A Letter to Geldof - Africans still waiting for 'chief' Geldof's help

Members Login

POSTING GUIDELINES This forum is intended to provide an atmosphere of open communication, where each member can share his or her own insights and opinions. To help achieve this goal, we ask that you: Do not post libelous or illegal material. Do not post harassing or discriminatory comments based on race, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Do not solicit or advertise. If you have questions or comments about this forum (such as technical difficulties or performance issues), please contact your forum administrator for the appropriate channel for your inquiry. Moderation Any post that violates the above conditions, or departs from the intended purpose of this forum may be removed without notice by the administration. We reserve the right to edit any post for reasons including, but not limited to: language, length, or content not appropriate to the topic of this forum. Older threads or messages may be removed from time to time, to main to maintain categories or threads of manageable length. Any member who breaches these Guidelines through hostile, abusive or other inappropriate behavior may find their account privileges revoked. Privacy Remember that this is a public forum, and you have no guarantee or expectation of privacy. Your post could be read by anyone. Posts can be traced. We record information about every user of this forum, and will honor any court orders or requests by recognized law authorities for information about individuals posting libelous material. All communications on this board are deemed to by public and not private communications. We reserve the right to remove without notice any message posted for any reason, but we have no obligation to remove content you find objectionable. Regarding your email address and other personal information Although we require your email address for verification purposes, we recommend that you do not post it or any other personal information such, as phone numbers or your home address. Your posts can be searched by bots or third parties that have no affiliation with the administrator of this forum. Disclaimer The views expressed by members of this forum are their own and do not reflect the position of the administrator or other members. Each member is responsible for the content of his/her own posts. Please report any activity that you notice which is libelous, inflammatory, or in violation of common decency to the management immediately.

Post Info

TOPIC: A Letter to Geldof - Africans still waiting for 'chief' Geldof's help

ArrGee

Back To Boomtown

Status: Offline

Posts: 7297

Date: Sun Mar 11 10:05 PM, 2007

A Letter to Geldof - Africans still waiting for 'chief' Geldof's help	Permalink

This made me laugh! Who is Geldof's spokesman? Ian? - Geldof promising to return? Where have I heard that one before! Maybe MTV Africa can do a webcast, can't wait! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/10/wbob10.xml When Sir Bob Geldof, the rock star-turned-Africa campaigner, visited the impoverished town of Ajumako-Bisease in Ghana, he was hailed as a saviour. In an elaborate and memorable ceremony full of ritual and colour, the people crowned him as their chief of development, a ceremony captured on film for his Geldof in Africa TV series. Their firm understanding was he would help the town, and they claim he said he would. But, three years on Ajumako-Bisease remains disappointed, according to a documentary. Nothing has changed. And, despite accepting his position as chief, they have not heard from Geldof since. Ajumako-Bisease's 27,000 inhabitants believed Geldof would help them fund a new covered marketplace. They cleared a plantation to make space for it. But no funds have materialised and weeds have slowly reclaimed the land. They hoped he would help with funding for machinery to expand their coca nut industry, but those hopes too have faded with time. They had plans for a new hospital, a clinic, even. But those have been quietly shelved. Not one penny has found its way to them. The claims are made in the film A Letter to Geldof, a documentary by Worldwrite, a youth education charity that retraced Geldof's steps. In it, the Chief of Ajumako-Bisease, Nana Okofo Kwakora Gyan III says what he wants now is for a face-to-face meeting with Geldof to ask him: "Why?" But, despite his best endeavours, he cannot reach him. A spokesman for Geldof said the matter was an embarrassing misunderstanding, but Geldof's memory of the events was at odds with those of the people of Bisease. "They did film there, he went to Bisease to film a story on trade. Without forewarning when he arrived there was this massive ceremony which he didn't expect. They made him an honorary chief. Of course he was going to accept that hospitality, it would have been rude not to," the spokesman said. "The only thing he did promise was that he would return at some point for an autumn festival, which he hasn't done yet, but he will. The notion that he could in any way develop Bisease is ridiculous. He wouldn't promise something that he could not do, could not deliver. "I think a misunderstanding is a reasonable way to put it. He certainly does not wish to criticise them, and it does not in any way diminish his appreciation of the hospitality he was shown and for the people who live there. "The film appears to show a rather different version of events to the one he remembered, and so he did not want to be on the film." The documentary is to be shown on March 26 at the Richmix cinema in Shoreditch, London. __________________ What is this bloke talking about?

Page 1 of 1 sorted by

Quick Reply
Please log in to post quick replies.

Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse