We spent three days in Abuja and continued to Zaria the next day to visit one of the construction sites of my uncle. How much money he will give me on my return to Accra kept ringing in my mind though I had no idea, was highly expectant though I did not intend to spend it at Papillon like my cousin used to do. We spent two nights between on the journey from Abuja to Zaria. It was so fun a good touristic experience. My uncle was happy to be showing the country and most of all his projects. In Abuja, his architectural designs, supervision and construction of the Stallion

I spent three days in Lagos and left to Abuja. I enjoyed it. The enjoyment over took the thought of stress on the road from Ghana to Nigeria. Even the experience of the newspaper seller, okada riders and the sound of generators at night were all gone.  My uncle’s wife was a good host. Her conversation was tantamount to a stand-up comedy. The Nigerian love for Ghana knew no bound. She told how a beverage company in Lagos close to their house blasted and was by then drinking a bottle of Guinness after a meal. In her words “that day, I heard the sound from the brewery kpooooo… na me

On the glorious morning, we took off from Langata Estates to River Road, Nairobi where I was to board a bus to Nyabugogo, Kigali. It turned out to be complex and longer a journey than I had rather expected. I got to Nyabugogo tired and worn out. My host in Nairobi, Nii Kenny was one of the best I have seen of a Ghanaian abroad. His opened arms and willingness to ensure my comfort emphasized the Ga (native people of Accra, the capital city of Ghana) folklore slogan and practice “may strangers be added unto us.” Like myself, he is a Ga whose international employment has taken him to Kenya

It was a Sunday, 7th April 2019. As a Christian, I have grown to saying prayers in every endeavour. I believe God shows up when one call on Him. I ordered for breakfast since it was part of my hotel package. A rhetorical response from the receptionist was “the restaurant is not ready to serve breakfast.” Meanwhile I was cautioned that breakfast ends at 10am; what I was not told is when breakfast starts and it was already past 8:30am. I came out of the hotel to the busy commercial road where trucks were off-loading goods under the guard of private security officers carrying long guns. It is a common sight

It was a Sunday, 7th April 2019. As a Christian, I have grown to saying prayers in every endeavour. I believe God shows up when one call on Him. I ordered for breakfast since it was part of my hotel package. A rhetorical response from the receptionist was “the restaurant is not ready to serve breakfast.” Meanwhile I was cautioned that breakfast ends at 10am; what I was not told is when breakfast starts and it was already past 8:30am. I came out of the hotel to the busy commercial road where trucks were off-loading goods under the guard of private security officers carrying long guns. It is a common sight

Saturday 18th September, 2020. It was my first flight after covid-19 reopening of the airport for travelling. The covid-19 pandemic had dealt an uppercut to most avid travellers which made it seem as if a part of their lives was lost. Thankfully they can now travel again though with limitations. I embraced the opportunity of this travel with the utmost joy. Our destination was Kumerica; the newly adopted funky name by the youth for Kumasi. They claim Kumasi is the America of Ghana. I was eager to see what has made Kumasi the America of Ghana. Missing a flight is one of the regrettable moments for every traveller. I have always

Dalston market, London, 2004, gave me so much memories of Salaga market, Accra, in the 1980s. My maternal grandma was a fish merchant who traded from the Tema fish harbour and the Salaga market. As little boys, we frequently went to the Salaga market late afternoons to see our grandma when she had returned from her distribution to resellers. We knew that seeing grandma means we will definitely get everything we want to eat. Her joy was to see us in our school uniform. She cherished education and gave her last pesewa to ensure we had the best childhood education and experience. May her soul continue to rest with the

There were times that my tuition fee delayed and the administration threatened to call the Home Office to repatriate me because one of the reasons my visa was granted was that I demonstrated to the Home Office I had the financial means to pay my fees; therefore the school’s administration did not understand why my fees instalment payment delayed at times. Along the line, I was awarded a poverty fund of two thousand pounds (£2,000) by an Anglican Christian Philanthropic Foundation. My school mate, an Anglican Father from Ghana gave me the link to apply for the aid and Father Goodchild in Liverpool endorsed the forms to attest of my

After a successful interview, I got the job at Tesco, Merseyside. My shift was from midnight to 4am. The public bus ends before I start and resumes after I have close. It was impossible for me to use taxi to and from work because my minimum wage salary could not afford taxi. The few times I used the public bus to and from work was when I got extra hour or two to do extended work at the City Centre branch of Tesco. I got to use the public bus then because that work starts from 5am when the public bus has started work. The most obvious means of going

My favourite football teams are Accra Hearts of Oak and Arsenals of London. I have soft spot for Liverpool because I studied my second master’s degree and started the PhD in Liverpool. But for the pressure from an uncle who I credit my academic success to, I would have become a professional footballer. My love for football at a tender age knew no bounds. I have watched great historic football matches at stadia that many football loving adults of my father’s age dared to. The shoves of adulthood and the desire to achieve higher heights has taken the most part of my attention and whittled down my love for football.