Judging on Appearance

Good morning people. Wise words for today are from Jean de la Fontaine. He says "beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance". I think this week is gonna be about judging people. Everyone in this world is judged or judges another by their outward appearance. When I have to attend an interview, I wear a properly pressed suit with a white shirt and a not too striking tie. My hair is cut and beard shaved to skin. Simply because I want to be taken serious. I have a higher standard than usual so when I see a lady with too much cleavage I wonder "why". Sometimes the first thing that pops into my head is this person has no morals and more often than not, I'm wrong. They may just have too much breasts to "remain-in-bra". We all see a man with long locks and simply assume they're from Jamaica or belong to the rastafari religion and the classic thin slice of all, they are weed smokers and fans of Bob Marley. Haha. More often than not they're none of that. I know many christian, non weed smoking classic loving non Jamaicans. So perhaps the saying is right. We should beware that we don't turn the best away simply by judging on appearance. However, we should aim to make a good first and lasting impression so appearance is equally important. Have a good day.

First Springs of Great Events

Arise and shine. Good morning fellas and felletes. Lol. I trust your sleep was restful. If it wasn't, well what can I say besides there's more sleep after death so let's get our hustle on. Wise words for today is from Jonathan Swift - "the first springs of great events, like those of great rivers, are often mean and little." Reminds me of the famous saying "a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". So today, no matter how little your effort is, know that it is a significant contribution to a great event. Of course you must have a general idea of what the great event is or will be otherwise your efforts will be cos 90. Have a good day.

Judging People

Good morning y'all. Wise words for today. So we're always told not to judge people. Sad thing is we're always judging or thin slicing people. When we have to take a decision regarding someone, we're judging them, are we not? So we need to revise the advice on judging people. I suggest we should judge people so long as we have a fair idea of their circumstances. Have a good day y'all and thin slice as much as you can.

Review of Kwaw Ansah's 'The Good Old Days "The Love of AA"'

I had the opportunity of attending the premiere of the abovementioned movie. It was my mother's birthday and after watching the abovementioned movie, I must say it was the most appropriate birthday present. It reminded her and my father so much of their young school days. The setting of the movie, the clothes worn by the actors, the pen and ink used by the actors. They continued to talk about the movie on the way home in the car.

I wished I grew up in the good old days. I think the experience would have been amazing. Letter writing to express your love, having to dip your pen in the inkbottle after every three letters and blotting the excess ink with a 'blotter' or chalk.

That said I had some expectations. I had heard so much about Kwaw Ansah and his famous movie, Love Brewed in an African Pot, and was expecting a sophisticated, high class movie. The abovementioned movie did not meet my expectation.

The storyline was good but happened so fast. I think there could have been more to this movie than there was. There was a lack of cohesion and fluency. It was unrealistic and artificial. A good example is when Esaaba and AA's parents met. I can bet my last penny that no parent in that situation will act the way they did and as calm as they did.

Lastly, the Abudu and Andani story was absolutely out of place. It is obvious what Kwaw was seeking to achieve but it had no relevance whatsoever to the storyline.

The music at the end written by Kwaw Ansah, dedicated to Mac Tonto and Teddy Osei, sang by Kwabena Kwabena and Dela, was brilliant and keeps playing in my head.

Thank you Kwaw Ansah; you made my mother's night and certainly my night. I look forward to the remaining 23 episodes of The Good Old Days. 

What is the NDC all about?

The question on the minds on many Ghanaians including myself is “What is the NDC all about?” You have to feel sorry for the NDC. You really have to because you simply cannot envision the direction NDC is taking Ghana. Or, maybe you can. It has been common knowledge within the opposition and the private sector that the NDC had no ‘better Ghana’ agenda as they promised Ghanaians. It seems to me that the public sector is finally gaining this knowledge.

For as long as I have known the NDC, it has always held itself out as the social democratic party in Ghana. In fact, on the international stage, the NDC is a nominal member (because they offer no socio-economic solutions that can be placed on the American and European political spectrum) of Socialist International. Since the NDC brands itself as a social democratic party, it will be beneficial to readers to understand what social democracy is all about.

