Ghanaian Journalist Halifax Ansah-Addo: Interview

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Tuesday, 7 July 2015

One On One With Alex Afenyo Markin

-The ‘Overall Best Parliamentarian For 2014’

By Halifax Ansah-Addo (Twitter: @HalifaxAnsahAdd)

Alex Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu in the Central Region, was recently voted the ‘Overall Best Parliamentarian for 2014’ by Ghanaians in a survey conducted by FAKS Investigative Services, a Ghanaian research and investigative company, with about 5,000 respondents.

Afenyo-Markin, a renowned lawyer and entrepreneur who turns 37 this May, entered Parliament in 2013 at the age of 34.

NEWS-ONE caught up with him for an interview that touched on his recent award, his life in Parliament, political prospects and perspectives on a few pertinent issues.

How does this award make you feel?

I thank God that the effort we are making has gained some recognition. In parliament we work as a team and it is not a one-man business, I have been encouraged and inspired by my own peers and seniors from both sides of the House. I can’t finish if I say I want to mention individual names. Parliamentary staff, press corps and all have helped me to learn.

I was determined that I would do my best as a young person. Combining parliamentary work with my legal work and the demands of the constituency is not easy and at the same time you must have time for the family, have a rest and ensure you are in good health. It has been very tough but we thank God for bringing us this far and I am encouraged to do my best.

Do you enjoy attacking government?

It depends on what you call attacks. I took a decision that in my parliamentary life, I would avoid personal attacks so that persons affected by the issues I raise would not feel offended or think that I am after them. This has been my guiding principle and I believe we need to change our approach to politics in this country and the reckless impunity with which some people do things. That ‘get it at all cost’ attitude has not helped.

That attitude does not seem to encourage young and decent people to venture into politics. People should see politics as a call to national duty and a platform to serve and contribute your quota. But the way we have gone about it scares people and appears to portray politicians as a bunch of crooks playing a dirty game. I’m looking forward to a future where we would put aside our extreme ideologies and gravitate towards the center.

Do you know the exact factors that made people to vote to make you the overall best MP?

Honesty I don’t know. As I said, I was not even aware something was going on until I started receiving congratulatory messages from some elders in my constituency and college MPs. I think the SADA issue I raised on the floor of parliament may have been a factor. Different people look at different factors. The other day, my wife was telling me she heard someone talking about me on TV, and the person said I dress well and polish my shoes like a mirror. I don’t know what exactly but I work on feedback a lot and this may have helped. I remember the owner of Radio Peace, Ghartey Tagoe, once called me and gave me tips on how to handle my colleague debaters when I appear on media platforms. I believe my calls for accountability also helped.

Is it easy to demand accountability when your party is not in power?

My duty as a parliamentarian is to scrutinize, exercise oversight and do a critique. The principle would not change. It is true you can do it with ease when you are not in government. When you are in government and part of the system and if things go wrong you have an opportunity to address it in-house. You would be betraying the principles of governance if you are seen to be going against your own government openly and through the media. It would be more prudent to raise such issues at closed door meetings, cabinet meetings, committer levels and other avenues.

If you come to the Finance Committee for instance and you see E.T. Mensah interrogating issues, or our Chairman, Avedzi, interrogating issues, you would realize we put our parties aside and act as one people with only one interest which is mother Ghana.

Would that not offend your party enough to cause some enmity?

It depends on how it is managed. We are all not pious so there is no need for me to present the issues as though I know it all. But I believe anyone in government means well. No one gets into government with the aim of destroying society, waste resources or abuse the office. It is a matter of us pinching each other and doing peer review. We can encourage each other in the spirit of patriotism and with a good heart.

Would you seek a second term?

I would want to stay on. I started as an Assembly man and I did two terms, I became a Presiding member and I did two terms, now I am MP and would want a second term. I am certain I would seek reelection. I am sure my constituents would give me another opportunity. I have not done badly at all as an opposition MP and when my constituents compare what they are getting now to what they had in the past, I am sure they would renew my mandate. You cannot be in this game forever it gets to a point you have to bow out but as at now I am certain I would seek reelection.

