It’s
the drums of the Fontomfrom beating so crystal loud
It’s
the straight pathway of the toddling gamboling pinching with ecstasy and ease
It’s
the story of rebranding, redeeming and restructuring as told by the raconteurs
of believe
It’s
the maiden edition of history in the making
It’s
the MISS NIGERIA GHANA 2012
Grab a
Form for just Ghc 34 or $ 20 from Silver Bird Lifestyle store, Accra
Mall, Nigeria
Embassy, Bani Hostel in University of Legon and at any of our sales outlet in campuses
across Ghana
and stand the chance of winning a brand new car, trip to the FCT of Nigeria,
Plasma TV, Laptops and many more prizes.
You can
also reach the organizers for more information via
Website:
www.missnigeriaghana.com
Facebook: just click on it: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Miss-NigeriaGhana/272706312797787
Tel:
JBO (+ 233248556022), Cookey (+233246092437), Seun (+233248204486), YemmeY
(+233274226334)
Pin:
JBO on 2787A1A0, SEUN on 3263EC6D, YemmeY on 30F667B0
I
have done lots of articles and interviews on BEAUTIFUL GHANA, ranging from top
celebrities in and outside Africa but much in Ghana as that is my roll-call.
Along my line of doing what I love most, I have also delved from talking to Poli-trick-cians, the good, the bad and
the ugliest, to ‘gods-of-men’ like Reverends, Pastors, Priests, Deacons &
Deaconesses, Church Mothers ati
Fathers, Choristers, Ushers and Usher’s
wives, abi no be so dem dey call dem ni? From the list I can only say that na
Pope I never get access to. But wait until I storm the Vatican, Insha Allah.
I
have done a whole lot give and take but on this particular day of meeting with
Auntie Joyce, it was a day of soul upliftment. She was the tutor, inspiration
and above all the preacher. She did touch me. Na you sabi, if na nko se you go humbly receive those inspirational
words? From the first day of booking for appointment, I saw myself going to
have a time out with God. The D-Day reached and here I was in the building of
the Lord and then the secretary ushered me straight into the main office of the
Founder and Executive Director of Salt & Light Ministries. Here DR. JOYCE
ARYEE was sitted with open arms ready for me. Inside of me, I mutely said, ‘chaiii, today na today’,
Before facing Auntie
Joyce, I had equipped myself, if na you,
you go go there go mess up like that Journalist wey travel from him country go
meet brother Mugabe of ZimZim. By the time he got there, he had forgotten all
the Qs & A?
I had just FIVE
questions to ask Auntie Joyce and Oluwa
God forbid if I forgot them. But before that, I had like you to know who
this the name I have been singing is; She was a Ghanaianpolitician and
businessperson and formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of
Mines but now the Founder
and Executive Director of Salt & Light Ministries, a Christian, para-church
organization in Ghana. The Ministry aims at motivating, inspiring and
encouraging people to live an effective, productive and practical Christian
lives. The Ministry has been a useful resource churches and other Christian
organizations and its modus operandi includes a bible study, issuance of
motivational letters and evangelism, also exhorts Christians to see themselves
as Salt of the Earth and Light of the World.
Apart from being a Preacher and a Teacher
of the Word of God, I found out that she has done so well for herself as she
bagged the State Award of Companion of the Order of
the Volta in 2006 in recognition of her service to the nation, also the
recipient of the CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year Award for 2007 and the
African Leadership on Centre for Economic Development's African Female Business
Leader of the Year Award for 2009. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Ghana
Institute of Engineers. She was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the
Ghana Chamber of Mines and the first woman to head an African chamber of mines.
The list no dey finish na. Just like one
function I attended, the MC spent about 1hour reciting the profile of a one
year old child. What baffled me was that he was saying stuffs the child will
come and achieve in the future. Yawa ooo!
Before
leaving and not forgetting my questions, I found out that Auntie Joyce is highly disciplined and self-motivated, strong
leadership and organizational abilities, resourceful and with excellent
managerial qualities, highly responsible and loves challenging jobs and operate
best within set goals, objectives and deadlines. Therefore as an independent
and fair minded woman who is deemed in leadership by consensus and leaves us
with no doubt of her great achievements. I threw the first question.
