High interest foreign loans and corruption bankrupted Ghana - perforce the next administration must avoid both

Dear critical-reader, the transformation of our bankrupted homeland Ghana into a prosperous and equitable society, will be well nigh impossible, if the new administration that takes control of our system after January 2025, does nothing to avoid contracting new high interest foreign loans, and fails to ruthlessly suppress high level corruption by state-capture rent-seeking big-thieves-in-high-places. Full stop. Yoooooooo...

The question a wise and aspirational African people ought therefore to ponder over is: How can the next elected government-of-the-day, fulfill its nation-building pledges, without burdening hapless taxpayers, with yet more contracted high interest foreign loans, for the modernisation and expansion of bedrocking-infrastructure to help boost economic activities nationwide, grow our GDP, create wealth that remains locally and generate jobs galore for our teeming unemployed younger generations?

In light of that, whoever emerges as winner of this year's pivotal presidential election, must act as a wartime leader, and quickly form a government of national unity, which will bring the best minds together, regardless of party affiliation, and implement bleeding-edge policy initiatives, designed to get us out of the unholy mess, which the greedy people around President Akufo-Addo, have gotten our country into.

Above all, dear critical-reader, there is no question that things will deteriorate yet further, after the new administration begins its tenure, before the situation starts to get better for ordinary people, across the entirety of the landmass of
our benighted Republic. We must be prepared to face that and survive it.

As responsible and patriotic citizens, we must all be prepared, therefore, to make the needed societal sacrifices, even as we struggle to survive, during what will doubtless be an incredibly stressful period of unprecedented extreme difficulty.

Finally, dear critical-reader, since we are in the unholy mess that bankruptcy has created for us, mainly because of ruinous and excessively high interest nation-building contracted foreign loans, and egregious high-level corruption, the next administration must avoid both those nation-wrecking sins, if it is to successfully transform our homeland Ghana into a prosperous and equitable society, oooo, Ghanafuor. Yooooooo. A word to the wise...

Why must the Ghana we need to build work well for all its societal demographics?

Dear critical-reader, precisely because we sit on a ticking social time bomb that extreme poverty and lack of opportunity for bottom-of-the-pyramid demographics represent, the new Ghana we need to build, must perforce be underpinned by an inheritantly  fair system, if it is ever to become  a happy nation with a system that works for all its societal demographics, in equitable fashion. Full stop.

That is why it is so crucial that if after the new administration takes over running our country after January 2025, and it becomes patently clear to all Ghanaians, shortly afterwards,   that it is business as usual - in which a new set of self-seeking state capture rent seeking big-thieves-in-high-places, show, by their actions and inactions, that they too have come to line up to metaphorically take turns to brutally gang-rape  Mother Ghana, yet again, then a June 4th, 1979-type revolution must sweep the entire edifice of the corruption-riddled  4th Republic away, by overthrowing the newly-elected government-of-the-day. Simple. Full stop.

First on the list of a raft of needed radical bleeding-edge policy initiatives to transform Ghana into a fair and prosperous society that works for all its societal demographics, in the view of some radical thinkers, is that today's progeny of the precolonial tribal ruling elites, must be forced to pay reparations to ordinary Ghanaians - for their predecessors perfidy in allowing themselves to be conned by the various European powers that successfully occupied  our homeland, and  had the arrogant-impudence to impose their religion, their mores and ways, on us. Hmmm, 3y3nsem piiii, oooo, Ghanafuor.

Towards that end, such radical thinkers suggest that the new revolutionary regime must swiftly implement a new land redistribution policy initiative, which will enable all landless families, and individuals, needing land across the entire landmass of our Republic, to gain ready access to land in planned new private sector delivered green climate resilient communities nationwide, for constructing family homes, embarking on organic farming ventures bedrocked on agroforestry and  permaculture principles, as well as for industrial purposes, with Bank of Ghana (BoG) 100-year generational levelling-up bailout loans.

In furtherance of that generational levelling-up societal goal, which said radicals say will boost sustainable green growth, as sure as day follows night, they demand that all Stool lands in Ghana must be nationalised.

It needs to be pointed out, dear critical-reader, that it is the case that India clipped the wings of its powerful Maharajahs, and, freed of their baleful influence, a meritocratic India  has  eventually gone on to become a global economic and nuclear armed  military power - so perhaps clipping the wings of Ghana's traditional rulers might make a real difference, for us too: as inherited privilege is meritocracy's greatest enemy, lol. 

That said, naturally, to ensure natural justice, said radicals also recommend that affected  traditional authorities should  be compensated with the issuance of 100-year reparation bonds, for which secondary trading ought to be allowed, so that all affected traditional rulers can raise cash for their immediate needs, by discounting theirs. Simple. Straightforward. Fair. Case closed.

