THE GHANAIAN LEFT MUST TAKE A LEAF FROM THE BOOK OF THE BUSIA-DANQUAISTS!

Under the indirect rule system, the British colonialists used the progeny of the pre-colonial feudal elites, to maintain their iron grip, on their African colonies.

The system suited both parties perfectly, in the Gold Coast. And it was exploited by the descendants of the pre-colonial feudal elite (the Chiefs and the members of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), to the hilt.

The UGCC, was, in the main, made up of people from the professions, and the business world: the majority of whom were descended from the pre-colonial feudal elites, of the various tribes, which made up what eventually became known, as the Gold Coast colony.

Their ultimate goal, was to eventually replace the departing British colonialists - whenever those racist colonisers, deigned it fit, to depart the shores of the Gold Coast: and rule the new nation that had won its independence, from Britain, till the very end of time.

They thought up a perfect scheme, to enable them achieve that goal: restricting the franchise to property owners and those who earned a wage, only ( the origins, dear reader, of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) so-called property-owning democracy!).

Luckily for ordinary people, providence intervened: Dr. Nkrumah was invited from the UK, by the UGCC, to come and work for it, in the Gold Coast - arriving in the colony on 16th December, 1947.

Eventually, Dr. Nkrumah, who was an egalitarian, demanded that universal franchise be adopted for elections in the Gold Coast - and to show their appreciation, the masses voted massively, for Nkrumah and his party, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP): giving the party large parliamentary majorities, in the elections of 1951, 1954 and 1956.

The feudalists never forgave Nkrumah, and set about plotting to remove him from power, beginning with an aborted military coup plot, in 1958 - although Ghana was a multi-party democracy, at that stage, in her history.

Dr. J.B. Danquah and Dr.K.A. Busia, were both admirers of the English philosopher, Edmund Burke - who believed that civilised society ought to be ruled by a pre-ordained elite.

And as their world-view was underpinned by Burke's outrageous philosophy, the two sought to ensure that power was transferred from the British colonialists, to the successors of the pre-colonial feudal elite (the Chiefs and royals) - which, naturally, included both those ace quislings!

And it was the self-same reason, why, on March 14, 1956, Danquah and Nana Ofori Atta 11, were bold enough, to tell a visiting parliamentary delegation, that: "Party politics" was "an alien political form" which had, "created civil strife and violent dissension between father and son."

They went on to also say that if the colonial authorities did not show understanding for their position, Akim Abuakwa would secede and become a "sovereign and independent state with the only rival of the Ashanti country."

It was this disdain for ordinary people, which made them view the democratically-elected Convention Peoples Party (CPP) regime of Nkrumah, as an illegitimate regime, which had to be removed from power, by all possible means.

They were scornful of the CPP, dominated as it was by people from mostly humble family backgrounds (in stark contrast to their precious UGCC - which was led by the progeny of the pre-colonial feudal elite!).

And Danquah, ever the tribal supremacist, even had the effrontery to state that the CPP, had "Ntafuo" in it!

Nothing has changed: shades of Danquah's outrageous and derogatory reference to the Northerners in the CPP government, can be seen in many of the actions and utterances, of some of the NPP's powerful Akan tribal supremacists, who dominate that party, so completely, today.

A case in point being the complaint, by our globe-trotting current leader, that "Wa" was "too far away" - when there was an emergency there, which needed the presence of the nation's leader!

Yet, ironically, he doesn't mind travelling to the ends of the world - when it suits the gentleman, whom, the uncharitable, often refer to, as: "Our number one hypocrite."

Another example, is the disrespect shown to the current vice president, in not allowing him to succeed the president - although many point out that if his name had been Nana Osei Poku, instead of Alhaji Aliu Mahama, and he had been from Kokofu, his party would have found a way of making sure he would be unopposed, in the election, to become the NPP presidential candidate!

But I digress, dear reader! The Busia-Danquaists were never deterred by their many failures to bring the rule of Nkrumah to an end.

They continued destabilising the newly independent Ghanaian nation-state, in a series of terrorists bomb attacks, all aimed at assassinating Nkrumah: and removing him physically, from the Ghanaian political landscape.

Many ordinary Ghanaians lost their lives through those atrocities (including 300 schoolchildren).

And today, Obestebi-Lamptey, who had a significant hand, in those unspeakable and brutish acts, of crimes against humanity, has been posthumously rewarded, for his treasonable acts - with a ghastly chi-chi statute, in extreme bad taste: sited on a roundabout, built by Nkrumah; and now, incredibly, named after that ace tribalistic, self-seeker.


Those neo-colonialist reactionaries, also collaborated actively, with Western intelligence agencies to remove Nkrumah, by helping them to damage Ghana's economy - travelling world capitals, advocating the withholding of much needed economic assistance, to Ghana: to weaken its economy and make Nkrumah unpopular with the masses.

They finally succeeded, in February 1966 - when tragedy struck the black race: and traitors in the military and the police, paid US $13 millions (and promised more, if they succeeded in murdering Nkrumah!), to stage a military coup, carried out the bloodiest coup, Ghana has ever witnessed, in its history: effectively ending Africa's march to progress.

And, of course, as we all now know (after reading the relevant declassified CIA and the US State Department documents), Dr. Danquah, the quisling, not only toadied to the British, but was also a paid agent, of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), of America!

In the light of all that, dear reader, and now that Nkrumah's Ghana has finally been blessed by providence: and is soon to become a major oil producer, the time has come for the Ghanaian Left, to take a leaf, from the book, of the ruthless and reactionary stooges, for neo-colonialism, the Busia-Danquaists - and hoist them with their own petard, so to speak!

The Ghanaian Left, must also take the attitude that the stooges for neo-colonialism, must never be allowed, by ordinary people, to take control of a Ghana, which is a major oil producer, under any circumstances - to prevent foreign oil companies from ending up using a finite natural resource, to enrich themselves (with the active help of our greedy reactionary "neo-cons"), at the expense of the Ghanaian nation-state: as has been the case with our nation's gold deposits.

The Left must vow, that under no circumstances, will Ghana's oil wealth, ever be allowed to fall into the hands of the lackeys of neo-colonialism, and by extension, the Western powers, whose interests they constantly serve - at mother Ghana's expense.

As is common knowledge in Ghana, the Western powers, still actively collaborate with Ghanaian reactionaries (including many of the shameless mercenaries, in the Ghanaian media!): some of whom now control our nation - in order to enable Western capitalism to continue exploiting our nation's resources, for its own benefit.

The progressive forces in Ghana too, must therefore begin to work actively with progressive nations like Venezuela; Iran and China, to counter the help Ghana's reactionaries constantly get from the West, to enable them dominate our country, successfully.

As recent news reports about the stiff penalties imposed on a major US company, for bribing Nigerian officials, and evidence produced in a Norwegian law court show, Western capitalism (the Norwegian cement manufacturer, Scancem, in this instance!) constantly buys off reactionaries in Africa (including Ghana), to gain control of vital sectors of our economy.

Let the progressive forces in Ghana, therefore, also seek funding from Venezuela and Iran, to set up holding companies - which will buy up vital sectors of our economy: and help enrich ordinary workers, using the private public partnership (PPP) business model: and embrace private businesspeople, who are sensible enough to understand, that by giving a 10% stake in their companies, to their workers, all Ghanaians, will be able to share in the growth, of the real economy.

We must ensure that Ghana's oil wealth is used solely for social transformation in Ghana, so that amongst other things, as private businesses using the PPP business model thrive, for example, all Ghanaian workers, will have sufficient purchasing power, to enable the whole of society to prosper - for, the goods and services they purchase, will lift the real economy.

And above all, the Ghanaian Left must be bold enough to be prepared, in the final analysis, to use people power (the activities of the committee for joint action (CJA) is a perfect example, of such bold radicalism!), if need be, to remove the reactionaries from power, in Ghana - if that is what it will take to safeguard Ghana's oil wealth, from benefiting foreigners and their local lackeys, only.

The time has now come, dear reader, for the Left to adopt the same uncompromising attitude, that the reactionaries had, towards Nkrumah.

Right from the day Ghana attained its Independence, they regarded the legitimately elected government of the CPP, in power, in a nation that was a multi-party democracy; as a regime, which had no moral right, to rule Ghana - because in their view, the only legitimate government Ghana could have, was one composed of the progeny, of the pre-colonial feudal elite: who, in their view, were pre-ordained by God, to rule their nation.

Those ordinary Ghanaians, who today posit, that the only group that has a moral right to rule an oil-rich Ghanaian nation-state, are the progressive forces of the Left, are right: for, they share the same viewpoint, about the nature of the type of society, which Ghanaians ought to have, as the progressives who ruled our country, at the dawn of Independence, did.

It is a view of the nature of the society Ghanaians ought to have, which so resonated with ordinary people, that they voted overwhelmingly, to put the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) into power, in the 1956 elections - to enable that party realise it's vision of a just and modern African society: one that was fair and free, and existed for the good of all citizens.

The ordinary Ghanaian of today, too, also wants to see the establishment of an egalitarian society, in which the interests of all Ghanaians, irrespective of their social background or tribal group, determines government policy - not those of a powerful few, with greedy ambitions: the sine qua non of the politics of the hypocrites who now rule Nkrumah's Ghana!

Ordinary Ghanaians yearn for a return to a regime, which understands that a poor nation that wishes to develop, cannot afford not to give all its talented citizens, who have the aptitude to study to tertiary level, free education: and will therefore ensure that enough resources are made available by the Ghanaian nation-state, to achieve that end - to enable the Ghanaian society to progress rapidly, on all fronts: instead of dissipating our country's wealth, on presidential palaces, and presidential jets.

Ghanaians want a regime that is imaginative enough, to have wisdom to look at Ghana's oil industry, for example, in terms of making Ghana extract even more value, from her oil resources.

That will mean, for example, that instead of always thinking of selling our nation's assets, as the stooges for neo-colonialism currently ruling Nkrumah's Ghana, are wont to do, such a progressive regime, will rather think of harnessing the synergy, which exists between state-owned companies, including those in the energy sector.

Meaning that it will ensure that companies such as the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC); the state-owned Tema Oil Refinery (TOR); and the state-owned oil marketing company, GOIL, are merged to create an African oil giant - in the class of major oil multinationals, such as Shell.