Social democracy is a political ideology of the centre-left on the classic political spectrum. The contemporary social democratic movement seeks to reform capitalism to align it with the ethical ideals of social justice while maintaining the capitalist mode of production, as opposed to creating an alternative socialist economic system. Practical modern social democratic policies include the promotion of a welfare state, and the creation of economic democracy as a means to secure workers' rights.

Therefore, the NDC as ‘the’ social democratic party in Ghana will naturally be expected to implement practical democratic policies which should obviously promote a welfare state and create an economic democracy as a means to secure workers’ rights. Ask any Ghanaian whether the NDC is living up to its ideology or whether the NDC is implementing practical modern social democratic policies and the answer you will receive will be a resounding NO!

I will limit my examples to very recent events which demonstrate that the NDC is not implementing practical modern social democratic policies. I must stress that the question as to whether the NDC is implementing any policy is not what is being discussed. The NDC has failed as a social democratic party supposed to secure workers’ rights.

At the time of typing this post, university and polytechnic lecturers were on strike; students of the various polytechnics were demonstrating in Accra urging the government to review the salaries and allowances of their lecturers; senior high schools were rejecting first year students because preparation had not be made towards an intake this year; first year students who had been admitted at senior high schools across the country were facing accommodation problems as no preparation had been made by the government in light of the changes in the length of senior high school education; workers across the public sector including nurses were threatening to go on strike; and high numbers of unemployment across the country. These are a few of the ‘happening now’ examples of how the NDC has failed and is failing Ghanaians as a social democratic party supposed to promote a welfare state and secure workers’ rights.

If workers are striking during an NDC administration then something is fundamentally wrong with the ideology of the party and within the structures of the party. There is a saying – if you don’t know where you are coming from, how will you know where you are going. I have no idea why the NDC chose to be a social democratic party. Maybe they simply thought ‘we will be the opposite of the NPP’. In any event, the least they can do is fulfill their electoral promises to Ghanaians.

My advice to the NDC is that they should address issues surrounding welfare and workers rights well ahead of a strike. Strikes are strategic coup d'états for social democratic parties.

Written and Edited by:

Kow A. Essuman Esq.

LL.B. Hons (Westminster), PgDip (BPP), LL.M. (Cornell)

Barrister-at-Law (Lincoln's Inn)

Attorney and Counselor-at-Law (New York)

All comments, corrections and contributions should be sent to kaessuman@yahoo.com.

This post is based on the thoughts, observations and opinions of Kow A. Essuman Esq. Any attempt to reproduce all or any part of this article without the express permission of the above named person shall be an infringement of intellectual property laws; following which the author reserves the right to commence an action/suit against any such person(s) or body for breach of copyright and/or any other action/suit the author sees fit.

The Liverpool Saga

I chose not to blog about this issue but changed my mind when I realised not only was it an interesting topic from a sporting angle but also, it raises a lot of legal issues that lawyers, especially international lawyers, should take notice of. Also, most importantly, I believe patrons of my blog will find it interesting.

What makes this very interesting is the fact that it involves American owners (Hicks and Gillett) of a British entity (Liverpool) who sought an injunction in a different jurisdiction (Texas) to prevent a sale from taking place between an entity (Liverpool) based in England and an entity (NESV) based in Massachusetts.

Hicks and Gillett purchased Liverpool in 2007. Earlier this year they decided to put Liverpool up for sale and therefore brought in Martin Broughton to chair the board and lead the sale. A sale was necessary because of the debt (GBP237 million) owed to RBS by Liverpool. Hicks and Gillett initially wanted GBP600 million for Liverpool. However, NESV offered GBP300 million. It is estimated that Hicks and Gillett lost about GBP143 million as a result of this transaction.

Besides NESV there was a consortium of Asia investors who put in a bid higher for Liverpool. Realising how murky the situation was going to be coupled with their chances to persuade the board to sell Liverpool to them, they withdrew their bid leaving NESV as the only potential buyer.

