SIKANKU: Re-branding Ghana’s World Cup jersey: Kente or kokonte ne nkatenkwan?

This summer, Ghana will make her second appearance at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. While most discussions will be about soccer skills, and understandably so, this event presents a rare branding opportunity for the country. The jury is still out on whether or not we’re likely to win the coveted cup but lately I’ve been thinking about other ways Ghana can make the most of this golden opportunity.

Why has a country with such a rich cultural tradition been so mediocre when it comes to our national jerseys?

Year after year we experiment and toss out an array of kits which are hardly unique. The all- white jersey is just too common at both club and national levels-so much so that it smacks of a lack of imagination by the GFA. The all-gold jersey had a tinge of identity but there was always something colonial about it. It reminds me of our colonial name, the Gold Coast. Then, there’s the recently adopted all-red which is simply unbearable to watch. There’s just nothing Ghanaian about it.

At the risk of belaboring the point, soccer is more than just a game. Those who know more about branding than I do say sporting events have always been a gold mine for image building. And, national jerseys have always evoked some level of passion among supporters.

If so, why have we been reluctant to adopt the Kente design as our preferred brand for the national kit? I’m sure this argument has been made somewhere before, but I’m not sure where and what became of it.

Admittedly, Kente is Ghana’s de facto national cloth. Presidents wear it during important events such as inauguration day. For Ghanaians abroad, one of the highlights of their sojourn is the day they’re able to wear any Ghanaian clothing, particularly the Kente to (say) an African Association night or a Ghanaian association event. In short, there’s not a more authoritatively Ghanaian clothing brand than the rich Kente fabric.

However, if Kente is deemed to be ethnically restrictive and not nationally representative, there’s my personal favorite: the light brown top and deep brown shorts from our primary school days. I’m talking about the famous and affectionately christened kokonte ne abenkwan. Label me a sentimental wreck, but whenever I see that uniform I get goose bumps. I really don’t know why, but there’s some spirit and great nostalgia to that attire. Exactly what we need in a national jersey: emotion, subtlety and passion.

Let no one be mistaken about the domino effects from both designs. Kente is culturally rich and will spark of a snow-ball effect in terms of tourism and merchandising. Those talented folks at Bonwire have perfected a skill that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

The kokonte ne nkatekwan has so much history and memory that it will fuel a mixed sense of urgency, ambition and sacrifice among both players and supporters; just like it did in the primary school days of yesteryear.

Ghana may not win the World Cup but with some creativity we can still score big.

WoO: UEFA must show fairness by disciplining Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes

“It was the sweetest 1-0 defeat of my life." Coach Jose Mourinho on edging Barcelona out of the Champions League.

The footballing world, except the USA of course, witnessed one of the greatest semi-final events of any competition yesterday: Barcelona vs Inter Milan.

By now the details of that victory have been dissected far and wide. However I’m still wondering whether UEFA is going to punish Barca keeper, Valdes, for his obnoxious strangling of Mourinho after the match.

I’m not an Inter fan. Neither is Jose Mourinho my hero. But I’m I the only one wondering if a certain Didier Drogba or another black player had committed the same offence UEFA would have been quick in issuing one form of suspension or the other?

Also I don’t see why people are complaining about Motta being sent off. No player should shove their fingers into another’s face. But if Motta’s carelessness merited punishment so did Busquet’s trickery.

Barcelona are a fine footballing team and I will not go as far as writing them off. But if there was any night that Mourinho was deserving of the name “special” it was yesterday. Little surprise that he called it the sweetest loss of his career.

Here’s a video of Valdes’ embarrassing act for those who missed it.

SIKANKU: Sixteen years after apartheid, South Africa remains polarized

By Etse Sikanku
Published: April 27, 2010 3:52 PM CDT

Sixteen years ago on April 27 1994, South Africa’s repressive; white supremacist regime came to an end after 46 years of apartheid.