Is that not one of the best ways, dear reader, of harnessing the tremendous goodwill created for Ghana throughout Africa, by Dr. Nkrumah's pan-Africanism - by striking deals with sister African nations, which will enable us penetrate markets in West Africa and beyond, in joint venture partnerships with governments on the continent - and make our oil resources benefit us even more?

We must end the mindless acceptance of the self-serving strictures of foreign interests: who know that the market liberalisation they foist on us, only leads to the impoverishment of ordinary Ghanaians - whiles the top 10% of society, prosper mightily, as they act in concert with Western capitalists: who are the only ones, who benefit from those nation-destroying policies, foisted on us, by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) . Period.

For, that is no way to run an African nation, which has so much going for it: such as today's Ghana - which has now discovered large quantities of oil, off its shores.

The masters of the universe, who have supervised the meltdown of vital state assets like the Volta River Authority (VRA), because of their short-sighted thinking, must not be allowed to return to power, after the December 2008 elections - lest they return to supervise the transfer of our oil wealth, into the hands of wealthy foreign shareholders, in London; New York; Frankfurt and Tokyo.

Would any visionary regime, not have seen the VRA's potential, for example - and acted to strengthen it, during its tenure?

Is it not an organisation, which could easily become an African energy powerhouse - if Ghana were to leverage the goodwill created for our nation, by Nkrumah's far-sighted support of many African nations, during their struggle for Independence?

Does the VRA's recent work in Liberia not clearly show its potential in that direction - and could it not be championed, to participate in the proposed scheme, to harness the energy of the River Congo, to benefit all of Africa - by creative leaders who think outside the box?

Yet, the highly-educated morons (many with PhD's!) who now dominate our country, have ended up, bringing it to its knees: simply to create the psychological climate for Ghanaians to accept the entry of independent power producers - from whom, as the uncharitable are wont to say, they will doubtless get their usual kickbacks! Hmmm, Ghana, asem ebaba debi, oo!

The Ghanaian Left must rescue Ghanaians from the clutches of the stooges for neo-colonialism, now running our country - before those incompetents end up turning ordinary people, into the slaves of foreigners, in their own land.

And progressive forces in Ghana must be prepared to do so by the sheer force of people power, if necessary - if that is the only way to rid ourselves of those who now seek to revive feudalism in Ghana.

And, ultimately, if the Left even has to act, as the stooges for Western imperialism did, in February 1966, to remove the legitimately elected government of Ghana, by force: in order to stop our oil wealth from being hijacked by foreigners ( with the active help of our self-seeking reactionary leaders), then so be it. Period.

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

LET THOSE WAITING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GANG RAPE OF MOTHER GHANA, DREAM ON!

Having been in power for forty years now, President Omar Bongo, of Gabon, has recently become the world's longest-serving (non-hereditary) ruler. He has kept his oil-rich country of only 1.4 million citizens stable - by cleverly opting to buy off his political opponents and critics: rather than imprisoning and murdering them; as happens elsewhere, in Africa!

It has made them all super-rich: thanks to Omar Bongo's munificence. And in return, it has enabled Bongo to hang on to power for decades - outlasting many French presidents: beginning with the era of Charles De Gaulle!

However, outside the charmed circle of Gabon's enormously wealthy elite, ordinary Gabonese (and their much-looted nation), have very little to show, for the many billions of dollars from oil revenues, earned thus far, by their country.

For example, incredibly, Gabon, for all its wealth, has less than a thousand miles of first class roads (and one is being overly-generous here, dear reader!) - yet, Gabon's oil, is fast running out!

Can, and will, something similar, possibly happen to Ghanaians and their nation, now that huge quantities of various deposits of natural gas and oil, have been discovered off our coastline? One doubts that very much.

For, in spite of the day-dreaming being indulged in by the many hangers-on, who surround Ghana's political parties' (December 2008 election's) presidential candidates, there are some very determined, honest, and patriotic Ghanaians, who will never permit that to happen - and are prepared to risk their lives, in order to bring the 4th Republic to an end, if need be: to protect our oil wealth.

A thorough June 4th 1979-type probe, of both of the regimes which have held power, under this unparallelled 4th Republican era of kickbacks and clever looting, will then be undertaken. Naturally, it will be devoid of the bloodletting and illegality of that period.

Following that, a new 5th Republic, which will be built on a solid foundation of transparency and accountability, will be ushered in. The 5th Republican Constitution will follow the principle of separation of powers, to the letter. No members of Parliament will serve as government ministers, for example.

And there will be a far less powerful president - as parliament will have oversight responsibilities over the executive branch of government.

Both the legislature and the judiciary will be funded from the consolidated fund - freeing them from the baleful influence, which presidents currently have over them, under the 4th Republican Constitution: a self-serving document, drawn up, simply, to enable a former military dictator, to carry on ruling our nation, as its elected civilian leader.

It is important to stress, dear reader, that this time round, there will be no unlawful killings or torture - just a ruthless application of the various sanctions spelt out in our statute books, for those, who over the years since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) regimes came to power, have wilfully caused financial loss, to the Ghanaian nation-state.

And it will not just be politicians who will be punished for taking Ghanaians for a ride - all public officials who have "chopped Ghana small" will face the music too, when "June 4th Mark 2", comes along. And we will all say, "Amen" to that, when the day comes!

And this time round, it will bring to an end (once and for all!), the monstrous and amoral behaviour, of our largely greedy and dishonest political class - and their high net worth cronies, amongst our ruthless and super-clever oligarchs: virtually all of whom are literally bleeding mother Ghana dry, as they syphon off Ghana's wealth, in evaded taxes (of gargantuan proportions!), and transfer huge sums abroad.

The much-awaited end, of the tenure, of our number one "waa-waa" hypocrite, will be the beginning of the end, for the arrogant and untouchable fat-cats, currently taking our country for a huge ride.

And it does not matter what our political class does: in the end, ultimately, Ghana will take a path that will result in her working closely with progressive nations like Hugo Chavez's Venezuela - to ensure that our oil wealth benefits Ghanaians only: not bloodsuckers from foreign parts (and the greedy local lackeys of neo-colonialism, who front for them!).

It is not to Norway and Britain that sensible and patriotic Ghanaian leaders will go to, to learn lessons in safeguarding our oil revenues from - it is to nations like Venezuela; Iran; and Mexico, which we must beat a path to, for that purpose.

For the sake of the stability and security of our country, we must nationalise the oil industry, as soon as it is practicable to do so: but we must pay the overseas investors fair compensation, naturally!

That way, all the money from this finite resource, will be used for social transformation in Ghana - to enable us halt the ever-widening disparities in wealth, which threatens the very foundations of our nation: as an underclass with no hope and no stake in our country, keeps on growing.

And as is the situation in Venezuela, Ghana's oil, will benefit ordinary Ghanaians: and they too, for example, will also be able to fill the petrol tanks of their motor vehicles, for less than one US dollar: as Venezuelans do, on a daily basis - because their leaders care about the welfare of ordinary people; as opposed to that of the shareholders of foreign-owned oil companies, and their wealthy Venezuelan collaborators. Period.

We must pass legislation that makes it mandatory for foreigners participating in the ancillary businesses servicing the oil industry, to have Ghanaian partners - who must also have majority shareholding, in any such joint venture.

That is an effective means of boosting and empowering the private sector - and ensuring that as much of the wealth the oil industry generates, stays in our economy.

And to ensure that the oil does not regularly 'disappear' (by being smuggled away in the holds of oil tankers!), we must pass legislation that makes it mandatory, for the the oil companies to contract and pay prevailing international commercial rates, to the Ghana Navy, to provide security, for the oil rigs - and pay the air force same, to use their helicopters, to fly men and equipment from land, to, and from, the offshore rigs.

Alas, it is only that kind of imaginative thinking outside the box, which will enable us keep tabs on their current operations and generate funds for our navy and air force, too!

Our blind acceptance of the self-serving strictures of foreigners, since the military coup of February 1966, is the main reason why Nkrumah's Ghana has come to such a sorry pass - and has ended up becoming a nation ruled by the mediocre.

And today, it is saddled with a greedy, unimaginative, and largely incompetent, political elite - who, fifty-one years after independence, cannot even ensure the regular provision of utility services, such as potable water and electricity, for ordinary people!

Over the years since Nkrumah's overthrow, they have supervised the creation of a selfish society, in which the interests of our mostly crooked and tax-dodging high net worth oligarchs, and their foreign "uber-exploiting-collaborators", have been substituted, for the interests of our nation and its citizens.

A cursory look at the men and women who surround the presidential candidates of virtually all the political parties, for example, reveals a motley army of mostly self-seeking men and women, with absolutely no moral scruples - forever on the lookout for the main chance.

And almost each one of them apparently dreams of joining the swollen ranks, of well-connected scions, of the family clans, of the few powerful tribal supremacists, who have ended up dominating the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP): and have today morphed into influential figures, with untold riches (the number one hypocrite's own family clan, currently perching, imperiously, at the very top, of the huge and very greasy pole, called unfathomable greed).

Never, in Ghana's history, has nepotism been seen on such a massive scale, in all of the 51 years our homeland Ghana has been an independent nation-state. Our number one hypocrite, has set a record, which many think will never be broken.

Thanks to his "Kokofu-football" politics, this unreconstructed tribal supremacist, has ended up dividing our country, along tribal lines, in a manner never seen before, in Ghana.

He has even enabled feudalism to attempt to rear its ugly head once again, in our country - threatening the cohesion and very survival of Nkrumah's Ghana. Seldom has our nation been so divided.

And please note, dear reader, that Ghana's tribal supremacists exist in all the palaces of traditional rulers across our nation - and they are our local version of the odious white supremacists of the Western world: who look down on black people, whom they feel are sub-human.

In our case, Ghana's tribal supremacists, look down on their fellow human beings: the progeny of their own tribes, whose forebears were not part of the pre-colonial feudal elite; as well as all Ghanaians, who happen to be from different tribes!

There are many who say that the judgement of history, will be, that, under our number one hypocrite's rule, the Busia Danquah tradition, succeeded, in finally implementing the 1950's tribal supremacist agenda, of its political forebear, the murderous and pro-secessionist National Liberation Movement (NLM).

And they point to the fact that by manipulating the machinery of state throughout his tenure, for that end, he has even succeeded in giving the outside world the impression, that somehow, there exists a state within a state, in Ghana - which apparently happens to be the personal fiefdom, of a single traditional ruler: often referred to, by the uncharitable, as, His Majesty, "Mega-Manic-Omnipotence" ("HM, M-M-O").

