Mahama crashes out!

Feature Article of Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Columnist: Appiah, Kofi

Cherished reader, this writer craves your indulgence to patiently read this wonderful, but serialized article today and at another leisure time until your mouth waters because it covers so many hidden secrets concerning the daily events in Ghana. It is not surprising that Ghanaians were awoken one day with startling news from Prez. John Mahama that a rich country such as Ghana, was so broke that he and his government would have to go globe-trotting to borrow money before civil/public servants, (i.e.) id est., government workers, could be paid or receive their salaries. Ghana is endowed with both human and natural resources unsurpassed and truly unparalleled by any on the African Continent. We have cocoa, gold, timber, diamond, salt, manganese, bauxite, limestone, shea-butter, non-traditional produce and finally, with the discovery of black gold – oil – to boost the economy, we should not be hopeless. All these natural resources herein named are obtained in great quantities that should place the nation in a much better position to the upper grade of the middle income generating countries. But as if possessed, poor, selfish, winner-takes-all and incompetent leadership, coupled with greed, avarice, nepotism, bourgeoisie, daylight thievery of the national kitty has rendered the country poor. Ironically, a visitor to Ghana for the first time could easily notice the signals without being told. Most Ghanaians who normally throng at the airport to meet and greet their visitors do not mince words at all by expression of their helplessness situation. After the welcome pleasantries, such persons straightaway plunge into action by requesting for something very insignificant – $10 note and not much more from their guests. The author has, on countless occasions, witnessed such situations and should not be blamed for this uncomplimentary remark. Very sad, isn’t it?
BRIEF FOR SIMULATION FLIGHT
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome aboard Flagship Ghana, Airbus 320-100 Flight No. XY001, from Accra, Kotoka to Reyjavik, Iceland. We have 150 souls, 12 cabin crew and 4 flight-deck crew; a total of 166 souls on board. The flight is under the command of Captain Appiah Kubi. We are flying from Accra Kotoka to Reyjavik, Iceland, a distance of 4,200 nautical miles with a flying time of 8 hours 57 minutes. We will be cruising at an average speed of 490 knots and at an altitude of 39,000 feet above sea level. If we are lucky to have tail-wind, we would arrive earlier than scheduled; but if we face headwind, arrival time will be much longer. Please, grab a copy of your thought-provoking material captioned “Mahama Crashes Out” from the back of the seat in front of you. Get ready for take off! Extinguish all cigarettes! Fasten your seat belts! You will be served with two meals: lunch and dinner; the lunch will be ready in a couple of hours while the dinner will be served three hours later thereafter. Enjoy your flight and read about some 40 intriguing revelations that appear on page 3. Thank you, and have a nice flight. Bye bye. Please read on.
? In spite of the anticipated industrial strikes by recognized professionals and other workers in the country, the president, in a defiant posture, has deliberately and obstinately sanctioned the payment of huge/gargantuan ex gratia to selected few thus incurring the displeasure of the majority because, having equipped and satisfied the police in all facets of their operations, the rest can go hang.
? Knowing too well that there would obviously be inimical public sentiments and hue and cry, has, in his own wisdom, with the support of the Police Council, for which he was the chairperson, booted out Paul Tawiah Quaye, a southerner (who could be more sympathetic with the ensuing events), to replace him with fresh limbs in the person of Mohammed Alhassan, a kinsman and an alleged cousin.
? If by surrounding oneself with tribesmen would do anybody any good, almighty Muamar Gaddafi of Libya would still be alive today so the earlier Mr. Mahama took a cue from this ungodly act, at the behest of the majority, the better it would be for him.
