Let Us Protect Vulnerable Women In Ghana From Well-Connected Predatory Males

I was saddened to learn a few days ago, that Mr. Ernest Frimpong-Manso, who is a popular broadcast journalist in Ghana, had inferred that those who had not been supportive of a fellow Ghanaian journalist, when he faced trial for alleged rape, were somehow envious of a man once described by a wag I know, as a narcissistic dandy, obsessed with his appearance.

Some call such characters egoistic. And for the information of the Ernest Frimpong-Mansos,  the origin of that species of African dandy, is the two Congos: the Sapeurs. There is nothing original about their friend - who dazzles many here because garishness is mistaken for good taste, by some Ghanaians. Chi-chi,  good taste? Please.

I humbly suggest that Mr. Frimpong-Manso looks up the 28 May 2014 online edition of the UK  newspaper, the Daily Mail - which reported that publicist Max Clifford had been found guilty of 8 counts of indecent assault.

There was a copy of a painting in the style of Banksy, on the wall of a building on York Road,  Battersea, in that particular edition of the Daily Mail, which depicts Max Clifford with his pants down -  with the caption: "I Can Make You Famous". It sums up his friend, perfectly.

Perhaps one also ought to point out to the Ernest Frimpong-Mansos,  the similarities between the way the BBC's unspeakable and abominable Jimmy Saville (said to have indecently assualted or raped up to as many as 1000 boys and girls), exploited his demi-god status in the UK throughout his career, and how their  hypocritical friend also exploits his celebrity status to prey on young women.

If any journalist in Ghana, other than Mr. Frimpong-Manso, had been reported as implying envy in those who felt that a journalist described by some as a sexual predator (who allegedly preyed on young females, serially), who should not be allowed to get away with what are very serious crimes, one would have been predisposed to overlook their ignorance. And one would have pitied the unfortunate lack of a moral compass, in them, too.

However, it is inexcusable for Ernest Frimpong- Manso, who is a highly-intelligent gentleman, who has also lived in the UK before, and is said to have even trained as a lawyer there, to disparage those who are against women in Ghana, being disrespected by predatory males.

We must never forget that this a nation full of misogynists, in which philandering men in high places, in society, frequently harrass and assault women sexually - and invariably get away with their crimes.

That impunity must be brought to an end - and responsible journalists of both sexes must help secure the human rights of all women who face such situations in Ghana: who have a right to their dignity and a right not to have their bodies violated by evil men against their will.

One hopes that instead of merely expressing their disappointment, when the trials of predatory and well-connected males,  who are accused of indecently assaulting or raping women, are halted, the Honourable Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the member of Parliament for Ablekuma, and other female parliamentarians, will take practical steps to ensure that the impunity enjoyed by such philandering males finally ends in Ghana.

The Ursula Owusus, can, for instance, lobby the British high commissioner to Ghana, and seek his help in obtaining Metropolitan Police trainers, who are experts  in the investigation and prosecution of cases of historic allegations of rape and indecent assault, to come to Ghana, to train officers of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, of the Ghana Police Service.

The Ernest Frimpong-Mansos know perfectly well that the halting of the prosecution of their friend, was for the selfsame reason that the prosecutions of Nayele Ametefeh's accomplices here were dropped: the manipulation of a corrupt system to protect well-connected individuals who would  definitely have been tried and jailed, if the offences they had been accused of, here, had been committed in the UK.

The Ernest Frimping-Mansos also know perfectly well that if media celebreties in the UK, such as David Lee Travis (convicted of indecent assault on 23 September, 2014), Rolf Harris (convicted of indecent assault on January 30 2014) and Max Clifford (convicted of indecent assault on May 2 2014), who were investigated during the Metropolitan Police's Operation Yewtree, and tried and jailed, had faced trial here, those charges would have  been dropped, and their prosecutions halted, by a corrupt system.

But since the UK isn't Ghana, the Ernest Frimpong-Mansos must pray hard, that none of the female victims of their friend,  currently lives in the UK - lest she gathers courage one day and suddenly surfaces to accuse him openly of an alleged incident of  historic rape or indecent assault.

And who knows when a #SisterReportRapeBySoAndSo will trend on twitter?

The Ernest Frimpong-Mansos must not think that having a Machiavellian philosophy in life,  provides an invincible protective shield that enables one escape the reach of the long arm of the law - and prevents those whom one has indecently assaulted in the past from seeking justice  in the law courts.

The question the Ernest Frimpong-Mansos must ponder over is: If even the legendary Max Clifford, could not organise an assault on the reputations of those he abused, in the UK media, what chance does their hypocritical friend have, in the UK, of successfully repeating the disgraceful media manipulation organised in Ghana on his behalf,  to trash his alleged Ghanaian victim's reputation,  if faced with a trending #SisterReportRapeBySoAndSo, emanating from the UK, from a past victim?

For the information of the Ernest Frimpong-Mansos, the truth, has a nasty habit of popping up when least expectd,  in such cases.

Speaking of which,  one ought to make the point that there was nothing sinister, in what is said to have taken place, at the Police Station where the matter was initially reported to the police. Their clever friend cannot seek solace in that.

It was entirely consistent with the mental state and behaviour of many traumatised rape victims in the immediate aftermath of a rape - who sometimes confide in their closest friends, but are averse to their 'secret' getting out, into the open.

 That is why the victim would have insisted - if the reported events there were true - that nothing untoward had occurred,  and apparently asked why her friends were forcing her to  report the matter.

Her friends, on the other hand, were obviously determined to seek justice for her, because they cared about her welfare, and were rightly outraged that someone rich and  famous, had violated their friend.

It was, and is, abominable, to assign base motives to the victim's friends, for their reporting the rape of someone they cared about - and then proceed to ridicule a close male friend of the victim in the media, to intimidate him and shut him up.

Finally, in light of all the above, has the time not now come for the media in Ghana (of which Ernest Frimpong-Manso is such an important member), to use its undoubted power in Ghanaian society, to mount a campaign to protect vulnerable females in Ghana, from predatory-males-in-high-places, across  our nation - by exposing them?