Did you watch world news on television on Sunday? Dear oh dear. You may have missed out on the most exciting spectacle of the Bush presidency if you did not watch it. An Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at US president George W. Bush at a gathering of the press in Iraq. It was really amusing to see Uncle George dodging to fend off the shoes.
George Bush does undertake regular exercises but I could not imagine he had that quick reflexes.
Perhaps if one lost their family and friends in a useless war, kidnapped and beaten by militants, one could be traumatised into throwing shoes at the world´s most powerful leaders, more so when he lies about making the lives of Iraqis better than it were under Saddam Hussein. More than 4000 American soldiers have been killed, it is not clear how many Iraqi men, women and children have been killed or maimed for life and a whopping $600 billion has been wasted on this war in Iraq.
Whilst Iraqis were having their set of drama with the "shoe throwing incident, a handful of reckless officers of the Ghana police were busy trying to break bones and skull.
It is 2:15 AM at the time of writing this feature and the date is Monday December 15, 2008. I am sitting in my bed on my second floor apartment in Glasgow, Scotland. The weather looks ok as the weather man had predicted. I have a window that gives me a good view into the quiet Glasgow night. My laptop is tune to Joy FM in far away Ghana, which like many radio stations streaming online, would not break in connection when music is being played or at this time of the night. Have you noticed how the link kept breaking when you were listening to the news or tried to follow the vote counting during the elections? It was heartbreaking, nonetheless gratifying to get an uninterrupted 3minutes of online streaming. My own Uniiq FM was worst.
Don´t be surprised if by the time you read this feature the press in Ghana is replete with reports of a brutal assault on a photo journalist covering Jerry Rawlings, by some police officers accompanying the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party, which is going into a second round run-off with the opposition National Democratic Congress.
Not surprisingly, a henchman of the NPP and close associate of Nana Addo has said the incident happened at the "blind side of Nana Addo". How incredible? For Nana Addo not to have seen a loud incident that had disturbed the serenity of a rather quiet City Hotel when he was reportedly standing just a few feet away?
Babs Hammer was not only beaten up and left with a deep cut to his head, his equipment was smashed and destroyed, and the candidate of the ruling party did not see or hear what was going on? A commotion that was loud enough to attract the attention of guests on the 3rd and 4th floors according to witnesses?
And since when did taking footage of a public figure in a public place and in the public interest become an offence, and one that required instant justice by a bunch of ignorant police officers who are ostensibly not interested in keeping the peace but doing the biding of a hawkish clique of the ruling party? Since when did the police got the mandate to determine what picture taking constituted a breach of privacy?
The arguments put forth by NPP party stooges that Babs was not an accredited photographer is ridiculous. Since when did they know every member of the journalism association?
And have they ever heard of the word "Freelance"? Assuming the victim was not a freelancer, did the police action meet 21st century policing? Why do we have courts and a justice system?
This certainly raises questions about the self professed human rights records of candidate Nana Addo, whose government arguably has presided over the worse human rights abuses under any democratically elected government in Ghana.
Let´s not forget it was under the NPP with Nana Addo as Attorney-General that the overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Yakubu Andani was assassinated along with 40 members of his staff and family and yet not a single person has been brought to account even in the face of the huge body of evidence. An incident that undoubtedly was orchestrated overtly or covertly by an NPP inspired faction.
It is under the NPP, which professes democratic credentials, that a civilian politician was beaten to death by armed military men.
Let´s not forget it is under a democratically elected NPP regime that a National Security Advisor was intimidated and forced into a self imposed exile.
There is a litany of cases of abuse of the human rights of Ghanaians under the Kuffour administration, which Nana Addo has praised as the best thing to happen to Ghana than in any administration.
What happened on Sunday simply bore the hallmark of a political tradition that has used violence to intimidate Ghanaians. The forbearers of the NPP in their incessant attempts to oust Kwame Nkrumah went as further as planting a bomb in a bouquet of flowers and offered it to an innocent Ghanaian school girl to present to President Nkrumah with the view to blowing him off and causing extensive damage and terror.
This level of terror in the NPP was manifest again in the way they conducted themselves in their primary elections.
As if that were not enough, the party caused confusion in certain parts of the country including the Akwatia Constituency where ballot boxes were destroyed, opponents beaten and an activist of the government turning up in a police station with a box containing ballots and no one arrests him or questions where he got them from, Bawku Central Constituency where NDC agents and electoral officials were made to sign results under duress with a lone security officer intimidated and cowed into silence, Weija Constituency where disputed material where taken away in the cover of dark to the District electoral office and reportedly have been swapped en route with collaboration from elements of the military and police and Krachi West Constituency where members of the opposition have been terrorized.
The ruling party is in a state of panic but Ghanaians have spoken and the will of the people shall prevail. The way the National Democratic Congress beat the ruling party in Greater Accra and the Central regions, which are swing regions by all standard, is a clearer indication of where things are going.
Well meaning Ghanaians should resist any attempt to use harassment to subvert the will of the people. Any Ghanaian who loves to preserve the sanctity of our electoral process and "baby democracy" must not allow a power drunk, aloof, very corrupt, divisive, bunch house slaves and highly inept few to intimidate us using the police and military.
There are elements in the Western media who report inaccurately without an informed knowledge of the things they are talking about. A guest on BBC TV Sunday December 7 sought to give the impression that it was the ruling NPP that brought democracy to Ghana. This assertion is inaccurate and only makes hazier the already hazy the political dynamics in Africa.
Democracy, it must be said was not brought to Ghana by the NPP as the BBC TV guest sought to indicate. Indeed it was the forbearers of the NPP who extinguished the first democratic process in our country when they collaborated with aliens to overthrow Nkrumah and ostracised the government and members of the Nkrumah administration, the CPP.
Democracy was brought on in Ghana as most readers would be aware by the collective voices of Ghanaians when in 1992 we opted to end military rule in a referendum. And that democratic space was entrenched and made more credible when Jerry Rawlings, unlike most of his compatriots on the continent, handed over power when his party lost. Hitherto, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah was voted to office by the people of Ghana, the administration of Dr. Liman also was ushered into office in an election following a period of military intervention.
What the NPP has done in the last eight years certainly does not epitomise a government that wants to entrench democracy. We must endeavour to tell our own story accurately.
Most of the Western media and observers will close their eyes to abuses and attempts to intimidate the people by the authorities as long as those in control of power are their friends. It has happened in Rwanda, it is happening in Egypt under their noses, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and so on.
I am sure observers and the media found it most convenient to ignore drawing attention to an attempt by the Kuffour regime to disenfranchise and deny eligible voters, most of whom NDC supporters who were away on business or family visits to Togo after it had assured the world that Ghana´s borders shall remain open before, during and after the voting. An action that had the potential of undermining our democracy. The government had announced two weeks before voting that Ghana's borders shall remain open but did otherwise two days before the polls without forewarning travellers under the cover of "threats to national security" which they always used whenever they wanted to cow people into fear.
What has happened elsewhere on the continent is atrocious and an embarrassment unto all Black people, it has made us a laughing stock and most importantly threatened the lives, now or in the future, of our wives and children as they are the worst victims. Ghanaians are trying to show Africa the way. We must not allow any retrogressive administration to hold us back.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
Saturday, August 7, 2010
what is Haruna up to?
There´s slowly a natural mystic blowing through the air and those who see it are those who look carefully as Bob Marley said.
The political landscape of many countries of the world has witnessed sweeping changes in the personalities who run it. Former Prime Minister or rather `Crime Minister´ as Peter Tosh put it - Anthony Blair of the UK took over the Labour party at a time when the party badly needed a new leader with winning ideas to bring it back to office. Indeed Robin Cook who looked a likely contender for the job of Labour leader when the post became vacant after John Smith´s death ruled himself out for the post because he did not consider himself attractive enough to bring Labour back into power.
The Labour Party had been in opposition for 14 years when Tony Blair took over. He was just what the party needed, even though many people at the time saw him as a firebrand when he made suggestions to change the party´s constitution. Tony Blair wanted to expunge clause 4 of the Labour party constitution. It was a tough decision for Blair and it was harder trying to convince Labour members to accept his new vision and re-branding of the party. People like John Prescott and Jack Straw haggled about clause 4 and the re-branding. Mr Blair eventually convinced the party of his grand ideas.
He drew on the experience of veteran politicians like Robin Cook who became his Foreign Minister, David Blunkett - Home Secretary, George Robertson - Defence Secretary and Clare Short.
In the case of Barack Obama, another young and shrewed politician and arguably the most exciting politician of our time, he is counting on the expertise of very experienced hands to run his government. He has chosen John Pedosa - former Clinton Chief of Staff as a top adviser, Nobel prize winning physicist Steven Chu as Energy Minister, until his resignation Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary and Tom Daschle. These are men with a Sterling reputation in politics.
The leader of the opposition Conservative party in the UK David William Donald Cameron is another name that quickly springs to mind as far as `youngsters in leadership´ are concerned. World politics is still run by old but agile politicians and it´s going to remain so for a very long time to come. People like Dr. Manmohan Singh of India born 1938, Robert Mugabe born 1924, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt born 1928, Abdoulayi Wade born 1926 and Raul Castro of Cuba who was born in 1931 and interestingly shares the same birth date with me - June 3, may not be around in the next decade or so, but they surely would be replaced by equally old but agile colleagues.
In politics the stakes are very high and one needs experienced people to steer the affairs of nations. Leaders have the economy, security, foreign affairs, science and technology and a host of very critical portfolios to fill. That is not to say it is not welcoming to have young men and women in very high profile cabinet positions. As a matter of fact, more and more young men and women in politics simply means perhaps a meteoric rise to public office for most talent and dedicated young men and women. The youth are getting weary of the old guards.
I must say however that I was extremely appalled by comments made by NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu. His comments were simply treacherous, overly ambitious and unreasonable. In less than 48 hours after President Mills was sworn in, Haruna is sowing seeds of confusion in the party he helped into office. Haruna is also the National Youth Organizer of the NDC and has studiously worked in his capacity as MP and Youth Organizer to see the NDC back into office. He has brought a lot of youthful touch to the rank and file of the party. He makes brilliant contributions in parliament and certainly has a bright future as a politician.
It's a pity Haruna claims he has received complaints already (barely 48 hrs after Mills was sworn in) from party youths who are not too pleased because they are being snubbed by President Mills. He claims he has had numerous complaints from all over the country already - just under 48 hours - Haruna is telling us that the youth in the party are expecting and restless for jobs?
I have no doubt whatsoever that these so called concerns Haruna claims to have received are stage managed aimed at unnecessarily drawing attention unto himself. The honourable member should know better than to engage in this rather cheap stunt to perhaps lobby for a job for himself. It is rather unfortunate and might be the beginning of the end for him. Politics requires shrewdness, patience and more patience.
PRESIDENT Mills is not going to ignore the youths. His transitional team is an indication of the many good things to come for the young men and women who have played a pivotal role in the party's return to power. The good signs are on the wall. We now have a woman speaker of parliament and the inclusion of youthful faces - Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, Fifi Kwetey and Ludwig Hlodze in the transitional team is superb.
There are also people like Dr. Nii Moi Thompson- CPP, Dr. Sulley Gariba - PNC, and Dr. Kwabena Duffour -CPP in the team which is also an indication of bringing every Ghanaian on board irrespective of party affiliation. I would personally love to see capable and loyal NPP members in some outfit in government. People like William Ampem Darko of the GBC and Kan Dapaah have not done badly at all.
As of the time Haruna made his foot shooting statement, President Mills had released names of only 6 persons, namely Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni for Interior, Vice Admiral E.O. Owusu Ansah for Defence, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah as National Security Adviser, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Moses Asaga and Togbe Afedze XIV making up the temporary team in charge of the economy. Is Haruna telling us he is best suited for any of the posts released thus far or better still the people named are not best qualified to handle the portfolios they've been assigned? Even senior members of the party like Dr. Tony Aidoo, Dr. Spio Garbrah, Dr. Ben Kumbour and Kofi Attor have not been named yet, so what is Haruna´s rush?
This kind of a complete lack of cool headedness and overly ambitious attitude are some of the reasons the NPP lost the elections. The NDC has come very far and should not put up with the perfidy of Haruna Iddrisu, a rather young and potential member, who when he bid his time could reap sweet benefits for his hard work. What he is doing right now is pissing on everything that every member of the NDC has work for to bring the party back into power. I worry about him because he does not come across as someone who can be trusted.
Nations are built on loyalty and not perfidy and I hope Haruna puts his ego in a back stage for the interest of the nation and party. It is too early to put pressure on the President and he would be better off politically if he bottled up his ego and waited for his turn which would not be too long in coming.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
The political landscape of many countries of the world has witnessed sweeping changes in the personalities who run it. Former Prime Minister or rather `Crime Minister´ as Peter Tosh put it - Anthony Blair of the UK took over the Labour party at a time when the party badly needed a new leader with winning ideas to bring it back to office. Indeed Robin Cook who looked a likely contender for the job of Labour leader when the post became vacant after John Smith´s death ruled himself out for the post because he did not consider himself attractive enough to bring Labour back into power.
The Labour Party had been in opposition for 14 years when Tony Blair took over. He was just what the party needed, even though many people at the time saw him as a firebrand when he made suggestions to change the party´s constitution. Tony Blair wanted to expunge clause 4 of the Labour party constitution. It was a tough decision for Blair and it was harder trying to convince Labour members to accept his new vision and re-branding of the party. People like John Prescott and Jack Straw haggled about clause 4 and the re-branding. Mr Blair eventually convinced the party of his grand ideas.
He drew on the experience of veteran politicians like Robin Cook who became his Foreign Minister, David Blunkett - Home Secretary, George Robertson - Defence Secretary and Clare Short.
In the case of Barack Obama, another young and shrewed politician and arguably the most exciting politician of our time, he is counting on the expertise of very experienced hands to run his government. He has chosen John Pedosa - former Clinton Chief of Staff as a top adviser, Nobel prize winning physicist Steven Chu as Energy Minister, until his resignation Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary and Tom Daschle. These are men with a Sterling reputation in politics.
The leader of the opposition Conservative party in the UK David William Donald Cameron is another name that quickly springs to mind as far as `youngsters in leadership´ are concerned. World politics is still run by old but agile politicians and it´s going to remain so for a very long time to come. People like Dr. Manmohan Singh of India born 1938, Robert Mugabe born 1924, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt born 1928, Abdoulayi Wade born 1926 and Raul Castro of Cuba who was born in 1931 and interestingly shares the same birth date with me - June 3, may not be around in the next decade or so, but they surely would be replaced by equally old but agile colleagues.
In politics the stakes are very high and one needs experienced people to steer the affairs of nations. Leaders have the economy, security, foreign affairs, science and technology and a host of very critical portfolios to fill. That is not to say it is not welcoming to have young men and women in very high profile cabinet positions. As a matter of fact, more and more young men and women in politics simply means perhaps a meteoric rise to public office for most talent and dedicated young men and women. The youth are getting weary of the old guards.
I must say however that I was extremely appalled by comments made by NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu. His comments were simply treacherous, overly ambitious and unreasonable. In less than 48 hours after President Mills was sworn in, Haruna is sowing seeds of confusion in the party he helped into office. Haruna is also the National Youth Organizer of the NDC and has studiously worked in his capacity as MP and Youth Organizer to see the NDC back into office. He has brought a lot of youthful touch to the rank and file of the party. He makes brilliant contributions in parliament and certainly has a bright future as a politician.
It's a pity Haruna claims he has received complaints already (barely 48 hrs after Mills was sworn in) from party youths who are not too pleased because they are being snubbed by President Mills. He claims he has had numerous complaints from all over the country already - just under 48 hours - Haruna is telling us that the youth in the party are expecting and restless for jobs?
I have no doubt whatsoever that these so called concerns Haruna claims to have received are stage managed aimed at unnecessarily drawing attention unto himself. The honourable member should know better than to engage in this rather cheap stunt to perhaps lobby for a job for himself. It is rather unfortunate and might be the beginning of the end for him. Politics requires shrewdness, patience and more patience.
PRESIDENT Mills is not going to ignore the youths. His transitional team is an indication of the many good things to come for the young men and women who have played a pivotal role in the party's return to power. The good signs are on the wall. We now have a woman speaker of parliament and the inclusion of youthful faces - Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, Fifi Kwetey and Ludwig Hlodze in the transitional team is superb.
There are also people like Dr. Nii Moi Thompson- CPP, Dr. Sulley Gariba - PNC, and Dr. Kwabena Duffour -CPP in the team which is also an indication of bringing every Ghanaian on board irrespective of party affiliation. I would personally love to see capable and loyal NPP members in some outfit in government. People like William Ampem Darko of the GBC and Kan Dapaah have not done badly at all.
As of the time Haruna made his foot shooting statement, President Mills had released names of only 6 persons, namely Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni for Interior, Vice Admiral E.O. Owusu Ansah for Defence, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah as National Security Adviser, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Moses Asaga and Togbe Afedze XIV making up the temporary team in charge of the economy. Is Haruna telling us he is best suited for any of the posts released thus far or better still the people named are not best qualified to handle the portfolios they've been assigned? Even senior members of the party like Dr. Tony Aidoo, Dr. Spio Garbrah, Dr. Ben Kumbour and Kofi Attor have not been named yet, so what is Haruna´s rush?