? In anxiety and anticipation of possible unrest and other successive civil strife, Mr. Mahama has beefed up the police logistics in whatever form with particular reference to purchasing some 200 fast-running and expensive Nissan Navara pick-ups that have no basis except, for the fact that, he wants to turn this country into a police state. The battle ahead of Ghanaians to upstage him is the Lord’s. He should therefore be reminded that the huge solid walls of Jericho for which we are told, as many as 6 horses and their jockeys could engage in sporting activities like in modern day horse racing, fell to the people of Israel without a shot. Just singing some melodious hymns round the city for seven times as instructed by Jehovah did the trick. And do you know the price of one unpacked air-conditioned Nissan Navara vehicle? One cost the poor, struggling, can-never-make-ends-meet taxpayer, petty trader, the Kodo-beda village cocoa farmer who has arrived in Accra and has to broaden his horizon, (courtesy, Kobby Acheampong), the Moree fisherman, courtesy, Allotey Jacobs, the only educated fisherman in town) and the Anloga carpenter some $46,000.00. That is the current market value. This has enriched Japan Motors by $9.2m at the expense of electricity that could boost the economy but has gone out of gear. Information gathered by this author reveals that Mrs. Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the revered Chief Justice of Ghana, who was once John’s Sunday School Teacher at the Assemblies of God church, perhaps, might refresh his memory with this latest WASSCE ‘apo’.
? The old saying that ‘animguasee mfata Okani ba’ literally means ‘disgrace does not befit an Akan-speaking person’, otherwise, if John were an Akan, which, by inference, he is not, would have relinquished his position to earn his self-respect and save his integrity instead of holding onto his horses till the verdict was pronounced (until the inevitable has struck to show him the two yellow cards or a straight red); knowing very well that all attention was directed at him from every corner of the country as beneficiary of the stolen verdict.
? As things stand now, Mr. Mahama does not need any soothsayer/prophet reminiscent of the Daniels, the Shadrachs, Meshacks and Abednegos and the prophetic but powerful Joseph of Potiphar’s wife’s fame to reveal the dream of all Ghanaians that, no matter what, his end was in sight to be removed from his ‘hot’ seat at the presidency.
? Mr. Mahama’s fortification with tribesmen (police hierarchy) has rather incurred the displeasure of the Almighty Jehovah, hence the daily petty mistakes in his governance because the royal and kingly shroud or robe he wears has been torn apart to signify the wrath of the Lord – Melcom here, Melcom there, Melcom everywhere; the Allied Air plane overshooting the runway etc are but a few to enumerate.
? Mr. John Dramani Mahama crashes out because the fuel price hike recently announced by the NPA chief executive, Victor Mould, was unjustifiably unnecessary, especially with the timing. That unprecedented adjustment has cast a bad slur on his integrity and dented his political image.
? For the first time in the history of Ghana the president of the country gate-crashes. Despite all our available resources, he has no wherewithal. It is really untenable and unthinkable for a leader to tell us that the national economy was so broke and in a despicable situation to the extent that it has reached the marrow while the governors still fed on the little flesh remaining. Incredible!
? One of the two deputies at the EC, Mr. Sarfo Kantanka, sensing danger and fear of recrimination from the citizenry; and more so, knowing that the president would definitely crash out of the Supreme Court case involving the disputed elections, has quietly opted out of the service on flimsy excuse of retirement. Because of the magnitude of this issue and its international dimension, if he decides to hide in a hole, he’d be dug out to face the tune.
? The myth surrounding the mysterious death of Mr. Mills gradually pops out like champagne cork submerged in water and whether Mr. Mahama was privy to it or not, time will sooner than later, tell as told by the family members.
? Since independence, there has never been any leader embroiled in horrible/terrible events such as great fires, mysterious deaths, road carnage – about 800 deaths in the first quarter of the year; criminals trooping to the cemeteries to chop off the heads of corpses from their graves; officially sanctioned embezzlement and thievery of the national kitty and lots more.
? If persons like Ms Betty Mould-Iddrisu and others should be allowed to walk about as free people without the option of court setting them free, then Ghana should not weep for the president should be crashing out very soon. This subject is for readers discretion.
? Furthermore, to hurriedly arrange specially prepared pay packages for selected professionals such as judges with quote and quote, the intent to flex their muscles and help sustain his presidency has rather worsened the entire situation.
