So, President Mahama should have wept at the United Nations, eh?

Thursday, September 25, 2014

My good friends, I continue to see those vainly criticizing anything and everything done (or not done) by President Mahama as doing "rogue" politics and making themselves the butt of public ridicule.

Here is a classic example of one of them: "Head of the Political Science Department at the KNUST, Prof. Amoako Baah, is not impressed about President Mahama’s appeal to the international community to help combat the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa. According to him, the president in his appeal should have been “dramatic and emotional” to enable them [international community] “jump into action”.

Does Ms. Lauretta Lamptey of CHRAJ still have a conscience?

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Folks, I am perturbed by the stubbornness of Ms. Lauretta Lamptey, head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). She is doggedly resisting urgent appeals to her conscience to act honourably by resigning and seems to be overflowing with arrogance too!!

Her attempt at dousing the fire that she has herself lit to burn her out of office and public confidence has failed. She is no more credible to remain in office and should have advised herself by now to step down; but as of now, she hasn’t listened to the urgings of her own silent voice, which is conscience. From her own assessment of issues, she thinks that she has done nothing wrong and won’t heed any call to resign.

She has now chosen silence to be golden for her and isn’t responding anymore to anything about her malfeasance (misappropriating public funds for her personal comfort or, simply put, for abusing her office). Not even the petitioning of President Mahama to remove her from office can soften her stance. She has dug in, daring everybody to act against her if anybody can. A daredevil of a public servant she must be!!

These African First Ladies are really wagging their tails

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Folks, I have already written an opinion piece to complain bitterly about the manner in which the wives of African Presidents have constituted themselves into an Association of First Ladies and assumed power and authority to do things as if they have anybody’s mandate to act and talk as they wish. They have constituted themselves into potentates and are acting to be recognized as such. The "She" that must be obeyed. Unacceptable!!

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a President’s wife accompanying him on trips or doing things in tandem with him as he exercises the mandate of the electorate to govern the country.

But I find a lot wrong with the manner in which these wives of African Presidents are doing things. They seem to be arrogating too much power and authority to themselves and pushing buttons here and there in the limelight.

Are the forces of Nature now working against TB Joshua?

Monday, September 22, 2014

Folks, the Nigerian “Man-of-God (Temitope Balogun Joshua) has featured in numerous discussions regarding the conduct of the “Men-of-God” in contemporary times. His loud claims of authority to heal all manner of ailments and the frequent flashes of prophecy from him have kept him in the limelight to create the impression that he is a strong force to be reckoned with in Christendom. No wonder that his following is increasing by the day, even though the records show that he began his ministry in the early 1990s with a paltry 8 members. I hear today he has more than 20,000 ardent followers who see him as a Prophet and will do anything to validate his ministry. Good for them while it lasts.

But what is bad for TB Joshua and his followers is just in the offing and emerging and unfolding with threatening implications. Those of us who have taken on TB Joshua for various reasons and ridiculed him for indulging in “religious crookery” have been condemned by his followers; yet, we remain undaunted because of our conviction that he is taking Christianity to a whole new level that may end up bursting his own balloon of self-confidence and self-possession. He is over-extending himself and heading toward the landmine that will likely blow him off his elements. Forget about his philanthropic work because it is to be expected that with so much wealth, if he doesn’t spread his generosity across the field, he won’t be worth the poor people’s attention.

With the CHRAJ and Co., our democracy remains doomed unless…

Friday, September 19, 2014

Folks, in response to the controversy raised by the huge sum of money paid on hotel accommodation for Ms. Lauretta Lamptey (head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, CHRAJ) a contributor made an insightful contribution to an opinion piece that I wrote a few days ago:

“Not only CHRAJ but these too, NMC, Energy Commission, PURC, NPA, and many others... their duties and functions can be done by a Supervising and Monitoring Directorate of their related agencies... What are the Parliamentary Sub-committees there to do if not to check any excesses by these state institutions?”

This opinion is rich and needs a thorough discussion. Thus, I have expanded the contributor’s ideas to come up with this prompt to guide us as we continue to explore issues regarding our democracy. I hope you will add your voices to our good friend’s and mine as well. Enjoy!!

As the Christian Council touches raw nerves…

Monday, September 15, 2014

Folks, the politics of attrition is in full gear. Critics of the Mahama-led administration are relentlessly chastising it for various reasons while the government itself continues to insist that it is on course, in total control of the situation, and is doing all it can to solve national problems, especially the depreciation of the Cedi. True, the Cedi seems to be gaining some strength these days, even if marginally, and the government is pursuing its development project agenda and promising to complete all abandoned projects for the people to have their money’s worth. To the government, then, there is no cause for alarm. Its critics think otherwise and hear nothing but the alarm bells tolling about a bleak future for the country.

The battle lines are clear: those opposed to the government won’t change their minds no matter what happens; and the government isn’t prepared to bow to the pressure that they are mounting on it (whether through street demonstrations, unsavoury public utterances, or threats against its electoral chances). These critics think that the government has failed and are poised to ratchet up their criticisms and predictions of doom and gloom for it (and the country). The latest to toe this line is the Christian Council of Ghana, which has ruffled feathers. In a communiqué that it issued after a meeting on Sunday, the Council alarmed the government with its claim that “majority of Ghanaians have lost confidence in President John Mahama and his government”.

