The "Too Known" Chronicles: A Review of The Imported Ghanaian by Alba Kunadu Sumprim

Imagine landing at Kotoka International Airport, your heart swelling with pan-African dreams and a suitcase full of "homecoming" expectations. You’re ready to reclaim your roots over a steaming bowl of waakye, only to realize that the version of Ghana your parents described at the dinner table doesn’t quite match the reality on the ground.

Suddenly, someone is staring at your afro wig like you’re carrying a porcupine on your head, and your attempt to "improve" things is met with the ultimate Ghanaian shut-down: "You are too known."

Welcome to the world of The Imported Ghanaian by Alba Kunadu Sumprim. It is a whirlwind tour of Ghanaian eccentricities where everything you thought you knew is flipped, fried, and served with a side of biting satire.

The 20 Commandments of Being Ghanaian

The book kicks off with a scathing list of "20 Things You Need to Know," and let’s just say Sumprim doesn’t pull any punches. One of the standout gems is her observation that:

“Ghanaians know everything and are always right. If you try to tell or show the Ghanaian something or a better way of doing things, then you are too known, and they are not going to listen to you.”

As a Ghanaian myself, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been "too known-ed." I once tried to show my uncle how to use WhatsApp stickers, and he looked at me like I’d insulted our entire ancestral lineage. Sumprim captures this circular logic perfectly: whatever a Ghanaian does is logical simply because a Ghanaian is doing it.

Lost in Translation: "Are You Sure?"

One of the funniest segments of the book deals with the linguistic gymnastics of Ghana. Take the phrase, "Are you sure?" To an outsider, it sounds like a challenge to your integrity. To us? It’s just seasoning. If someone calls to say they are "outside" but the driveway is empty, "Are you sure?" is the only logical response.

Then there’s the infamous "εnyε hwee" (it’s nothing). While Sumprim loathes it—seeing it as a shield against accountability—there’s an argument to be made that it’s our version of national conflict resolution. It’s the reason our land disputes don't always end in machete fights. However, Sumprim’s critique holds weight: sometimes "it's nothing" is used to silence problems that desperately need to be something.

The "Insider-Outsider" Lens

The Imported Ghanaian is essentially a documentation of reverse culture shock. Born in the UK and raised in a different culture, Sumprim returned to Accra with a lens that occasionally needed cleaning.

ObservationThe "Imported" ViewThe Local RealityThe ButaThought it was a portable urine container.It's for ritual ablution/washing.Trotro Mates"I don't have coins" sounds like a lie.It's a coded "Don't board with a 100 cedi note."Public DecorumFrustration with nose-picking and public peeing.A harsh reality of urban infrastructure.

A Book of Contradictions

The irony of the book is that while Sumprim mocks Ghanaians for thinking they know everything, she often positions herself as the one who actually does. She prescribes everything from how people should dress to what weight they should be.

She is particularly hard on beauty pageants, calling them "cattle markets," and she has a very specific bone to pick with Ghanaian men. If you’re a man reading this book, keep some aloe vera nearby—you’re going to get roasted.

Final Verdict: Satire or Stereotype?

Published in 2006, this 264-page satrical work is not for the thin-skinned. It deals with:

• Culture Clash: The friction between Western expectations and African reality.

• Identity: What does it mean to be "Ghanaian enough"?

• Gender Bias: A sharp (and sometimes polarizing) look at male-female dynamics.

While the book occasionally leans dangerously close to generalization—the literary equivalent of standing in Accra Mall and shouting that everyone is backward—it is undeniably funny. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel personally attacked, and then you’ll laugh again.

Check out The Imported Ghanaian on Amazon here

Whether you are a returnee trying to navigate the "too known" culture or a local looking for a good laugh at our own expense, Alba Kunadu Sumprim’s work is a classic of modern social commentary.

What about you? Have you ever felt like an "imported" version of your own culture? Let me know in the comments below!