3,000 Days in Agege ... "Funtraumatic" !!!

Fun, excitement and trauma best describe my first trip to Anago land. Even as I did all my preparations for the trip, I decided to keep a low profile despite the intense excitement I felt. I have learnt my lesson; virtually all my trips had in the past been cancelled due to one reason or the other. I was afraid to get all excited about this trip only to later tell people I did not go, if it turned out to be another cancelled one.

So, I went about my normal duties while getting ready for the trip. I even remember feeling somehow funny about the trip … premonitions? I do not know. So I told a few colleagues that I was not particularly thrilled about the trip after all.

Well, May 13, a Wednesday, the D-day for the trip came and we had to leave. By 6: 55pm (7:55pm, Nigerian time), we were there, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. Then the fun, or maybe the trauma begun.

“Hey ladies and gentlemen, where are your vaccination cards? Those with it should come this way and those without it should go stand the other way” said the immigration officer at the Murtala Airport. Some of us pretended to be frantically searching through our bags for the non-existent cards. The officer looked sternly at us and said we were going to be deported back to Accra if we did not provide our cards!

“But sir, we were not told to carry our cards along” said one of the damsels who found herself in the terrible situation. “Must you be reminded to take care of your health? The security officer who seemed to be enjoying the whole scenario retorted, quite angrily.

Finally we were allowed to go through the process after a fair taste of the “I be the Oga here” ordeal. We were rushed through the immigration process and immediately we got out, a different set of officials readily met us with a unique approach to their business. They were very aggressive and dynamic! While we waited for our driver to take us to our guest house, these officials came at us and insisted they helped us with our luggage even within the shortest distance… such benevolence! They did it with so much skill and aggression, you had to be really strong not to yield. They virtually carried your luggage before you could say Jack. This be Naija!

We had a good night sleep and woke up to see the bright sun on Thursday … a thrilling Thursday, I called it. There was an interview on Silverbird TV Morning Show, where I was forced to be on air together with Lydia and Naa (Perfect Picture stars). I was damn nervous! Iretiola, the pretty hostess, did a good job. She made me relaxed and everything went well. Lunch and a boat ride at the Boat Club was fun and thrilling. What could have been better than lunch and interactions with a minister of state and top-notch business executives in such friendly atmosphere?

Evening came and the Silverbird Galleria was all glamour and sophistication amidst fun and cheer. Meeting Nollywood stars such as Stephanie Okereke and Zack Orjih was just a dream come true. In the cinema, I couldn’t be happier as I witnessed the audience (largely Nollywood stars, first rate movie makers, movie lovers and business executives) clapping and laughing as the hilarious scenes of the Perfect Picture unfolded. It was a perfect night.

Then came the peak of my excitement; the fun ride with Mr. Edward Boateng (my boss), his friends and the stars of the “Perfect Picture” in the flashy limousine to the Eko Hotel. Amidst plenty of laughter and fun, Edward and Anthony one of his friends, shared with us how they met and their success stories.

Eko was a paradise on earth. The ambiance, the rooms, and oh my God, the bar! The Sky Bar! We had so much fun over there, I just don’t know how to describe the atmosphere, the mood or the feeling (these terms remind me of my literature teachers). Champagne and other exotic drinks were in abundance. You just couldn’t have the stamina to take whatever drinks you wanted.

To bed, to bed, to bed! No, this was not Lady Mcbeth. We departed to our rooms at about 3 o’clock am. When I got to room 329, my little paradise, I took a shower, packed my stuff and did everything I needed done to be ready for our flight in the next two and a half hours. It was about 3: 46am when I had finished with my preparations. I tried to resist the inviting bed. I set my alarm to 4: 45am anyway, in case I fell asleep. I didn’t have to sleep, I told myself, but didn’t I? Well, I didn’t know what happened next until I suddenly jumped out of my bed upon hearing the intercom.

“All the others are gone, you’ve been left behind, Brooke” came a familiar voice which later turned out to be Albert’s, my colleague.