Sacking Black Stars Coach, Kwasi Appiah, isn't right

Thursday, September 11, 2014

My good friends, I am saddened by the news report carried by Myjoyonline that the Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah, has been removed and replaced with Serbian trainer Milovan Rajevac as head coach of the Black Stars.

Here is the news report in part: "Black Stars coach Kwasi Appiah has been relieved of his position as head coach of the senior national team. The decision was reached today at a board meeting of the GFA. Mr. Appiah is being accused of bad faith after he granted a radio interview in which he said that he had not asked for a technical assistant, contradicting the position of the GFA.

Akufo-Addo’s Pyrrhic victory, the NPP’s woes at Election 2016

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Folks, the rampaging going on in the NPP to the advantage of Akufo-Addo doesn’t surprise me at all. As an outsider who has been keenly observing the goings-on in the NPP over the years, particularly since the emergence of Akufo-Addo as a potentate exercising maximum stranglehold (call it “chokehold, if you may) on the party, I have not missed any opportunity to comment on what piques my curiosity. I have made it clear that the NPP isn’t as stable as its praise singers will have us believe.

Goings-on confirm my stance; and events leading to the August 31 super delegates’ congress buttress it all the more. The synchronized and choreographed manouevres that ended up giving Akufo-Addo a whopping 80.78% of votes are enough to confirm that those seeing him as the “redeemer” of the NPP will do all they can to silence opposition, even when the man himself is out and about saying that he welcomes competition.

Here is Akufo-Addo for you again

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

"Ivorian President, 70, is 10 times better than 55-year-old Mahama", says Akufo-Addo.

 (See: http://www.myjoyonline.com/politics/2014/September-9th/70-year-old-ivorian-president-10-times-better-than-50-year-old-john-mahama-akufo-addo.php).

By this claim, we can see that Akufo-Addo is justifying and rationalizing his own age factor. He turns 72 in 2016 when the Presidential elections will be held. For the records, Akufo-Addo’s father (Edward Akufo-Addo, Titular President of Ghana in the Second Republic) died at 71 as an accomplished lawyer and politician.

True, the age of Methusellah has nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon; but it takes more than wisdom to provide the leadership needed for nation building, at least, in our kind of democracy. The assumption is that wisdom comes about with ageing, even though I have come across some old men with gray hair whose asinine or bovine stupidity left me slackjawed.

The deadwood called Ghana’s Missions Abroad

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Folks, a country that doesn’t have good expertise in doing productive foreign relations work can’t impress or attract other countries to do business with it. And without any productive relationship with other countries, how can such a country sell itself? No amount of re-branding ventures will serve its purposes. That is why countries establish foreign missions and spend huge sums of money maintaining them. By their fruit will they be known. Ghana’s missions abroad are nothing but deadwood.

Ghana is known for its penetration into other parts of the world, establishing links with any country at all that it sees as a likely productive partner. The missions so established are expected to do much for the country’s benefit. Some missions are regarded as more important than others. Take the missions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, for instance, and you will know why those appointed as Ambassadors and High Commissioners there regard themselves as more “powerful” or “luckier” than their colleagues assigned to Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Nicaragua, Panama, or Lesotho.

For reasons best known to the appointing authority, choosing Ambassadors and High Commissioners to do Ghana’s foreign relations work is demanding. How about the intensive lobbying going on and the need to put in place those who can do the bidding?

Why is Arthur Kennedy “slaughtering” Akufo-Addo so soon?

Friday, September 5, 2014

Folks, the heat is already being turned on Akufo-Addo from within his own party. Dr. Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who is also the former Communications Director for the NPP at Election 2008, is jumping on him, making very serious allegations, indicting him, and virtually re-opening the can of worms to dim Akufo-Addo’s light.

Dr. Kennedy worked closely with Akufo-Addo at Election 2008 and later wrote the searing account of why Akufo-Addo lost the elections (_Chasing the Elephant into the Bush_). He wasn’t given any frontline role at Election 2012; and he seems to have discovered ways of “slaughtering” Akufo-Addo. And as an Akufo-Addo aide (Mustapha Hamid) put it the other day, Dr. Kennedy is on a mission to destroy Akufo-Addo. Why should he do so?

Do our politicians ever know their bounds?

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Folks, I apologize for my absence from the forum over the past one week or so. I got caught up in many issues, all tumbling over each other for maximum attention. I just relocated in a more convenient area of New York City and immediately turned attention to academic issues at the start of the fall semester. Life is back to “normal” (call it normalcy, if you may); and I can now pick up the pieces. And many things happened within the period.

So, the government bent back to satisfy the demands of POTAG and UTAG, which has paved the way for the polytechnics and universities to re-open. Good news that academic work will begin soon while we wait for the dust raised over the book and research allowance conundrum to settle. I am not surprised at the government’s back-tracking, apparently because it lacks bite, after barking and baring its weak teeth.

The fact that nothing concrete is being done to establish the foundation for its proposed National Research and Innovation Fund says it all. So, what will become of it? A whiff of promise with ugly implications? By bending backwards, it has ceded the momentum to POTAG and UTAG and they will definitely dig in and oppose anything coming from government henceforth that they consider as inimical to their interests. The government has hamstrung itself on that score. Pitiable.