It has been one of the lasting legacies of our time, in terms of folkloric art. On the other hand; "Africa's Kraziest Personality Of Riddles and Shits" a.k.a Akpors is said to have originated from Nigeria. Though its actual source or pioneering has been of anonymity, some have argued that it's just a funny name tagging the outward face of nigerian comedy. While others claim it's the character name of one Bovi(comedian) featured on AY's show. Well, its place of birth is not more important to me than reviving the Ananse folklores which is being led down the stream.
Ananse is sketched as a character who tricks others through creativity, intelligence and strategy. Yet, he's always caught in the web of obstacles at the resolutional stage inorder to drive-off the audience intentions from impunity. Ananse being unable to bear the trouble he curves for himself, has to flee to make the ceiling his homestead. "It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top than with a hawling woman in a wide house", a biblical proverb says.
Again, Ananse is believed to be a god of wisdom, who was once sacked unto the earth after his rebuff against Nyame(God). "long ago, Ananse the god of wisdom is banished onto the earth as a cursed statute of his totem" says a wiki source. It is an undeniable fact that those who accept the Ananse folks, hold sacrosance to it. The Carribean is a brief example; of which many thought were the originators.
An earlier report from Flexnewspaper also has it that "Disney World Snatches Ananse Stories from Ghana", showing how foreign lands seem to take the Ananseic arts and its rudiments. What interests about Ananse stories is that; it activates ones' creative thinking, it teaches lofty or didatic values, imbibes a sense of patriotism and above all gives pleasure.
This proves that, Ananse is no alien to Africa and the rest of the world except for technology and modernity that has swiped all our time for social media instead of leaving us around our oldies, to be told Ananse stories from the unrefined and oral perspective.
The rate or progression at which the Akpors fame is growing is geometrical. This is due to the cheap and mobile accessibility of social media such as facebook, twitter, whatsapp.etc. People have even gone to the extent of dedicating a whole domain for the publication of Akpors stuffs. Despite its fame with the sole importance of creating humor, it has no valuable piece for the public. A Gist and Rhymes source has revealed that "........ Akpors has the case might be has become synonymous with comic, mischief and foolishness in most of the jokes that are Akpors based". Onah Nbuike, a young poet cum blogger has also contributed his discretion through his diction in the poem "Who Is Akpors?". He makes use of words like "stupidity", "mischief", "lies".etc as attributes of Akpors.
Hence, the significance of the two personalities in question can not be equated. Akpors jokes lessly educates or informs except for laughs. Worse of it all, it sometimes create vulgurous inceptions, thereby not suitable for minors. While, that of Ananse knows no age.
Now that social media has become the second paradise for the youth especially, we as patriotic citizens and stakeholders of our substantive past must act fast. We can simply do this by updating our statuses and other fora with the Ananseic tales.
"Do not gore the peg where you are tired" - Paulo Rubino.
_Merci Beaucoup_
Felix Acquaye
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