South Pacific villagers worship a mysterious American they call John Frum - believing he'll one day shower their remote island with riches.
Posted on 03/10/2007 1:31:45 PM PST by wagglebee
When Sir Bob Geldof, the rock star-turned-Africa campaigner, visited the impoverished town of Ajumako-Bisease in Ghana, he was hailed as a saviour.
In an elaborate and memorable ceremony full of ritual and colour, the people crowned him as their chief of development, a ceremony captured on film for his Geldof in Africa TV series.
Their firm understanding was he would help the town, and they claim he said he would. But, three years on Ajumako-Bisease remains disappointed, according to a documentary. Nothing has changed. And, despite accepting his position as chief, they have not heard from Geldof since.
Ajumako-Bisease's 27,000 inhabitants believed Geldof would help them fund a new covered marketplace. They cleared a plantation to make space for it. But no funds have materialised and weeds have slowly reclaimed the land.
They hoped he would help with funding for machinery to expand their coca nut industry, but those hopes too have faded with time. They had plans for a new hospital, a clinic, even. But those have been quietly shelved. Not one penny has found its way to them.
The claims are made in the film A Letter to Geldof, a documentary by Worldwrite, a youth education charity that retraced Geldof's steps. In it, the Chief of Ajumako-Bisease, Nana Okofo Kwakora Gyan III says what he wants now is for a face-to-face meeting with Geldof to ask him: "Why?" But, despite his best endeavours, he cannot reach him.
A spokesman for Geldof said the matter was an embarrassing misunderstanding, but Geldof's memory of the events was at odds with those of the people of Bisease. "They did film there, he went to Bisease to film a story on trade. Without forewarning when he arrived there was this massive ceremony which he didn't expect. They made him an honorary chief. Of course he was going to accept that hospitality, it would have been rude not to," the spokesman said.
"The only thing he did promise was that he would return at some point for an autumn festival, which he hasn't done yet, but he will. The notion that he could in any way develop Bisease is ridiculous. He wouldn't promise something that he could not do, could not deliver.
"I think a misunderstanding is a reasonable way to put it. He certainly does not wish to criticise them, and it does not in any way diminish his appreciation of the hospitality he was shown and for the people who live there.
"The film appears to show a rather different version of events to the one he remembered, and so he did not want to be on the film."
The documentary is to be shown on March 26 at the Richmix cinema in Shoreditch, London.
Heaven helps those who help themselves. And then, what would they need geldof for?
South Pacific villagers worship a mysterious American they call John Frum - believing he'll one day shower their remote island with riches.
As for Bob Geldof, why do they keep referring to him as a rock star? He was in a crap band 30 years ago.
umm, most of the problem was the "West Pakistanis"
I disagree. If you look at the world, and look at those countries with chronic hunger problems, there is one, and only one thing that they have in common: the lack of private property rights.
But are they defenseless?
Geldof's new wave band in the 1980s "The Boomtown Rats" was fantastic, but they weren't a commercial success. It was Band Aid/LiveAid that turned Geldof into an international celebrity and gave him other opportunities that have made him a very wealthy man (he has been involved in TV production and travel companies which he has sold for more than $24 million, plus whatever money he made while he owned them).
Geldof may not have directly offered to help this town build a new marketplace, but he also did nothing to clarify their misunderstandings. I can't imagine that a marketplace for a village of 2,700 would cost that much to build and for him not to do anything to realize this goal is blatant hypocrisy.
I thought the Boomtown Rats was a great band, they just weren't very successful.
I think the late Sam Kinison had it right. "You live in a desert, move to where the food is!!"
Parasitic good-for-nothing, lazies.
God helps those who help themselves.
Let's see, Geldof has raised hundreds of millions to end African hunger, in the process he has become an international celebrity and with this he has been afforded the opportunity to become a multi-millionaire himself. By your estimation, NONE of the money he has raised for charity should actually go to those he raised it for because they are too "lazy" -- that doesn't sound like Christian charity to me.
He should use those funds he raised from our Christian brothers and sisters to help our Christian brothers and sisters, not send them to Africa. I mean, this is a no-brainer - help our own people, not the enemy.
Is there any paper trail or proof that any of the money went to the folks who needed it?
Semper Fi
So, he should commit fraud? The money has been specifically to end hunger in Africa and Ghana is over 60% Christian.
Africans will wait a long time for "Sir Bob's" live8 bucks to filter down to them. Live forever.
Anything given to any African country goes immediately into the ruling tyrant's Swiss bank account to fund his fleet of Mercedes, etc. etc.
The inevitable fruits of socialism.
uhh...."like" forever, that is.
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