A year and months in UK, Sekondi-Tadi I left and the Sekondi-Tadi I came home to

• Posted on February 24, 2017February 24, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• 4 Comments

During one of our (Effe Sackey Barnes, Ekow Mbroh and I) usual weekend hang outs at Justice Mill (on the Union Street) in Aberdeen, Scotland, I met a white man who lived in Takoradi for 2 years (from 2011 to 2013). He gave his name as Gordon. He had a smattering of Takoradi and knew some of the popular places in the Oil City as it is aliased.

Gordon asked me “What’s your impression about Aberdeen?” My answer was “I think Aberdeen is the Takoradi of Europe. It is an oil and harbour city just like Takoradi so anytime I think of Takoradi, Aberdeen comes to mind and vice versa.” Gordon said he hadn’t thought about it that way and said “but I am disappointed anytime I think about how endowed the Western Region is and the rate of development in the region, especially its capital. I think Sekondi-Takoradi should be more developed than Aberdeen.” I couldn’t agree less.

Sekondi-Takoradi is a twin city  comprising Sekondi and Takoradi. It is in the Western part of Ghana, the region’s largest city and the third largest city in Ghana.  It is an industrial and commercial centre with a population of about 445,205 people (according to 2012 population census). The major industries in Sekondi-Takoradi are timber, cocoa processing, plywood, shipbuilding, harbour and recently crude oil, reason for its new nickname ‘Oil City.’ 

Coming back home, Gordon’s statement kept ringing in my mind “I think Sekondi-Takoradi should be more developed than Aberdeen.” I left Ghana to pursue a master’s degree course in the United Kingdom for a year and some months. Could I still find my way around Takoradi upon return? Will anything be new to me? Could I use my absence to measure the rate of advancement of Takoradi? I asked myself these questions and the best answer for all of them was “Just wait and see.” Anytime I check the calendar and found out that the days are fast approaching, I get excited, more excited than the person who owned the first coloured television in Ghana felt.

The British Airways plane I was on board landed at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Ghana on Wednesday (date withheld) 8:16pm and I finally departed the airport around 10:32pm (the luggage hustle could be frustrating). The arrival hall of KIA looks refurbished so the typical Ghanaian who has been away for long would have high hopes as to what to expect in the mainland. Out of the airport, the magnificent buildings along the road certainly assures any first timer in Ghana or a returnee that, Ghana has had a cheetah-pace development across the country.

Fast forward, after spending 48 hours in Accra, it was finally time to travel to Takoradi where I reside. Not only did the thoughts of seeing my family excited me, the thoughts of seeing good friends and the food I shall be welcomed home with increased my titillation.

I arrived in the Oil City in the afternoon. Hmm! The river that assures travellers of their arrival in Sekondi-Takoradi, River Pra at Beposo gave me a snapshot of what to expect. Once a very clean river that was the pride of the Western Region is now heavily polluted by ‘galamsey’ (illegal mining) activities. The state of River Pra told me to lower my expectations but the stubborn me would not accede to the lessons from the first sight.

Before leaving, if I were to argue with anyone about Sekondi-Takoradi and I were deficient of facts and figures, I could unequivocally argue that two things are sure about Takoradi ‘There is no traffic jam in Takoradi and you will hear ‘Azaay’ more than 20 times a day if you live on the Amanful to Zenith stretch.’ The latter has even increased to about 50 times a day but the former is absolutely false now. The snail pace nature of traffic in Takoradi now is unbelievable! One could spend more than an hour in traffic, commuting from Sekondi to Takoradi, something which is unusual in the Twin City. I am told the port expansion and other developments have caused this frustrating traffic jam.

New hotels have sprung up at almost every junction in Takoradi and surprisingly, some of the popular hotels like Valley Beach Hotel and others that I used to know have been closed down for more than a year. Their reason being that, they are renovating the place to meet international standards. Popular schools which were the obvious choice for middle and upper class families like Young Christian Preparatory School (my alma matter) is struggling to even fill a class unlike before where the school could boast of classes A, B, C and D. Chapel Hill and Ridge International School are also epileptic now and are near defunct. New schools like Morning Glory, Queen of Peace and others are also doing so well that no one would argue whenever a family decides to send a child there. For some strange reasons, most businesses in Sekondi-Takoradi do not survive more than two (2) decades. It would be difficult to mention a business that is two decades old in Sekondi-Takoradi, maybe, Wilson Arthur will challenge that jinx with his Skyy Group of companies next year.

I lost count of the number of radio stations in the Metropolis. New radio stations have joined the 17 radio stations I knew before leaving. Radio Maxx, an urban radio station has changed ownership. Radio 360 which could not stand the pressures of the industry could not survive for even 48 months, the owners I’m told have unashamedly sold it to EIB network. Skyy Media Group has added West Gold Radio to their conglomerate and has also sold Skyy TV to Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom for more than $4 million. Skyy Media Group only maintain a channel, Star TV on the First Digital TV now solely owned by GN Bank’s boss.

