Comment from BFP reader “Hants”…
This has made me think about the situation. This could be an immigration scam.
…One would expect that the type of people flying from so far away for a vacation would be middle to upper class with jobs and commitments requiring them to get back home asap.
Instead they are working in construction.
On BFP…sooner or later…the truth will out.
UPDATED: Stranded Passengers Working Illegally In Barbados – Want To Remain (Surprise, surprise!)
The Nation News finally published a story on the plight of 149 Ghana International Airlines passengers who were stranded in Barbados for weeks when their return flight did not arrive. (See The Nation News: Stranded)
It turns out that some are now working at a construction site while others have moved on. Unsurprisingly, some stranded passengers have announced that they would like to stay in Barbados.
Really? Gosh… what was our first clue that not every passenger arriving from Africa would intend to return? Any idiot could have predicted that – especially with the many Nigerians who took the flight to Barbados “for a vacation”.
Yup, this embracing of Africa will result in refugee claims and other uncontrolled immigration to Barbados, so our government and immigration authorities had better be on it.
But our Chief Immigration Officer Marva Farmer doesn’t seem to be answering the phone for the Nation News.
Has anyone seen Marva Farmer around? Please relay the message that folks would like to know what is going on!
Thanks.
Original BFP Story below…
Passengers From Ghana & Nigeria Can’t Get Home
Well… this really makes me want to take Ghana International Airlines back to Africa to connect with my historical roots.
Ahhh… on second thought even though it will drive Ikael Tafari to smoke more than he should… maybe I’ll take British Airways through London…
According to one African website, the holdup is with the Barbados Ministry of Transport… but I don’t buy that at all. Here’s what is said…
According to the statement, over the last week or so, the Charterer has been trying to procure another permit from the Ministry of Transport, Works and International Transport in Barbados to enable it transport a second batch of tourists to Barbados.
However, the Ministry insists it would not allow the Charterer to bring in additional tourists unless the first batch is repatriated to Accra, thus the Ministry would only permit the Charterer to bring an aircraft without passengers.
The Ministry of Transport, Works and International Transport in Barbados on February 1, 2008 granted a permit to GIA on behalf of the Charterer to operate one rotation- Ghana/Barbados/Ghana- but the ongoing dissimilarity in position between the Charterer and the authorities in Barbados prevented the repatriation of the tourists to Ghana.
… from Daily Guide Ghana
Barbados Media Fails To Report Story
Now, maybe we’re wrong here, folks. Maybe it was on the news and we didn’t hear it. Maybe the newspapers printed a huge article on this human interest story of Africans being put up in private homes all around the island. Please correct us if we’re wrong…
Yup, there’s nothing like the PROFESSIONAL Barbados news media: always so quick to make a major story out of government press announcement that a meeting will be held next week – but when it comes to anything but retyping a press release, they are lost.
… and the story from Young Bajan Lion…
What a big disgrace!
SHAME! GHANA! SHAME!
I started this month bursting with pride and happiness when news broke on 1 February that Ghana International Airlines had created history in Barbados by making the first direct flight from Africa to Barbados. So proud was I of the achievement that I rose in solid defense of GIA which came under attack from many skeptical Ghanaians here who cast slurs against the airline’s effort.
But tonight I hang my head in shame.
Two weeks after that first inaugural charter flight, GIA on Friday 15 February failed to show up on the planned second flight to Barbados and back, leaving 149 African passengers stranded in Barbados for ANOTHER TWO WEEKS until the next scheduled flight which is supposed to arrive on 29 February. The only solace I could find in the news story was that many of the Africans had deserted the guesthouse where some of them had been staying, and had taken up lodging with various Bajans whom they had met after arriving here.
A delay of a day or two is understandable, but to be stranded in a foreign country for TWO WHOLE WEEKS is outrageous. Surely some of those passengers have jobs and other responsibilities waiting for them in West Africa. They paid for TWO WEEKS in the Caribbean and now because of GIA’s atrocious bungling they have ended up spending TWO MORE WEEKS in a foreign country with money running low while food and accommodation still have to be found every day. GIA should be SUED for this, and I am sure that some Bajan lawyers would do it for free. There is no way that people should be treated like this.
I strongly commend my Bajan people for reaching out and accepting these Ghanaian and Nigerian strangers (who are our African brothers and sisters) into their homes. But I am very angry with GIA for ruining what should have been a historic and enjoyable visit to our country, because the whole idea of coming to Barbados is to make all visitors feel comfortable and welcome.
SHAME AND DISGRACE TO GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES.
They started well and finished badly.
Nuff Respect, Young Bajan.
105 Comments
February 23, 2008 at 11:01 pm
bad planning, bureaucracy run amok, under capitalized National Airline?
If Barney was still running the BTA at least we would have been given an announcement that a plane load of tourists had won a two week extension to stay in Barbados.
What is the real story and why aren’t these displaced tourists being interviewed for the inconvenience that has ocurred as well as maybe some positive experiences of Ghanaians while in Barbados?
This is human interest, trauma and misfortune.
We can’t learn from our mistakes if we don’t know the problems and the discomfort that has been created.
February 23, 2008 at 11:30 pm
[...] post by BFP and software by Elliott [...]
February 23, 2008 at 11:48 pm
That’s because the nation was so busy finding out: “What Makes Rihanna Tick…”
http://www.nationnews.com/story/296318129075859.php
February 24, 2008 at 12:02 am
If Barney was still running the BTA at least we would have been given an announcement that a plane load of tourists had won a two week extension to stay in Barbados.
____
oh loss. hahahhahhahahahhhhaa
February 24, 2008 at 12:42 am
actually Starcom did cover this story…
I think it was Starcom, it was one of the stations for sure.
February 24, 2008 at 8:55 am
I can’t find my response to this original story, two weeks ago, but I’m certain it was laced with much boredom and disapproval. I tell u people about these africans and keep getting much criticism for my efforts but, one day, you’ll learn to take what I say, seriously!!
I have a great deal of experience of them and this is probably their latest ruse for getting more people to emigrate from Ghana without acknowledging it as official, Ghanian emigration policy!!!!
I would caution you to look-out for many more such flights where the airline ‘forgot’ to return and collect its passengers who eventually, will disappear in Barbados and add to our increasing illegal immigration figures!!!!
Africans?? If they told me today was Sunday the 24th of February 2008, I would n’t believe them!!!!
Barbadians!! You will learn!!!!
February 24, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I see ten of the former passengers are now working on a construction site. It seems that Bimbro was right.
February 24, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Bimbro says…..”I would caution you to look-out for many more such flights where the airline ‘forgot’ to return.”
That would be the most expensive method of smuggling people in the history of the world.
Do you know what a plane cost?
February 24, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Kudos to these Ghanians– here 2 weeks and already holding down a job, shame on Barbados Immigration. I suspect that these people in good faith asked for assistance and got none.
February 24, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Hants,
Not really. These people paid a charter flight ticket. That covered the cost of the plane. Charter tickets are usually cheaper than scheduled fares.
Illegal immigrants often pay smugglers more than a standard flight ticket to go where they want to go.
February 24, 2008 at 3:07 pm
So what will happen to the Plane sitting on the ground at our airport?
February 24, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hants:
Instead of hanging on Clico’s coat-tails, maybe it will be impounded and become Barbados’ first prime ministerial jet.
February 24, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hants, I am confused– the Nation stated the following today:
“The flight was due to return to pick them up on February 15, but never did.”
Is the plane still here? Where is the crew?
February 24, 2008 at 4:21 pm
This is an immigration scam. These people never planned to go back to Ghana. There will be lots more coming.
February 24, 2008 at 5:09 pm
the guyanese and chinese now have competition. say thanks to ikael and commisiong for this opportunity. welcome to babadas my brothers.
February 24, 2008 at 5:20 pm
[...] post by BFP and software by Elliott [...]
February 24, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I am not sure whether there is a assumption above or a statement of fact. Could someone please confirm or deny what is implied in HANTS statement above. Is there a GHANA Airlines plane currently on the ground at our GIA Airport?
Please confirm or deny.