We know about Alex the MP, the lawyer, the lecturer, the business man. Tell us about Alex the family man

I would say politics has made it difficult for me to be an ideal family man. I don’t have enough time with the kids and their mom as I would have wished. Committee work, constituency work and parliamentary demands take a huge toll on your time. Sometimes you see the kids in the morning when they are going to school and balancing the time is difficult. There are times you just decide to shut all things down just to be with the kids, talk to the see them through their home work and oil that filial bond. But I can tell you that in Ghana today, the life of a politician does not give room for a real family life.

Is there any other thing you may want to add?

Yes, I strongly feel that we, the youth of today, must be encouraged to do our best in whatever field we find ourselves. You go to the United States or England and people are so proud of their country and they really love their country. I don’t think we love our country that much. If the older generation, for one reason or the other had made some mistakes, I would encourage the youth to know that the future is ours and we should start a new national psyche, orientation and attitude for mother Ghana. The country is so polarized and everything is either party A or party B. Professor Opanin Agyekum made a point on Peace Fm yesterday and I really agree with him. He was saying that these days it is easier to escape punishment for a crime committed once you can align yourself to a big political party and get your party to politicize the issue. This is true but wrong and not helping Ghana.

Finally I think those of us in authority must position and conduct ourselves in a manner that people would feel there is a need for them to also sacrifice. But this does not seem to be the case and therefore people do all sorts of things to survive.

It is shameful that when we, the politicians and leaders in authority, tell our followers to ‘bite the bullet’, they see us biting cheese and when we tell them to tighten their belts, they see us making expansion on the waistlines of our trousers; this betrayal of confidence and trust in leadership results in what is now known as ‘kpa-kpa-kpa,’ where people, in the name of survival, engage in potentially corrupt acts.

BLAKK RASTA QUITS Hitz FM

‘Multimedia Betrayed Me & Banned My Songs’

By Halifax Ansah-Addo

Activist Reggae Musician and popular radio presenter, Blakk Rasta, has confirmed to NEWS-ONE he had resigned his job as host of Hitz Fm’s ‘Taxi Driver’ show and cut ties with Multimedia Group, owners of the station.

“I was still on the radio [Tuesday morning] when I tendered my resignation. I have been with Multimedia for eight years and I think it is time to move on because I am no longer inspired there and of course, a few other things happened here and there that made me feel betrayed”, Blakk confirmed to NEWS-ONE during a telephone interview.

The popular reggae musician denied vehemently that he was sacked by the station or forced to resign under duress: “no one sacked me. If I was sacked I would have told you because there is nothing embarrassing about it. I resigned and when I handed them my letter, they even said I had to refund to them a month’s salary because I resigned without serving them prior notice.”

Blakk Rasta was recently made headline news when he was summoned before Ghana’s Parliament after had campaigned on radio for the decriminalization of marijuana use in Ghana and alleged that some 80 percent of parliamentarians use ganja.

The award winning musician did not mince words in disclosing to NEWS-ONE that the ripple effects of that invitation was one of the key factors that led to his resignation from Hitz Fm.

“When I was invited by Parliament , my employers did not even sit me down before the invitation so we plan on what exactly we should say there and how things should go, they did not get a lawyer for me, nothing. Nothing like that happened. Even my HR who was there knew next to nothing about the incident when he was questioned about the issue and what exactly I had said.

“I did not get any support from Multimedia which I thought was unfair. I thought once I was with you I should get your support. Even if you do not agree with what I said, you can go and say you do not agree and that you are pleading for clemency. But that was not done and I even had to look for my own lawyer.

“No one was interested in my wellbeing as far as that invitation was concerned but they were rather interested in the story and in getting the news so they [Multimedia] set up their gadgets and carried the news live both on radio and television”, Blakk narrated to NEWS-ONE.

When NEWS-ONE called the Programs Manager for Hitz FM, Mark Okraku Mantey on phone to cross check from him the veracity or otherwise of Blakk Rasta’s allegation, he could not speak to the matter because there was a lot of noise where he was and the conversation was barely audible.

Okraku Mantey however asked that the paper called him back later in the evening but his phone was not answered when the paper called back and a text message sent to his phone over the matter was also not responded to before the paper went to bed.

Blakk was emphatic that he felt his work was not appreciated by his employers and they even placed an embargo on his songs after the invitation by Parliament.

“It has been a nice family but I now feel uncomfortable, I feel betrayed and I am not inspired anymore to work with these people. This slip could happen to anybody but it depends on how you handle it but I was betrayed and I had to go look for my own lawyer, I went there on my own and even after that, not even one person from Multimedia has called me to talk to me how about it and the way forward.