Enjoy jooor
As the Founder
and Executive Director of Salt & Light Ministries, what has been the
motivating and inspiring factor that has seen your ministry grown from strength
to strength?
Salt & Light
Ministry is a discipleship ministry because Jesus Christ actually is looking
for disciples, people who will see Him as a master, a leader, senior brother,
father and God. Someone who has something to give and will like to use his
followers to give it out. Jesus Christ is God and the only one who revealed God
to us, so to us we are to draw others closer to the master. Secondly, some of
us want to turn God into a FatherChristmas
and really don’t look for a relationship with Him. Christianity is all about
relationship other than that why will God create us in His own image? He was
looking for a relationship and wants us to be His representatives out here in
this world. It is important that we must do things that God wants and thus,
people must get to know God through the things we do.
The choice of the name
of the ministry is based on the empowerment of Jesus to His disciples. Salt
influences and changes things for the better. It flavors, savors food, the
taste becomes better. Salt halts the rottenness of foods, since there is a
natural putrefaction of organic things and likewise as children we must be able
to halt the rottenness, wickedness in the world. Jesus Christ told us we are
the salt of this world; He didn’t say we are going to be.
The ministry is actually
up to encourage all Christian on the word of God on what we ought to be. Also
we must not forget that we do have a role to play. Imagine a salt on the shelve
without being used, it would serve its purpose and likewise God wants us to be
engaging Christians in life,He wants us
to be useful to our society. The same can be said of light; even a flicker of a
match can give light where there is darkness. Just imagine your flicker, my
flicker and the other person’s flicker of light can change the world. Only a
few armed robbers will want to steal in broad day, even at that those who steal
in daylight wear a mask.
So when Jesus says you
are the light, it means the so called ‘insignificant’ you can make a difference
in our world. So whether salt or light, you just need a little to make a
difference. The idea is that individually we are into this world to make a
difference. We do touch lives through teaching Bible studies, prayer rallies,
doing the occasional discipleship formation programs, leadership training
programs, writing of articles, doing radio programs, we let people who are
Christians know that we are given the power of God to change the darkness and
rottenness of the world away.
We must not forget that
we are here in this world on a staying course until Jesus Christ returns, so He
should return and find us worthy of the task of holding the darkness and
rottenness away. What a pity if He comes and everything has been eaten up my
maggot?
Salt & Light is a
para-church organization in the sense that in is involved with the body of
Christ but it is not a church. Because every Christian is salt and light, our
appeal is to use any kind of media that will reach everyone. We don’t need to
know them but the word of God should reach them.
Looking
at Ghana
as a country, when women of faith and virtue are mention, your name stands
tall. We know that there has been abundance of grace from God in your life, how
have you been able to sustain and maintain this God’s grace all these years?
The thing about grace
is that it is an unmerited favor so all we as humans need to do is obey;
provide God back with that willingness and submission. My attitude is to give
back to God. I just see myself as not belonging to myself but all to God. I
have grown to surrender all to the will of God. My key scripture for God’s
grace is in Philippians 2:13, I like it’s translation in the Good News, Living
Bible or the New Living Translation. Since God is working in me to give me the
power to do His will, then all I have to do is give back my all working
alongside the Holy Spirit.
How was it like combining your high office post and the
ministry that God called you into?
Since 1997 and
officially launched in April 1998, since God directed me into the ministry
through writing articles and doing radio Bible teachings, it has been a whole
lot easier than owning or starting a church. In a nutshell, listening and been
obedient to God has been the key.
How do you want to see this ministry perform years after the
younger generations take over from you?
I think that doing
mission doesn’t always mean building a structure or something like that. To me
I haven’t heard God say to me that I should go and do this or that. It came to
me as a personal service to God. But touching lives to impact others to
transform and do the will of God drives me the satisfaction. See how effective
Paul was in empowering the work of God though he never pastured a church, so
until God leads me, I will keep doing His work.
You stand as a role model to so many young ladies in Ghana
and outside, what will be that ONE virtuous and candid advice to them?