This kind of a complete lack of cool headedness and overly ambitious attitude are some of the reasons the NPP lost the elections. The NDC has come very far and should not put up with the perfidy of Haruna Iddrisu, a rather young and potential member, who when he bid his time could reap sweet benefits for his hard work. What he is doing right now is pissing on everything that every member of the NDC has work for to bring the party back into power. I worry about him because he does not come across as someone who can be trusted.
Nations are built on loyalty and not perfidy and I hope Haruna puts his ego in a back stage for the interest of the nation and party. It is too early to put pressure on the President and he would be better off politically if he bottled up his ego and waited for his turn which would not be too long in coming.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
Lawyer Okudzeto's argument is flawed
Ghanaian legislators, criminal and constitutional lawyers may be scratching and pouring their heads over dusty law books and court rulings following the challenge to the authority of the Bureau of National Investigation, BNI by lawyer Sam Okudzeto.
In citing instances of legal precedence, Mr. Okudzeto invoked the 1996 – 97 ruling of Edusei v. Attorney General - SCGLR at 1-62 and questioned the powers of the BNI or any state security agency to revoke a Ghanaian passport or question a suspect in the absence of their attorney.
Interestingly, it is clearly stated in page one of Republic of Ghana passport that a Ghanaian passport “is the property of the government of Ghana and must be surrendered on demand by an authorised representative of the Ghana government.”
Contrary to what the learned Mr Okudzeto said, the BNI or Police do not have to go to court to get a ruling before the government can revoke a passport. There’s nowhere in the Edusei v Attorney General case which says you have to go to court to get an order. The ruling says if there are sufficient grounds to seize a passport, so be it.
I am sure MR. Okuzeto has a Ghanaian passport and has seen page one of the passport. Why has the learned lawyer not questioned the disclaimer in the passport until now? It has been more than ten years since the Edusei v Attorney General ruling, are we to believe that the entire legal community in Ghana deliberately kept quiet over an illegality?
Perhaps Mr Okuzeto can institute a legal action to seek further clarification on the matter and if the Supreme Court ruled that no state authority can seize a Ghanaian passport, then the NDC government should resort to parliament to pass legislation that will nullify the ruling.
We are treading on very dangerous grounds if we seek to cripple institutions of state in the name of human rights. We are faced with unprecedented challenges in matters of security and are threatened by drug lords thanks to the Kufour government; if we cared so much about the security of our country then we must collectively endeavour to empower the BNI to do any and everything as long as they do not torture or kill suspects. No serious nation takes its security lightly – it is therefore very dangerous at this point of global insecurity to demonise and weaken the morale of our security agencies.
The powers of the police in the US were enhanced just recently (25th May 2009) when the Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to OVERTURNED a long standing “ruling that stopped the police from initiating questioning unless a defendant’s lawyer was present.” That is America, a country with an impeccable human rights record, a country we are so quick to look up to for direction; well here’s the direction now, let’s follow.
Presently, the only Western leader with any sense of integrity and respect for human rights is Barrak Obama. But it is the Obama government which asked the courts to overrule the 1986 Michigan v Jackson case where a security officer couldn’t question a suspect in the absence of a lawyer. What would the self righteous human rights activists in Ghana say about that?
If Mr. Okuzeto wants a legal precedence, that is a good one, but since a US Supreme Court ruling is none binding on Ghana, we might as well push for an anti terror and state fraud legislation that would seek to give the BNI overriding powers to squeeze the truth out of suspects without recourse to torture and if picking them up from the church or departure lounge is what would do the trick so be it.
The former minister of Information – Asamoah Boateng was right about one thing when he gave an interview on joy fm’s morning show – “Ghana is in trouble”. Our dearest Ghana is certainly in trouble if obstructing the BNI is what some politicians and citizens want. But we are in more trouble if the wives of footballers and politicians can brazenly assault, obstruct justice and get away with it.
We must get serious in Ghana – if this is how things would remain then I’m afraid it won’t be long before the wife of a taxi driver marches to the police headquarters and starts slapping officers because her husband had been fined by a motor traffic officer.
The Ghanaian idea of justice is the antithesis of what we are trying to learn from the West. Politicians are investigated all the time by the police and other investigative bodies in the West. Political prosecutions in the US dates back to early 19th century when Eugene Schmitz, the Mayor of San Francisco was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 5years in Prison in 1907.
The FBI investigated and arrested Rod Blagovich, former governor of Illinois in December 2008 and indicted him recently for trying to auction Barrack Obama’s senate seat. His immediate predecessor as governor, Ryan George is currently languishing in jail after being found guilty of issuing license to unqualified drivers, lying to investigators, tax fraud and other federal crimes.
Any attempts to stymie the work of the BNI in the name of human rights are dangerous. We have damaged the BNI enough by the daily comments we make and attacks on its personnel. What the country needs from legal luminaries like Mr. Okudzeto is to help insulate state security from politics. National interest takes precedence over anybody’s human rights, and if restraining people from travel is the way to unravel questions over suspicious fraudulent deals then thumps up to the bureau.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
In citing instances of legal precedence, Mr. Okudzeto invoked the 1996 – 97 ruling of Edusei v. Attorney General - SCGLR at 1-62 and questioned the powers of the BNI or any state security agency to revoke a Ghanaian passport or question a suspect in the absence of their attorney.
Interestingly, it is clearly stated in page one of Republic of Ghana passport that a Ghanaian passport “is the property of the government of Ghana and must be surrendered on demand by an authorised representative of the Ghana government.”
Contrary to what the learned Mr Okudzeto said, the BNI or Police do not have to go to court to get a ruling before the government can revoke a passport. There’s nowhere in the Edusei v Attorney General case which says you have to go to court to get an order. The ruling says if there are sufficient grounds to seize a passport, so be it.
I am sure MR. Okuzeto has a Ghanaian passport and has seen page one of the passport. Why has the learned lawyer not questioned the disclaimer in the passport until now? It has been more than ten years since the Edusei v Attorney General ruling, are we to believe that the entire legal community in Ghana deliberately kept quiet over an illegality?
Perhaps Mr Okuzeto can institute a legal action to seek further clarification on the matter and if the Supreme Court ruled that no state authority can seize a Ghanaian passport, then the NDC government should resort to parliament to pass legislation that will nullify the ruling.
We are treading on very dangerous grounds if we seek to cripple institutions of state in the name of human rights. We are faced with unprecedented challenges in matters of security and are threatened by drug lords thanks to the Kufour government; if we cared so much about the security of our country then we must collectively endeavour to empower the BNI to do any and everything as long as they do not torture or kill suspects. No serious nation takes its security lightly – it is therefore very dangerous at this point of global insecurity to demonise and weaken the morale of our security agencies.
The powers of the police in the US were enhanced just recently (25th May 2009) when the Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to OVERTURNED a long standing “ruling that stopped the police from initiating questioning unless a defendant’s lawyer was present.” That is America, a country with an impeccable human rights record, a country we are so quick to look up to for direction; well here’s the direction now, let’s follow.
Presently, the only Western leader with any sense of integrity and respect for human rights is Barrak Obama. But it is the Obama government which asked the courts to overrule the 1986 Michigan v Jackson case where a security officer couldn’t question a suspect in the absence of a lawyer. What would the self righteous human rights activists in Ghana say about that?
If Mr. Okuzeto wants a legal precedence, that is a good one, but since a US Supreme Court ruling is none binding on Ghana, we might as well push for an anti terror and state fraud legislation that would seek to give the BNI overriding powers to squeeze the truth out of suspects without recourse to torture and if picking them up from the church or departure lounge is what would do the trick so be it.
The former minister of Information – Asamoah Boateng was right about one thing when he gave an interview on joy fm’s morning show – “Ghana is in trouble”. Our dearest Ghana is certainly in trouble if obstructing the BNI is what some politicians and citizens want. But we are in more trouble if the wives of footballers and politicians can brazenly assault, obstruct justice and get away with it.
We must get serious in Ghana – if this is how things would remain then I’m afraid it won’t be long before the wife of a taxi driver marches to the police headquarters and starts slapping officers because her husband had been fined by a motor traffic officer.
The Ghanaian idea of justice is the antithesis of what we are trying to learn from the West. Politicians are investigated all the time by the police and other investigative bodies in the West. Political prosecutions in the US dates back to early 19th century when Eugene Schmitz, the Mayor of San Francisco was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 5years in Prison in 1907.
The FBI investigated and arrested Rod Blagovich, former governor of Illinois in December 2008 and indicted him recently for trying to auction Barrack Obama’s senate seat. His immediate predecessor as governor, Ryan George is currently languishing in jail after being found guilty of issuing license to unqualified drivers, lying to investigators, tax fraud and other federal crimes.
Any attempts to stymie the work of the BNI in the name of human rights are dangerous. We have damaged the BNI enough by the daily comments we make and attacks on its personnel. What the country needs from legal luminaries like Mr. Okudzeto is to help insulate state security from politics. National interest takes precedence over anybody’s human rights, and if restraining people from travel is the way to unravel questions over suspicious fraudulent deals then thumps up to the bureau.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
Mills must lead Ghana out of the commonwealth
On 20th January 2009, history would be made as Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States - Wow, Black man in the White House? Black First Lady in the White House? Black children in the White House? My gosh! What a long story!
History is made and the story will be told to many generations, of how a young Black man mesmerized the world and gave hope to his people, a people who have suffered some of the world’s most vicious treatment. The savagery of slavery and events thereafter are too chilling for me to write about.
The Democratic Party in America as you may be aware by now is in total control of the US Congress, The Senate and the White House, or perhaps the "Black House" now that Obama is going to be in charge. 52 per cent of Americans voted for Mr. Obama which gave him 364 electoral colleges whilst magnanimous grandpa John McCain got 46 percent of the total votes and 174 Electoral College votes.
Did you see the display of wisdom in McCain’s concession speech? Whew, the man was magnanimous to a fault - Wicked and very inspiring speech. He almost stole the show with his speech. It is the kind of speech you only get to hear from exceptional politicians. He must have inherited his pearls of wisdom from King Solomon of Biblical days.
Politics elsewhere is so pregnant with bitterness and a lack of good will to concede defeat and have nicer things to say about one’s opponent. Akufo-Addo’s concession speech to President John A. Mills was virtually a litany of complaints. But that is what American politics is NOT about. Analysts who have lived long enough and observed so many elections say Americans always put the acrimonious campaigning behind them once it is said and done.
Good for democracy and good for the rest of the world. There is undoubtedly so much the world can learn from US elections, though that is not to say they don’t have pockets of difficulties in their system. I’m sure you are aware how several Black people were reportedly denied the opportunity to vote thanks to Jeb Bush, brother of president Bush and the rigging machine of the Republicans.
The outpouring of support that greeted Obama’s victory was incredible. From Africa through to the Middle East and the Latin American region. The voices from Latin America were very strong. Congratulations with conditions from foes and allies - Alvaro Uribe, Raffael Correa, Lula, Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez. Not surprising huh? Well Obama had said during the campaign he will sit down with Mr. Chavez. Chavez sees Obama’s election as positive because the president elect appears to be a good break from the past ways of doing things. His victory undoubtedly would raise America’s battered image brought on by the war and largely by the isolationist and half-hearted tactics of Bush in the last 8 years. It is already apparent in the places and countries support is coming from. Even the Taliban have made conditional overtures, albeit an overture.
But guess who else is on the list of the good boys club? President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad of Iran, whose country has not had any high level diplomatic relations with the US since April 1980 after Iranian students seized 63 hostages at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
And oh, Uncle Bob. Yes, our own uncle Bob. He has sent Barack a note of compliment. I love this man. Uncle Bob of Zimbabwe is anxiously awaiting the renewal of relationship with his country whose economy had been damaged like a rag doll.
I am not sure why Robert Mugabe kept his country in the Commonwealth until he was kicked out? The writings were on the wall that his country was going to be suspended. But the Commonwealth is of no use to him and his people anyway. There is nothing common about the wealth of Zimbabwe and the UK or Australia.
I’m really looking forward to the day when all these so called Pan-African leaders of the continent would sever ties with the Commonwealth league of nations. The institution has lost its usefulness and offers nothing extraordinary to member countries, particularly those from Africa. It has in fact not been useful in the first place at all.
We got our independence with a fight from an institution whose head was reluctant to grant independence in the first place. It had to take courageous leaders like Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya to get us where we are. They fought for it, blood was shed and many lives perished in the process. Countries whose leaders have not been bold enough are virtually still ruled by The Queen - Why should countries such as Barbados and Jamaica proclaim INDEPENDENCE and still have the Queen as Head of State? Wake up Jamaica! Wake up Barbados. Even the British are debating the usefulness of the Monarchy, and she is their Queen. We are still reeling from the exploitation of slavery and Britain has not even had the decency to apologize to a people whose trust and confidence it breached. Excitingly, the Queen will not miss us if you all left, would she? She gets very good company from the many royal activities and charities she presides over, plus her beautiful pets.
Africa is ensnared in bilateral trade agreements and we are at the receiving end of this so called special treatment for commonwealth member countries. Citizens of member states are no different from non-member countries and the same very humiliating and funny visa procedures apply to everyone else from Africa or Jamaica. Britain after all trades with `non commonwealth´ members so what’s the point?
The 21st century poses new challenges and requires cooperation from the nations of the world in confronting these challenges - terrorism, finance, health, agricultural, climate change, peace and security. It is therefore very important and in the interest of developing nations particularly those in Africa to support and help strengthen institutions like the UN, the African Union and ECOWAS. Britain may be an indispensable partner in Africa’s development, but Commonwealth members from Africa do not have to be members of a group that reeks of colonial mentality.
It is a myth to continuously live in the belief that we have to be a member of the commonwealth in order to favorably trade with Britain. Britain will trade with us anyways if we had something it needs and that is a fact. The crimes of slavery are so grave that some African nations cannot continue to hold on to being members of the commonwealth. And like Kwame Nkrumah said, we should "prefare self-government with danger to servitude in tranquility." Nkrumah’s statement sums up the feelings of many young men and women from Africa today who do not see any real benefits from resources plundered out of the continent by greedy and corrupt leaders and their western collaborators.
We may not be able to live in isolation in the 21st century, but the time has come to throw into the dustbins of history institutions that do not promote social justice, equality and fairness. Nkrumah may have been the one who signed us up to the Commonwealth, but the time has come for us to quit. The Barack Obama victory should spur Africans into believing in themselves.
We have so much talent and abundant natural resources, we have to put them to use in the interest of our people. Let us give our children the hope that someday we shall overcome our difficulties and prove the world wrong. And indeed - YES WE CAN!
Credit: Ras Mubarak. [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
History is made and the story will be told to many generations, of how a young Black man mesmerized the world and gave hope to his people, a people who have suffered some of the world’s most vicious treatment. The savagery of slavery and events thereafter are too chilling for me to write about.
The Democratic Party in America as you may be aware by now is in total control of the US Congress, The Senate and the White House, or perhaps the "Black House" now that Obama is going to be in charge. 52 per cent of Americans voted for Mr. Obama which gave him 364 electoral colleges whilst magnanimous grandpa John McCain got 46 percent of the total votes and 174 Electoral College votes.
Did you see the display of wisdom in McCain’s concession speech? Whew, the man was magnanimous to a fault - Wicked and very inspiring speech. He almost stole the show with his speech. It is the kind of speech you only get to hear from exceptional politicians. He must have inherited his pearls of wisdom from King Solomon of Biblical days.
Politics elsewhere is so pregnant with bitterness and a lack of good will to concede defeat and have nicer things to say about one’s opponent. Akufo-Addo’s concession speech to President John A. Mills was virtually a litany of complaints. But that is what American politics is NOT about. Analysts who have lived long enough and observed so many elections say Americans always put the acrimonious campaigning behind them once it is said and done.
Good for democracy and good for the rest of the world. There is undoubtedly so much the world can learn from US elections, though that is not to say they don’t have pockets of difficulties in their system. I’m sure you are aware how several Black people were reportedly denied the opportunity to vote thanks to Jeb Bush, brother of president Bush and the rigging machine of the Republicans.
The outpouring of support that greeted Obama’s victory was incredible. From Africa through to the Middle East and the Latin American region. The voices from Latin America were very strong. Congratulations with conditions from foes and allies - Alvaro Uribe, Raffael Correa, Lula, Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez. Not surprising huh? Well Obama had said during the campaign he will sit down with Mr. Chavez. Chavez sees Obama’s election as positive because the president elect appears to be a good break from the past ways of doing things. His victory undoubtedly would raise America’s battered image brought on by the war and largely by the isolationist and half-hearted tactics of Bush in the last 8 years. It is already apparent in the places and countries support is coming from. Even the Taliban have made conditional overtures, albeit an overture.
But guess who else is on the list of the good boys club? President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad of Iran, whose country has not had any high level diplomatic relations with the US since April 1980 after Iranian students seized 63 hostages at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
And oh, Uncle Bob. Yes, our own uncle Bob. He has sent Barack a note of compliment. I love this man. Uncle Bob of Zimbabwe is anxiously awaiting the renewal of relationship with his country whose economy had been damaged like a rag doll.