Finally,  there is no question, dear critical-reader, that without the implementation of such a generational levelling-up land redistribution policy initiative, we can never build a Ghana that works well for all its societal demographics, in equitable fashion, oooo, Ghanafuor.  Full stop. Yoooooooo.  A word to the wise...

To save our biosphere's remaining biodiversity hotspots should we not monitor them from space?

Dear critical-reader, for humanity to save the remaining biodiversity hotspots across our biosphere (the human race's common home that a powerful and greedy few are destroying for personal financial gain), surely, monitoring them from space would make a huge difference, in the ongoing  fight to  preserve them for our younger generations and their unborn progeny?

Some of us have always believed that saving our biosphere's remaining biodiversity  hotspots, by monitoring them from space, is the most effective way to preserve biodiversity hotspots worldwide.

Speaking from personal experience, for example,  over the years,  I have  watched my own family's Akyem Juaso  freehold14-square mile upland evergreen rainforest property, being gradually degraded by increasingly emboldened,  ruthless and murderous illegal gold miners, working in tandem with  illegal bushcut chainsaw lumber producers.

As the decades have gone by,  greedy and criminally-minded younger generation cousins from my own family (led by my shortsighted, amoral and thoroughly corrupt second cousins, Kwame Thompson and Kofi Bampoe, aided and abetted by our evil-minded overseer, Awuku Red and his family), have  colluded with illegal gold miners, and illegal loggers, to destroy a large area of what is part of a designated Globally Significant Biodiversity Area (GSBA).

Our family's freehold 14-square mile Akyem Abuakwa upland evergreen rainforest property, lies in the Akyem Juaso section of the Atewa Mountain Range - with 99.6 acres of our land inside the Atewa Forest Reserve: which is known in Forestry Commission jargon as an "admitted farm", to which we have legal access but don't venture into, and intend to use as a community carbon sequestration project, eventually.

Alcoa, the American aluminium giant,  actually sponsored Conservation International, to carry out a rapid assessment survey there, in 2006. The results and recommendations are available online at: RAP  Bulletin No. 47. There is a pillar with the letters HSBC etched on the top in our property,  as it happens. Cool.

Finally, dear critical-reader, perhaps to neutralise their respective corporate carbon footprints, Elon Musk's X/Twitter social media  platform, could collaborate with What3Words and Bellingcat, to leverage their gained tech sector expertise/competencies,  to  create a livestreaming section on X/Twitter, where the world could, without paying for same, monitor all our biosphere's remaining biodiversity hotspots, on a 24/7 year-round basis, made possible by XCorp's Starlink satellite broadband Internet service? No? Yes?

Quick notes to the folk who run the UK's The Guardian newspaper and those that control X/Twitter

Dear critical-reader, today one has penned missives to the folk who run the UK's Guardian newspaper; and those that control X/Twitter:
1) Missive to the UK newspaper, The Guardian's, Editorial Team:

With the greatest respect, fellow media professionals, why don't we strike a win-win deal - whereby one continues to introduce new readers to sample your marvellous quality journalism: and, in turn, you cease asking me to donate money to you, in lieu of access via a paywall. You are, after all, getting free influencer-superpower from me, for zilch, are you not, lol?

As it happens, one happens to be in the global cash-poor, asset-rich, demographic, lol - speaking humbly, in matter of fact fashion, only, mind, not to boast.

In any case, the world famous and widely respected BBC, has no paywall either - so one could always transfer one's allegiance and global audiences to them, if need be, lol. Doable? Yes? No?

2) Missive to those that control free-speech-absolutist X/Twitter:

Dear Team X/Twitter,

Alas, one's allergy to paywalls applies to one's presence on X/Twitter, too, lol. Deal doable with you, lol? Yes? No? Ask Grok - nothing is impossible, to the agile-minded: which is what the brilliant Musk is, by leaps and bounds, so to speak, lol. Cool.

By the way, Global Adjumawurafuorhene1, Nana Elon Musk (my knickname for the mercurial and indefatigable Musk, lol!), happens to be one's favourite 'fascist' and 'racist', as his envious detractors describe him. Nothing could be further from the truth, though, lol.

Hopefully, we will eventually be able to convince him to holiday, at a point in time, suitable for him and his family,  in one's native Ghana's Mole National Park, the world's best national park for viewing families of African elephants, and, after that, travel to national parks in East Africa's Rwanda and DR Congo's Rwenzori and Virunga Mountain ranges, with his little man (strapped to his Papa, riding piggyback as usual), to watch families of silverbacked mountain gorillas there. Wish them both well, as always! Case closed? (Akyem Juaso@RainforestGhana)

An open letter to Afia Pokua (aka Vim Lady) - on how Ghana can end borrowing to modermise and expand infrastructure

Afia Pokuaa, bless you for speaking truth to power so boldly, in a nation full of cowardly-cowed-males, dominated by greed-filled state-capture, dissembling rent-seeking big-thieves-in-high-places.