And it this pure nonsense on bamboo stilts that has resulted in the outrageous situation, in which, according to the bush telegraph, foreign embassies, are apparently being encouraged, to channel the bulk of resources they have earmarked, for supporting "Ghanaian culture" to a particular region.

And much to the annoyance of many a traditional ruler, in other parts of Ghana, it is said, that this much-favoured and pampered citizen, of our country, is being allowed, to more or less conduct his own personal foreign policy: the outward manifestation of which, apparently, is the steady flow, of visiting foreign dignitaries, and delegations, to pay homage, to "HM, M-M-O".

Yet, this is a nation in which there are other equally important traditional rulers, from other Ghanaian tribes: who also hold court in their own magnificent palaces, which can be found, from the southern-most tip of our shores, to the northern-most part, of the landmass of our country, as well its Western and Eastern borders.

And after putting up all these years, with this obscene nostalgia for a bygone feudal age (which ordinary Ghanaians will never allow to return, thank goodness!), by today's tribal supremacists, a second group of tribal supremacists, is apparently also dreaming of elevating their traditional ruler, to the status, of ruler of a state within a state, category, of Ghana's traditional rulers.

Well, dear reader, let them dream on - for, they too, will doubtless, have their appointment, with destiny: when the 21st century equivalent of June 4th 1979 (the polished and "uber-sophisticated" Mark 2 version, i.e.!), comes along. Hmmm, Ghana - asem ebaba debi!

But there will be no compromise over the safeguarding of our oil wealth - and it will always be protected from the grubby hands, of the many clever and respectable-looking thieves, we usually elect to rule us, every four years. Ghana's oil wealth will be used for the sole purpose of transforming Ghanaian society - for the benefit of all Ghanaians: not just a powerful few with greedy ambitions. Period.

And that, dear reader, is non-negotiable: and the earlier those who are dreaming of enriching themselves at the expense of ordinary people, get that into their tiny minds, the better it will be, for all of them. May God bless and protect our homeland Ghana, always. Long live freedom! Long live Ghana!

MUGABE MUST NOW DO THE DECENT THING: LEAVE THE SCENE PEACEFULLY!

I come from a part of Ghana, which is much cooler, than the rest of the country - the Akwapim Mountains. It is an area of Ghana, which, at a certain point in time, during the colonial era, the British colonialists had planned, to move the original inhabitants out of, and settle in, themselves - as it was more or less relatively malaria-free, then, and, for West Africa, had a salubrious climate: perfect to retire to, when the heat of the interior and the coast, became too much, for their delicate natures, to bear!

Needless to say, my forbears would have been deprived of their land, by the stroke of a pen, by some insignificant minion, of Her Britannic Majesty's Colonial Office, in faraway London, arbitrarily - and no one in the world then, would have lifted a finger, to protest against such a crime against humanity: perpertrated by an apparently civilised people, who said they believed in the rule of law - but who in practice, operated on the basis, that might was always right, whenever the rights of other peoples, came up against that of the British occupiers, of their lands!

And petty officialdom, living in the Gold Coast serving their home country, Great Britain, the occupying power (which regarded Africans, essentially, if truth be told, as only half-human - heathen savages, needing to be 'civilised'!), would have displaced a people, whose attachment to their land, like that of most Africans, was of a more intense nature than most of the rest of humankind: being of spiritual significance, in their culture; more or less the physical connexion, between the living, and their departed ancestors.

The Akwapims, are famous in Ghana, for their good manners, and their law-abiding nature. However, like mountain people everywhere, in the world, they are a tough breed of the species - and they would have resisted the British colonialists, to a man, if they had been put in the "backs-to-the-wall" position, of having to fight to prevent their ancestral lands, from being stolen from them, by crafty and "ungodly" foreigners.

However, Providence, mercifully, did not make the plans of the British colonialists, for the resettlement of the Akwapim Mountains, to materialise - and as a consequence, we were never put into the rather unfortunate situation, which Mr. Mugabe and Co. had to content with, when they finally forced the ruthless and selfish descendants, of the original British colonialists, to give up political power: setting the stage, for getting land, stolen from their ancestors, by arrogant and racist occupiers, back - and once again, firmly, in the hands of the descendants, of their original owners: the black Africans, of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe was given largely empty promises, by the British, when the Lancaster House agreement, which ended the Zimbabwean war of liberation, was signed. Money, promised to the new African-led regime, to buy out white landowners, never really came: as there had never been any intention, in the first place, to help the black Africans in the newly-independent Zimbabwe, recover land, stolen from them, by foreigners - who had deprived their ancestors of their land forcibly, and without compensation.

Mugabe and Co. were simply fed with empty promises by the British - promises, which were never meant to be kept, by those who made them: but were only made to string the much-despised, and insubordinate African 'troublemakers' along: the age-old trick, employed by imperialists, who come up against determined opposition, by a long-subjugated people, who suddenly tire of their lot and begin to insist, that they too have a right, to a place under the sun, like all other human beings!

I once met Mr. Mugabe, then the widely respected, and admired leader, of the most powerful of the liberation movements, fighting the racist regime, of Ian Smith, on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, from Nairobi, to Accra. I went up to him, stretched my hands out, to him, and said I was from: "Nkrumah's Ghana" and was"honoured to make his acquaintance."

As an Nkrumaist and pan-Africanist, I confess, that I do admire Africans like Mugabe: full of self-belief; and very much at home, in today's globalised and cosmopolitan world. Africans, who are highly intelligent, and impervious to the outrage, of being looked down on (by white people, the leaders of most of whom, Mr. Mugabe, is far more intelligent, than!).

Mr. Mugabe is practically insulted everyday and constantly demonised: just because he happens to be a dark-skinned individual, in a world, dominated, by white-ruled nations, controlled by largely racist ruling elites, operating a system underpinned by institutionalised racism - which does not tolerate dark-skinned people who stand up for themselves: and refuse to be exploited by neo-colonialists!

I do know, that vengeful "closet-racists" in power in the UK, and other Western nations, conspired, over the years, to do to Mugabe, what they did to Nkrumah :because they hate nothing more, in this world, than a highly intelligent African leader, who is not a lackey of neo-colonialism, and insists on bringing about social transformation, which will turn his nation into a prosperous one, for all its people - free from the grasping hands, of self-seeking neo-colonialists, and their local lackeys.

Alas, in seeking to destroy Mugabe, they also destroyed the Zimbabwean economy - a situation that forced many ordinary Zimbabweans, to cross the crocodile-infested Limpopo River, to South Africa, to escape the hell on earth, which Mugabe's Zimbabwe had become. He has done his best to try and keep Zimbabwe out of the clutches of its erstwhile exploiters, at all costs.

However, it appears that ordinary Zimbabweans, caught in the middle, in the Titanic struggle between the determined Mr.Mugabe, and the equally determined foreigners (wanting a foot in the door, in Zimbabwe, in order to be able to exploit its many riches, yet again - with their local Zimbabwean stooges' help!); are tired of the suffering, which they have had to endure, all these years, and have opted to try their luck now, by throwing in their lot, with the stooges for Western interests, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC.

Mr. Mugabe would be wise to retire gracefully, now - and hand over power, to those, whom the people of Zimbabwe, have indicated, they now want to rule them, going forward. Clearly, they have done so in the hope, that their lot will now improve, with the change in regimes.

There are many, who will say, that God has answered the prayers of ordinary Zimbabweans, in their hour of need. The people of Zimbabwe have spoken. It is said that the voice of the people, is the voice of God. Mr. Mugabe must listen to them: he must do the decent thing - step down, and leave the scene, peacefully, now. A word to the wise...

UK CORPORATE BOND ISSUE: IS GHANA TELECOM HEADING FOR THE SLIPPERY SLOPE?

Like many ordinary Ghanaians, I am extremely worried, about our country's future. Today, many greedy and dishonest African politicians, who yesterday, when out of power, and in the political wilderness, did not have the nous, to call for the cancellation, of the largely-tainted foreign debt, piled up across the continent, by crooked and repressive regimes (many of which grew rich stealing foreign aid and local taxpayers' money!), are now busy finding, ever more sophisticated methods, to rip their nations off.

A classic example, was Ghana's irresponsible foray, into the piranha-infested capital markets, of the West (the outrageous US$750 million sovereign bond issue - now looking even more daft: for, with US interest rates tumbling to record lows, its an even heavier debt burden, for taxpayers to carry!).

And cheeky public officials, asked, when that madness was first mooted, what plan they specifically had in place, to meet the regular interest payments (to the overseas investors, who were prescient enough, to pile into that naive African bonanza), simply stonewalled!

And as we speak, even parliament, apparently, does not know, what exactly we borrowed the money for; how we propose to meet interest payments; and precisely how much Ghana paid, in underwriting fees, to the extremely well-connected, financial wizards - who manoeuvred our country, into this madness, for private gain (in the golden age, of endless self-seeking, under the most hypocritical regime, ever seen in Ghana, thus far!).

By now, our greedy and hypocritical high net worth oligarchs, have, of course, got the art of "chopping-Ghana-small," down to a fine art. And well-rewarded mercenary hacks, with cotton wool between their ears, and clueless about the financial services industry, were dispatched to pollute the airwaves, with their ignorance - to make ordinary Ghanaians feel, that their nation had somehow, suddenly become the financial equal, of solvent nations!

It was precisely the same well-funded media blitzkrieg, which decent people were swamped with, when our country was also manoeuvred, into giving away the "golden share", in a company, which owned the richest single gold mine, in the world (alas, also for private gain - at mother Ghana's expense!).

And now, apparently, in spite of the fact that we are said to have a thriving stock market, which has seen the over subscription, time and time again, of one IPO after the next, Ghana Telecom, has chosen the fixed income securities route, and has issued bonds in London, to enable it refinance existing debt - at what rates of interest, and for what level of existing debt, we are not told.

And if you live in a nation, in which secrecy in corporate boardrooms, makes the shenanigans concerning shipments, and movements, of small arms, by our secret services, look like a model of good governance transparency, its extremely worrying, to see media headlines, celebrate the rather murky and risky business, of debt refinancing, announcing proudly: "GT lands 200 million bonds."