It was either NESV or administration i.e. Liverpool would have been placed in administration to in order to pay off the debt owed to RBS. Hicks and Gillett sought an injunction to prevent the sale to NESV from taking place. The injunction also sought damages of over $1 billion.

The High Court in England and Wales struck out the injunction stating that it had no effect in England and Wales and instructed Hicks and Gillett to withdraw their injunction from the court in Texas or be held in contempt of court – clear-cut example of a conflict of laws issue.

What readers should think about is why Hicks and Gillett decided to seek an injunction in Texas as opposed to England and Wales. The only reason why Texas had an interest in the case was because Hicks and Gillett resided there. Should that be enough to issue an injunction to prevent a sale in England and Wales?

I think not and so did the High Court judge who ruled that the injunction had no effect in English courts. Hicks and Gillett may be right about the epic swindle by RBS and Liverpool’s board – why did they not file the injunction in the High Court of England and Wales?

There is a lot to think about regarding this saga but I am particularly glad that Liverpool has a new owner who is more than capable of turning the football club around. Surely not to win the Premier League any time soon. Ha-ha.

Once Bitten, Never Shy…

“Will you stop saying that?” I said to her. But she wouldn’t stop. She repeated herself “Trust me my dear, you will fall in love again. And this time, it will be sweeter than before. You will be in love deeper than the last time.” “And the hurt will be more painful than the one I’m feeling right now” I added.

The words of the great playwright, poet and author, Oscar Wilde, quickly ran through my mind as she spoke those words. According to Oscar, “When love comes to an end, weaklings cry, efficient ones instantly find another love, and the wise have one in reserve.” I have never been a weakling and was not about to join that category of persons. Certainly not wise because I didn’t have one in reserve. And I didn’t want to be efficient.

A saying I had become familiar with in my school days became ever so relevant. I said to her “Once bitten, twice shy”. Clever as she always is, she replied "my dear, when it comes to love that saying changes.” I laughed wondering how she intended to support that argument. But then she continued to explain her position “In love matters, once bitten, NEVER shy”.

It has taken me a while to understand what she meant. The beauty of being in love is the uncertainty of the future; the possibility of being hurt. We’re meant to get hurt when we’re in love. Our hearts will get broken. We’ll be shattered by events that led to the heartbreak and after. But that’s what makes this feeling of love special and different. We just don’t stop there and call it quits. What we need to do is pick ourselves up and be efficient. If you’re wise enough to have one in reserve, the better. Whatever you do, make sure you love again because when it comes to love, “Once Bitten, Never Shy!”

NPP Youth UK Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Youth Wing of NPP UK to be held on 10 July 2010 at 726 - 728 Seven Sisters Road, London N15 5NH from 4pm to 7pm.

For more information visit our Facebook page by searching NPP Youth UK on Facebook or visit our website at www.nppyouthuk.com or email us at nppyouthuk@gmail.com

Be there to share your ideas. The Future is NOW!!!

An Invitation to Join the Youth in Building Ghana

Fellow Citizens,

We hope you accept our invitation to participate in a campaign for the development of Ghana and the African continent at large. 

In the past, we have underestimated the power and influence of the youth in politics. This is a new era and I am sure you are aware of it. The wind of change keeps blowing around democracies in the world. The one thing this wind carries, which is common to all democracies, is the impact of the youth in the campaign for change.

In relation to our own party, we always complain, or at least the people we speak to, complain that the Ghanaian youth are not influential enough in the Party. That may be true to some extent. Those who rebut such an assertion state the universities have strong student organizations which participate in politics. The question we should ask ourselves is, "should that be where it stops"?

The development of Ghana is in the hands of the "cheetah generation" – to borrow the words of George Ayittey. That is, you and I and every young Ghanaian. We share a common vision. And for those who live outside Ghana, the vision gets clearer each day as we realise that the development of Ghana lies not in the foreign aid and international financial institutions but in the hands of Ghanaians.