February 24, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Hants
February 24, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Bimbro says…..”I would caution you to look-out for many more such flights where the airline ‘forgot’ to return.”
That would be the most expensive method of smuggling people in the history of the world.
Do you know what a plane cost?
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Where duplicity and corruption is concerned, nothing is beyond the wit of those people!!!!
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Tech
February 24, 2008 at 4:21 pm
This is an immigration scam. These people never planned to go back to Ghana. There will be lots more coming.
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Well said, Tech. It’s nice to see that the Bajees may be waking-up, at last!!!!
February 24, 2008 at 7:18 pm
this was always the intention
to dump these people here
talk to immigration
you will find out
February 24, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I agree with the above posters.
‘Forgot’ to collect these passengers?
Give me a break. Y’all may not like it, but the Barbados Gov’t will have to foot the airline bill to send these people back.
And not allow another such ‘charter’ to land here.
This is the only way, if not we will seem like real suckers.
February 24, 2008 at 8:08 pm
If these ‘workers’ are allowed to remain, how soon before they call for their families, including extended, to come here?
The Gov’t may as well pay the bill for their flight back now.
February 24, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Rumplestilskin says it wont be long before they call for their families to come—Read todays Nation newspaper, they interviewed one of ten they found working for a contractor and he already said he intends to let the people back home know “how sweet” it is in Bim–and to come (his actual quote is in the article).
February 24, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Persons with computers are already familiar with Nigerian and other West African e-mail scams, and if they can fool people in that manner, wouldn’t it be easy for them to fool us with the travel plans? Wonder how Tarafi and Commissiong feel now. The Government had better get these people out NOW.
February 24, 2008 at 9:57 pm
How long do you think it’s going to take before a ship is found off the coast of Barbados with two or three hundred Ghanas or Nigerians seeking political or economic asylum in Barbados? Trust me it’s going to happen!
February 24, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Richard Sealy is already showing a degree of incompetence and inexperience that is mind- boggling. Mr. Sealy running the tourism ministry does not have to be an exercise in daily spin.
February 24, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Here we go again, the nation news could not even assertain how many of the passengers are still in Barbados. Amazing. also, why is it that everyone that I spoke to on this event smelt a rat on Feb 1, and those at the BTA, Ministry of Tourism, Immigration, etc who had all the information and all the power to obtain information like how much money each passenger had etc, did not. Just a bunch of incompetents. Now the tax payers will foot this bill and not even know when and how much is paid by the government of Barbados.
February 24, 2008 at 10:48 pm
This is why I like BFP and its bloggers.
This has made me think about the situation.
This could be an immigration scam.
Because one would expect that the type of people flying from so far away for a vacation would be middle to upper class with jobs and commitments requiring them to get back home asap.
Instead they are working in construction.
On BFP…sooner or later…the truth will out.
February 24, 2008 at 11:21 pm
My question (given the stories you hear regarding deportation) is why when they presented themselves at Immigration asking for an extension were they allowed to leave the office and fade into the woodwork. Hants you are correct if they are laborers this was no pleasure cruise…
February 25, 2008 at 12:47 am
Just speculating on my part, but I have to wonder if there wasn’t a “facilitator” here in Barbados setting things up for them before they even left Ghana, e.g. setting up work for them where they could be paid under the table, living accomodations etc.
February 25, 2008 at 2:24 am
Have we now become the world’s mount stinkeroo?
February 25, 2008 at 2:59 am
Without exposing too much ….I was fortunate to be at the hotel in St.Lawrence where these guys were staying and I happen to notice, that at the time they were putting together money to pay for their rooms.
I was told that they were overnighting but found it strange that for just overnighting, they were cash strapped.
Maybe it was indeed a plan after all.
February 25, 2008 at 8:50 am
The ‘funny’ thing about these africans is that they’ll come here, get a job, send for their families or get involved with a local girl, in order to gain nationality, get a home, car etc., and ‘live the life O’Reilly’, all the time whilst regarding us as SLAVES and the DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES!!!!
Look, mek me Primeminister, do!!!!
I will deal wid um!!!!
February 25, 2008 at 11:14 am
Hi BFP, I’ve just noticed your masthead commentary on the africans case!! Excellent, and so apt!!!!
Ironically, I’d rather allow in the drugs than the africans!! At least THEY would n’t be making a fool of us, sneaking into our country and evading normal immigration procedures, whilst regarding us as idiots!!!!
Sadly, where drugs are concerned, no matter what you do, there’ll always be a few who won’t be able to resist the evil. I say, why waste inordinate, time and resources on them!!!!
February 25, 2008 at 11:16 am
As for Comminion whaever!! He’s one of those who I’d ostracise from normal, Bajan society!!!!
February 25, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I understand that the majority of people on board the aircraft were men…………anyone have any more infromation on that? It does seem strange……..BFP, let’s get to the bottom of this, and quick. If this continues we will soon have more Guyanese and other illegal aliens than Barbadians. I am not against the legal movement of people from one country to another and it should be controlled.
Example……… Many people that illegally try to make Barbados their home are from countries where simple health care procedures (free immunization) is not available. Some of these people will bring highly contagious diseases into the island where we may not have seen a case for decades, all of a sudden we have an outbreak. Many health care professionals have been seeing the re-emergence of some diseases that were all but gone from Barbados. Very dangerous situation!
February 25, 2008 at 7:49 pm
This same Young Bajan Lion is constantly on the Ghana forums touting his beloved Barbados as the place to be and it ws only a matter of time before we started arriving, by hook or by crook. some poetic justice here. As someone has aptly said on the the Ghana forums where this is been discussed
“What is going here is that in a country like Ghana with a GDP of $400 per annum, no 20yr old is going to pay $2000.00 for a 2 week trip to go watch the sea and some few black faces and come back to Accra. We have more than enough black faces on the streets of Accra and a bigger and priistine coastline than what you’ve got in Barbados. Work out the maths”
February 25, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I met one of the Ghanaians who arrived on the inaugural flight. He was staying in Christ Church/St. Philip at the time. Was surprised to find him still on the island, since I thought the return flight had already departed. Asked him how long he would be here, he said “3 months”. (He didn’t say anything about being “stranded” here, but maybe he just didn’t want to mention it.) Told me he was doing electrical work on a construction site in St. Michael. All of this made me raise a figurative eyebrow; you can take from it what you will. I also wondered whether his friends, who he told me had gone on to Trinidad, were still there or had returned home to Ghana, but didn’t think to ask him about it.
Was interested to see the Nation article, which was published a few weeks after I met this guy. Given the hoopla that surrounded this flight, it will be interesting to see the outcome and how it is worked out.
February 25, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I find it ironic that the nation news and other private individuals can track the whereabouts of these illegal immigrants; and our immigration and police officers can not…..makes me think; is the immigration really looking for them?…..I would like the minister responsible for immigration to speak on this matter with urgency….I would expect this from a BLP governments, but not from my newly elected knights is shinning armour!
February 26, 2008 at 5:50 am
Told me he was doing electrical work on a construction site in St. Michael. All of this made me raise a figurative eyebrow; you can take from it what you will. I also wondered whether his friends, who he told me had gone on to Trinidad, were still there or had returned home to Ghana, but didn’t think to ask him about it.
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When you learn NEVER to believe a single word any of them say, without irrefutable, documented-proof, then you’ll start to get somewhere with those people. Prior to that, expecting to hear the truth from them is like hoping for night not to follow day – a complete, waste of time!!!!
February 26, 2008 at 11:39 am
BFP do not let this story fall to far below the line. We need to keep it in focus.
February 26, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Troubled says…”I would expect this from a BLP governments, but not from my newly elected knights is shinning armour!”
The Civil servants who carry out these duties were no changed with the Government so it is ridiculous to blame the New Government until they have had time to “Restructure the heiracy of the Government departments.
Instant gratification is not possible.
February 26, 2008 at 5:50 pm
But Bimbro, he was telling the truth. The Nation found the group of Ghanaians working on a construction site, and some of them were doing electrical work.
I didn’t raise an eyebrow because I thought he was lying, but because I was wondering how it was that he was working in Barbados. And if you’re going to cry down the Ghanaians for working here, you should also cry down the Barbadian employers who gave them the work, knowing full well it was illegal.