Yet, we are actually talking about a company that is possibly putting its continued existence at risk - not one that has been blessed with a bountiful windfall! And this, dear reader, is the profession,which proudly calls iself, the 4th branch of government - and claims that it exists to protect the national interest! Hmmm, Ghana. Erye asem, O!

What hope is there, when possible trouble ahead, is celebrated, by the very professionals supposed to pose the right questions, who apparently don't even know, what to ask? Who, in the media, is asking, for instance, whether Iroko's torturous genealogy, is designed to hide its loss-making past, perhaps?

And who is wondering aloud, if the choice of an offshore location, (Mauritius) as the domicile of the company, hides anything? Who are the individual shareholders of the company - and is there a Ghanaian or Nigerian connection, to the company? And who are their Ghanaian associates, if any?

Has any one questioned how a company making losses not too long ago, found its way into the GT boardroom - and talked its way into being appointed the issuing house for the bonds? Was it not actually a loss-making entity, hived off by its parent, because it was hemorrhaging badly?

And above all, how much did they charge as underwriting fees - and how does that compare, with the industry standard? We must also not forget that the famous"light touch" of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the UK's financial services' regulatory authorities, has led to a lack of transparency in certain sectors of the industry.

Consequently, we must never think that companies based in London, are angels, in terms of ethics and full disclosure, in the industry: which has spawned all manner of "smoke-and-mirrors-type" of financial products and instruments. Clever Africans, may base their operations in London, precisely to get the benefits, of the cathet, in Africa, of being based there: to lure the unwary, and innocents abroad!

The reported remarks of GT's board chairperson about making improvements, in the mobile and fixed line services, were extremely vague. Precisely what is the debt for? Is it to pay back or restructure old debt, for which the company possibly cannot maintain payments - and if so, just what is the quantum, of existing debt?

Clearly, any company that is over-geared, is not at a good place - for, it will find it difficult to create a cash surplus: which means it will require new earnings.Question is, in a telecoms climate of such fierce competition, will GT make enough money from its wireless broadband internet service; mobile; and fixed line services, to secure those new earnings?

And since this is a nation in which even the seat of government, apparently serves as a clearing-house for kickbacks (according to a former chairperson of the ruling party!), how do we know that secret payments to big-wigs, is not what was the driving factor, which led the company and the issuing house, to opt for the same idiotic financial equivalent, of a millstone around GT's neck, which our penchant, for opting for long-term fixed-income securities, with high interest rates, represents - an outcome, which could eventually turn out, to be disastrous, for GT: and undermine its long-term stability?

It will be interesting to know how GT's new debt compares to the telecoms industry in Ghana. And perhaps some of the overpaid analysts in the financial services industry, will give us, after the necessary fundamental analysis, comparisons, between companies in the telecoms industry, in Ghana. But above all, GT must allay the fears of those of us, who feel that not opting for the stock market, was an error of judgement, of the most egregious kind. At the very least, it must tell Ghanaians how it plans to repay the bonds!

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE FIRST POST'S EDITOR!

Dear Sir,

As an African example (albeit one with virtually no formal education, I must confess!), of the breed of the species, referred to by your Mr. Roger Alton, in his March 24, 2008 First Post article, entitled: "The dump accomplices to petty authoritarianism", I am fascinated by the picture conjured up in the mind's eye, of the amazing world, which he ultimately dreams of : a nation-state, in which the Leviathan, has been completely emasculated: and puny humans, including even Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, roam completely free, doing as they please, regardless!

That paradise of the imagination, evoked by the fantasies of today's "know-it-all" neo cons, would be a very interesting place, indeed. The question is, precisely how do the Roger Altons of this world, propose to deal with the many Al Qaeda would-be mass-murderers - determined to a man, to send to early graves, countless innocents, such as commuters in London and New York?

Or would such monsters - spawned by the mad and evil ideology, of fundamentalist religious hatred, propagated by the blasphemous Osama bin Ladens, of today - simply be outlawed by a stroke of the top-dog neo con's pen?

Since the neo cons want to roll back the state, would one be right in assuming that there will be no outlawing of any brainwashed, Islamic fundamentalist would-be mass murderers, in the neo cons' new heaven on earth?

That is the conundrum, Leviathans the world over face - balancing individual freedom and the need for tough measures (including surveillance of individuals and groups!), to protect society.

And it is that, that makes "dump accomplices "( knowing perfectly well, that fundamentalists too, would also have complete freedom to do as they please, in the surveillance-free world, desired by the Roger Altons of this world), wonder, just how the free society, of this neo-con Nirvana of individual freedom, would protect itself, from such unalloyed evil!

Perhaps, to get round that little local difficulty, the mad and dangerous abomination, represented by the outrageous and blasphemous notion, put about, by the very evil Osama bin Ladens of today (and which conditions fundamentalist Islamic myrmidons, into believing, that conspiring to kill tens of thousands of innocent "infidels", just because they happen to live in London or New York, is somehow pleasing, in the eyes of Allah), would be the predominant ideology, in that cloud-cuckoo-land, of complete individual freedom (from the tiresome strictures, one presupposes, of the Aunt Sally Leviathan, that is the modern "nanny-nation-state"!) : the neo-con Nirvana of complete individual freedom? Whatever next, one wonders?

Yours faithfully,

Kofi Thompson.

BARACK OBAMA: WOULD AMERICA'S LOSS BE AFRICA'S GAIN?

If America rejects the brilliant Senator Barack Obama, simply because of the colour of his skin, perhaps, he ought to consider running for the Kenyan presidency, some day!

Speaking as an African, who believes in democracy, I do think that Africa could do, with a man of such outstanding leadership talent. He could, indeed, turn out to be, the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, of the 21st century - and lead us to the new African Renaissance!


But America would be wise to take a chance with this Jack-Kennedy-like political genius: for, in addition to healing that festering wound of racism, which debilitates America so much; he could also definitely repair, most of the egregious harm , done to America's image abroad, by the neo-cons' crass and shameful insensitivity, to the desire for a place under God's sun, by the rest of the world's peoples.

The truth of the matter, is that America must win friends and influence people, abroad - if it is to be successful, at living in peaceful co-existence, with the rest of the world.

It is the obduracy, of the belligerent neo cons, which fuels the demagoguery, of blasphemous and evil mass-murderers, such as Osama Bin Laden: who thinks, unbelievably, that murdering tens of thousands of innocent people, around the world, by getting misguided Islamic innocents, to blow themselves up, is somehow pleasant, in the eyes of Allah. What blasphemy!

It is futile for a major democratic nation, with such fine traditions of freedom and the rule of law, as America, to seek to dominate the world, by sheer brute military force (whether of the conventional type - or the out-sourced, private-sector, Blackwater, "contractor-variety"!), no matter how powerful it might be: for, in the end, it only diminishes it, morally. Period.

IS A DEMOCRACY RULED BY GREEDY AND HYPOCRITICAL ROGUES, WORTH PRESERVING?

Not being very well of late, I have been reflecting on my life, a great deal. As a patriot who loves his country, my dying wish, is that our nation will be led by men and women, who are truly decent human beings - who have the vision, to transform Ghanaian society, with the revenues expected from Ghana's oil find.

The idea that our oil wealth might end up enriching only a powerful and greedy few - as it has done in Nigeria - has set me thinking about the nature of political power, in our homeland Ghana: and the ends to which it ought to be put.

In my view, Ghana ought to follow the example of Venezuela (and the other nations that have nationalised their oil industries), in managing its oil find - by nationalising it: and compensating the companies currently drilling for oil here, fairly!

It will be far better for our nation, to use the business model, of a joint-venture partnership, between the Ghana National Peteroleum Corporation, and the biggest and best-resourced, of China's state-owned oil companies (on a 70%-30% basis, with the bigger stake going to GNPC - and its shares paid for, from future profits!), to exploit our oil deposits. Ditto with the Russian state-owned gas-giant, Gazprom, to exploit our natural gas deposits. And we must be prepared to think the unthinkable, in many areas of our national life, to ensure just such an outcome.

There is no doubt that the 4th Republic, is a creature designed specifically, to suit the leadership style, of the man who led the military dictatorship, which preceded it: and to enable the dictatorship of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) to continue wielding political power, by metamorphosing into a civilian democratically elected constitutional regime.

It follows a priori, that the political party, used as the vehicle, to attain that end, is a fraudulent creature too, does it not, dear reader? And I find the idea, that because of this fraudulent creature, progressives will most probably not succeed in winning power in the December elections, simply intolerable.

Why should the Left pass up the best opportunity they have ever had, of returning to power, since the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah - just because the arrogant "owner" of that creature, does not have the humility, and the wisdom, to understand, that he must be prepared to disolve it: if that will help the right conditions to be created, to enable the fragmented Left in Ghanaian politics, to reunite, before it is too late; and prevent a terrible disaster, from striking us, in December 2008? A return to power again, at this critical juncture, in our nation's history, by the incompetent, tribalistic and greedy hypocrites, now in power, simply doesn't bear thinking, dear reader!

But before we proceed any further, we must pause: and ask ourselves a few questions, dear reader. Was the the coup of 31st December, 1981, an act of treason? And was it led by a man, who once led a regime, which came into being, as a result of an armed uprising, by junior military officers, and the other ranks? And did that regime execute senior military officers (some, top-ranking generals, who had once been heads of state), because they had previously staged coup d'etats?

If those who are elected to power in the December 2008 elections, turn out to be just as hypocritical and as greedy as those currently ruling our nation (and those who handed over power to them in January 2001), and proceed to rip our country off, in the provision of infrastructure: by delivering projects, which are not built according to design specifications - because their kickbacks have had to be factored into the cost of the project by the contractors: resulting in poor quality roads and public buildings with inherent structural weaknesses, then it would be in the national interest, to remove them from power - and by force of arms, if necessary.

For, under no circumstances will Ghanaians tolerate the appropriation of Ghana's oil wealth, by men and women with greedy ambitions - at the expense of ordinary people. If that were to happen, it will be necessary to take extreme measures, to safeguard our oil revenues, so that they can be used, to bring about social transformation, in Ghana.

