These NPP-oriented Men-of-God again?

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Folks, all those so-called Men-of-God doing anti-Mahama politics in diverse ways and prophesying electoral victory for Akufo-Addo know that they are fast becoming a public nuisance, especially after the barrage of prophecies from them prior to Elections 2008 and 2012 ended in smoke.

We heard a lot from them in the pre-election season; but when reality struck, they changed the rhythm and began striking ugly discordant chords to create the impression that supported the useless petition before the Supreme Court. The loudest and most pitiable of them all—Rev. Owusu Bempah—even prophesied death for President Mahama and went ahead to make subversive utterances that Ghana would burn if the Supreme Court didn't declare Akufo-Addo the winner.

What happened?

In what capacity are Afoko and Agyepong acting now? (Part II)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Even before Afoko and Agyei were voted into office by the party’s delegates, back-handed measures had been used against them. Afoko was manhandled at the party’s conference to choose the flagbearer for Election 2008. He and Agyei have been accused of being unalloyed supporters of Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen (a so-called protégé of former President Kufuor, allegedly the prop of the Kufuor or Asante faction in the party), meaning that they were automatically opposed to Akufo-Addo. Therein lies the rivalry between the Asante-Akyem factions in the NPP. Their winning of the national delegates’ confidence and trust at the party’s conference nearly two years ago hasn’t stopped the campaign of calumny against them. Their detractors continue to make efforts at undercutting them; but they have prevailed and settled in office to do what they have up their sleeves.

In what capacity are Afoko and Agyepong acting now? (Part I)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Folks, let’s be blunt to say upfront that happenings in the NPP regarding the status of Paul Afoko (National Chairman) and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong (General Secretary) give us a comedy of errors to fear and not enjoy. Here are two high-ranking party administrators declared as “enemies” and chased out of office; yet, they are still doing things and making public statements being followed by the party’s functionaries without question. The NPP is grinding to a point of disrepute.

The rumpus rocking it, caused by agitations against Afoko and Agyepong and their continued stay in office, portrays an ambivalent picture of the entire NPP setup. It is a litmus test that the leaders of the NPP, the Akufo-Addo camp instigating the agitations, and the unwitting elements being used against Afoko and Agyepong have woefully failed. And it portrays the NPP as a laughable political entity to be watched lest it plunges the country into chaos if put in office. In politics, ambivalence portends danger!!

It is long past time to abolish the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Folks, the prevalence of malpractices in examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is nothing strange. It is perennial. In the era of the "O" and "A" level exams, leakages occurred and students suffered the negative backlash.

When the tide changed for the basic level (beginning with the Junior Secondary School part to be fused into the BECE at the SSS level because of the continuous assessment process to determine students' fate in the end), the malpractices haven't vanished. Instead, they have calcified and turned the entire examination system into an "auction", where those who know how to bid always win. And such people are those with the means to influence those who have access to examination papers/questions.

The NPP’s own flawed voters register undermines its credibility

Monday, June 15, 2015

Folks, the NPP’s main beef against the electoral system in place is that the voters register is bloated and shouldn’t be used in general elections. It has accused the EC of incompetence on that score and made all kinds of ugly noises all over the place, threatening to move heaven and hell for a credible voters register to be put in place for Election 2016. As to what they will do if their demand is not met, they know that they have only two options: go to court or boycott the general elections. Either course of action has dire consequences for it.

Being led by their pride and self-righteous acclamations that they are “legal luminaries” and the cream of Ghana’s “interrectuals”, they will snatch at the first option, which is to go to court to compel the EC to do their bidding. They trust their friends in the Judiciary to fight that cause for them; but it won’t be an easy choice. The court will need a lot more before it before compelling the EC to clean up the existing register.

Dr. Amoako-Baah sustains the NPP’s “Concert Party” shows

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Folks, we are still waiting to hear from President Mahama who will head the Electoral Commission when Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan retires (His 70th birthday falls June 18 and staff of the EC have already held a befitting durbar to honour him.).

We have so far heard loud noises of protestation from the NPP camp about the replacement and from so-called academics and others doing politics disguised as civil or social work. The clergy haven't left themselves out either. So have our traditional rulers.

Did Sudan's Omar Bashir flee from arrest In South Africa or...?

Monday, June 15, 2015

Folks, those of us who have been critical about the one-sided activities of the International Criminal Court (ICC) haven't hidden our concerns about its fixation on only African leaders or politicians and their prominent backers in its hunt for so-called war criminals. We have made our voices heard and accused the UN itself of being at the beck-and-call of those funding it to turn a blind eye to the horrendous happenings involving them.

