We Must Stop Thieves-In-High-Places From Targeting Ghana's COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement Programme

At all costs, we must stop our nation's thieves-in-high-places, from targetting Ghana's COVID-19 vaccine procurement programme. What is wrong is wrong: Our leaders must not compound the abomination that big-thieves-in-high-places seeking to profit from the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, represents, by making excuses for the price-gouging that took place, in the shabby story of the purchase from dubious characters in Dubai, of the Russian manufactured Sputnik5 vaccines, at U.S.$19 instead of U.S.$10 per vaccine.

 

Humanity now faces a new era of serial pandemics as zoonotic diseases increase with the destruction of forests globally. President Akufo-Addo has rightly stressed the importance of having our own vaccine manufacturing plants to produce safe vaccines year round. Speaking personally, I have now lost faith in the Sputnik5 vaccine, and even if it is the only one Ghana can procure, going forward,  I will do without it, and rather focus instead  on staying safe in disciplined-proactive-fashion.

I am pretty sure that there are many other Ghanaians, too, who have also lost faith in our nation's coronavirus vaccine programme, which has now been targeted by the greed-filled big-thieves-in-high-places, amongst our mostly shortsighted ruling-élites. Ey3 ensem piiiiiii...

As a wise and aspirational people, before Ghana starts producing vaccines locally, we must ensure that our ruling-élites stick to the agreed national plan, to procure vaccines mostly from the Gavi COVAX AMC,  if we are to prevent them from playing Russian roulette with our lives, in the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, nationwide. At all costs, Ghanaians must stop the greed-filled and powerful thieves-in-high-places, in the current administration, from targetting our nation's COVID-19 vaccine procurement programme. Full stop. Enough is enough. Haaba. Ghanafuo abr3, oooo. Yooooooo... 

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Let Thy Will Be Done Lord God Almighty - Make Ghana's President Akufo-Addo Declare The Atewa Forest Reserve A National Park

 Dear God Almighty,

As an act of atonement, Ghanaians  planted countless  trees, on 11th June, 2021 -  and will now make it an annual event, to be known as Greening Ghana Day. 

Lord God Almighty, please let President Akufo-Addo take to the skies, with the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia 11, and fly over the whole of Akyem Abuakwa, in one of the Ghana Air Force's  helicopters, to survey the damage done to our natural heritage, Kwaebibirim,  by greedy gold miners.

As soon as they touch down again, please touch their hearts - and let President Akufo-Addo ignore the advice of all his technocrats, and declare the Atewa Forest Reserve, a national park, from which all mining will be banned. 

It will save what is a declared Globally Significant Biodiversity Area  (GSBA), which is also the watershed for three major river systems, the Densu, Ayensu and Birim rivers, from which treated water is sourced, treated and dustributed, to over 5 million people across southern Ghana, from destruction. Awurade Nyankupon Tw3diepong, Okyenman, di3,  y3n enma, enseii, da.   Let thy will be done, O Lord God Almighty.  Amen!

We Must Unite And Work For The Common Good Of the Generality Of Ghanaian Society

Ghanaians need to unite to work for vital common-good causes. Sadly, most of the members of our nation's  political class, although pretty close to each other  (albeit in scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours fashion),  delight in giving the world  the false impression that  they  dislike each other intensely. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth.

In that respect, they are doing enormous harm to Mother Ghana, and abnegating their leadership-responsibilities to  the masses of the  Ghanaian populace - for the Covid-era challenges we currently face,  as an aspirational African people,  are enormous. We must unite to confront those challenges - all of which could destabilise our very beautiful and relatively peaceful country.  

What we need to focus on - instead of the never-ending-bickering - is the creation of a truly enabling environment, which empowers Ghana's private sector's  young entrepreneurs, to successfully develop new start-up businesses, which  can create wealth that remains in Ghana, and generate jobs galore, nationwide.

