Ghanaian educationist Elizabeth Ohene did a feature for BBC Africa on the visit by First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS), Melania Trump, but all it did was to generate mixed reactions from Ghanaians and Africans on social media.
The article suggests the US First Lady can serve as a fashion ambassador for Ghana.
Melania Trump in Africa: Can she become a fashion ambassador for Ghana? https://t.co/CJMt26wH3k pic.twitter.com/iPc6Ed2Xis
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) October 2, 2018
Thing is, there was no harm intended but a rising trend with western media is to blame for how defensive Africans have become when the west tries to propound solutions to the continent’s problems.
Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sounded as defensive last week on the issue of Afro-Sino relations and how the west seem to be sounding alarm bells at what they refer to as “a recolonization of the African continent” by China through huge loans to poor African countries.
In this instance, Elizabeth Ohene should have known that First Lady Trump is no longer the model she used to be. She is now in a role that goes way beyond fashion and if it was fashion we needed to promote, it wouldn’t be her job to help us promote it. Wait, why would she think all Melania can help us with is fashion anyways?
Twitter users came out of the woodwork to share their pain about “the neo-colonialism” exhibited by western media to suggest supremacy over Africans or black people.
Samira runs the show
Ghana’s second lady, Samira Bawumia, has demonstrated over the years to be the one and only fashion icon within the political class in Ghana (Africa, we dare say).
Twitter was quick to point that out.
— Dr Wassiamal 🇬🇭 (@SuperRiyaMD) October 2, 2018
Twitter embassy
We Ghanaians respectfully decline to have her as an ambassador of anything. Ambassador of corruption saf she won’t get pic.twitter.com/KZM461qTQ9
— Sultan 👳🏾♂️ (@real_Sultan_Abu) October 2, 2018
The pan-Africans were well represented.
what has #FashionAMBASSADOR got to do with the development of Africa, especially Ghana that she's visiting…will her coming to Africa end her country's & others #neocolonialism in the region? #Africa must be free from these people because we have what it takes to make her better
— Chika Ejikeugwu, Ph.D.🔬🖊️🇳🇬🇯🇵 (@Ejike2) October 2, 2018
The memes were not left out.
Whoever typed this needs their thumbs to be chopped off pic.twitter.com/LLK9KTQlqM
— Suz ✨ (@MiszSuz) October 2, 2018