For all young people
especially the young ladies, we need to come into the assurance of God’s love
for us. When you are assured that God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth loves
you unconditionally, and has the best plans for your life, first of all it
gives you confidence.
You recognize that you
are important in the economy of God, that you are uniquely created and placed
to play a role. That kind of confidence helps us to focus on the gifts we have
and to look at where God chooses to place us. I think many of us sometimes lack
that confidence so we try most of the time to be that we are not, you can’t be
somebody else and that’s the joy and beauty of it.
My advice to them is to
find their love, confidence, peace, ambition, achievement in God. Outside of
God, we may seem to be achieving but it will be in transient. But in God even a
little thing we achieve is counted in eternity. To actually wait for God to
bless and locate your ambition, vision and mission in the plans of God for your
life. It is better to run at God’s designed pace as seen in Hebrews 12:2.
Dreams
become reality when the enthusiasm is followed with believe, hope and
fanaticism. For the young QUEEN ADEDOYIN ADISA, a Nigerian born, United Kingdom
based Movie Producer; her dreams of doing movies has since been a budding obsession
until she produced her maiden movie Ife Oga (Chameleon’s Love) in 2005, and the
accolades started flowing as she won The Youngest Executive Producer that same
year.
Queen who is the CEO of Queen Adedoyin
Entertainment Ltd, a UK based entertainment firm but has its branch in Nigeria,
was born in Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria. Her educational background started in
Nigeria (where she attended Sacred Heart Private School and Queen’s School)
before leaving for the United Kingdom in 1994 with her family.
She furthered her education at the Archbishop
Michael Ramsey Secondary school, Camberwell, London, where she completed 12
GCSE’s, continued to West Kent College, Kent, UK, where she completed an
Advanced GNZQ in Health and Social Care, then attended University of Lincoln in
2004 where she bagged a BSc HONS degree in Psychology recently completed her
MSc in Trans-cultural Mental Health Studies at the Queen Mary, University of
London.
Though trained in medical and health
field of life with being a Psychologist in view, nature and passion took its
toll on charming and charismatic Queen Adedoyin Adisa who enjoys producing
movies with the most recent count in the last six years amounting to four
movies with the most recently titled Tori Idi Kan parts 1 & 2.
Her resolute approach to movies has seen
her touch different parts of Africa and thus, Ghana is her next point of call. She
loves pointing to the fact that her zeal into the African movies circle isn’t because
of the financial gain, but mainly because of the God given talent that she
possesses to raise awareness on issues that needs re-addressing particularly in
developing countries.
To her, Ghana is an industry still very much
potential and she feels that the fast growing trend of movie making in a country
of over 22 million people needs her kind of flare because raising of the bar is
important. It isn’t about the contest but adding value in terms of financial,
morally and culturally to uplift the African community to a higher height.
Apart from Producing, Queen Adedoyin is
a brilliant Script Writer who is currently churning out something for the
Ghanaian community which will see both top celebrities and budding acts come
together on set in achieving success.
Recently, in December 2011, she added another
award to her collections with the Award for Producer of the Year by a local
group who had their anniversary in the UK.
Come Saturday March 3rd 2012, event
powerhouse Charterhouse in collaboration with the Gh-One Entertainment TV with
sponsorship from RLG Communications presents the maiden edition of The RLG
Independence Comedy Jam.
It is that one unique night where interminable sidesplitting jokes meets
exceptional musical performances from two of the gifted songstresses the
continent can boast of; Ghana’s Efya and Omawunmi from Nigeria.
Headlining the night’s event is the very famous Basket Mouth. Having been
absent on the Ghanaian comedy scene for about 4 years, the legendary comedian
is set to rock the night, dishing out rib cracking
and never heard jokes for his teeming fans.
The naturally hilarious Gordons and a heavyweight on the African comedy scene
will also be live on stage to thrill the several thousands of patrons expected
to attend the event. Gordons is widely known to comedy lovers across the globe
for his extraordinary delivery.
Gordons will definitely be a spectacle to watch on the night as the supporting
comedian pairing up with Basket Mouth on the night. Patrons are assured of
nothing short of a series of carefully crafted jokes to
blow them off from both comedians.