Above all, the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media, ought to demand that all our nation's  politicians (who, in any case, across the spectrum,  constanty insist that the private sector is the engine of growth for Ghana's real economy, in their view),  must now unite and support the  government's 5-year Greening Ghana initiative, designed to create new green capital for a new national green economy, tomorrow, and the World Bank-backed  Ghana Economic Transformation Project's Ghana Enterprise Agency's (GEA) Grant Support for SMEs initiative, to ensure the  success of both those laudable longterm  initiatives: for the common-good of  the generality of Ghanaian society.

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Western Democracies Must Not Aid And Abet Crimes Of Africa's Ruling-Elites' Ruthless And Murderous Big-Thieves-In-High-Places

Terrorist groups, people-smuggling syndicates, human traffickers, ransomware criminals, cyber-fraudsters and armed robbers are amongst the biggest global security threats, worldwide.  That is where bilateral security collaboration between Western democracies and emerging nations ought to be focused on. 

In the COVID-19 era, activists speaking truth to power, to protect their countries from the big-thieves-in-high-places amongst ruling-élites across Africa, are heroes deserving of praise. They are not definitely not criminals.

That is why  Britain's (and the EU's) secret services, should not aid corrupt African politicians, to harass the continent's activists  -  using phising-strategies to disrupt  and fake their online posting on big-tech's  social media platforms. 

That is a crime against humanity deserving of prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Western democracies should never aid and abet the crimes of emerging nations' ruling-élites - who properly defined, are ruthless and murderous criminals,  robbing their countries blind in broad daylight. 

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Is Ghanaian Democracy Now Being Undermined By Judicial-High-Handedness?

"Would-be authoritarians at times seek to capture courts and deploy them in

abusive ways as part of a broader project of democratic erosion, because
courts often enjoy legitimacy advantages that make their antidemocratic
moves harder to detect and respond to both domestically and
internationally."

      

      - David Landau and Rosalind Dixon (Abusive Judicial Review:

Courts Against Democracy)

Is Ghanaian democracy  being undermined by judicial-high-handedness? Were that so, it would be ironical - for the Martyrs to the rule of law monument, stands at the  entrance to Ghana's Supreme Court building.

As it happens, that monument is dedicated to the memory of three High Court judges (Justices Kwadwo Adjetey Agyepong, Poku Sarkodie and Mrs. Cecelia Korangteng-Addo), callously murdered, in 1982, during the brutal military dictatorship of the Provisional National Defence Council  (PNDC).

Subsequent Investigations into their murder,  revealed that they were taken from their homes at night, and taken to the Bundase Military Training Camp,  where they were murdered - and set alight, to burn, on the 30th of June, 1982. As a result of a downpour of rain that day, their bodies weren't burnt beyond recognition, aiding their identification when the gruesome crime was discovered.

The monument dedicated to their memory (which displays the sculptured-busts of the three high court judges),  is known as the Martrys to the rule of law. Unfortunately, a bust of Major Acquah was not added to that of the three high court judges. Pity.

It is important to point out that there were other heroes, such the media's P. V. Ansah andTommy Thompson,  who also lost their lives, in the fight to restore Ghanaian democracy and establish a new system, anchored on the rule of law  - a development that was made possible,  when the 1992 Constitution was promulgated, and presidential and parliamentary elections held to usher in civilian rule, and mark the end of the military-dominated dictatorship of the PNDC. 

It is therefore ironic, that today,  somehow the impression is fast-gaining ground (perhaps unfairly, since for all we know,  perhaps  in reality, they might be saintly individuals, who mean well for our homeland  Ghana, in their own unique-ways), that a gentleman whose  critics insist is the most partisan Attorney General, ever, in Ghana's history, thus far, Hon. Godfrey Dame, is allegedly working in tandem with the current Chief Justice, using fear (of being charged with contempt), to cow regime-critics, who resent the idea that judges in a democracy are beyond criticism, and that critiquing them openly,  undermines our  democratic system. 

With the greatest respect, judges are public servants, who, like other public servants (compensated amply with taxpayers' cash, let us not forget),  are accountable to the citizenry - and thus can be freely criticised when the need to do so arises, in the supreme national interest: because no one in our democratic  system of  governance,  including even the President of the Republic of Ghana, is above criticism. Full stop. 

