Award winning Ghanaian Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has been trending on social media since Tuesday evening after criticizing the decision to host the ongoing Africa CEO forum in Geneva, Switzerland.
While the conference was ongoing on Tuesday, March 21, Manasseh took to Facebook and wrote: "Why is the Africa CEOs conference being held in Europe? The over 1000 participants will book hotels, eat, shop and move around. So much cash will be invested in Geneva. Why not an African city? Is this rocket science or common sense? Or something I am missing?"
His statement attracted lots of comments but a particular comment that went viral came from a Facebook user called Nana Kwame.
Nana clapped back saying: "Why did you choose to do your wedding at Aburi gardens and not your local village, where Otabil and others could see the deprived nature of your people. And use your wedding to inspire the up and coming youth to aim high like u. Probably that local plantain sellers goods could be purchased by the city dwellers. Is this rocket science or common sense or something I am missing??"
Manasseh Azure Awuni returned with a lengthy reply - which quite a lot of folks believe was needless - to Nana Kwame's comment:
"AN ILLOGICAL COMMENT THAT WENT VIRAL
I put up a post yesterday questioning why the Africa CEOs conference was being held in Geneva and not in an African city. I argued that if the conference was held in an African city, the hotel accommodation, food, shopping and other expenses of the CEOs and guests such as our President would be invested in that country and not in Europe. Of all the comments, the lamest argument was the one that went viral, perhaps because it was a personal attack on me and those sharing it gleefully did not take the time to think and detect how illogical and senseless it is.
One Nana Kwame, who posted the comment, asked why I did not take my wedding to my village but decided to have in Aburi. He added that my wedding could have inspired the children in the village to rise and that the plantain seller could have got money. This is what some people find as a classic response.
The nearest Nana Kwame came to making sense was the last bit about the plantain seller making money, but that is flawed.
What he forgot is that Aburi Garden is not in Europe or Dubai. Aburi is in Ghana so, unlike the Africa CEOs, my expenditure on that day was an investment in Ghana in Ghana. So that point is lame. It does not make sense to suggest that if you live in any part of the country and you make money, you must go to your village to spend it. Coincidentally, the CEO of Jandel Limited is from Bongo. Jandel did my decor and she remits to her family there. I invested in Ghana, and it was the same reason I wore something that was sewn here in Ghana for my wedding. It would have been different if I lived and worked in Bongo but decided to come down to Aburi for me wedding. He would have had a point.
About 95% of my wedding guests lived in Accra (where my wife and I live) and Takoradi (where my wife's family members are) so it saves cost from transporting everybody to a journey of nearly 20 hours to Bongo. It would be like the Africa CEOs and our President who will have to travel long distances to Europe to attend this conference. This would have made sense if Nana Kwame was able to tell us that majority of Africa's CEOs live and work in Europe so it is easier to meet in Europe than in Africa.
I know travelling to some African countries has challenges, but business is about finding solutions to challenges at a profit. For how long shall we continue to shun our continent and taking African events somewhere because there are challenges? Would Asian or European CEOs come to Africa or go to another continent to hold their conferences? And is there anything wrong with questioning such a move?
He also talked about inspiring the children in my village. After my wedding, I went for the honeymoon in the North and I had the opportunity to visit Bongo. I went to Bongo Senior High School to donate copies of my book, Voice of Conscience, to the school's library. If my career and life are not able to inspire the youth of my hometown, then a two-hour wedding, which was strictly by invitation, would not.
It has become normal to have comments that leave the issues and attack my person and family. But before you gleefully share and shout, "Double standards!" take the time to think a little through what you have. It would help to detect what makes sense and what does not.
My response is not to Nana Kwame, but to those who see his response as a classic punch. Holding my wedding in Aburi (15 minutes from Accra where I live and work) and holding Africa CEOs conference in Europe are not the same issues.
Manasseh Azure Awuni is an award-winning Ghanaian Investivative Journalist and Writer currently working with Joy 99.7FM in Accra, Ghana under the Multimedia Group.
Manasseh is a recipient of many awards in recognition of his outstanding performance in journalism. In 2010, the Ghana Journalists Association adjudged him the Most Promising Young Journalist of the Year. He was again adjudged the overall Best Journalist of the Year 2011, just a year after leaving journalism school. He is also a recipient of the 2012 National Youth Achievers Award for Media Excellence and overall winner of Ideas Award by Legacy and Legacy in the same year. In 2013, he was adjudged the Best Anti-Corruption Reporter in Ghana.
Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com
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You have no better explanation to give. Read well my dear lawyer before you talk.
MANASSEH IS BEING PETTY. THE AFRICAN CEO CONFAB WAS ORGANISED BY THE EUROPEANS WITH THEIR OWN RESOURCES SO WHY DO YOU SUBMIT THE CONFAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD IN AN AFRICAN COUNTRY? WHATS WRONG WITH THE EUROPEANS OR GENEVA ALSO GETTING INVESTMENT??? HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF THE BILLIONS OF AID GIVEN TO AFRICAN NATIONS EACH YEAR WHICH COME FROM THE SMALL SMALL TAXES THEY COLLECT FROM THEIR CITIZENRY??? IF THEY'RE TO INVEST THOSE AIDS GIVEN TO AFRICAN NATIONS IN EUROPE, MOST AFRICAN NATIONS WILL SUFFER. WHY ARE SOME BLACK PEOPLE INTOLERANT AND HATE WHATEVER THE WHITE MAN DOES HENCE THEY USE VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING MADE BY THE WHITEMAN?? WHAT GROSS HYPOCRISY!!! MANASSEH, YOU'RE VERY PETTY AND NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
You're my brother Manasseh, but you are doom upon my logical conclusion all comments made here.
peace FM, I think the heading of the story is too harsh. the nana Kwame I know was not attacking azure. secondly he is not a politician and let alone be a member of NPP. he simply expressed his opinion as a citizen of our Great country Ghana. Manasseh this time I think you over reacted
Mannaseh once you had hash words for Nana Addo's 110 share and chop ministers, it would take you a long time to make sense again so do not be surprised. You were on point with your criticism of the Acrica CEO Conference and Nana Kwame was utterly confused and did not know he was comparing apples and cocoa but that is propaganda for you.
You see Mannaseh,you bashed Mahama so unfairly to bring NPP to power.Mahama and NDC tolerated your bashes even though sometimes it becames personal attack to Mahama like you are saying but please do not dare to send this to Akuffo Addo and NPP b.cos they will face you squarely with insult and trust me you will crush and becomes despondent in your journalism work, but what am happy about is that now Mahama is no more as President for that bashing.My advise is NPP will not sit down for you to send them to opposition like you did to NDC,we can bet on this and I dare you,you will rather fall but not NPP.
I like you boy. Ignore them . You are right. Let them come and hold G8 meeting in Accra
When you feel overly important, you end up suffocating like this gentleman called Manaseeh. No amount of verbous rationalisation of your so called logical long essay will change the general verdict on your know it all attitude.Masago and drink hot soda
Mr Azure, You are getting swollen headed and 'bloated'but remember that 'what goes up must come down' You do not have to comment on every little thing to remain relevant. You have done well for your self with some of your work but the praise singers may be leading you the wrong way. You have been all over the place from 'Fufu' arguments to calling people names. You are young. Learn from stellar journalists such as Cameron Duodu, Elizabeth Ohene, Kabral Blay Amihere, to name a few. Come down to earth from your high horse. It is not always about you. Aaba!! Learn humility from Kwasi Twum, your Multimedia CEO!!
This Azure boy will comment about every thing. Goodness! Just do your childish analysis and arguments with that f.at actress who spews non.sense every now and then but don't talk about things you know little about. Most of these big multinational companies are headquartered in Europe so why would you move the conference to Africa? Geneva is also home to a lot of companies & international organizations. I mean what sense does it make to bring the conference to Africa then? So that a hotel or a kelewele seller in Africa makes money? Some of these comments are really non.sensical.