February 26, 2008 at 8:06 pm
When the news came out of a tourism initiative with West Africa I laughed like a drain.
Just look at the map! There they are. Here we are. We are an internationally applauded tourist destination. Why don’t they hop across the Atlantic and boost our tourism?
Nobody in his right mind, not even a hophead like Tafari, could take such malarkey seriously even in his herbacious dreams of PanAfrica.
But apparently some Tourism Experts did take this zany rubbish as having commercial potential. They should be fired for lacking any concept of what is necessary to develop a tourism market from such an unlikely area.
One swallow does not make a summer, goes the proverb. Nor does one idiotic charter prime the pump for international tourism.
It was obvious to anyone with sense that no genuine tourists would be on that plane. That is why there were so few (any) couples on the flight.
These West Africans are now worming their way into our community by working, and because they are from the real Africa there will be bigots who say they should be allowed to stay.
No charter flight should be allowed to land here from any such destination without posting a bond with Immigration for repatriation of the passengers, which would in this case be via London or Miami.
(Or maybe it wasn’t so dumb. Maybe it was a parting shot from BLP’s Lynch to embarrass his successor?)
February 27, 2008 at 5:37 am
I didn’t raise an eyebrow because I thought he was lying, but because I was wondering how it was that he was working in Barbados. And if you’re going to cry down the Ghanaians for working here, you should also cry down the Barbadian employers who gave them the work, knowing full well it was illegal.
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Titilayo, I decry ALL africans for their superiority attitude towards west indians and afro americans plus for their rank, lying, scheming ways!! Just coming here for a visit???? Tell it to the marines!!!!
February 27, 2008 at 11:55 am
How man people were on the flight? How many people went to other islands? How many return to Barbados from other islands? How many are currently in Barbados? Does the immigration Department know where they are all located? The answers to these question are not clear from the press coverage on the who affair. Where are the journalist who will put these questions directly to the minister of immigration this week? Will the government of Barbados issue a clear and definitive statement that convinces us that the entire matter is under control? Will the same same historical slack approach to other immigration issues be brought to this issue?
Where are some of the biggest fraud and con artist located on the African continent? How “street wise” are Barbados when it comes to dealing with a pros cons? When will Barbados governments and it people wake up and think strategically? Is it wise to to open your doors to peoples and cultures that you have not studied and do not understand socially or otherwise? When will our governments understand that intelligence gathering is not just going to school?
February 27, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I have been hearing about Barbadians saying all sort of rubbish things about Africans.My name is James from one of the historical and unique tribe in the black race ”YORUBA”.
I would like to emphasise on negative rumour the Barbadians have been spreading about Africans,particularly Nigerians.Nigeria as a country with 170,000,000 population is a country with diverse culture and may i put through you to ask yourself if 170,000,000 population could be the same thing,engage in fraudulence and dubious deal at the same time?You are making a wrong statement telling the whole world that Nigerians are all fraudsters.We arent?
Presently i have a Barbadian girl friend and what has been holding us from settling down is this wrong impression you are publicising about we Africans.West Africa is your origin,if you’ve not heard about this,you may do your findings.I am not insurport of people trooping into your country illegally. Its indeed unconstitutional. But i would implore you to stop stigmatising Africans. We are not poor,we owns the 90% of the global resouces in the world if you do not know.
Please, may i beg you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to stop this nonsense thinking and erazed racism from your mind.We are blacks and we are great.Yoruba as a tribe dominate the whole caribbean and how could we be discriminating?May God be with us and grant us wisdom and knowledge.
James.
February 27, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Yoruba James claims, “We (Africans) owns the 90% of the global resources in the world if you do not know.”
Regrettably this is nonsense, and undermines the sympathy we have for that great continent.
One fears that even if it were so, they would find a way of way making a hash of matters. With a history of despotic leaders guilty of extreme corruption blatantly using tribal hatred to divide their nations, it is hard to retain any sympathy for them.
Yoruba James- You have only poured gasoline on the flames of our suspicion about the integrity of a great many West Africans.
February 27, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Well said, sister deb. I could n’t accurately, tell u what I think of those people, and I have a lot of experience of them, I assure u, because BFP would never publish it!! However, you get an indication of my point of view, in my previous posts!!!
Suffice to say, that I agree with every single word you said about them, and more!!!!
Has an Barbadian, girlfriend?!!!! If it’s the truth, I shall pray for her!!!!
February 27, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Bimbro,
you should write a book or better still a blog about your experiences with dem West Africans. It would be an eyeopener and very educative for the “innocent”. There are free blogs available at WordPress and Blogger.com. I have one that I haven’t had time to update in two years.
interesting thing about that “superiority complex”! it actually works both ways and there are many Africans in Europe and the USA who believe, I guess wrongly, that West Indians and African-Americans show the same “superiority attitude” towards Africans. Maybe, you ought to look into your own heart before you start praying.
This “Charter flight thing” is obviously turning out to be a scam and in retrospect, many Ghanaians are not surprised. The first we heard about it was after the plane landed in Barbados. There was no prior publicity in Ghana, which is unusual. Ghana International Airlines is a struggling carrier with serious problems on its scheduled European routes, sometimes having to charter other plans to fly their passengers so it was news to us that it had time to a plane to operate a Barbados Charter.
And as with all “crises”, this will bring out the best the worst out of people. The way I see it, one good result of this fiasco is that it will alert the Barbados Immigration and Government to the threat of illegal immigration by Africans and similar scams and they will not be fooled again. Obviously, you already have a problem with Guyanese and you don’t need “Ghananese” adding to it. The 149 or so illegals can easily be found on this small island and deported. It will be worth the cost and once the doors are locked Bimbro and others can sleep safely after that.
I travel a lot in my job and I meet Barbadians, Trinidadians and Jamaicans all the time and have gotten on magnificently with every single one without exception. The internet is full of scams and dodgy people, but meeting people in real life and finding you share the same dreams, aspirations, interests, musical tastes, jokes etc- its priceless.
February 27, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Anybody willing to take a bet that these 149 West Africans will never be shipped back to their homeland?
They will have a field-day enriching the blood stock of local lasses with their genuine African genes (hopefully uncontaminated).
Some wiseacre academic will come up with a theory this is great for the maintenance of our African heritage, and they will stay as prized stud bulls on our islands. (Africans don’t have a great course record as longterm spouses. Even Barack Obama’s Kenyan father deserted Obama’s white mother after just 2 years in the U.S. and ran off home)
February 27, 2008 at 7:00 pm
gbetormenyo, thanks for the advice. I certainly, could write a book about them. Some of the experiences I’ve had with them would definitely, amaze you. They certainly, amazed me!! The degree to which they can be evil, is truly, shocking! I’m not going into details here, ‘g’, because I’ve encountered too, much unwillingness to believe on the part of Barbadians over the years on the net, so they’ll just have to learn from their own experiences.
However, I invite you to come and live and work in the UK. You might get to know them then. There’re millions of them here, now thanks to Tony Blair!! You can’t get to know any people from the brief, meetings to which you referred.
Here’s one tip for you; to really get to know a people you need to live and work among them for a reasonable length of time and maybe, have relationships with them. Unless you do that you can’t really, know a people, whether Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Africans etc!!!!
I may, however, write a book, one day!!!!
February 27, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Can’t you all see this is a scam. What about those Indians who were here a few years ago. They were sent packing. Brace yourselves for more Ghanians. Eventually, this poor little island would be overcrowded, more voilence and crime, more DISEASES. I will soon be known as BarGhanGuyChin!!! Is that what we really want? We as a people need to speak up and do something. Whatever needs to be done!!1
February 27, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Bimbro, you wrote;
maybe, that is because their experience is completely different from your experience. I think you may be attracting the wrong crowd and that is why you keep getting your fingers burnt. Like I said, look into your own heart; the enemy lies within.
I have lived and worked in the UK . There were million of Ghanaians there before Tony Blair came to power, and there will be another million after him. What is your point?
By the way, none of your stories will amaze me because I am a Ghanaian.