To say otherwise,  is self-serving nonsense - by stealth-hardline-plutocrats masquerading as democrats, seeking to use fear, to prolong and perpetuate, the domination of Ghana, by the greedy and clever big-thieves-in-high-places, amongst our mostly self-serving ruling-élites. With respect, it is thus not unfair for any patriotic Ghanaian, to say, today, that Ghanaian democracy is now being undermined by judicial-high-handedness. Cool.

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Is Hon. Dominic Ayine Being Persecuted?

 "At the heart of the First Amendment is the freedom to engage in vigorous public debate, and the Constitution guarantees that citizens, including lawyers, have the right to criticize public officials, including judges."

 -  Nokofiooo,  from the U.S., Ghanafuo.

Has the time now come for judges in Ghana to be made to understand clearly that they are definitely not above criticism, anaaa? And does the latest move against Hon. Ayine by the Chief Justice  amounts to witch-hunting, anaaaa? Pure and simple? Some people don't know when to let sleeping dogs lie, koraaaa.   Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

The judiciary in this country still doesn't get it: Ghana is neither a dictatorship, nor the personal fiefdom, of a privileged few - whose wish is that we are cowed: to allow their dream-kleptocracy to evolve into a banana  republic sans dissenting voices: so that judgement-debts will become the new way to create, loot and share.

This is a liberal democracy, ooooo, surprising though it might be to some   -  and Ghanaians are free citizens with constitutionally  guaranteed rights: not the serfs of our ruling elites. Sod off, wai, Massa. Who born dog?  My name is Kofi Thompson  - and I fear nobody in Ghana. Let them come and  pick me up.  Yabr3 wu! Haaba.

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Speaking Truth To Power Is Neither A Crime In Ghana - Nor Is It In The UK Either

 One hopes that the UK's visiting Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will use her favourite Parliamentary  cop-out-phrase, "I can't comment on individual cases", to deter the nosey-parkers here, who think they can use Britain's Home Secretary, to collar some of  us. It won't work, wai. No way. Full stop.

She knows perfectly well that there will be hell-to-pay big-trouble for her, if the UK media gets wind of such an egregious data-privacy-invasion-fishing-expedition,  wai. Clueless sods.

 

Wherever in the world we go to, we will continue to criticise Ghana's big-thieves-in-high-places, and their gormless regime-lackeys, saaaaa,  till Truth-Kingdom cometh, ooooo. We are fearless, wai. Full stop.

Ghana aban, Kofi Thompson is not a criminal, wai - and speaking truth to power is not a crime, koraaaa,  oooo. Yooooooo...

Massa, stop wasting scarce state resources  on someone harmless, who is a patriot who loves Mother Ghana passionately - and still supports President President Akufo-Addo 100 percent: but loathes his party that has now evolved into a criminal organisation in all but name, in order to obtain party-funding. Repeat: Speaking truth to power isn't a crime in Ghana - and neither is it one in the UK,  either.   Who born dog? Haaba.

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To Whom The Cap Fits...

Human nature can be very complex. When Captain Smart, the famed broadcast journalist,  stated recently, that he was shown begging-text-messages from journalists by two politicians, I smiled ruefully to myself - and wondered if he was referring to me. That would be slander, oooo, Massa. Yooooooo...

Once upon a time, I was in the office of a very good personal friend of mine, who also happened to be a senior cabinet minister, at the time, when he called Captain Smart. My relationship with that particular politician, was well known by a few 'senior journalists'.

Our relationship  was based on the understanding that if he messed up, I would not spare him, if it was in the national interest, to either expose or criticise him. And it was the same for him too,  if I also messed up ethically as a journalist: he would never intervene to rescue me from my own foolishness.  Case closed.

It  was an understanding that worked well for both of us. Today, as it happens, he is in a very powerful position - but I keep my distance from him. That day he called Captain Smart, in my presence, I gave him the title deed to a large parcel of land (containing over 200 plots)  as repayment-assurance for some emergency cash I needed quickly. As it happens that land still belongs to my family - I am not a lazy chap and my brain  works paaaaa . That wasn't begging, ooooo, Amanfuo. Yooooooo...