“What they rather did was to go ahead and ban my songs on radio saying that I do not attend station gatherings and all that so my songs should not be played on radio. What is this? I don’t intend granting interviews or talking about this because I have been working with this station for eight solid years.

“I think Multimedia is not appreciative of my work and commitment. Time and again I have heard them say utterances that make me feel I am not appreciated and my die-hard passion is not appreciated. I put in all my passion and energy but this afternoon, I just decided to tender in my resignation.

WHAT NEXT FOR BLAKK?

“Next week, I am travelling to Italy for the Milan Expo and I would be representing Ghana on the t7icket of the Trade Ministry and we are bringing home and award. Right after that, I am going to America, then Australia and then Trinidad and Tobago. It looks like the outsiders seem to appreciate my works more and I am looking forward to using this platform to push my ‘Serwa Akoto’ on the international scene.

“I hope to be back in the media soon. Long before my resignation, some stations had approached me but I did not give in. I am not sure which station I would be moving to because it would be about the biggest bidder and who would appreciate me and respect what I do.”

It Is Tough For Women In Media

…Mary-Ann Acolatse Speaks

By Halifax Ansah-Addo

Mary-Ann Acolatse, a female broadcast-journalist of high repute, has pointed at an uneven playing field that frustrates the smooth progression of women working in the media though the situation is unintended.

“With regards to training and basic job opportunities the field is leveled for both sexes but when it comes to career progression, certain roles and ownership - there's cause for alarm”, Mary-Ann, Managing News Editor at Starr FM told NEWS-ONE.

“I don't believe that there is deliberate systemic distortions at work targeting women in the media to remain out or at the base of the profession. But the general patriarchal settings that construct economic, social and professional power relations perpetuates the evil cycle of marginalizing women at all levels - this phenomenon cuts across all sectors or industries

“It is an open secret that women in the media just as other industries earn lesser than their male counterparts of same rank or pedigree. Women in the media hardly occupy the high and powerful positions at the top - it's just a few brave ones who often do so at the peril of their marital or social lives....whereas many remain bottom or hardly can see a natural progression to the top through merit unless through the difficult and sometimes less dignifying back door negotiations,” Ms Acolatse explained further.

She continued: “You can scan around and see the evidence abound - we have a tall list of radio, tv and newspaper operations in the country but how many women do we have in these organizations leading as managing editors or chief editors, news directors, managing directors, CEOs or owners of media properties.”

Currently, she is the Group Managing Editor of EIB Network, operators of Starr Fm, Live FM, Kasapa, Ultimate Fm, Agoo Fm, Empire Fm and Daily Heritage newspaper.

Mary-Ann had also worked at TV3 as Director of News and Current Affairs and help top management positions at Joy FM, Multi TV and Metro TV.

In the interview with NEWS-ONE, Mary-Ann said her experience in the media has taught her it is a tough job at the top for women because “ the fine skill set required to drive excellence and profitability in a competitive market with limited pool of compelling talents can be daunting!”

Mary-Ann strongly posited that “the nation stands to benefit hugely when the space is freed up for more women in the media to be seen and heard as powerful voices of influence - not just as sexual objects adorning newspaper front pages and television screens.”

She said “women as decision makers - Editors, Managers, Media Owners etc will significantly lift the caliber of media practice to the standards we aspire to have as a country.

“Though there are exceptions to the rule, I believe women's natural disposition tilt to nurturing, caring and calculating in their actions and impacts and therefore women are less likely to run amok in what I term ‘adventure journalism’. When sensational and serious content share same commercial value - women will still invest in programming that supports nation building and rich public life than riotous publications and broadcast aiming mainly to sell at all cost damn the consequences!”

She holds a Masters degree in Journalism from the Cardiff University in the UK under British government's chevening scholarship program and Executive MBA in Marketing from University of Legon's Business School.

When The Media Gave Funny Face A Brokenheart

Award winning actor and comedian Funny Face just had a phone conversation with me. Almost heartbroken that a section of the media has taken a portion of my exclusive interview with him and twisted it completely out of context to make it seem as though he has a problem with is church.
During the interview, Funny, in his characteristic hilarious attitude said he was sacked from a ‘prayer warriors group’ in his local church because he his prayers were funny and distracted other members.
This was exactly what Funny said in the original interview:

Question: Do you believe in God’s grace?
Answer: I do. I was a prayer warrior at Living Streams but they sacked me and said when I pray, people laugh and lose concentration. Then I joined the choir and they also sacked me from the choir, complaining that when I sing and when I dance, they laughed too much.

