Excellent article.Tribalism/Racism has no geographical boundaries.
Excellent article.Tribalism/Racism has no geographical boundaries.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
Elizabeth,
This is a well written piece and really focus on the issue of ethnocentrism and ethnic prejudices. Yes, etnocentric images of others rather than on tribalism.
I am afraid the word "tribalism", a terminology ... read full comment
Elizabeth,
This is a well written piece and really focus on the issue of ethnocentrism and ethnic prejudices. Yes, etnocentric images of others rather than on tribalism.
I am afraid the word "tribalism", a terminology that is used to refer to a specific phenomenon that arose after African countries gained independence is used now, nay, abused, to refer to all kinds of negative ethnocentric expressions and attitudes which have been in existence for even centuries! I wish I have time to quote at length from a book what is tribalism and what is not.
In brief, tribalism simply refer to when a public (add private) office holder discriminates in sharing public goods or resources in favour of his ethnic (tribal) group to the detriment of a more deserving ethnic ethnic (tribal) group. We can operationalise for that and say when for instance, when a road project is sent to the office holder's village of 500 people when a town of 3000 in another place needs that road more. Or, when a less a qualified person from teh office holder's tribe is employed rathen than a more qualified person from another ethnic group.
Having said that, we have to note the existence of other variables such as nepotism, homeboyism and favouritism which might have factored in more than the mere fact that the "successful" applicant comes from the office holder's tribe. Could be the best qualified is even from the same tribe but was side-stepped to recruit the in-law of the office holder! Can you call that tribalism? Nope!
In that vein, Osafo Marfo's goof about the 5 Akan regions producing 80% of Ghana's wealth cannot be classifed strictly under tribalism. It falls under ethnocentrism. The danger in it is that ethnocentricism breeds tribalism eventually, just as it breeds racism too, and that's what Akofo Addo failed to recognise while trying to white-washed Osafo Marfo's obviously warped ethnocentric perspectives.
Btw, I think you should have been bold to mention the two tribes your grandma advised you against marrying and the one she approves of. I think I can guess. The stingy ones are Ewes and the lazy ones are Gas. And the one who like to shower their women are Asantes. You see, I also picked up such views, and it is even intra-ethnic, as you noted. The northern Ewes have a nicknamed for we southern Ewes whom they grouped together wrongly as "Anlos", pejoratively, "Sagada" people, and that is "Danyeleafe", meaning, "my mother is back at home(town)". Their girls claimed when you asked for money from southern Ewe boyfriends, etc, that's the reply you'd get! One of them wrote me off at once with derision, amidst some other unpleasant things she said when she found out where I come from. I was then in Sixth Form.
Andy-K
Ewedome man 8 years ago
I never heard that before...
And I should know. As a bona fide "Ewedome" (a designation we don't use ourselves), that is not the thing that comes readily to mind when a "northern" Ewe is contemplating a union with a "south ... read full comment
I never heard that before...
And I should know. As a bona fide "Ewedome" (a designation we don't use ourselves), that is not the thing that comes readily to mind when a "northern" Ewe is contemplating a union with a "southern" (read Anlo) Ewe. Oh no. It's something else... I won't say but it's between us, as Ewes...
"Ewedome" people know more about Anlos (southern Ewes?) than the other way round because of the fact that Anlos travel a lot and are found among "Ewedomes" whom they meet in the northern Volta Region areas that they both travel to. You, Andy-K, talk of Hohoe too. (Beyond Hohoe, there is no Ewe but there are thousands of Ewe migrants). But you can hardly see "Ewedomes" willfully moving to the southern parts of the VR. They may do so for schooling or government jobs that transfer them there. But not for the purposes of farming and certainly not for fishing... Ha ha haa
Andy-K, as an Ewedome man in your age group, I know that the Anlo woman is superb as marriage material. Far better than my own borborbor dancing girl... I should be thinking of that when I take the Anlo woman on. The Anlo culture is far stronger than the Ewedome one. The Anlos hold together far better than the northern Ewes who tend to be wayward. But there is something else, which I don't want to say here...