I am not sure why Robert Mugabe kept his country in the Commonwealth until he was kicked out? The writings were on the wall that his country was going to be suspended. But the Commonwealth is of no use to him and his people anyway. There is nothing common about the wealth of Zimbabwe and the UK or Australia.
I’m really looking forward to the day when all these so called Pan-African leaders of the continent would sever ties with the Commonwealth league of nations. The institution has lost its usefulness and offers nothing extraordinary to member countries, particularly those from Africa. It has in fact not been useful in the first place at all.
We got our independence with a fight from an institution whose head was reluctant to grant independence in the first place. It had to take courageous leaders like Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya to get us where we are. They fought for it, blood was shed and many lives perished in the process. Countries whose leaders have not been bold enough are virtually still ruled by The Queen - Why should countries such as Barbados and Jamaica proclaim INDEPENDENCE and still have the Queen as Head of State? Wake up Jamaica! Wake up Barbados. Even the British are debating the usefulness of the Monarchy, and she is their Queen. We are still reeling from the exploitation of slavery and Britain has not even had the decency to apologize to a people whose trust and confidence it breached. Excitingly, the Queen will not miss us if you all left, would she? She gets very good company from the many royal activities and charities she presides over, plus her beautiful pets.
Africa is ensnared in bilateral trade agreements and we are at the receiving end of this so called special treatment for commonwealth member countries. Citizens of member states are no different from non-member countries and the same very humiliating and funny visa procedures apply to everyone else from Africa or Jamaica. Britain after all trades with `non commonwealth´ members so what’s the point?
The 21st century poses new challenges and requires cooperation from the nations of the world in confronting these challenges - terrorism, finance, health, agricultural, climate change, peace and security. It is therefore very important and in the interest of developing nations particularly those in Africa to support and help strengthen institutions like the UN, the African Union and ECOWAS. Britain may be an indispensable partner in Africa’s development, but Commonwealth members from Africa do not have to be members of a group that reeks of colonial mentality.
It is a myth to continuously live in the belief that we have to be a member of the commonwealth in order to favorably trade with Britain. Britain will trade with us anyways if we had something it needs and that is a fact. The crimes of slavery are so grave that some African nations cannot continue to hold on to being members of the commonwealth. And like Kwame Nkrumah said, we should "prefare self-government with danger to servitude in tranquility." Nkrumah’s statement sums up the feelings of many young men and women from Africa today who do not see any real benefits from resources plundered out of the continent by greedy and corrupt leaders and their western collaborators.
We may not be able to live in isolation in the 21st century, but the time has come to throw into the dustbins of history institutions that do not promote social justice, equality and fairness. Nkrumah may have been the one who signed us up to the Commonwealth, but the time has come for us to quit. The Barack Obama victory should spur Africans into believing in themselves.
We have so much talent and abundant natural resources, we have to put them to use in the interest of our people. Let us give our children the hope that someday we shall overcome our difficulties and prove the world wrong. And indeed - YES WE CAN!
Credit: Ras Mubarak. [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
don't politicise the army
The Professional Journal of the US Marine Corps underlines the word Military, as a term derived from the French word Militaire, which was also derived from the Latin word Militaris, meaning "of soldiers or war."
One of the most agonizing and hazardous jobs on earth is the Armed Forces. Mostly very noble men and women of individual nations put their lives in harms way just to fend off, protect and secure the lives and properties of citizens.
The training is rigorous and extremely life threatening. I write with a lot of pride and exaltation for the men and women in uniform. I lived in NORRRIP Village and went to elementary school in the early 80s in Kamina Barracks, Tamale, which is just a fence away from NORRIP. As a child, I watched officers train every morning and relished the panache and aplomb our officers exhibited. I convinced myself that one day, just one day, I would enlist in the armed forces.
The military is such a wonderful place to work in, in spite of the hazards that come with the job. What is life when you can’t live for others? Our officers live for us whilst we are about our daily and nightly exigencies, oblivious to the threats that these unknown men and women intercept and crush, 98 per cent of which never even come out in the public domain.
I would have been in the army but for my height. Recruitment procedures may have changed in the Ghana Armed Forces, but the last time I tried to enlist - some 15 years ago, I was told I was too short to fit in. How shameful that was. I guess they needed men and women who could break bones with their bare hands, menacing looking officers, officers who are so huge they can frighten any adversary just by the size of their stature. They may have been right then, after all it was Okonko who said in Things Fall Apart, (a book by Chinua Achebe) that a man must be hugely built and ugly. I am not hugely built and i am not ugly, at least that is what my fans tell me when they see me on national television, GTV. I have heard comments like - "oh Mubarak, you are such a handsome young man, why are you wearing dreadlocks?"
The years of using the muscle in the military are long gone. People are looking for strategists and creative thinkers who can device lethal weapons and precision missiles for wars. No disrespect to heavily built persons but wars are won by highly skilled and sophisticated generals. Science and intelligence is the name of the game today. And that is why consistently, advanced nations are engaging stakeholders to deal with threats.
The Armed Forces have become very central in almost everything. At a World Trade Centre meeting in Brussels, Belgium in 2001, the theme adopted for the conference was - "the importance of Military Organisations In Stratospheric Ozone and Climate Protection". The programme which was jointly organised by the United Nations Environmental Programme, United States Department of Defence and the United States Environmental Protection Agency amongst other things discussed Military strategies to reduce Greenhouse Emissions, the significance of the Climate and Ozone layer protection to environmental security, Fire and Explosion Suppression, Bullet-proof and Ballistic Shields, biological and chemical decontamination, Military Emissions and Armed Conflict and their impact on the environment.
The long and short of this story is that, military science is the order of the day and successful militaries of the 21st century would have to conform to the demands of the times or you expose your citizenry to annihilation from aggressive governments. I am sure Israel would not even dream about invading Palestine if the Palestinians had a deterrent like Pakistan.
Elsewhere in the World, Armed Forces personnel are glorified for their courage and given heavy defence budgets to help them assemble the best minds, boost morale and acquire the most sophisticated military gadgets. The defence budgets of serious nations are so huge it can blow your mind to bits. A nation cannot compromise on the security of its people, otherwise you expose them to danger from rogue states. As individuals we would not care so much about buying dogs, alarms and unassailable gadgets to secure our homes and offices if the protections of our lives and property were not important to us. Take a look at any shop or store in your town and you would see the sizes of padlocks and lock systems people put in place.
The story of the Ghana Armed Forces is pathetic. In spite of the enormous sacrifices by our military officers, we are always so quick to excoriate them. Any form of excesses by the military is unacceptable. Very innocent people have been killed or harassed in the past. Families have been left bereft because of the indiscipline of some young officers and we have a right to call the attention of the generals to keep their boys in check. Indisciplined elements in the military have in the past behaved like barbarians and I think the High Command would have to do a lot of work in ensuring discipline. What happened at the forecourt of the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where alleged offending taxi drivers were rounded up by soldiers, given military drills and taken to the mortuary to fondle corpses is outrageous. The brutality meted out to Issah Mobilla till he died in the hands of the military is savagery. We cannot condone such crude behaviour.
Unfortunately, we in the civilian community are equally not doing things right. When the boys in the barracks get out of hand, and like in every institution, there are procedures of bringing people to justice. Nana Oye Lithur is one of the human rights activists I respect and hold in very high esteem.
But I was very disappointed when she sought to suggest that two weeks was long enough for the military to come out with a statement on the death of a Ghanaian-American tourists who was killed by an alleged military officer on January 2. As a seasoned lawyer, I expect Nana Oye to know that the case is an alleged murder and that murder cases required thorough investigation. Impatience would not solve any murder allegation. We are not even sure if the alleged persons accused of murdering the tourist are members of the Armed Forces. To seek to rush the army into coming out quickly is very unfortunate.
I would never seek to justify the arbitrary execution of Ghanaians or law abiding foreigners in Ghana by the military, but to suggest that the entire military establishment is trigger happy is treachery. In any case, I would be expecting to hear her tell Ghanaians more than 5years is too long a time to bring to justice persons who assassinated the King of Dagbon and 40 of his subjects in broad day light at a time when Ghana is not under military rule. These were civilians killed by civilians and Ghana’s so-called most outspoken human rights activists have been quiet.
We have seen cases of indiscipline exhibited even by the most sophisticated armed forces in the world. We are witnesses to how American and British soldiers tortured innocent Iraqis and Afghans. The US is arguably the world’s topmost democracy where rights and liberties are respected by institutions of state, yet we saw chilling images of the barbarity of some elements of the US Army, largely young officers who don’t even know why they were in Iraq.
It is very dangerous the way we are too quick to denounce the Military. The media is not helping much because you have all sorts of poorly trained journalists running commentary on the behaviour of the Armed Forces of Ghana and instigating hatred for the officers in uniform. The now opposition New Patriotic Party is also not helping much. Some leaders of the party including its defeated presidential candidate in the last elections have at any given opportunity tried to drag the military into politics by calling the NDC "solja foor aban - military people’s party." The Armed Forces is there for all of us and have conducted themselves fairly well in the last 17 years or so.
We don’t even care what difficulties confront the military. We are not even talking about the problems of the Armed Forces yet expect them to live beyond reproach. For the record, the Ghana Armed Forces is one of the most under-funded armies in Africa. The Ghana Armed Forces is nowhere in comparison to countries like Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Botswana and Cameroon.
Cote D’Ivoire for example has a population of 18 million plus people. It has 17,050 personnel in its military. It also has 10 main battle tanks, 10 armoured infantary fighting vehicles, 41 armoured personnel carriers, 3 patrol and coastal combat vessels for the Navy, 6 combat capable aircrafts for the Air Force and spent $US 300M in 2007 on military budget.
A tiny country like Botswana spent $US 283M in 2007 on military budget. In the same year, Burkina Faso spent $US 101M and it has 10,800 personnel in their military, Cameroon has 14,100 personnel in its military. Her population is 18 million plus, and Cameroon´s defence budget for 2007 is $US324M. The country has 22 armored infantry fighting vehicles and 33 armored personnel carriers. Whilst Ghana’s Navy has 6 patrol and coastal combatant vessels at 2 bases, Cameroon has 11 patrol and coastal vessels at 3 bases. Cameroon´s Airforce has 15 combat capable aircrafts and 7 armed helicopters. The Ghana Airforce only 9 combat capable aircrafts.
Our defence spending for the same year as the above countries - 2007 -is $US104M. Even very tiny looking Jamaica, whose population is less than 3million spends more on the country’s defence than Ghana. Jamaica´s defence spending in 2007 was $US 105m, and guess how many armoured infantry fighting vehicles Ghana has? Just 19 and 50 armoured personnel carriers. We are no where near our own peers in Africa in terms of military might - countries whose GDP is nearly the same as ours or slightly ahead of Ghana’s. Our boys and girls in the garrisons are overstretched and under resourced. It was dancehall singer Rodney Pryce, aka Bounty Killer, who asked in his song how governments expect a frustrated security force to keep the peace, couldn’t they understand that "a hungry man is an angry man and we’ve been telling you this from 19....how long?"
The NPP has to stop its propaganda of disrespecting the very men and women who in times of trouble they would be quick to call upon to save us all. We keep hearing all manner of very stupid stories put out in the media just to discredit the Armed Forces because the NDC enjoys some perceived support in the military. Our Generals and Officers are loyal only to Ghana and no one else. We should stop this shameful attitude of claiming the military is back in power because the NDC is the military and the military is the NDC.
What the military needs now is support to execute its duties and not denunciations from people who cannot even handle a gun let alone fire it.
redit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
One of the most agonizing and hazardous jobs on earth is the Armed Forces. Mostly very noble men and women of individual nations put their lives in harms way just to fend off, protect and secure the lives and properties of citizens.
The training is rigorous and extremely life threatening. I write with a lot of pride and exaltation for the men and women in uniform. I lived in NORRRIP Village and went to elementary school in the early 80s in Kamina Barracks, Tamale, which is just a fence away from NORRIP. As a child, I watched officers train every morning and relished the panache and aplomb our officers exhibited. I convinced myself that one day, just one day, I would enlist in the armed forces.
The military is such a wonderful place to work in, in spite of the hazards that come with the job. What is life when you can’t live for others? Our officers live for us whilst we are about our daily and nightly exigencies, oblivious to the threats that these unknown men and women intercept and crush, 98 per cent of which never even come out in the public domain.
I would have been in the army but for my height. Recruitment procedures may have changed in the Ghana Armed Forces, but the last time I tried to enlist - some 15 years ago, I was told I was too short to fit in. How shameful that was. I guess they needed men and women who could break bones with their bare hands, menacing looking officers, officers who are so huge they can frighten any adversary just by the size of their stature. They may have been right then, after all it was Okonko who said in Things Fall Apart, (a book by Chinua Achebe) that a man must be hugely built and ugly. I am not hugely built and i am not ugly, at least that is what my fans tell me when they see me on national television, GTV. I have heard comments like - "oh Mubarak, you are such a handsome young man, why are you wearing dreadlocks?"
The years of using the muscle in the military are long gone. People are looking for strategists and creative thinkers who can device lethal weapons and precision missiles for wars. No disrespect to heavily built persons but wars are won by highly skilled and sophisticated generals. Science and intelligence is the name of the game today. And that is why consistently, advanced nations are engaging stakeholders to deal with threats.
The Armed Forces have become very central in almost everything. At a World Trade Centre meeting in Brussels, Belgium in 2001, the theme adopted for the conference was - "the importance of Military Organisations In Stratospheric Ozone and Climate Protection". The programme which was jointly organised by the United Nations Environmental Programme, United States Department of Defence and the United States Environmental Protection Agency amongst other things discussed Military strategies to reduce Greenhouse Emissions, the significance of the Climate and Ozone layer protection to environmental security, Fire and Explosion Suppression, Bullet-proof and Ballistic Shields, biological and chemical decontamination, Military Emissions and Armed Conflict and their impact on the environment.
The long and short of this story is that, military science is the order of the day and successful militaries of the 21st century would have to conform to the demands of the times or you expose your citizenry to annihilation from aggressive governments. I am sure Israel would not even dream about invading Palestine if the Palestinians had a deterrent like Pakistan.
Elsewhere in the World, Armed Forces personnel are glorified for their courage and given heavy defence budgets to help them assemble the best minds, boost morale and acquire the most sophisticated military gadgets. The defence budgets of serious nations are so huge it can blow your mind to bits. A nation cannot compromise on the security of its people, otherwise you expose them to danger from rogue states. As individuals we would not care so much about buying dogs, alarms and unassailable gadgets to secure our homes and offices if the protections of our lives and property were not important to us. Take a look at any shop or store in your town and you would see the sizes of padlocks and lock systems people put in place.
The story of the Ghana Armed Forces is pathetic. In spite of the enormous sacrifices by our military officers, we are always so quick to excoriate them. Any form of excesses by the military is unacceptable. Very innocent people have been killed or harassed in the past. Families have been left bereft because of the indiscipline of some young officers and we have a right to call the attention of the generals to keep their boys in check. Indisciplined elements in the military have in the past behaved like barbarians and I think the High Command would have to do a lot of work in ensuring discipline. What happened at the forecourt of the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where alleged offending taxi drivers were rounded up by soldiers, given military drills and taken to the mortuary to fondle corpses is outrageous. The brutality meted out to Issah Mobilla till he died in the hands of the military is savagery. We cannot condone such crude behaviour.
Unfortunately, we in the civilian community are equally not doing things right. When the boys in the barracks get out of hand, and like in every institution, there are procedures of bringing people to justice. Nana Oye Lithur is one of the human rights activists I respect and hold in very high esteem.
But I was very disappointed when she sought to suggest that two weeks was long enough for the military to come out with a statement on the death of a Ghanaian-American tourists who was killed by an alleged military officer on January 2. As a seasoned lawyer, I expect Nana Oye to know that the case is an alleged murder and that murder cases required thorough investigation. Impatience would not solve any murder allegation. We are not even sure if the alleged persons accused of murdering the tourist are members of the Armed Forces. To seek to rush the army into coming out quickly is very unfortunate.
I would never seek to justify the arbitrary execution of Ghanaians or law abiding foreigners in Ghana by the military, but to suggest that the entire military establishment is trigger happy is treachery. In any case, I would be expecting to hear her tell Ghanaians more than 5years is too long a time to bring to justice persons who assassinated the King of Dagbon and 40 of his subjects in broad day light at a time when Ghana is not under military rule. These were civilians killed by civilians and Ghana’s so-called most outspoken human rights activists have been quiet.
We have seen cases of indiscipline exhibited even by the most sophisticated armed forces in the world. We are witnesses to how American and British soldiers tortured innocent Iraqis and Afghans. The US is arguably the world’s topmost democracy where rights and liberties are respected by institutions of state, yet we saw chilling images of the barbarity of some elements of the US Army, largely young officers who don’t even know why they were in Iraq.
It is very dangerous the way we are too quick to denounce the Military. The media is not helping much because you have all sorts of poorly trained journalists running commentary on the behaviour of the Armed Forces of Ghana and instigating hatred for the officers in uniform. The now opposition New Patriotic Party is also not helping much. Some leaders of the party including its defeated presidential candidate in the last elections have at any given opportunity tried to drag the military into politics by calling the NDC "solja foor aban - military people’s party." The Armed Forces is there for all of us and have conducted themselves fairly well in the last 17 years or so.
