Ghana must go: Creatives display West Africa plastic bag as ogbonge fashion to tell di history - See di fine photos
Nigerian photographer Obinna Obioma dey use creative ways take display one ogbonge West Africa plastic bag to show migration.
You fit recognise am for different parts of di world either wit im blue-white or red-white colours, dis bag wey no get name don tey wey e popular for different markets for West Africa. But for di 1980s wen hundreds of thousands of migrants, most of dem from Ghana, hurry-hurry pack dia belonging inside di bag afta Nigeria goment give dem short notice to leave di kontri, di name turn to Ghana Must Go. You fit easily fold am put am for pocket and e get space no be small, no mata how e full reach, you fit always see extra space to add one more item, dat na why di Ghanaians wey bin dey desperate to return to dia kontri prefer am. Since den, nobody don eva go market say give me dat bag wey dem weave," dem go just ask for Ghana Must Go - dis na phrase wey dem dey also use for Ghana even wit di painful memory. "I remember say I bin ask my parents plus oda older relatives about di origin of di bag as I see say e get interesting name," Obinna wey dey live for New York tok. For Anyi N'Aga (igbo for We Dey Go), im tok about how di bag big pass di work wey im dey do wey be to cari load as dem dey use am to siginify migration - "dem dey use am to cari not only belongings but also culture, heritage and memories," in tok. Im do collabo wit Chioma Obiegbu, Nigeria visual artistes and designer wey also base for New York and fashion designer Wuraola Oladapo, dem create some designs wey Obinna say na combination of both oyibo and Africa design. "For some of di two-piece designs, di top na most oyibo style while dem design di skirt to resemble Africa wrapper. "E also get gele wey be traditional African fashion statement," im tok. "Di bags dey represent migration not as word to describe travel but as actual living tin - wit every border crossing - [pesin wey dey migrate] dey take sometin new and leave behind sometin," Obinna tok. Dem born Obinna for Nigeria and im papa wey dey like to always snap foto wen family go for outing or do birthdays na im introduce am to snapping foto. Ghana Must Go don come very long way including di ban wey KLM and Air France sama am for 2017, becos e fit shift shape anytime come block dia baggage delivery system. Di ban still dey even though Ghana authorities bin protest dat time say, " e no only dey insulting but say na mata of racism and discrimination." as na Africa travellers dey mostly use di bag pass. Di bag also dey connected wit Nigeria as corrupt politicians dey use am cari moni especially during elections. E still maintain dis reputation even though most of di moni transfer now na mostly online. But Ghana Must Go still popular for West Africa and now e dey come for different sizes and colours from yellow tree-pattern one to di ugly but very strong green ones wey traders of second hand shoes dey favour pass. Dem still dey sell am cheap. But Obinna dey wonder weda time neva reach to drop di name Ghana Must Go. "I believe say Ghana Must Go fit dey describe abuse of not just Ghana pipo. "Dis one go make pesin ask, make dem change di name, or make dem stop to dey make di bag?" im ask. All images dey subject to copyright