Recently, Afia, you stated in an Instagram post, that we are getting bullet trains from Poland. Actually, we aren't, truth be told. Fact-checked: We aren't getting, and weren't promised, bullet trains, from Poland. We are getting standard guage trains with faster speed metrics, than our old narrow gauge rolling stock designed for narrow gauge rail lines, which are slower. 

That said, generally, is it not the case that, today, the vast majority of Ghanaians agree, that as wise and aspirational Africans, desirous of living in a nation that is peaceful, united and prosperous, blessed with being a society that is equitable in nature, and in which there is shared prosperity beneficial for all demograhics (because millions have been successfuly lifted from poverty from prosperity fueled by thriving private sector growth), then, perforce, we must demand a paradigm shift, which gives us honest and wise one-nation non-tribalistic leaders, able to deliver shared prosperity by implementing bleeding-edge innovative policy ideas, after this year's pivotal December presidential and parliamentary elections, Afia? No?

In light of that, Afia, should we not  also demand that all our political parties publicly pledge to pass legislation within the first 100 days of assuming power, in January 2025, new legislation making it mandatory for all political parties to publicly publish all their sources of funding, and that they must also  commit to passing legislation to make it mandatory for all high-level public officials to publicly publish their assets (as well as that of their spouses), before assuming office,  and immediately after their tenures end? Will that not drastically reduce high-level corruption, I ask? Haaba.

Furthermore, Afia,  should we also not demand, as media professionals who love Mother Ghana passionately, that our political parties should focus on creating an environment in which private sector businesses, not governments-of-the-day, build and modernise our critical infrastructure?

If that were the case, would we not be able to avoid borrowing money that taxpayers will be saddled with having to repay - but nonetheless still be lucky to be blessed to live in a modern nation with key infrastructure, such as tolled4-6-laned concrete motorways from Accra to all the regional capitals - ditto hyperloop underground tunnels connecting Accra to all the regional capitals (for super-fast transportation of passengers and goods), all delivered by private sector entites, in exchange for 35 years to own and operate same, paying miniscule taxes (set at 2.5 percent for the entire period), before transferring ownership to the Ghanaian nation-state?

Finally, the question to ponder over, Afia, is: Will all the above, if implemented after January 2025 by the newly elected government-of-the-day,  not end having to burden Mother Ghana with crippling borrowing, leading to unsustainable debt that impoverishes present and future generations of Ghanaians going forward into the future, till the very end of time  - and prevent massive piled-up-debt, such at the quantum of signed loan agreements that have enabled a powerful and well-connected few to prosper mightily (mostly from professional fees and commissions), under the Akufo-Addo presidency, an egregious and unwise shortsightedness that has now finally ended up bankrupting our beautiful and bountiful Republic, anaaaa, I ask, Afia?

May the soul of brave-hearted Alexei Navalny rest in peace

Dear critical-reader let us join in prayer to ask his Maker, that the soul of brave-hearted Alexei Navalny rests peacefully in his bosom. It is not for nothing that the thoughts and prayers of millions worldwide (who desire to see Russia becoming a democracy that is a force for good globally), are with his family and the ordinary people of Russia, who have lost the foremost defender of their liberties. Navalny's painful death will not be in vain.

The Russian Federation, a great and proud nation, now held hostage by a cruel dictator, has lost a heroic defender, whose unwavering vision was for a democratic future for his beloved Russia, as a free, open and equitable  society - a longheld dream Navalny fought for, and championed, to secure a Russian future in which the basic human rights of Russia's masses, could be assured and guaranteed.

Navalny was a fearless activist, who was prepared to die in his quest for a democratic future for Russia, rather than yield to the ruthless Kremlin oppressors, who feared him more than any other figure in Russia.

Navalny's unexplained sudden death in prison, has definitely sealed the fate of the murderous tyranny now embroiled in a needless war against a neighbour - a tyrannical and inept kleptocracy that has murdered so many dissenters across Russia, since the death of Boris Yeltsin, whose chosen successor, Putin, has gotten away with the elimination of key foes, time and time again.

The cruel irony in this tragic and momentous event, which Navalny's death represents, historically, is that it as sure as day follows night, marks the beginning of the end of Putin's hold on power. It is the one murder of a key political opponent that will haunt Putin till he too dies. Putin has now sealed his own fate too. For sure. In that sense, brave-hearted Navalny, in dying so cruelly while in prison, will, ironically, achieve what, despite his undoubted bravery, he could not achieve, while alive. May his soul rest in peace.

