By Kwesi Atta Sakyi 23RD December 2011
(Fellow Ghanaweb fans, I salute you and extend to you the season’s felicitations of Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. Some of you may be aware that UNESCO and other agencies worldwide are trying to help preserve the languages of minorities around the world. In this light, I present to you this piece in Fante. I am an Effutu, but I speak, read and understand Fante. Don’t begrudge me if you don’t speak or can’t read and understand Fante. I will try to provide a synopsis/précis in English of it at the end. It is a pity though that the current keyboard does not contain some of the Fante letters or phonetic sounds or orthography such as eh sound in bed or o sound in hot. Thus, where these sounds occur, they are replaced by the figure 3 and the letter O respectively. A ghanawebster in Holland, who calls himself Mfantsiman Council, an ICT expert, has written to assure me that he is working on producing a keyboard that will take care of such a deficiency. Let us hope it shall come to pass. Sit back and enjoy reading this my humble attempt at exercising my Fante while in the diaspora. I left off Fante since completing standard seven in 1966 and I had read all J.A Annobil’s Fie Na Skuul text books and Abofra and Asoaso Onyansafo, plus Nana Bosompo. I also used Mfantse Grammar of Function. How many of you remember those classic books in those days? We used to have a Fante newspaper called Nkwantabisa which we bought in school from 1960-1961, when I was doing Standard 1 and Standard 2. I have lived outside Ghana since January 1981, so my Fante may have gone awry, perhaps not up to scratch or suspect. Never mind. Read on.)
Oman Ghana hom mfr3 yie. Mfantseman, hom mfr3 yie na hom ngye afrenyia nkyia oh! Afenko mboto h3n. Afedaa sesei na yeehyiahyia wo Ghana ma woay3 f33f33f3w degyaa d3mara. Wogye me eyeh, ahenwa, abraw, enyando na dza okeka ho nyinara, osiand3 mekyir kwan war papa bi. Mena na megya fie wo ahenfo, akyermafo, akyeamefo, akasamufo, askalafo nwomanyimfo akakabenfo. Hmmmm! Menhuahua me ho. Ebisa na omona tse. Tsie na atse o, onuapa a erekenkan iyi. Ana hom mu bi b3kae buukuu kumaa bi a na y3kan wo class I a wofr3 no Kenkan Me Hw3 no? Oy3 Twi, osiand3 nna meka Twi mapa aber a mehy33 skuul ase wo Akim Tafo no, wo afe apem ahaakron eduanum esoun no (1957). Me skuul no y3 Basel anaa Presbyterian, eso, oy3 me d3 nna Methodist fo so dze mu bi. Me masta (master) nna wofr3 no Addo Danquah na me Class 1 kyer3kyer3nyi so wofr3 no Teacher Sakyi. Hmmm! Nhw3? Emi so wofr3 me Sakyi. Mbom medze no y3 Simpa anaa Mfantse Sekyi. Nd3, hom nua omanbapa Kwesi Atta Sakyi (Opesaw Kaakaiku, Sakyi mama adom, adom tutu benya…..), Nyew, Kwesi Bodua a oy3 Osonanyi Sakyi Akumbia a ne egya, y3 Anonanyi (Anona kusubentsir/Ekoo tse borofo a wofi Simpa), nye hom rebotwetwe nkombo na dawu d33d3w bi. Hom ntaa tsinkonn ngyina hom anan do ntsie hom ho 3 3! Oy3 me d3 hom asowamu y3 hom d3w papa bi. Wokaa no d3n na woamben wo h3n adehyeman Ghana ha? Aso nyimdzee ato sin anaa bahaw wo Ghana? Aso ekunyin nnyi mfantseman h3n nkwaado bio? Aaow! Hyepo! Ana akyer3wkyer3wfo (media/journalists) na nkrataa na mbuukuu ekunyin asa wo mfantseman mu ha? Ana wob3kae Ekunyin Kwegyir Aggrey, J.A. Annobil, Ekem Ferguson, Bartels, Baffour, Ato Ahoma, Magnus Sampson, Wilson Sey, Paa Grant, Kobina Sekyi, Fred Sam, Abroquah, King Ghartey, Oman Gyan Blankson, Ken