You say the present writer may have been referring to the Ewe (stingy), the Ga, (lazy) and the Akan (showy). I don't know if she will agree with you but that is an interesting designation.
The whole issue of tribalism in our country can be turned on its head and the funny aspects celebrated if there were not more serious aspects to it. I find it sad that Elizabeth will write a thing like this in today's Ghana. I thought we had left all that tribalism behind us. I go to Ghana and see my cousins and other relatives marrying northerners left, right and centre (deep into the centre!!!). I cannot say exactly the same about them marrying Akans even though they are all speaking Twi.
Antie Cece 8 years ago
To throw more light on what both Andy and Ewedome wrote i tend to agree with them and the writer as well that there is some level of tribalism in every one. On the issue with Northern and Southern Ewes there are strinking dif ... read full comment
To throw more light on what both Andy and Ewedome wrote i tend to agree with them and the writer as well that there is some level of tribalism in every one. On the issue with Northern and Southern Ewes there are strinking differeencec among the 2 groups which most Ghanains arent aware of except mostly Ga Adangbes and Krobos who live in close proximity with Ewes.
Its a known fact among most Ghanaian men that Ewe women tend to be excllent marriage materials because of the discipline in their culture but this is mostly among the Southern Ewes who happen to be Anlos and their close asssociates. Among the Ewes its a known fact that Norhern Ewe women arent as quite disciplined as the Southern Ewe women. This is because the Northern Ewes do not have a definite culture, their culture have been adultrated by their close proximity to other tribes and intermarriage which is huge among Northern Ewes and Akans especially Akwamus and Guans in the region than the Southern Ewes.
Southern Ewe men on the other hand are also knowm among Northern Ewes as stingly, difficult, and sometimes too controlling. In lieu of these Southern Ewe men do not like to marry Northern Ewe women cos they arent desciplined enough for them.
Northern Ewes also do not like their daughters marrying Southern Ewe men who they see as too stingy and controlling. Whether true or false this perceptions are real.
Ama 8 years ago
Among most Ghanaian men ewe women tend to be excellent marriage material.
All you ewe women do is to throw yourself at asante men.
Getting an asante or Akan man is a trophy for you ewe women.
Among most Ghanaian men ewe women tend to be excellent marriage material.
All you ewe women do is to throw yourself at asante men.
Getting an asante or Akan man is a trophy for you ewe women.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
Ewedome Man (I know you'd prefer the authentic self-ID, "Weme" man, instead of the southern reference ),
I enjoyed reading your rejoinder. I wish though you didn't hold back. I stopped doing that years ago.
Now, Danye ... read full comment
Ewedome Man (I know you'd prefer the authentic self-ID, "Weme" man, instead of the southern reference ),
I enjoyed reading your rejoinder. I wish though you didn't hold back. I stopped doing that years ago.
Now, Danyeleafe, is usage you'd find among the Weme girls in Accra and so I am not surprised you didn't know that. Crops up only in the interface b/n boy meet girl situation.
Now, the other strong objection I heard about is that the Anlo man would definitely go back to bring back "cousin" to be cooking him, since Ewedome women don't know how to cook all those delicious dishes only Anlo women know how to cook best. Well, with Ewedome people calling all fishes "akpa" (tilapia), how can their women become culinary masters, esp, when fufu is their main staple? Soon, the "cousin" would become pregnant and it'd turn out the man was responsible.
And then, there is the historical bad blood dating back to the slave trade and raiding period which some still nurse grievances about. I've dealt with that in detail in the continuation of my long-awaited series on the ethnic imbroglio in Ghana. Shit happened, and is behind much of the ethnic animosities and conflicts in post-indep Africa and we can't pretend anymore that it didn't. Africans are living unexamined lives and replicating the bestialities of the past, as we recently saw in S. Africa.
Btw, I specifically wrote that the preferred hubby of Elizabeth's grandma was Asante, not Akan. Wre I sure that she could indentify b/n southern and northern Ewes, I'd have written "Anlo" for the supposed stingy people, not "Ewe".
Man! THERE ARE NO FUNNY ASPECTS TO TRIBALISM! You are no doubt referring to some of the grotesque stereotypical images of the others we hold against each other! The late Komla Dumor ran The Ayigbe Jokes on Myjoy in the late '90s with that. I didn't find it funny at all. In fact, I was mortified.
