*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D.

Suhum, Feb 16, GNA - Five hundred students of the Suhum Presbyterian Senior High
School (SHS) are studying under trees and in a dining hall, the Headmaster of
the school, Mr. Emmanuel Danso, told the GNA (Ghanaweb February 16, 2011)

Akroso (E/R), Feb. 28, GNA - More than 300 pupils of the Kyeremase Municipal
Authority Primary School near Akroso in the Birim Central Municipality are
holding classes in huts made of palm fronds with others in dilapidated
classrooms… classes five and six held classes under the hut, whiles the head
teacher's office was under a tree” (Ghanaweb February 28, 2011).

“The attention of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) has been drawn to
information that … the salaries of MPs [may be increased] from the current GH
3,000 per month to GH 8,000” (Ghanaweb March 17, 2011)

Children in rural Ghana
Backwatered
Marginalized
Impoverished
Disempowered
Go to schools under trees
Schools that lack trained teachers
Schools that use card-box as paper
Schools that use riverine clay as chalk
Schools that use bare-ground as chalkboard
Schools that use broken beer bottles as beakers

Ghanaians are happily docile
Malleable like wind over bushfire
We brand amnesia as weapons
We fulfill prophecies of our doom
We honor misplaced priorities
We adore thieves among us
We lionize murderers among us

JJ Rawlings has been free
Free to enjoy his loot
On the table of Indemnity clause
Demonizing others as corrupt
He killed others for a 50,000-cedi loan
And gave Nsawam Cannery to Konadu
Lady Yaa Konadu Agyeman Rawlings
The magician of Mame-Water’s artistry
Who didn’t WATER down Ridge Fire
She who fears Nsawam Prison
But loves Nsawam Cannery
She who owns Nsawam Cannery
But she who has no home

Kufour Hotel has been free
His jobless son owns the hotel
Sekyi-Hughes has been free
Kwamena Bartels has been free
CASHPRO Ahwois are free
Bagbin & Ayariga are free
Soon Asabee will be free
Soon Asiedu Nketiah will be free

Without sunset
Within two years
Ministers are building castles
MPS are building mansions
Demanding more
FREE car loans
HUGE salaries

MPs have FREE PETROL
FREE cooks
FREE lunch
FREE tractors
FREE housing
FREE per diem
FREE car-loans
FREE maid-servants
FREE girlfriends

We worship thievery officials
Asabee’s wifely contracts
Mpiani’s Castle contracts
Nketiah’s block contracts
Bagbin/Ayariga tractor-ing
Sekyi-Hughes the furniture thief
Tsatsu the petroleum thief
Ahwois the CASHPRO-thieves
ET Mensah the CDR/WDC thief
PV Obeng the Castle thief

The vampire educated elites
The armed robbers in suits
The cheer-leaders of poverty
The greedy bastards
Our Presidents
Our Ministers of state
Our Members of Parliament
Our Bank managers
Our Priests/pastors
Our Chiefs/Queenmothers
The killers of the dream
The thievery elites
The architects
The artisans
Of the schools under trees
Of schools that lack trained teachers
Of schools that use card-box as paper
Of schools that use riverine clay as chalk
Of schools that use broken bottles as beakers

*Akadu N. Mensema, Ph. D., is a nationalist Denkyira beauty. She is a trained
oral historian cum sociologist and Professor in the USA. She lives in
Pennsylvania with her great mentor and teaches Africa-area studies at a college
in Maryland. In her pastime, she writes what critics have called “populist
hyperbolic, satirical” poetry. She can be reached at akadumensema@yahoo.com