Letters
Each One: Buy One Talking Drums
I have recently begun receiving my treasured weekly copy of Talking Drums through the mail. It arrives promptly and I consider the money quite well spent. No longer must I rush to the newsstand in fear that their last copy has just been sold.Your diverse, uncompromised and uncompromising coverage is an irreplaceable source of facts, comments and ideas. Your clever and poignant humour raises the standard of writing in news magazines. The English language is well-served by your vibrant, creative caring use.
I do have one problem with your paper which continues to nag me. It comes to our house inadvertently addressed to my wife, rendering it as sacrosanct as the contents of her pocketbook until she has opened it.
Now, as you have no doubt often been told, Talking Drums, not merely skimmed through and tossed aside. Even the sports page is devoured by the completely non-athletic as they savour their paper. In short, I am forced to snatch the paper from my wife should I have the chance. As she is likely to continue reading it in bed on the day my problem is compounded by her abuse should awaken her as I pull it from the covers.
Our household includes a daughter in college and a niece has recently become quite suspiciously willing to clean up those areas newspapers are found. This means that not only do I not know where the latest issue is, but I don't know who has it. Then there are friends who drop by. Ah-ha, they say. I try to get them to subscribe, to little effect. Then there are the people who really must borrow the issue for a short time to photocopy an article everybody wants to read.
I don’t know if you can help me. Perhaps an editorial policy of EACH ONE: BUY ONE. Or a request that readers respect the rights of the original purchaser.
Let me close by complimenting you on the insightful article on Tissue Rejection in Cameroon which I have just read…
John Randall
Yonkers, New York
The People’s Magazine
I have taken a closer and comparative look at Talking Drums and, indeed, I wish to offer my word of praise for its diversified editorial coverage of the West African area of our continent. Such illuminating articles as those written by retired Colonel A. Odjidja, Dr Assensoh, K.M. Bullard, Esq. and yourself, among many others hold some of us spell-bound.It is a fact that since you stand for truth, advertisers are not prepared now to patronise your publication. They fear that, if they do, the various governments you take to task will punish them. How sad, Editor! However, I believe that immediately these corrupt and repressive regimes are overthrown, the advertisers flock to and explain why they not advertise in Talking Drums, people's magazine.
In fact, when I read the story of Stephen Adgyepong (Talking Drums of 4 June p.6), I was glad to learn that as youthful as he is, he graduated with that high class economics degree. Yet, I asked myself: "Where is going with the degree? To Ghana, where academics are being humiliated daily?"
Really, all Ghanaians need to come together, as Dr. Assensoh lamented in his articles to rebuild Ghana. Otherwise, the armed men and women will destroy the country further. Any person who doubts this must place a bet with me today and, tomorrow, I will win.
Anyway, Editor, go ahead with your marvellous job. We, the common people, are behind you, if business concerns in Africa if the business concerns in Africa would not patronise your reputable journal.
Sincerely and best wishes.
K. Apraku, M.D.
Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Swiss Bank Problem
I would like to congratulate Mr D. Donkor who contributed an article entitled “The Swiss Bank Laws and African Connections” which was published in this magazine on 18 June, 1984.I was particularly pleased because this particular issue has been a worrisome problem to most developing countries whose corrupt leader have siphoned away their scarce foreign exchange into Swiss bank accounts to live on when they fall out of power.
While most of these countries just sit idly by wringing their hands in despair, I quite agree with the writer that the Organisation of African Unity (O.A.U) and the rest of the Third World, took positive and concerted action to make the world aware of the debilitating effects of this practice on their economies and in the process perhaps get a compensation of a kind.
Phillip Danquah
Hamburg, West Germany
Keep your tears, Argentina
May I make a few observations on your editorial titled as above. I could not agree with you more when you wrote that while the Western nations at their annual summits manage to discuss everything else but never come out with any concrete suggestions on Third World indebtedness; the glib declaration of support for democratic forms of governments which is supposed to keep the suffering nations satisfied, is a slap in the face of such nations. Meanwhile, an international institution like the IMF and the World Bank in which the West, to a very large extent, wield big influence, continue to give loans to dictatorial regimes whose governments have no respect whatsoever for human rights and democracy which the West claims to hold supreme.For as long as the West continues to dance the one-step-forward-ten-steps-backwards waltz with developing economies, and display classic ambivalence towards the problems of the Third World, a country like Argentina would continue to cry for a long time to come - and it would be a cry in the wilderness.
Sam Okwonkwo, Kensal Rise, London
Odjidja and Achamfuour should explain
I have been following the debate generated by Col. Annor Odjidja’s articles and I hope to contribute to it soon. However there is one matter that I believe your readers will all like to be illuminated on urgently: what really is the truth behind the mystery or otherwise of how Flt-Lt. Rawlings passed his promotion exams? I believe that both Capt Baah-Achamfuor (rtd) and Col Odjidja (rtd) owe it to the country to ell the real story instead of Capt Achamfuor casting tantalizing insinuations.Were the exam papers shown to Rawlings before the exams, or did somebody write his exams for him or was pressure brought to bear on the examination board to pass him even though he had failed again or what?
The two of them appear to know something the rest of us don’t know and they should share their knowledge with the rest of us.
Samuel Oka, London