Dadzie, Robert Gardner, Quaison Sackey, C.F.C Grant, K.B. Dickson nna hon a wokeka ho pii, piinara woy3 asofo abenfo wo Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Zion na Catholic. Asopon no, Methodistfo na wodzii mu adontsen wo nwomasua ma wotsewee Mfantsipim (cf Kwaa Botwe wo 1826 a, nky3 wofr3 no Richmond Collge no). Phillip Quarcoo so tsewee Castle Schools wo SPG anaa Anglican abakos3m mu no. Hom b3kae Fante Confederacy, UGCC, Aborigines Rights’ Protection Society (ARPS), na CPP? Hon nyinaa wotsew hon wo mfantseman mu ha. Hom kae dwuma son na soronko a okunyin Mensah Sarbah dzii maa h3n man yi no fahodzi? Nd3 s3 woreka mantow a wowo Ghana a nwomasua na nyimdzee ato sin wo mu a, oy3 me d3 h3n finimfin mantow yi dzi kan. Nd3 h3n mbofra nko skuul nko kan. S3 eba mu kurow Simpa suapon k3se no a owo ho no mu a, ahoho a wofifi Fr3w (Volta), Sarmu (North) na ananabea ahy3 no ma. H3n mba rey3 hon ho d3n esi akan wo nwomasua mu? Iyi y3 asem k3se a ogye me adwendwen. Y3reka ekyir dodow.
Buronya O, buronya. Afe nko mboto h3n. Afeda sesei na aberantse pa, wo sigyaar anaa ebuwa si wo ano ma ahy3 wo atar f33f33w bi na afa wo af3dze mapa bi ma irutu ntsia rotow abasa pa bi rotwa kurow mu agye nkyia. H3n enyidado nye d3 obirimpon na okohweaban biara wo h3n Ghanaman mu ha ntum nya enyidaho, ny3 edwumadzen ma mpontu mbra h3n man mu ha, ama yenya enyidado mapa, ama ahokyer abo adze. Ghanaman y3 kurow a Twedeampon Kwame woehyira do mapa. Y3 wo esutsen Fr3w (Volta) a oma h3n enyinam ahoodzen. Esutsen Oti, Offin, Birim na dza okeka ho nyinara botum ama h3n enyinam ahoodzen. H3n kutsiido bo nye kookoo a Ekuafo Pa dwumadze a Ghana Aban na Cadbury dze mu dzendzendzen ama ekuafo hon kotoku mu ay3 d33d33d3w d3m ara. Hom mfa edwumadzen, enyidaho na hom nsi nkitsi nhom do d3 Ghanaman botu mpon k3se. Y3p3 d3 h3n asetsena mu y3 hwamhwamhwam na hwatsee. Abodze nyansap3 na osuahu ho nyimdzee k3se a h3n nkurofo wo wo h3n Ghanaman mu ha botum epagya h3n man do ako sorsor no ho ama woab3y3 okrabohw3 na atsenka soronko. Owo d3 yesie abotar na y3y3 ndz3mba apendo apendo, y3dze etuhoaky3, afarbo, ahoahar y3 edwuma mapa. Hom ma yengyaa awo ntoatoado na mbom y3ny3 awo ntwetwemu ama h3n ho ato h3n. Afarfo mfa hon abradaa, hemba, tabon, sekye, ntampee na edwumadze nyinara ny3 edwumadzen nyi nam asorotoo mma h3n. Kokoraa, mpatowa, semin, ofeii, po sansaw, mbamba, sukwei, odoei, esua, doodow, ibwei, opaa, eban, osowee asera, ahenmbandzi, isoii, wonwongyan, ekan, isire, ebuei, aberwahon, kokotei, nhweemba, wiriwiriw, seka seka, kokoo, kokofiofio, epo aeroplane, onsoadze, sesaw, koto feefee, safor na dza a okeka ho. Buronya du a, oto de nkoko, nkomfem dokodoko, nguan, mponkye, kurokuro, na ayenmbowa pii hon ho ka, osiand3 nkorofo keka hon ano taa dzidzi mapa hy3 hon kra nkuran. Nduwadzewa pii so sow, tse de mango, nyamenama, mburukubi, akotompo na akotompotsen. Mbesiafo taa tow nkwan y3 frowee huatsehwatse a wo dze wusa, anwiow, tsintsinbi na momon edzi no akye. Buronyaber so nye ber a esigyafo taa war anaa wo to pon fr3fr3 adofo keka hon ano na woyi hon ananadze. Awar so o, mema hom mbo na y3. Hom nda bedu mpa do, na mbom hom mbo hom tomaa k3se na mma hom mmfa hom nsa nhy3 hom damirifa mu na akogwer mma ohia neminemi nnka hom, onam awontoatoado ntsi. Mbarimba mpa hon potokyer3 ngu nky3n na mbasiafo so mfa hon akatado anaa ahatado mbo ntoa, mmia hon tomaa mu ny3 edwumadzen mfa ahonya mbra