Remittances, Brain Drain, Microfinance and SMEs

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Paa Kwesi Mintah 12 years ago

Cousin, I miss you like the desert miss the rain. It's good to read you again.

Your definition of "Brain Drain" is not correct. It's not just migration to a first world country but anywhere, including the third world. You' ...
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Cousin, I miss you like the desert miss the rain. It's good to read you again.

Your definition of "Brain Drain" is not correct. It's not just migration to a first world country but anywhere, including the third world. You're a perfect example of a brain drain candidate.

"stato-military khakistocracy"---what kind of tautology is that? BTW it is "kakistocracy" and not men wearing Khakis.

Detected Lie #1 -"This soft export from human capital investment, speaks volumes. One, it shows how Ghanaians abroad love their country and their relatives back home."

Cousin, such a contradiction. The runaways do NOT love their country but rather their families and building projects. The government skims off a percentage of remittances by taxing money transfer fees.

So far the listology and acronyms in your article are giving me severe headaches. IDC, AFRC, PNDC, CDR,.. Can you ever write an article without a parade of acronyms holding court?

"Of course, not all Ghanaians abroad do think of home, as some have neither sent money home nor gone home for decades since they journeyed abroad. This group is negligible." - Count me in. I used to be a tourist in Ghana. No more.

"One of them made me her letter writer. She confided in me that she was the one paying the school fees of her sister’s children in Ghana." - So cousin, how much did she charge you per round for your letter writing services? Eeei, ibi matter Ooo.

When talking about Ethiopian Airways, an award winning airlines in the safety department, why do you say "spacious state-of-the-art aeroplanes"? What is state o the art aeroplane and who else uses state of the art aeroplanes exclusively? Is this one of the remnants of Ghanaian journalistic parlance such as "ultra modern" that you carried to Zambia?

Here's an example where "Acronymology" meets "Listology" in a heavy bout of Cousin Attaspeak:

"Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) made it to the First World, and they have managed to set up their own SMEs in those first world places like New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Minneapolis, among others. Senegalese, Malians, Somalians and Nigerians lead the pack"

Your limited knowledge is showing here. You talk about Awuah and Akoto as examples of IT gurus from abroad establishing business but fail to mention Herman Chinery Hesse.

Lie Detector #2:

"Many Ghanaians abroad are empowering their relatives back home by sending them cell phones and computers to keep them in touch with one another"

So now giving cell phones and computer to your relatives who have perfected the bad habit of wasting money is considered "empowerment"? Must be empowerment to waste money and resources. So was landline telophone empowerment? You talk by heart, cousin.

As usual and true to form you diluted an otherwise interesting topic with personal anecdotes, excessive listology and acronymology.

You shouldn't have combined "brain drain", "microfinancing" and "SME" in one topic for an article. There are plenty of interesting things to write about each subtopic, eg brain drain.

O Listology, cleft for me:

"The same can be said of Nigerians, Ugandans, Malians, Senegalese, Somalians, Eritreans and Ethiopians in the Diaspora"

" Ghanaian case is no exception. In the past, émigrés from Italy, Holland, Greece, Ireland and Lebanon, have sustained families in their home countries and the Ghanaian case is no exception."

Cousin, I've figured out a way to carve a second career for myself. I'll read your articles to passengers on a long journey route to Winneba, while a partner provides the Effutu translation aloud.

May your next article be short, loaded with facts, minus the usual listology and acronymology.

Saaalute, from forehead to waste- whaam.
Kojo T 12 years ago

Cousin, I've figured out a way to carve a second career for myself. I'll read your articles to passengers on a long journey route to Winneba, while a partner provides the Effutu translation aloud.I missed the two of you and I ...
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Cousin, I've figured out a way to carve a second career for myself. I'll read your articles to passengers on a long journey route to Winneba, while a partner provides the Effutu translation aloud.I missed the two of you and I am glad I read it? But what is " listology" Let us have fun
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 12 years ago

Hi Big Cousin Kojo T! Wezo loo. Akpe sia. Akpe kakakaka! .I m happy to be back but it's not easy with my new job. Thanks for the rejoinder which reminds me of your allusion some time ago that you lived and schooled at Effutul ...
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Hi Big Cousin Kojo T! Wezo loo. Akpe sia. Akpe kakakaka! .I m happy to be back but it's not easy with my new job. Thanks for the rejoinder which reminds me of your allusion some time ago that you lived and schooled at Effutuland. So omangye a!.
BENNY 12 years ago

Hi Kwesi:

I just want to say- more grease to your brain and pen!! Keep it up. Well written, succint and directed to the point. Congratulations!

Hi Kwesi:

I just want to say- more grease to your brain and pen!! Keep it up. Well written, succint and directed to the point. Congratulations!
Sani 12 years ago

Clearly too long as there are so many details you could have left out. All those personal experiences of the guy who spent your money on turkey tail and his paramour and the letter writing for the prostitutes in Lagos, your f ...
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Clearly too long as there are so many details you could have left out. All those personal experiences of the guy who spent your money on turkey tail and his paramour and the letter writing for the prostitutes in Lagos, your flight on Ethiopian Airways, etc could have been left out without affecting the quality of the article. Most of your readers know of such experiences already. No need to belabour the point.

Instead of all such numerous personal anecdotes, you could have provided the reader with hard facts and figures. E.g. what is the volume of remittance inflow to Africa in the past years? To Ghana last year? You mentioned a World Bank estimate for Asia but said absolutely nothing about African or Ghanaian figures - something your readers will be far more interested in than estimates for Asia.

Indeed, the World Bank and other organisations have made extensive studies of remittances. The EU even has a whole unit working on intra-EU transfers (and certainly transfers outside the EU, too).

Is Kasempa a place in Zambia? That's a very interesting name. Was it given by Twi-speaking Ghanaian residents there or a proper local name?

You mentioned examples of African countries whose nationals send remittances home. But the fact is that THERE IS NO SINGLE AFRICAN COUNTRY which doesn't have nationals abroad sending remittances home. Even nationals of the continent's economic giant, South Africa, living abroad send home remittances.

I also feel that you failed to make a distinction between intra-African remittances and those from outside. You mixed the two when they are not exactly the same. There are clearly many countries in Africa which are net "remitters" to other African countries whereas there are countries from which there are virtually no "remitters". How many foreign workers in Tchad, Burkina Faso, etc are remitting to other African countries? Only those working in international facilities there. Two weeks ago, I read a World Bank report that says migrants in African countries pay a lot more to remit money than those outside Africa. South Africa came in for the greatest criticism as the country with the highest remittance cost on the continent.

It says part 2. Is there a part 1? One should have seen what is in part 1 before making some of the comments I made above.

This is definitely a very important topic to write on for ghanaweb readers. But you forgot that ghanaweb readers don't like long articles. And in this case, the length is unnecessary since all those personal details could have been left out and the article made to stand on its own without your personal relationship to it.

After my comment, I read Paa Kwesi's and was happy to note he made some of the same points that I made here. And wonderful that Paa Kwesi pointed out that the word was kakistocracy and has nothing to do with people wearing "khakis". I must admit I didn't know that myself and looked it up and he's right: kakistocracy means "government by the worst men" and comes from the Greek word "kakistos" which is the superlative form of "kakos" which, itself, means "bad". Waooo, you can learn something new - even from ghanaweb!!! But you must be willing to do so.
Akwadaa Swiss. 12 years ago

A GOOD GIFTED WRITER INDEED,GUESS UR A BRILLIANT FANTE MAN AND NO WONDER A SENIOR LECTURER,U MIGHT HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR A LONG LONG TIME-PLS COME BACK HOME TO HELP.

A GOOD GIFTED WRITER INDEED,GUESS UR A BRILLIANT FANTE MAN AND NO WONDER A SENIOR LECTURER,U MIGHT HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR A LONG LONG TIME-PLS COME BACK HOME TO HELP.
' and Jesus wept ' 12 years ago

Very informative and encouraging. Hope writings such as this will help douse the fire and tension in the country now. God bless. Ghana go be kur-kur.

Very informative and encouraging. Hope writings such as this will help douse the fire and tension in the country now. God bless. Ghana go be kur-kur.
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 12 years ago

Hi Cousin Paa Kwesi Mintah, I have also missed you so much. My article minus a Paa Kwesi input or rejoinder is insipid and is like tea without sugar or Africa without Madagascar. Thanks for your dichotomous exegesis, disquisi ...
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Hi Cousin Paa Kwesi Mintah, I have also missed you so much. My article minus a Paa Kwesi input or rejoinder is insipid and is like tea without sugar or Africa without Madagascar. Thanks for your dichotomous exegesis, disquisitious prolixity and your ex cathedra inquisitions, which are serendipitious. Thanks for the spelling of kakistocracy. I throway salute oooo oga. How far? So omangye a!
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 12 years ago

This article will come out with Part 1 on Wednesday with facts and figures. Thank you.

This article will come out with Part 1 on Wednesday with facts and figures. Thank you.
++++++ 12 years ago

Dear Sir,
I've just come across a new word (or a new title or a new name) here on this website forum: KAKISTOCRACY.
You didn't use this word in this article anyway, but yet still can you kindly help with all your w ...
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Dear Sir,
I've just come across a new word (or a new title or a new name) here on this website forum: KAKISTOCRACY.
You didn't use this word in this article anyway, but yet still can you kindly help with all your wisdom to make such new words, names & etc, etc easy to understand, to translate it to we semi-litrates with lower IQs?
This new word is puzzling me & I still can't find the meaning of this new word in my old version dictionary. Please help to educate us more.
Thanks in advance with all respect, sir.