February 27, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Bimbo:
gbetormenyo is a Ghanaian
As they say in England, “Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
Your desperate quest for supporters on this blog is proving you to be as pathetic as most of us suspected.
You chose your life……in the UK.
Let us get on with ours without inane interjections from someone who has long lost touch with the land of his birth and even, as some may say, reality.
February 28, 2008 at 4:07 am
Mr.Adekoya, I understand your need to defend your heritage and homeland Nigeria.
However,there are many many people who have horrifying stories to tell about their experiences with Africans especially Nigerians and Ghanaians. I am sure Sir that you have friends and maybe relatives living in New York and even London. I will also bet that you also know of the numerous illegal activities Nigerians especially conduct in these two international cities. I lived in NYC Sir, and I am black, so you CANNOT fool me with your rhetoric.
In America, namely NYC Nigerians deal illegally in swiping drivers license/licence identities from individuals living in Southern States such as North and South Carolina, and doctoring the fake copies with superimposed photos of anyone willing to pay $300(US) for them. I don’t even want to talk about credit card scams and having the unique ability to snatch cellular phone numbers using high-tech devices and later cloning those phones for sale to drug dealers and livery cab drivers etc. You cannot brainwash me Mr.
You guys are masters/experts at Internet fraud. People living in Barbados have, within the last few years, been exposed to these scams. I know of two women, one Trinidadian and one Barbadian, who are citizens of the USA and got fooled by slick-tongues Nigerians only to remain in the country. After these men got legal status then they took off with any children born within the marriage and the spouses never saw them again. I say no more but your so-called Barbadian girlfriend living in Barbados needs to keep her eyes open real wide, I’d say. Those are the facts, whether you like it or not.
February 28, 2008 at 5:07 am
it is very unfortunate the fate of the ghana brothers.seems as though the arrangements were far from ideal. but what can you expect from people like ikael who couldnt run a good ecaf if he wanted to. the whole thing speaks of bad planning. ironically all who were involved are silent. but as usual we the taxpayers will foot the bill if all can be rounded up.
i say come clean with what caused this mess and act decisively to prevent future occurrences.
we are truly in the age of globalisation where all are seeking better conditions and will look for them even in a small place like bim. perhaps we should send a return flight with bajans to ghana!!!
February 28, 2008 at 8:43 am
deb thomas
February 27, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Anybody willing to take a bet that these 149 West Africans will never be shipped back to their homeland?
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Given the tardy, rate at which the Bim authorities seem go do anything I fully, expect them to remain in Bim until they become naturalised, or simply, forgotten about!! The funny thing is that I would n’t even so much mind, if they were n’t so arrogant and evil!!
Agree with everything else you said, deb. Aids-risk, lack of living up to their responsibilities, etc!! but then I guess, so do some of our own men, and women!! And you should hear how they try to give the British, over here, the idea that they’re such wonderful parents with statements like, “we have a different attitude towards family life, than afro-caribbeans’!!!!
Man, I woud drown duh lot ugh dum – having myself, helped to raise a young african lad whose father ******-off and could n’t have cared less what happened to him!!!! Now, he’s a young man, his father’s back on the scene and I don’t see him!!!! Africans?!! I could write a book!!!!
**************************
There were n’t ‘millions of Ghanaians here’ before Blair, certainly not to compare with now!!!! ‘gbe’, and as you’re african, I’ve nothing further polite, to say to you!!!!
************************************
Straight Talk, I’m not ‘looking for support’ from you. I’ve long since given-up any hope of Barbadians generally, seeing sense!! Somebody suggested I should write a book and I responded to him!! Please, go-away!!!!
‘I chose my life in the UK’ – so I guess that makes it alright!! It’s this kind of idiocy and selfishness which makes me sick of so many, Barbadians!!
Have a nice day, Bajans!! I ready to rock!!!!
February 28, 2008 at 11:18 am
We need action on the issue we cannot afford to have this continuous slide on immigration. I am amazed that this is not getting the publicity it deserves. Today the cabinet will meet and there will be a press briefing after. Where are the journalists that will press the government for a status report and a commitment to urgently righting this wrong?
I think the Pan African Commission is serving no useful purpose, may be it can be disbanded and the after the pay outs, the remaining vote can be use to address this problem.
The foreign affairs ministry can be use to forge the all necessary links with the African Diaspora, as it continues to do with our communities in NYC, London and Toronto among others. We are not anti-African. We are pro-common sense and for preservation of a way life and peace and tranquility of our tiny island.
Barbados Free Press, please start a new link on this story at the top of the page.
**************
BFP says,
Yes… Clive has almost finished a new story about this fraud… and readers are going to be horrified at the truth about Ghana International Airlines.
February 28, 2008 at 12:01 pm
BFP says,
Yes… Clive has almost finished a new story about this fraud… and readers are going to be horrified at the truth about Ghana International Airlines.
********************************
Benevolent, correction BFP. Some, of your readers will be horrified!! Not all, NOTHING, surprises me, about those people!!!!
February 28, 2008 at 4:31 pm
oh no
February 29, 2008 at 4:52 pm
‘gbe’, (Mr africa!!), I had absolutely, no intention of ever saying anything to you again, good or ill, but a trip into town today revised my point of view!!
As you know, the last thing any african wants is to be mistaken for a west indian, or afro american, so why then, are you living in Bim!!!!
Like so many millions, were you desperate to get out of africa, whatever the cost, or are you one of the passangers from ‘the plane’?!!!!
Have a nice day, in Barbados, the home of the ex-slaves which your ’superior’ country is so much better than that you had to cross one or two oceans to get there to try to make a better life for yourself!!!!
February 29, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I wonder if the “authorities” will tell of the Ghanians arrested in Trinidad to be deported to Barbados. More on this later.
February 29, 2008 at 6:56 pm
What is the beef Bimbro? You seem to really hate Africans! Why? I can see that this is personal for you and, it is more than an immigration issue for you…
February 29, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Prince, the explanation is that I have extensive, knowledge of them. Read my extended, post above for just a pointer……plus, I have the misfortune of having to live among a large number of them !!!!
February 29, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Well, it is good not to generalize… I am sure that the ones you hate are not reflective of the whole population…
February 29, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Bajans think they smart, but they dont read enough. These West Africans have been trying to leave Africa by the thousands over the past several years. Many of them drown before they make it to Italy, Spain or the Canaries. Thousands are picked up at sea and sent back. They pay about $2,000 to smugglers, some of whom take the money and dump them at sea. Then Bajans go and give the Ghanians an easy direct route to Bim. Cost? The same $2,000 they would pay a smuggler. They are not returning. Why whould Ghanians come to Barbados as tourists, when they can just as easily go to Europe or the US?
March 1, 2008 at 7:05 am
prince
February 29, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Well, it is good not to generalize… I am sure that the ones you hate are not reflective of the whole population…
*********************************
Prince, you and others can comfort yourselves by believing so, if u wish!! I am SURE that they are!!!!
Well, Pat, I can’t speak for other Bajans but, I, personally am well aware of the various routes and methods they use to get into Europe!!
The Bajans must account for their own behaviour!!!!
March 3, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Barbados cannot help Africa, Africa is a rich continent, and we are only 166 squar miles, we have our own issues to take care of. Africans come with a price tag, that we in Bim cannot afford, we have a small health system, we have no experience with tribes, and tribal wars, If the Africans in Barbados THink Africa is so fruitfull, THEN why are they not in Africa, we are still trying to understand the arival of the NIGERIAN snails, how did this snail get to BARBADOS, Did it swim, did it come by boat, or did it get a free ride in some ones luggage. you tell me.
March 3, 2008 at 7:21 pm
The level of ignorance on this topic is astounding…The most made by “sister” may in fact be the supreme ignorant comment… wow hahaha
March 5, 2008 at 2:41 am
I personally met five the Ghanaians. People are people black or white we all have prejudices. Both white and black persons scam bajans. I saw a Ghanaian in Queens Park and enquired about his welfare. He informed food,clothing and shelter were their immediate needs. The iniative was taken to use some corporate contacts to solicit funds and Iwas able to raise $200 US.