? Fellow Ghanaians and cherished readers, once again, Mr. Mahama has gate-crashed because, he has defiantly surrounded himself with persons suspected to be embroiled with criminality – the Ashanti Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, is one whose Sakumuno residence was said to be the hide out of a suspected murderer of Nyame Kwame, a native of Sankore in far away Brong Ahafo, according to a police source; while Kojo Bonsu happens to be the father of an alleged Sports Council fraudster.
? Mr. Yohane Dramani Mahama crashes out because the clandestine proposal/ arrangement to rig the 2012 elections was overdosed to place the NDC in further dilemma and turmoil.
? Again, he crashes out to earn more disgrace because for the first time in the history of this nation, Mission Hospitals’ authorities had to embark on strike action to back their demands for the indebtedness and services that run to Gh¢10bn.
? As you read this piece today, government owes some Gh¢5.4bn to several contractors who have finished and handed over GETFund projects. According to a hint dropped by a Dr. Assibey, MP for New Juaben, Koforidua, via a popular radio network in Accra today, Thursday, April 11, 2013, this huge sum remains unpaid and only God knows when. How the contractors could meet their bankers’ contractual obligation was yet another Boakye bi, din. PROFLIGACY AND OSTENTATIOUS LIFESTYLE FOR JM’S LEAN GOVERNMENT INDEED!
? The Lord Almighty has finally endorsed his sanction for Mr. Mahama’s relegation from grace to grass as economic mismanagement, misplaced priorities, unprecedented season to plant trees in the Northern Region – a place where all decent-minded persons know to be a 70% drought area – should have investment of this magnitude to waste public funds. The least talked about the guinea-fowl project that never was, the better. It was a hoax – just to defraud Ghanaians. Is this not idiocy and nonsensical for the organizers and their agents? Who was that ‘silly’ idiot behind the scheme?
? Mr. Mahama has truly crashed out of God’s favour because, if he were a genuine Christian, he will not endorse the incarceration of 5 persons who were involved in electoral feuds for 5 years. Currently, they are at the Accra Central police cell without the option of a court trial – show of power.
? The deliberate promptings for the police has incurred the displeasure of the soldiers; so whether there will be new changes in their hierarchy or not, the harm has been done.
? The rather uncouth language or remarks from the minister of Health in answer to the striking doctors have emboldened them to stay off much longer from their duty post to see whether their strike action was significant or not.
? Mr. Mahama would not be able to survive this dangerous crash because of the insensitive thievery of the Gh¢150m or ¢150bn that was allocated for the ‘akomfem’ project whilst tens of thousands of kayayee girls mostly from his backyard, did not have decent place of accommodation in the cities. Does someone have conscience here?
? How come that Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Nana Akufo Addo’s running mate who personally registered biometrically at Walewale in the Northern Region, could be miraculously re-registered for the second time by the same EC officials as a resident in Tunisia who voted as one of Dr. Afari Djan’s 241,000 foreign voters that eventually turned out to be only 705 when the Supreme Court requested for their further and better particulars as exhibit. Still, the doctor’s name was never obliterated nor cleaned from the register, but inclusive of the 705 voters submitted to the SC as one who really lived and voted in Tunis, Tunisia. The list of 241,000 voters that Afari Djan many times boasted that he was fetching to augment his volumes and tons of evidence to facilitate for the court proceedings, was rather a hoax; it was never submitted to the SC as promised and this alone is a foregone conclusion or testamentary evidence; and this should be a major recipe and juicy ingredient to adjudicate this case with ease to its logical conclusion by sending him to jail to serve future occupants of that hot seat a great lesson.
? Was it not Mahama Ayariga who purchased some Atlas world maps for first and second cycle schools that cost the tax-payer some Gh¢41m while he was the deputy minister for Education?
? Was it not the same Ayariga man whose final costing for 6-unit classroom blocks during the Mills Administration bled the nation of some Gh¢1.2m instead of Gh¢0.80bn or ¢1.2bn and ¢800m in the Kufuor era? He should give us a break and stop the nonsense that payment for the strikers should be staggered into three installments!