That historic day arrived on the back of the larger than life Nelson Mandela, who declared a “rainbow nation”, to signify a new era of tolerance and diversity. Madiba’s hope then—just as now— was that South Africa will go on to become a bastion of African success.

The dream as he saw it then was that forgiveness rather than revenge would triumph. That moderation rather than extremism will prevail. And that despite its harsh history “the better angels” in South Africans will catapult the newly minted nation to prosperity. It all lay down right there before his eyes.

Except it didn’t.

A decade and a half after achieving this glorious moment, South Africa has decayed into a country with; one of the highest violent crime rates in the world, chronic poverty and the highest AIDs infection rates on the planet.

It’s a shame that some of the major challenges of the apartheid era-injustice and economic malaise—continue to plague many ordinary South Africans today. As Motsoko Pheko author of ‘The Hidden Side of South African Politics” aptly wrote, “their democracy is dispossession without repossession.”

Isn’t it ironic that part of the biggest threat to South Africa’s advancement today happens to come from not without but within the ANC itself? The rampant infighting within South Africa’s biggest party threatens to derail both previous progress and future initiatives.

Here, the question that needs to be asked is this: is ANC’s guaranteed electoral advantage leading to complacency within the party? Or was Mandela just too naïve about the future of South Africa’s “negotiated settlement”? Political freedom has been won but has this led to economic gains for ordinary South Africans?

In other words: Has poverty transcended issues of race to class as E.K Mathole suggests or is racial inequality still a major issue? With the abolishment of legal racism why is chronic deprivation still a major issue in South Africa today?

What would you say is the biggest threat to South Africa’s development as a nation? We’d like to hear your views on the current state of events in South Africa and what you think should be done or undone. Drop us a word or two if you can!

SIKANKU: Is Nick Clegg Britain's answer to Barack Obama?

by Etse Sikanku

There are some days when I secretly thank God for C-SPAN. This past Thursday was one of such days as I happened to catch Britain’s presidential debate live on the network. Though such debates are a staple in US politics, I was surprised to learn it was Britain’s first. Makes me wonder what else the English are late with. But to be fair both democracies work quite differently so my amusement might be quite unjustified. Even worse, my familiarity with British politics is highly remote so these thoughts should be taken with a grain of salt.

Still, I was overjoyed to find a presidential debate on TV in an off-season year for us. I refused to engage in any mental debates of my own regarding whether it was the best use of my time. I told myself: “If any slipped through, they will be filibustered no matter the merits.” Woa, now I know how it feels to be a Congressional Republican.

I was also very much interested in seeing at firsthand what the excitement about Nick Clegg was all about. From what I saw I think Cleggmania is actually a euphemism for Obamamania. It’s no secret that the Obama effect has traveled well beyond the boundaries of the United States. America is viewed more favorably around the world because of its young, intelligent and wildly appealing president. Surely, it’s understandable that any country will want an Obama of their kind.

But there’s no reason to force it.

Nick Clegg is no Barack Obama. Yes Clegg is young, fresh and way more appealing than the dour Brown or the stoic Cameron. If you believe McLuhan’s theory that the medium is the message, then the Liberal Democratic candidate is obviously a strong magnet for television viewers. But presidential elections are not reality shows. Obama did more than woo voters with impressionistic or stylistic performances. Nick was so focused on coming off as different that he looked choreographed. I was still waiting for him to hit the home run but all I heard Clegg say during his summary was that “We can do something new, something different” without saying exactly what. Yet there was the British press fawning over the next day: “The Other One Wins,” said the conservative Times (London); “Nick Clegg Seizes His Moment in the TV Spotlight” wrote the liberal Guardian and so on.

These are serious and perhaps dangerous times in both domestic and international politics. The UK needs a steady and experienced hand at the wheel. That hand belongs to Mister Brown. Clegg is not ready to lead though he will be a terrific candidate come the next elections. As for Mister Cameron the fact that he has failed to capitalize on Labour’s “incumbent-fatigue” problem says all about his status as a credible challenger.