The second politician, was someone whom I once risked my life, for, by informing him of top secret plot, by the Bureau of National Investigations  (BNI), to frame him up, try him in court, and then jail him. I gave a written statement, of that top secret BNI plot to frame him up, to the  law court, where he was being prosecuted, through his lawyer. When his then boss heard what I had done, he marvelled that a Ghanaian journalist could  do such a thing.  Such is life.

To thank me, that framed-up politician,  offered me a large wad of big-denomination-cash.  I refused it outright,  and told him that I wasn't that kind of person - and that in any case, I would do same for anyone else,  who was being persecuted, by the system, to please the  powers that be. Simple.

I would therefore be surprised,  if such a person showed my text message (sent to him last year), to anyone else - for I approached him during a crisis, which can befall anyone, and which virtually any honest person in a crisis situation, would also not hesitate to do same, and approach a supposed  friend, whom he or she had once risked life and limb for. I have  always thought of him as a real gentleman. Hmmm, eyeasem, oooo...

Finally, I am also disappointed in my young green-causes  friend,  who since he went to Ofori Panin Fie, at Kyebi, not too long ago, now ignores me completely. Eeiiii, nipa eny3, oooooo. Wonders.

Massa, the question to ponder over is: Where were those arrogant sods at Ofori Panyin Fie (who today think that they have a legitimate  right to takeover my family's freehold  lands,  in Akyem Abuakwa, as if Ghana were their personal fiefdom), when my late Grandpa, P. E. Thompson Esq, was forking out thousands of pounds to acquire those lands, between 1921 and 1933 - and going to the added  expense of having them all surveyed, and registered, at the Deeds Registry, at Christiansburg, in Accra?  Massa, Kofi Thompson eny3, easy-walkover, saaaa, koraaa,  ooooo. Yoooooooo... 

Finally, I have kept the title National Review  managing editor, on my LinkedIn profile, as a  virtual-till-the-end-of-time-protest, in condemnation of an alleged collaborative-plot between the BNI, and a pro-NPP media professional - executed when they got wind of the fact that I was planning to establish a newspaper of my own, to be known as The National Review: and promptly published a  fake-edition of the yet-to-be published newspaper  that distastefully caricatured the late  President John Atta Mills, of blessed memory. Hmmm, eyeasem,  oooo...

That pure nonsense-on-bamboo-stilts, eventually ended up at the then Kabral Blay-Amiher-led National Media Commission (NMC),  with me successfully refuting outright,  that monstrous  made-up-stealth-shebang. So, when you come across that LinkedIn  profile, dear reader, it is a perpetual-virtual-protest, with a diabolical-story behind it, wai.  Small boys are young, ampaaa!

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Must Ghana Toll Its Entire Road Network - And Look To The Private-Sector Globally To Self-Finance The Construction And Rehabilitation Of Roads?

One of the issues that cause the most disaffection, amongst rural demographics nationwide, is the dreadful condition of Ghana's rural road  network. That disaffection  has the potential to undermine our democratic system. We must therefore look to the private sector for funding the construction of new roads and to rehabilitate all existing roads - as bad roads actually hinder economic activity, cause accidents, damage vehicles and give rise to citizenry-disaffection nationwide. 

In media vox populi, after media vox populi, respondents across vast swathes of the GhanaIan countryside, have indicated clearly that they will not vote in upcoming national elections,  if existing rural roads where they live and work in,  aren't rehabilitated. Clearly they have not had their fair-share of the democracy-dividend: and that is a national security issue. 

Some estimates indicate that Ghana's total  road network  amounts to 67,291 km - out of which 42,394km happen to be rural roads, while 12,785km out of the total are urban roads. Since the 1992 Constitution was promulgated, every administration elected to power,  thus far, has done its best to find funding, to enable it  build new roads  and rehabilitate existing roads. 

