Hi Nana Aba,

I hope you are well. Have my sympathy, condolences and support because I know the past few days have certainly not been easy for you. Speculatively, I can say with no authority vested in me that no past event in your life can rival those of the past week. I share your pain.

Nana Aba, you are a very beautiful, articulate, confident, suave, cute and intelligent lady; something that is hard to find in many Ghanaian ladies. I admire you for all these qualities because in a culture where women are often backing vocalists and never the lead singers, you have done well.

I first took notice of you when during the 2010 World Cup, you introduced what has transformed to be the Diva show on TV3. Though I am not an avid screen patron, I was impressed by your finesse and control over the programme. In fact, I fell immediately in love with you and the show.

Fast forward and now you have blossomed into this all round TV celebrity; the like we haven’t had in Ghana in a while. You read news, host magazine programmes, talk about sports, conduct interviews…. In fact, you have done a lot, and that’s impressive.

On the few occasions I have encountered you, my impressions of you were not far from what I observed on TV. – Strong willed, articulate, cheeky and blunt -. Yes, blunt; that word, ‘blunt’; is a quality I failed to appreciate when I was just admiring you on TV. Your sharp tongue, and confidence sometimes give you out as being condescending, disrespectful and too-known.

The hullabaloo that greeted your prank-gone-wrong on twitter was no fluke. It was just a matter of time but I guess you were too busy sharpening your tongue and ‘dealing’ with every one in your way that you failed to recognize the conspicuous indelible ‘red dot in the white Japanese flag’.

On numerous occasions when people who are awed by your success made seemingly innocuous overtures or tweeted at you, what was your response? – Cheeky. I guess you thought it was all in jest. Yes, may be it was, and so far as your followers kept increasing and your fans cheered you on, who could suggest it wasn’t a joke.

What you failed to realize however, was that these people you freely embarrassed and sometimes humiliated with your cheeky replies have egos (no matter how small), and they also had friends. You bruised their egos and often embarrassed their friends, with little care.

I particularly remember when a fan of yours on twitter requested to take you out on mother’s day. Well, in typical ‘NA..A’ style, you gave it to him; ‘Go and take your mother out’, you said. People jeered and laughed, and only God knows how many times that post was retweeted. This ‘fan’ was the joke of the day and the ‘Asala’ you gave him,(as I hear such ‘yawa’ replies are called) was trending, albeit on a smaller scale compared to yours. You thought such a person and his friends would not want to revenge given the opportunity? Or did you assume that your fans who hailed and joked and laughed at what you typed would be so loyal not to turn on you when the tables turned?

You see, social media works differently from traditional media. On TV, you freely decide whose text message to read, you can pass loose comments on people’s views and they can’t reply you, you can choose to cut a caller off air when you don’t like his views etc., but on social media, all you can do is to block a follower, nothing else. Even that, I guess Hon. Hannah Tetteh and Yvonne Nelson (the queen of twitter blockades) will attest from experience that blocking solves nothing. It only increases the volume of the chorus.

I have read a lot of articles since the your ‘prank theft’ story broke, and needless to say, all my thoughts about how right or wrong you or TV3 are, have been aptly expressed by others, so no need rehashing. However, let me put the following on record; I do not feel sorry for you in the least that you were trolled and you were trending for such a reason. I have seen you do worse to people and so why should I feel sorry when you sniff a dose of your own medicine.

I also believe that though TV3 is well within its rights to take any action to protect the integrity of their brand, the approach of issuing a press release and resurrecting a carcass, which was all but already devoured by the vultures was unnecessary. This matter could have been dealt with internally and the punishment, less severe.

I doubt I will be one of those who will miss you off TV. Honestly speaking, but for that press release from your station, I would not have even noticed you were off air because like I said earlier, I don’t watch much TV, and also because on the few occasions I have,I have complained to my friends at TV3 that the way you scream and shout on top of your voice when hosting politicians on the morning show is irritating, very very irritating.

Amidst the discussions, noise, pleas and subtle jubilation (of ‘haters’) over your predicament, I believe you will have some ‘you’ time and do a thorough introspection. Social media (especially Twitter) is a not your usual traditional media platform. It’s an ‘Astroturf’ and you will need to learn the unwritten rules of engagement well. We need you to bounce back bigger than ever, and take your rightful place to the delight of your numerous fans and newly found admirers. People love you; they certainly do, but do you?

I admit that things being different, this letter should have been addressed to Afia Scwharzeneggar but just as you failed to see the red dot in the flag, I know its just a matter of time for her too. Sometimes, it costs nothing for ‘celebrities’ to be nice; sad you learnt it the hard way.

May I please ask where exactly you were seated when my darling Arsenal nearly annihilated Manchester United at the Emirates? I hear you were there some.lol

I hate Manchester United but I certainly love that nicely placed beauty spot under your nose.

Yours faithfully,

An ordinary Ghanaian

Twitter: @Pasinoman

Email: Pasifred@gmail.com

Blog: Pasinoman.wordpress.com