He was born in Kumasi on March 27, 1953. He is a fuel combustion engineer, a politician and a businessman. He has been described by many people as a man of many colours. Depending on where one stands on the political divide, one either loves or loathes him.
However, that one loves or hates him does not influence him in the performance of his functions. If anything at all, it spurs him on to be firm and fair in his dealings. Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, aka Tarzan, is the man I refer to.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fuel and Combustion Engineering and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Solar Energy Engineering, both from the University of Leeds, UK. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University Of Middlesex Hendron UK, and is a fellow of the Institute of Petrol, UK. He is also a Research Fellow in Management Science at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.
He worked as a consulting energy economist with the African Development Bank’s Energy Programme. In 1988, he was appointed energy policy advisor to the PNDC, where he churned out policies which made sure that power reached every nook and cranny of this country. Most of the successes chalked by the country in the energy sector in the past two decades could be attributed to the blueprint he and his team formulated.
On the political front, he played a major role in the formation of Alliance For Change (AFC) – a political pressure group that organized demonstrations against the introduction of VAT in 1995. But what endeared him to most of his compatriots was when he dared to tread where none could. His compatriots woke up on December 19, 1994 to the sound of refreshing music blaring from the radio via Radio Eye 96.2 FM- a feat he accomplished from the comfort of his bedroom.
His action unnerved the government so much that the Minister of Information, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, rushed to Parliament on the 4th day of the radio broadcast and described him as a ‘Modern-day Tarzan’. That was how he got the name Tarzan.
Although the radio station was closed down after operating for only a few weeks, that singular act of his paved way for the establishment of private radio in the country- thus giving his compatriots an alternative to the monotonous programmes on Radio Ghana. Radio Eye therefore stands out historically as the first private radio station in the country.
You may think otherwise, but I strongly believe the proliferation of radio and television stations across the length and breadth of the country today would have been a mirage if he had not acted like a ‘Modern-day Tarzan’. Just look at the economic and other benefits private radio and television has brought to individuals, families and the country at large, and tell me Wereko-Brobby did not do anything for this country.
That, however, is not to say the private radio and television stations are doing great. As Dr. Brobby himself said, the electronic media today is far worse than what he dreamt of when he established Radio Eye. It is a sad spectacle to see so-called social commentators and senior journalists inflict their ignorance on their unsuspecting compatriots. Most of these characters, who claim to be socialists, gleefully receive handouts from corrupt politicians in the country and beyond! Need I remind you of those whose pockets were filled with cowries after propagating the gospel according to Laurent Gbegbentus of Cote d’Ivoire?
In 1996, Dr. Brobby formed the United Ghana Movement (UGM) after parting ways with the Elephant, a party he helped to establish. He ran for president in 2000 on the ticket of UGM and lost miserably. He was subsequently appointed CEO of the Volta River Authority (VRA) by President Kufuor, where he acquitted himself creditably. But his no-nonsense style of leadership made him step on many toes. It therefore generated a lot of hullabaloo, which led to his exit from the VRA.
Despite the controversy which surrounded his exit from the VRA, he was once again given another appointment. This time he was made the CEO of the now defunct Ghana @ 50 Secretariat. He successfully managed the affairs of the secretariat and made a whopping profit of GH¢36.5 million.
But his detractors and opponents of the Elephant saw otherwise. They told the world there was corruption and pure thievery at the secretariat. They said the rot stank so much that if the ocean were perfume, it would not be able to neutralize the smell. Their mantra was, “Ghana @ 50, ebon kan-kan.”
The whole cacophony about the secretariat led to the then opposition Umbrella to promise a forensic audit in the accounts of the secretariat, should they come to power.
True to their words, one of the first things they did when they assumed the leadership of this country was to form the Ghana @ 50 Commission. The commission did the forensic audit and found nothing. Courtesy of an influential friend, I’ve combed through the commission’s report and nowhere was he and his partner, Kwadwo Mpiani, found culpable.
But blinded by their determination to justify the lies they peddled during the 2008 campaign, the Umbrella government dragged the two gentlemen to court. After months of legal wrangling, an Nkrankrom High Court, presided by Justice Marfo Sau, acquitted and discharged them.
My gosh, how I leapt for joy when I heard the news on that joyous Tuesday, August 10, 2010. It’s been over ten months now and the appeal the Attorney General’s office promised is yet to see the light of day.
Tarzan’s most recent major political activity was when he contested the Elephant’s National Chairmanship position and lost to Jake Obetsebi Lamptey- another failed attempt at the polls.
Tarzan is a great manager, no doubt! He is also a good communicator. But I doubt if his forthrightness and lack of diplomacy in dealing with issues can ever win him any election. The electorate likes politicians who sing sweet tunes; and Tarzan is definitely not that kind. I pray he never contests any election again, because it breaks the heart of his admirers to see him lose.
I’ve heard some say he is arrogant. That is not surprising because ours is a country where many people mistake confidence for pride. Anyone who is confident and believes in his abilities is called an arrogant person.
As for those who say he is controversial, I want to remind them that the world is full of controversies. Centuries back, people were killed for saying the world was round because scientist then believed the world was flat. But now the world believes otherwise. That was controversial, wasn’t it? Agya Ofuntuo’s ‘Dzi Wo Fie Asem’ has courted controversy; so was Nana Addo’s ‘All-Die-Be-Die’. So what is the noise about?
Tarzan has his faults, and so do we all. I admire him for the many qualities he has. But those that readily come to mind are his determination to succeed despite the smear campaigns, his courage in fighting for his right and that of others, and his forthrightness on issues. I even admire his so-called arrogance. That is why I’m not ashamed to borrow his mantra, “Don’t talk it, do it!”
Go here to read the rest:
Tarzan – An Unsung Hero!