These funds were used to pay the rent that was due on Tuesday and buy food. However it came to my realisation that they are victims of their ignorance as they were told by the TOUR OPERATOR in Ghana that they could get a Barbadian passport and travel on to USA or England. Thus this is just a form of Human Trafficking using Jet Aircrafts. Some of these young men saved a long time in order to take this trip and you cannot fault them for seeking better. Most persons who live within abject poverty and turmoil tend to be scammers so Africans our Guyanese are not to be singled out. The greed of the leaders of most African countries is the problem. They prefer to spend money on arms rather than education. Education MUST BE
COMPULSORY FOR ALL AFRICANS IN AFRICA BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 18YEARS.
They lied about their ages but I the made it clear that lies will not earn the trust of Barbadians.
Persons have offered monies to offset rent and buy food tonite after news item was aired on tv.
Finally, government must manage our immigration as we have limited resources. IMMIGRATION MUST TAKE BLAME ALSO AS
THE AMOUNT OF LUGGAGE THESE PERSONS CARRIED SHOULD HAVE SET OFF ALARM.
Notwithstanding the above we should all endeavour to help how we can as 346 slaves left Barbados for Liberia and some went on to Ghana
March 5, 2008 at 2:47 am
REEMAC TOURS THE LOCAL AGENTS HAVE THEY PASSPORTS FOR SAFE KEEPING THEY TOLD ME.
March 5, 2008 at 6:50 am
There’re probably, already, laughing at “the fools they’re making of these, ‘less intelligent than them’, ex-slaves”!!!!
March 5, 2008 at 11:24 am
Who is laughing at who?
March 5, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Mac
March 5, 2008 at 11:24 am
Who is laughing at who?
******************************
West Indians are usually, regarded by africans as slaves or ex-slaves, not africans!!!!
March 6, 2008 at 1:44 am
Why are you playing the divide and conquer card?
All your hate has proven to be false… You need to deal with your inner deamons and, your hate of Africans…
http://www.cbc.bb/index.pl/article?id=161055
Stranded Ghanaians struggling
Some of the Ghanaians stranded in Barbados for the last two weeks are facing rather tough times during their extended stay.
When the 96 nationals of the West African nation arrived in Barbados on the landmark non-stop flight, they came with high hopes, aiming to establish relations in the country.
What was expected to be a two week vacation has however turned into an everyday struggle for survival.
Three of them live in a house in Carrington Village St. Michael, where conditions are less than adequate.
One of the men is Yeboah Abuu Daudi.
He says they have no more money and now are struggling to pay the rent which is 280 dollars a week.
They only brought enough money to cover their expenses for two weeks but have been stranded in Barbados for an additional two weeks.
According to Mr. Daudi, things would have been better if they had the chance to work.
He says that chance was denied when it was publicly revealed that Ghanaians were working illegally on a construction site, publicity that has cost them dearly.
He said they decided they had to work to get money to buy food and be able to pay for a place to sleep. They found a job on a construction site, but when it became public knowledge that they were working there they were dismissed because the employer did not want any trouble.”
A cursory glance at their tickets dispels the rumours that their flight could have possibly been a one way trip and they now await word from the travel agent and the authority to find out when they can return to Ghana.
But by tonight they may have to find another place to rest their heads because according to them the landlord is expecting to be paid tonight.
March 6, 2008 at 7:11 am
Sorry, Prince. I caan bodder with u & them!! As I said, they’ll make fools of Bajans if u allow them to!! You seem more than keen for them to!!!
To a large, extent, I’ve given-up on Bajans!!!!
March 6, 2008 at 7:37 pm
CBC-TV had good coverage on the fate of FIVE Ghanaians rapidly being absorbed into our community. More effort seems to be made to give them financial support etc. rather than to help them go home. This is very Christian, but dodges the basic question of illegal immigration through a trick Pseudo-Tourism charter.
I thought 149 Ghanaians had arrived here? What happened to the other 144? Have they scattered to the other islands, or found their way back to Africa under their own steam?
March 6, 2008 at 8:13 pm
What kind of immigration policies do we have that when illegal immigrants that have been indentified, photographed, interviewed and then broadcast to the entire nation have not been pick up and held until their situation have been sorted out?. Am i the only one brave enough to asked such a question? Humanitarian efforts are okay but we either have laws or none at all.
March 7, 2008 at 2:15 pm
We are sinking this rock deeper and deeper into a sea of despair. The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.
It would be in the best interest for all concern for the Barbados Government to foot the bill of sending these people back as soon as possible. The long price may be greater. We can ill afford accommodating any for illegal immigrations. It’s just a matter of time before some misled young women a captivated and then the matter will be further complicated. The government needs to convince us that they have the matter under control. Simply issuing a statement to the effect that ‘efforts are on’ means nothing around here. We all know that all too well. We are still unsure as to how many persons are here and where they are located.
March 7, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I read all of the comments from 1 to 79 so far. And I would like to know WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT is doing about this situation? No one is saying nothing; I do not like it at all. I dont usually agree with brimbo but I have to this time. Why are bajans the ‘cud dear people’? I dont understand it at all.
You believe that we would treat our own like DOGS, but we would want to say cud dear to people we know nothing about.
It is time we love our own FIRST;
It is time we make Immigration do their job;
This situation is an awful dilemma for us Barbadians. We cannot afford to have all these people hear. We need to get this thing sorted out. Or we will suffer the consequences.
March 8, 2008 at 1:25 am
Having read all comments & statements,I believe the same thing has been going on here in America,especially at ports of entry & the border.The immigration department never really use to enforce the immigration rules here until about a year & a half now because the people of the U.S. demanded it.
Now I don’t understand why people who are Barbadian citizens living there do not demand the same from Government.It shouldn’t be hard to track down anyone who are illegal since it is an ISLAND & I’m pretty sure either the Port or GAIA would have a record of these people & who are here legally & illegally.I also believe tourism should probably be restricted to countries that either have a high GDP per capita or implement England’s newest iteration of immigration rules where countries of questionable economic stability would post some sort of Bond = to a return ticket so that Bajans wouldn’t have to fit the bill to avert this sort of problem in the future.
March 8, 2008 at 10:18 am
Jay, your comment is laughable…. Hahahhahaha wow ahahahha I cannot believe I just read that…
What would we say…
Sorry Mr. X, your country’s GDP is not high enough! No vacation for you!ahhahaha wow!
March 10, 2008 at 1:06 am
That “gbetormenyo” character is another African liar and fraud.
This trip was being advertised in Ghanaian newspapers weeks before it landed.
It was also being advertised (and is STILL being advertised) on the website of the Ghanaian travel agency, Seasons Travel and Tours.
http://www.seasonstravelandtours.com
March 11, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Wow Mr. Prince,you truly are setting yourself up to be the King of all fools.
This whole situation surrounds nationals who couldn’t support themselves in Barbados during this entire mess & had to work in the country illegally to support themselves.It is obvious it would be less likely that nationals from any of the high GDP per capita countries would have been less of a burden & not curtail Barbados’ immigration by working illegally.Some of the Ghanian nationals also made it very clear in some recent articles that they didn’t just come here for a “vacation”.Ghana has a GDP per capita of $2700,Barbados & Trinidad is around ~$19,000 & are probably the highest in the lesser antilles.I mentioned Trinidad because this is where some of the Ghanian nationals went as well,Do you REALLY think a person who makes $2700 average a year would pay $6000-8000 for a vacation to Barbados ?
Last time I checked only people who got off the Concorde did that.
March 12, 2008 at 2:42 am
Re the top article.
Yes I have seen Mrs Farmer, acting Chief Immigration Officer, during the last week of January 2008, when she refused me my extension (I have my own uk based business which I had taken evidence and bank statements to show, quite clearly solvent enough to not be a charge on Barbados, only wanted to stay an extra 4 weeks)and made me leave the island immediately ie same day without most of my possessions.
I have contacted her directly by fax (3 times) and phone calls (over 12 times) and she hasnt had the decency to bother even acknowledging a single one. I must say, having dealt with the actual Chief Immigration Officer, Gilbert Greaves, on previous occassions I will be very glad when he returns to office, and restores the sense of professionalism and respect for processes, not to mention each immigration officer’s personal responsibility for his good practice.