? Prez. Mahama has, till date, not been able to discipline Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, even though, this was a subject matter on his heart soon after he was sworn in. Does he now want to go back and lick the already spit phlegm from the floor?
? Students of mathematics/statistics in the tertiary institutions should help with the sum total of 86 ministers (with some still in the pipeline to top up) multiplied by a minimum of Gh¢9,000.00/month and the modest 250 chief executives of the MMDAs whose salaries are estimated to be Gh¢5,000/month. It is Gh¢2,024,000 at the rate Gh¢1.9/ $1.00 and it equals $1,065,263.31. This will be the average ceiling of salaries without allowances for JM’s lean government every month.
? Because it is evident the president would certainly crash out, I entreat all the striking doctors, pharmacists and the para-medics to continue with their industrial action and not to budge a second. Twice bitten, twice shy. Ms Shirley is an apology to your ministry as she probably thinks that she could conjure to sign on some of the retirees and import some Cubans to come and fill the vacuum.
? When Dr. Afari Djan told the NPP to go to court if they had any case, little did he know that they would actually go to court because most of them were ‘book-long’ i.e. very knowledgeable and, also, in the interest of peace to prevail, would let the sleeping dogs lie. And now that the case was in court, he has decided to go into hiding and hibernation to serve as a sufficient recipe or pre-flight briefing for the president’s unexpected belly-landing.
? The EC says NPP has no case according to a statement of claim submitted to the SC. No verification, no vote also was one of the criteria and basis for which the SC bases its legal frame as to the determination of this epic case.
? If the NPP never had a case, the government would not have hired out the services of selected senior journalists to strategize and misinform the public.
? Knowing too well that the case will definitely go contrary to expectation, the CEO, has decided to strengthen and arm the Ghana Police to the skin of the teeth to a police state.
? The Government should know that despite specially built impenetrable fortresses/ castles to insulate their leaders from insurgents, the governments still fell to the masses.
? The president, very hopeful that he could prolong the case at the SC to bid time, deliberately collaborated with 11,916 witnesses to defend him in the dock but that bluff has been declined. In their absence, he is to swear an affidavit for their representation – a new development that places him in a more worrisome state because of lack of legal knowledge.
? Mr. Dramani Mahama’s step from grace to grass is in the making because if his government was able to secure money for his non-taxable Gh¢12,000/month, (or ¢120m plus back-pay with retrospective effect from January 2009) why can’t he seriously look for money for payment to those whose taxable salaries/allowances do not in any way match with his. Does he remember the story of King David, Uriah and the wife in the Bible, where Prophet Nathan later went to rebuke him?
? Mr. J.D. Mahama has disgracefully crashed out because, try as Dr. Afari Djan did to rig the elections for his mentor, the late Mills, he has been found out because the electoral commission overdid it by falsification of the figures for the blind person to see the difference. Does Mr. Afari Djan now know something called ‘ethics’ when he was on air with Oman FM? Did he know that his actions/inactions on December 9, 2012, were unethical when he could have waited patiently to cross-check for the authenticity of facts and figures to alleviate the melodrama involving this special case?
? Undeniably, H.E. Mahama crashes out because rumours very rife and doing the rounds, clearly point accusing fingers at him as an alleged conspirator in the untimely demise of the late president. It is sad that medical pathologists at the 37 Military Hospital, in Accra, therefore without the fear of the Lord, surreptitiously, condoned and connived to pronounce him dead at their premise on that fateful Tuesday, July 24, 2012 with time of death at 14.15 hours and cause of death – cancer. This writer dares the pathologists about the authenticity of Prof. Mills’s death other than earlier strangulation. If need be, and all things being equal, the International Criminal Court at The Hague would be co-opted to set up an independent enquiry, exhume the body and finally, conduct yet another autopsy to provide an unadulterated PM report to shame the detractors and set the disheartened, wailing and weeping family members at peace. People must have conscience and principled enough to refrain from acquiescing to tell lies and deceit of the public.
