghanaians and  Nigerians reaping the financial benefit from our so called battle of supremacy whilst we sponsor them.

Since the battle of supremacy started I have never seen a shared YouTube link administered by a Sierra Leonean MC or promoter. All I keep seeing are Ghanaians and Nigerians administered links followed by Sierra Leoneans. Do you think those guys are doing it in order to promote our music? No! They are taking ownership of the project and capitalizing in your non- entrepreneurial tendencies to make fortune. That critical thinking is what we have lacked as a people. We do not think business in our every interaction. The Nigerians are peculiar business people. They are smart because they look at almost every situation as a business opportunity, and they reap the gains. We have a lot to learn from these people.

Hey! Don't get it twisted!I am not against the Nigerians and Ghanaians administering those accounts, I am only bringing this to your attention so that we know how to win a battle beyond points to coins; and beyond bars to banks. We should pay attention and observe how the game is played. The game is a virtual reality game, and there are internet savvy guys who are set waiting for the slightest move triggered by anyone to create an internet sensation to get views and likes so they get paid.

But just how does one get paid with a YouTube account?

YouTube pays video bloggers (basically, people who upload videos on their YouTube account for public consumption) on the basis of "Cost per impression (CPI)". The CPI is a metric used by YouTube to determine or gauge the amount of views and subscribers a vlogger can reach as per ad (short for advertisement) on every video uploaded. Hence, vloggers can go all out to create an engaging and interesting contents into their accounts to get more subscribers and viewers. Once they hit 10,000 views, they are up to making a pocket money because then they can share ads into those contents which viewers may watch. The lowest you could make as per 10,000 views is $2, and you can make more by simply sharing more engaging contents. So you now see how this Kaodenero thing is not just about the bars and lyrics but the market viability for vloggers.

We need vloggers in Sierra Leone. It takes great effort and patience to make a fortune out of it, but once you get the numbers, then rest assured you can get the pay. Make interesting contents and share it to friends and ask them to share them across. We do not need Ghanaians or Nigerians to always appreciate just how well our guys are doing, we can do the same here. We can appreciate their songs and videos and make them follow us as well. They are over 150 million population. That's a huge market for youths. Since we don't have the MTV or Trace, we can use YouTube to spread our stories across. We can draw their attention to what we do here as well. We do not have to sit by and watch them take the market gains of it whilst we clamour our lyrical prowess. The game is far bigger than Kao and Sarkodie. Kao has done his role, he's brought their attention to us, let's take ownership of the project and serve as members of the panel of judges.

So once more, I ask we become critical of unfolding and give a different looks into issues. Think business and invest your time in building your career and to business...

©Amadu Wurie Jalloh
® Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

The Making of an Empire: Hip-hop King-Kongs across Africa Battling for Supremacy

Say what you may, but I assure you the beef thing between and among our hip-hop King-Kongs are yielding a market  viability.
KaoLastingKingDenero, Sarkordi, Lyrical Joe, Khaligraphy Jones and all those entrapped in this lyrical tug-of-war game are  working on a big project: amalgamating the hip-hop industry and fanbase of Africa for their own good. The diss and lyrical confrontations should be cheered up by fans across the continent. It is helping in widening the listenership of their lyrical proclivities and opening up an industrial space for hip-hop across Africa. This gives a hope to musicians from smaller countries with small fan base compared to those of Nigeria and Ghana. 

Gone are the days when the best selects of our nightclub DJs are Western Hip-hop and R&B songs. Today, more than ever, African artists are touring across the continent. Their hustle is intensifying in the continent. Their followers on YouTube and other platforms are almost matching their counterparts in the West. They are making big featurings and are blending the Caribbean Culture with our culture as well. This fuse of cultures has created what I could refer to as Raggae mutants such as the Dalas Bantan, Stone Boy, Whizkid (Starboy), PatoRanking, Starzee, Timaya, etc... These stars are technically repatriating their African fans. The same is happening in the R&B world (Banky W, Morris, 2 Baba/Face, Tiwa Savage, Adama (Foday n Linda fame), etc...).

But beyond the expansionism and Economic viability this project is going to yield, the Afrobeat is also helping bring to recognition the diversity of culture in Africa. It's no doubt promoting the rich African cultures. The international performances are acknowledging those facts. Our musicians and artists are now more confident to sing and perform in their local parlance and ethnic languages. The world cannot resist the thrilling sounds of Diamond Platinum (Swahili), Drizilik (Krio), Sidiki Diabate (Bambara), Internet man (Themne), Fatako (Fula), Takana Zion (Soso), Sarkordi (Twi), Olamide (Yoruba), etc... They are basically in a renaissance movement to revive the almost dying African cultures. They are also helping break the myths surrounding Africa rustic lifestyle and poverty popularized by Western media. Their musical videos are opening doors to African tourism. They are showing the rising middle-class lifestyle in Africa. They are basically telling the world that Africa is not only about the savannas and jungles and primitive lifestyle. Africa is rising and we should invest our resources to opening more doors.

What can be done to realize the benefits of this project?

