BlakkRasta Advocates for Pidgin English in Parliament
Ghanaian musician and radio presenter, Blakk Rasta, has called for the use of Pidgin English as a medium of expression in Ghana’s parliament. He believes that incorporating Pidgin will make parliamentary discussions more accessible to ordinary citizens and help bridge the communication gap between lawmakers and the general public.
Speaking to Kwame Dadzie, Blakk Rasta praised individuals like A Plus and Baba Sadiq, who occasionally use Pidgin in their interactions. I’m glad to have people like A Plus speak Pidgin in Parliament. I have heard him speak Pidgin. I have heard Baba Sadiq also speak Pidgin. I want to hear Pidgin in Parliament, to the level of the people. The big English is too much, he remarked.
Blakk Rasta argued that the overuse of formal English in parliamentary proceedings creates a disconnect between lawmakers and the citizens they represent. He emphasized that discussing parliamentary business in Pidgin English would enable more Ghanaians to understand and engage with national issues. Radicalize the parliament house. Bring it to the level of the people. Encourage them to be part of the discussions. When they are discussing things in parliament, it is like bourgeoisie drinking tea. So we all stay back waiting for the news people to break it down for us to digest. I want to hear Pidgin in Parliament,” he stressed.
In addition to his advocacy for Pidgin in parliament, Blakk Rasta revealed that he had planned to leave Ghana before the recent elections due to dissatisfaction with the country’s political climate under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. He disclosed that he traveled to Jamaica, the United States, and other countries to prepare for a potential relocation, should the NPP remain in power.
I was so fed up. I told everybody that should these guys win the election again, I would be out of this country. A month before the election, I was out of the country. I was in Jamaica, I was in America, and some other places just planning a very fluid exit should they win, he revealed.
Blakk Rasta compared his stance to Nigerian author Wole Soyinka, who famously vowed to destroy his American passport if Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. He criticized the NPP government for plunging Ghana into economic hardship and expressed relief at the recent change in governance, which he described as a much-needed respite for the country.
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