I posit, that it will not be treasonable, under those circumstances, to take up arms, to bring the fraudulent 4th Republic to an end: in order to try for treason, those who illegaly removed from power, the elected regime of the late Dr. Hilla Limman, of blessed memory (and bring to a halt, once and for all, the affront to our dignity as a people, represented by that continuing illegality - protected by those outrageous constitutitonal clauses, known as the "transitional provisions"- which we have had to tolerate, since 1992), and replace it with a new 5th Republic: which will be created under conditions of true freedom, and the hallmark of which, will be a constitution, which will have clear separation of powers, between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

It will also make provision for funding the legislature and the judiciary - as well as the institutions created to fight corruption and the abuse of power, such as the Serious Fraud Office and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice - from the consolidated fund - to ensure their independence.

We will simply not permit the frittering away of our oil wealth, by a greedy and crafty political class, which, some 51 years after our independence, has not even had the nous, to ensure a quality of life for ordinary Ghanaians, which at the barest minimum, makes it possible for them to have uninterrupted supply of treated drinking water; constant supply of electric power; affordable health-care, available within reasonable distances; to live in a society in which public safety is assured; live in a nation in which all families, not just wealthy ones, can afford to send their children to university if those children have the aptitude to study to tertiary level; and above all, to live in a nation that is not slowly being engulfed in filth!

A democracy, which does not ensure a good quality of life for all its citizens, after 51 years of independence, is certainly not one worth preserving - particularly if it becomes obvious to all discerning individuals, that it only provides a legal framework, for clever crooks, to come to power, and enrich themselves: at the rest of society's expense.

The use of our oil wealth, for the sole purpose, of bringing about social transformation, in our homeland Ghana, is non negotiable - and ordinary Ghanaians will never allow those who come to power to enrich themselves at Ghana's expense, to lay their dirty, greedy hands, on our oil wealth - and use democracy as a protective cloak, to enable them " chop Ghana, small." Never again. Period.

AFTER KENYA'S NEAR-DISASTER: GHANA'S TRADITIONAL RULERS MUST ADAPT TO NEW AFRICAN REALITIES!

To paraphrase the famous American novelist and social critic, Upton Sinclair, we don't have to be satisfied with our country as we find it. We can change it. Compared to many an African country, Ghana is a marvellous oasis of peace and stability, in a continent, in which both, are in short supply. And in spite of the many mercenaries in the media (beholden to both the ruling party and the parties in opposition), we have one of the most vibrant media landscapes anywhere in Africa - and although we often condemn our rulers, Ghana is governed relatively more transparently, than most nations in Africa: for, in the main, our national institutions work: even if some do, only feebly!

The forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, will be the most important, since Nkrumah's overthrow, on 24th February, 1966 - for, for the first time since we gained our independence, we will, if our rulers have the wisdom to recognise, and understand, that singular fact, have the wherewithal to enable us transform Ghana, from an impoverished nation, into a prosperous society: one that exists for the common weal.

For that to happen, we must, at all costs, make sure that we devise strategies, which will ensure that our oil wealth, unlike our gold and other mineral resources, is never allowed, to enrich the shareholders of foreign oil companies, in the main, to our nation's detriment - but that rather, every pesawa of it, is harnessed, to transform Ghanaian society: and turn it into one, in which all Ghanaians, not just a powerful few, with greedy ambitions, live well: and none of our people, falls below an agreed minimum standard of living.

It is incumbent on all the political parties in Ghana, to work closely, together with the Electoral Commission (EC), to ensure that all the necessary measures are put into place, so that at the end of the day, the results of the December 2008 elections, will, actually reflect the true wishes, of the people of Ghana. The events in the aftermath of the Kenyan elections, show clearly, just how fragile the stability of nations, which were created, in effect, by the bringing together, of many different tribal groupings (some of which had been ancient rivals), into nation-states, which did not enjoy, the total loyalty, of many of their citizenry, can be.

It is in this vein, that painful though it is, to many Ghanaians, we must, nonetheless, and of necessity, point it out plainly, and clearly, to those of our traditional rulers, who constantly hark back, to the pre-colonial traditional feudal era, that for the sake of the unity of mother Ghana, they can never be allowed to revive the past glories, of their predecessors - as that can only be done at the expense of the peace, stability and cohesion, of our homeland Ghana: something ordinary Ghanaians are simply not prepared to countenance or compromise over. Period.

The time has therefore come for progressives in Ghana, to make it absolutely clear, to all Ghana's traditional rulers, that the unity of the Ghanaian nation-state, is a non-negotiable issue - and that we are prepared to bring the 4th Republic to an end, if need be: and create a new 5th Republic, which will make the Leviathan that is the enterprise Ghana, one, in which, like the Federal Republic of India, Ghana's equivalent of India's Maharajahs, our traditional rulers, play no official role whatsoever, in our national life.

It is in the light of this, that we must sound a note of caution, to those traditional rulers, who seek to force traditional rulers in other regions, to bend to their whims and caprices. It does not matter to us one jot, whether a traditional ruler's predecessors (be they erstwhile kings of pre-colonial era Dagbon; Ga Dangbe; Anlo; Denkyira; Fante; Asante; or Akwapim; or Mamprussi; etc. etc.), had empires, which were the biggest, humankind has ever seen: or that their predecessors were the mightiest rulers who ever walked on the surface of the planet Earth - it is all history, as far as Ghana's progressives, are concerned: and does not impress us, one bit.

This is a Republic, in which no kingdoms exist - and all Ghana's traditional rulers must accept that bald fact. We may respect them, but we love our country, even more, than we hold them in high esteem - and we will never tolerate any attempt to roll back the sovereign national territory, of our Republic. Period. If any Chief appoints Chiefs across regional boundaries, they must simply make room for them to sit in their own regional house of Chiefs - and not seek to impose those Chiefs on other regional houses of Chiefs, regardless: and in the process stir up ancient tribal rivalries; which could set our country ablaze - as tribal hatred, nearly destroyed Kenya, only just recently: but for the wisdom of our own Busummuru Kofi Annan! A word to the wise.... --

FREMAA BUSIA'S LAMENT FOR GHANAIAN DEMOCRACY!

Ohemaa, on the day of the anniversary of the overthrow of our founding father, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, I could not help, but reflect, on the Ghana of today - especially coming as it did, in the wake of the visit to Ghana, by the leader of the very nation, which was at the forefront of the duplicitous and self-seeking alliance of neo-colonialist regimes that engineered Nkrumah's overthrow.

That intervention directly led to so many wasted decades - those tragic years during which our nation has been a vassal of the neo-colonialists. Their local lackeys have, in the meantime, run our nation strictly in their and their foreigner sponsors' interests, since that day of infamy (and abomination), when tragedy befell mother Ghana so cruelly and so brutally: February 24th, 1966.

I have filed the many examples, of the disgraceful fawning on Mr. "Thats-Baloney-Bull-Dubya" Bush: on display so glaringly and irritatingly, during the visit of the American leader, under the title: "Begging-bowl Diplomacy's Superpower Fetes Leader of World's Only Remaining Economic and Military Superpower!" in the "organic computer" in between my ears.

Those visual irritations will forever be etched in my mind's eye as manifestations of the deadly virus, known as: "lack-of-self-belief " which afflicts so many of the members of our ruling elite!

Yes, you are so right, Ohemaa: future generations will not forgive Nkrumaists, if they fail to unite, in order to win power again - and ensure that the bestowing of a second-chance opportunity at nation-building on our homeland Ghana by Providence, which the discovery of large deposits of high grade crude oil and natural gas off our coastline represents, is not squandered, by those ever-profligate members of our political class.

You mentioned the lamentations of Fremaa Busia - but weep not for her, Ohemaa: for, her father, like the few powerful tribal supremacists who dominate the hypocritical crowd now in charge of our nation, was, in essence, a ghastly fuedalist who was beholden to, and enthralled by, the elitist English philosopher Edmund Burke.

They are all unreconstructed "Devine-right-to-rule"

feudalists who only masquerade as believers in democracy, in order to make it possible for them to successfully lead the ordinary Ghanaian up a very convenient garden path, deliberately named democracy - simply to psychologically disarm the doubting Tawiahs, amongst the Ghanaian masses: a much-deceived section of society.

And ordinary people are indeed right to be wary, Ohemaa, for they are being asked, simply on blind faith, to trod a well-worn path in today's Ghanaian politics: and grope their way through the miasma of unfathomable greed, which is enveloping a nation in which public discourse has become an obstacle course in ethics - and speaking the truth has morphed into the intellectual equivalent of finding one's way out of a particularly fiendish and complicated maze of deception, called: "The-super-smart-BNI-propaganda-maze."

And it is carefully maintained at great public expense: using the outsourcing business model, by our secret services - which deploy their lackeys in the media for that purpose.

And a motley team of prevaricating; over-zealous; and largely dim-witted regime guard-dogs, busy themselves day after profitable day feeding fat on hard-pressed taxpayers' money.

And our secret services apparently regularly funnel zillions of the public funds, to countless media houses: most of them without credibility; and scores of buffoonish-hacks, full of over-blown ideas about themselves: exhibitionist and garrulous spin doctors, laying siege to decency and freedom of expression, on a daily basis, on our airwaves and television screens - shameless men and women, with neither conscience nor principle!

I gather she calls our hypocrite-in-chief a "dictator" - hmmm, aye asem o, Ohemaa! Her scholarly father, and his ideological bedfellow and soul-mate, Dr. J.B.Danquah, made lucrative careers out of dazzling sundry racist neo-colonialists with verbal picture-portraits, some framed masterfully. They created mental murals made with magical words, that are forever entombed in the hallowed pages of big-tomes and hallowed repositories for antiquities.

They assiduously painted a picture of an apparently sophisticated and exotic "noble-savage-world". That reality was that of an unjust feudalistic African society, aspects of which were evoked so vividly, by the writing skills of the erudite and scholarly Kwame Anthony Appiah's New York Times article, published on March 18, 2007.

The few powerful tribal supremacists who dominate Fremaa Busia's father's political progeny today, so completely: and whose actions apparently occasioned her lament for Ghanaian democracy, could have come straight out of the absurd feudal world, portrayed in that article.

Their world is the same cruel and vain world - and it is full of the same absurd individuals, in that Nerw York Times article: caricatures in a barren landscape, which is an intellectual backwater full of self-important philistines; a feudal social jungle of meanness presided over by a narrow-minded ruling elite.