Ghanaians are tired of empty election campaign promises - and won't tolerate them any longer

Dear critical-reader, to say that Ghanaians are tired of empty election campaign promises, is an understatement. As we speak, it is obvious to the casual observer that the vast majority of educated Ghanaians (who are independent thinkers and patriots), understand clearly that their homeland Ghana faces a situation akin to that of a nation at war.

That is why they have no intention of giving their newly-elected leaders any honeymoon periods when they assume office, after January 7th, 2025. No. No. No. The new government of the day then, must be prepared to hit the ground running. Literally. Yooooooooo...

In that light, such independent-minded patriotic individuals who love Mother Ghana passionately, want all those who aspire to lead their nation to be bold, honest and decent enough, to stop making empty campaign promises, designed to lure voters into voting them into power. They consider that unprincipled and dishonest in the extreme. Yoooooooo...

They also understand that making empty promise upon empty promise while campaigning for the pivotal 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, will inevitably lead to subsequent mass disillusionment, and anger-inducing disappointment, in any new administration in power after January 2025 - ditto that that will eventually trigger a violent revolt by the masses, as sure as day follows night.


In their considered view, that is why all the leaderships of Ghana's political parties need to focus, instead, on clearly outlining the policy proposals they intend to implement, as well as tell voters the short, medium and longterm plans that they intend to execute, when in office - top of the list being passage of anti-corruption legislation with teeth.


The key anti corruption legislation (amongst a raft of laws designed to end high-level corruption that will prevent state-capture rent-seekers, and our system's powerful big-thieves-in-high-places who bankroll political parties, to rob Mother Ghana blind), must be legislation that will require all public officials - high and low, elected and unelected - to publicly publish their assets and that of their spouses, before assuming office, and immediately their tenures come to an end. Full stop. Yooooooo...


That must then be followed by outlining the rest of their policy proposals, and the bleeding-edge plans that they intend to implement, and execute, to enable them successfully rescue our Republic from the doldrums of bankruptcy - and transform our homeland Ghana into a happy African nation that is a prosperous and equitable society, which benefits all its societal demographics. Ghanaians are fed up to their backteeth with empty election campaign promises by political parties and politicians - and they will no longer tolerate them. A word to the wise. Yoooooooo...

Can the next NDC administration transform rural Ghana into a happy and prosperous part of our Republic?

Dear critical-reader, the question for a wise and aspirational African people to ponder over, as the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections loom large, is: How can the next NDC administration transform rural Ghana into a happy and prosperous part of our Republic, after it assumes power in January 2025?

For such a positive development to occur during the tenure of the  next NDC administration, dear critical-reader, it must, perforce, focus on implementing bleeding edge policies designed to transform our national economy's pivotal agricultural sector, by making all farming,  not just cocoa farming, tax free.

That is a must, if any government-of-the-day, in power after January 2025 is to  successfully rescue Mother Ghana from the doldrums, of preventable bankruptcy that occurred, simply because of the unfathomable greed of the big-thieves-in-high places who now  dominate our byzantine system  currently overseen by today's government-of-the day.

To help prevent that from occuring too, in the next NDC administration, no investors who set up tax haven domiciled entities in nations such as Mauritius and Luxembourg (which are set up for one purpose only: to enable their promoters to evade taxes in their own home countries, and also  engage in money laundering via illicit financial flows out of our country,  at Mother Ghana's expense), to do business in any sector of our national economy, especially the pivotal agricultural sector. Full stop. Yooooooo...

In that regard, it would  be wise for the next NDC administration to seek the advice of  Issa Ouedraogo, the brilliant orphan-made-good founder, of  B-BOVID, the unique  organic profit-sharing social impact  agribusiness located in our nation's beautiful and bountiful Western Region.

If Issa Ouedraogo's climate smart social impact profit-sharing agribusiness model, were to be replicated nationwide, by the next NDC administration, it would spurt unprecedented green growth that is sustainable, to boost  our national economy's entire agricultural sector contribution to our GDP, oooo, Ghanafuor.

It is in light of that desired end, that it is so outrageous that, incredibly,  even as we speak, instead of being feted and asked to advice our current  leaders, our justice delivery system has been allowed to be weaponised  by racist foreigners from perfidious France, in cahoots with local enablers from the legal profession, to steal B-BOVID from Issa Ouedraogo. Incredible.  

Nowhere else, dear critical-reader, on the continent of Africa, would such a tragedy be allowed to befall a visionary local green entrepreneur, whose business model  could guarantee food security for all the nations of Africa, and help transform the continent's  rural areas into happy and prosperous parts of Africa.  We are our own worst enemies, alas.

