A Solemn Ghanaian Prayer

When the day retires to sleep,

And night rouses from its slumber,

I pray in my bed, a solemn prayer,

Asking God, if Ghana is a worthy charge to keep.

When hardworking Ghanaians yield no real returns,

And there remains very little to look forward to,

I pray God's counsel yet again, though hitherto,

I'd have recommended an easier yet sinful turn.

When the change that Ghana seeks,

Are those of waste and vanity,

I pray that so long as the clock ticks, 

Time will mend this pronounced insanity.

When many a Ghanaian child, 

Defines prosperity in cars and cash,

I pray they see the fleet and stash,

Death incessantly steals into its wild.

When John after John after John 

Ghana cannot pride in their shared acts,

I pray we learn nothing of this errant bromance,

And heed the warning to the Corinthians. 

Photo Credit: myjoyonline.com

When Ghanaian lives are wasting on our ramshackle roads,

And death seems to instruct the wheeling, 

I pray my love for traveling,

Does not deliver me at death's crossroads. 

When the lives that we see perish,

Are lives that we so cherish, 

I pray that we cease not to relish, 

Ghanaian souls that are not yet vanquished. 

When Ghana means to you,

As much as it means to me,

I pray we finally proceed,

To show Ghana some love too.

By: K. Atsu Dogbey (TDL)

My deepest condolences to all who lost loved ones in the gory accident on the Cape Coast - Takoradi Highway claiming 34 lives and injuring many others. To the lives that have gone before us, till we meet again, I pray ye fare thee well.

We the People

For unto us a Holiday is born,

Unto us a day is given;

And this day is the 7th day of January.

And the name will be called;

Constitution Day. 

As Ghana commemorates a year after the birth of Constitution Day on 7th January 2019, “We the People” are invited to reflect on the constitutional journey of the country we dearly love and cherish. It is fair to submit that this day, while christened a year ago, has been commemorated in diverse ways under different holidays notably; the now Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day (formerly Founder’s Day) observed on the 21st of September, Founder's Day now observed on the 4th of August and Independence Day observed on the 6th of March, all celebrated annually. A brief exposition of the historic Constitutional journey of Ghana helps put the commemoration into a proper perspective. 

Ghana as the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from British colonial rule on 6th March 1957 had the Independence Act of 1957 enacted through the Ghana (Constitution) Order in Council 1957 serving as her first albeit Monarchical Constitution. Ghana had a Governor-General representing the Queen of England as the Head of State and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as Prime Minister.

In 1960, the 1957 Ghana Independence Act was repealed and this gave way to Ghana’s declaration as a sovereign Unitary Republic under article 4(1) of the succeeding Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1960. This Constitution fashioned the First Republic of Ghana with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah becoming her First President responsible to the people. 

Yet, this Constitution gave the President extensive powers subsequently leading to the passing of the notorious Preventive Detention Act (1958) and the making of Ghana a One-Party State. This legislature afforded Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the ruling party, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), an opportunity to rule the young Republic indefinitely. The grey areas of the Constitution, 1960 was exploited by the organs of the incumbent government against the People, particularly the ruling in the infamous Re Akoto case. 

In that case, the plaintiffs who were detained under the Preventive Detention Act (1958) appeared to have been denied justice when inter alia, Article 13 (1) of the Constitution, 1960 was construed to impose only a moral obligation upon the President. To wit, the proviso did not constitute a bill of rights and consequently imposed no legal obligations enforceable in a court of law. This controversial ruling arguably contributed to the entrenchment of the fundamental human rights in the ensuing constitutions.

Propelled by the desire to seek the welfare of the People, the 1960 Constitution was overthrown by the National Liberation Council (NLC) on 24 February 1966 in a coup d'etat ousting all elected officials including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. This established the First Military Government in the constitutional history of Ghana. 

In 1969, Ghana assumed its Second Republican status under the 1969 Constitution which elected the Busia Administration operating a Parliamentary system of government. Dissatisfied with government’s inability to cater for the welfare of the People, on 13th of January, 1972 the 1969 Constitution was abrogated in a military coup d’etat by the National Redemption Council and subsequently the Supreme Military Council I and II until a group of junior officers established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) led by Jerry John Rawlings and seized power on 4th June, 1979 through a coup.

In 1979, the AFRC handed power over to the civilians under the Third Republican Constitution of 1979 which established a Presidential system of government. Dr. Hilla Limann was elected president. On 31st December 1981, another coup d’etat led again by Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, formed the government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled till the present Constitution, 1992 came into force on 7th January 1993 ushering Ghana into the Fourth Republic. 

A careful study of the constitutional history of Ghana advances the assertion that arguably, the reason for the turbulence and military involvement was driven in part by an innocent desire to seek the welfare of the People of Ghana. However, as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, the aftermath of what began as worthy causes were severely marred. 

“We the People” of Ghana yielded power to the Constitution to establish governments and systems that seek our welfare and realize our goal. The phrase, “We the People…” as captured in the Preamble of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana is as well captured in the Preambles of the Constitution of countries including the United States, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, Afghanistan, Albania, Liberia, Swaziland, Argentina, Myanmar, Zambia, Benin, Philippines, Cambodia, Russia, Seychelles, Cuba, Egypt, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Estonia, Fiji, South Sudan, and Gambia.

The welfare of “We the People” must supersede any other interest of the government. The protection and furtherance of the object of “We the People” must come first and yet Ghana can boast, if ever, of a handful of feats in that regard. The Constitution, although, “We the People” consented to be governed by must not be used as a tool to undermine the welfare of the People who gave it life.

As we merry, make and bread, break, in commemoration of this rather useful day, let us call our own attention as a People to the object of the Constitution as spelt out in the Preamble and remember that the phrase “We the People…” is not a mere Constitutional catchphrase but a sacred charge to keep! A charge that the welfare of “We the People” remain the foremost concern of successive governments. 

Let this day be nothing but a day of sober reflection; from whence we cometh as a People and wither if ever, we are drifting as a nation.

K. Atsu Dogbey
TDL

Clues in Blue

Tell me your dreams

Let them reflect your innate pleasures

Hide from me the means

I’ll discover them on sail down your rivers

Tell me your convictions

Provide me with clues not specifics

I’ll employ traditional percussions

And play to you a sound so terrific

Share with me your past

Be detailed to the letter

For I’ll have no stone to cast

I’ve already been deemed a sinner

Share with me the songs

Songs that sing away your pain

Riddled in lust and odds

Lyrics that renders you vain

Run with me down the aisle

A walk will steal my haste

Yet do so with me in style

For we must still keep the taste

Let me tell you my dreams

Let your convictions guide us

Let my past not linger in your songs

Let the aisle accommodate our foremost run

Kenneth Atsu Dogbey
TDL.

Beads & Booze

The odyssey of the drunken lover

Began when Yao was hitherto sober

He would rant all day about love

Boast about escapades with his many lovers  

Till the sun was ashamed and cowered

Awo was no older in age than her teens

Her plot was to find another man she thinks

Would fall prey to the charming beads

She wore appealingly around her waist

Awaiting the dance of the tribesmen to begin

Legend had it that

When the Agbadza dance was in full swing

And titled men broke their backs in dancing

Awo, clad in nothing but waist beads

Would appear and gyrate her hips to the alluring beats

The odyssey of the drunken lover

Persisted when Yao was somewhat sober

He noticed the graceful hips of this erotic dancer

And craved to make of her a bride

This, he thought, would add to his pride  

Awo danced all day to please Yao

Painted his name with the throb of her hips

She would occasionally invite him to join in

For she knew the end was near

Only she could not tell him when

Time came, when Awo must go

She disappeared with the wind

Leaving her waist beads behind  

With a handwritten note and

That was when his woes began

The odyssey of the drunken lover

Abated when Yao was no more sober

He would wear her beads on his stiff waist  

Swallow a bottle of booze - that’s all he ate  

And mimic the sensual dance of his lost lover

A poem by:

Kenneth Atsu Dogbey

TDL

Unsung Heroes

Myth has its place in history

Strange thing no one owns up, who placed it there

Legends crafted centuries ago from the memory

Of humans who did a great job of storytelling

Making men in their folklores come alive

Thus convincing mortal women to make their wives

These heroes fought battles with unrivaled forte

Dined with gods – and they evolved into our gods today

Lived like they knew they were making history

Were pious, pure yet sometimes petty

Humans commemorated their pronounced lot

Hardly giving it any much thought

Though no one experienced their glorious existence

Men worshipped and contended any lurking resistance  

It all began innocently as tales

Like the age-old story of humans with tails

Still, there is that one or many

Who hardly achieved one or any

Of the exalted lot of our fêted Heroes

They may even pass in your judgement as morons

Mere mortals who took interest in you

Downtrodden yet fought battles for you

Love and taught you to love another

Value you as the only thing that matter

Streamline your desires and fashion your ego

Losing their pride against their own ethos

They share in your gay moments

Lighten up your grey moments

Big hugs that promised day

Hopeful smiles that lessens the afflictions at night

These mortals appear larger than life

Yet the clock of life is ticking them out

They, bound on earth in constant strife

Hoping that someday you’d bail them out

Better yet acknowledge what they did contribute

Not until its read from bleached pages as tribute

Take a moment to look around you

You’d find your Hero - in many mortal forms

Once you give up the myths and unfounded customs,

You’d find that your Hero was always seated next to you.

Photo Credit: Agyemang Duah Kweku Jr. @Flickartstudios

By: Kenneth Atsu Dogbey 

A Member of TDL

Vintage Nights

We would gather in a tiny room at sunset – our kitchen
Throats thirsty in anticipation of dinnertime
We sat in an unstructured group of five
Mama and Papa dined on the single table available
My sisters aided in dishing out the rice meal - jollof
Big brother sat all alone – feeling a false sense of seniority
My twin and I solely concentrated on the meal being served
Hardly ever paying attention to anything else
Then sat Grandma and her diverse camp of pets
Papa teased and mocked every one of us
Mama contemplated about who warranted the loftier chunk of meat
Her hardworking husband or last-born twins
The latter always won
Big sister bragged about college life
Late-night parties and no lecture days
Second sister ensured we all ate to our fill
My twin and I knew no satisfaction
We unceasingly asked for more
Big brother overwhelmed us with the names of underground rappers
Majority of whom he claimed were his mates from school
My twin and I merely argued about who ate the most food
Grandma shared her meal and conversations with the pets
We drank cheap juice afterwards
Listened to African folklore
Rehearsed songs composed by Papa
Laughed about fights we had witnessed
Applauded those who came out top in class assessments – I never merited one
We shared in titles of books
Mama constantly quoted a scripture or two
We chatted endlessly
With satisfied bellies and smiles
Mama notices our sleepy eyes
We say grace with one another
To one another, we say goodnight
Tuck ourselves into our antique beds
Allowing the vintage night to fade away
Today;
Mama eats all by herself - without Papa
Who, I’m told has embarked on an eternal journey
Desiring no meal on his return - if ever
Big Sister shares her meal with her newborn – my adorable niece
Second sister declines to eat after 6
Big brother feasts on food prepared by his lover
His love for music compels him to leave town – my twin
All but two of our pets are deceased
Leaving Grandma with only two mouths to feed
An indifferent cat and my favorite dog
That delights in troubling the cautious cat
My favorite meal is served but I’m surfeited
Tastes better yet swallowed sour
My portion of meat is larger yet unsatisfactory
For I crave the good old nights
Of many mouths yet fuller bellies
Cheap juice yet contented smiles
Ideal chatter and intermittent teases
Contagious laughter
The songs we sang together
In unison and love for our beautiful family
O’ how I long for those vintage nights

Written by;
Kenneth Atsu Dogbey
[Member of TDL]
Email comments and/or suggestions to dogbey19@gmail.com
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5th September Anniversaries

Today I bury two souls,
One lost and the other not
In immense pain do I lay to rest;
A great man and an unsure lover
I resign,

I resign myself to losses that be
In future, of the past and present still
For life heeds no mercy plea
Regardless of what the predicament may be
I refrain,

I refrain from the options of hope,
That rides on wings of uncertainty
I’d rather prepare to cope,
And grind painfully through the mills of certainty
I remain,

I remain, to one soul an unending source of misery,
The other was to me a mystery - an untold story.
A man whose invitation to my future is a persona non grata
A woman whose presence was to me - magic like no other
I regret,

I regret, as I say goodbye to my first Hero
A man who will forever reside in me
I recount, that goodbye was my lover’s last hello
A closure that will forever daunt me.
I resolve,

I resolved to desperate measures,
Late night longings and perpetual fear
My tears - our tears
The priceless moments we both shared,
Will, as long as I remain,
Be buried in tranquility,
In the depths of my arching heart.

Till I meet you both someday;
Fare thee well, Father.
I wish you well, Babe.

Kenneth Atsu Dogbey

TDL.