Then the trauma started. I understood my boss and everyone else was so worried and angry with me. They did everything possible to wake me up, but I wouldn’t hear. “We even thought you had committed suicide” Albert jokingly told me. When I called my office in Accra to let them know I was fine, my colleague whom I spoke to didn’t make me feel any better. In fact she only made worse my apprehension. I felt I had put the whole team and office on fire! I felt so bad and worried for causing everyone so much anguish and worry. I couldn’t even eat. Suddenly, my 3 days in Nigeria seemed 3,000 unpleasant days! All the fun I had had just vanished and I started thinking seriously about how to explain to my boss and the others what actually happened.

“We banged on your door, called the loud irritating room phone several times, but you wouldn’t wake up. Your neighbours were even mad at us for making so much noise” I was told.

“Everyone concluded you were not in the room”; “You went out to see a guy”;

“An Alhaji came for you”;

“Only you, knew what you were doing in the room”; “You pulled a fast one on us, Brooke”

These and many more were the interpretations people gave to my predicament. Oh my God! You should have seen me, worried Brooke. When I finally managed to come back safely with a colleague on the 5:30pm flight, it was such a delight to be home. Now I’ll deal with the other issues as they come, I assured myself. Thanks to Vivek, Albert Nana Kwame and Gisela. But for them, I just do not know what could have happened to me in those traumatic moments.

Then came Monday when I found myself in the office. Everyone came to me and told me how worried they were … some of them obviously teasing. I tried to explain to them, hoping that they believed me. My boss was not so angry after all, he was happy to see me back safe and sound. He however admonished me to be more careful next time. I’m very grateful and will surely be on guard the next time… so I don’t end up with titles like Hajia Olubofun.

Naija was funtraumatic, I tell you.

SilverBird Poised to Take Local Movies to a Higher Level if ...

It was all fun and excitement at the Silverbird Cinemas when journalists from across the country were hosted by the Management of Silverbird Entertainment Ghana Limited. The media men were delighted and amazed at the ultra-modern cinema hall located at the Accra mall, the hub of the capital city. After having been given the opportunity to experience at firsthand the world-class and refreshing entertainment offered by Silverbird Cinemas, the recurring phrase on the lips of the journalists was ….. Silverbird is surely the number one entertainment and lifestyle centre in the country.

Journalists were treated to current movie collections such as “Terminator Salvation” among others and were also taken on a tour by Ms Gisela Gaba, Marketing Executive of Silverbird to check the various modern facilities used by Silverbird to provide customers the excellent viewing comfort. The movie cinemas are made up of 5 giant screens with Dolby digital surround, excellent sitting capacities coupled with first rate concessions and personalized services.

Mr. Albert Mensah, General Manager of Silverbird Ghana Entertainment Limited hinted the press that Silverbird is poised and prepared to promote Ghanaian and other African movies. He however quickly added that quality must be the watch-word to all local movie producers. “We at Silverbird are committed to delivering first-rate services to our clients. This includes the quality of the movies that we show. Indeed, our equipments can only accept productions of a certain standard. Anything less is automatically rejected by our system” he explained.

Mr. Albert Mensah said that they have been approached by many Ghanaian and African movie producers to show their movies in the cinemas, but sadly enough, Silverbird couldn’t allow them because of poor production quality.

“Shirley Frimpong’s “Perfect Picture” was good, and we showed it for over six weeks with the cinemas filled every day. The movie actually broke box office at the time. This is an indication that there is a high demand for local movies which Silverbird can help satisfy with the cooperation of movie producers” said Mr. Albert Mensah.

Mr. Albert Mensah also disclosed to journalists that, Silverbird was taking bold steps in the African retail entertainment market and the cinemas are legal and legitimate in terms of copyright and intellectual property rights. To ensure quality and security of what is put out there for Ghanaians on the silver screens, the Ghana Censorship Board periodically visits Silverbird to assess the cinemas and their product offering.

To further enrich consumer experiences, SilverBird Ghana will be launching clubs meant to fit each segment of their consumership and to engage them on a closer level .Among these will be: Silverbird Kids Club, Silverbird Jazz Club and Silverbird Business Club.

The journalists were also taken round the Silverbird Lifestyle Stores for a serene shopping experience for both music and book enthusiasts. The widest and deepest selection of books, music, gaming & accessories, magazines, stationery, maps etc, is available.

