BIRD OF THE NIGHT (Part II)

No rest for the weary, as the hooting sounds of the Bird of the Night fill the dark skies!

The Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) does not hoot like other owls. It lets out a long harsh screech that lasts about two seconds.

The Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops Flammeolus) has a relatively deep woop with ventriloquial effect repeated at regular intervals of about two to three seconds.

Did you hear the cacophony of sounds over the recent illness of Mr. Arrest the Cedi that sent him doing the hopscotch (tuumatu) on the streets of London without his bodyguards?

The rabid spread of those horrible rumours definitely did not come from the NDC. Your Excellency Mr. Vice President, please do not let anybody convince you that the NDC is waiting for your demise. You must look within your own camp to find the bomb-throwers. They are watching you with the eyes of hawks, waiting to swoop. But I think you know that already.

Dr Valerie Sawyer, former Deputy Chief of Staff

 I suspect your little jig on the streets of London was to ensure that certain Birds of the Night did not fill your position before you could complete your treatment.

Sir, I hope you will now take seriously the need for regular medical check ups. Follow the footsteps of your boss. It is important. And please do not tell me that the President is not your boss and that he is simply the primus inter pares.

By the way, is it true that replacement troops scheduled to go to the Gambia yesterday, for peacekeeping duties, had to stand down because you needed to use the plane? Just a question please!

Anyway, we will continue praying for you Mr. ‘Teachers are Suffering, Nurses are Suffering, Traders are Suffering, Farmers are Suffering’.

Our thunderbolt, John Jinapor, has gone a step further. He says ‘MPs are suffering, and the Speaker is suffering’.

Mr. Vice President, I think you are suffering too … or?

A suffering farmer's farm devastated by arm by worms

I love the cadence and the lyrics. Assemble the orchestra please! We need some music!

… small-scale miners are suffering (when will the ban be lifted)

… the environment is suffering (borla here, borla there, borla everywhere)

… the Cedi is suffering (playing hopscotch aka tuumatu)

… the Finance Minister is suffering (assets declaration ‘distin’)

… the Eastern Corridor road is suffering (work stoppage for over a year)

… free SHS is suffering (insufficient funds for schools)

… ‘one village one dam’ is suffering (which season – wet or dry)

… ‘one million dollars per constituency’ is suffering (release the money)

… ‘one district one factory’ is suffering (under Trade or the Presidency)

… expatriates are suffering (cash for seats)

… unemployed are suffering (745,000 worms mistaken for jobs)

… army is suffering (no show on Barracks Regeneration Programme)

… peacekeeping forces are suffering (troops in Gambia not paid)

… creative artists are suffering (ghc1 millon fund set up in 2015 now stagnant)

… NHIS is suffering (service providers not providing)

… nurses are suffering (allowances still pending)

Suffering here, suffering there, suffering everywhere! Why Nana why?
Water being rationed! Dumsor returning! Why Nana why?
Kayayei crying! Zongos regretting! Why Nana why?
Abossey Okai traders say with deep voice! WHY NANA WHY?

A YEA employee on a demo against the Akufo Addo govt

The music must be interspersed with rap - ‘Hardship yoh! Torture yoh! Distress yoh! Adversity, Affliction, Misery yoh yoh yoh!’ Please do not read this part sitting quietly. At each ‘yoh’ you must punch the air with your fist and, if possible, do a little swing move of your body.

Hahaha! I never claimed to be a competent rap or dancehall artiste. I will leave it to Samini, Stone Bwoy, Shatta and others. Gazmilla, thumbs up to your song ‘Afi nεε wor kεn sormorshi’. I love the ‘sormorshi’ dances that go with the tune.

For those who do not know, ‘sorshi’ is the Ga word for squat – so you go down, bend your knees, toes on the floor, heels up and move in leapfrog fashion in any manner that suits your fancy but in accordance with the beat of the song. We have great artistes in Ghana!

Ebony on my mind! Diamond in the rough! It is true that I do not support nudity, but I watched this girl with interest because I knew that with time and direction she would be a strong advocate for women and youth issues. After all, most men salivate at her sight, so they are likely to listen to her lyrics.

I was vindicated when she came out with Maame Hwε - a song against domestic violence. She made her point crisp and clear against brutality in the domestic setting.

I love the mid-tempo rhythm of her song ‘Sponsor’. I thought she brilliantly exposed both sides of the coin – a young lady may need a financial liaison to survive even if he is ‘over-age’ but the downside of this is loneliness at night because he is probably married, and his ‘sisi will yεε him ya’ (lower back pains) because he lacks sufficient virility.

In my mind the scenario was clear - it is for the woman to choose what she wants - a man she will work together with to succeed financially, have his company at night and enjoy his sexual prowess, or a man who would lavish her with financial goodies, leave her lonely at night and be a burden in bed.

And when she released the song ‘Bε di mi dwa’, most minds turned only to the sexual pun on ‘bε di mi … dwa’, and failed to pick up the social commentary on how hard times had become and how the wares of market women were not being patronised. I heard recently some market women were holding prayer sessions during work hours at the market praying for God to send them customers … Nana Addo eeeeeee!!!!

A step at a time, I used to say, as we prayed for God’s guidance for her. Then we woke up to the shocking news of her death. Then started all kinds of noises in the media about hell fire and brimstone. I shook my head in sadness. Some casting aspersions on the dead … others using her death to attract fame for themselves. Exploiting with one hand as they vilified with the other?

My goodness! I can only say – he/she who does not have sin, please cast the first stone. Silence? I know we will wait till eternity for any legitimate stone to be cast, as we continue to sing her song:

“See I’m nothing … nothing … without you Lord
From the bottomless pit you raised me up
See all the bad things I dey do … you still dey bless me
Meda wuase oooooo … Nana Onyame eeeee”.

Rest in peace Ebony …

... while the Bird of the Night continues to circle around looking for prey to devour. Hooting, shrieking and screeching sounds fill the night air, as angels stand guard over God’s anointed … dispelling the darkness that looms … Nana Dum Bawu Sor; Bawu Dum Nana Sor; Kri kri Dum Kri kri Sor”!

Shalom!
I am for peace!

By Dr. Valerie E. Sawyerr