Things To Consider When Buying A land In Ghana

Following the recent floods in Ghana which have killed at least thirty-five people, I am motivated to share with you experiences I have learnt from my father in his ‘land buying stories’.

The recent floods in the country which meteorologists say is as a result of global warming is been referred to as the most disastrous in the past few years.

Ghana is one country that experiences rainfall mostly in June and July every year. The intensity of this rainfall fluctuates between the years with some years experiencing very heavy downpours than others.

But for last year and this year, the downpour has been so intense that it has resulted in floods in most parts of the country. These floods have brought up the destruction of illegal structures mostly houses in water ways. Government is doing so in order to create a runway for the water to minimize the havoc the floods come along with.

This means you have to be careful what land you purchase and where it is situated. The points that follow will serve as an advice for you to follow when you go to purchase a land in any part of the country.

First, I will share with you what my father says will prevent you from acquiring a land that has so many court cases on it or a land that has the potential to generate disputes. When you go to purchase a land especially in the Greater Accra Region, apart from the legal documents, persuade the traditional authorities to pour libation on this particular land. The serious belief in libation by the Ga’s (the owners of land in this region) will prevent them from deceiving their gods by selling this land to a second party.

One thing that is worth noting is from which chief you purchase a land. Due to the many chieftaincy disputes and court injunctions on who sells out lands in many of these areas, you have to ask and know the right chief who can sell to you a land. There have been instances where ‘illegal’ chiefs have sold out lands to individuals and these lands get confiscated later.

Secondly, when deciding to buy a land, do that in a rainy season. So that when you go to the site and the depth of pool of water on the land is at your knee, it implies one day that is how much water will be collected in your house. If on the other hand the land quickly dries up after rainfall, you have a good land you can buy.

Thirdly, you have to look out for a type of shrub that is locally called ‘sre3’ in the Akan language. This shrub grows easily on lands that are prone to flooding. When you go to purchase a land and you see this kind of plant, you may want to consider coming back in the rainy season to confirm your suspicion.

Also very important is your financial standing. This way you can risk buying a flood prone land because you can afford to erect a foundation that will prevent water from running into your house when it rains.

You also have to consider the area or locality in which you are buying the land. When many of the buildings in this area are on water ways it means when there is a heavy downpour there will not be a passage way for the water to escape hence the whole place will get flooded.

Lastly and importantly, after doing all these background checks contact the Lands Commission or any Government Agency in the locality that is responsible for lands to seek more official advice on the land you want to purchase,

Thank you for reading and have a nice land buying experience.

Are you renting an apartment in Accra? See How to Rent an Apartment in Accra for tips.

GHANA MARKS 50TH REPUBLIC DAY

Today the 1st of July 2010 marks the day when Ghana became a republic. This was the day some fifty years ago when the British representatives in Ghana packed bag and baggage and left the Ghanaian affairs in its own people.

All across sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana sparked the flame of independence as its leader Dr Kwame Nkrumah was able to relieve his people from the colonial lazy people as I like to call them some fifty-three years ago.

Ghana by this is a pioneer in a sense in Africa as still today it leads the continent in projecting the good of Africa.

Tomorrow will see the country once again try to set another record by becoming the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a world cup. This time it is on an Africa soil and as many people have said it is a world cup for the whole of Africa and they will attempt to capture the ultimate trophy.

Ghana is a shining example of Africa and on this day I want to wish the people of Ghana a HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY. May God the almighty and the spirits of our forefathers be with the Black stars tomorrow as they attempt to make history.

Long Live Our Motherland.

THE PRIDE OF AFRICA ARE IN THE QUARTER FINALS

Ghana, the pride of Africa in this world cup have qualified into the quarter finals after beating the swift and energetic USA team by two goals to one. This came after they emerged out of a tough group in which everybody had the chance of qualification to the next stage.

Ghana has therefore joined two other countries Cameroon and Senegal to become the only African teams to have reached this stage. But for Ghana they are doing it in style on an African soil.

The Ghana-USA game indeed was an interesting and keenly fought for one. Prior to the match, discussions on international media BBC included made Ghana the underdog with such statements as “the Ghanaian team can only play for eighty minutes”, “Ghana cannot score but for penalties”, “Ghana’s striker i.e. Asamoah Gyan is only good at scoring penalty kicks” among others.

Well it turned out that the Black stars proved their critics wrong when they beat the Yankees who were in for a revenge of the defeat they suffered at the hands of the Ghanaian team at Germany 2006.

Interestingly, none of the goals the Black stars scored were penalty kicks, the Black stars played for as long as a hundred and twenty minutes and the second goal of the Stars was by Asamoah Gyan. This goal was splendid and many strikers will like to have goals of a kind.

Not only patriotic citizens were present at the stadium to support both teams but the President of Ghana John E. Atta-Mills and ex-president of USA Bill Clinton were also at the stadium to motivate their players.

The Black stars are poised for their next match against Uruguay which will see them into the semi-final if they win though they will be missing such key players as Dede Ayew who is on suspension for taking two yellow cards and probably Kevin Prince Boateng who suffered an injury in their last match.

THE QUESTION OF HIJAB: SUPPRESSION OR LIBERATION??

I read this article at an islamic website www.sultan.org and I will like to share it with you readers.

"Why do Muslim women have to cover their heads?" This question is one which is asked by Muslim and non-Muslim alike. For many women it is the truest test of being a Muslim.

The answer to the question is very simple - Muslim women observe HIJAB (covering the head and the body) because Allah has told them to do so.

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." [Noble Quran 33:59]

Other secondary reasons include the requirement for modesty in both men and women. Both will then be evaluated for intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. An Iranian school girl is quoted as saying, "We want to stop men from treating us like sex objects, as they have always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be attentive to our personalities and mind. We want them to take us seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us around for our bodies and physical looks."