Mrs Farmers obviously slipshod approach to processes and unprofessional interpersonal and communication skills, highlighted all the more by her refusal to answer phone calls for weeks and weeks on end, all are strong indications that Mrs Farmer should do no more than ‘Act’ as Chief Immigration officer in the future, before we find the Barbados Immigration Department red-faced through errors in practice brought about by an officer who is happy to ‘act’ at being the ‘chief’ but unable or unwilling to manage the other functions demanded by the role of ‘chief’, such as transparency, accountability, communication and accepting that as acting chief the buck stops with her…’playing’ at being out of office/too busy to take the call for days and weeks on end, well…they certainly aren’t signs of a leader, or even a manager. A discredit to the civil servants of Bim. And a real shame
March 28, 2008 at 12:00 am
$12 million to be spent on stranded Ghanaians in Barbados (Accra, Ghana)
Accra, March 27, GNA- Government has committed over 12 million dollars to charter a plane to fly home about 50 stranded Ghanaians who travelled to Barbados last month in search of greener pastures.
Dr Charles Brempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday, said ironically the Ghanaians had paid between 4,000 Ghana cedis and 10,000 Ghana cedis each to travelling agents to get to Barbados for a two-week stay.
“The Ghanaians who got to that country with the hope of crossing over to the US, Canada and other developed countries for greener pastures have been captured on Barbados Television networks begging for alms.”
Originally 146 people, including 46 Nigerians were stranded in Barbados but some managed to cross over to Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Brempong-Yeboah described the situation as very embarrassing to Ghana, explaining that, those Ghanaians could have stayed at home with the huge amounts of money they paid to the agents to do profitable business at home.
He stressed: “Any small businesses they had started in Ghana would have grown by now.”
Dr Brempong-Yeboah observed that the US, Europe, Asia and other huge economies in the world have been hit by economic recession hence the need for such economic adventurists to know that it is fruitless for them to embark on such ventures.
Dr Brempong-Yeboah said the afterm ath of the terrorist attack on the US and the collapse of the USSR had changed the political and economic dynamics of the world and so there were no longer greener pastures anywhere.
March 28, 2008 at 5:26 am
It is with much interest that I read the comments on this issue. As an African, I am neither Ghanian nor Nigerian; I hail from Liberia and live in Washington DC. The whole thing seems like a scam. The local authorities should take the appropriate measures to track these “149″ illegal tourists and send them back to their respective countries as soon as possible.
However, what saddened me were all the venomus invectives used to describe “Africans” by most of the bloggers. I concede that the internet scams perpetrated by some of our brothers be they Nigerians or Ghanians are reprehensible and indefensible to say the least. The majority of Africans are just like Bajans – they love family and country. Do not let this incident poison your global views. Do not fall prey to the politics of hatred and xenophobia. All people share a common humanity. In fact, in Liberia, many Bajans emigrated to Liberia in the 19th century and help found the country. I went to school at Howard university with a lot of friendly and honorable Bajans. Once again, deal with these fake tourists accordingly, restructure your tourism wisely but again, refrain from stereotyping Africans and don’t let this experience incite you to unchecked hatred for a whole continent and its people.
I will not apologise for the behavior of these fools as there are crooks in every corner of the globe. May Providence bless all humanity.
April 10, 2008 at 4:34 am
[...] BFP – Stranded Passengers Working Illegally In Barbados – Ghana International Airlines Strands Passengers … [...]
April 10, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I am deeply ashamed to have myself called a barbadian when I read these covertly racist posts.
It makes me want to renounce my citizenship.
To The Current Prime Minister: At the most oportune time, I will be renouncing my citizenship from this awful Euro-Colonialized place.
To all the afro-europeans living here: I pray that you find yourselves… and soon!
To the Racist/White supremacist barbadians: You can have Barbados if you want. I don’t care for it!
April 15, 2008 at 1:07 pm
i want to make this story of Ghanaian stranded in barbados clear. Am from accra, Ghana. The trip was just a touristic trip to barbados , it was annouce on our media most times thats and most people love the who idea and decide to participate by geting intouch with the organises name SEASON TRAVEL AND TOUR. First of all i don’t see nothing wrong with GIA
April 15, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Greetings
I want to extend a warm welcome to ALL my Afrikan brothers and sisters here in Barbados. Ignore those bigoted, selfish, ignorant individuals that have adopted the cultures and mannerisms of the Racist/White Supremacist Europeans. These individuals are of zero consequence. My absolute solidarity is with you.
I’m agree with AsoulJah. I’m currently making arrangements to re-patriate to Ghana in the very forseeable future, once I extract as many resources as I can from this horrible Eurocentric, neo-colonialized barren rock… and I’ll be taking those resources back to Afrika.
Hope to see you on the other side
P.S. tune in and listen to http://www.wblr.com, and http://www.LIB.com for Afrocentric radio as well as http://www.africaspeaks.com/reasoning for purely afrocentric reasonings.
April 19, 2008 at 3:29 pm
[...] Whither the Stranded Africans? Bajan Free Press Feature Article of Tuesday, 19 February 2008 UPDATED: Stranded Passengers Working Illegally In Barbados – Ghana International Airlines Strands Pa… Still no word from the Ghanian or Nigerian [...]
April 21, 2008 at 7:11 am
Bolgatanga, April 18, GNA – Fifteen Ghanaians, with ages ranging between from 17 and 34 years, were on Thursday deported by the government of Spain to Ghana for illegally entering the country. They are Mr. Alex Antwi, 28, Mr. Kwasi Appiah, 23, Mr. Kwame Alex, 25, Mr. Thomas Boateng, 26, Mr. Kojo Antwi, 25, Mr. Kwasi Obeng, 25 and Mr. Kojo Yakubu 29, all from Teacheman.
The rest are Nana Kofi 34, from Kwahu, Mr. Kobi Bright, 30, Cape Coast, Mr. Jojo Kwame, Cape Coast, Mr. Kofi Otu 30, Mankessim, Mr. Kofi Akwa 34, Kumasi, Mr. William Ayaba, 23, Sunyani, Mr. Fifi Kojo, 20, Berekum and Mr. Agyei Kwabina, 17 Berekum. Narrating their ordeal their leader, Mr. Alex Antwi, said they travelled through Mali, Algeria to Morocco and to Spain but were deported to Algeria where they served one month in prison before they were released.
He said there are about another 100 Ghanaians deported from Spain and are in Algerian prisons. Mr Antwi said after their release by the Algerian authorities they travelled to Mali where they met a Catholic priest who assisted them to enter Ouagadougou.
In Ouagadougou they met a Ghanaian articulator truck driver who transported them through the Paga border to the Upper East Region where they decided to seek assistance from the Regional Coordinating Council to enable them to get to their hometowns.
Addressing them Mrs. Agnes Chegabatia, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister who received them in the presence of Mr. Daniel Taabazuing, Commander of Immigration in charge of Upper East Region, told them to take lessons from what they had gone through.
Most of the deportees GNA spoke to vowed never to travel to look for greener pasture outside Ghana and that the hardships they went through had taught them lessons.
Mr. Antwi said he used more than 25,000 Ghana Cedis from his poultry farm for the journey and that he would go back to his poultry business. Mr. Taabazuing said the deportees, who are in the custody of the Immigration Service, would be screened to find out whether they are Ghanaians after which they would be counselled and re-integrated into their communities.
Source:
April 22, 2008 at 11:28 am
I have seen a lot of the posts on here as I was reading through various articles concerning this unfortunate inccident.
I am still not completely clear on the facts of this matter, but from what I can gather some West Africans seem to be stranded in Barbados.
There is every possibility that these individuals where indeed economic migrants. People seek greener pastures the world over and West Indians are not in anyway an exception to this practise.
The only reason behind thier action if indeed they are economic migrants would in my opinion be to get to the US or Canada via Barbados.
Most of the unintelligent comments I have read highlights the ignorance and uneducated views held by some West Indians. Not inconsistent with some west indians I have encountered.
