A year ago, I lost my sweet octogenarian grandmother to medical
negligence; a term that has gained currency in our beloved country due to the
many instances where rather preventable deaths otherwise lead people to their
graves at the instance of health practitioners. I also lost a sister from
another mother just when we were preparing to ‘Cross Over’ into 2015. She’d
just delivered a bouncy baby boy the natural way than she started complaining
of stomach ache. That was all!
Anyway, so we held Maame Efua Ansaba’s first anniversary earlier in the
month. Due to pressure emanating from different quarters, I celebrated her with
a rather unkempt hair. So on the Sunday of the celebration, I visited my most
trusted barber after the memorial and thanksgiving service, for a trim. Upon
reaching the salon, I met two childhood friends of mine waiting their turn to
trim theirs too.
About 15 minutes into our conversation, one asked the other: “So can Ghana
ever develop?” My eyes and ears were fixated on my other friend to hear what he
had to say. “Kai…for the where? The individuals dey develop, but the nation
di33...Yaa Mutu!”, was his response. I couldn’t stop laughing. On my way back
to the reception grounds after I’d had my hair cut, I was still thinking about
that response, trying to ascertain its veracity or otherwise. Dear readers, I
readily concurred after about a minute or so, and I’ll tell you why.