? Mr. Mahama finally has crashed out and lost the favour of his boss’s relatives because one of the 200 ambulances that had been imported for emergency services and littered at the State House was never used to transport the sick patient (the late Mills) to the 37 Military Hospital until after he had died before he instructed for their release. How come?
? For the information of cherished readers, according to a popular radio network source monitored from Accra, the following persons in government – Messrs. Mahama Ayariga, Fiifi Kwetey of Nogokpo shrine fame and Joe Gidisu bagged home individually – Gh¢32,000,00 (¢320m.), Gh¢35,000.00, (¢350m), Gh¢36,000.00 (¢360m.) at end of March, 2013 in respect of five months hiked salaries paid to them in bulk. The monies represent the arrears of their hurriedly pay packet arranged in October 2012 and back-dated as far back as January 2009 to date. The source further hinted that the maximum each of the striking doctors will collect for unpaid allowances would be Gh¢3,000.00 (or ¢30m) not more; so you can see that some people want to be mean here. However, whatever happens, no matter how long the night is, surely the brightness of a new day will dawn just as no matter how long the case at the court travels, there will certainly be green light at the end of the tunnel to restructure a new calendar for the incoming government thereafter. Prof. Mills would oblige these salary adjustments if he were alive. True or False? If Dr. Nkrumah with the achievements of the Tema Harbour, Tema Township, the Motorway, Akosombo Dam, the Peduase Presidential Lodge, about 250 GET senior high schools countrywide, Ghana Airways, Black Star Line, numerous SHC houses, Flagstaff House barracks and what have you, would not have paid himself and his ministers/appointees these unprecedented/undeserved back-dated salaries, does the Mahama government have any justification whatsoever to do so with this abysmal sub-standard performance? Is there any reasonable justification to warrant the appointment of Mr. Paul Victor Obeng and others now into ministerial positions or because the country was ripe from virginity for every Tom, Dick and Harry unknown in Ghana to just come from nowhere to join the booty – because Ghana has oil money? Why the reckless dissipation of the scanty resources by government? Paul, the Apostle, you’re an Akan. You don’t look like an idiot, silly or crazy, do you? Please decline this ‘undeserving’ appointment because you have all it takes in life. The appointment could be a set trap to put you in trouble. If you don’t, when disgrace emerges, you’d then take me serious and say, had I known, but it would be too late. I rest my case.
If you have a government such as the Mahama-Amissah Arthur’s that was reckless, insensitive, heartless, visionless, notorious, incompetent, broke, inept, arrogant, ostentatious, starved of ideas and unprecedented in the annals of modern democracy, then we Ghanaians should be careful. As long as most of us were ignorant and decided to be passive citizens such as the “as for me, anything goes type” and blindfolded because of money; illiterate because, something that was white, could easily be convinced by our professional propagandists to fine-tune one’s IQ to believe it was black; daft, because we pretend to see anything that was good; aimless, because, the money that could be invested for job creation for the many hopeless unemployed persons, was frivolously used on profligacy – one chief, one 4×4 car, one varsity lady student, one Hyundai i10 mini-car, one TEIN executive, one Hyundai i30; a trusted assemblyman, one motor bike; a constituency or regional secretary who was vocal and critical to subdue the opposition and police officers in a region, before, during and after the elections, was eventually promoted to deputy minister, et cetera. Why won’t we be presented with such a mediocre type of inept governance? As for the EC officials, the alleged special pay packages quietly and clandestinely arranged and lodged in the bank accounts for the acquiesced and syndicated team players would help them not to see poverty in their lifetime until thy kingdom come. Your humble author has unconfirmed, but reliable source in Tamale that the Komatsu tractor with tons of accessories exchanged hands to win the day for Humble John in the north. In fact, if a situation such as this creates many ‘obey-the-wind’ type of riff-raffs in society, a casual donation of just one Gh¢5 note from