Remarkably, they share a mindset and a world-view, very similar in kind to the absurd mental-outlook, of the haughty and ridiculous men and women who fancied they were "well-born" natural rulers, in the pre-colonial feudal age. By Divine right, they had to be at the apex of what passed (laughingly, true egalitarians would say, Ohemaa!), for the cream of "high society" during the golden age of Oseikrom's tribal supremacists (our local version of the Western world's odious white supremacists!).

Yes, it is a pity we have only just stumbled upon that article, Ohemaa. But we can still point out a few home truths to the author, about the Ghana of today: One of them being the fact that were his illustrious Asante warrior forebear, the military general, Akroma-Ampim, to be alive today, he would definitely not be a man feted for his war-time exploits.

On the contrary, he would probably be cooling his heel, in a prison cell, somewhere in Holland - awaiting his turn to face the same judges now trying Liberia's former leader, Charles Taylor, for crimes against humanity!

As for his dear and shy "Auntie" living as a lonely and unwanted spinster in one of his wealthy family's many houses, in Oseikrom, perhaps it escapes our philosopher that since we are all descended from apes, any close and detailed examination of her DNA and that of the descendants of his illustrious forebear, "General" Akroma-Ampim, would doubtless reveal that indeed, she had absolutely no reason to feel any less human, than any of those so-called well-born relations of her dear and kind "nephew" : as they are actually all blood-relations, who hail from different branches, of the same bushy and extra-tall, family tree! Hmmm, Ghana, aye asem o, Ohemaa!

Ohemaa, we must endeavour to find the email address of the current headteacher of the Nyaduom village primary school, whose inhabitants are apparently now promoted to be "ethnically" Asante " - "if they are anything"( one gathers from our philosopher!).

We must inform him that far from allowing the nonsense on bamboo stilts, that their status is "one of hereditary inferiority to free Ashanti," to persist, the people of Nyaduom must always remember that they are proud and free citizens of the modern African nation-state called Ghana: and that it is a democracy in which all citizens are equal before the law - and no one is anyone's slave!

And furthermore, we must tell them to ponder the fact that if the boot had been on the other foot, so to speak, and by a quirk of fate their ancestors (who were merely defeated in a single battle, by a more brutal and murderous foe, after all), had had to face an Asante army, which suddenly and mysteriously became afflicted with an epidemic of diarrhea conjured by the powerful juju of a compatriot of theirs, who had been a herbalist of renown in his time, who also doubled as a fetish priest and military general, during wartime, the story would have been so different - as the "ahenema" sandals of slavery, would have been firmly on the "well-born" feet of that snooty crowd!

And the "forever-gossiping-lackey" and spy, of Kwame Anthony Appiah's family, the old man, who felt ashamed that the world would think that he was an inhabitant of Nyaduom (and consequently, always prefaced his endless and arrogant drivel with a reminder that Nyaduom was not his actual hometown - it being a village of slaves - but that he merely resided there), would today proudly be beating his chest every time the opportunity presented itself: and boldly inform the world that he was from a village called Nyaduom, which was full of conquering heroes! And such, are Africa's tribal supremacist snobs created, Ohemaa. Simply amazing!

The people of Nyaduom today, are incredibly fortunate: for, the very "history" for which their absurd "well-born" distant relations in Oseikrom's high society (who apparently so love having fancy dinner parties in massive drawing-rooms in posh mansions at Mbrom, and look down on others with such disdain!), despise them with such unrelenting and unceasing fervour, could turn out to be a lucrative drawing-card in community-based eco-tourism. For, Nyaduom is a fascinating eco-tourism destination, unique in African social and cultural tourism: because hitherto, it had been a garrison town settled by the 'slaves' of the celebrated Asante military hero, 'General' Akromah-Ampim! Hmmm, aye asem o, Ohemaa!

They could literally play host to millions of "back-to-roots" Africans from the Diaspora, over the coming years: each one of whom will pay handsomely for the privilege of enjoying a once-in-a- lifetime holiday experience, enjoying a self-tailored tour package, the highlight of which would be: "a 3-day pilgrimage home-coming home stay tour trip, with authentic ancient Asante families in Nyaduom" - thus empowering them economically in a sustainable manner. Hmmm, they may yet have the last laugh, Ohemaa!

And can you believe the absurdity of those disdainful beings, who people the ridiculous world of the so-called "well-born" in the 'high society' of Oseikrom: which spawns absurdities such as the bestowing on an African equivalent of a Queen consort in the 'civilised' world, with the title: "Lady" - simply because Diana, Princess of Wales, once upon a time was known as Lady Diana Spencer? Hmmm, aye asem o!

Do you not think, Ohemaa, that because of their penchant for constantly meddling in affairs of state at the highest levels, perhaps the time has now come for certain facts to be pointed out to them?

Perhaps we ought to point it out plainly to them, the existence of that singular legal fact of life in the Ghana of today: the fact that the Ghanaian nation-state, founded by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is a unitary republic in which all Ghanaian citizens are equal before the law (in a nation in which the rule of law is said to prevail!)?

Ought we also not make it clear to them that that bald legal fact of life, in the Ghana of today, has many consequences - a major one being the fact that our country has no room for "mickey-mouse" 'kingdoms' of any size or shape, in any spot in the landmass of the sovereign nation-state called the Republic of Ghana?

And that it implies, therefore, for example, that hypothetically, were any sitting Kumasihene to be caught conspiring with some of the tribal supremacists currently ruling Ghana (at any point in time, going forward: after the current ruling party loses the December 2008 elections and is turfed out of power from 7th January, 2009), to try and get a part of our nation to secede from Nkrumah's Ghana, technically, all of them, including whoever that particularly unwise Kumasihene might be at that point in time, would be put before the law courts?

Progressives in the Ghana of today, would not hesitate to put traditional rulers caught engaging in such treasonable acts, on trial: and if found guilty, and sentenced to death, have them locked up literally for life. Period.

Such tribal supremacists would be wise to understand that Ghanaians of today, Ohemaa, are certainly not the slaves of any people, anywhere, on the surface of the planet Earth! Ohemaa, asem ebaba debi o, hmmmm. Do stay blessed, fellow Nkrumaist and pan-Africanist! May God bless and protect our homeland Ghana always. Long live freedom! Long live Ghana!

Dr. Richard Annane Not Fit For Government!

Soon the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) gravy-train will make an unscheduled stop at parliament, to pick up yet one more hypocrites for its jam-packed first class carriage - reserved specially for the cleverest and most ruthless of the NPP's high net worth hypocrites. Incredible.


The question, dear reader, which many an astonished and decent-minded Ghanaian is asking is: Just what signal does Ghana's current leader think that he is sending out to the world, about morality in Ghanaian public life, in re-appointing a known philanderer of the very worst kind - in a nation wracked by HIV/AIDS but which alas is in denial?

The time has now come for all decent-minded people in our country to make their disapproval of the loose morals of so many public officials in Ghana, absolutely clear to our ruling elite. Period.

What public officials do in their private life, does have a bearing on the way they conduct themselves in office - and should therefore be a matter of some concern to all of us.

In a nation in which at least ten citizens are said by some to be infected by the HIV/AIDS virus every day, the sexuality of the men and women who Ghanaians elect into office, should be a matter of public concern - particularly when they are so reckless that they are prepared to risk their own lives and that of their innocent partners by being unfaithful: in a nation, awash with HIV/AIDS, and in which chastity has become a rare virtue.

Clearly, in life one is either honest, or one isn't - for, honesty is not a virtue that can be compartmentalised: such that an individual is honest in one particular area of his or her life but thoroughly dishonest in yet another area of his or her life.

And if you consider the practicalities involved in cheating on a partner: the duplicity and the endless lying it entails, it soon becomes obvious that you do not want characters like that to be in charge of your country, if you are someone with principles who leads a decent life on a daily basis.

But alas, when you live in a society in which people from the highest echelons of leadership can even be involved in scandals in which pornographic videos, which depict the most torrid and lurid sexual acts being performed (and which apparently circulate freely!), what can one expect, dear reader?

One of the most important qualities of any leader, is that he or she is someone who always has a truthful nature. And in a nation, in which many people are on the fiddle, in one form or the other, the importance of having leaders, who are totally honest, cannot be overemphasised.

Dr. Richard Annane's infidelity to his wife, was particularly reprehensible: for, he broke his marriage vows, at a period when he had travelled overseas, at the hard-pressed Ghanaian taxpayers' expense, to represent his country, in a conference to discuss the scourge of HIV/AIDS: a health condition, which used to pose the single most dangerous threat, to the very survival and continued well-being, of the Ghanaian nation-state, but now ranks second, after the threat posed to our country, by the impact of global climate change.

Thus the purported re-appointment of Dr. Richard Annane, is most unfortunate - and every decent-minded Ghanaian, ought to condem it, and urge the members of the vetting committee of parliament, to reject him: for, he has clearly shown, by that singular act of betrayal, of his wife, that he is not a trustworthy individual. Period.

There are many decent-minded Ghanaians who feel strongly about the lack of morality in our public life - and are thoroughly fed up with the way things currently are in that respect.

For many Ghanaians Dr. Annane's re-appointment reflects and illustrates perfectly the sorry pass to which our nation has come.

Such Ghanaians object to Dr. Richard Annane returning to government, in the strongest possible terms - and urge the members of the appointments committee of parliament, to reject him: for the sake of all those decent Ghanaian women cheated over the years, by their duplicitous and unfaithful partners (and vice versa!).

It is precisely the prevalence of low moral standards at the highest levels in government, dear reader, which enables women with questionable characters, like the Julia Cottons and Gizzelle Yadzis of this world, to come into our country, and succeed in embroiling high public officials, in financial scandals - because leaders in charge of our country, expected by the citizenry, to be principled and high-minded, could not keep their pants down, when confronted with the wiles, of those pretty-faced Jezebels.

And if we are all agreed that one is either honest or one isn't because there can be no "halfway-house" in the matter of truthfulness, then obviously, as a people, we cannot be expected to tolerate those whom we elect to govern our country, to be individuals who are honest in one set of circumstances, when it suits them, and be dishonest, in a different set of circumstances, when it suits them - particularly when it comes to taking kick-backs, on government infrastructural projects, from contractors!

One is either honest or one isn't: And in breaking his marriage vows, on the occasion he did, Dr. Richard Annane showed that he is not trustworthy - and is consequently not fit to hold the high office of government minister.

Those charged with the responsibility of vetting individuals nominated by the president to serve their country in various areas in our national life, must reject Dr. Richard Annane - to send a clear message that men or women with loose morals, will not be allowed to serve in government. Period!

WHY PRESIDENT BUSH IS NOT WELCOME TO GHANA!

Over the years, since Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966, progressive pan-Africanists on the continent (a group that includes most Nkrumaists ), have learnt to be extremely wary, of the American Establishment.

A widely-held view amongst Nkrumaists, is that the US Establishment, has always gone to great lengths, to identify and provide support, for local lackeys, of neo-colonialism: through whom they actively work, to achieve the imperialist agenda, in nations like Ghana.

However, nothing strikes more fear, in the hearts of neo-colonialists, than the vision of a united Africa, led and peopled, by progressive pan-Africanists - who have the type of political awareness, which makes them protectors of Africa's interests: as opposed to being stooges for neo-colonialism.

The frightening spectre of an African continent, full of such new Africans, who could not be relied on, to allow, and even help, in the continued plunder, of the resources of the continent, concentrated the minds of the neo-colonialists, wonderfully, during the Nkrumah era.

And the urgent need to eliminate the brilliant and progressive Nkrumah, who was raising the consciousness of Africans, all the time he was in power, was made clear, by the then British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Snelling, who said, inter alia, in a dispatch, sent on the 15th September 1961, to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (and to MI5): "His knack of giving expression to the feelings of so many Africans, who are all the time rapidly becoming more politically conscious, is exasperating.....We shall be be better off without him."

Thanks to declassified C.I.A and US State Department documents, we all now know, dear reader, that to achieve that end, Ghana's economy was callously and deliberately strangled, throughout the 1960's, in a determined bid, to make Nkrumah unpopular amongst the masses, by Western nations: acting in concert, to deny desperately needed financial aid, to the Nkrumah regime - whiles their two-faced diplomats accredited to Ghana, spoke with forked tongues, to continuously assure Nkrumah, that they would come to his aid, during their meetings with him: chief amongst them, being the duplicitous US ambassador to Ghana, at the time, Amassador Richard D. Mahoney: whom Nkrumah considered a personal friend.

And so it came to pass, that on the 24th of February 1966, having received payment of the princely sum of US$ 13 million, from the C.I.A., to overthrow Nkrumah (and promised even more, if they succeeded in murdering him!), a group of traitors in Ghana's military and police, staged a bloody coup d'etat, to bring to an end, Nkrumah's vision and mission, of ushering in the new African Renaissance.

In a subsequent briefing paper to President Johnson, on March 12 1966 (declassified document 260) the then acting special assistant for national security affairs, Mr.Robert W. Komer, in assessing the Ghana coup, noted: "The coup in Ghana" he wrote in jubilation, "...is another example of fortuitous windfall. Nkrumah was doing more to undermine our interests than any other black African. In reaction to his strongly pro-communist leanings, the new military regime is almost pathetically pro-Western. "

And that, dear reader, is how the tragedy of the modern Ghanaian nation-state's continued dependence, on the Western world, began: and has turned our country, into a superpower, in begging-bowl diplomacy.

And today we have come full circle - and our nation is yet again in the firm grip, of the lackeys of neo-colonialism: and the US Establishment is actively using them, to promote its own interests here - at the expense of Ghanaians and their nation.

Nothing has changed: the political progeny of the military regime of 1966, which overthrew Nkrumah, the current regime of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is just as pathetic, in its pro-Western stance - and is probably despised, in equal measure, by the neo-cons in the current US administration, for being such enthusiastic stooges for neo-colonialism: and assiduously helping self-seeking foreign interests, in the plunder of our nation's wealth!

And it is for that reason, amongst many others, that the visit of President Bush is not welcomed by progessives in Ghana. For, they regard it as a subtle attempt, by the US Establishment, to influence the course of the December elections, in favour, of today's stooges for neo-colonialism - on whom they are depending, to ensure access to West Africa, for America's war machine: on which the US Establishment ultimately depends, to secure our oil reserves ( a la Iraq-stlye, if need be!). Hmmm, Ghana - aye asem o!

NPP'S ASTONISHING AND SHAMEFUL CYNICISM!

The cynicism of our political class never ceases to amaze me. Not too long ago, I remarked to a friend, in reference to our rather well-spoken and cultured (unlike the "bush" tribal supremacists in her crowd!), minister for information and national orientation, Mrs. Oboshie Sai-Cofie, that the policies of the regime of which she is an apparently much-favoured member, amounted to the political equivalent, of pinning mother Ghana down, to facilitate the gang-rape of our country (by sundry apparently 'respectable', high net worth oligarchs, whom, if the bush telegraph is to be believed, are nothing more, than politically well-connected white collar criminals!).

It appears that that criticism stung some of the female supporters, of the unimaginative regime, which we are currently lumbered with: including, one gathers (although I cannot personally vouch for it!), the minister for information, who is the very embodiment, of quintessential Ghanaian middle class chic!

And as is typical of a regime full of politicians, of the kind, a neighbour of mine once uncharitably described as: "...well-educated geniuses, who also happen to be "chew-and-pour" (learning by rote, to the uninitiated!) 'imbeciles' with Ph.D's," our rulers have dreamt up what they probably think will mollify, a nation, outraged, by the glaring inequalities in wealth, in the Ghana of today.

The government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) apparently now proposes to hand out taxpayers' money, to selected "very poor families" in Ghana - as a response to the criticism that the masses are poorer today, than they were yesterday: at precisely a period when the rich have seldom been better off, in Ghana.

And this, in a nation in which nursing mothers with new-born babies, are routinely detained, in maternity wards of hospitals, across our nation: because those poor women are unable to pay for their hospital fees. Why not fund our hospitals properly instead - so they can cater for the very poor, who deliver babies in their maternity wards, without exhausting their minuscule budgets?

And grown-up government ministers, are apparently agog with excitement, because they are convinced that in coming up with this insane measure (which makes a complete nonsense, of the fiscal discipline they are so proud of), they are under the illusion they have discovered the holy grail of Ghanaian politics: the biggest "big idea", yet - guaranteed to enable Government lead the masses up the garden path, without them ever cottoning on, to that grand deception!

Where, dear reader, is the free money for the "very poor", going to come from? And how long can this lunacy last? And above all, precisely how many of the "very poor", exist in Ogyakrom? And this pure nonsense on bamboo stilts, the bright "big idea", is apparently emanating from the very heart of a regime, which, when it first assumed power, said it was coming to create an environment, in which business would so thrive, that future generations, would come to refer to their period in office, as the golden age of Ghanaian business.

You would think, dear reader, would you not, that to lift the very poor out of poverty, the government would seek to also create an environment, which would enable the very poor, too, to have access to (unsecured!) micro-credit: and pull themselves out of poverty, through their own personal initiative, and individual effort? So much for the lackeys for neo-colonialism's "less government, not more government" mantra! Like many things about our local neo-cons, that too, is a sham: just another "the-end-justifies-the-means" falsehood, amongst many falsehoods: mere conveniences, parroted endlessly, to cloak a Machiavellian ruthlessness - and determination to hang on to power, at all costs!

Those who suffer daily in it, often refer to Ghana, as "Ogyakrom": the hell on earth, created in Nkrumah's Ghana, for ordinary people, as a result of the unthinking adherence, by all the post-Nkrumah era regimes - but none more so, than the ruling NPP, and before it, the previous regime, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to the strict monetarist economic policies, so beloved, of the doctrinaire neo-cons, who stalk the corridors of power, in the Washington offices, of the Bretton Woods multilateral financial institutions.

And over the years it has resulted in the impoverishment of millions of ordinary Ghanaians - who often wonder, how it came to pass, that they were bypassed, so completely, by the economic 'boom', which has enabled Ghana to experience GDP growth rates of close to between 3 and 4% in real terms, on average, for the past few years.

On the whole, there is general agreement, in the country, that this sustained growth, has benefited only a privileged few - who can only see the upside, of an era of sustained economic growth, from which they alone have profited (and how mightily, too!), such as: the stabilisation of our currency; the creation of a boom in our capital markets; enrichment of sundry stock-brokerage firms, at the speed of lightning - and the earning of mega-salaries, by their fast-living, and grossly-overpaid employees; the accumulation of vast fortunes by the founders and owners of private sector non-banking financial services corporate entities - and above all, the empowerment, of the scions, of politically well-connected family clans, to become tycoons, overnight: enabling spectacularly dull middle-aged men and their siblings, previously not well-noted for financial brilliance, to metamorphose, into the owners of US $10 million-dollar hotels!

The bind, in all this, for the party in power today (which appears to be totally bereft of original thinkers!), is that it faces their party with a conundrum, at election time: how do you convince the impoverished masses, that as a result of the nation experiencing growth rates, of between 3 and 4%, on average, for the past few years, and thus ensuring, year after year, the constant pointing of the fundamental economic indicators, in a positive direction, quarter after quarter, and reporting year after reporting year, the ordinary person is consequently better off today, under the NPP's tenure, than he or she was, yesterday, under the tenure of the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime - when those same Ghanaians, insist, that the quality of their lives has deteriorated: and that they, do not feel the prosperity, which those in power trumpet so loudly, and endlessly, in their near-empty pockets?

Furthermore, irritatingly, and to the complete befuddlement of our super-clever rulers, those same 'ungrateful' ordinary people, seem to take for granted, the many impressive infrastructural projects, completed over the years, during the tenure of the party in power - and point out, rather sensibly, in my view, that that is the primary responsibility of all governments, elected to power, in our nation: and that in any case, it was taxpayers' money that was utilised for same: not the vast private fortunes, accumulated so rapidly, during their tenure, by our rulers!

The patent failure of the expensive sophistry, employed by this regime, to try and delude Ghanaians that they are experiencing the feel-good factor, is obvious to all, but the dullest, in our nation. For, despite the trillions of taxpayers' money spent by our secret services to date, during the NPP's tenure, thus far, there has been very little return, on that massive investment - in real terms!

Yet, it has involved the recruitment of a whole army of individuals and organisations, which have all sold their consciences for a handsome profit, and are actively engaged in pro-government propaganda, on the NPP's behalf.

