Media in Ghana

Warm hearts and strong community: an Obroni’s final reflection on Ghana

Originally published in Public Agenda on August 31, 2012

By Schuyler Durham

After many laughs, dozens of adventures and countless new friends, my six-week stay in Ghana is winding down to a close. With a heavy heart, I look back on my time spent in this beautiful country and attempt to derive an overall assessment of my time here.

When I travel, be it down the road from my home city, or across an ocean and thousands of miles away, I always ask the same two questions as means of cultural evaluation; what would I like to bring back to my community? And what would I like to bring here from my community?

During these six weeks, I have filled my arms, luggage, and heart with a seemingly unending collection of trinkets, clothes and realisations I hope to share with my loved ones back home.

I realise that it is repeated time after time by every visitor who spends even half a day in Ghana, but failing to mention the warmth and friendliness of Ghanaians would leave a gaping hole right in the centre of my recollection. It seems as if brief introductions and a two-minute conversation are all you need to make a real friend here. Back home in the States, people are always somewhat wary of strangers. Business interactions are preferred to personal ones. Ghana has taught me that every interaction is better when it is a personal one; taxi drivers, fruit stand ladies, and the random passerby quickly become friends, transcending the cold necessities of business interaction and producing a warm feeling that lasts long after the ride ends or the banana is eaten.

Branching off of this friendliness, the second thing I would love to bring back to the United States is the sense of extended family in Ghana. Though we use similar terms in common speech “calling friends “bro” or “brother” – Ghanaians use the language with a much more literal connotation.

I sat with a Ghanaian in a food stand at one point, while waiting for our rice to be prepared, and several villagers stopped by the stand to say hello. The person I sat with introduced each new face saying, “this is my brother.” After the first few people passed by, I finally recognised that each of these people were not literally his brothers – in the sense that they had different mothers – but, at the same time, they were literally his brothers. Communities are more than neighbours, they are extended family. There does not seem to be as much of an emphasis on each individual family unit, and as such people regard a much larger collection of people as loved ones, as family. Anyone who could be an aunt, in terms of age and gender, is treated as an aunt. The United States, and any nation for that matter, could benefit from this understanding of community as an extended family.

In my opinion, Ghanaians have a better understanding of larger social concepts in general. This is exemplified, as I pointed out in my write up on first impressions, through the prevalence of the Almighty in daily life. People recognise that they are a part of something larger than themselves, and feel an individual obligation to give thanks and focus to this realisation.

Another way that this understanding manifests itself in public life, in an immensely positive way, is the political engagement by all members of society. The government, as a larger extension of the Ghanaian community, is highly valued. This is evident through the debates and criticisms I hear from all corners of Accra every day. Governments work best when more citizens are involved, and Ghanaian citizens definitely have the drive to participate.

Each Ghanaian seems to feel an individual obligation to have an opinion about political happenings, to participate in some way. Back home, I am considered to be more political than most of my peers, though here in Ghana I am as passionate about politics as the average taxi driver. Every citizen voices his or her opinion, and in the end a leader wins and the country follows; a true democracy in every way. When Prof John Atta Mills’ untimely death was set upon the country, Ghana took it in stride, maintaining absolute peace and minimising political play. Despite often claiming to be a leader of democracy, I think the U.S. could use a lesson on the importance of personal politics from Ghana.

The only warning I have for Ghanaian politics, after seeing the damage it has wrought in the United States, is that people should be loyal to people, not political parties. Undying devotion to a single political party prevents one from clearly hearing valid input from those outside social circles of the chosen party, creating an environment rich for political corruption and confusion.

While my Ghanaian experience has been filled with inexplicable positivity, I do have a slight criticism with the trash (refuse) management of the nation. Ghana is such a beautiful country, with large cities like Accra juxtaposed against nearby stretches of sandy beaches or lush green hillsides, it makes me sad to see the way trash is disregarded by many citizens.

I recognise the long list of social services waiting to be implemented or perfected, but a trash collection service would provide many benefits for Ghanaian society. Despite an initial investment, trash management could provide jobs for the jobless while cleaning up the streets. Burning trash should not be an option, as it releases many toxic fumes that dirty the air.