Morning Show programmes in Sekondi-Takoradi have taken an interesting turn. Most of the radio stations pipe live morning shows from either Peace FM or Adom FM in Accra. The English speaking stations also pipe Joy FM’s Super Morning Show and Citi FM’s Bernard Avle branded morning show. Skyy Power FM still produces its own morning show, the Jolly Breakfast Show (JBS). The JBS has a new host, Samuel Kojo Brace who has fitted well in the shoes of his predecessors, Omanbapa and Philip Osei Bonsu. Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson is still with the Skyy Media Group and still sounds fresh on air. He still wakes school children up every dawn, co-hosts JBS and also hosts his popular Obaa Sima programme every Thursday. Maame Esi Senyiwa of Radio Maxx, who left the station has joined the station again after it changed management. She is in full control of mid-morning radio show as most offices and some section of taxi drivers tune in to her show from 10am to 2 pm every week day. Nana Adwoa Arthur, a drive time host on Skyy Power FM is in a comfortable lead in afternoon radio in Sekondi-Takoradi. Yoofi Eyeson of Spice FM is not doing badly with his ‘Keteke’ drive show as well as Kwamena Amponsa Amponsa of West Gold Radio.

Talk of the best entertainment review shows and if OC Showbiz Review on Skyy Power FM is not mentioned, either the person one is inquiring from has not spent Saturday in Sekondi-Takoradi before or the person hardly listens to radio. Even though Feeling Daddy who joined EIB’s Empire FM in Takoradi less than a year ago now hosts an entertainment review show on Empire FM every Saturday as well as Razak Cofie also takes over Feeling Daddy’s ‘Penpenaa’ on Spice FM, Nana Kwame’s OC Showbiz review towers amongst all entertainment review shows in the Metropolis.  

One of the popular businesses in Takoradi now is gas stations. From Sekondi College (Sekco) junction to Agipe (Kwame Nkrumah roundabout), I lost count of the number of new gas stations on that stretch. Per every kilometre, a gas station could be identified. Most of the gas stations are empty; no vehicle is seen at those stations. I wonder how they are able to foot their monthly bills but I guess their supermarkets are able to bring them some stream of income. It would be unwise for any gas station to have no supermarket because from my critical observation, most of the drivers still buy from the traditional gas stations like Shell and GOIL so the only thread that is sustaining the new gas stations is the supermarkets they add to their main business.

Before leaving, I took up a voluntary role as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Westside Legacy, a Showbiz union that brings together talents in the Western Region. Ahead of his mysterious disappearance, Castro Undafaya was the father of the union and actively brought the Up and Coming Artistes together. As he is not around, his absence has affected the union greatly. Now, the Up and Coming Artistes in Sekondi-Takoradi are more divided at a time when they should be united. Either one is not on talking terms with the other because of money from show or one has accused the other of backbiting . I dare say Westside Legacy is near-defunct and as a PRO of the union, I partly accept blame for that. Nonetheless, some of the Artistes from the union have received nationwide recognition; Kofi Kinaata is likely to win big at the Ghana Music Awards which is two months away. His ‘Confession’ song is second to Ghana’s National anthem now in terms of popularity. The minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) had a rendition of the song during President Akufo-Addo’s first State of the National Address in the house (21^st February, 2017). The song is a national hit, simply put. Nero X is also recognized as a great composer and Singer across Ghana and the world. His Europe tour in March is an indication of how great his talent has grown.

Advocacy groups headed by the youth have also become popular in the Metropolis. Volunteering has become very known amongst the youth. Groups like Pilolo, VMinc and others are championing volunteering in the Oil City. From their anaemic bank accounts, these youth have miraculously raised funds to repaint faded zebra crossing at vantage areas in the Metropolis, painted school buildings, organized clean up exercises, amongst other laudable projects in the Metropolis. The youth are now taking up roles to ‘shine the corner where they are’ instead of hitherto known parlance ‘)y3 aban n’edwumaa’ (It is the government’s responsibility).

In terms of infrastructure, most of the roads are asphalted, a project all credit to the former President Mahama. Some known old buildings located around Market Circle are now premises for savings and loans companies and banks. Betting companies have also flooded the Twin city with nice buildings which have become the second homes of some of the youth, especially ahead of football matches.

In the snail pace nature of traffic in Sekondi-Takoradi, one thing is clear, there are porch cars in the Metropolis now. Hitherto, cars like Range Rover Evoque, Mercedez Benz S-Class could not be found in Sekondi-Takoradi but now, just mention any car and you will see one in traffic.

As for Sekondi, the twin of Takoradi, it would better be left unwritten about because the place is virtually dead.

Has Sekondi-Takoradi changed much? I would not attempt to answer that because there are a lot fascinating developments in the Metropolis which assures all the residents that ‘K3se w) kan” (there are greater things ahead) but I would reecho what Gordon told me “I think Sekondi-Takoradi should be more developed than Aberdeen.”

And indeed, a lot happens in a year!  

Author: Nana Kwesi Coomson (www.233times.net) @nkcoomson on Twitter