Ghana. Hom ntsetse hom mba ama binom ab3y3 adatserfo, edwinfo, wimuhenkafo, akyapem, futubol abenfo akakabenfo, ingineerfo, nsordaafo, akyer3kyer3fo na dza a okeka ho pii. Nyame ehyira Ghanaman ma y3wo sika mfutuw anaa sika memen pii a bi y3 denkyembo, dadzeban , aluminium na abohen asorotow pii gyan. Nd3 oy3l (oil) epuei anee mantow mu. Anee, boka, sor na ase nyinara wo hon egudze na abodze a Obooadze dze ehyira hon. Ohia gye d3 y3 befa adwenpa esiesie h3n man ma woetu mpon. Hom ma yenyi suban gyangyan tokyen na yenyi gyegyegyegye akwa. H3n kokyem y3 nyimdzee, abotar na penky3r. Aporisifo k3t3asehy3 na abanmufo hon sumadze gua nyinara wo d3 obo adze. Akohwifo adooso. Hom ma y3nfa h3n ho nto nsanee do nker h3nho nhw3. Hom ma y3nwe ntaado d3 afe a oreba yi dze, yebedzi nokwar. Hon ma y3nfow mbepow, ndow odoto, nsiansian mbonsa na yensiesie h3n man ama aburakyirfo bohw3adzefo aba h3n man yi mu ha abohw3 h3n supruw, esutsen, nsutae, owura, mbaka mbaka. Ewudzifo a wowia h3n aban sika nyinara ngyina yie. Yebosua d3 kwesienyimpi regye h3n tafer banyin mbom d3 hon dze wo ye askalafo ntsi wodze nyansahun bowia ododow h3n dw33t33. Nwomatsimtsimfo( media ) beyi hon ama yeehu hon pefee. Abanmufo wo d3 wohy3 mbra pa sisiw etuetu pii a nkorofo bon fa do wia oman sika wo wusiwhen gyinabea wo h3n harbour, airport na ehyiado wo borders no.
Nsona h3n huadzin nye d3, womper kwa. Y3 dze abonfo nyinara kitsiw. Afe fofor no dze y3 nye hon rembo nsianeeho. Ghanafo y3ny3 ndonkofo. Y3y3 ekunyin. Onyiahawnyi biara mpegyaw no ho do. Akobofo nyinara mbra fie mboboa nkyekyer Ghanaman. Obiara ny3 edwumadzen ama wooetum ato tseasenam anaa fa me ko no bi. Hom ma y3ndzi ndoboa ny3 susu. Kory3 mu na ahoodzen wo. Oy3 a, na maakae h3n ampesi a wodze koobi na momon edzi no akye ma kontomire na ngo memen gu do. Anhw3 a ato f3n. Woto wo pon na tumber, faka, pretse, atser, kwanta, koopow, kuraba na kunaba fufuw a edze pepa wo nsa ho da atobir a, ehw3 a otse wo d3n? Ansuperho a, b3y3 na ay3 tumfur anaa kontar . Akrakyefo na askalafo tse d3 emi, wose wondzidzi pii. Hmmm! Simpa mbor a, os3 woenyi. Gyed3 iyi nkonyaa. Anaa wo were efir kaakro, tatar, boodoo, esaato, epitsi na dza a okeka ho? S3 edze kaakro na aboboye eduwa ridzi ndofir wo woenum a, ofata wo enyi. Maakaa epitsi na sesaw kyewee a ogu apampar do ma worepaa mu wo Simpa Junction/Roundabout. Anaa akrantsenam a woadwow muoko na anwiow egu do a? Oy3 d3w mapa tse d3 apofoanto anaa ntsitsii. Hmmm! Ato f3n ma me komer rubu asorokye na dikyi. Wod3 opanyin no tuaba ase nsa. Ntsi me kamfo ma hom d3 oy3 a, hom ntwa kakra mfa bi nantsew. Na mbom mma hom nny3 no pii. Tuaba ase sa neminemi anaa kodwoo a, onny3. Mma hom nnom no pii mbor tse de entuu adwowa anaa toonoo anaa asomangwe. S3 wo kotoku mu war a, hu d3 sika wo ntsaban a otum tu. Sika wo ntsaban a otum tu faa faa tse d3 anoma a onnk3ba bio. Sika anaa dw33t33 y3 nkwansu anaa fa me y3, odumgya, amodzin, dwetsir. Owo d3 y3 hw3 sika do yie, sie bi ma h3n daakye abrabo na nkyirmba hon yiey3. S3 biribi wo wo nsamu a, hw3 do yie. Mma nnka d3 osuar. Pesewa, sempowa, taapoo, oban, kaperba, sidar na nkanfo no sie sie dze y33 biribi ma yeaboto do yi. S3 enya sika pii a, mma obraf3w nny3 wo d3w na nsi nketaasiamba koso anaa s3be, nto hon mbondaa. Ma nny3 ahohoahoa anaa ahomemado. Anhw3 a, orennky3r na ahwe ase ab3y3 kwasampanyi. Christiansom kyer3 h3n d3 yenhwehw3 osor kwan. Y3anhw3 no yie a na y3abr3 egu