It was reported that these individuals had paid up to $4000 for this trip, lets be honest how many Bardadians have ever had that amount of money in thier possession?
How many Lucrative jobs are there in Barbados? Please, please do not confuse a few hotels and a beach with economic development. Who in thier right minds would travel half way across the world to live the way the average person on you Island lives?
Please get of your high horses, because you are a third world country with third world problems such as high levels of poverty, low literacy(sometimes very apparent), unemployment, poor infraustructure etc
To demonise Africans as if you are a bunch of angels is laughable to say the least. You have your bad apples too, quite a few West Indian islands are very high up on the murder rate and crime tables. Actually not long ago British Doctors went to carribean islands to encounter war type injuries which they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to.
Don’t worry about being corrupted by the 140 or so Africans either cause you have your own high level corruption issues with politicians and law enforcement officers participating in drug trafficking etc. We all know that gun crime in London today is mainly down to west indian immigrants.
This issue will be resolved shortly and don’t worry about Barbados or any other west indian island for that matter being a target for Africans. There are more West Indians probably living in other North American and European countries than thier own islands, that says it all.
So please leave the racist comments for trully developed nations that have proper immigration concerns, I can only imagine the sort of audacity you would have if Barbados was half as rich or developed as a South Africa, Botswana or even a Zimbabwe a few years ago.
April 23, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Ghanaian I think you have missed the point. I am
sure West Indians have seeked Greener Pastures
LEGITIMATELY and not in HUMAN TRAFFICKING. We do know Barbados is not as RICH as the African Countries, But I must say
Barbados is a very rich place in Human Development, we do know Goverment after Goverment have invested in Barbadians, we do know we have a DEMOCRACY that works for
us, we do know we have Great Goverments that
manage the AFFAIRS of our Country , we d do know there is no CHAOS in the everyday affairs
of our Country. Well you will know of CORRUPT
Polictians and Police as you were Born in Corruption. My years as a Barbadian I have had no
Proof of Corrupt Polictians or Police. We have LAWS in Barbados , no one is above the LAW in
Barbados. I am a Proud West Indian , I have nothing against Africans. I have a Problem with
HUMAN Trafficking. The Goverment must take
action that would be seen as an example as to what
Price will be paid if our SHORES are going to be
used for Trafficking in anyway whatsoever.
Well you have given reason as to why we as Barbadians must protect our Shores from Human
Trafficking and Scammers.
April 25, 2008 at 4:03 am
Some Ghanaians use Gambia as transit for their green-pasturing adventures. In Gambia, Ghanaians are known to be law-abiding and working alongside their Gambian counterparts to scrape a modest living. The •Ghanaian is like the cockroach, surviving in every environment. That is his only sin in this miserable world.
The problem with the Gambia is that, the country has a very unusual character as its leader. Unusual in the sense that he takes very strange decisions when it comes to any real, perceived or imagined threat to his position as head-of-state or president, which ever he is.
So for him to quickly order the execution of 44 Ghanaians for allegedly plotting to overthrow him, but with no ready proof of their complicity, shows the strangeness of the man’s character.
Equally strange is the way the world is being charitable to Yahya Jammeh for his crimes against humanity. His own people tell harrowing tales of how they live under this man who has no regard for human lives. When Yahaya Jammeh descends on you, better say your last prayers.
If Gambians choose to live under such a heartless leader, that is their business. But the truth is that the souls of those 44 Ghanaians slaughtered in such senseless manner, cannot rest until Jammeh is brought to book to answer for his actions.
I personally find it a bit remiss on the part of Ghana to have become too quiet over the issue. I understand it from the diplomatic point of view, but when as many as 44 of your nationals have been butchered like cowleg, diplomacy must for once take a back-bench.
Ghanaians are not saying Jammeh is guilty of killing 44 Ghanaians. What they are saying is that, he is a prime suspect. And so long as he deserves a fair hearing, he should be put to trial to defend himself. It is only then that this matter will end peacefully.
I guess the world order is changing and dictators can no longer have their way. The days of Idi Amin who even went haywire
April 25, 2008 at 5:54 pm
As the nation prepares for Ghana 2008…Children in danger
By Accra Mail
Fri, 14 Dec 2007
General News
The Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service and some organizations have uncovered plots by some people to recruit children for prostitution during the African Cup of Nations tournament, Ghana 2008.
The government has therefore been called upon to put measures in place to prevent the plotters who are mostly human traffickers from having a field day.
Panelists at a two-day workshop on “Combating Child Trafficking in Ghana – the Role of the Media” noted that, human trafficking is the third most lucrative business in the world after drugs and trading of arms, with an estimated annual earning of $5-$7 billion.
The workshop at Senchi near Akosombo in the Eastern Region was organized by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and sponsored by the British High Commission. It brought together journalists from Volta, Eastern, Central, Greater Accra and Western regions.
The human traffickers often recruit minors who are turned into sexual workers. These children are exploited and paid pittance for their “hard work”.
The children sometimes end up contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Prostitution is illegal in Ghana..
The fear of the panelists emanated from the fact that, globally, perpetrators of human trafficking habitually take advantage of international sporting events like the Ghana 2008 tournament to recruit sex workers for their operations, which children are not left out.
A child right activist Mr. Bright Appiah of Children’s Right International an NGO, said that he had information from Kumasi that some “underground agents” have been paid to recruit sex workers which some of the targets are children.
He said as the security agencies beef up their watchdog role in host cities and surrounding towns of Ghana 2008 tournament, children could also be protected if government imposed a curfew on children during the tournament.
The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, Mr. Adu-Poku said international sporting events have become fertile ground for human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children.
“The international sporting events have become a fertile ground for human trafficking, for sexual exploitation, the documented patterns of frequent trafficking of children for force prostitution during world cups and others as well as the increase of recruitment of children for force prostitution in South Africa for the upcoming world cup create a dire picture..We need to fight it to ensure zero tolerance for human trafficking,’ he said.
He said human trafficking is linked to organized crime and called for concerted efforts to cut the demand and discourage the supply.
According to a UN estimation, about 706,000 to four million women and children are trafficked every year. Out of the figure, 50% are children with some as young as under six years.
Mr. Adu-Poku said with the money they are making out of the business, it would be very difficult for them to stop. To fight human trafficking effectively, he said there should be protection, prosecution, awareness creation and assistance to victims.
Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Executive Director of Enslavement Prevention Alliance West Africa said, even though anti-human trafficking preventative measures have mitigated the practice, there is still the need for the media to play a critical role in spreading awareness of human trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation.
“In South Africa, there are media reports of how street children as young as nine years old are being lured and prepared for prostitution for World Cup 2010,” she said and warned: “With no preventative measures in place and relatively easy border crossings for other ECOWAS members prior to and during the CAN 2008, it is highly probable that thousands of women and children will be trafficked into Ghana for the purposes of sexual exploitation, as well as recruited internally.”
Child rights advocates met on Monday at the offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strategize on how to abort the plans of the traffickers.
Meanwhile there have been media reports of invasion of prostitutes from neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria to Accra and Takoradi respectively, a move the secret association of sex workers in both cities have expressed concern about.
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April 25, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Ghana: Human trafficking hub
Accra – Ghana is a source, transit point and destination for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced domestic commercial labour, a United States official said in Accra on Friday.
Rachel Yousey of the US. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons said a report on the human trafficking situation in Ghana showed that Ghanaian children were trafficked internally for forced labour in fishing villages and cocoa plantations and were sent to urban areas in the South to work under exploitative conditions as domestic servants, street vendors and porters.
Ghanaian children are also trafficked to Ivory Coast, Togo and Nigeria, said Yousey, who is on a five-nation African tour that will also take her to Togo, Benin, South Africa and Mozambique.
Recruiters typically target poor children, who are removed from their home communities with their parents’ consent, she said.
New bill praised
She said women and girls are trafficked to Western Europe, principally Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, where they are sexually exploited. Some young Ghanaian women end up in domestic servitude in the Middle East.
Yousey said Nigerian females en route to Western Europe for sexual exploitation transit Ghana. Burkina Faso victims pass through Ghana on their way to Ivory Coast.