Sadly compromised in this sophisticated scheme, designed to kill press freedom by stealth, have been: a dazzling array of media professionals; countless sycophantic media houses; as well as scores of dim-witted, praise-singing, serial callers (male and female!) - who constantly crucify the English language, as they attempt to justify the unjustifiable, subjecting decent people in the process, to a stock of parroted drivel, from the "political-deceivers-handbook": drilled into their tiny brains, by over-paid secret service handlers, tele-guiding them by text messages, on our television screens and airwaves! Hmmm, Ghana, aye Asem o!

Let me humbly point it out, dear reader, to the masters of the universe, currently in charge of Ghana, that selecting a number of poor people, and handing over hard-pressed taxpayers' money to them, for no reason, other than that Government wants them to feel they are sharing in the prosperity they see around them (some of it in the shape, for example, of a state-owned fleet, of some of the most expensive luxury vehicles in the world; and the long convoys of expensive spanking new SUV's, which move the small army of security personnel, who have to accompany our leaders, in order to protect them - from only heaven knows what!), is a cynical and unethical way, for any democratically elected government, to proceed.

For, what our nation rather desperately needs, is social transformation, which will make it possible for ordinary people too, to enjoy the following basic necessities of a civilised life: the right not to have to put up with living in a nation whose public space is drowning in filth, because no one in authority has the courage, to dismiss the incompetent buffoons, appointed in the distribution of political patronage, as district chief executives, and as municipal and metropolitan assembly chiefs; have access to good quality housing, at affordable rental rates; be provided with efficient and affordable utility services; have access to good public schools, from primary to tertiary level; live in a nation in which public safety is assured; and above all, become the citizens of a nation, in which taxpayers' money, is not frittered away, by unscrupulous politicians, in dubious vote-buying schemes, designed for the primary purpose, of giving bribes to a section of the voting public, to entice them to vote their benefactors, back into office.

Power, it is said, corrupts - and their long years in power, appears to have corrupted the minds, of some of those in power, today. Who, in heaven's name, came up with such a mad and bad idea: to dispense charity to a proud and honest people, who want well-paid and sustainable long term jobs - not demeaning cash handouts from the Ghanaian nation-state?

Is this not the political equivalent, of giving the very poor in Ghana, fish: instead of teaching them to fish, themselves, and providing them the wherewithal, to buy netting and canoes - to enable them to go fishing, on a regular basis, to catch fish with: and earn regular income to improve their lives with?

Has it not struck those who claim to have come to power to bring about a golden age for Ghanaian business, by creating an enabling environment, for business to thrive, that if the state were to provide rural banks with sufficient funds to enable them make micro-credit available to groups of poor people, without demanding collateral from them, that is far more likely to empower the youth?

And would we not consequently witness the flourishing of youthful enterprise - enabling many young school-leavers from the poorest homes, for instance, to buy tools, to enable them work as self-employed carpenters, electricians, welders, vulcanizers, etc. etc.; acquire market stalls; buy taxis; trotros; open electronic repair shops; hairdressing salons; tailoring workshops; barbering shops, etc. etc.?

And if this regime was to be creative enough to let the APEX Bank enter into a joint-venture with internationally well-respected and innovative micro-credit institutions, such as the experienced Australian micro-credit organisation, Opportunity International, would it not make it possible for rural and community banks in Ghana, to make credit and training in managing micro-enterprises, available, for poor families up and down our country, and enable them free themselves from poverty, by their own bootstraps?

The masters of the universe who dominate the NPP, must not insult the intelligence of the poor, in Ghana - for, the poor will never forgive such an insult from the party of those, who have so enriched themselves (and their cronies), and become so breathtakingly wealthy, in the relatively short period, in which this myopic regime has been in power for, that some of them were able to finance their individual bids to realise their presidential ambitions, with billions.

Were most decent-minded Ghanaians not astonished, dear reader, that a brace of seventeen wannabe presidents, collectively spent trillions of the useless old cedis, the bulk of it used to bribe their party's, mostly poor, and largely forgotten, foot soldiers - to ensure and facilitate positive outcomes, for their personal presidential dreams? What astonishing and shameful cynicism! In the NEPAD era, are these our apostles of African peer-reviewing, good governance? Hmmm, Ghana, aye asem o!

EXPEL SUDAN FROM THE AU, NOW!

For many ordinary Africans across the continent, watching television news programmes, showing clips of their leaders being driven to and from the AU headquarters conference centre, in expensive luxury vehicles, at the recent AU heads of state meeting, was akin to watching a film, of a conclave, of the well-heeled capos, of a ruthless, continent-wide African mafia family, each of whom, has the power of life and death, over the lives of Africans, on our continent.

For me, a particularly odious member of this mafia: a most brutal, cunning and totally dishonest ruler of human beings, this continent has ever had the misfortune, of allowing to wield political power, is the ruler of Sudan. This is a man, whom many thinking Africans, feel, is a black clone, of the infamous and evil German genius, the mass murderer, Adolf Hitler.

Black Africans in the West, often have to put up with the outrageous racism of Western societies, suffering indignities on a daily basis: in which no matter how cultured; highly educated; and proud a possessor of decent human values an African might be, the most uncouth and ill-educated white-skinned racist, has the effrontery and temerity, to consider him or her, an inferior being - simply on account of the skin-colour of the African: not because of the character of the African.

For the thinking African, who has had to put up with years of being treated with disrespect and been discriminated against in the West, because of their skin-colour, the idea that a sly and dishonest monster, like the Sudanese leader, Omar Bashir, who would also be treated with similar disdain by white-skinned racists of the Western world, were he to live there, actually leads a regime on the continent of Africa, which looks down on fellow black Africans, is simply intolerable.

The idea that the members of an African regime, made up of fellow Africans, only of a slightly lighter hue, than the average African, are today actively tele-guiding the evil para-military force, the Janjaweed, as they carry out a pogrom in Darfur and parts of Chad, is rather difficult to take in, for thinking Africans.

How can Africans in the 21st century, permit mass murder, mass rape, and the destruction of whole villages and towns, in a scorched-earth policy, which is designed to wipe out the black African population of Western Sudan, to be carried out, with such arrogant impunity?

How can it be that a regime on African soil, and formed by Africans, such as that of the Omar Bashirs, who although only of a slightly lighter hue than the rest of us, but are blacks too, nonetheless (as they would soon discover were they to live in the West!); thinks that the black African people of Darfur, are less human: just because they are of a slightly darker hue, than their fellow so-called "Arab" compatriots - those offensive and murderous monsters, who now rule Sudan?

Why should thinking Africans tolerate the nonsense on bamboo stilts, the ridiculous, absurd, and outrageous notion, that somehow, the African Omar Bashir, and his gang of murderers, who now rule Sudan, and think they are the cleverest people on the continent of Africa, are superior, to the black Africans of Darfur - on account of the lightness of the hue of their black skins?

Should the AU continue to accept in its midst, an African regime, which is busy committing genocide, in the 21st century information and technological age, on the basis of a foolish, ignorant, fanciful and misguided sense of racial superiority, and which is driving them to commit the most dastardly crimes against humanity, ever seen on this earth, since Hitler's Nazi Germany, set about systematically wiping out, all those, they considered not Aryan enough, in Europe?

The irony in all this, is that it appears that it has not dawned on the smug black leaders of Africa, attending the AU summit meeting, that were they to be living in the Darfur region of Western Sudan themselves, Omar Bashir and his gang of mass murderers, now in charge at Khartoum, and who laughingly delude themselves, by proudly calling themselves "Arabs" (slaves of Arabs, would probably be a more apt description, of their outrageous and misplaced sense of superiority, many a thinking African, will say!), would treat them worse than animals, on account of the dark colour, of their presidential skins!

The time has come for African leaders to expel Sudan from the AU - and to help the international community to gather evidence, to enable prosecutors of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, to indict Sudanese government members, in preparation for their trial, at a future date, for crimes against humanity. For, their unspeakable crimes in Darfur, are no different, from some of the many crimes of mass murder, which were committed during the second World War, by the evil Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.

And in addition to supervising, by "remote control" those unspeakable and abominable acts of brutality, Sudan is now adding insult to injury, by aiding Chadian dissident leaders, to recruit and arm a conventional force, which has now been deployed to invade Chad, in a three hundred-vehicle convey, to overthrow the legitimate government of Chad - for the sole purpose, of sandwiching the people of Darfur, who have sought refuge near the Chadian border, between forces Sudan controls: and make the final annihilation, of the inhabitants of Darfur, easier, that way.

How can the international community tolerate such outrageous actions by this regime of impunity? And when will Africa's leaders act to expel Sudan from the AU - and ask the International Court of Justice to indict the murderous Omar Bashir and the members of his crafty regime: which uses deception as a national policy, when it comes to the issue of Darfur, in its relations with the international community? Why, does the world not understand that the Sudanese regime should be held responsible for Africa's equivalent, of the Jewish Holocaust?

Decent and thinking Africans condemn the mass murderers now ruling Sudan, in the strongest possible terms - and call on the international community to invade Western Sudan, to protect the the black African inhabitants of the area.

It is the citizens of nations who are sovereign - not the men and women who constitute, at any given point in time in a nation's history, the regimes, which rule over the land mass that make up the territory of given nation-states: so the world must not entertain the protestations and intransigence of the Sudanese regime, when it makes the absurd claim that in refusing to allow international troops into Sudan, it is protecting Sudan's sovereignty.

Would the Western allies, who invaded Hitler's Germany, to end his evil and tyrannical rule, have rid the world of the Nazis, if they had prevaricated, instead of acting decisively to invade Germany, simply because Hitler was invoking the doctrine of sovereignty - the self-same absurd claims, which the murderous and racist buffoons, who now rule Sudan, make today?

The world must not tolerate genocide in Darfur, because murderers seek to hide behind the doctrine of sovereignty. In invading Western Sudan, the world will be rescuing a people being slaughtered by their government - which then seeks to stop the world from decisive action to rescue Darfurians, by the monstrous lie that the West is seeking to recolonise Sudan: and that allowing Western troops into Darfur, would therefore be tantamount to allowing the recolonisation of Sudan? What absolute drivel.

The time has come for sanctions to be imposed on all the leaders of Sudan and their immediate families. Their overseas banks accounts ought to be frozen; their relations living in the West must be deported; and they should all be denied visas to travel to the West. All African nations must break off diplomatic relations with Sudan en masse, immediately. The continued membership of Sudan of the AU, is an affront to all black Africans. Period. The AU must act to expel Sudan from membership of the continental body, now!