(Speaking of which, the NDC's leadership, must quickly send Stan Dogbe, overseas, as our ambassador to Togo, when they are voted into office in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. He and those of his ilk, contributed, in no small measure, in destroying public confidence in the last NDC administration of President Mahama, if truth be told. It will be recalled,  dear critical-reader, that Stan Dogbe was a  key member of the hard-of-hearing smug swamp-deplorables, who  surrounded  President Mahama during his tenure. But I digress, lol).

Finally,  in answer to the question: How can the next NDC administration transform rural Ghana into a happy and prosperous part of our Republic, after it assumes power in January 2025, the simple answer is that the NDC must consult Issa Ouedraogo, and persuade him to help them replicate his climate smart organic profit-sharing social impact agribusiness model, which is bedrocked on agroforestry and permaculture principles,  across the entire landmass of our beleaguered and bankrupted Republic. Full stop.  Case closed. A word to the wise. Hmmm, 3y3nsem piiii, oooo, Ghanafuor. Yooooooooo...

NDC leadership: Torgbe Afede as John Mahama's running mate - Over to you, Joe Lartey!

Dear critical-reader, news that former President John Dramani Mahama will select Torgbe Afede (who apparently is willing to abdicate from his position as the Ruler of the Asogli State to be his running mate), for this year's presidential election,  is definitely gamechanging, if true.

Naturally there are those who would posit that better still would be for Mahama to step aside for Torgbe Afede to become the National Democratic Congress's (NDC) presidential candidate, lol  -  but then we can't always get what we want in life, alas, can we? Such is life, lol.

 

On a more serious note, if Mahama were to choose Torgbe Afede as his running mate, it  would  force someone like me, who loves Mother Ghana passionately, and  is skeptical about John Mahama's leadership qualities for heading a beleaguered and bankrupted African nation-state  that ought to be put on a war footing, immediately after the next President is sworn into office, in January 2025, will definitely have to  revise one's notes,  and elect to vote for John Mahama in this year's presidential election.

However,  that will only  be on condition that former President Mahama signs a public declaration that he will leave the management of our national economy, entirely in the hands of an economic management team,  headed by Torgbe Afede. Full stop.

Ditto  appoint Torgbe Afede's nominee  for the crucial position of minister for finance and economic planning, as well as Torgbe Afede's  nominees  for the positions of  minister for trade and industry, and minister for agriculture.

Furthermore, former President Mahama must also agree that he will make Professor Nana Opoku Agyeman, his Chief of Staff, and appoint Hon. Zenator Agyeman Rawlings as his Defence Minister, with Joyce Mongtari Bawa assigned to the ministry for women,  gender and children's affairs. Simple.

Without such written  cast-iron public guarantees,  I won't vote for John Mahama,  under any circumstances. Full stop. So, to the National Democratic Congress' leadership, one says: Over to you,  Joe Lartey!

Do the extremist far-right loony-toffs ruining Britain care about human rights and the rule of law?

Do the extremist far-right loony-toffs ruining Britain care about human rights and the rule of law?

By Kofi Thompson

Dear critical-reader, the question to ponder over is: Do the extremist far-right loony-toffs ruining Britain care about human rights and the rule of law? With the greatest respect,   it is an offensive question to pose, in as far as the Rwandan Asylum Bill before Parliament,  is concerned. The callous, hard-of-hearing extremist far-right loony-toffs ruining Britain, like extremist far-right politicians elsewhere, have never cared about human rights and the rule of law, in the first place, lol. How blind and naive can one get, I ask, lol?

For the extremist far-right loony-toffs, now governing Britain, it is all about appropriating power through mendacity-laden-propaganda, to fool voters and endlessly repress dissenters. Full stop.

Ditto wielding power to amass untold wealth for state-capture rent-seeking family and friends through public-procurement-opacity, via offshore tax havens for arms-length failsafe-safekeeping, from HMRC, lol.

Furthemore, it is super-wealth, made possible for them, it ought to be pointed out, by the ruthless exploitation of workforces compelled to labour for long hours, as slaving-gig-contractors, to be shorn off without compensatory payments, to increase profits and dividends, whenever that is deemed necessary, lol.

As for beautiful and scenic Rwanda, truth be told, it is just a suitable faraway cherry-picked naive-convenience, to be taken advantage of, to enable extremist far-right loony-toffs to continue holding on to power in a Blighty gone to the dogs, lol. Extremist far-right loony-toffs rule OK - okay yah, lol? Whatever be the case extremist far-right toffs-rule sucks - and it has diminished and ruined Great Britain. Full stop. Case closed.