Well, DJs, show promoters, and our media houses should follow the trail of the industry and coordinate efforts to organize bigger, more diverse, and truly African entertainment awards to raise the self-esteem of our artists and musicians and create job opportunities for more Africans. The continent is home to approximately 1.3 billion people. The continent is poised to overcome Asia in becoming home to the largest labour force by 2040. No prospect could have shown any clearer. Any delibrate move to invest in this project will naturally lead to a boost in the general Cultural and creative industries (fashion, music, art and craft, film and cinematography), and eventually the tourism sector. Countries and entertainment stakeholders should coordinate efforts to amass these opportunities for the betterment of the continent. The Ecofest Show by Kabaka Multimedia Entertainment (KME) is one such examplary move. Musicians and entertainers from across the continent are giving the opportunity to perform in a single stage. That project should extend to promotion of awards. The political will is utmost in realizing the success of such occasions and projects.

©Amadu Wurie Jalloh
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation
® Students Analysts and Writers Network
® Fottal Organization

Too many extra-classes, little time to study: How the disregard for self-directed learning process may explain the reason for massive failure in external examinations

In about four weeks time, our students in Anglophone West Africa would be commencing the WASSCE. Some for the first time, and many others for another turn. So far, the last results were awful and worrisome, to say the least. Some critics argue that it's the worst result since after the Civil War that officially ended in 2002.   In attempting to give possible explanation as to why the state of education (in terms of promotional rate) is retrogressing, analysts have propounded several conflicting and yet convincing theories. Most of whom blaming the lack of trained and qualified teachers; and others (call them conspiracy theorists) politics. While both proponents put up convincing points, the subject of lack of self-directed learning, I can say, has been given less attention. Knowles (1975, p. 18-- as cited by Bear A. A. G., 2nd November, 2012) suggested that self-directed learning as a process takes place when: "Individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying  human and material resources for learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes."
We all need a guide/teacher to decode certain information. That's why we go to school and spend up to 5 hours in class almost everyday in highschool. But in the journey to acquiring knowledge, the greater task is left with the learner. The school introduces us to concept and walk us through key principles. It's then left with us the individual learners to explore further and understand them well- to ensure they stick with us either in verbatim or in concept. Learning goes further than accumulating notes and listening others teach. A student must take his/her extra-time to self-direct their learning process. It's an absolute betrayal by teachers to normalize extra-classes for students when they have all the time to give their best to students during normal school. In order to extort parents and their students alike, they deprived the  students quality teaching in normal active schooling hours just so they could persuade them to attend extra classes for a sum that will never quench their thirst for illicit money.
On the students side, here is what extra-classes can do to them:
1. It deprives students of their right to leisure: Leisure (adult play) is essential in reliving stress and promoting wellbeing of students (playing can stimulate the release of endorphins or feel-good chemicals in the body). Adult play can also help improve brain function and stimulate the mind and enhance creativity through puzzle and task solving. We need to encourage our students to have time for leisure after school. We are not training robots. Too much academic stress can lead to health complications and poor concentration of adult learners (see: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/benefits-of-play-for-adults.htm); and
2. Extra-classes can kill the reading skill of students: students spend most of their time in extra-classes taking notes rather than reading the notes they have already accumulated since JSS 1 or (as in the case for those in Senior high) SS1. Teachers would succeed in confusing the students the more by giving them the same notes they had being giving in normal Schooling hours by different teachers along the line to JSS3 or SS3. They will copy the same notes they had in previous other classes over and over again without grasping a thing from them. They would spend one fourth of the night taking notes in these extra-classes, and get back home exhausted and stressed up for sleep. No time to study or revise on their own. They would hardly read accurately. In many instances, these students cannot read a whole paragraph without getting stuck several times along the way by simple jargons. If they finally reach the finish line, they would not make out what they read. We simply are not allowing them to have time on their own to read. As per the principles of self-directed learning, they should spend more time to identify the learning tools and methods on their own than relying completely on someone to aid them. Aiding should come at a point where they need clarification. But unfortunately for our own students, they literally spend 90 per cent of their time taking notes and lectures rather than self directing their learning process. It's when you are allowed to read enough that your reading and writing skills will improve virtually further (see:https://theboar.org/2019/02/reading-improve-writing-skills/). Their is no way our students can write sense or give something back they didn't not read. Listening alone is not enough for examinations. In order to give good performance in examinations, one has to be a good writer too. And the beta way to enhance your writing potentials is to read widely. You may already have all the notes you are chasing after, but you just can't figure it out because you don't have time to read. You are busy taking notes instead of studying the few you have. You stand a better chance when you master the few notes you have than accumulating it all and knowing none.

So I argue that in order to boost the performance of our students in the external examinations, we need to permit the students to have enough time to leisure and self-study under our supervision and aid. Teachers who call for extra-classes in normal Schooling weeks are not only extorting Students and parents, but they are also draining our students the energy they should save for self-directed learning at home whilst also killing the students' learning potentials. Extra-classes are in fact more detrimental to girl-pupils who are apportioned greater responsibility in carrying the house chores after school. As though that's not enough to exhaust them, they will be forced (technically) to attend extra-classes to make up for the quality lecture the teacher deprived them in school just for little sum. The need for extra-classes should only come about in the weekends to revise notes taking throughout the week for students' benefit. The ministry of education has a role to play in identifying teachers involved in these practices and taking the right actions against them. They are simply killing our students' learning opportunity and their future.
#My_Opinion

©Amadu Wurie Jalloh
® Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation