...Sounds on da ground and seens on the see-ins Almost every month, we hear about workers' strikes, people calling for increased wages, better terms of service, etc, etc. These calls come from the brains that make our economies tick - the doctors, the lecturers, the civil servants, etc. Granted, the cost of living in Ghana is high and the wages of the middle-class do not seem to allow for a good standard of living. However, what about the Ghanaians who have no jobs? And those who have jobs which do not necessarily exercise their brains but keep their hands busy? Have we stopped to think about what our idle minds are up to these days? This realization hit me when I was listening to Okomfo Kwaadee's 'Efie nipa' recently. It shouldn't surprise you to hear the lyrics of the voice of the streets which is increasingly becoming Okomfo Kwaadee's tag.

Okomfo Kwaadee aka Jerry Anaba is one of the most respected hiplife lyricists in Ghana. He is hiplife's foremost storyteller and raps about a wide range of issues. 'Efie nipa' is a song which talks about a young man who has been rejected by his family and loved ones due to his inability to 'make it in life'. This young man settles for truck pushing and street hawking. It is a solemn story being lived out by many Ghanaian youth struggling to make ends meet in a system that does not seem to care much for them. 'Efie nipa' is on Kwaadee's second album, 'Metoaso', released in 2003. 'Metoaso' had other hits like 'Ahwedee Abena', 'Me yere ne mempena', 'M'ani abere' and 'Boyz boyz' as well as songs in Frafra, his native language.

Thinking about this song and the homeboys in Ghana made me wonder which kinds of people end up becoming the musicians and entertainers of our day. Most of the present hiplife artistes today never entered any tertiary institution and Legon 2005). Surely, our music industry would have benefitted with some educated musicians as it struggles to stay vibrant and expand beyond the borders of Ghana. Then again, I am not sure how effective music schools are being these days and how potential musicians are being helped. Has music become a job market for Ghanaian youth who otherwise could not make it high up the educational ladder? Are people shunning academic pursuit to earn a living through music and sports (a la profesional football, athletics, etc)? I think it is a little bit of both. We should encourage people with talents for music but their professions need to benefit the societies involved, either through charitable efforts, rallying cries, conscious music, etc.

Many musicians in Ghana were nobodies a few years ago, and spent countless hours auditioning in studios to get noticed. Praye's members, a group who shot to fame through Nesacfe's African Revelations contest, had been doing menial jobs in Accra till that major breakthrough. Music has transformed a number of 'nfie nipa' (home boys) into successful musicians. They have walked, and walked some more and a few helping hands have given them the chance to be successful and famous. Okomfo Kwaadee has been that home boy and is supporting initiatives like Otumfour Osei Tutu's education fund to help more home boys (Look for 'P1' off Kwaadee's new album, 'Nsem pii").

Kwaadee mentions that 'no one watches over another's child' in 'Efie nipa'. This is ironic given the community support that embodies the 'it takes a village to raise a child' statement in Ghana. He may have a point though, gradually, with the onset of education and Westernization, our society is slowly moving away from the mentality of supporting the less fortunate and less privileged. We have to find ourselves culturally again and provide opportunities for those who don't have access to them. 'A helping hand is sometimes at the end of your own hand' : this is a message we must send our youth and 'nfie nipa', push them to be excellent and make the best out of the opportunities handed them. The fact that we don't seem to be watching over other's children is what is creating this terrible 'fie nipa' situation, with thousands on our streets and idle minds using their hands to commit crimes and other social vices.

Our doctors, lecturers, civil servants, etc have the jobs and they have their work cut out for them. They owe it to their cultural neighbourhoods to provide the services and work for the nation. These strikes cause grave effects on the national economy and I am afraid our nation cannot handle or tolerate such happenings for long in its march toward prosperity. Their employers must compensate them enough to ensure they stay motivated and their customers must acknowledge their work. Not all of us can be lecturers and teachers, but we can use what we have learnt to make the right decisions and improve our standards of living. We should find our homes, find our people, right the ships and move into the golden age of business as one nation, and one people.