The biggest question that remains is whether the Americanization of British politics is good or bad for the country. From one perspective it is good if only for the purpose of open, direct and plain-leveled politics where each candidate competes on equal grounding. However from another perspective, I fear that the grand strategizing, pre-screened sound-bites and the desire for glamor that produced a certain Sarah Palin might be the coup de grace for British’s parliamentary democracy. What do you think? What's your take on Britain's latest infatuation with American style politics?

SIKANKU: Ghana’s growing culture of recklessness and political intolerance

By Etse Sikanku, Iowa City, Iowa
Published: March 28, 2010 3:52 PM CDT


A few days ago I found a CD containing some news reports I filed while working as a political reporter for CITI fm in Accra. I hope to share some of these reports on this blog from time to time.

For the first podcast, we reproduce here a short interview with Dr Ken Attafuah, former human rights official and Executive Secretary of the National Reconciliation Commission in Ghana. Dr Attafuah is a well respected scholar within and outside the country.

At the time he was concerned with what he called the lack of "political maturity" in Ghana’s politics. However, Dr Attafuah’s far sighted analysis of politics in Ghana still holds true today. Please click the link below for the audio clip. (I apologize ahead for my “non-radio-ish” voice, folks, lol)



Party fanatics especially within the NDC are engaging in some of the most brutish forms of vindictiveness no democracy in the 21st century should be proud of. Check out these links if you’d like to read sample stories:

"NDC youth in Yendi declare MCE persona non grata, threaten to kill him"

"NDC youth in Yendi smash Chairman's car"

I know Atta Mills is a fine gentleman with a father figure reputation. As president of the nation he has my utmost respect. But he must act decisively to curb this menace which is gradually becoming a national embarrassment.

Etse Sikanku is a graduate student in Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Iowa.

In Iowa, student journalists report on Obama’s visit to their campus

Sam Kienzle, a senior from environmental science, wore a pro-health care reform button on Thursday outside of the Field House. He said he was there mainly to observe. “Iowa City is my home town. And this is a spectacle,” he added. He liked to see all kinds of signs people held during the demonstration, but those that indicated racial slur bothered him, he said. He also said he was expecting to see about 100 more people join the demonstration. Photograph by Josie Liu, PhD candidate Unv. of Iowa

We’re grateful to students from the University of Iowa who offered grassroots reportage on Obama’s visit to Iowa. If you’d like to read direct and non-mainstream filtered accounts of this pivotal visit, here are some summaries:

Heather McKeag gives an account of the drama that ensued as opponents of the bill picketed outside the venue of Obama’s speech:

Demonstrators from all over Iowa gathered in protest and support of the new federal health-care reform legislation.

Supporters of the reform proudly raised signs that read “Health Insurance Reform Now” and “Standing Together for Health Care Reform,” while protester’s signs read “You’re Fired” and “Obama Stole My Wallet.”

“I disagree that health insurance is wasteful spending. However, I wouldn’t disagree that we are in a huge deficit.”
Andrew Alemao, a UI senior said.

Also check out this quote McKeag reported on from another protester:

Nancy Bothius, a doctor of pharmacy and clinical assistant professor came to protest critical issues she has witnessed in the medical field. Nancy’s sign stated, “I support health care reform but NOT this reform.”

However Lisa Brahm reports that it wasn’t all about protests as Obama found a friendly audience at the Filed House:

President Barack Obama applauded Iowans on their support of the health care reform just as much as the packed audience in the University of Iowa field house applauded him. People from the Iowa City area and students from the University of Iowa waited in a line around the corner from the field house eager to listen to the president speak.

His speech consisted mostly of the health care bill that he signed Tuesday afternoon, and while there were several protesters outside and even a brave young man yelling rebuttals at the president inside, many people in the audience were joining in on cheers before the president took the stage and frantically snapping pictures as he approached the podium.