We don’t even care what difficulties confront the military. We are not even talking about the problems of the Armed Forces yet expect them to live beyond reproach. For the record, the Ghana Armed Forces is one of the most under-funded armies in Africa. The Ghana Armed Forces is nowhere in comparison to countries like Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Botswana and Cameroon.
Cote D’Ivoire for example has a population of 18 million plus people. It has 17,050 personnel in its military. It also has 10 main battle tanks, 10 armoured infantary fighting vehicles, 41 armoured personnel carriers, 3 patrol and coastal combat vessels for the Navy, 6 combat capable aircrafts for the Air Force and spent $US 300M in 2007 on military budget.
A tiny country like Botswana spent $US 283M in 2007 on military budget. In the same year, Burkina Faso spent $US 101M and it has 10,800 personnel in their military, Cameroon has 14,100 personnel in its military. Her population is 18 million plus, and Cameroon´s defence budget for 2007 is $US324M. The country has 22 armored infantry fighting vehicles and 33 armored personnel carriers. Whilst Ghana’s Navy has 6 patrol and coastal combatant vessels at 2 bases, Cameroon has 11 patrol and coastal vessels at 3 bases. Cameroon´s Airforce has 15 combat capable aircrafts and 7 armed helicopters. The Ghana Airforce only 9 combat capable aircrafts.
Our defence spending for the same year as the above countries - 2007 -is $US104M. Even very tiny looking Jamaica, whose population is less than 3million spends more on the country’s defence than Ghana. Jamaica´s defence spending in 2007 was $US 105m, and guess how many armoured infantry fighting vehicles Ghana has? Just 19 and 50 armoured personnel carriers. We are no where near our own peers in Africa in terms of military might - countries whose GDP is nearly the same as ours or slightly ahead of Ghana’s. Our boys and girls in the garrisons are overstretched and under resourced. It was dancehall singer Rodney Pryce, aka Bounty Killer, who asked in his song how governments expect a frustrated security force to keep the peace, couldn’t they understand that "a hungry man is an angry man and we’ve been telling you this from 19....how long?"
The NPP has to stop its propaganda of disrespecting the very men and women who in times of trouble they would be quick to call upon to save us all. We keep hearing all manner of very stupid stories put out in the media just to discredit the Armed Forces because the NDC enjoys some perceived support in the military. Our Generals and Officers are loyal only to Ghana and no one else. We should stop this shameful attitude of claiming the military is back in power because the NDC is the military and the military is the NDC.
What the military needs now is support to execute its duties and not denunciations from people who cannot even handle a gun let alone fire it.
redit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
Arrest Kufuor, Malik and others
I am enraged by reports that the opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP is contemplating hitting the streets to demonstrate against what they call “harassment of its members” over the seizure of vehicles. This is a typical case of “the pot calling the kettle black.”
Our constitution guarantees the rights of every individual to freely take part in processions and demonstrations and I absolutely support this wise provision in our constitution. The opposition and indeed every Ghanaian must be encouraged to demonstrate and organise processions to highlight or draw attention to matters they are aggrieved about if all avenues for redress fail. I am therefore not opposed to any form of peaceful demonstrations by any group including the NPP.
What I am against is self righteous hypocrisy. To paraphrase a paragraph from Mr. Obama’s 2002 speech against the Iraqi war, “what I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Nyaho Tamakloe, Asamoah Boateng, Nana Akomea and other armchair, weekend warriors in the NPP to shove their warped ideologies about rule of law down our throats.”
Indeed I am opposed to attempts by political hacks like Nana Ohene Ntow to distract us from the filthy corruption that engulfed our country whilst they were in power over the last eight years.
Since when did it become harassing for the state to reclaim what belonged to the state? How many people returned their vehicles after the Deputy Information Minister issued his fatwa to former ministers who were still holding on to their vehicles? In less than a week after the ultimatum to return the vehicles that were less than two years old, sixteen vehicles were returned. Why were so many ex-ministers holding on to their cars if they weren’t entitled to them?
There are prescribed procedures for the acquisition of vehicles by former officials. The law is that the acquisition does not apply to saloon cars under two years old. So anyone who was holding on to a vehicle under two years is required to return them. But what did we see – many of them greedily held on to vehicles they had no authorisation to keep. But for the ultimatum would they have returned them?
This is a party that oppressed its own members and appointees. Under the NPP, the national security advisor, Frances Poku had to flee into exile. Their own Nana Frema Busia, a lady Kufuor appointed to various posts called for his impeachment.
Well, Frema Busia, Frances Poku and anyone who fled into exile can return home because Ghanaians have rescued the nation from the claws of a grossly incompetent upper crust. This is a party that stripped Chairman Rawlings of his privileges as enshrined in our constitution; went to a church service and arrested an opponent who was worshipping with his family and had no intentions to flee out of the country; forcibly and without due recourse to law removed many government appointees and civil servants from their posts.
Where were the Ohene Ntows when Issah Mobila, an opposition politician, was beaten and tortured to death by security officials? Did the courts under the NPP give Tsatsu Tsikata “adequate time for the preparation of his defence” before they jailed him?
All governments have a responsibility to protect their nationals especially the most vulnerable of all citizens, but certainly not for the government Ghana had from 2001-2008. They came to power on the wings of positive change, and instead of being a catalyst for change and became a roadblock for change. When the call came for the Kufuor-led government to protect the overlord of Dagbon and his counsel, they facilitated and covered up their assassinations.
To even begin to talk about harassment is so repulsive. The NPP left office leaving in their trail the unforgivable destruction of the heritage of the Dagbon people. Their record of human rights violations and harassment in 8years is worse than all the military juntas of our country put together.
Under a constitutional democracy, we had the figure head of the Dagbon people and his retinue assassinated whilst security officials looked away. A very important person is murder in the afternoon, by evening his head and limb are hacked off under the watchful eyes of police and military officers and nothing happens?
Imagine if this had happened to even a sub chief from the Ashanti region? I can guarantee they would have smoked out and disowned the architects.
The trauma that the people of Dagbon have been subjected to under the New Patriotic Party would take a long time to heal, and perhaps never. The only thing that might assuage the pain of loss - not just the loss of a father, a King and an embodiment of the authority of Dagbamba, but of a very long tradition and culture of the Dagbon people – is FINAL JUSTICE. The suspected architects and accessories are still walking free -the entire NPP gang of bad and dishonourable security agents.
We can now only take consolation and pleasure in news of imminent prosecution of suspected criminals within the NPP. They would indeed spare us this display of hypocrisy when President Mills starts “cracking the damn whip.”
The New Patriotic party should spare Ghana the diversionary and self righteous stunts. They owe Professor Mills a debt of gratitude for the temporary reprieve that criminal elements in their party enjoy.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
Our constitution guarantees the rights of every individual to freely take part in processions and demonstrations and I absolutely support this wise provision in our constitution. The opposition and indeed every Ghanaian must be encouraged to demonstrate and organise processions to highlight or draw attention to matters they are aggrieved about if all avenues for redress fail. I am therefore not opposed to any form of peaceful demonstrations by any group including the NPP.
What I am against is self righteous hypocrisy. To paraphrase a paragraph from Mr. Obama’s 2002 speech against the Iraqi war, “what I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Nyaho Tamakloe, Asamoah Boateng, Nana Akomea and other armchair, weekend warriors in the NPP to shove their warped ideologies about rule of law down our throats.”
Indeed I am opposed to attempts by political hacks like Nana Ohene Ntow to distract us from the filthy corruption that engulfed our country whilst they were in power over the last eight years.
Since when did it become harassing for the state to reclaim what belonged to the state? How many people returned their vehicles after the Deputy Information Minister issued his fatwa to former ministers who were still holding on to their vehicles? In less than a week after the ultimatum to return the vehicles that were less than two years old, sixteen vehicles were returned. Why were so many ex-ministers holding on to their cars if they weren’t entitled to them?
There are prescribed procedures for the acquisition of vehicles by former officials. The law is that the acquisition does not apply to saloon cars under two years old. So anyone who was holding on to a vehicle under two years is required to return them. But what did we see – many of them greedily held on to vehicles they had no authorisation to keep. But for the ultimatum would they have returned them?
This is a party that oppressed its own members and appointees. Under the NPP, the national security advisor, Frances Poku had to flee into exile. Their own Nana Frema Busia, a lady Kufuor appointed to various posts called for his impeachment.
Well, Frema Busia, Frances Poku and anyone who fled into exile can return home because Ghanaians have rescued the nation from the claws of a grossly incompetent upper crust. This is a party that stripped Chairman Rawlings of his privileges as enshrined in our constitution; went to a church service and arrested an opponent who was worshipping with his family and had no intentions to flee out of the country; forcibly and without due recourse to law removed many government appointees and civil servants from their posts.
Where were the Ohene Ntows when Issah Mobila, an opposition politician, was beaten and tortured to death by security officials? Did the courts under the NPP give Tsatsu Tsikata “adequate time for the preparation of his defence” before they jailed him?
All governments have a responsibility to protect their nationals especially the most vulnerable of all citizens, but certainly not for the government Ghana had from 2001-2008. They came to power on the wings of positive change, and instead of being a catalyst for change and became a roadblock for change. When the call came for the Kufuor-led government to protect the overlord of Dagbon and his counsel, they facilitated and covered up their assassinations.
To even begin to talk about harassment is so repulsive. The NPP left office leaving in their trail the unforgivable destruction of the heritage of the Dagbon people. Their record of human rights violations and harassment in 8years is worse than all the military juntas of our country put together.
Under a constitutional democracy, we had the figure head of the Dagbon people and his retinue assassinated whilst security officials looked away. A very important person is murder in the afternoon, by evening his head and limb are hacked off under the watchful eyes of police and military officers and nothing happens?
Imagine if this had happened to even a sub chief from the Ashanti region? I can guarantee they would have smoked out and disowned the architects.
The trauma that the people of Dagbon have been subjected to under the New Patriotic Party would take a long time to heal, and perhaps never. The only thing that might assuage the pain of loss - not just the loss of a father, a King and an embodiment of the authority of Dagbamba, but of a very long tradition and culture of the Dagbon people – is FINAL JUSTICE. The suspected architects and accessories are still walking free -the entire NPP gang of bad and dishonourable security agents.
We can now only take consolation and pleasure in news of imminent prosecution of suspected criminals within the NPP. They would indeed spare us this display of hypocrisy when President Mills starts “cracking the damn whip.”
The New Patriotic party should spare Ghana the diversionary and self righteous stunts. They owe Professor Mills a debt of gratitude for the temporary reprieve that criminal elements in their party enjoy.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
GNA embarrassed the nation
It wasn’t surprising to many observers when the GJA (Ghana Journalists Association) at its last awards night failed to find a deserving winner of the ‘Journalist of the Year Award.’ They blamed low standards. Journalism in our country is in a sorry state. We have a handful of very good journalists, but that’s just about it.
There’s an old time saying that ‘’if you don’t stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.’’ And so when officials of Yahuda Security Management Consulting walked into the GNA (Ghana News Agency) and told them they were one of the top security consultants from the UK, the GNA swallowed it, rolled out the red carpet, gave them an interview and subsequently passed a report on to the gullible lot.
Can you believe this? Anybody can walk into a major news organisation, claim to be something and get an interview. No one bothered to run checks on the authenticity of the claims; no one sought to probe ‘who owned the company, what they’ve achieved to be one of the top, how a bunch of Ghanaians became one of the top security firms in Britain; no one asked them ‘how long they’ve been enjoying a top spot in areas of security in Britain, when they were established, and so on.’ What has happened to the cardinal rule of interviewing – RESEARCH? Even on the spur of the moment, a couple of phone calls and search on the internet can produce something. Even if you didn’t research, your basic five W’s and one H (what, who, why, when, where and how) should get you a lot of insight. Yet the GNA desecrated the profession and failed the nation.
Many of our journalists can’t differentiate between news and PR garbage. It is rather pathetic for staff at the GNA to get overwhelmed by people from “abrokyere.” What happened at the GNA is inexcusable and must be condemned in the strongest of terms. It is embarrassing to the nation and the art of journalism. It is unacceptable for a wire service like the GNA to entertain workers who are lethargic.
There are so many pressing issues screaming for attention, yet the sloppiness at the GNA has left us where we are. There’s simply no place for mediocrity in journalism and like many professions, it is an art – you either learn to do it or get out. The recklessness of a driver or a doctor can cost lives; a careless lawyer can send an innocent man to jail, likewise the journalist. Journalist can destroy a nation, rubbish someone’s career or bring down a government, so they must be very meticulous and act in a manner that is beyond reproach. The GNA and the rest of the nation’s media have a chance to reform. This is an opportunity to clean up the mess, retrain people who are lagging behind or simply ask them to make way for people who are up to the task and challenges of the profession.
To quote Dr. Kwesi Aning of KAIPC, the behaviour of the security company in question “whilst seemingly patriotic is driven by opportunistic tendencies and a desire to exploit the president’s visit to the UK.” This is a company which doesn’t have any track record yet had the audacity to run their mouths about coming to town to advice national security officials on how to secure our country from crime.
If all the reports are anything to go by, this company did not come to Ghana at the invitation of the government. There is absolutely no wrong committed on the part of government and attempts to compare the infamous Osafo Marfo’s saloon loan debacle to this are most unfortunate.
It is also unfortunate if reports of scheduled meetings with national security officials are true. How did they manage to secure appointments with our national security gurus? Are our security capos also wet behind the ears just like the folks at the GNA?
There are serious concerns within security circles about the safety of our president and if a company that was formed less than a week ago can secure appointments with our security capos with the view to advising them on the rather complex issues of security, then we are in deep trouble.
Ghana’s security agencies have had a long standing relationship with their foreign counterparts, especially Britain and the US and any requests for assistance have always been between federal agencies. Whenever our agencies have required help, they sought it from agencies of state and not private security firms. This is not the moment to get into agreement with some opportunists.
Ghana has to be very careful in the manner we roll out red carpet for anyone from “abrokyere” and the government has to be especially cautious. The ruling NDC has the benefit of history and would not be forgiving by Ghanaians if they exhibited gullibility in the running of the country.
We must applaud the courage of Timothy Afful, the patriotic Ghanaian resident in the UK who got the courage to call the GNA and challenge the credibility of Yahuda Security Management Consulting, and like Mr. Timothy, we must all be “deeply concerned” about the security of our country and the seriousness of our journalists.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
There’s an old time saying that ‘’if you don’t stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.’’ And so when officials of Yahuda Security Management Consulting walked into the GNA (Ghana News Agency) and told them they were one of the top security consultants from the UK, the GNA swallowed it, rolled out the red carpet, gave them an interview and subsequently passed a report on to the gullible lot.
Can you believe this? Anybody can walk into a major news organisation, claim to be something and get an interview. No one bothered to run checks on the authenticity of the claims; no one sought to probe ‘who owned the company, what they’ve achieved to be one of the top, how a bunch of Ghanaians became one of the top security firms in Britain; no one asked them ‘how long they’ve been enjoying a top spot in areas of security in Britain, when they were established, and so on.’ What has happened to the cardinal rule of interviewing – RESEARCH? Even on the spur of the moment, a couple of phone calls and search on the internet can produce something. Even if you didn’t research, your basic five W’s and one H (what, who, why, when, where and how) should get you a lot of insight. Yet the GNA desecrated the profession and failed the nation.
Many of our journalists can’t differentiate between news and PR garbage. It is rather pathetic for staff at the GNA to get overwhelmed by people from “abrokyere.” What happened at the GNA is inexcusable and must be condemned in the strongest of terms. It is embarrassing to the nation and the art of journalism. It is unacceptable for a wire service like the GNA to entertain workers who are lethargic.
There are so many pressing issues screaming for attention, yet the sloppiness at the GNA has left us where we are. There’s simply no place for mediocrity in journalism and like many professions, it is an art – you either learn to do it or get out. The recklessness of a driver or a doctor can cost lives; a careless lawyer can send an innocent man to jail, likewise the journalist. Journalist can destroy a nation, rubbish someone’s career or bring down a government, so they must be very meticulous and act in a manner that is beyond reproach. The GNA and the rest of the nation’s media have a chance to reform. This is an opportunity to clean up the mess, retrain people who are lagging behind or simply ask them to make way for people who are up to the task and challenges of the profession.
To quote Dr. Kwesi Aning of KAIPC, the behaviour of the security company in question “whilst seemingly patriotic is driven by opportunistic tendencies and a desire to exploit the president’s visit to the UK.” This is a company which doesn’t have any track record yet had the audacity to run their mouths about coming to town to advice national security officials on how to secure our country from crime.
If all the reports are anything to go by, this company did not come to Ghana at the invitation of the government. There is absolutely no wrong committed on the part of government and attempts to compare the infamous Osafo Marfo’s saloon loan debacle to this are most unfortunate.
It is also unfortunate if reports of scheduled meetings with national security officials are true. How did they manage to secure appointments with our national security gurus? Are our security capos also wet behind the ears just like the folks at the GNA?
There are serious concerns within security circles about the safety of our president and if a company that was formed less than a week ago can secure appointments with our security capos with the view to advising them on the rather complex issues of security, then we are in deep trouble.
Ghana’s security agencies have had a long standing relationship with their foreign counterparts, especially Britain and the US and any requests for assistance have always been between federal agencies. Whenever our agencies have required help, they sought it from agencies of state and not private security firms. This is not the moment to get into agreement with some opportunists.
Ghana has to be very careful in the manner we roll out red carpet for anyone from “abrokyere” and the government has to be especially cautious. The ruling NDC has the benefit of history and would not be forgiving by Ghanaians if they exhibited gullibility in the running of the country.
We must applaud the courage of Timothy Afful, the patriotic Ghanaian resident in the UK who got the courage to call the GNA and challenge the credibility of Yahuda Security Management Consulting, and like Mr. Timothy, we must all be “deeply concerned” about the security of our country and the seriousness of our journalists.
Credit: Ras Mubarak
Fast Track Court ruling good; but has implications
Ghanaians have a lot to cherish about. Our democracy is deepening and we must all be proud of the gains irrespective of where we stand on the political divide. The recent Fast Track High Court ruling on the case involving the former Foreign Minister would pass as a landmark verdict.
Akwasi Osei Adjei had sought the courts interpretation of the constitutionality of the Bureau of National Investigations’ powers to seize his passport or restrict a citizen’s movement.
The clouds have now been cleared, and according to the court, the BNI can only seize a citizen’s passport or curtail their movement only after they had been explicitly granted permission by the court. This ruling wants things to be done in a manner that would ensure respect for civil liberties.
It is a ruling we must all be proud about, however, it has inherent consequences for the administration of justice.
Unless, we quickly provide adequate resources for the courts to function properly and promptly this ruling would stymie the work of the security agencies in dealing with crime.
The challenge the ruling posses for investigators are twofold. First they have to quickly charge persons they arrest upon suspicion that they might abscond.
Or wait till they get an order from the court. There may be exceptional circumstances where it becomes impossible to secure a court order restraining a suspect from absconding.
However we look at it, the wake up call is on for us to have an efficient court system running night and day across the nation. Anything short of that would get in the way of dealing with crime.
Credit: Ras Mubarak.
Akwasi Osei Adjei had sought the courts interpretation of the constitutionality of the Bureau of National Investigations’ powers to seize his passport or restrict a citizen’s movement.
The clouds have now been cleared, and according to the court, the BNI can only seize a citizen’s passport or curtail their movement only after they had been explicitly granted permission by the court. This ruling wants things to be done in a manner that would ensure respect for civil liberties.
It is a ruling we must all be proud about, however, it has inherent consequences for the administration of justice.
Unless, we quickly provide adequate resources for the courts to function properly and promptly this ruling would stymie the work of the security agencies in dealing with crime.
The challenge the ruling posses for investigators are twofold. First they have to quickly charge persons they arrest upon suspicion that they might abscond.
Or wait till they get an order from the court. There may be exceptional circumstances where it becomes impossible to secure a court order restraining a suspect from absconding.
However we look at it, the wake up call is on for us to have an efficient court system running night and day across the nation. Anything short of that would get in the way of dealing with crime.
Credit: Ras Mubarak.
Life and debt: President Mills' UK visit
When the blinds are drawn and the doors locked, away from the eyes of a news hungry press corpse, the leaders of Ghana and Britain, Messrs Atta Mills and Gordon Brown would be in deep thought about what each leader expects of the other.
For Ghana, it is quite straight forward. Our country and the UK have a long and enduring relationship. From the bitter days of colonial injustice through to the 21st century, we have looked to the UK as a model for our development, and many of our national figures including Philip Quarcoo, Kwame Nkrumah, Professor Atta Mills, Tsatsu Tsikata and John Kufuor have all been trained in Britain.
Most interestingly, Ghanaians have contributed immensely to the resource base of the UK. Our own Philip Quarcoo became the first African to be ordained priest in the Church of England in 1769. We also gave the UK its first Black cabinet minister, the Right Honorable Paul Boateng.
There's another larger than life personality who has not come to the notice of many Ghanaians - Sir Bernard Ribiero. He was the President of the Royal College of Surgeons from 2005 to 2008. Sir Ribiero was the topmost scientist in the UK and a son of Ghana. He is the only person in the world to win the most coveted Witch Doctor Red Apple Award.
Ghana has paid her dues and it is for this reason that our president must make a special appeal to the UK government on behalf of Ghanaians. Britain and Ghana go way back and special efforts must be made by both countries to continue on the part of cooperation. If there's any country in the commonwealth whose nationals must be permitted to the UK without any of those funny immigration laws and flimsy reasons for visa refusals, it is Ghana.
As per the new visa requirements, it is most difficult for genuine applicants including potential Paul Boatengs and Bernard Ribbieros of tomorrow to come here to work or study. And the UK labour government is behaving unlike a labour government. Quality education must not be the preserve of the rich or those who can deceive clearance officers into believing they have fat bank accounts. The system as it stands now is so unrealistic.
Ghana still has a lot to learn from Britain’s experience in the areas of security and oil exploration. We can profit from the mistakes of our colonial masters. And one of Mrs. Thatcher’s mistakes was allowing what a senior colleague of mine called “farcical free enterprise”.
Ghana must therefore go into these talks with the UK government with the view to getting technical support, access cheaper military hardware from Britain and a request for a new set of rules for Ghanaian nationals intending to come here to study. We cannot afford to pass up that opportunity.
Britain is one f the world’s topmost providers of military hardware and we in Ghana must seek to benefit from that. Our country is currently under the threat of ruthless drugs barons and our navy needs all the help it can get to police our waters and keep our shores safer from barons, pirates and invaders into our territorial waters. Britain can provide us frontline equipment such as transport aircraft and communications system.
On the part of Britain, they are most likely to seek our support in African security, opening up our market for British manufactures and businesses, drugs trade and the world economic crises. Britain might ask us to provide a leading role in tackling the issues of drugs coming from West Africa; provide support for conflict prevention and peace keeping efforts within the continent and help curb the so called ‘tax havens’.
It is in our best interest to offer cooperation in all of these areas. I am not certain what Ghana can offer in terms of helping soften the impact of the global recession. This is something I would reserve for the economies to sort out.
Financially, we should not expect new pledges and monies in the bag and I would be surprised if we placed financial assistance on the top of our agenda.
Britain is perhaps is in dire need of financial help than us. According to the European Commission, the UK economy is “set to shrink by 3.8 per cent this year”. The European Commission adds that unemployment in the UK would “continue to rise, jumping from 8.2 per cent this year and increasing further by 9.4 in 2010”. And this comes in the heels of another gloomy forecast by a top UK economist Dr. Andrew Goudie- who said recently at the Holly rood’s economic committee that he saw ‘no sign of recovery’.
Presently official figures show more than 2million people without jobs in the UK, the highest since 1997. A recent Daily Telegraph report quotes the Institute of Fiscal Studies as saying that “Britain’s debt will not be under control until 2032” and predicted to surpass 2trillion pounds sterling.
Looking at the scale of economic difficulty facing Britain, there’s little hope of securing financial help to support our budget. The Dr. Gobind Nankani-led Economic Advisory Council and the Dr. Kwabena Duffour-led finance ministry have a clear cut job description and the success or otherwise of the first four years of the Mills Presidency rests on their shoulders. Long live Ghana, long live UK/Ghana partnership.
For Ghana, it is quite straight forward. Our country and the UK have a long and enduring relationship. From the bitter days of colonial injustice through to the 21st century, we have looked to the UK as a model for our development, and many of our national figures including Philip Quarcoo, Kwame Nkrumah, Professor Atta Mills, Tsatsu Tsikata and John Kufuor have all been trained in Britain.
Most interestingly, Ghanaians have contributed immensely to the resource base of the UK. Our own Philip Quarcoo became the first African to be ordained priest in the Church of England in 1769. We also gave the UK its first Black cabinet minister, the Right Honorable Paul Boateng.
There's another larger than life personality who has not come to the notice of many Ghanaians - Sir Bernard Ribiero. He was the President of the Royal College of Surgeons from 2005 to 2008. Sir Ribiero was the topmost scientist in the UK and a son of Ghana. He is the only person in the world to win the most coveted Witch Doctor Red Apple Award.
Ghana has paid her dues and it is for this reason that our president must make a special appeal to the UK government on behalf of Ghanaians. Britain and Ghana go way back and special efforts must be made by both countries to continue on the part of cooperation. If there's any country in the commonwealth whose nationals must be permitted to the UK without any of those funny immigration laws and flimsy reasons for visa refusals, it is Ghana.
As per the new visa requirements, it is most difficult for genuine applicants including potential Paul Boatengs and Bernard Ribbieros of tomorrow to come here to work or study. And the UK labour government is behaving unlike a labour government. Quality education must not be the preserve of the rich or those who can deceive clearance officers into believing they have fat bank accounts. The system as it stands now is so unrealistic.
Ghana still has a lot to learn from Britain’s experience in the areas of security and oil exploration. We can profit from the mistakes of our colonial masters. And one of Mrs. Thatcher’s mistakes was allowing what a senior colleague of mine called “farcical free enterprise”.
Ghana must therefore go into these talks with the UK government with the view to getting technical support, access cheaper military hardware from Britain and a request for a new set of rules for Ghanaian nationals intending to come here to study. We cannot afford to pass up that opportunity.
Britain is one f the world’s topmost providers of military hardware and we in Ghana must seek to benefit from that. Our country is currently under the threat of ruthless drugs barons and our navy needs all the help it can get to police our waters and keep our shores safer from barons, pirates and invaders into our territorial waters. Britain can provide us frontline equipment such as transport aircraft and communications system.
On the part of Britain, they are most likely to seek our support in African security, opening up our market for British manufactures and businesses, drugs trade and the world economic crises. Britain might ask us to provide a leading role in tackling the issues of drugs coming from West Africa; provide support for conflict prevention and peace keeping efforts within the continent and help curb the so called ‘tax havens’.
It is in our best interest to offer cooperation in all of these areas. I am not certain what Ghana can offer in terms of helping soften the impact of the global recession. This is something I would reserve for the economies to sort out.
Financially, we should not expect new pledges and monies in the bag and I would be surprised if we placed financial assistance on the top of our agenda.
Britain is perhaps is in dire need of financial help than us. According to the European Commission, the UK economy is “set to shrink by 3.8 per cent this year”. The European Commission adds that unemployment in the UK would “continue to rise, jumping from 8.2 per cent this year and increasing further by 9.4 in 2010”. And this comes in the heels of another gloomy forecast by a top UK economist Dr. Andrew Goudie- who said recently at the Holly rood’s economic committee that he saw ‘no sign of recovery’.
Presently official figures show more than 2million people without jobs in the UK, the highest since 1997. A recent Daily Telegraph report quotes the Institute of Fiscal Studies as saying that “Britain’s debt will not be under control until 2032” and predicted to surpass 2trillion pounds sterling.
Looking at the scale of economic difficulty facing Britain, there’s little hope of securing financial help to support our budget. The Dr. Gobind Nankani-led Economic Advisory Council and the Dr. Kwabena Duffour-led finance ministry have a clear cut job description and the success or otherwise of the first four years of the Mills Presidency rests on their shoulders. Long live Ghana, long live UK/Ghana partnership.
Professor Mills is a Saviour
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is certainly not ready to re-establish itself as a credible political organisation. It may be too early in the day to say this but I’m afraid their action in opposition does not suggest they are serious at all. The party is still engrossed with churning out deceit and backward politics.
Whilst the rest of the world is changing and moving forward, top ranking members of our major opposition party are too busy playing paragons of virtue or disrupting radio broadcasts. One of its members of parliament, Nana Akomea actually promised to break up a radio broadcast and true to his word, he disrupted it. Akomea doesn’t mince words, his word is his bond. Next time he threatens to slap you, be sure your cheeks are too far from his reach. His word is his bond.
Members of the NPP claim Professor Mills painted a sullen picture of Ghana’s economy. They say it was not in the interest of the country and certainly an attempt by the ruling party to dampen investor confidence. They can’t be serious can they? It is politics as usual. The opposition NPP is pretending to be the advocates of moral goodness and they imagine that would woe support for them.
What could be more depressing than your country being branded unresponsive? That is what happened under John Kufuor. Ghana was pronounced a HIGHLY POOR INDEBTED COUNTRY, HIPC. We had thrown in the towel like it were a fight between Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in 1989 – Bruno simply lacked ideas in the 5th round and was knocked out by Tyson; we would not even put up a fight, attempt to pay our debt, redeem our image and put the economy back in shape.
In times of economic stagnation, nations think outside the box to emerge from a downtown looking stronger. They create wealth from challenges.
From the Great Depression of 1929 when the US stock market collapse on what has become known as the Black Tuesday and to the late 80s recession, nations have exhibited great tenacity and resilience, weathered the storm and triumphed over the meltdown.
When God provided us with yet another opportunity to marshal Ghana’s best brains to solve our economic woes, we failed to rise to the occasion. We showed the world our weakness and buckled under the challenges. Like the people of Biblical Israel, we failed. And under the stewardship of John Kufuor, we declared our country a hopeless nation incapable of meeting the basic needs and demands of its people without Western support. In spite of our abundant natural resources, we whimpered to the West how we were unable to provide very basic needs of our people like toilet facilities and classroom blocks. And that was the only time I felt very humiliated to be a Ghanaian.
There’s no country like Ghana. Ghana is my first love. I love her very dearly and would put my life on the line for Ghana if I have to. I would abandon my friends and family in the service of Ghana, but for the very first time, I felt I couldn’t travel abroad holding my head high. Our President then, the Commander In Chief, who should stand with us shoulder to shoulder, inspire our nation to achieving things, told the whole world how we are unable to manage our own affairs. He mortified himself and all Ghanaians. It was the kind of humiliation and betrayal that took eternity to heal; the type that could entice the world’s notorious criminals to prey on us because we didn’t know what we are about. And it wasn’t so surprising those cocaine barons from every corner of the earth begun establishing firm hold on our dear country.
To suggest that Mills’ address was bad for investment is the most exciting propaganda to spew out. Our opposition member would rather have us believe all is well and good. They would rather we told investors that yes; Ghana is doing well in spite of the global recession. They would rather we created false impressions about the state of our nation, the same kind of deceit they fed Ghanaians when they were in government for eight years. But like our new president said in his speech, “Ghana deserves better.”
One of the key ingredients for making Ghana ‘a better place agenda’ is to tell the people the truth. And the truth right now is not the type the opposition NPP wants us to swallow but the unassailable fact that there is insecurity in the global economy as President John Mills puts it. The markets would be better off with the truth about the state of the economy.
And the bitterest truth is that we cannot “depend on the generosity and largesse of foreign donors, they are in deep trouble than us; we have to review the decision to buy two luxury presidential jets as proposed by the previous regime, cut down on excessive spending which has done us no good except to leave us with a national debt of over $7 billion US thanks to John Kufuor.
Whilst the opposition wants us to over spend on frills, our new president, Professor Mills, is encouraging us to save for the most productive areas of economies and have enough to meet the expectations of our people.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com ]
Whilst the rest of the world is changing and moving forward, top ranking members of our major opposition party are too busy playing paragons of virtue or disrupting radio broadcasts. One of its members of parliament, Nana Akomea actually promised to break up a radio broadcast and true to his word, he disrupted it. Akomea doesn’t mince words, his word is his bond. Next time he threatens to slap you, be sure your cheeks are too far from his reach. His word is his bond.
Members of the NPP claim Professor Mills painted a sullen picture of Ghana’s economy. They say it was not in the interest of the country and certainly an attempt by the ruling party to dampen investor confidence. They can’t be serious can they? It is politics as usual. The opposition NPP is pretending to be the advocates of moral goodness and they imagine that would woe support for them.
What could be more depressing than your country being branded unresponsive? That is what happened under John Kufuor. Ghana was pronounced a HIGHLY POOR INDEBTED COUNTRY, HIPC. We had thrown in the towel like it were a fight between Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in 1989 – Bruno simply lacked ideas in the 5th round and was knocked out by Tyson; we would not even put up a fight, attempt to pay our debt, redeem our image and put the economy back in shape.
In times of economic stagnation, nations think outside the box to emerge from a downtown looking stronger. They create wealth from challenges.
From the Great Depression of 1929 when the US stock market collapse on what has become known as the Black Tuesday and to the late 80s recession, nations have exhibited great tenacity and resilience, weathered the storm and triumphed over the meltdown.
When God provided us with yet another opportunity to marshal Ghana’s best brains to solve our economic woes, we failed to rise to the occasion. We showed the world our weakness and buckled under the challenges. Like the people of Biblical Israel, we failed. And under the stewardship of John Kufuor, we declared our country a hopeless nation incapable of meeting the basic needs and demands of its people without Western support. In spite of our abundant natural resources, we whimpered to the West how we were unable to provide very basic needs of our people like toilet facilities and classroom blocks. And that was the only time I felt very humiliated to be a Ghanaian.
There’s no country like Ghana. Ghana is my first love. I love her very dearly and would put my life on the line for Ghana if I have to. I would abandon my friends and family in the service of Ghana, but for the very first time, I felt I couldn’t travel abroad holding my head high. Our President then, the Commander In Chief, who should stand with us shoulder to shoulder, inspire our nation to achieving things, told the whole world how we are unable to manage our own affairs. He mortified himself and all Ghanaians. It was the kind of humiliation and betrayal that took eternity to heal; the type that could entice the world’s notorious criminals to prey on us because we didn’t know what we are about. And it wasn’t so surprising those cocaine barons from every corner of the earth begun establishing firm hold on our dear country.
To suggest that Mills’ address was bad for investment is the most exciting propaganda to spew out. Our opposition member would rather have us believe all is well and good. They would rather we told investors that yes; Ghana is doing well in spite of the global recession. They would rather we created false impressions about the state of our nation, the same kind of deceit they fed Ghanaians when they were in government for eight years. But like our new president said in his speech, “Ghana deserves better.”
One of the key ingredients for making Ghana ‘a better place agenda’ is to tell the people the truth. And the truth right now is not the type the opposition NPP wants us to swallow but the unassailable fact that there is insecurity in the global economy as President John Mills puts it. The markets would be better off with the truth about the state of the economy.
And the bitterest truth is that we cannot “depend on the generosity and largesse of foreign donors, they are in deep trouble than us; we have to review the decision to buy two luxury presidential jets as proposed by the previous regime, cut down on excessive spending which has done us no good except to leave us with a national debt of over $7 billion US thanks to John Kufuor.
Whilst the opposition wants us to over spend on frills, our new president, Professor Mills, is encouraging us to save for the most productive areas of economies and have enough to meet the expectations of our people.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com ]
Professor Mills is a Saviour
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is certainly not ready to re-establish itself as a credible political organisation. It may be too early in the day to say this but I’m afraid their action in opposition does not suggest they are serious at all. The party is still engrossed with churning out deceit and backward politics.
Whilst the rest of the world is changing and moving forward, top ranking members of our major opposition party are too busy playing paragons of virtue or disrupting radio broadcasts. One of its members of parliament, Nana Akomea actually promised to break up a radio broadcast and true to his word, he disrupted it. Akomea doesn’t mince words, his word is his bond. Next time he threatens to slap you, be sure your cheeks are too far from his reach. His word is his bond.
Members of the NPP claim Professor Mills painted a sullen picture of Ghana’s economy. They say it was not in the interest of the country and certainly an attempt by the ruling party to dampen investor confidence. They can’t be serious can they? It is politics as usual. The opposition NPP is pretending to be the advocates of moral goodness and they imagine that would woe support for them.
What could be more depressing than your country being branded unresponsive? That is what happened under John Kufuor. Ghana was pronounced a HIGHLY POOR INDEBTED COUNTRY, HIPC. We had thrown in the towel like it were a fight between Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in 1989 – Bruno simply lacked ideas in the 5th round and was knocked out by Tyson; we would not even put up a fight, attempt to pay our debt, redeem our image and put the economy back in shape.
In times of economic stagnation, nations think outside the box to emerge from a downtown looking stronger. They create wealth from challenges.
From the Great Depression of 1929 when the US stock market collapse on what has become known as the Black Tuesday and to the late 80s recession, nations have exhibited great tenacity and resilience, weathered the storm and triumphed over the meltdown.
When God provided us with yet another opportunity to marshal Ghana’s best brains to solve our economic woes, we failed to rise to the occasion. We showed the world our weakness and buckled under the challenges. Like the people of Biblical Israel, we failed. And under the stewardship of John Kufuor, we declared our country a hopeless nation incapable of meeting the basic needs and demands of its people without Western support. In spite of our abundant natural resources, we whimpered to the West how we were unable to provide very basic needs of our people like toilet facilities and classroom blocks. And that was the only time I felt very humiliated to be a Ghanaian.
There’s no country like Ghana. Ghana is my first love. I love her very dearly and would put my life on the line for Ghana if I have to. I would abandon my friends and family in the service of Ghana, but for the very first time, I felt I couldn’t travel abroad holding my head high. Our President then, the Commander In Chief, who should stand with us shoulder to shoulder, inspire our nation to achieving things, told the whole world how we are unable to manage our own affairs. He mortified himself and all Ghanaians. It was the kind of humiliation and betrayal that took eternity to heal; the type that could entice the world’s notorious criminals to prey on us because we didn’t know what we are about. And it wasn’t so surprising those cocaine barons from every corner of the earth begun establishing firm hold on our dear country.
To suggest that Mills’ address was bad for investment is the most exciting propaganda to spew out. Our opposition member would rather have us believe all is well and good. They would rather we told investors that yes; Ghana is doing well in spite of the global recession. They would rather we created false impressions about the state of our nation, the same kind of deceit they fed Ghanaians when they were in government for eight years. But like our new president said in his speech, “Ghana deserves better.”
One of the key ingredients for making Ghana ‘a better place agenda’ is to tell the people the truth. And the truth right now is not the type the opposition NPP wants us to swallow but the unassailable fact that there is insecurity in the global economy as President John Mills puts it. The markets would be better off with the truth about the state of the economy.
And the bitterest truth is that we cannot “depend on the generosity and largesse of foreign donors, they are in deep trouble than us; we have to review the decision to buy two luxury presidential jets as proposed by the previous regime, cut down on excessive spending which has done us no good except to leave us with a national debt of over $7 billion US thanks to John Kufuor.
Whilst the opposition wants us to over spend on frills, our new president, Professor Mills, is encouraging us to save for the most productive areas of economies and have enough to meet the expectations of our people.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com ]
Whilst the rest of the world is changing and moving forward, top ranking members of our major opposition party are too busy playing paragons of virtue or disrupting radio broadcasts. One of its members of parliament, Nana Akomea actually promised to break up a radio broadcast and true to his word, he disrupted it. Akomea doesn’t mince words, his word is his bond. Next time he threatens to slap you, be sure your cheeks are too far from his reach. His word is his bond.
Members of the NPP claim Professor Mills painted a sullen picture of Ghana’s economy. They say it was not in the interest of the country and certainly an attempt by the ruling party to dampen investor confidence. They can’t be serious can they? It is politics as usual. The opposition NPP is pretending to be the advocates of moral goodness and they imagine that would woe support for them.
What could be more depressing than your country being branded unresponsive? That is what happened under John Kufuor. Ghana was pronounced a HIGHLY POOR INDEBTED COUNTRY, HIPC. We had thrown in the towel like it were a fight between Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in 1989 – Bruno simply lacked ideas in the 5th round and was knocked out by Tyson; we would not even put up a fight, attempt to pay our debt, redeem our image and put the economy back in shape.
In times of economic stagnation, nations think outside the box to emerge from a downtown looking stronger. They create wealth from challenges.
From the Great Depression of 1929 when the US stock market collapse on what has become known as the Black Tuesday and to the late 80s recession, nations have exhibited great tenacity and resilience, weathered the storm and triumphed over the meltdown.
When God provided us with yet another opportunity to marshal Ghana’s best brains to solve our economic woes, we failed to rise to the occasion. We showed the world our weakness and buckled under the challenges. Like the people of Biblical Israel, we failed. And under the stewardship of John Kufuor, we declared our country a hopeless nation incapable of meeting the basic needs and demands of its people without Western support. In spite of our abundant natural resources, we whimpered to the West how we were unable to provide very basic needs of our people like toilet facilities and classroom blocks. And that was the only time I felt very humiliated to be a Ghanaian.
There’s no country like Ghana. Ghana is my first love. I love her very dearly and would put my life on the line for Ghana if I have to. I would abandon my friends and family in the service of Ghana, but for the very first time, I felt I couldn’t travel abroad holding my head high. Our President then, the Commander In Chief, who should stand with us shoulder to shoulder, inspire our nation to achieving things, told the whole world how we are unable to manage our own affairs. He mortified himself and all Ghanaians. It was the kind of humiliation and betrayal that took eternity to heal; the type that could entice the world’s notorious criminals to prey on us because we didn’t know what we are about. And it wasn’t so surprising those cocaine barons from every corner of the earth begun establishing firm hold on our dear country.
To suggest that Mills’ address was bad for investment is the most exciting propaganda to spew out. Our opposition member would rather have us believe all is well and good. They would rather we told investors that yes; Ghana is doing well in spite of the global recession. They would rather we created false impressions about the state of our nation, the same kind of deceit they fed Ghanaians when they were in government for eight years. But like our new president said in his speech, “Ghana deserves better.”
One of the key ingredients for making Ghana ‘a better place agenda’ is to tell the people the truth. And the truth right now is not the type the opposition NPP wants us to swallow but the unassailable fact that there is insecurity in the global economy as President John Mills puts it. The markets would be better off with the truth about the state of the economy.
And the bitterest truth is that we cannot “depend on the generosity and largesse of foreign donors, they are in deep trouble than us; we have to review the decision to buy two luxury presidential jets as proposed by the previous regime, cut down on excessive spending which has done us no good except to leave us with a national debt of over $7 billion US thanks to John Kufuor.
Whilst the opposition wants us to over spend on frills, our new president, Professor Mills, is encouraging us to save for the most productive areas of economies and have enough to meet the expectations of our people.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com ]
Open letter to President Mills
Dear Mr. President,
I would like to start by congratulating your government on the prudent management of the nation’s economy. Your administration has created jobs; instituted better social policies; maintained a budget deficit of 4.5 per cent of projected GDP; intensified your commitment to fighting narcotic drug trafficking and improved Ghana’s credit history amongst other successes in spite of the very bad economic situation you inherited.
Despite the substantial debt relief from Ghana’s bilateral and multilateral partners, the previous government left behind a public debt of US$8,073.3 million by the end of December 2008. The NDC government has been able to reduce Ghana’s stock of public debt from US$ 8,073.3 million to US$7.841.3 million as at the end of June 2009.
Your government had had to recently make a request to parliament for additional budget support because you had uncovered “some arrears and other outstanding commitments” by the previous government that hitherto were hidden from you.
It may have been nearly a year now since the opposition New Patriotic Party was booted out of office, but your government of the National Democratic Congress and working families in Ghana are facing the nemesis of the last eight years and it may take a little longer to clear the mess.
President John Kufour and his team created an illusion of financial strength that was not there and this aggravated and resulted in your request for GHC252.8 million to shore up the 2009 budget.
Your Excellency, Ghanaians have become very discerning in recent times. Electorates are asking very important questions about what government does with tax payers’ money. It has therefore become very critical to address what communication strategy works, why it is working, what doesn’t work and why? It also pays to recognise the complex political undermining of government’s positive efforts.
Every objective observer of our politics knows that one of the reasons why the New Patriotic Party lost power is sleaze, yet the National Democratic Congress under your leadership is the one receiving flak (even when you are doing so well).
Under your stewardship, the country’s economy is springing back to life in spite of the burdensome debt left behind by the Kufour led NPP. Your government is fighting crime and helping the people of Ghana get jobs.
The opponents of the NDC and their allies in the media have a strong political motivation to scuttle your message and they would use the same trope about things being slow and ineffective until the NDC revises its communications strategy. A recent effort by the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel O. Ablakwa to inform Ghanaians about government success stories was distorted by a very large section of the media and described as “self praising.” This is the kind of bias your government is up against.
The NDC cannot afford to let itself be wrongfully accused of not moving faster. The government’s failure to clearly and unequivocally let Ghanaians know what mess the NPP left the country in and how difficult it has made your work may hurt the party in the future.
Recent estimates by the Non Formal Education Programme, show illiteracy rate in Ghana at an estimated 38.3 per cent. What this figure means is that there are still large numbers of people who would buy into the lies and misinformation peddled by your political opponents.
According to the Right Honourable Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, “provisional Data for the first half of the year indicate that both revenue and expenditure were below their budget targets” even though this government had collected more revenue (17.2 per cent higher in domestic tax; 29.6 per cent increase in direct taxes; 8.9 per cent higher than the outturn for 2008 in indirect taxes; 24.6 per cent higher than what the NPP recorded over the same period in 2008 as VAT and a higher non tax revenue as compared to what the NPP raised over the same period) than the NPP over the same period in 2008.
We may have in place various types of revenue reforms to improve tax administration procedures; the government cannot ignore the fact that it needs the people to honour their tax obligation.
Your Excellency, the NDC cannot get the people on board if they (the people) are falling for the opposition threadbare argument that government is slow and doing very little for them.
The Right Honourable Majority Leader Alban Bagbin is reported to have called for a reshuffle of your cabinet; I do not know if it would entirely solve the NDC’s ineffective communication problem where its major opponent the NPP is acting as if they know how to run a country better.
I would like to however draw Your Excellency’s attention to a statement I made in the tenth paragraph of this letter that the NDC “cannot allow itself to be wrongfully accused of” moving at a slower pace.
The NDC is up against a tenacious enemy; our duty is to get the people with us. We do not want disaffection and anger; we need the people of Ghana with us and we can do that by letting them know what good things we have done, our shortcomings and what we want to do.
I thank you and wish you the best.
Ras Mubarak.
mmubarak79@yahoo.com
I would like to start by congratulating your government on the prudent management of the nation’s economy. Your administration has created jobs; instituted better social policies; maintained a budget deficit of 4.5 per cent of projected GDP; intensified your commitment to fighting narcotic drug trafficking and improved Ghana’s credit history amongst other successes in spite of the very bad economic situation you inherited.
Despite the substantial debt relief from Ghana’s bilateral and multilateral partners, the previous government left behind a public debt of US$8,073.3 million by the end of December 2008. The NDC government has been able to reduce Ghana’s stock of public debt from US$ 8,073.3 million to US$7.841.3 million as at the end of June 2009.
Your government had had to recently make a request to parliament for additional budget support because you had uncovered “some arrears and other outstanding commitments” by the previous government that hitherto were hidden from you.
It may have been nearly a year now since the opposition New Patriotic Party was booted out of office, but your government of the National Democratic Congress and working families in Ghana are facing the nemesis of the last eight years and it may take a little longer to clear the mess.
President John Kufour and his team created an illusion of financial strength that was not there and this aggravated and resulted in your request for GHC252.8 million to shore up the 2009 budget.
Your Excellency, Ghanaians have become very discerning in recent times. Electorates are asking very important questions about what government does with tax payers’ money. It has therefore become very critical to address what communication strategy works, why it is working, what doesn’t work and why? It also pays to recognise the complex political undermining of government’s positive efforts.
Every objective observer of our politics knows that one of the reasons why the New Patriotic Party lost power is sleaze, yet the National Democratic Congress under your leadership is the one receiving flak (even when you are doing so well).
Under your stewardship, the country’s economy is springing back to life in spite of the burdensome debt left behind by the Kufour led NPP. Your government is fighting crime and helping the people of Ghana get jobs.
The opponents of the NDC and their allies in the media have a strong political motivation to scuttle your message and they would use the same trope about things being slow and ineffective until the NDC revises its communications strategy. A recent effort by the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel O. Ablakwa to inform Ghanaians about government success stories was distorted by a very large section of the media and described as “self praising.” This is the kind of bias your government is up against.
The NDC cannot afford to let itself be wrongfully accused of not moving faster. The government’s failure to clearly and unequivocally let Ghanaians know what mess the NPP left the country in and how difficult it has made your work may hurt the party in the future.
Recent estimates by the Non Formal Education Programme, show illiteracy rate in Ghana at an estimated 38.3 per cent. What this figure means is that there are still large numbers of people who would buy into the lies and misinformation peddled by your political opponents.
According to the Right Honourable Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, “provisional Data for the first half of the year indicate that both revenue and expenditure were below their budget targets” even though this government had collected more revenue (17.2 per cent higher in domestic tax; 29.6 per cent increase in direct taxes; 8.9 per cent higher than the outturn for 2008 in indirect taxes; 24.6 per cent higher than what the NPP recorded over the same period in 2008 as VAT and a higher non tax revenue as compared to what the NPP raised over the same period) than the NPP over the same period in 2008.
We may have in place various types of revenue reforms to improve tax administration procedures; the government cannot ignore the fact that it needs the people to honour their tax obligation.
Your Excellency, the NDC cannot get the people on board if they (the people) are falling for the opposition threadbare argument that government is slow and doing very little for them.
The Right Honourable Majority Leader Alban Bagbin is reported to have called for a reshuffle of your cabinet; I do not know if it would entirely solve the NDC’s ineffective communication problem where its major opponent the NPP is acting as if they know how to run a country better.
I would like to however draw Your Excellency’s attention to a statement I made in the tenth paragraph of this letter that the NDC “cannot allow itself to be wrongfully accused of” moving at a slower pace.
The NDC is up against a tenacious enemy; our duty is to get the people with us. We do not want disaffection and anger; we need the people of Ghana with us and we can do that by letting them know what good things we have done, our shortcomings and what we want to do.
I thank you and wish you the best.
Ras Mubarak.
mmubarak79@yahoo.com
No Woman No Cry: A new day for Ghanaian Women
In less than 20 days since he assumed office as the President of Ghana, John Atta Mills is giving us indications of the direction of his government.
Despite the fact that the work of the transition is incomplete, tremendous pressure is being exerted on the newly elected president to fix problems. I have observed with a lot of interest how a section of the media is quick to proclaim that there should be no presidential honeymoon for the president. Arthur Kennedy, a political gadfly in the opposition New Patriotic Party or rather "Nation Plunderers Party," depending on how you view the recent reports of near-plunder by the previous government, had the discourtesy to describe the new president’s progress in work as very slow, and that came in less than a week after the president was inaugurated.
Arthur Kennedy said Prof. Mills had hit the road crawling instead of running. Obviously that was not too surprising because politically, Arthur Kennedy is a novice. For someone to be communications director for a presidential candidate as heavy as Nana Akufo-Addo, in a party as big as the NPP and not be aware that by tradition you do not attack your opponent in the "presidential honeymoon period" is laughable.
The presidential honeymoon period by definition is a moment when the opposition refrains from attacks as a measure of goodwill to a newly inaugurated president. Arthur Kennedy’s partisan attacks on John Atta Mills simply speaks of someone who does not understand the rules of the game. It is just like in soccer where, when an opponent is down and the referee whistles for a stoppage, there is a goodwill gesture to be observed by both sides when play resumes.
May be, as a politics and law student myself, I should share my political science notes with Arthur Kennedy and the many gadflies/critics in the NPP who simply are in the wrong profession ostensibly for the wrong reasons and do not even take the time to learn about the "rules of engagement."
And again, just like in soccer, one needs time to settle into a game, analyze the game again before making moves except that this is politics and not soccer. It is not for nothing that many democracies have quite a good number of days between elections and inauguration, this is to allow an incoming administration find its feet. Even so, lots of politicians all over the world are allowed the luxury of what has become know us the first 100 Days in office from which the direction of their government is to be measured.
According to a professor in History and Public Affairs at Princeton University’s Woodraw Wilson School, Professor Julian E. Zelizer, the notion of the first 100 Days in office is "an artificial creation of Franklin Roosevelt after he became US president in 1932 in the Great Depression. But it became a benchmark for evaluating the early success of a president."
Nana Akufo-Addo undoubtedly has a great wealth of experience as a politician even though he is very brusque. Did you hear how he got angry at a press conference? He would have made a very good politician but for his brusqueness. Maybe he is still reeling from the wounds of losing an election but brusqueness seems to be his jolly hobby. Now that he surreptitiously want to lead the NPP again, his demeanor till the next time when the NPP decides on who should be their next leader would certainly be scrutinized and his minders should have him put that in check. For now, he is just unrepentant and that is going to continuously dog his fortunes of ever getting close to becoming a president. Perhaps a Senior Minister portfolio in say 2025 when Ghanaian voters feel they have punished the NPP enough.
From the look of things in the John Atta Mills administration, the new president is steadily endearing himself to the majority of Ghanaians who feel the inclusion of women in very key positions is a step in the right direction.
Ghana does not only have a woman Speaker of Parliament, it now has a Chief Justice appointed in the previous regime, an Attorney General and Minister of Justice - if parliament approves Betty’s nomination, a Tourism and National Orientation Minister and a Trade and Industry Minister all subject to approval from parliament.
What better time to be a woman in Ghana? We can only eat our hearts out for our counterparts in the opposite gender, but clearly, Ghanaian women have earned it. The time is ripe for our women to be raised higher. Their elevation is a difficult assignment and one that would be compared to that of their male counterparts, so they have to be good.
It is an exciting time for Ghana and more so for our women who are rightly the most exalted in this new administration. Our wives, mothers and sisters are certainly the most abused in our communities. They are the first to rise up and the last to go to bed. We have all forms of useless cultural practices including religion, which mainly oppress women. Whilst many of our women are spending their life’s savings on the upkeep and well-being of their children, their male counterparts are spending theirs on frivolity and young girls.
It is a monumental boost for our women and I trust they would live up to the task. Like Rosa Parks, who ignited the civil rights movement in America, like Yaa Asantewaa who led a battalion of frightened men to battle against the imperialists, like Nzingah the warrior Queen of Matamba in Angola, like Nanny - a Jamaican National Conqueror and fierce Maroon woman fighter, like Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who spearheaded women's activism, like Winnie Madikizela Mandela who was unabatedly harassed and subjected to brutality alongside her male counterparts in the struggle to free South Africa from the perils of apartheid, like Hawa Yakubu - another sterling feminine activist - and the many women all over Azania, known and unknown, we hope they would cope with the pressures and deliver the goods. This is their best chance to make true the arguments over having a female president for Ghana. This is a turning point for our democracy and thanks to Professor Mills, we are really showing Africa and the rest of the world something.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
Despite the fact that the work of the transition is incomplete, tremendous pressure is being exerted on the newly elected president to fix problems. I have observed with a lot of interest how a section of the media is quick to proclaim that there should be no presidential honeymoon for the president. Arthur Kennedy, a political gadfly in the opposition New Patriotic Party or rather "Nation Plunderers Party," depending on how you view the recent reports of near-plunder by the previous government, had the discourtesy to describe the new president’s progress in work as very slow, and that came in less than a week after the president was inaugurated.
Arthur Kennedy said Prof. Mills had hit the road crawling instead of running. Obviously that was not too surprising because politically, Arthur Kennedy is a novice. For someone to be communications director for a presidential candidate as heavy as Nana Akufo-Addo, in a party as big as the NPP and not be aware that by tradition you do not attack your opponent in the "presidential honeymoon period" is laughable.
The presidential honeymoon period by definition is a moment when the opposition refrains from attacks as a measure of goodwill to a newly inaugurated president. Arthur Kennedy’s partisan attacks on John Atta Mills simply speaks of someone who does not understand the rules of the game. It is just like in soccer where, when an opponent is down and the referee whistles for a stoppage, there is a goodwill gesture to be observed by both sides when play resumes.
May be, as a politics and law student myself, I should share my political science notes with Arthur Kennedy and the many gadflies/critics in the NPP who simply are in the wrong profession ostensibly for the wrong reasons and do not even take the time to learn about the "rules of engagement."
And again, just like in soccer, one needs time to settle into a game, analyze the game again before making moves except that this is politics and not soccer. It is not for nothing that many democracies have quite a good number of days between elections and inauguration, this is to allow an incoming administration find its feet. Even so, lots of politicians all over the world are allowed the luxury of what has become know us the first 100 Days in office from which the direction of their government is to be measured.
According to a professor in History and Public Affairs at Princeton University’s Woodraw Wilson School, Professor Julian E. Zelizer, the notion of the first 100 Days in office is "an artificial creation of Franklin Roosevelt after he became US president in 1932 in the Great Depression. But it became a benchmark for evaluating the early success of a president."
Nana Akufo-Addo undoubtedly has a great wealth of experience as a politician even though he is very brusque. Did you hear how he got angry at a press conference? He would have made a very good politician but for his brusqueness. Maybe he is still reeling from the wounds of losing an election but brusqueness seems to be his jolly hobby. Now that he surreptitiously want to lead the NPP again, his demeanor till the next time when the NPP decides on who should be their next leader would certainly be scrutinized and his minders should have him put that in check. For now, he is just unrepentant and that is going to continuously dog his fortunes of ever getting close to becoming a president. Perhaps a Senior Minister portfolio in say 2025 when Ghanaian voters feel they have punished the NPP enough.
From the look of things in the John Atta Mills administration, the new president is steadily endearing himself to the majority of Ghanaians who feel the inclusion of women in very key positions is a step in the right direction.
Ghana does not only have a woman Speaker of Parliament, it now has a Chief Justice appointed in the previous regime, an Attorney General and Minister of Justice - if parliament approves Betty’s nomination, a Tourism and National Orientation Minister and a Trade and Industry Minister all subject to approval from parliament.
What better time to be a woman in Ghana? We can only eat our hearts out for our counterparts in the opposite gender, but clearly, Ghanaian women have earned it. The time is ripe for our women to be raised higher. Their elevation is a difficult assignment and one that would be compared to that of their male counterparts, so they have to be good.
It is an exciting time for Ghana and more so for our women who are rightly the most exalted in this new administration. Our wives, mothers and sisters are certainly the most abused in our communities. They are the first to rise up and the last to go to bed. We have all forms of useless cultural practices including religion, which mainly oppress women. Whilst many of our women are spending their life’s savings on the upkeep and well-being of their children, their male counterparts are spending theirs on frivolity and young girls.
It is a monumental boost for our women and I trust they would live up to the task. Like Rosa Parks, who ignited the civil rights movement in America, like Yaa Asantewaa who led a battalion of frightened men to battle against the imperialists, like Nzingah the warrior Queen of Matamba in Angola, like Nanny - a Jamaican National Conqueror and fierce Maroon woman fighter, like Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who spearheaded women's activism, like Winnie Madikizela Mandela who was unabatedly harassed and subjected to brutality alongside her male counterparts in the struggle to free South Africa from the perils of apartheid, like Hawa Yakubu - another sterling feminine activist - and the many women all over Azania, known and unknown, we hope they would cope with the pressures and deliver the goods. This is their best chance to make true the arguments over having a female president for Ghana. This is a turning point for our democracy and thanks to Professor Mills, we are really showing Africa and the rest of the world something.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
NDC flagbearership: Mills would obviously be retained
Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, special aide to President Mills, has counseled members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who are thinking of contesting the president for the flagbearership of the party to rescind the decision suffer an embarrassing loss.
According to him, it would be a waste of time and money for anyone to contest Mills because he would deliver on his promises and convince Ghanaians to retain him in power.
He added that it would be unnecessary for the NDC delegates to decide otherwise.
After being accused of not managing the economy well and acting too slowly, some members of the NDC have also warned of the party losing power to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) if President Mills is retained as the NDC's presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.
Recently, a member of the party who failed to win the youth organizer position of the party and said to be a Rawlings loyalist, Mohammed Abdulai Mubarak, (Ras Mubarak) wrote in an article that the President “no longer has grassroots support and is certainly unpopular with young voters”, adding that “there are irrefutable reasons why he cannot lead the NDC into victory in 2012.”
But speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Monday, the presidential aide, who obviously disagreed with the above assertion, noted that the president would have taken Ghana to the ‘Promised Land’ by 2012.
Turning his attention to the NPP, Nii Lantey urged flagbearer aspirants to focus on marketing themselves to their delegates instead of capitalizing on the ‘failures’ of the Mills administration as a measuring rod because some people did the same thing in his party and it did not help them.
He was certain that President “Mills’ election victory come 2012 is indisputable”.
By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana
According to him, it would be a waste of time and money for anyone to contest Mills because he would deliver on his promises and convince Ghanaians to retain him in power.
He added that it would be unnecessary for the NDC delegates to decide otherwise.
After being accused of not managing the economy well and acting too slowly, some members of the NDC have also warned of the party losing power to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) if President Mills is retained as the NDC's presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.
Recently, a member of the party who failed to win the youth organizer position of the party and said to be a Rawlings loyalist, Mohammed Abdulai Mubarak, (Ras Mubarak) wrote in an article that the President “no longer has grassroots support and is certainly unpopular with young voters”, adding that “there are irrefutable reasons why he cannot lead the NDC into victory in 2012.”
But speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Monday, the presidential aide, who obviously disagreed with the above assertion, noted that the president would have taken Ghana to the ‘Promised Land’ by 2012.
Turning his attention to the NPP, Nii Lantey urged flagbearer aspirants to focus on marketing themselves to their delegates instead of capitalizing on the ‘failures’ of the Mills administration as a measuring rod because some people did the same thing in his party and it did not help them.
He was certain that President “Mills’ election victory come 2012 is indisputable”.
By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana
Opinion: Justice Douse’s Commission is a waste of
Almost every Ghanaian can agree on the fact that those who lead us cannot mislead us and get away with it. That is why we must support every justifiable attempt to get to the bottom of the amount of damage and thievery that went on in the conduct of the Ghana@50 celebrations and other public events where funds for public projects may have been diverted for private gain.
I am however not impressed by the setting up of a commission of inquiry to probe Kwadwo Mpiani and his team. There’s a degree of incompetence creeping in the Attorney-General’s department. The A-G wouldn’t keep her cards closer to her chest but would get into needless media spectacle by announcing that her outfit is about to prosecute previous government officials suspected of causing financial loss to the state.
First of all what is the motif for setting up a public commission of inquiry into the activities of Ghana@50? Well, we are told it is to investigate and report allegations of improper use of public funds and related matters.
I have no problem whatsoever with the calibre of people appointed to manage this commission. Justice Isaac Douse, Osei Tutu Prempeh and Marrieta Brew Appiah Oppong have impressive CVs in their respective professions and capable of running any inquisitorial commission set up by the state to investigate financial crime.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the President setting up a commission of enquiry in accordance with Article 278 clause 1 of our constitution, but there’s everything wrong with setting up a commission to probe the activities of Ghana@50.
Government has an opportunity to cleanse away persons who are suspected of breaching the trust of the people of Ghana, instead it is engaged in a humiliating attempt to prosecute wrong doing and utterly oblivious to the fact that its attempts to prosecute suspect thieves in the Kufuor regime is embarrassing the party.
To start with, the commission is certainly not a judicial commission of enquiry; it doesn’t have the mandate to establish civil or criminal liability and does not have the powers to apportion blame.
Thanks to the transitional team’s report, we have a huge body of material that could be used in instituting prosecution against persons who ripped off the nation. It was established in the transitional report and other findings that the Ghana@50 Secretariat owed GH¢18 million cedis to contractors. And this was in spite of overspending on an approved budget without clearance from parliament.
Whilst many of our sons and daughters in areas such as Nyankpala, Kpevi, Kokrobite, Abanze, Fosu and Swalaba lacked the basic structures for a half decent education, some of the nation’s aristocrats were basking in the glow of luxury vehicles and provided funfair for some of their equally corrupt African leaders.
It emerged in Edward Dua Agyemang’s interim audit report delineating evidence of corruption at the Ghana@50 Secretariat. We now know that the secretariat led by Wereko-Brobbey and supervised by Kwadwo Mpiani did not have internal audit mechanism resulting in the unexplained disappearance of vehicles and property belonging to the state.
Thanks to the hitherto untouchable Kwadwo Mpiani, who brazenly told parliament he couldn’t be compelled to account for his stewardship as overseer of the our 50th independence activities, the nation blew $12.9million on souvenir and went into an overdraft of GH¢40 million cedis when parliament had approved only GH¢20 million cedis for the event.
I am not going into the repulsive spending of $12.9 million on memorabilia and the sheer arrogance of the architects of these acts of suspected economic terrorism against hardworking Ghanaians. I am however wondering if the A-G is suggesting to the people of Ghana that she cannot go ahead and prosecute on the basis of available material? What would the Justice Douse commission be able to unearth that state prosecutors cannot unearth?
The A-G’s posturing is a clear case of dereliction of duty and a show of incapability to deal with suspected economic criminals like Mpiani and Brobbey.
If we are serious about punishing economic crime, the government would suspend this commission of inquiry which is a total waste of everybody’s time and institute immediately prosecution against persons suspected of causing financial loss to the state. If we suspect Mpiani and his team of corruption, the courtroom is the only appropriate place to invite, drag or subpoena them.
credit: Ras Mubarak
I am however not impressed by the setting up of a commission of inquiry to probe Kwadwo Mpiani and his team. There’s a degree of incompetence creeping in the Attorney-General’s department. The A-G wouldn’t keep her cards closer to her chest but would get into needless media spectacle by announcing that her outfit is about to prosecute previous government officials suspected of causing financial loss to the state.
First of all what is the motif for setting up a public commission of inquiry into the activities of Ghana@50? Well, we are told it is to investigate and report allegations of improper use of public funds and related matters.
I have no problem whatsoever with the calibre of people appointed to manage this commission. Justice Isaac Douse, Osei Tutu Prempeh and Marrieta Brew Appiah Oppong have impressive CVs in their respective professions and capable of running any inquisitorial commission set up by the state to investigate financial crime.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the President setting up a commission of enquiry in accordance with Article 278 clause 1 of our constitution, but there’s everything wrong with setting up a commission to probe the activities of Ghana@50.
Government has an opportunity to cleanse away persons who are suspected of breaching the trust of the people of Ghana, instead it is engaged in a humiliating attempt to prosecute wrong doing and utterly oblivious to the fact that its attempts to prosecute suspect thieves in the Kufuor regime is embarrassing the party.
To start with, the commission is certainly not a judicial commission of enquiry; it doesn’t have the mandate to establish civil or criminal liability and does not have the powers to apportion blame.
Thanks to the transitional team’s report, we have a huge body of material that could be used in instituting prosecution against persons who ripped off the nation. It was established in the transitional report and other findings that the Ghana@50 Secretariat owed GH¢18 million cedis to contractors. And this was in spite of overspending on an approved budget without clearance from parliament.
Whilst many of our sons and daughters in areas such as Nyankpala, Kpevi, Kokrobite, Abanze, Fosu and Swalaba lacked the basic structures for a half decent education, some of the nation’s aristocrats were basking in the glow of luxury vehicles and provided funfair for some of their equally corrupt African leaders.
It emerged in Edward Dua Agyemang’s interim audit report delineating evidence of corruption at the Ghana@50 Secretariat. We now know that the secretariat led by Wereko-Brobbey and supervised by Kwadwo Mpiani did not have internal audit mechanism resulting in the unexplained disappearance of vehicles and property belonging to the state.
Thanks to the hitherto untouchable Kwadwo Mpiani, who brazenly told parliament he couldn’t be compelled to account for his stewardship as overseer of the our 50th independence activities, the nation blew $12.9million on souvenir and went into an overdraft of GH¢40 million cedis when parliament had approved only GH¢20 million cedis for the event.
I am not going into the repulsive spending of $12.9 million on memorabilia and the sheer arrogance of the architects of these acts of suspected economic terrorism against hardworking Ghanaians. I am however wondering if the A-G is suggesting to the people of Ghana that she cannot go ahead and prosecute on the basis of available material? What would the Justice Douse commission be able to unearth that state prosecutors cannot unearth?