Any talk of war crimes will not be complete without the inclusion of happenings in Libya, Iraq, and many others for which the real war criminals are known but remain untouchable. The UN's blind eyes don't see them nor do its deaf ears hear the cries of living victims or the relatives of the perished. Whole countries and systems not working in favour of the paymasters of the UN have been devastated and turned into breeding grounds for terrorism (Libya on my mind now!!); yet, the UN is so narrowly focused on pursuing African leaders as to make itself irrelevant to Africa in our time.

Is it really nobler to be a chief than a politician in Ghana?

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Folks, the controversy surrounding the status of Robert Nachinab Doameng Mosore, NPP MP for Talensi, seems to be coming to an end with his choice to be a Paramount Chief of Talensi and not a politician (MP). (See http://www.myjoyonline.com/…/it-is-nobler-to-be-chief-than-…)

The 1992 Constitution is clear on why a traditional ruler shouldn't be involved in partisan politics and why some chiefs seeking to be politicians have quickly relinquished their chiefly status to engage in partisan politics for weal or woe.

Even though the late Dr. Hilla Limann of Gwolu was our President in the Third Republic, we didn't bat our eyelids when he doubled as a chief and a politician before being kicked out of office in the Rawlings-led putsch. Many others in the PNDC era come to mind: Nana Akuoko Sarpong of Asante Agogo; Nana Obuadom (Mr. E.G. Tandoh); former Nandom Naa Konku Polku Chiiri; and many others actively participated in politics for good or bad.

No Ghanaian should be a guinea pig for Ebola experiments

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Folks, you must already have heard the news report about the trial of a vaccine for the deadly Ebola that is either already being done in Ghana or is about to be done. When I first heard about this experiment, I cringed seriously for many reasons:

1. When Ebola struck Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea (the three worst affected in the West African sub-region), Ghanaians panicked and prayed hard that the disease shouldn't spread to the country. Indeed, many measures were taken, especially in connection with citizens of the affected countries travelling to Ghana or in terms of Liberians living in the Buduburam camp.

2. The Ghanaian government rallied all agencies under the Ministry of Health to prepare for any case occurring in Ghana, especially after some alleged "victims" had been taken through diagnosis and proved negative. The panic mode persisted for long.

3. President Mahama personally participated in relief efforts and visited Sierra Leone (refusing to shake hands with that country's President at the time---fear of contracting Ebola?).

4. At the government's initiative, Ghana became the command and control centre for the Ebola relief efforts.

5. Ghanaian health officials physically participated in efforts to solve the Ebola problem in the affected countries. None contracted Ebola.

At the end of the day, no Ghanaian contracted Ebola; no Ghanaian is on record as having died from Ebola. As the United Nations declared the affected countries as being free of Ebola, the world heaved a huge sigh of relief. The disease came from no-one-knows-where and left in its trail massive devastation. The affected countries are still counting the cost, even as the rest of the world prays that Ebola shouldn't recur.

Why is the government setting such a bad example?

Monday, June 1, 2015

Folks, much has been said about the government’s handling of the country’s finances, which speaks volumes. There is much concern that things are not being done properly, which is why the government is either borrowing funds from sources and not accounting for such funds. We have heard about the government’s inability or failure to sustain the GETFUND, to pay workers’ contributions to SSNIT, to release funds to the NHIS, to provide funds for the Schools Feeding Programme, and many more. It is more than alarming. Why should it be so?

Today, we are being told that the “government has defaulted in the payment of workers contribution to the Tier 2 pension scheme, to the tune of GH¢1billion—plunging the state into a nonpayment crisis”. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Employment and Labour said so.

The NPP’s “Invisible Forces” must be tackled immediately

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Events culminating in the nastiness tearing the NPP apart have been long in the offing. They have been fuelled by deep-seated self-seeking manouevres, self-righteousness portrayals, and self-serving manipulations. I lay the blame at the doorstep of Akufo-Addo whose persistence to have things done as he wishes has deepened factionalism in the party and resulted in his followers’ bitter opposition to the tenure of Paul Afoko (National Chairman) and Kwabena Agyepong (General Secretary). The remote causes of this open show of hatred for Afoko and Agyepong can be traced to their supposed dislike for Akufo-Addo and a so-called covert “Agenda 2020” to botch his attempts at winning Election 2016.

But the immediate cause is the acid-bathing of Alhaji Adam Mahama, which is now spelling their doom, even though nothing has emerged so far to prove their complicity in a crime committed by people other than Afoko and Agyepong. Solving this problem is an uphill task; and as is being suggested, no one in the NPP seems ready or capable of dousing the fire that is consuming both its setters and their opponents. After all, who among the so-called NPP bigwigs is not either an Akufo-Addo follower or what?