Foreign victims of human trafficking include children brought to Ghana en route to Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin and Nigeria for forced labour, involuntary domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.
Yousey said the report indicated that prominent among those trafficked were children, and yet data on them was rather low.
She praised Ghana for passing a bill on Thursday that seeks to prevent, suppress and punish persons or groups who engage in human trafficking. Yousey said the legislation would give Ghanaian law enforcement agencies backing to help them stem the significant human trafficking. The bill must be signed by the president to take effect. – Sapa-dpa
April 26, 2008 at 5:24 am
Nigeria: Human Trafficking – a View From Edo State
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Daily Trust (Abuja)
19 November 2007
Posted to the web 19 November 2007
Atika Balal
Berlin
Annually, some 800,000 persons, made up mainly of women and children, are trafficked across national borders.
Recently, Edo state hosted journalists and experts for a two day anti human trafficking workshop organised by the National agency for the prohibition of traffic in persons (NAPTIP), where the role the media could play in combating trafficking in persons was discussed.
This city was possibly chosen as the venue for this workshop, because Edo state has been labelled as the most endemic state known for human trafficking.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Annually, about 600,000 to 800,000 people mostly women and children are trafficked across national borders, which does not count millions trafficked within their own countries.
In a few cases, physical force is used, and in other cases, false promises are made regarding job opportunities or marriages in foreign countries to entrap victims.
In general terms, human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat which deprives people of their rights and freedom. Not only is it a global health risk, it also fuels the growth of organized crime.
Human trafficking I must say has a devastating impact on individual victims, who often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, and even death. The impact of human trafficking however goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches.
The phenomenon of human trafficking in Nigeria has become multi dimensional and multi faceted to the extent that anybody could fall a victim and no one is safe. Besides prostitution, marriage, and forced labour, some of these victims are used for rituals, begging and even for organ transplantation or money laundering. While most trafficking into the commercial sex trade involves young adult women, minors including some children under 16 are also exploited. For example, recent research from Armenia notes a high demand for girls from the age of 15 in some of the Gulf States (the most common destination countries for those trafficked from Central Asia); where after this age girls are considered adults. The majority of customers for child sex in every country are local men, but the presence of foreign tourists, businessmen, and even peacekeeping forces has been cited as a contributory factor.
Surprisingly, even the solemn Muslim pilgrimage has been turned to an avenue for trafficking, by some unscrupulous persons. Hussaina Ibrahim and Idris Aminu were both charged for trafficking from Kano to Saudi Arabia, organizing illegal foreign travels and debt bondage. Their victims were promised good jobs in Saudi Arabia, but were later introduced to prostitution. Hussaina was sentenced to three years while Idris who worked with a traveling agency was sentenced to two years for being an aid to a trafficker.
Nigeria isn’t the only country haunted with problems of human trafficking, neither are the effects of such acts suffered by Nigerians alone. Statistics show that every year, out of one to two million trafficked victims who are mostly women and children, but increasingly men and boys as well, a great percentage is taken to Italy while the few others are taken to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Macedonia and India. The most shocking revelation however is that over 40 percent of these victims are under the age of consent.
In Nigeria today, particularly Edo state, human trafficking has become the order of the day it has become an organised crime which has Lawyers, herbalists, corrupt Immigration and police officers all involved in the process.
Sometimes you realise that these traffickers are well connected in embassies in various countries, and could get their victims into trouble, if along the way they refuse to cooperate.
While lots of people blame poverty or culture as a basis for human trafficking in Nigeria, NAPTIP says other causes of the outrageous rate of human trafficking in the country are ignorance, desperation, and the promotion and commercialization of sex by the European Union (EU).
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Speaking on the first day of the workshop, the director investigation and monitoring (NAPTIP) Alh. Muhammad Babandede, said that various factors influence child trafficking in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region but the singular and most important excuse and contributory feature however, include poverty and desperation.
According to him, in all countries concerned a large proportion of the population live below the poverty line. However, poverty alone does not explain the prevalence of child trafficking in Nigeria. Most people heavily involved in human trafficking do not necessarily have the most social indicator for poverty, nor possess the worst cases of poverty.
Thus, it is right to say that inadequate educational opportunity, lack of vocational and economic opportunities for the youth in rural areas, institutional lapses, greed and peer group influence among other things amount to desperation and are contributory factors.
April 26, 2008 at 5:28 am
Hundreds of thousands of African men, women and children are being forced into situations
of labour and sexual exploitation both on the continent and abroad every year.
Internationally, trafficking in persons has been identified as a serious threat to human
security and development by governments, pressure groups and the UN. But for many
African governments, the problem has only recently been acknowledged. This article, the
first in a two part series on the issue, outlines the types and extent of trafficking in Africa,
with a focus on West and Central Africa. Contributing factors, in particular the high profit
margins and low risk of arrest and conviction, are reviewed as well as the impact on human
rights, public health, community and family development and the growth of organised
crime. The second article in the series will consider successful strategies and international
programmes, with a focus on the lessons learned for Africa from West Africa.
May 15, 2008 at 2:49 pm
deb thomas
WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO SAY YOU HAVE MERCY ON AFRICANS. I PITY YOU IF YOU ARE UNDER A RACIST ATTACK IN A WHITE MANS COUNTRY AND YOU SAY I AM NOT BLACK AND I AM NOT AN AFRICAN BECAUSE THAT IS WHO YOU ARE AND CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM IT. WHAT IS BARBADOS ANYWAY. WE IN GHANA ARE MORE THAN OKAY AND YES FROM JAMES COMMENT WE OWN THE RESOURCES. AS SAID, NO ONE KNOW WHEN AFRICAN REDEMPTION COMES, IT COMETH LIKE A STORM IN THE WIND. ONE DAY YOU OR YOUR SIMBLINGS WILL FIND YOUR SELF TROOPING BACK TO AFRICA FOR A CHARTER HOLIDAY OR BETTER GREENER PASTURES
May 15, 2008 at 3:01 pm
theswanee
REMEMBER WHAT BOB MARLEY SAID, AN EDUCATED FOOL IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN BECOME AND I HOPE YOU ARE NOT. DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE ANY CORRUPTION IN YOUR COUNTRY? YOU BELEIVE IN AMERICANS AND EUROPEANS MORE THAN YOUR OWN SELF SO GO ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE NO CORRUPTION IN THEIR GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR PEOPLE. POOR YOU
May 20, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I’ve read the posts above and I must say I have cringed in shock and laughed. I am Kenyan and I study and work in the UK. I have come across west indians who seem to have a very narcissistic attitude towards africans…..but i have also met africans who have the same attitude towards west indians. My point is that neither of the two are better.
My current girlfriend is Jamaican and when we started dating, apparently her mum was against it. Her reason? African men are wife beaters who have wives back home and will force you to go back to africa with them – i kid you not! This is before she even met me. And what makes this more absurd is that her mum lives in Jamaica and has hardly ever come into contact with africans. I have a deep respect for west indians and an admiration of the cultures that abound in the carribean. I only do hope that both sides come to respect each other mutually.
As black people, we face racism and ask of whitey to treat us on the basis of our own merit rather than his generalization of black people. Yet we turn round, renege on our pledge and do the very same thing to our brethren. We judge west indians/africans based on experiences we have with a few individuals. If we don’t respect our own kind how do we expect to be respected by others – and this goes out to my african brethren too!
Peace
June 10, 2008 at 4:36 am
Speaking as a white Canadian who just happened upon this story and found it interesting, I was also pretty stunned by the stereotyping going on in this thread. Maybe not stunned so much as offended. Yes, even “whitey” can be offended by black on black racism. It made me chuckle to myself a little thinking you could switch African to Barbadian/West Indian and it sounds EXACTLY like what I’ve heard racists say against you guys. Sure, I’ve met plenty of dodgy Africans, but I know my fair share of dodgy Bajans too!
July 10, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Very well said myself. Couldn’t agree with you more.
And don’t worry about weather you have the right to be offended or because you do. Sensible people realise that there is’nt black or white, there is open mindedness and narrow mindedness.
As an african I was amazed at how freely people exhibited thier ignorance, absolutely disgraceful !!