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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Manasseh your comment was well said! That was your opinion and you justifed it with the reasons you gave which was in the right direction. Nana Kwame's comment was also in the right direction which sought to demand reasons for Manasseh's choice of Aburi as his wedding venue and i believe the responses given by Manasseh "without" the "insults" is in the right place. We need to be proud of our African heritage and seek for the good of our people
Nana Kwame's reaction to this discourse is very unfortunate, unguided and a gross insult to either the people of the North or Africans at large. Kwame, did you realy read how Manase situated his piece? The "people" as indicated in your piece claims African people are deprived. Please, watch your language and try to work within specific parameters. At best, avoid insulting markers and post matters that built and not otherwise. Thanks.
MALAFAKA LIKE U U FEEL SAY JOURANLISM FIT MAKE U TALK ANYHOW SEE HIS DIRTY FACE ABOOWAAH LIKE THAT
awuraba go and get facts before u come and talk and phoolishness here, when Nana went did he represent Ghana or NPP, what phoolishness politics is this one too so if Manasseh was our hero last year that means we shouldnt condemn him when he goes wayward. Leaders from ethiopia and senegal werwe also there unless u see those two countries as european countries. What did NPP do to mahama that will be done to Nana, Ghanaians voted JM out and not only NPP and he represents Ghana now so better grow up and rather stop those phooolish comments, u are just like Manasseh who is loosing his senses gradualy for stardom. Nana Kwame isnt an NPP but a concerned Ghanaian citizen and seriously he brought manasseh to where he was suppose to be, just few lines that the guy wrote see a whole lot of booklet manasseh is writing to defend herself
Manasseh, you should know that most of these CEOs source their raw materials from outside Africa especially machinery, technology and high skills for sustaining these machinery and technology. I also believe most if not all the equipment you use for your work and daily life including tooth pick is from outside Africa. So you see its important they meet the brains behind their manifestations.
you think know everything is better to keep quiet sometimes. your agenda against mahama has work perfectly but u can never achieved what he did with his life.....
What I know for sure is that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah would never attend such a conference if its held in Geneva. Why should Africans go to Europe to discuss anything? Don't we Africans blame slavery and colonialism for our poverty? Who were our colonial and slave masters? EUROPEANS
Manaseeh, you see everbody is against your comment,You think you are faster than everyone, you have the chance to work with radio station does not means you are the best, Because of two paragraph of NANA KWANE you wrote more than(5killos) paragraphs,VILAGE BOGER.
I was very much disappointed by the rebuttal Mannaseh made to encounter the implied analogue Nana gave.I think Mannaseh took it too literally. The venue,of the Africa CEOs Forum, Geneva, Switzerland, has made its mark internationally in terms of Cooperate Business and Banking and it is internationally acclaimed.Lets neglect the prefix AAFRICA(CEOs) and consider if the Venue is appropriate irrespective of the missing blackness or African of it. Indeed, not all Africa CEOs are Africans and being one is no prerequisite qualification for that appointment.If we want Accra to be Business hub of Africa , we have to work hard towards that to attract such Forums, much in the same way do I argue that, if we want Manneseh's village to have the facilities of Aburi in Ghana to attract Ghanaians to celebrate their weddings there, we equally have to work hard towards that to make it more attractive even than Aburi.Some jouranlists in Ghana often or not, rather Chose to be more Populist, playing the Black or Africa Card of bigotry.
It seems Mr. M. Azuri I used to admire is becoming arrogant with his "know all" mind,and as such he tend to comment and ctiticizes needlessly.Logically Nana Kwame was right,and I would want to counsel Mr. Azuri to relax,in order not to fall because pride goes before disgrace.