kwa, onam d3, y3p3 d3 y3y3 ap3biakyer3. Nd3 mber yi, mberantse nkumaba bi tu kwan ko ekyir k3gye sikadur anaa woy3 sakawa wo komputa do nya hon ho beredzedze na fr33m. Eso, ohaw, atseetsee, etsib3n na kodaanda na mbusu pii na wofr3fr3 ma hon kra. Aso iyi oye a? Mu nua pa, maatse na meehu bi. Mma nny3 akotrobogwe anaa fontomnyampa Christian. Ma wo nyew ny3 nyew na fa kwan tsiabaa no do ko nkwagye mu, d3 mbr3 Jesus kae no. Buronya ber yi hom ma yengyaa wentwiwentwi, ahorobahy3, etsim na aka me biara ekyir dzi, na y3nfa odo mbo odo mu. S3 enya ebufuw hyew anaa wo akoma twa no ho a, kaa wo bofo d3 ono na oy33 ndz3mba nyinara na owo tum wo adze nyinara do. Dewu d33d3w nye a? Meewie wo ka. Mberantse akatinka a wotutu nketaasia f33f3w hon amonse anaa wo worow mbesiafo hon duroso, dze hon ho ka hon no nhw3 yie. Hon akatua ab3n. Orennky3r na woahy3 mbra dzendzen a ob3ma woato hon efiadze koober fanfa na wonye aban ako ahyew wo adaduafo paado . Nd3 mber yi, enyibuei aba ma wommbor mbasiafo. S3 banyin hw3 na owo ahoodzen mbordo a, owo d3 oy3 kuturkubonyi tse d3 Muhammed Ali, osiand3 nd3 sika aba d3m ndwuma no mu piinara. Nd3 mber yi, agordzifo asorotowee pii gyan ko aborakyir kesi empre ma wotua hon dw33t33 opepe ak3seak3se pii gyan nara. Akobofo na skuulankofo nyinara, y3ma hon awaawaa etuu. Okwabran mmfa ne nsa nhy3 ne damirifa mu ma kom ndze no dw33. Ebo wo kar a na wosua wo. Y3wo adzesoadze duudur wo Ghana ha d3 y3bohw3 ma mberantsekwaa anaa mberantsemba na nkatasiamba a woewie nsowdo skuul nyinara benya edwuma bi ay3. H3n amandzehu seisiara nye d3 dom pii nnya biribi nny3. Aban abo no dawur d3 ob3y3 ho biribi. Susuampa nara, woatsew NYEP (National Youth Employment Programme) ma wiadze kuw k3se no (World Bank) agye NYEP awaawaa etuu, ama no ano oyee, d3 woeso mu mirim, na wo boboa ma dwuma dzi no etu ntsen. Nd3 sika pii aba nsaanodwuma pii y3 mu. Hon a woy3 keesin nkyensee na atomfo ndz3mba ton no, enya hon ho. S3 ey3 d3m edwuma no bi a, mia wo ho na ma ngyaagyaa woho. Hom do y3 na ma wonsi wo atwetwe anaa wonserew wo kwaakwaa- kwaa. Onk3ky3r biara na enya wo ho potoo, ma ada wo apakan mu anaa aka wo tseasenam. S3 efura asaasaaba seisiara a, orennky3r, eb3hy3 serekye atar. S3 ey3 namdaadzenyi a, orenky3r eb3da wo h3n mu. Edwunmadzen yi ohia neminemi akwa. S3 nd3 edzi saasaakwesi a, orennky3r ebedzi opaa, safor na ntaatanmire na tantra. Eb3da wo apakan mu ma wodze wo bamkyim esi wo do, abo mpintsin, mmensoun na totorob3nto.Wobobo ayer na gome. Ebonom edukuramu nsu, edzi paanoo finimfinim, asenku na fufur bod33. Ebedzi mankani anaa edwow fufur. Ebowe empunam, na anom nkwan finimfinim. Mber aye mber ntsi motwa do wo ha. Orennky3r biara hom b3tse menka bio wo ghanaweb wo Effutu kasa mu. Mema hom adze nkye. Hom nantsew yie.
Translation in English
Fellow Ghanaians, greetings. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Do some of you readers remember some of the classic texts in Fante that we read yesteryear, such as Fie na Skuul, Abofra and Asoaso Onyasafo, Kenkam Me Hw3 and Mfantse Grammar of Function? I used to be a Twi reader when I started school at Akim Tafo in 1957, but later in primary class 3, I transferred to my hometown, Winneba where they speak Fante. Today, it is your brother Kwesi Atta Sakyi who wants to dialogue with you. Is knowledge and learning finished in Fanteland? Are there no zealots or scholars in Fanteland? Do you remember our foremost