If funding were available, there is no question that  Ghana would have some of   the best roads on the surface of the planet Earth - for it is an aspirational-society lucky  not to suffer from a dearth of competent entrepreneurs in the  road construction sector of its national economy. The time has therefore now come for our ruling-élites  to walk the talk, and actualise their mantra-of-convenience that in their view, the private sector ought to be the engine of growth for Ghana's real economy. 

 Let them now be bold and imaginative -  and move to invite road construction companies from around the world, noted for using bleeding-edge technologies, to come and  self-finance the building of new tolled roads, and to rehabilitate existing ones, nationwide: and turn Ghana's entire road network  into tolled roads to recoup their investments tax free, over a period of 35 years. 

In that regard, one humbly recommends the  affordable and cutting-edge  Ecoroad road construction technology, developed by the giant U.S. road construction company, Terrafusion International, to our ruling-élites. The company can partner private-sector Ghanaian entrepreneurs, the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces and local communities, nationwide, as joint-venture  public private partnership projects (PPP), on a build, operate and transfer basis. If we are to achieve our national-goal of becoming competitive enough to attract the investment needed to make Ghana the hub of manufacturing for the African Continental Free Trade Area, we must have a modern and workd-class tolled roads network nationwide.  Self-financing road construction companies will make that possible in shortest possible time--frame. 

 

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A Quick Note To Terrafusion International - Developers Of The Innovative Ecoroad Road Construction Technology

 Hello,

Ghana desperately needs your innovative Ecoroad road construction technology, to enable it  modernise the entirety of its national road network, especially those across rural Ghana.

If your company can self-finance the construction of new tolled roads nationwide, with the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, and local communities,  as joint-venture  public private partnership projects (PPP), on a build, operate and transfer basis, Ghanaians will willingly pay tolls on all those roads - even for periods as lengthy  as 35 years, to enable your company recoup its investment here.

If this is feasible and doable, why don't you talk to officials at the Ghana Embassy, in Washington DC,  as well to the relevant  country desk officers, responsible for Ghana, at the U.S. State Department in Washington DC, about the idea?


Thanks.

Kind regards,

Kofi.

WhatsApp: +233576564600.

Tel: +233558852619 & +233277453109.

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Ms. Aku Akufo's Unfortunate And Ill-Judged Marie-Antoinette-Type Provocation

If you are cursed to possess one, one of the most irritating things about what some refer to as a "posh English accent", is that it invariably gets in the way, most of the time, when dealing with people in Ghana. It is vastly overated, in one's humble opinion - and one hates it with a passion for that reason.

If one correctly understands the controversy  generated by Ms. Aku Akufo  (who is said to have stated that she cringes when she hears some Ghanaian government ministers speaking),  the implication is that she would rather all our ruling-élites had posh English accents. Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

Saying that she cringes when she hears some government ministers speaking (because they don't have  posh English  accents, anaaa?), is an extraordinary thing for someone from a privileged background to say  -  if it is fact-checked fact, and not fake news, that is. Eeiiii, Oman Ghana - enti yewieye paaa enei?  Asem kesie, bi, ebeba debi ankasa, ooooo. Yoooooo...

Most irritating of all, is the implied-aspersions she cast, on Ho Technical University-type of tertiary institutions across Ghana. Yes, by all means let's celebrate all those Ghanaians who excel in some of the world's best universities abroad - but let us also aim to turn the Ho Technical University-type of tertiary institution, in our nation, into world-class centres of learning.  Haaba.

For a retired old fool like me, who has no formal education, whatesoever, to speak of, it is monstrous for any privileged Ghanaian, to imply that some of our universities  produce only mediocre students. Unconscionable. Disgraceful. Abominable. Unpardonable. And, finally, for Ms. Aku Akufo to cap all that egregious-arrogance, with  careless-talk, about some Ghanaians being envious of privileged people of her ilk, on top, too, and in the same breath, is pure and unadulterated Marie-Antoinette-type provocation, and an incitement to boys-abr3 violent-street-demos, ooooo. Yooooooo...

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Is A China That Refuses To Cancel All Africa's Debt To It A True Good-Faith Friend?