Is blaming Israel for Palestinian blood on hands of Hamas leaders not anti-Semitic?

Why does no one ever condemn Hamas, which basically is a huge business opportunity, whose unique selling point  - targeting Israel and its citizens - has turned its founders and leaders into billionaires, bankrolled with Middle Eastern oil money? Haaba.

Furthermore, instead of always constantly  condemning Israel, and railing against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), in street demonstration after street demonstration, in cities across the globe (for justifiably targeting the elaborate Hamas terrorist  military infrastructure  - deliberately buried under Gazan civilian residential  areas, and within its teeming communities, it ought to be pointed out), why don't they rather  condemn the evil and vile leaders of Hamas?

Do those street demonstrators  not understand that in order to finally eliminate a super  ruthless terrorist organisation seeking to wipe Israel off the face of the globe, perforce, to safeguard Israelis and their nation, the IDF must not allow Hamas' callous and hypocritical leaders to get away scot  free, just when the IDF finally have them cornered, and in the crosshairs of their gunsights? Haaba.

Is it not a fact that the leaders of Hamas, dream and think only of the money that relentlessly terrorising and fighting Israel, provides them -  never the safety and well-being of the innocent Palestinian  civilians used as human shields, a core Hamas strategy, to prevent Israel from ever attempting a full scale invasion of the Gaza strip, in order to finish them off permanently, and, in so doing, deny them the mouthwatering  zillions of petro dollars flowing from sodden warped Arab fossil fuel tycoons). How irritating.

Is the bald truth, dear critical-reader (unpalatable though it might be to many across the globe), simply not that every single Palestinian death, resulting from Israel's post October 7th, 2023, precision-strikes against Hamas, across the Gaza  Strip,  is blood on the hands of the evil Hamas' billionaire leaders  -  who profit  mightily and handsomely, from terrorising Israel and its citizens: by using Palestinian civilians as expendable human shields, to escape retribution when launching rocket  attacks on Israel, from civilian areas in the Gaza Strip?

Finally, dear critical-reader,
Israel cannot, and must not be blamed,  for attempting to eliminate its sworn-enemies, regardless of the collateral damage it causes -  not when it finally has Hamas, which is an existential threat, to it, cornered. That is unfair, inhumane and unquestionably anti-Semitic. Full stop. Case closed.  Haaba.

Happy New Year of the Dragon gift to China and all its people at home and abroad

Dear critical-reader, as someone who sincerely believes that China could be persuaded to become a force for good, and help ensure peace and stability globally, that way, here is one's Happy New Year of the Dragon, idea, gifted to China and all her hardworking peoples, around the world:

If China and its people were to gift a free-to-access Chinese Skylink rival, to the world, via a UN Trusteeship vehicle (to guarantee it remains independent from China afterwards in perpetuity), could that not fund most of the United Nations Organisation's (UN) operations, including both  humanitarian and developmental work, worldwide, going forward into the future, one wonders?

Ditto fund micro-enterprises worldwide to empower marginalised demographics to thrive - and stabilise troubled societies globally, and stop them from sliding into chaos and violence, in social explosions? No? Yes? Doable?

In return, would China not reap priceless soft-power rewards, for gifting a free-to-access rival to Skylink, to humanity (and in the process,  pull the proverbial rug from under the sodden tax-evading, offshore domiciled ecocide-causing corporates, owned by arrogant Western state-capture rent-seeking billionaire fascists and racists, enslaving whole nations, lol), till the very end of time?

Furthermore, does it not follow, a prioi, dear critical-reader, that a free-to-access Chinese rival to X Corp's Starlink gifted to humanity for free Internet access for all the world's peoples, will give her tremendous clout with the world's emerging nation ruling-elites, throughout the years of the 4th, 5th and 6th industrial revolutions, in a way that her now mostly-discredited and hugely crippling  emerging nation debt-creating belt-and-road initiative, can ever hope to achieve?

Finally, that said, dear critical-reader, all the above constitute one's gifted humble Chinese Happy New Year of the Dragon, idea, for China, and all its hardworking peoples, both at home and abroad.

Elon Musk: With respect stop whining - and act instead to help resolve the US-Mexico border-hordes issue

Dear critical-reader, the patriotic American billionaires, whining and venting on social media, about the hordes that have massed up at the U. S. border with Mexico, need to rather  take action to resolve it, instead, quickly.

The bald truth is that many of those migrants massed up there, paid people smugglers small fortunes,  to facilitate their journey to the U. S. border with Mexico.

Truth be told, far too many heartless rogues prey on vulnerable people globally. They must be stopped from adding to their victims. Now. Not tomorrow.