Question: What type of prayers could make a church sack you from a prayer group?
Answer: Hmm! I was a powerful prayer warrior ooo. I could pray and say: “oh God, we pray, we pray. Father, you know Ghana witches are quick tempered but they lie. It is about time they saw our swag”… oh why are you laughing?

Surprisingly, a section of the media twisted the interview and reported that Funny Face had been SACKED FROM HIS CHURCH!!

Below is the complete interview as published by NEWS-ONE on Wednesday August 3, 2014.

MEET FUNNY FACE: Still The Swag-On-Papa
By Halifax Ansah-Addo (Twitter: @HalifaxAnsahAdd)

Ghana’s finest comedian, Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Funny Face, aka ‘Swag-On-Papa’, on Tuesday allowed NEWS-ONE into his residence at Millennium City Estate, Kasoa, on the outskirts of Accra and granted a no–holds–barred interview that touched on his career, his wife, his life and his future.
The award winning actor and comedian lives in a modern house built on a four-plot land and guarded by 14 wild dogs of different breeds.

You have a big house with empty bullet cartridges littered all over your compound.
Thanks but this is not big enough. I hope to build bigger ones. These ones (bullet cartridges) are just warning shots I fired and also to scare the dogs; especially the stubborn ones.

You have an army of dogs too.
I have 14 wild dogs. Naturally I love dogs. Several years ago, I could just travel from Accra to Cape Coast just to watch dogs. Now I have several exotic dogs I keep as pets and as part of my security. You can see them. This one is a shepherd; it observes a lot…

(Interrupts) The interview is to let my readers know why you have kept a low profile within the last eight months.
In showbiz, there comes a time you have to stay away from the media, think through your career, plan the future and bounce back with a bang in a better shape and form. In Ghana, we easily get used to showbiz persons and get fed up with them. Please I said ‘in Ghana’ ooo. So when you are doing the story underline that aspect. I realised I was all over the place and over exposure was setting in so I decided to stay away from the public for a while and use the year 2014 to work behind the scenes on a few new projects and then return to TV again.

Are you coming back on ‘Chorkor Trotro’?
No. I would rather return with my own TV programme, my stand-up comedy show and a new show for kids; God willing by this December.

What is keeping you waiting?
The sponsors are all saying ‘my son, go and come tomorrow’ and I also tell them, ‘it is not easy to wait’. Depending on the sponsorship arrival, I may return earlier than December with my drama show. The stand-up comedy would first start with my campus tour of tertiary institutions by November, then I move it to TV by God’s grace.

Do you believe in God’s grace?
I do. I was a prayer warrior at Living Streams but they sacked me and said when I pray, people laugh and lose concentration. Then I joined the choir and they also sacked me from the choir, complaining that when I sing and when I dance, they laughed too much.

What type of prayers could make a church sack you from a prayer group?
Hmm! I was a powerful prayer warrior ooo. I could pray and say: “oh God, we pray, we pray. Father, you know Ghana witches are quick tempered but they lie. It is about time they saw our swag”… oh why are you laughing?

Pundits say comedy is not lucrative in Ghana. So we import comedians from Nigeria.
It is worth it. And to God be the glory, I am getting something worthwhile from it. If not for comedy, I would have been in the village with a hoe and cutlass planting cocoyam behind my grandfather’s mud house. You know me. If not for this job, I would have remained in my single room at Dansoman with my smelly armpit. In those days, my armpit could minister to you.

I am happy it is picking up in Ghana. You would have observed that most of the telecommunication companies are now using comedians to market their services. Thanks to Vodafone for believing in my brand and using me and now others are doing same. But we may need to push the stand up a little harder but it has remained a big challenge.

What exactly is the challenge?
Most people in Ghana have the perception that Ghanaian comedians are not funny. So when they leave their homes to watch comedy, they leave planning your downfall and come to the show expecting your downfall. So even before you appear on stage, they have condemned you and decided in their minds that you are not funny.