If China refuses to convert debt owed it, by African nations,  into grants,  it would amount to a strategic-error-of-judgement, of mammoth proportions - for it will lose its goodwill across Africa: goodwill that would have been assured, for it, had it proved to be a genuine African friend, in the continent's hour of need. 

In such a situation, Africa should rather look instead to Japan, as a good-faith longterm-strategic-partner, to replace China, in the  drive to create a prosperous free trade area, for the benefit of all demographics, across the continent. 

When it mattered most, even the exploitative  West, understood clearly that it was in its own longterm  self-interest, to help the continent's highly indebted nations, to enable them return to a path-of-growth, economically, to boost their GDPs, and thereby increase the living standards of ordinary people, right across the continent. The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC), in 2018, by the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, was the result. 

If China wants to be remembered by posterity, as a ham-fisted shylock-lender, forever insisting on its pound-of-flesh, which neither cared about ruinous  high-level corruption, nor ever condemned egregious human rights abuses, by callous self-seeking African leaders, that is its own affair. However, such a ruthless nation, cannot ever be a genuine  good-faith friend of ordinary Africans. Ever. Period. 

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Is Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta A Clear And Present Danger To Our Longterm Future - As A Prosperous And Equitable African Society?

As someone who still supports President Akufo-Addo 100 percent (because like all of us, across our homeland  Ghana, he too isn't, and cannot, be perfect),  I urge all patriotic and well-meaning Ghanaians, to start praying to God Almighty to embolden the president, so that he can dispatch Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, Nana Asante Bediatuo, Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo and Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, to serve as ambassadors abroad, as soon as practicable. They will enhence Ghana's image abroad, with finnese. No question. Cool.

Mr. Philip Addison, the noted lawyer, and  New Patriotic Party (NPP) member, can then take over the position of Executive Secretary to Ghana's President. It will end the dangerous habit of the president being presented with sundry  fait accomplis, publicly  (and, perforce, thus allegedly ends up  having to append his signature to certain documents) - as if the invariably politically-unwise-decision, announced by the presidency, were his own idea, to begin with, when in reality he had no knowledge of it all.

Finally, every discerning Ghanaian, who loves Mother Ghana passionately, ought to start demanding that Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta is removed from his position, as finance minister, by the president,  immediately.  In a world that needs to green its economy quickly,  a finance minister incurably addicted to borrowing, and clearly  determined to continue growing our massive debt-mountain, is a clear and present danger - to our collective well-being as an aspirational African people: and to our  longterm future as a prosperous and equitable African society. Yooooooo...

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Ghanaians Are Not A Special Breed Of Humanity Immune From Coronaviruses

Can Ghana avoid  being overwhelemed by new variants of the coronavirus - and avoid India's terrible fate, today? Clearly, there are a few things about the observation of the covid-prevention-protocols that  we ought to ponder over.

The question is: As Ghana continues to fight against COVID-19, should a wise and aspirational people like us, not be more careful, now that more and more variants of the coronavirus are emerging?

Super-spreader-type-funerals. Weddings. Sundry crowded chilling-to-the-max parties. Lengthy  Church services by greedy Pastors. Spitting in public places by the uncouth. All the above, still go on, in defiance of the COVID-19 protocols, nationwide.


And, most irritating of all, why do sensible and highly-intelligent folk, still pull their nose-masks down,  to speak in front of microphones, on national television, when making speeches? Haaba. What message is that supposed to convey to the masses?  We are taking a lot for granted in Ghana, ooooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooooo...

Finally, dear reader, when, koraaaa, are we going to ban spitting in public places, as an additional COVID-19 prevention-protocol? Ditto ban urinating in public spaces? We have been lucky, thus far, that Ghana hasn't  been overwhelmed by the COVID-19 global pandemic - however,  we ought to remember that we aren't a special breed of humanity, imune to all coronaviruses,  ooooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooooo...

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A Quick Note To Child Rights International Ghana - To Prevent A Possible Injustice To Two Children

Dear Child Rights International,

This being Ghana, I am worried that the family of a gentleman who died suddenly last week,  might  take over his  two orphaned children's late grandfather's one bedroom semi-detached house, at the Gomoa Buduburam State Housing Company's estate. 

