PARLIAMENT: PLEASE STOP APPROVING SO MANY LOANS!

Amanfuo, these days our parliament is forever approving loans, it would appear. Incredible!

Just why are our current leaders so keen on mortgaging Ghana's envisaged oil and natural gas revenues, by piling up yet more debt? Hmm, Ghana - ayea asem oo!

A recent news report says that on 12th August, 2008 parliament approved a loan of, quote: "28.07 million euros plus credit insurance of 3.9 million euros between the Government of Ghana and VDL Jonckheere Bus and Coach NV Roeslare, Belgium for the supply of 150 City Buses for public transport and spare parts" unquote.

Well, fair enough, many would say, dear reader - but are we absolutely sure that that particular sum of "3.9 million euros" approved by parliament for the "credit insurance" actually reflects genuine EU/UK market values for that particular insurance product: and represents good value for money for our nation?

Was it not the regular interest payments on the pre-HIPIC debt that was squeezing the very lifeblood out of our nation, only yesterday?

Did our leaders know that six months down the road, we would end up borrowing money from foreign sources to purchase 150 buses - when we were busy throwing taxpayers' money down that financial equivalent of a black-hole, purchasing 200 luxury limousines, amongst many other such profligate expenditures: for the infamous Ghana@50 national golden jubilee birthday bash?

It is such a pity that as a nation we are busy again piling up yet more debt for future generations - and in many instances too, just for pure nonsense on bamboo stilts reasons: such as the idiocy that putting up public buildings that are so poorly-built they get their roofs blown away by even the most moderately-rated winds, represents?

More so, when such buildings invariably are a nightmare for those pubic officials who have to work in them, on a daily basis - because they are so badly-designed and poorly constructed?

Are all such shoddy public works not egregious examples of recklessly causing financial loss to the Ghanaian nation-state: especially when the Tsatsu Tsikatas are languishing in jail for financial undertakings from which Ghana suffered no actual financial loss, apparently (if some of our many "legal wizards" are to be believed, i.e.!)? Hmm, Ghana - ayeasem oo!

Just why do so many of the members of our our political class constantly forget that very wise Ghanaian saying: "No condition is permanent" as regards their own individual tenure of office?

Has the current ruling party forgotten so soon that once upon a time many of the leading members of the previous ruling party were also acting as if they were omniscient and omnipotent? So just why do so many of them still carry on in exactly the same tiresome and arrogant fashion - just as yesteryear's masters of the universe did, in their day?

For example, the breathtaking arrogance of the ruling party's current general secretary, Mr. Ohene Ntow, is simply beyond belief!

That deceptively well-spoken gentleman, is like the proverbial three mythical African monkeys: he hears no evil; sees no evil; and smells no evil - in the Ghana of today. Amazing.

Yet, not all Ghanaians are of the "My-party-my-tribe-right-or-wrong" myrmidon-type of the species!

As far as the GT "wahala" is concerned, perhaps the simple question, dear reader, we ought to be asking, is: just who is organising the hapless workers of GT to go on demonstrations in support of that disgraceful Vodafone deal, nationwide?

Is that being done simply because "too-clever-by-half" politicians want to use them as pawns in a "hearts-and-minds" battle of wits with the committee for joint action CJA: to enable them get that disgraceful agreement with Vodafone through our spineless rubber-stamp parliament? Hmm, Ghana - asem ebaba debi ankasa!

May God bless and protect our homeland Ghana, always. Long live freedom! Long live Ghana!