Ghanaian politicians could do what they would want them to do. Sad, isn’t it? Pity, isn’t it? Anyway, we haven’t seen anything yet because, before the government that finds itself in comatose condition relinquishes power to the deserved winner and his party to form the next government, would, obviously do anything within its power to do the worst devilish acts including the carting of all the national economic bones that probably have some marrow within to safety; and also the alleged annihilation of selected known opponents before the final verdict was complied with after pronunciation hopefully by the Chief Justice, Madam Justice Georgina Theodora Wood to say “Ayekoo” to her 9-member team of jurists presided over by Justice Atuguba. Finally, it would be very preposterous for anybody to say that Mr. Mahama could have the slightest dog’s chance to continue with the presidency after the judgment by the Supreme Court because, as it were, all available relevant and documentary evidence gathered and deposited with the Court clearly point to his defeat. If I were him, but cannot be him, I would concede defeat before the final verdict. I cannot lace his boots because I am not a kinsman. If he were an Akan, which, obviously he is not; he would have saved his own image, credibility and integrity by abdicating himself because the Akans (Twi-speaking majority in Ghana) say, ‘Animguase mfata Okaniba’ – disgrace does not befit an Akan-speaking person so it would be better for him to abdicate rather than to be humiliated with the Court decision.

HUMOUR

1. Mr. Mahama is a director/shareholder of RLG’s ventures and its $10bn Hope City Project at Kasoa. True or False?
2. Dr. Afari Djan seems to be traumatized by the wrongs against the people of Ghana as a result of which he has gone into hiding and hibernation. True or False? Do you think his worry stems from the over-falsification of figures that he released to make Mr. Mahama winner of the disputed elections? Yes or No. Was his brain ‘broke to the bone’ when he granted interview to Oman FM? Yes or No. Was his action and conduct ethical or unethical? Yes or No. Does he now have the guts and effrontery to use vulgar and uncouth language as crazy, stupid and unprintable words on a radio host? Kwadwo Afari Djan, a former varsity lecturer and current untouchable EC tin-god, is an apology/ disgrace to his family, friends, well-wishers and Ghana. True or False? Mr. Afari Djan was nationalistic, ethical/unethical when he declared the results in favour of JDM.

True or False? Was Dr. Afari Djan really in his right frame of mind or sub-conscious one when he pronounced the verdict? Who is more silly stupid and crazy in Ghana than the one who pressed the trigger for war in Ghana but for the Lord’s grace and mercy, commanded the weapon not to fire? Was he an idiot when he connived with the chief idiots to mastermind this unethical, silly and crazy plan to destabilize the nation? Come again. Was he under the influence of alcohol or cigarette? Even though he is an intellectual, he lacks the home-bred wisdom; otherwise, he will not throw missiles/stones from a glass house, pour out invectives, puff out venom like a viper and be enraged with fumes and uncouth language towards a poor radio host. He should bow his head in shame. He should give us a break, stop the nonsense and continue hiding in his pigeon hole like a crab at the seashore. Some of us will tear you apart whenever we saw you face to face, with or without security. When the Court sends you the subpoena, we shall see whether you’d continue to play the usual tricks and go there to tell the Honourable Court crazy, silly, stupid and come out unscathed. It is doubtful he was 40 years when he joined the EC in 1992. And even if it were so, why didn’t he sensibly decide to retire from active service before the elections to save his credibility and stop thinking in a fool’s paradise?

3. When and how soon will Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi tell Ghanaians and the world how much the Mills Funeral Committee that he chaired cost the taxpayer and how much was realized bearing in mind the date of death – July 24, funeral – August 10 and thereafter including donations from foreign dignitaries and local companies plus other miscellaneous expenditures – coffin/casket, drinks, invitations to foreign dignitaries, air tickets, hotel accommodation/food, drinks, advertisements, blue gate-crashers courtesy, Andy Solomon, etc?

By: [email protected]