The MC for the night will be none other than Clint D Drunk, another naturally
comical act who needs no action. With an enviable following around the
continent, Clint is a respected comedian in his own right
having graced several big stages.
The RLG Independence Comedy Jam comes at a right time as part of activities
marking the forthcoming fifty fifth Independence celebrations of the nation and
also to celebrate RLG’s 10th anniversary of ICT Development and Job Creation.
Tickets are currently selling at Koala and Charterhouse for GH 50 standard and
GH 80 for VIP. Come March 3rd 2012, Ghanaian comedy audience will experience a
show with a different experience when
three of the best comedians come face to face!
The RLG Independence Comedy Jam is a Gh-One Entertainment TV initiative in
partnership with leading event company Charterhouse with sponsorship from RLG
Communications; championing the course of
ICT development and beyond.
The African Cup of Nations has come and gone. I watched almost all games
and even if I wasn’t happy that daddy didn’t make it to the finals, who would
complain that mummy emerged second?
From the onset before the tournament, I suspected some funny or rather
ridiculous moves that may see an unknown country come out proud winners and so
did it be. Whoever believed that in a tournament that many sullenly predicted
would be ‘boring’ without the powerhouses Egypt, Nigeria or Cameroon, Zambia,
who were never even tipped as dark horses, gave fans one of the most exciting
AFCON finals ever, catching the imagination and proving that big names do not
equate to success, or even positive, charismatic football. At the latter end, I
started enjoying myself and trust me that at the end, I came to a conclusion
that God may be a Zambian. Why not? Didn’t they convincible thrash Sudanese
Jediane Falcons? Didn’t they change the ‘Black
Stars’ to ‘White Moon’? Didn’t they make the Elephants crawl back into the
bush? Didn’t they get $59, 000 as rewards for their performance in the
competition? Didn’t they break into the world’s top 50 and Africa’s 4th
position? Who said that God isn’t a Zambian then?
After the
AFCON 2012, I am thinking of paying my own tribute to the dead brethren but
will rather call my kids with names like Christopher Katongo (the military man who will not leave soccer
for people like us and go back to the war front) or Emmanuel Mayuka (the man all Ghanaians will be raining
thunder and brimstones upon. His goal against Ghana in the Semi Finals was a
mark of great talent. At just 21 years, he not only scores but assists).
The Chipolopolo did show that spirits do live and that divine justice after 19
years can and is a reality.
Even the likes of Demba Ba, Demma
Ma, Demsister, and Dembrother couldn’t stop the perishing souls on that
bank of Gabon to resurrect. If big names do play football, then certainly
Senegal should have won against relatively unknown Chipolopolo lads (though their faces spoke of their
old-papaish). Zambians have virtually unknowns but watching the game you’d
think it was the other way round. We all saw what the star-studded teams did.
God is organized and it showed in the team play of the Zambians. They
played as a team with pace, skill and displaying the beauty of the game. Chaiii, a friend of mine who was
watching one of the Copper Bullets matches screamed after that goal against
Ghana, ‘God is love’, for real Grand Pa is.
Spain are known recently for their well partnered play but trust me that
even if you are the only Spanish speaking African country as Equatorial Guinea
team is, it doesn’t stop the Chipolopolo’s God to humiliate you.
If you noticed, you will understand with me that at this last tournament,
the West African teams were bigger and slower. The North African teams were
big, strong and of high endurance capacity including their high temperament.
The South and East Africans were smaller, leaner and faster.
The potency of the Chipolopolo’s God came shinning once more when HE
challenged Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan (who is
Ghana’s numero uno public enemy. Read http:yemilog.blogspot.com/) face to
face and pinched him to go pre-dancing even when the ball was sent far away to
yonder. That same potency came face to face with the Elephant leader, Didier
Drogba. Had Drogba scored, then the whole graveyards
in Zambia may have decided to stop giving free sex! But for business sake and
for more income into the people’s pocket, Mweena showed Drogba what it really
meant to be huge and tall.
Go tell it on the mountain that the God of Zambia still exists after 19
years and that big names do not equate to success, or charismatic football.