Although my fears migt be unfounded, the question one ought to ponder over is: How do we,  the neighbours, intervene, to prevent any such injustice and outrage - since the two children's hardworking  mother, who is a deeply religious lady,  is a classic Faa ma Nyame-type, who definitely won't fight her partner's family,  if they insist on taking over the property?

Those two kids, a girl and boy, were born in the estate, and it's their late grandpapa's property in which they have both lived all their young  lives,  together with their late father. Don't they have a right to continue  living with their mother in that house, despite the fact that she and their father weren't  officially married?

Thanks.  

Kind regards 

Kofi. 

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A Quick Note To The Chiefs And Elders Of Gomoa Fetteh - On Reimaging Camp Liberia As An Ecotourism Destination

Nananom, 

We  salute you. You are absolutely right:  The time has indeed now come to transform the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia refugee settlement area. If done creatively, it can be re-imagined as a world-class ecotourism destination - to become a new green economic pillar, generating wealth that remains locally, and jobs galore, for the Gomoa East District's youth.

The area covering the Ghana National Fire Service station, the Ghana Police Service's Camp Liberia Police Station, the taxi rank, the passenger bus station and market, could be turned into a modern commercial centre, like the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi's new Kejetia market. 

Nananom, the Gap area, from the high tension pillar, to the market, could also be re-imagined as a public park - designed and built by Ghana's foremost green entrepreneur, Mr. Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, the CEO of the Legon Botanical Gardens, to bring in income for both the traditional authorities, and the Gomoa East District Assembly, as a public private partnership  (PPP) project.

The other parts of the Camp could then be redeveloped in phases, and transformed into a world-class ecotourism tiny-houses destination,  with each tiny house having a fruit garden compound. All the roads would be asphalted, and a  proper drainage system designed for the community.

As a result of the participation of Mr. Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, funding can probably be sought from the Netherlands government's list of suitable Dutch private sector investors, and also from UNESCO, amongst other funding sources. Nananom, with the greatest respect, one humbly suggests that the most viable longterm win-win-solution, to transforming the Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, is to partner Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, to reimagine Camp LiberIa, as a world-class ecotourism destination.

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Gomoa Buduburam's Camp Liberia's Refugees Desperately Need Innovative-Good-Leadership

Good leadership ensures that all demographics within communities, enjoy good quality lives. Always. That is what the Liberian refugees in the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, desperately need, now, as we speak.  Sadly, for decades, they have been lumbered with bad leadership  -  resulting in never-ending-misery for them. Alas, it has now landed them in a dead-end-situation. Pity. 

The Chiefs and Elders of Gomoa Fetteh (now thoroughly fed up with the unacceptable on-the-ground consequences, of decades old  criminal activities, funded by the ruthless criminal-syndicates, which have profited mightily, for years, from the callous exploitation of the misery of the Liberian refugees in Camp Liberia), are up in arms, and are now demanding that the government demolishes Camp Liberia, within the next three months, failing which, they themselves will do so. Tragic. 

As a committed pan-Africanist, I am aghast at the latest development  in Camp Liberia. I was saddened, greatly, when I heard a tannoy-announcement, yesterday, appealing for ideas from the community,  to help deal with the dead-end that years of bad leadership,  has finally landed all the refugee-community-demographics, in the Gomoa Budumburam Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, today.  Pity.

A little over three years ago, I gave a very simple business idea, to a number of individuals in Camp Liberia,  whom I befriended. The idea was that Liberia's abundant coconut crop's value-chain, could be leveraged, and commercialised, to produce ecocoboards in small-scale factories, dotted along Liberia's entire coastline.

The caveat, was that it would make strategic sense, for the whole Liberian refugee community,  to give the business idea to the government and people of Liberia, as a collective  nation-building-gift, from them,  to empower their country to enable it create a new green economic pillar, which would create  wealth that stays locally, for a new cohort of green entrepreneurs, and jobs galore, for all who were willing to work hard in that country, to transform Liberia into a prosperous society.