A Muslim woman who covers her head is making a statement about her identity. Anyone who sees her will know that she is a Muslim and has a good moral character. Many Muslim women who cover are filled with dignity and self esteem; they are pleased to be identified as a Muslim woman. As a chaste, modest, pure woman, she does not want her sexuality to enter into interactions with men in the smallest degree. A woman who covers herself is concealing her sexuality but allowing her femininity to be brought out.

The question of Hijab for Muslim women has been a controversy for centuries and will probably continue for many more. Some learned people do not consider the subject open to discussion and consider that covering the face is required, while a majority are of the opinion that it is not required. A middle line position is taken by some who claim that the instructions are vague and open to individual discretion depending on the situation.

The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were required to cover their faces so that men would not think of them in sexual terms since they were the "Mothers of the Believers," but this requirement was not extended to other women. The word "Hijab" comes from the Arabic word "hajaba" meaning to hide from view or conceal. In the present time, the context of Hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman.

The question now is what is the extent of the covering? The Quran says: "Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands..." [Noble Quran 24:30-31] These verses from the

Quran contain two main injunctions: A woman should not show her beauty or adornments except what appears by uncontrolled factors such as the wind blowing her clothes, and the head covers should be drawn so as to cover the hair, the neck and the bosom. Islam has no fixed standard as to the style of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some requirements must be met. The first of these requirements is the parts of the body which must be covered. Islam has two sources for guidance and rulings: first, the Quran, the revealed word of Allah and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for mankind.

The following is a Tradition of the Prophet: "Ayshah reported that Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asma'! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands." [Abu Dawud] The second requirement is looseness. The clothing must be loose enough so as not to describe the shape of the woman's body. One desirable way to hide the shape of the body is to wear a cloak over other clothes. However, if the clothing is loose enough, an outer garment is not necessary. Thickness is the third requirement. The clothing must be thick enough so as not to show the color of the skin it covers or the shape of the body.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that in later generations of his Ummah there would be "women who would be dressed but naked and on top of their heads (what looks like) camel humps. Curse them for they are truly cursed." [Muslim] Another requirement is an over-all dignified appearance. The clothing should not attract men's attention to the woman. It should not be shiny and flashy so that everyone notices the dress and the woman. In addition there are other requirements: Women must not dress so as to appear as men.

"Ibn Abbas narrated: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.'" [Bukhari] Women should not dress in a way similar to the unbelievers. The clothing should be modest, not excessively fancy and also not excessively ragged to gain others admiration or sympathy.

Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as seventy years ago, we see clothing similar to Hijab. These active and hard-working women of the West were not inhibited by their clothing which consisted of long, full dresses and various types of head covering. Muslim women who wear Hijab do not find it impractical or interfering with their activities in all levels and walks of life.

Hijab is not merely a covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners, speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one facet of the total being. The basic requirement of the Muslim woman's dress apply to the Muslim man's clothing with the difference being mainly in degree. Modesty requires that the area between the navel and the knee be covered in front of all people except the wife.

The clothing of men should not be like the dress of women, nor should it be tight or provocative. A Muslim should dress to show his identity as a Muslim. Men are not allowed to wear gold or silk. However, both are allowed for women. For both men and women, clothing requirements are not meant to be a restriction but rather a way in which society will function in a proper, Islamic manner.

III&E Brochure Series (Published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) and reproduced in electronic form by Islamic Academy for Scientific Research with permission)

PRESIDENT ATTA-MILLS IS UNLUCKY

To me and I am sure to many other Ghanaians, President John Evans Atta-Mills is an unlucky person. I think this way because of the many incidents that have befallen his administration since he took office. Whether some of these incidents are really accidents or not is another matter for discussion.

Right from the day he was been sworn into office, his unluckiness started. He mixed up words been recited to him by the chief justice which were supposed to be an oath. Afterwards the opposition party NPP members proposed that he retook the oath giving example of Barack Obama’s case where he had to retake the oath.

Talking of jumbling up words, Mr. President again in a state of the nation address to parliament pronounced “ecomini” instead of economy. This voice clip became the ringtone of many Ghanaians and a file on numerous storage devices in the country.

Just few months in office, the first of the many to come fire outbreaks started. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building caught fire rendering the whole premise useless and forcing the ministry to operate from the Jubilee house which is supposed to be a presidential palace. Then came the Kumasi market, some parts of the 37 military hospital, the electoral commission, the former president J.J Rawlings’ house and some other places.

The disturbing of incidents is the resurface of the many chieftaincy disputes in the country. The Ga Mantse chieftaincy saga, the Tuobodom case and some other low case ones.

Under President Mills’ administration foot soldiers a term used to describe common people who fight for their respective political parties to come to power has been tarnished as these soldiers from the NDC side have become agents of confusion and mayhem. Instead of their main responsibilities of seeking support for the party they have rather become judges and king makers telling the president which one of his appointees that ought to be sacked. This has led to the dismissal of at least five of Mills’ appointees including the upper west regional minister, Mr. Carl Wilson a national security operative and two MCE’s.

President Mills has had to bear with people calling him a chimpanzee though in our society it is not correct to call an elderly person by such names.

The most current of incidents is that which is happening in his party where there is a power struggle. There is an uncertainty as to whether the former first lady and the wife to the founder of his party Nana Konadu has the intention of competing against the president for the flagbearership position for the 2012 elections something which has not happened in the political history of the fourth republic of this country where people compete against a sitting president for the position of a flagbearer.

I call Prez Mills unlucky because if I can remember very well these circumstances did not happen under former presidents Kuffuor and Rawlings at least in substantial degrees that everyone talked about. Why then are these happening under his administration? Tell me about it.