The A-G’s posturing is a clear case of dereliction of duty and a show of incapability to deal with suspected economic criminals like Mpiani and Brobbey.
If we are serious about punishing economic crime, the government would suspend this commission of inquiry which is a total waste of everybody’s time and institute immediately prosecution against persons suspected of causing financial loss to the state. If we suspect Mpiani and his team of corruption, the courtroom is the only appropriate place to invite, drag or subpoena them.
credit: Ras Mubarak
another medal for former President Kufour
Jesus said in Matthew 24:38 “As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end”. John Kufuor came to power in style, and he is leaving power in grand style. I am sure you have noticed the sudden humility in the voices of many rather arrogant NPP ministers and spokespersons.
You must have miscalculated if you did not expect John Kufuor to bow out in style. His party had lost an election, what did you expect? Time to be humble you would say.
It was Kufuor’s record that decided who the next leader was and it is his ministers who would definitely be audited. Certainly you must expect John Kufuor to do something grand to at least assuage and redeem some lost favours from the very discerning Ghanaian public who had decided his government was not good enough, hence the need for a change.
Ghanaians are very sophisticated and I believe the blood of our founding fathers is still running in our veins. You cannot take the kindness and generosity of a Ghanaian voter for a weakness. We have the authority to give and take power. Isn’t that sweet?
It was obvious Kufuor was going to be charitable and magnanimous in defeat and rejection. He had called on the hawks in his party to give the Electoral Commission the free hand to discharge its duties, the result of which, some say was the withdrawal of law suits filed against the EC by the outgoing New Patriotic Party.
The president said all the nice things before the cameras, congratulated John Atta Mills and expressed a willingness to hand over smoothly, a very rare occurrence on the African continent and in spite of the bitter nature of the presidential contest , the entire caboodle of handing over to the opposition party has enriched Ghana’s CV as a budding democracy.
I have never seen how an elephant dies but I surmise a dying elephant will do a lot of good and very bad things prior to its death. And so did the NPP government, whose party’s symbol is the elephant. Kufuor gave an emotional and conciliatory message to parliament. He made overtures to the incoming government. I hope he did all of that in good faith though, because overtures will not prevent the NDC from giving justice to those who may have suffered injustice during Kufuor’s tenure.
What was not obvious in John Kufuor’s last days as president was his faux pas. You would expect people to mature but not the NPP. The NPP had committed so many mistakes, most of which had angered the voting population who decided they had had enough of the disrespect.
The government reduced fuel prices when they realised their backs were against the wall, went on a begging spree from the Ghanaian voters - a minister went on her knees begging for votes, Kufuor himself hurriedly organised a press conference to beg for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what? The selective justice, corruption or what? They were quick to tell us how sorry they are for any transgressions, but all their begging fell on deaf ears.
Ridiculous as that was, they instructed the courts to release people put in jail for road traffic offences. It was amusing whilst it lasted. I am sure many people who voted against the government in the presidential election must have been saying - what do you take us for! You could reduce fuel prices and you waited till you were desperate for votes. hahahahahaha - Poor NPP, they never learn. The electorate wanted nothing but change from a rather disappointing administration.
John Kufuor is no doubt the King of faux pas. He is doing something beautiful today, and the next day he is desecrating it with unguarded comments or funny tricks. He has consistently erased some of his good works with bad deeds. He has described people who complain about poverty in Ghana as lazy. Can you imagine how insulting that is to the many men and women particularly in the public sector who are under paid, overtaxed and in most cases overworked? His government has contracted loans from your not usual place to seek loans – a London hair dresser’s saloon, and his government had done just exactly the same things it accused the NDC government under Jerry Rawlings of doing. He had said corruption is as old as Adam, and there is not much one can do. His administration had been aloof about prosecuting corruption even in the face of mounting evidence of corruption against his ministers, a tag that will live with him forever.
The outgoing president made a very premature suggestion to parliament in his last address to the nation. Kufuor suggested that the current 4year two term of office a president can enjoy should be increased to perhaps a 2 five year term because 4 or 8years is not long enough to wrap up on the good vision and policies of an outgoing president.
Though it was good he did not try to change the constitution or hang on to power because he believed he still had so many good things to bequeath the country, the response to the suggestion came in thick and fast from political analysts to ordinary men and women. The verdict was decisive and unanimous. Not a good idea Mr. President. No, but thanks anyway.
The idea is simply untenable. This attitude of heads of government feeling they are the only repository of best ideas and good governance should be discouraged as best as possible. If four or eight years is not enough, five or ten years would not be. And just as the president’s suggestion was sinking in, he granted pardon to some prisoners including Ghana’s most notorious political prisoner, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, who was unjustly jailed in July 2008 for what the prosecution said was wilfully causing financial lost to the state and misappropriating public funds.
A large section of the legal community of Ghana believes Tsatsu should not have been jailed in the first place. According to Dr. Raymond Atuguba, a law lecturer, the government has illegitimately mobilised state power against one man and that a review of the case against Tsatsu reveals that the state had virtually turned the law upside down. In the words of Fui Tsikata, another legal luminary and brother of the incarcerated, or rather, now pardoned Tsatsu Tsikata – himself a legal stalwart, “the courts have been misused” in the case against his brother.
The president of the Ghana Bar Association, Nii Osa Mills was forced to resign after he had said Tsatsu did not get a fair trial. A few justices of the Supreme Court have voluntarily resigned over judicial interference in their work from the executive branch of government and many lawyers are so appalled be the misappropriation of justice under Kufuor.
A president could do so many things as long as it is within the law but welcoming as the news may be to Tsatsu’s family and well wishers, they argue it was simply an act of vindictiveness and a pursuance of a personal vendetta by the government.
John Kufuor has done his bit in strengthening Ghana’s democracy, but he certainly has done a lot in losing favour from the people including his own party members who accused him of causing the party’s defeat.
I personally would remember him as the president who never punished corruption, It increased under his administration. He once said that he is not corrupt because people brought him money and bribes “waawaa”, but he turns them down. Is that what a serious president supposed to do with people who attempt to bribe him? I would let you be the Judge.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
You must have miscalculated if you did not expect John Kufuor to bow out in style. His party had lost an election, what did you expect? Time to be humble you would say.
It was Kufuor’s record that decided who the next leader was and it is his ministers who would definitely be audited. Certainly you must expect John Kufuor to do something grand to at least assuage and redeem some lost favours from the very discerning Ghanaian public who had decided his government was not good enough, hence the need for a change.
Ghanaians are very sophisticated and I believe the blood of our founding fathers is still running in our veins. You cannot take the kindness and generosity of a Ghanaian voter for a weakness. We have the authority to give and take power. Isn’t that sweet?
It was obvious Kufuor was going to be charitable and magnanimous in defeat and rejection. He had called on the hawks in his party to give the Electoral Commission the free hand to discharge its duties, the result of which, some say was the withdrawal of law suits filed against the EC by the outgoing New Patriotic Party.
The president said all the nice things before the cameras, congratulated John Atta Mills and expressed a willingness to hand over smoothly, a very rare occurrence on the African continent and in spite of the bitter nature of the presidential contest , the entire caboodle of handing over to the opposition party has enriched Ghana’s CV as a budding democracy.
I have never seen how an elephant dies but I surmise a dying elephant will do a lot of good and very bad things prior to its death. And so did the NPP government, whose party’s symbol is the elephant. Kufuor gave an emotional and conciliatory message to parliament. He made overtures to the incoming government. I hope he did all of that in good faith though, because overtures will not prevent the NDC from giving justice to those who may have suffered injustice during Kufuor’s tenure.
What was not obvious in John Kufuor’s last days as president was his faux pas. You would expect people to mature but not the NPP. The NPP had committed so many mistakes, most of which had angered the voting population who decided they had had enough of the disrespect.
The government reduced fuel prices when they realised their backs were against the wall, went on a begging spree from the Ghanaian voters - a minister went on her knees begging for votes, Kufuor himself hurriedly organised a press conference to beg for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what? The selective justice, corruption or what? They were quick to tell us how sorry they are for any transgressions, but all their begging fell on deaf ears.
Ridiculous as that was, they instructed the courts to release people put in jail for road traffic offences. It was amusing whilst it lasted. I am sure many people who voted against the government in the presidential election must have been saying - what do you take us for! You could reduce fuel prices and you waited till you were desperate for votes. hahahahahaha - Poor NPP, they never learn. The electorate wanted nothing but change from a rather disappointing administration.
John Kufuor is no doubt the King of faux pas. He is doing something beautiful today, and the next day he is desecrating it with unguarded comments or funny tricks. He has consistently erased some of his good works with bad deeds. He has described people who complain about poverty in Ghana as lazy. Can you imagine how insulting that is to the many men and women particularly in the public sector who are under paid, overtaxed and in most cases overworked? His government has contracted loans from your not usual place to seek loans – a London hair dresser’s saloon, and his government had done just exactly the same things it accused the NDC government under Jerry Rawlings of doing. He had said corruption is as old as Adam, and there is not much one can do. His administration had been aloof about prosecuting corruption even in the face of mounting evidence of corruption against his ministers, a tag that will live with him forever.
The outgoing president made a very premature suggestion to parliament in his last address to the nation. Kufuor suggested that the current 4year two term of office a president can enjoy should be increased to perhaps a 2 five year term because 4 or 8years is not long enough to wrap up on the good vision and policies of an outgoing president.
Though it was good he did not try to change the constitution or hang on to power because he believed he still had so many good things to bequeath the country, the response to the suggestion came in thick and fast from political analysts to ordinary men and women. The verdict was decisive and unanimous. Not a good idea Mr. President. No, but thanks anyway.
The idea is simply untenable. This attitude of heads of government feeling they are the only repository of best ideas and good governance should be discouraged as best as possible. If four or eight years is not enough, five or ten years would not be. And just as the president’s suggestion was sinking in, he granted pardon to some prisoners including Ghana’s most notorious political prisoner, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, who was unjustly jailed in July 2008 for what the prosecution said was wilfully causing financial lost to the state and misappropriating public funds.
A large section of the legal community of Ghana believes Tsatsu should not have been jailed in the first place. According to Dr. Raymond Atuguba, a law lecturer, the government has illegitimately mobilised state power against one man and that a review of the case against Tsatsu reveals that the state had virtually turned the law upside down. In the words of Fui Tsikata, another legal luminary and brother of the incarcerated, or rather, now pardoned Tsatsu Tsikata – himself a legal stalwart, “the courts have been misused” in the case against his brother.
The president of the Ghana Bar Association, Nii Osa Mills was forced to resign after he had said Tsatsu did not get a fair trial. A few justices of the Supreme Court have voluntarily resigned over judicial interference in their work from the executive branch of government and many lawyers are so appalled be the misappropriation of justice under Kufuor.
A president could do so many things as long as it is within the law but welcoming as the news may be to Tsatsu’s family and well wishers, they argue it was simply an act of vindictiveness and a pursuance of a personal vendetta by the government.
John Kufuor has done his bit in strengthening Ghana’s democracy, but he certainly has done a lot in losing favour from the people including his own party members who accused him of causing the party’s defeat.
I personally would remember him as the president who never punished corruption, It increased under his administration. He once said that he is not corrupt because people brought him money and bribes “waawaa”, but he turns them down. Is that what a serious president supposed to do with people who attempt to bribe him? I would let you be the Judge.
Credit: Ras Mubarak [mmubarak79@yahoo.com]
President Mills is on a sacred mission
In a tirade attacking the Customs and Excise Unit, President Evans Atta Mills has cautioned that he will not give up the sacred mission conferred on him by Ghanaians to build a better Ghana and he will get there surely but slowly.
Information Minister John Tia debunked recent speculation that the President is not well and cannot travel anywhere.
Such reports are baseless, "The President has been moving across the country. The President thinks that he should do more at home and that is why he is concentrating here. His vice is equally competent and therefore he has confidence in him and can send him anywhere. Who can say that the President is unwell? He is performing his duties, he is all over the country and how can somebody just get up and say that?" Mr Tia said.
President John Evans Atta Mills says he is unfazed by criticisms that he is not delivering on his promises. The President said his government has a four-year mandate to ensure that the confidence reposed in it by Ghanaians is justified.
Addressing staff of the Finance Ministry, the President said his government will translate its promises into reality despite the mounting criticism.
"Criticisms there will be, noises there will be; but noises and criticism can never drown the sacred facts on the ground. We are on a journey. We have a four-year mandate and we are always aware that the people of Ghana have reposed confidence in us and the least that we can do is to ensure that we justify this confidence," he said.
President John Atta Mills has taken to dropping on Ministries and Agencies without prior announcements. He visited offices of the Internal Revenue Service; Value Added Tax Secretariat; Customs, Excise & Preventive Services and the Finance Ministry recently.
President Mills is fighting a losing battle with corruption, but unlike his predecessors he is not denying the level of corruption and difficulty of correcting the systemic faults in some institutions.
At the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) he chastised CEPS to "live up to its expectation and its standard because in quite a number of cases we are under-collecting. If I ever doubted that some of the people in CEPS were really working against the economy, what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my ears convinced me beyond any reasonable doubt that if this is a person who has sworn to work in the interest of our nation and he can boast so brazenly and even aide smugglers to carry up cocoa across the border. I am saying, my brothers and sisters, this is the time for introspection," he said.
Recent violent spats within the NDC youth organs and persistent fighting in the Northern regions still continue to remind Government of the challenges of a polarized country.
Speaking openly on radio, disappointed NDC national youth aspirant, Ras Mubarak, called out NDC grassroots supporters not to elect President Mills as Presidential candidate in 2012. His reason is the slow pace of delivery, which President Mills himself has described as "slow, but sure".
That he sees the presidency as a sacred obligation is clear from his national call for prayers and fasting in the early days of March 2010, his declared preference that Ghana would be a Prayer Camp and his recent rhetoric flavored with biblical choice words.
There is mounting push back by society from the level of noise from church services and other religious delivery. All night sessions in residential areas, street corner preachers, passenger bus deacons and bishops, sermons and all day street yelling, have become an annoyance in Ghana.
In Accra and Kumasi there is a demand for noise control and a gradual insistence that the Jesus callers and evangelists must be checked. Less church and more work.
You only hear the call of the Muezzin in the early hours and prayer time. But, not so the Christians. All day, all night and no sleep for Jesus!
Credit: Sydney Casely-Hayford, www.bizghana.com
Information Minister John Tia debunked recent speculation that the President is not well and cannot travel anywhere.
Such reports are baseless, "The President has been moving across the country. The President thinks that he should do more at home and that is why he is concentrating here. His vice is equally competent and therefore he has confidence in him and can send him anywhere. Who can say that the President is unwell? He is performing his duties, he is all over the country and how can somebody just get up and say that?" Mr Tia said.
President John Evans Atta Mills says he is unfazed by criticisms that he is not delivering on his promises. The President said his government has a four-year mandate to ensure that the confidence reposed in it by Ghanaians is justified.
Addressing staff of the Finance Ministry, the President said his government will translate its promises into reality despite the mounting criticism.
"Criticisms there will be, noises there will be; but noises and criticism can never drown the sacred facts on the ground. We are on a journey. We have a four-year mandate and we are always aware that the people of Ghana have reposed confidence in us and the least that we can do is to ensure that we justify this confidence," he said.
President John Atta Mills has taken to dropping on Ministries and Agencies without prior announcements. He visited offices of the Internal Revenue Service; Value Added Tax Secretariat; Customs, Excise & Preventive Services and the Finance Ministry recently.
President Mills is fighting a losing battle with corruption, but unlike his predecessors he is not denying the level of corruption and difficulty of correcting the systemic faults in some institutions.
At the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) he chastised CEPS to "live up to its expectation and its standard because in quite a number of cases we are under-collecting. If I ever doubted that some of the people in CEPS were really working against the economy, what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my ears convinced me beyond any reasonable doubt that if this is a person who has sworn to work in the interest of our nation and he can boast so brazenly and even aide smugglers to carry up cocoa across the border. I am saying, my brothers and sisters, this is the time for introspection," he said.
Recent violent spats within the NDC youth organs and persistent fighting in the Northern regions still continue to remind Government of the challenges of a polarized country.
Speaking openly on radio, disappointed NDC national youth aspirant, Ras Mubarak, called out NDC grassroots supporters not to elect President Mills as Presidential candidate in 2012. His reason is the slow pace of delivery, which President Mills himself has described as "slow, but sure".
That he sees the presidency as a sacred obligation is clear from his national call for prayers and fasting in the early days of March 2010, his declared preference that Ghana would be a Prayer Camp and his recent rhetoric flavored with biblical choice words.
There is mounting push back by society from the level of noise from church services and other religious delivery. All night sessions in residential areas, street corner preachers, passenger bus deacons and bishops, sermons and all day street yelling, have become an annoyance in Ghana.
In Accra and Kumasi there is a demand for noise control and a gradual insistence that the Jesus callers and evangelists must be checked. Less church and more work.
You only hear the call of the Muezzin in the early hours and prayer time. But, not so the Christians. All day, all night and no sleep for Jesus!
Credit: Sydney Casely-Hayford, www.bizghana.com
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