Silverbird entertainment Ghana Limited is a joint venture between the Silverbird Group a full service media entertainment and real estate Company with holdings in radio, television, retail malls and cinemas and Global media Alliance an integrated pan African media and entertainment company with offices in South Africa and Kenya and affiliate offices in Nigeria and the UK. Silverbird with its wide and excellent product offering offers premium advertising opportunities such as on-screen advertising where advertisers are able to capture their audiences in a relaxed and receptive mood as they wait for a movie to begin.

SilverBird, Your No. 1 Entertainment zone!!!

The Uncountables that Count

“Hey, Brooke! How about you trying this, I saw it in the papers and I thought you should give it a try?” Oh, how dare you refer to me as “hey”, (believe you me, I’m one of those people who got offended at the least of offences, I mean the most trivial of comments could get me crazy).

Maybe, that’s only typical of the Ghanaian …. I may be wrong, I stand to be corrected. How on earth could Lukumanu, my colleague refer to me as “hey”? Tell you what? I wasn’t interested in whatever he had to say to me after he addressed me that way. Of course, the good natured Lukumanu never took my reactions seriously and insisted that I took a look at what he had to show me.

Oh, trust Luku, he had a way of getting everyone around him to do anything he believed should be done. “I know you can do this Brooke, and so you should” he went on and on. If only he knew how much he bothered me.

Yes, I did do what he asked me to do which was to write a piece on the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) - What is the MCA? What promise does it hold for Ghana’s development?
I waited expectantly as a young girl who has been promised a special gift for excellent performance in her exams for CDD Ghana to call me with some good news. I convinced myself that the ordeal Lukumanu put me through had some special prizes attached after all. But I didn’t win the competition. I heard nothing from CDD Ghana. And so, I forgot totally about that essay and I couldn’t loathe Luku enough.

Don’t be too harsh on me, for how was I supposed to know that writing an essay on the MCA was going to make me a story-teller like one today sharing her stories with you?
Heaven knows what that story did to me. Little did I know that I was sowing the seeds for a great harvest, a harvest I was to reap through other means!

Months later I sat anxiously waiting for my entrance exams question papers for a Masters Degree programme at the University of Ghana; I was as scared as a mouse. No! As scared as a woman waiting for the results of an HIV/AIDS test after discovering that her partner has been diagnosed HIV positive!, (oh, yes, I was that scared). For I have heard before my applications that School of Communication Studies entrance exams are often very tough.

There were so many of us. Among others to take the exams with me were journalists, PR practitioners and other professionals, some of whom I considered my mentors. How on earth was I going to compete with these people? I asked myself.

The question paper was finally placed before me, turned upside down, with the senior invigilator’s instruction echoing “do not turn the papers until you are told to do so”.
And oh my God! Could you believe that the essay topic was about the MCA? I was numb with surprise and relief when I saw the question. I was mesmerized, because until I wrote the essay on the MCA, which I submitted to CDD Ghana, I knew nothing about the issue.

That day, I was redeemed, and I started looking at things differently. I had no idea whatsoever that the paper I did on the MCA for which I had no response whatsoever, not even a phone call to say that “we are sorry, but your story didn’t make it” was going to be my redeemer. Before I even knew it, I started working for the Chairman of the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA).

I got to know that the things we often deem insignificant in our lives really are the things that often make or break us. I call these, the “uncountables that count”.

Every day is a special day. Believe it or not, you can’t have the same things happening to you from Monday through to Sunday, no matter how routine your life. So how special is a special day in one’s life? Well, it is for you to determine that special day or moment in your life. I have just shared with you my experience of something that I merely glossed over but which turned out to so helpful in my life. Hope you enjoyed it and appreciate why I deem it a special happening in my life.

I’m no preacher in the pulpit, I’m no Socrates of our times, and I’m no Margaret Thatcher to tell you what to do, but one thing I can share with you, is to learn to appreciate those little seemingly insignificant things in your life, and you’ll get to know that they really do matter – they count, as uncountable as they may be!

Thank you, Mohammed Lukumanu Aminu.

Brooke Nuwati
(firstnuwati@gmail.com)