scholars of old such as J.A. Annobil, Ekem erguson, Kwegyir Aggrey, Bartels, Baffor, Ato Ahuma, Magnus Sampson, Wilson Sey, Paaa Grant, Kobina Sekyi Fred Sam, Abroquah, King Gharte, Oman Gyan Blankson, Ken Dadzie, Robert Gardner, Quaison Sakey, C.F.C Grant, K.B. Dickson and the rest? Most of our early scholars in Fanteland were ministers of the church. Some of them founded Mfantsipim School in 1826, formerly known as Richmond College. Do you remember the Fante Confederacy, UGCC, CPP, Aborigines Rights Protection Society (ARPS)? All of them were founded in Fanteland. Do you remember the Fante stalwart lawyer, John Mensah Sarbah and the role he played towards our eventual freedom from the bondage of colonialism? A study conducted recently shows that literacy levels in the Central Region of Ghana are one of the lowest in the country due to poverty and lack of desire of our children to aspire to go further on the educational ladder. If you go to my hometown, Winneba, the University there is populated mostly by people from other regions with a miniscule number from the Central and Western Regions. What are we doing to inspire our kids to aspire to greater heights in the realm of education? Once more, Merry Christmas. Let us hope next year will be a productive and prosperous year so that we can meet and enjoy ourselves in pomp and pageantry. We Ghanaians are blessed with both natural and human resources. If we all work hard, we can make Ghana a showpiece and we can considerably help reduce the last vestiges of abject poverty which assails and decimates our people. Hard work, sobriety and perseverance will help us overcome poverty. Together in unity, we shall progress. Let us forsake tribalism, insults and divisiveness in our politics. Let us practise family planning so that we enjoy high quality of working life as well as high standards of living. Let the fishermen work hard to beef up our protein stocks. Christmas is a period when Ghanaians want to enjoy special meals, especially protein foods such as beef, chicken, turkey, and bush meat. Unfortunately, these are in short supply in the country and as such they are extremely expensive to the ordinary man in the street. Christmas is also a time in Ghana when most eligible bachelors and spinsters tie the nuptial knot, amidst unbridled festivities. We can only enjoy these luxurious moments if we work hard. Therefore, let us all and sundry put our shoulders to the wheel and pull up our socks to contribute to GDP growth. Hard work brings prosperity. Let us discover the talents in our kids at an early age and encourage them in their chosen career paths, through proper counseling and parental support so that they become artisans, doctors, engineers, world class footballers, pilots, sailors, scholars and business tycoons. Let us be vigilant over our national treasury which often is sabotaged by pen thieves at our customs points of entry and in many public institutions. Let us eschew competition, bribery and all anti-social acts. Let us beware of charlatans and quacks out there who use dubious means to fleece us. Let us put ourselves on the scale and weigh our actions and conduct, whether good or bad. We will not spare all forms of underhand activities. We are all nobles and not plebians. Let all lazybones wake up from their slumber and start new constructive ventures and initiatives by rekindling their entrepreneurial