Reporting on the salt mines in the Songhor Lagoon, I witnessed many speakers voice their concern over pollution ruining water sources of the lagoon. Angry statements about blocked waterways were met with cheers of agreement from the crowd. However, in the same breath, the local sitting next to me drained his water sachet and tossed it over his shoulder. This inability to connect consequences, like poor air quality and ruined water sources, with small actions such as this endangers the beauty of Ghana in the long run.

If I know anything about Ghana though, I know that the people are continually driven to unite and make a better Ghana. No problem poses a threat too big for the hearts and brains of Ghanaians.

As I pack my bags to get on that plane headed west, you can be sure there will be a tear in my eye as I frantically recall each beautiful landscape, tasty meal, and friendly face that made my time in Ghana amazing and truly unforgettable.

Thank you Ghana, from the bottom of my obroni heart.

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Legal aid: A difficult promise to keep

Originally published in Public Agenda on August 24, 2012.

By Schuyler Durham

The Legal Resources Centre, an NGO focusing on human rights in the legal sphere, sponsored a meeting on legal fee waivers for indigents during the 2012 elections on Wednesday, August 22, 2012.

The meeting was headed by the Director of Legal Aid, Mr Al-Hassan Yahaya Seini, and included representatives from a variety of stakeholders in legal justice, including political party representatives, members of the media and human rights organisations.

Ghana’s 1992 Constitution assures all citizens the right to legal justice, regardless of financial worth. However, indigents, who Mr Seini defined as those making the minimum wage or below, often do not receive service from lawyers or representation in court to the extent that the Constitution declares. Simply walking into a lawyer’s office for legal consultation can cost 500 Ghana cedis and, as Mr Seini pointed out, “I’m not sure how many [Ghanaians] make 500 Ghana cedis a month.” Other financial barriers include gathering evidence, ferrying witnesses and filing fees. When finished, the entire legal process can cost up to 5000 Ghana cedis.

While all fees would ideally be waived for qualified indigents, a problem emerges as Ghana tries to determine who should pay for it. Mr Seini noted that no one expects lawyers to work for free all the time, and as such someone needs to help pay. The Constitution puts that responsibility into the hands of the state.

In 1997, Parliament passed Act 542, which established a scheme for regulating legal aid, as well as creating a board who oversee the application of the law. The board receives applications for legal aid and decides who qualifies for waived fees. The board also oversees lawyers who are either selected by the board to provide aide, lawyers obliged to do national service, or recommended by regional lists of available lawyers. The legal aid board has a limited presence across the nation, with legal aid centres located only at regional capitals. The centres, Mr Seini said, “could be a lot bigger… could be a lot better.”

The consequence of the lack of many centres is decreased accessibility for Ghanaian citizens, especially those from rural areas. While conflicts like land disputes are common, justice is hardly ever served since parties involved lack the funds for simply commuting to and from the legal aid centres.

Another consequence of the inadequacy of legal aid centres is the lack of awareness. Few Ghanaians, especially those who need legal help the most, are aware of what the Constitution promises them. Many individuals at the meeting voiced their concern about the lack of information readily available to the public. Mr Seini agreed, saying that lack of resources is a major issue in this regard. He hopes that radio discussion of legal aid will increase in the future. He also noted that there is an effort to establish a week of recognition, “Legal Aid Week,” though plans to follow through with the idea were put on halt this year. Previous attempts at Legal Aid Week produced unsatisfactory results, bringing in little attendance and hardly sparking any social change.

Other issues with the legal system brought to the attention of those at the meeting included the difficult language associated with what Mr Seini referred to as “formal justice.” Formal justice needs English transcription, which creates a language barrier for the percentage of Ghanaians who are illiterate in English. Even those who can read and write in English find difficulties within formal justice, as the vernacular of the courts is often weighted down with unnecessarily large words and contrived language.

Throughout the meeting, a concrete solution to increase funds was never settled upon. Everyone attending the meeting agreed that all citizens have a right to equal legal aid, though there was little more than vague speculation as to how this human right can be more assuredly provided. Mr Seini himself agreed that the poor were not receiving the justice they deserved under the current Constitution, commenting “if we are going to exclude the poor, we should say so [in the Constitution] in more clear terms.”

As for his personal role, Mr Seini feels like he is not in a position to say that the poor deserve more than they get. That role, according to Mr Seini, belongs to civil societies, organisations, and average citizens like you the reader.

Writer is a student from University of Oregon, Eugene, United States.

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