Elon Musk,who has apparently  been nicknamed,  "the U. S. border-hordes complainer-in-chief", according to bush telegraph sources,  lol, needs to act swiftly, to get hold of as many patriotic billionaire American tycoons as he possibly can,  and get them to pony up the cash needed to enable U. S.  military engineers to build shipping container skyscrapers, at Camp Guantanimo Bay, Cuba, asap, to detain all the border hordes, there, lol. No? Yes? Doable? Dig?

In the case of Africa, to counter Africa's people smuggling criminal syndicates, new laws need to be passed across the continent, under certificates of urgency, to prosecute and incarcerate suspects found guilty of people smuggling, for life, without the possibility of parole, ever, lol.

Musk, who is widely respected and admired by the continent's ruling elites, must call them personally, to ask for that favour for the U. S., from them. Simple. Enough is enough. With respect, that is why Musk must stop whining  - and act swiftly, instead, to help America's business leaders to embark on a private sector initiative, to help  resolve the Mexico-U. S. border-hordes issue  A word to the wise...

Should we not become better stewards of the remainder of Ghana's priceless natural heritage?

Dear critical-reader, aside from it being in our own best interest to do so,  present-day Ghanaian adults, also owe it to future generations of our people, to become better stewards of the remainder of our nation's priceless natural heritage, by endeavouring  to preserve all our country's biodiversity rich forests, do we not?

It so happens that each time one comes across playful happy-go-lucky children, who so obviously enjoy working to earn money, during school holidays, one can't help hoping that all things being equal, they will eventually end up growing into hardworking adults, who are responsible and  productive citizens.

On such occasions, one invariably tries to imagine what life will be like, for ordinary Ghanaians, in the year 2074, for example,  when some of those schoolchildren will be reaching the sixth decade of being alive on the planet Earth,  as mature  adults.

The question is: In 2074, will the aforementioned school children be then living in a happy society, which is prosperous and equitable for all its demographics, when in their middle ages?

Conversely, dear critical-reader, in 2074,  would those selfsame schoolchildren of today, rather  have ended up struggling and  suffering  -  merely trying to survive as best they can, in a barren and hellish world, because of the egregious destruction wrought by present-day generations of adults, who tolerated the trashing of our natural heritage, in pursuit of GDP growth, and failed to examine what actually constituted those stellar GDP figures: as long as it fueled economic growth,  and made a powerful few individuals  super-rich entrepreneurs  in the process, and created jobs galore, but, unfortunately, with the benefit of hindsight, turned out to be  economic growth that occurred at the expense of the rest of Ghanaian society, generally? One hopes not that they will ever have to suffer such a fate as adults.

Surely, at a time when climate change is impacting our homeland Ghana so negatively, even as we speak (I was horrified  viewing a video clip of a tinder-dry forest, sent to me yesterday, by Ghana's foremost green entrepreneur, and its green economy's wealthiest player, Legon Botanical Gardens' brilliant CEO, Eugene Kofi  Boakye-Yiadom), to enable us avoid certain apocalyptic-future-catastrophe for our younger generations, should we not think seriously about protecting the collective  future of all our children, their  offspring, and that of their offspring's unborn children, today, through bleeding-edge innovation and creativity, one wonders?

Ditto,  for common-good reasons, and in light of all the above, as wise and aspirational Africans,  should we not become much, much better stewards of our nation's natural heritage, for their sake, and, for our own collective welfare, too,  today - by endeavouring to protect and preserve the remainder of Ghana's priceless natural capital, which our biodiversity rich forests (that in an era of extreme weather events,  are far more valuable than all the minerals underneath them, combined, incidentally), represent? A word to the wise...

Elite accountability still matters: Which is why heads must roll over the latest AirtelTigo shambles

Dear critical-reader, elite accountability in our homeland Ghana, still matters, because despite appearances, Ghana is not yet a banana Republic, oooo, Ghanafuor.  Yoooooooo...

That is why it is so crucial that those with ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the government-owned telecommunications company, AirtelTigo, remains competitive -  its board of directors and its  senior management team - should all examine their consciences, individually, and,  fall on their own swords, one after the other, over this disgraceful calamity for AirtelTigo's hard-done-by subscribers. Full stop.

That said, they must all be sacked if they refuse to resign. Simple. As wise and aspirational Africans, the question to ponder over is: Do our ruling elites not yet clearly understand the pivotal role that telecommunications companies will play in the AI-bedrocked eras of the 4th and 5th industrial revolutions? Haaba.

Is it not shocking that there  has been such deafening silence, over the inability of subscribers to access the bouquet of services provided by AirtelTigo, since last Thursday, by  the regulatory bodies with ultimate oversight responsibility for the telecommunications sector of our national economy? Incredible.