Spectator and University of Iowa student, Paige Wallace described the scenery inside the field house as, “filled with Iowans eager to hear what the President had to say.” As the president walked onto the stage Wallace snapped pictures as she stood on her tip-toes in order to get a better view.

“His delivery was even better in person than when watching him on TV,” Paige said, “He is such a likable person. I didn’t feel like I was listening to the President speak. He seemed just like an average Midwesterner just like us.”

And finally, a summary of reactions before and after the speech from Kelly Oelmann’s report :

Several hundred people from all over the state and country lined up outside the Field House at the University of Iowa this morning in hopes of seeing the President Barrack Obama before or after his speech. While some picketed on one side of the street and others watched from the other side on this chilly windy day, they all wanted to get their voice heard.

A concerned business owner, Robin Staak of Iowa City says, “it is unconstitutional…it’s against the law….your telling people that they HAVE to buy something.” She believes that this bill will absolutely cripple our country.

Logan Garmoe age 14 of Mt. Pleasant is neutral about the bill. He states that the bill is, “taking away choice. They’ll keep doing that. It will keep getting bigger and bigger until we don’t have any way in it.”

College students like Dustin Krutsinger, a second year medical student wanted to encourage President Obama to go back to the Constitution. Krutsinger states, “they continue to ignore the Constitution.”

Tina Thomann of Riverside believes that the health care bill is, “a step in the right direction.” Vernon Rollins of North Liberty agrees and says that it is great that it passed. Vernon was one of the many lucky to receive a ticket to enter the building.

US health legislation receives mixed reviews in Iowa as Obama holds crucial rally

By Amy Tiffany, Guest Reporter, University of Iowa

When President Obama came into Iowa City Wednesday afternoon to speak, people voiced their opinions. The University of Iowa campus was buzzing with energy, emotions, and adrenaline as protesters and supporters rallied before and after the historic event took place at the Field House, speaking up about the highly controversial Health Care Reform that was recently passed.

One protester sign said, ‘My Money, My Health, My Choice.’ Another said, ‘We Earn our Healthcare’ and ‘Honk if I pay your Medical Bills.’ Supporters held up signs saying ‘Healthcare for America Now’ and ‘Obama 08 Thank You’ and ‘Change.’ The opinions varied as much as the signs.

Robert Foster, a Korean War veteran and Iowa City resident said, “I think it’s good for the country,” and he said it’s a first step in the right direction to help young and old people.

Another veteran expressed a different opinion. “He [President Obama] lies constantly,” said Mark McAvon, a veteran of the Vietnam War. He asked President Obama to be more transparent, and not sneak behind America’s back.

University of Iowa junior Kevin Hickey, who had stopped to observe during the couple of hours he had between classes, agreed. He said Obama needs to face the people up front with what he is doing, and asked, why does Obama have to go around selling the Health Care Reform?



McAvon also said the day the Health Care Reform passed was the day freedom died.
Some people were concerned with the financial issues. Sarah Turner, from Washington, Iowa, said America does not have the money for this. Hickey said, “We’re all going to have to pay for this somehow.”

Not all were concerned with the same financial issues. A bystander in a different conversation said to a Republican, “All you care about are rich people!” Turner said the quality of medical care will go down. “There won’t be home grown doctors,” said Kitty Rehberg and Linda Bowden, who traveled from Independence, Iowa to protest.

“Doctor Obama, your prescriptions don’t work,” the pair said while chuckling.
But inside the Field House was where the majority of the supporters would be found. During the speech UI senior Krisanne Ryther said Obama did a good job explaining the positive affects the Health Care Reform will have in laymen’s terms, and even laughed at how UNI’s upset against Kansas messed up his NCAA bracket.

Though tensions were high and everyone had a different opinion of President Obama and the Health Care Reform, one thing was for sure. His visit brought out the passion of University of Iowa students and residents.