I attended a comedy show to watch and not to perform and there was this lady next to me and when the guy on stage said ‘helooooo make some noise’, she passed a very rude comment. She knew I was hearing her but she did not mind. She rather crossed her legs and started playing with her long artificial nails painted in different loud colours.
It is a big challenge and we need a change of attitude. People like yourself, Francis Doku, Kwame Sefa Kayi, Akwasi Aboagye, Abeiku Santana, George Quaye are all helping to change that mindset and we appreciate it.

Good you mentioned George Quaye, your former manager. I heard you snubbed him and also quit Chorkor Trotro when you started getting bigger contracts. It sounds unlike you. What happened?
Oh no bro. How can I do that? I returned from a foreign trip and heard all those reports. As you said, that is not my style. The truth is that George and I parted ways about 18 months ago so I wonder why it is not coming up with this negative twist.

George was my manager and helped me a lot but he called me and said he had realised he was getting more and more busy and was not having enough time for me. He suggested I moved on and that he had confidence in me that I could make it on my own. It was a very cordial discussion we had and we are still the best of friends.

I never snubbed George. George never snubbed me. What they are saying is not true. Sometimes these things make me cry when I am alone in my house. It really gets to me. But I console myself and tell myself that people would not have written negative things about me if I was still hustling with my smelly armpit on the streets of Dansoman. Today, people write about me and add their own spin.
With Chorkor Trotro, I remained with the team for some four years even when I was doing that as a great sacrifice. I left when it was time to leave. No need to go into every detail. I left because they were not ready to help me push my interests. I have some branded merchandise, exercise books, wrist bands, T-shirts, pens and other stuff I begged them to help me promote through the show but they kept turning me down. So I walked away to focus on my interests. There was no bad blood. I still remain humble.

What keeps you humble despite your money and fame?
The fact that I always remember where I am coming from and the fact that I know it is God who has brought me this far, keeps me humble. Halifax let me tell you something. When I visit Adebayo and the likes of Drogba or Toure, I see them seated on the floor, eating and playing with their houseboys. These players earn the equivalent of about four billion Ghana cedes a week yet they are humble and respect their fellow human beings.

I have a song that talks about how you can be a living being today and become a corpse tomorrow. But because the song came from me, people think it is a foolish song. But it is a very wise song. Look less than a year ago, I was with Fennec smiling and shouting, but today, he is no more. That is why I remain humble and respect everyone.

Were you close with Fennec?
We were mates at secondary school. He was the entertainment prefect at O’Reilly and I was the assistant entertainment prefect. We have remained friends since then. He was the one who introduced me to a lot of the persons who became influential in my career. Fennec’s death hit me like a bullet. It scared me. Let's talk about something else.

What did you study at O’Reilly?
General Arts. I did Government, Economics and Geography that is why I want to become President of Ghana. I know how to use my secondary school economics and a little geography to become President. But Ghanaians would insult me till I run away.

What would you be doing at Starr 103.5 FM?
I would be playing the fooling there. My programme is ‘Morning Zoo’ every Saturday morning from 7am to 11am, and I would be with Nii Ayi Tagoe. When you look at my face and you take a proper look at Nii Ayi’s head, you would understand why our programme is called ‘Morning Zoo’. It is a freestyle light-hearted show and it is just for fun and satire. But I would start my own show soon.

Did you apply for the job at Starr Fm or they came for you?
They came for me. Bola Ray and Dr Kwabena Duffuor are responsible for dragging me there. They asked what I could do. I told them I have a calling to play the fool on radio. They said they liked it. I asked how much they would pay me, they said it is a subject for another day, I insisted money first. We had an agreement and that was it. Bola and I go a long way back. I love the big dream of Starr Fm and I am happy to be a part of it.

What is the future like for you?
Wow, you are talking about someone like Dr Duffuor, Osei Kwame Despite, and their likes. They are the ones who coach me on how to make money and I am ready to learn from them. Also I roll with my boss Adebayo so you can imagine my future.

Can you suggest a headline for this interview?
Oh. Ermm ermmm…. Funny Face: Still The Swaggon Papa. The ‘still’ should have about nine ‘L’

Any message to your fans?
Oh yes. They should continue to believe in themselves and never give up in life. Learn from your mistakes and know that your stupidity can let you make some mistakes. But learn from them and move on. The future is as bright as you plan it to be.