As it happens, dear critical-reader, for years now, it has been an open secret to even little school children across the entire territorial landmass of  our sovereign Republic, that customer satisfaction has not been prioritised by any of the telecommunications companies operating here. Without exception. Intolerable. Atrocious. Unspeakable.

The name of the game,  for all of them,  has always been ruthless competition to gain market share - an end for them which represents the commercial  equivalent of a holy-grail-quest: to be attained, over competitors, at all costs, come what may, and, by all means necessary, including not prioritising customer satisfaction. Monstrous. Abominable. Unpardonable. Shameful.

Dear critical-reader, enough, really is enough, in this particular instance: The telecommunications companies operating here,  must no longer be allowed to get away with ignoring customer satisfaction - by being forced, henceforth, to deliver world-class quality standards for all the services they provide for their subscribers: at pain of losing what in effect is a license to print money, more or less, if they fail to do so. Full stop.

It is scandalous that an industry whose players make more profits than even the banking sector does, through their mobile money platforms, can get away with being so cavalier about its customer satisfaction metrics.

Hopefully,  what is going on in AirtelTigo, isn't occurring now, because a wealthy regime crony entrepreneur has set his  or her sights on acquiring AirtelTigo - for which reason it must be trashed brand reputation wise, so that little public dissent over its sale to private investors, follows in the wake of its acquisition. Hmmm, 3y3nsem piiii, oooo, Ghanafuor.

As it happens, dear critical-reader, incredible though it might sound, at a certain stage, once upon a time, a government appointee was crowing that AirtelTigo was acquired by the Republic of Ghana, for the nominal sum of 1USD. If you accept a telecommunications company that is heavily geared (owing its creditors  trillions of pesewas and unable to generate consistent profits), you have taken on a trillion-pesewa-headache, and super-risky risk-laden-burden, in an industry in which market share, is everything,  have you not,  dear  critical-reader, lol

The bald truth in all this, dear critical-reader, is  that telecommunications companies are only as good as the backend teams that keep them operational and accessible to their  subscribers. Simple commonsense, lol. No? Yes? The question then is: Just how good are the sundry backend teams that keep AirtelTigo operational and accessible to its subscribers nationwide?

It appears, dear critical-reader, that the Anansesemkrom free range chickens are coming home to roost - just as the state capture rent seekers amongst the big-thieves-in-high-places, who dominate and control our byzantine system,  are being hoisted on their collective-petard, lol. Hmmm, 3y3asem, oooo, Ghanafuor. Onyame 3ntis3 Alata ni, oooo. Yooooooooo...

Be that as it may, dear critical-reader, in light of all the aforementioned,  it is vital that the relevant parliamentary select committee,  with oversight responsibility for the telecommunications industry of our national economy, also  investigates the reason why there has been such  an abrupt  cessation of subscribers ability to access the bouquet of services provided by AirtelTigo, which appears to have ceased operating, nationwide,  since last Thursday. We thank goodness that our bankrupted homeland Ghana is not yet a banana republic  -  which is why  elite accountability still matters: Heads must roll over the latest AirtelTigo shambles, oooo, Ghanafuor. Nothing else will suffice. Full stop. Case closed.  Yoooooooo. A word to the wise...

Should AI-generated deep-fakery be swiftly dealt with worldwide by all governments now?

Dear critical-reader, the question to ponder over is: Should AI-generated deep-fakery be swiftly dealt with by governments  worldwide now? With the greatest respect, considering the enormous harm they cause, wherever they occur, it would be daft, unpardonable and unconscionable, as we enter the new AI-bedrocked era, for humanity not to take effective steps to deter deep-fakery, and all other types of digital fraud, globally.

The widespread outrage caused by the recent Taylor Swift online deep-fake porn videos scandal, which unfairly denigrate a gifted young woman who is immensely popular because her music resonates with tens of millions of music lovers globally, is a case in point, and a test case, which highlights why this AI-era abomination, ought to be swiftly curtailed. No question.

The Taylor Swift deep-fake porn videos, show, in one's humble view, that perhaps the most effective deterrence against deep-fakery, and other egregious digital frauds, globally, is passage of legislation worldwide, prescribing mandatory death sentences, for suspects found guilty of what is clearly a crime against humanity, no less, after being tried in properly constituted courts of law. Full stop.

Deep-fakery is irredeemable-vile-evil, which has nothing to do with free speech and protection of freedom of expression, and no one should be allowed to hide behind that, to ruin innocent lives freely, without serious consequences, anywhere in the world, in an AI-bedrocked era. AI-generated deep-fakery must now be swiftly and effectively  dealt with worldwide by all governments. Full stop. Case closed. Yoooooooo...