Written by Nasrullah Ibn Mutawakil (0540317575 / 0572677080
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Dear Margaret,
I’m sure many will be wondering why a letter which is meant to show affection for you will be made public. Well, I am making this letter open to all in order to ward of some competitions that I might probably face. One of my biggest competitors or threat is your current boss Mr. Anthony Dadzie who is currently the national president of TTAG. I understand the nature of your work as a women’s commissioner for such an honorable association and it makes a lot sense if I should say that, your administrative boyfriend is your boss ‘’the president of TTAG’’.
Margaret, before I continue with what I intend to tell you, permit me to say that I know your stance between me and your administrative boyfriend. And until your tenure of office ends, I will patiently bear the pain of having lost you to another handsome man.
Nothing makes me happier than the sight of you in a happy and jubilant mood like that of your inauguration after what I call a successful election at Ada college of education. When I saw that big smile on your face after the declaration, I asked myself one question. Was the election her biggest test? I am not so sure it was. But certainly, it was a test you would not want to fail. You see, accepting the onerous responsibility of a women’s commissioner is not a joke and so, I want you to pay a lot of attention on the pageantry. Maggie, for me, the pageantry is your biggest test. That thing you people call women empowerment is the reason I am writing this love letter to you.
All over the world, many feminists are preaching women empowerment. My view on women empowerment is, real women empowerment begins with clearing those cobwebs in the minds of our women who think that men are better than them. Anyway, do not get me wrong for I do not intend to say that, women are equal to men. Rather, they both support each other to achieve their personal and societal aspirations. And so, empowering women to take up bigger roles in our society which hitherto was only meant for men, is a good thing.
My question is, what is the idea of women empowerment in TTAG? Is it the pageantry, that is to crown beautiful ladies? Or to give these ladies from our colleges the chance to gain the status of a queen at the national level?
Maggie, your association’s idea on women empowerment is to put beautiful crowns on the heads of some pretty ladies. And they do so by organizing what you call MISS TTAG; to entertain the men for more than 5 to 6 hours and that is all. These ladies will go about feeling good in a royal crown for one year until their time is up to pass the baton for the next generation to run their lap of the relay. Their impact is not felt in the society and even the association. If for nothing at all, I would say that I have seen two beautiful ladies who have once been crowned queen of your dear association. Their names are miss Bilobi Delphina Jentina and miss Bridget Ansu.
The latter, who I do not know and so I would not talk about her. But for Delphina, I have known her for 2years. She happens to be the former women’s commissioner for Foso College of Education and a MISS TTAG as well. Apart from Delphina showing off her prestigious crown, she managed to form an NGO by the name ‘’WOSO’’. This organization which I believe she formed as part of her project, seeks to empower the females and children in our society. The last time I heard about WOSO, wasn’t the day their leadership hanged around the AQUA SAFARI at Ada. Rather it was the day they made some donations to some deprived children in some primary school. Her sponsorship doesn’t come from the coffers of TTAG and so her organization ceases to function the moment she has no source of funding. She does everything on her own. I would not blame the former queens if they have not been able to come up with a very substantive project like that of miss Bilobi. My reason is simple. “If the there is not there, you can’t force the there to be there” the unusual words spewed by some learned wee smokers. And so it could be that, other queens did not have the means to.
Maggie, that idea of using pageantry to empower women is not wrong. But I dare say that, it has fallen below the standards. Talk about the motto of your association “a model for development” and you will realize that your annually organized pageantry is one that cannot be a model for some associations. And so, MISS TTAG, at the moment is not a model for development. Am sure others might have an opposing view but that’s okay. The Yoruba’s say that, “a child who hasn’t been to the farm of another man, thinks that his father has the largest farm.”
Do you watch MISS GHANA? Or MISS MALAIKA? Or let’s say, MISS WORLD? You see any of these pageantry can be likened to yours except that, your MISS TTAG usually ends with no impact on your association and our society. Those pageantry which I asked you about, over the years, have had their organizers develop a good brand for them. Hence making it very attractive to; not only the public, but to investors as well. And they continually make good impact on our societies.
Even though you may like the idea of organizing a pageantry, you wish it was either one by the name MISS GHANA OR MISS MAILAIKA. What’s in a name? Shakespeare once asked. A name is more than an identity. There is so much power in a name. this can only be achieved if you have an able team. A team that understand the power of branding. A team that thinks in my direction. The direction of we, REDEFINING OUR PAGEANTRY. Until this is done, It will always be MISS TTAG with little or no positive impact on our society or association.
Maggie the truth is, now, you need time to consult your predecessors, the past queens and maybe those who contested you at all levels. They can help you build a team. A solid team for that matter. A team that will, in the end, help your administrative boyfriend have a very successful tenure.
Just as our adage goes, an elder who allows children to eat python will not be left out if the list of python eaters is made. That means that you won’t be left out if your administration is praised.
That will be all for now.
Yours sincerely,
Nasrullah Ibn Mutawakil.
@wec-sector.
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