Kwesi Atta Sakyi 12 years ago

Dear +++++++, the word kakistocracy is from two Greek words 'kakis' meaning worst and 'kratos' meaning rule. thus when conjoined, they mean government by the worst kind of people in society.

Dear +++++++, the word kakistocracy is from two Greek words 'kakis' meaning worst and 'kratos' meaning rule. thus when conjoined, they mean government by the worst kind of people in society.
++++++ 12 years ago

But Heaven is missing an Angel, could that also mean: Ghana is missing a high IQ scholar of your calibre due to the 'Brain Drain'?
Mmmmm (to myself), whom am I reacting & taking free lessons from & not grudging to?
...
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But Heaven is missing an Angel, could that also mean: Ghana is missing a high IQ scholar of your calibre due to the 'Brain Drain'?
Mmmmm (to myself), whom am I reacting & taking free lessons from & not grudging to?
I want to be in your class room to tap a bit of your wisdom; pity I can't afford it, me poor soul.
My astrological daydream prediction in distance today on you is: there is an open perfect seat in the public sector of Ghana to become the Minister Of Education to share & transfer your knowledge wisdom as earlier as possible before it get's rusted & wasted.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU, & thank Him daily for the gifted wisdom without any VAT to bay back!!!
Kwesi Atta Sakyi 12 years ago

Bro ++++++, I receive your prophecy and thank you so much. I m humbled by your accolade. May God bless you in all your endeavours and shine His light and benign influence on you and your family and may you see increase in you ...
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Bro ++++++, I receive your prophecy and thank you so much. I m humbled by your accolade. May God bless you in all your endeavours and shine His light and benign influence on you and your family and may you see increase in your life.
mojingles 12 years ago

Mr. Sakyi, your article is informative despite its unparalled length....and repetitive themes....one aspect of the piece though caught my attention and that was the story on Zambia allowing a $1000 a day remittance....this re ...
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Mr. Sakyi, your article is informative despite its unparalled length....and repetitive themes....one aspect of the piece though caught my attention and that was the story on Zambia allowing a $1000 a day remittance....this rejects claims that the Zambian economy is in dire straits because of the low price of copper its primary export. A nation in an economic tailspin won't allow remittances of this magnitude, don't u think?
somebody 12 years ago

more-jingels, or i like that jazz/funk number too much (on youtube)
pity ghana is more instead in the unparrallized dire strait due to the brain drain.
thus we in the diaspora need to turn the hands of the clock ...
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more-jingels, or i like that jazz/funk number too much (on youtube)
pity ghana is more instead in the unparrallized dire strait due to the brain drain.
thus we in the diaspora need to turn the hands of the clock the other way round. but how???!!!
frankieknuckles 12 years ago

Turn the economy around...the braindrain is a global menace and not just confined to Ghana alone....nations such as ours that have poor economies have seen educated professionals migrate to the developed world and there seems ...
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Turn the economy around...the braindrain is a global menace and not just confined to Ghana alone....nations such as ours that have poor economies have seen educated professionals migrate to the developed world and there seems to be no end in sight...it is a thorny problem and governments both in the advanced and developing worlds have to come to a compromise, some sort of trade off, but I have my doubts.....
Sani 12 years ago

I suspect Mr Sakyi made a slip with his $1000 a day remittance. That makes it 30,000 a month. How much do folks earn in Zambia, even those with fat UN jobs?

But thanks for also pointing out to him that the article is too ...
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I suspect Mr Sakyi made a slip with his $1000 a day remittance. That makes it 30,000 a month. How much do folks earn in Zambia, even those with fat UN jobs?

But thanks for also pointing out to him that the article is too long.
mojingles 12 years ago

Sani, I was also befuddled by his assertion that the Zambian government permits transfers of $1000 a day.....quite hefty for Zambia a nation whose failed socialist system still reverberates today....

Sani, I was also befuddled by his assertion that the Zambian government permits transfers of $1000 a day.....quite hefty for Zambia a nation whose failed socialist system still reverberates today....
ghanaba 12 years ago

what is new, the creator wanted it this way. thus sayeth the LOrd

what is new, the creator wanted it this way. thus sayeth the LOrd
Matthew 12 years ago

Well written article.Another issue is the children of Diasporans (Ghana,Nigeria,Somalia etc).
The news for many of these children has been bad as many have adopted the bad habits of N,
American children( the gang culture,dr ...
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Well written article.Another issue is the children of Diasporans (Ghana,Nigeria,Somalia etc).
The news for many of these children has been bad as many have adopted the bad habits of N,
American children( the gang culture,drugs etc).

Matthew 12 years ago

Also there is loss of culture when you migrate
from Africa to Europe or N.America.

Also there is loss of culture when you migrate
from Africa to Europe or N.America.

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Remittances, Brain Drain, Microfinance and SMEs

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