Andy-K
Abetifi Boy! 8 years ago
You are so tribalistic Andy-K and although you know nothing, you claim to know all!
You are so tribalistic Andy-K and although you know nothing, you claim to know all!
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
I missed commenting on this part.
You wrote:
"Ewedome" people know more about Anlos (southern Ewes?) than the other way round because of the fact that Anlos travel a lot and are found among "Ewedomes" whom they meet in th ... read full comment
I missed commenting on this part.
You wrote:
"Ewedome" people know more about Anlos (southern Ewes?) than the other way round because of the fact that Anlos travel a lot and are found among "Ewedomes" whom they meet in the northern Volta Region areas that they both travel to. You, Andy-K, talk of Hohoe too. (Beyond Hohoe, there is no Ewe but there are thousands of Ewe migrants). But you can hardly see "Ewedomes" willfully moving to the southern parts of the VR. They may do so for schooling or government jobs that transfer them there. But not for the purposes of farming and certainly not for fishing... Ha ha haa"
It is strange that you claimed that Anlos who travel to and live among the Weme people know less about the people they live with, and the Wemes know more about the Anlos. But the way Anlo migrants live is not quite exactly how they live back in their home towns and villages. They behave like migrant Yorubas who live austere lives and live in cramped housing conditions while they build very fine, big houses back home, for instance. I guess that's why Ewedome people who first visit the Anlo coastal areas are much surprised and impressed by how the place was highly urbanised and planned. Non-Ewes also displayed the same surprise, as I found out over the years.
There is no farm land in Anloland to draw settlers. Farm land has to be painfully and laboriously reclaimed from the raised sea-sand or the salty, muddy lagoon flood plains, a process which takes several years to accomplish. Then provision for irrigation by means of mosquito breeding wells and now electric pumps. That's why no land is too bad for the Anlo-man not to farm on! I heard in Norway some hilarious stories from a Fante student who admires Ewes lot about the exploits of such Anlo men in his hometown; and had regrets about his childhood taunting of one Anlo man who used to carry his child on his bike to primary school while he went to the middle school - as a pupil too! He was still lamenting not being able to marry his Ewe girlfriend from Peki, even though he was married to a very bosomy Fante woman.
As for the fishing, I can't imagine the Ewedome man as a fisherman.:-) Besides, even before the Akosombo Dam destroyed the fishing industry downstream of the Dam, Anlo and Ada fishermen have been migrating to follow the fish seasonally along the W. African coast; the Anlos moreso than the Adas.
The pattern after the TVT was taken over in 1915 and Anlos becoming the main teachers and clerks in previously German-speaking schools and administration, meant a historical migration pattern was set. Perhaps, if there are opportunities for the Ewedome people in the south, they'd flock in one day too. Miator Ablutorwo, however, have found such opportunities and are fast colonising the area in their greater numbers. The loud, deafening music in Twi that greets one on market days in Anloga is just a testimony.Interesting , it was Akan Jehovah Witnesses who set up camp in the town first in the early '80s. At Aflao, the Akans have even been granted land to build their own community.
Hmm! I know an Asante, the son of a goldsmith who was very popular and nicknamed "Sikaxoxo" - old gold. I laughed a lot at his stories travelling the nook and cranny of the Anlo area in search of old gold ornaments to buy in the 80s. In fact, he knew the area far, far better than most Anlos, including me. He lost the fear of "ekpelekpedzi" even ordinary Anlos like to scare people with. "As for those fetish shrines they said you can't enter with your shirt, as for me, I removed my shirt and entered!" Anlos, esp. the elderly ones with a sense of history, always treat Asantes with special favour, so I wasn't surprised at all why he had such a jolly good time there in the 1980s. Nothing like on Ghanaweb.
Andy-K
Ewedome man 8 years ago
Well, since you came up again, I'll oblige you too. I thought it was getting too late on the topic even though I find it interesting and had wanted to comment on the Aunti Cece contribution.
Well, yes, the Anlos who live ... read full comment
Well, since you came up again, I'll oblige you too. I thought it was getting too late on the topic even though I find it interesting and had wanted to comment on the Aunti Cece contribution.
Well, yes, the Anlos who live among the Ewedome certainly know a lot about the people among whom they live. You're right there. But the Anlos who never travelled out of Anloland know less. They are the ones I really mean. I have a bit of personal experience with that - my friends at BIHECO and me following my Anlo friends into Anloland. But why the Ewedome may know more about the Anlo without traveling to Anloland is precisely because of the many Anlos they see living among them. Anyway, I follow your argument that the Anlos who travel out may not live exactly as they would do at home. Your Yoruba example is apt as you and I may have seen when you went to Ondo state and I to Ogun state (the then...)
Yes, of course, Anlo land is not good for farming. I use to tease my Anlo friends that that is the reason they don't eat fufu but eat akple. The Anlo land cannot produce the cassava that is good for fufu - only the one good for agbelimor and gari...
Yes, times have changed. The pop of Ghana has increased. There are more Akans moving to the southern parts of the VR and into Anloland. The border town of Aflao has long attracted them for obvious reasons. But the attractions are still not sufficient to pull ewedomes in their numbers especially as there are now more places to travel to.
There are other interesting things to discuss on this issue of southern and northern Ewes and Elizabeth's article is hardly the place to take them up. Perhaps if you write your article, I'll be on the lookout to contribute to the discussion.
It's interesting about perceptions and Cece took some up. Times have changed but some of these "prejudices" and perceptions endure. The historical aspects are also very interesting to discuss - from the distant history to the more recent ones. I have in mind the manner in which the northern Ewes "dutifully" followed their Anlo brethren under Gbedema/NAL and Rawlings/NDC (even though JJ is not "really, really, really" an Anlo man...)
As for the Anloman impregnating his "cousin", only non-ewes will be deceived. The Ewedome man/woman is more likely to see the "cousin" for what she is than a total non-Ewe will.
Cece also mentioned something about the looseness or indefinite nature of Ewedome culture. That's very true. And it's due to the influence (both good and bad) of the contact with the akwamus and the Guans.
I could continue with this but this is not the appropriate forum or article...
irrepressible fireman 8 years ago
Good one there sister,the level of ignorance ppl in the southern part of Ghana about northerners is unbelievable, perceived tribal discrimination n superiority doesn't put food on ones table or money in ones pocket, anyone wh ... read full comment
Good one there sister,the level of ignorance ppl in the southern part of Ghana about northerners is unbelievable, perceived tribal discrimination n superiority doesn't put food on ones table or money in ones pocket, anyone who is better than the other is the one who is clean before God,I have come across such things on several occasions, but I react disproportionately because I am not call the fireman for nothing, even our politics have been reduce to tribalism,Sister Elizabeth I am issahak from Paga,n want to thank you very much for this article, more grease to your elbows
Agambire 8 years ago
Give up this tribal nonsense! I live in Tamale and know how Northerners see Southerners in stereotypical lenses
Give up this tribal nonsense! I live in Tamale and know how Northerners see Southerners in stereotypical lenses
KGD 8 years ago
You have really made my day. The awareness of tribalism must be awaken to help Ghana tap all the human resource of this beautiful nation.
Well done for putting this on the net.
You may contact me on kgdinternet@gmail.com, ... read full comment
You have really made my day. The awareness of tribalism must be awaken to help Ghana tap all the human resource of this beautiful nation.
Well done for putting this on the net.
You may contact me on kgdinternet@gmail.com, if you wouldn't mind. I know of a guy who is working hard on this. Maybe your ideas could help if you team up.
C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago
She wrote about ethnic prejudices, not tribalism. We should stop vulgarising the use of that word.
Andy-K
She wrote about ethnic prejudices, not tribalism. We should stop vulgarising the use of that word.
Andy-K
Ama serwaa 8 years ago
Elisabeth your piece is brilliantlying written, am very suprise about the asante guy as they tend to accommodate northners very well.
Elisabeth your piece is brilliantlying written, am very suprise about the asante guy as they tend to accommodate northners very well.
James Arthur 8 years ago
I like this piece. It is intelligently written.
I like this piece. It is intelligently written.
Osei-Bonsu 8 years ago
Quite funny, just last week, my granny told me not to marry two tribes. She said one will spend all my money on meat and fish, and the other tribe they hate everything we stand for.
Quite funny, just last week, my granny told me not to marry two tribes. She said one will spend all my money on meat and fish, and the other tribe they hate everything we stand for.
Military Man 8 years ago
I can take a wild guess about the one your granny said would spend all your money on meat and fish.
If judging by your name you happen to be an Asante, then your grandma was definitely talking about Fante women.
I'm a Fant ... read full comment
I can take a wild guess about the one your granny said would spend all your money on meat and fish.
If judging by your name you happen to be an Asante, then your grandma was definitely talking about Fante women.
I'm a Fante and I did most of my schooling in Kumasi and for the ten or so years that I spent there schooling, that was a very potent perception amongst my fellow Asante classmates in the boarding house.
They thought and probably still think that our Fante women are extravagant and love to cook extravagant dishes.
Even at the then UST( currently KNUST), that perception of Fante women being extravagant was still big among Asante men and women classmates or room mates of mine.
Now years later, I'm still reading about it on Ghanaweb and I'm just shaking my head and smiling... thinking we are all funny as human beings because of all the little idiosyncrasies we perceive other tribes to have.
Excellent article.Tribalism/Racism has no geographical boundaries.
Elizabeth,
This is a well written piece and really focus on the issue of ethnocentrism and ethnic prejudices. Yes, etnocentric images of others rather than on tribalism.
I am afraid the word "tribalism", a terminology ...
read full comment
I never heard that before...
And I should know. As a bona fide "Ewedome" (a designation we don't use ourselves), that is not the thing that comes readily to mind when a "northern" Ewe is contemplating a union with a "south ...
read full comment
To throw more light on what both Andy and Ewedome wrote i tend to agree with them and the writer as well that there is some level of tribalism in every one. On the issue with Northern and Southern Ewes there are strinking dif ...
read full comment
Among most Ghanaian men ewe women tend to be excellent marriage material.
All you ewe women do is to throw yourself at asante men.
Getting an asante or Akan man is a trophy for you ewe women.
Ewedome Man (I know you'd prefer the authentic self-ID, "Weme" man, instead of the southern reference ),
I enjoyed reading your rejoinder. I wish though you didn't hold back. I stopped doing that years ago.
Now, Danye ...
read full comment
You are so tribalistic Andy-K and although you know nothing, you claim to know all!
I missed commenting on this part.
You wrote:
"Ewedome" people know more about Anlos (southern Ewes?) than the other way round because of the fact that Anlos travel a lot and are found among "Ewedomes" whom they meet in th ...
read full comment
Well, since you came up again, I'll oblige you too. I thought it was getting too late on the topic even though I find it interesting and had wanted to comment on the Aunti Cece contribution.
Well, yes, the Anlos who live ...
read full comment
Good one there sister,the level of ignorance ppl in the southern part of Ghana about northerners is unbelievable, perceived tribal discrimination n superiority doesn't put food on ones table or money in ones pocket, anyone wh ...
read full comment
Give up this tribal nonsense! I live in Tamale and know how Northerners see Southerners in stereotypical lenses
You have really made my day. The awareness of tribalism must be awaken to help Ghana tap all the human resource of this beautiful nation.
Well done for putting this on the net.
You may contact me on kgdinternet@gmail.com, ...
read full comment
She wrote about ethnic prejudices, not tribalism. We should stop vulgarising the use of that word.
Andy-K
Elisabeth your piece is brilliantlying written, am very suprise about the asante guy as they tend to accommodate northners very well.
I like this piece. It is intelligently written.
Quite funny, just last week, my granny told me not to marry two tribes. She said one will spend all my money on meat and fish, and the other tribe they hate everything we stand for.
I can take a wild guess about the one your granny said would spend all your money on meat and fish.
If judging by your name you happen to be an Asante, then your grandma was definitely talking about Fante women.
I'm a Fant ...
read full comment