We hope you join us. Once a member of the group, you shall receive information about this branch of our party. We aim to have a very organized and influential wing. We'll need your support throughout the process.

If you believe in Ghana's development and want to be a part of it, then look nowhere else. Spread the word to your friends, acquaintances and family. We hope to count on you for financial support when the time comes. In return, we promise to deliver a wing of the party which will serve the greater interest of Ghana.

For now, spread the word. We also encourage you to visit this page at least once a day. We will keep you updated on news in Ghana and within the party. We will also update you on events you can attend. If you wish to formally join the NPP Youth UK, kindly send us an email at nppyouthuk@gmail.com and we will send you a copy of the form to fill.

We look forward to working with you to return development in freedom back into power. The future is now. Let us solve today's problems with today's solutions.

Yours faithfully,

NPP Youth UK.

African Politics does not need Pensioners.

It is not a disputed fact and I hope readers will not dispute the statement that a majority of African leaders are over 50 years old. The reason, I am sure, is deeply rooted in African culture i.e. the elderly are deemed to be very wise and cannot be challenged by anyone else except someone of the same age group or even older. It therefore goes without saying that African culture places emphasis on the respect for the person with the greyest hair. Or maybe not as my brother, the youngest of us all, has the greyest hair.

But you get the point I am trying to make. If not then the point I am making is “with age comes great respect” regardless of the person’s background. That is not a bad thing and I am not saying the elderly do not deserve the respect they are due as a result of their age. The justification for the respect accorded to age lies with the fact that a person acquires vast experience as they grow older. True. And the next generation can certainly benefit from their experience. Again, this is very much true and I agree.

So then what is my problem you may ask? Why is Kow Essuman writing this piece if he agrees that "with age comes experience and respect"? Simple – Africans tend to be less interested or not interested in politics until they hit 40 years and in some cases 50 years. And those with presidential ambitions wait until they are over 60 years before realising their ambition. This is wrong. Why should people nearing their pension age or people past pension age be making decisions for a country? Africa does not need leaders who are continuously ill, unfit or die whilst in office.

To solve a problem, you must first understand the problem. Most of today's problems require today's solutions. Yet we elect leaders from yesterday. How do we expect them to solve today's problems with yesterday's solutions? That is even if they understand today's problems. Even if they were to solve today's problems with yesterday's solutions, I can guarantee that it would be at a snail's pace. Africa can never be economically independent at such a pace.

So what am I proposing? The youth should be encouraged to participate in government not just voting and campaigning. They should be an integral part of the administration of the country. That way today's problems will be solved by people who understand today's problems and with solutions which are today's solution. It will also prepare the youth who have presidential aspirations to gain practical governing experience so they can be ready to govern when the time comes. Not when they hit their pension age.

The youth should be encouraged right from when they attain voting age or even earlier. It would interest you to know that a majority of electorates are the youth. So why then do we have pensioners in government? I may be called disrespectful for some of the statements in this piece and that is one of Africa's problems – the elderly can never be criticised by the young. Well, this is severely hindering our progress so it must cease.

To end this, I introduce an organization committed to ensuring that the youth are not just dormant participants in politics but very active participants even at the administrative level – NPP Youth UK. I strongly suggest that if you believe in solving Africa's problems, you join this group. To join, simply send an email to nppyouthuk@gmail.com indicating your intention to join. Let us solve today's problems with today's solutions.

Written and Edited by:

Kow A. Essuman Esq.

LL.B. Hons (Westminster), PgDip (BPP), LL.M. (Cornell)

Barrister-at-Law (Lincoln's Inn)

Attorney and Counselor-at-Law (New York)

All comments, corrections and contributions should be sent to kaessuman@yahoo.com.

This post is based on the thoughts, observations and opinions of Kow A. Essuman Esq. Any attempt to reproduce all or any part of this article without the express permission of the above named person shall be an infringement of intellectual property laws; following which the author reserves the right to commence an action/suit against any such person(s) or body for breach of copyright and/or any other action/suit the author sees fit.