On Sunday August 21st, Tolu Bablo ( @ToluBablo on Twitter), an engineer from Port Harcourt, Nigeria arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to help close out a project in Takoradi.
From the moment he touched down, Tolu has been tweeting his experiences mostly comparing them to conditions in Nigeria.
What makes his account even more interesting is the natural humour his tweets come with.
His tweets have been garnering attention from a lot of people over time. When Covebeat asked Tolu about his motivation to livetweet his stay in Ghana he replied, “I (used to) write, but I haven’t in a year. I am too lazy nowadays to think up an article. This was the second best option.” He added that he did not expect this much attention when he started tweeting.
We asked him what he will miss most about Ghana and he replied “the peace, the quiet, the laid back atmosphere, the view; double entendre intended and the organisation.” He was supposed to be in Ghana till September 19th but currently he isn’t so sure anymore. According to him, he might have to leave today or then.
Here are his accounts of the trip. We will update them as and when he posts.
Ghana, first impressions.
They have light. From the air, light full everywhere.
Also, this place is chilled. Like Ibadan or Enugu.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 21, 2016
You Ghanaians complaining about NDC and what not, come to Nigeria and see proper suffer.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 21, 2016
The bastard at the airport sold me a 5 cedi SIM card for 10 cedi. He’s mad.
That money cannot be useful to him unless it’s not God I serve— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 21, 2016
Man if Nigeria can be one-tenth as organized, effective, efficient as Ghana is, we’ll be so far ahead of the rest of Africa.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Monday morning. At the airport.
Everything is quiet and calm and working.
Meanwhile MM2 is like a rowdy marketplace, at the best of times— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
You know what they say about Ghanaian women and impressive derrieres?
Ma nigga!!!! @TheGrandVezir you’ll like it here— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Look at what these people call rush hour FFS.
No queues. No swearing. Order.
See, I’m moving to Ghana. This is the real stress-free life.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
I am about to eat Ghanaian jollof for lunch.
I cover myself in the blood of Jesus.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Bruh this Takoradi is just a chill, enlightened Ughelli that has 3G.
Very soft life these people are living here.
Goals.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Very cool, I tell you.
These ones don’t know stress
‘@tosinamida: @ToluBablo Takoradi is coool. Hit their rocky beach, you’ll enjoy it”— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Went to eat Ghanaian ‘jollof’, and they said it just finished.
This is how I know my mother’s prayers watch over me.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Internet in Ghana is (by Naija standards) incredibly fast.
I can stream YouTube on my MTN data.
Dem no born @MTNNG well make I try am.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Trying to approximate the prices of things in Naira is an exercise in futility.
There is no correlation between cedi price and Naira price— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Some things are very cheap here.
Others are daft expensive.
Case in point: 2 pieces of dodo for 1 cedi (more or less, 100 bucks)— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
For the 2nd time in my life I am in a place where I do not understand the most commonly spoken street language.
I hate it.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Might fuck around and learn Twi at this rate.
It’s everywhere. On the radio. At work. In the hotel.
It’s like a giant inside joke.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
I still have not met an angry or openly frustrated person here.
There’s something to be said for eliminating generator noise and fumes.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Because I’m a fearless bastard and far be it from me to eat Naija food outside Naija, dinner.
Hazard a guess pic.twitter.com/wIfwAhAO86— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
I unleashed my inner Kwame and slurped that bowl clean, as the Lord intended.
It’s lit!!
As of this moment, na sleep sure pass.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 22, 2016
Ghanaian jollof for breakfast.
Is this how I die? pic.twitter.com/QCXVSU90Cq— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 23, 2016
Ghanaian girls.
Lawd!
*Makes the sign of the cross and locks self in room*— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 23, 2016
Went to get pizza.
The short, fine waitress with parabolic yansh was flirting heavily with me.
Thank God for the gift of salvation.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 23, 2016
Appaz Ghanaian girls like Naija men.
My mother is a praying woman. I will not fall
*Fans self heavily*— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 23, 2016
A bunch of Ghanaians challenged me to a ping-pong contest.
I am proud to say I defended the honour of Nigeria and ISI and beat them all— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 24, 2016
I cannot tell of Ghanaians are more or less liberal than Nigerians.
They, at least, don’t appear to be quite so hypocritical— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 25, 2016
Ghana is safe. And there seems to be rule of law.
I watched someone threaten to slap a soldier yesterday, and he wasn’t shot dead.
Amazing— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 25, 2016
The Nigerian in me was like “ah eleyi ti ku.”
Next thing, soldier apologized and left his path.
Me: pic.twitter.com/2aqwX2x1t3— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 25, 2016
Ghana Twitter has discovered me.
If you’re female, single and will be in Takoradi this weekend, come and show me the sights.
Lunch on me— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 25, 2016
Went to buy lunch and cars were stopping for me at a zebra crossing in traffic.
Lol it’s like you Ghanaians don’t have somewhere to get to— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
Come to Lagos at lunch time and be waiting at zebra crossing for vehicles to stop for you.
You’re not yet ready— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
Probably the most culturally shocking thing here is how easily oyibos move around.
I mean, just this evening, I saw one jogging on the road— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
I nudged the Nigerian next to me, and the same look was on his face.
Look at 50million Naira running on the road in broad daylight.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
If they born that white man well, let him come and jog in PH.
If they don’t kidnap him and give him gari to drink, my name isn’t Bablo— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
White men can move freely without escorts in your oil city.
Let me see any Ghanaian complain about their country again.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 26, 2016
Dinner.
Banku and tilapia.
I believe I have earned the right to say ‘Chale’ now. pic.twitter.com/ukXdEP59MN— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
I’ll recommend this to anyone visiting Takoradi.
Pepper warning, though.
The pepper in this makes Yoruba stew seem like water.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
If you take too much at once, you’ll blow out the roof of your mouth.
It’s like they just put a pot on fire and poured pepper in it— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
The tilapia was delicious.
I don’t even like fish so much, but only home training stopped me from crunching every last bone in it.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
Ghanaian jollof is like concotion rice. With those small grains
“@ak_nirvana: Bablo we need to admit their jollof is better than ours.”— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
Look at what these people call traffic.
Something that will clear when the light turns green pic.twitter.com/ynNH8VjnRr— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 27, 2016
It certainly appears to someone that I am having too much a good time and not working enough, because my office has recalled me back to base— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 28, 2016
Ah, well.
All good things come to an end.
But I am standing in the airport, and by Jove I already miss Takoradi.— Ebuka (@ToluBablo) August 28, 2016
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