endowments. Let all those who have tarried long in the Diaspora come home to roost and help build Ghana. Let us engage in self- help and cooperative ventures. Sometimes I feel nostalgic and homesick for our wonderful Ghanaian cuisines and dishes. Not only are they healthy, but also they are very delicious, unlike the tasteless junk food we gobble in restaurants in the Diaspora, which has caused obesity and the onset of high cholesterol levels. Drink deep or taste not, so advises Alexander Pope, an eminent poet of years ago. Let us go to the watering hole at Bacchus Shrine, but not to become sots and drunkards. Serious people are sober-minded most of the time, in order to plan ahead to achieve objectives. Drunken people have low productivity. Money is the soul of business. Look after the pennies well and they will look after the pounds, Euros and dollars. Let us be thrifty and not spendthrifts. Let us not in our mad rush for wealth, go to get juju money which elicits a high price and brings about the loss of your soul. Let our young men and women know that there are no shortcuts to wealth. Let them read the biographies of the Bill Gates, Mike Zuckerbergs, Warren Buffets, Richard Bransons, Anita Broddicks, Mo Ibrahims, Dangotes, among others and they will realize that ‘The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flights, but they whilst their companions slept, were toiling upwards all the night. On quote (Lord Tennyson). Those who are rich should create jobs and mentor others. They should not be boastful or stiff necked, for wealth if not properly husbanded, can fly away like a bird. If you are a Christian, follow the narrow path that leads to salvation (Jesus). Let your yes be yes and no be no. No lukewarmness or being tepid, as Apostle Paul enjoined us in the Bible. Let us not be pretenders but genuine at heart in word and in deed. Christmas is a time for unity, forgiveness, love and peace. Those he-men who are fond of raping, should beware. Tough laws are in the offing for them. Soon, there will be legislation to put them behind bars for good. Those wife and women beaters should also take note. We are in a new era of gender balance and gender equality. If you are a man endowed with extra energy, canalize your energy into becoming a pugilist like Klitscho or Muhammed Ali. Those school dropouts should not black out and give up on life because they can pick up their lives again and follow their dream to become heroes, heroines and stars. Let us hope the National Youth Employment Programme, recently launched by the Ghana Government and supported by the World Bank, can help empower and enskill our school leavers to contribute productively and constructively to the national kitty. If you are a tinker or tin mender, disregard derision and teasing. Perhaps, like Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, you will discover your wealth being a tin man. Hard work banishes poverty. When you succeed, you will begin enjoying in your resplendent clothes. No more will you wear rags but you will instead be robed in silk clothes and ride posh cars. Then you will enjoy sounds of good music and eat dainty delicacies like caviar. I will be seeing you again on Ghanaweb soon, but next time in my native Effutu language. Bon voyage and au revoir.
By Kwesi Atta Sakyi
23rd December 2011
Lusaka, Zambia
Cell: +260979516604 – I prefer SMS rather than calls. Thank you.
