No one would expect a debate around power to spark hysterical laughter – but in Ghana’s parliament, the unusual names of some small villages in the African country have done just that.
MP John Frimpong Osei began listing the names of villages which are not connected to the national grid - one of them is named ‘Etwe nim Nyansa’, a Twi dialect name which translates to ‘vagina is wise’.
Other names included ‘Kote ye Aboa’, meaning ‘penis is a fool’ – and ‘Shua ye Morbor’, which translates to ‘testicles are sad’.
Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko said it was good for the parliament to enjoy some “comic relief from time to time”.
“I suspect that providing them with electricity may interfere with the nocturnal activities as suggested by their names,” he joked, as ministers wiped away tears of laughter.
Jokes aside, according to the World Bank, Ghana has made rapid progress in increasing electricity access around the country.
In 1990, only about 20 per cent of Ghanaians had access to power – in 2016 that number jumped to 80 per cent.
English is the official language of Ghana, and the majority of Ghanians also speak Twi, but many are also wondering how the cheeky names came to be.
