An Old Man's Ruminations

THE DANGERS FOR THE NPP OF IGNORING THE PERFIDY OF ITS SMALL BAND OF RUTHLESS HARDLINERS

A very shrewd young acquaintance of mine, who loves Ghana passionately, pointed out a danger that many of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) fair-minded supporters, seem to have overlooked.

He believes that the party could lose an election many observers believe it will win handsomely, if held today, if the NPP's leadership allow the destructive activities of the small band of ruthless hardliners - the hypocritical Kwadjo Owusu-Afriyies and Bernard Antwi-Boasiakos: with their scorched-earth-warrior-complex - to continue unabated.

Those ruthless individuals seem to think that if they literally lay Ghana to waste, it will guarantee victory for the NPP, in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections - and are therefore busy sabotaging the nation-building effort.

Yet, they couldn't be more wrong. What they forget, is that one characteristic that civilised and fair-minded people, in every part of the globe, share,  is that once they come to the realisation that gross unfairness is taking place, and that someone who is innocent is being deliberately vilified and victimised, they immediately become offended by it - and swiftly rally round the victim and offer him or her their support.

Alas, in the world of politics, it is but a small step from that sense of outrage, to going on to cast a sympathy vote, in a national election, for the perceived victim of such unfairness and vilification - as a practical demonstration of solidarity with him or her.

It will only take one particularly egregious example of such vilification of President Mahama, to turn off fair-minded ordinary Ghanaians, in droves, and prevent them from voting for the NPP in 2016.

 In that sense, Kwabena Adjei Adjapong, the NPP's general secretary, strikes the right chord, in refusing to join the rabble-rouser-types, who regularly denigrate the presidency, by referring to President Mahama as a "thief". It is instructive that he himself has come under sustained attack by hirelings of the NPP's perfidious hardliners, since that declaration.

 Incidents of unfairness meted out to innocent individuals, elicit the same response in all societies - sympathy for the victim: and outrage amongst decent people  at the conduct  of the perpetrators.

It has something to do with the indomitable nature of the human spirit. Amongst all the different  races that make up the one human race, wherever in the world one ventures, most people abhor unfairness  - and consequently adamantly refuse to bend to the will of unjust and oppressive individuals and groups that are guilty of such abominable and unspeakable behaviour.

Those rouble-rouser-types in the NPP are bound to go too far, one day, in their demonisation of President Mahama - and finally offend the sensibilities of fair-minded Ghanaians. That will end up ensuring that the NPP is painfully defeated again in 2016.

The party's members will then finally come to the realisation that the Kwadjo Owusu-Afriyies and  Bernard Antwi-Boasiakos actually belong to an era of Ghanaian politics that is past.

Ghanaians now want to put the divisiveness of the NDC/NPP duopoly's intense and destructive rivalry behind them - and embrace a new era of uniting to transform Ghana into an African equivalent of the egalitarian societies of Scandinavia: with the nation's best brains from across the political spectrum in the vanguard.

GHANAIAN WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOCATED HALF THE SEATS IN GHANA'S PARLIAMENT

Figures from the last census conducted in Ghana, revealed that women in Ghana, make up a majority of the total population.

There are many ordinary people  who believe that one of the reasons why our homeland Ghana remains such an unfair society, is that Ghanaian women more or less are treated as second class citizens - in 21st century Africa.

Yet as mothers, wives and single parents, Ghanaian women make a huge difference to many families - and often shoulder the burden of providing for the upkeep of children in most homes in our country.

They also contribute significantly to the growth of industry and the expansion of commerce in Ghana - and have done so since time immemorial: long before the first Europeans set foot on our shores, creating jobs for many fellow citizens in the process.

Ghana will definitely be a better place for all its people, if the constitut:ion was amended to guarantee women half the seats in Parliament.

When that finally happens, they will bring their wisdom and practical nature to bear on its deliberations, and make Parliament a true bulwark against tyranny - by keeping the executive in check: through their dispassionate contributions as members of various parliamentary select committees.

If even a cantankerous old man like Kofi Thompson (who in the war of the sexes is in the camp of the female of the species, incidentally),  supports such an enlightened development in our national life, then one is sure that most young males amongst  the younger generation in Ghana will also welcome it.

 WILL THE POWER OUTAGES IMPACT AIR-QUALITY NEGATIVELY IN URBAN GHANA?

 Only heaven knows what pollutants are being  emitted into the air, in towns and cities across Ghana, by generators working at full tilt,  during power outages.

From my own personal experience,  whenever one of my neighbours switches on his generator, for example, depending on wind-direction, my bedroom is filled with fumes.

Being someone who is acutely aware of his state of health at any given moment  (as is often the case amongst most vegetarians and the health-conscious - who strive to lead healthy lifestyles), alas, one immediately notices the pain one feels in one's chest region, when fumes from that particular neighbour's generator fill the room.

For that reason, I'll certainly be glad, when we finally move from that rented property, in a year's time.

If the power outages continue, air-quality in towns and cities across Ghana, is bound to deteriorate - and, sadly, the incidence of respiratory ailments amongst both  the elderly and young children who are urban dwellers, is bound to increase. Pity.

FIFA's CUNNING SEPP BLATTER BOOSTS THE RE-ELECTION CHANCES OF THE GFA'S SLY KWESI NYANTAKYI

How typical of the Alice-in-wonderland world of Fifa, that the cunning Sepp Blatter, decided to act to boost the re-election chances of the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the sly Kwesi Nyantakyi  - by sending him to Kenya: when Blatter knows perfectly well that between the perfidious Nyantakyi, and the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF),  Issa Hayatou, it is the CAF president who has more knowledge of, and experience of  Kenyan football, and its evolution, as well as its current difficulties.

In the final analysis, the proud Kenyans, will of course ignore the advice of the smug and self-satisfied Nyantakyi  - and in the end CAF will step in to resolve the crisis in Kenyan football.

Nyantakyi is a typical Ghanaian professional - third rate, evasive and opaque: all appearance and absolutely no substance.  And always on the lookout for number one.

The dreadful state of the local soccer league in Ghana, is ample testimony to his incompetence and abject failure, as a sports administrator. Only in a nation full of incompetents, who worship at the alter of the  cult-of-the-mediocre, will someone like him parade himself as a success.

The opaqueness surrounding the details of the 'donation' of the 30 Jeep Grand Cherokees by Tanink Motors,  illustrates perfectly, the self-seeking and nest-feathering, which has characterised the tenure of Nyantakyi at the GFA.

One dares him to be completely open and honest about what many believe was a clever ruse to enable Tanink Motors successfuly offload 30 expensive SUVs - which they would otherwise never have sold in a million years in one go.

For a lawyer, his past evasiveness on the issue, is very significant.

The question is: When exactly will Kwesi Nyantakyi give Ghanaian taxpayers the full list of the 30 recipients of those SUVs - since Tanink Motors secured tax exemptions to enable Mr. Roger Klogo's generous "partners" to purchase them?

Kwesi Nyantakyi is precisely the type of bootlicker in the global game that Sepp Blatter relies on to hold on to his position in Fifa. How unfortunate that Ghanaian soccer is lumbered with people of his ilk. Why on earth do the Abedi Peles not take this incompetent on - and run against him, in the upcoming GFA election, one wonders?