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