Letters
A beauty cover
I am baffled. I do hope sincerely that four years of exile has not changed your editor. I have just seen a copy of your most recent copy and the cover picture blows my mind. A photograph of the African participants in the Miss World Beauty contest on the cover of a magazine edited by Elizabeth Ohene.Is this the same woman who used to be an advocate of women's rights and was forever going on about the need to treat women on the basis of what they have in brains instead of their looks? One thought that she was against things like beauty contests and other things that the "male establishment use to cheapen women for the titillation of male egos?"
Whatever has happened to our women's rights campaigning journalist?
By the way I like the photograph-it was a refreshing change from the unattractive political photos that usually appear on the covers of Talking Drums.
Male Chauvinist, London.
Anti revolutionary publications
The circular letter bearing on Anti Revolutionary Publications which was written by Lt-Col (Rtd) J. Y. Assasie, Political Counsellor on CDRs, (Talking Drums, November 25, 1985) is extremely irresponsible. The Political Counsellor claims that the Talking Drums contains 'blatant misrepresentation' calculated to confuse key cadres over important issues.It is not clear to me what Lt-Col. Assasie really means. Just as two faces are not alike, so also there are more ideas than one because there are different minds. What are the important issues that cannot be openly discussed and debated by the people of Ghana whose lives, hopes and aspirations are affected by those important issues'? The arrogant statement made by the retired army officer lends credence to the dictatorial tendencies of Rawlings and his relatives who think that they are wiser than the 14 million Ghanaians.
A paramount chief in Ghana realized too late to his surprise when his subjects forcibly removed his sandals and threw him out of the palace for malpractices and rudeness. The ex-Chief later confided in me that all the people who used to assemble at the durbar ground waiting for his arrival looked like ants to him whenever he saw them from his palanquin being carried to the ground at festivals during his reign. I told him that if he had thought of his people as human beings instead of ants, he would have enjoyed a longer and happier tenure of office.
It must be emphasised that no amount of circular letters can 'cover up' the activities of political opportunists.
J. K.Quaidoo, London.
Pay cuts not the answer
The Babangida regime has effected cuts from salaries of all categories of officers in the public service in Nigeria with effect from November 4 and will last till the end of December 86.The reduction is being effected as a contribution of the public service to the economic recovery measure of the Federal government.
According to the Federal government statement 15 percent reduction is being made on salaries of persons earning 15,5000 naira and above; grade level 17, 12 per cent; grade levels 15 to 16, 10 per cent; grade levels 12 to 14, 7 per cent; grade levels 7 to 11, 4 percent; grade levels 1 to 6, 2 percent. These cuts also affected university staff.
Members of the armed forces have also decided to contribute certain percentages of their salaries to the economic recovery measures (Talking Drums of November 11, 1985 refers).
The reduction in salaries is a very hard economic measure the regime has taken in its bid to redeem the already shattered economy of the nation. It has come about at the time that the workers, especially those in the low income group cannot make ends meet.
Since the beginning of 1983 the people of Nigeria had never had the going easy. All the various state governments in the last civilian regime found it very difficult in paying workers salaries. Some paid in bits and others piled them up in arrears running into several months. They placed a total embargo on employment and thus created an unemployment problem for the people.
All these economic measures were taken to revamp the economy of the nation and as a result the basic welfare of the people was neglected altogether.
Several similar economic measures like the pay cuts have been taken not only in Nigeria but also in Ghana and could not solve any problem. But rather added additional hardships to the people.
The PNDC regime in Ghana in its desperate attempt to reduce the excess currency in circulation withdrew all the 50 cedi notes from circulation. The regime later printed 200 and 100 cedi notes only to make nonsense of the withdrawal of the 50 cedi notes. The untold hardships which the withdrawal brought to the poor cocoa farmers cannot be recounted.
On December 31 1983 when Dan Buzu Buhari came to power he took hard and senseless economic measures aimed at revamping the economy of the federation, but rather worsened the then existed economy. The Buhari regime changed the old naira notes and printed new ones. During the currency change some straight security measures were taken to prevent old naira notes abroad from being smuggled into the country. It was during that period that 53 suitcases which contents were not disclosed entered the country through the Murtala International Airport unchecked.
The Buhari regime dismissed several thousands of workers because it wanted to revamp the economy, but created unemployment problems.
This measure is going to create further economic problems for the workers. Those who were dismissed are now depending heavily on their relations who are still in the public service for their economic survival.
The AFRC should adopt more effective and positive economic measures to save the suffering masses and leave the overtaxed workers alone.
K. S. Owusu-Appian, Raubach, W. Germany.
Make the choice
You are always complaining about lack of advertisement and yet you are always writing things to antagonize the various governments in West Africa. Tell me, don't you think you are trying to eat your cake and have it?Look around you, if you want advertisements, don't annoy anybody, then you can even get supplements from governments.
It is a choice you have to make. You can't have it both ways.
Ernest A. Owusu
There is a Ghanaian proverb which translates loosely in English as "the child that will not let its mother sleep, will also not get any sleep himself." If Talking Drums wants to take governments on, it has to be prepared to face 'the realities of the market place' as you so quaintly put it.
K.S. Annan, London
Santa Clausians to meet
There will be a meeting of Adisadel Old Boys Association, at 3.00 pm on Saturday November 30, 1985 at 228 Lea View House, Springfield, Upper Clapton, London E5. The agenda will include the forthcoming general meeting of the Association.Nearest Tube Station: Manor House. Bus 253