Instead of listening to that  humble advice, it rather ended up becoming a project idea that sundry self-seekers sought to grab for their families and friends. That was that. Then I came up with yet another social business idea, to empower females in Camp Liberia, in which a number of selected female entrepreneurs would partner the famous UK sanitary pad missionary, Amy Peake's Loving Humanity NGO, to build a sanitary pad factory in Camp Liberia.

Needless to say, the sly self-seekers amongst the community's  leadership's ruinous-malevolence, then came into play, again, and I, who was giving Amy Peake ideas about how to fund the proposed project to build a sanitary pad (and incontinent pad) factory, in Camp Liberia, to empower women financially, was instead  slandered, by worthless indivduals, and labelled a crook, who was under surveillance by Ghana's National Security apparatus, for allegedly  using the name of Liberian refugees, to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars, from Amy Peake. Incredible. That was a big-fat-lie. No such defrauding had occurred. It was calumnious-nonsense on stilts.

Today, having led the Liberian refugees to a dead-end-situation, those selfsame selfish and greed-filled self-seekers,  are now asking those they betrayed so egregiously (by callously exploiting their misery for personal gain for years), to provide them with ideas, to enable them resolve the crisis that has now arisen, and engulfed them, as a result of their breathtaking incompetence.  Such is life. It is called the law of karma. Clueless-Losers. What the refugees in the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, actually need now, is good and innovative  leadership. Not fanciful pie-in-the-sky ideas. Simple. Period.  

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What President Akufo-Addo Needs To Do To Leave A Green Pantheon-of-Greats Legacy

My prayer, every night before going to bed, and when I awaken every morning, after thanking God Almighty for his munificence,  is for the scales to fall off the eyes of President Akufo-Addo  (whom I still support 100 percent, but whose ruling party - that has now become a criminal organisation, in all but name, alas - I loathe with a passion).

Why? If the scales fall off President Akufo-Addo's eyes, dear reader, he will understand why, as a matter of some  urgency,  he must send Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, Nana Asante Bediatuo, Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko,  abroad, to represent Ghana as ambassadors. On a purely human level, they are all fantastic personalities, and will do a great job, individually,  representing Ghana overseas.


The plain truth, sadly, is that, today, they have  all  become no-longer-fit-for-purpose-impediments that our visionary leader, President Akufo-Addo  (the best elected leader, thus far, since President Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966), must remove from his inner-circle,  if he is to succeed in implementing his transformational-agenda, and leave a green Pantheon-of-Greats legacy, befitting a hardworking and honest African leader  - who, after all, is the co-chairperson, together with Erna Solberg, Norway's Prime Minister, of the UN Secretary General's panel of 16 Eminent Persons, overseeing the implementation of the 17 UN SDGs. Yooooooo...

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Let Us Work Together To Change Ghana For The Better

Despite our homeland Ghana's  myraid of challenges,  we are still an African nation (once led by the great President Nkrumah, let us not forget), which has  the potential to be transformed into a prosperous, peaceful, stable and equitable society. 

The question we need to ponder over is: Are there far too many cynical glass-empty-folk-types  - as opposed to optimistic glass-half-full-folk-types -  in Nkrumah's Ghana, today? Pessimism never made any people prosperous. Optimism, confidence and supreme-self-belief, are the bedrocks of successfull nation-building.

As a wise and aspirational people, why do we not resolve that as our contribution to nation-building, we will try and make sure that our criticisms of government actions, and inactions,  will always be constructive?  

Above all, whenever possible, let us offer alternative solutions that are creative, which can help the transformative-agenda of our now-beleaguered leader, President Akufo-Addo, who is a sincere politician, who, unlike so many African leaders,  sought the presidency, not to enrich himself,  but to help transform Ghana into a prosperous society that works for all demographics, nationwide, and leave that as his legacy. 

Our homeland Ghana belongs to all its citizens.  Yes, it is a fact that some of those around him, the big-thieves-in-high-places amongst our ruling-élites, are letting President Akufo-Addo down, terribly. However, the fact still remains that Ghana belongs to all of us - so let us work together to change it for the better. Now. Not tomorrow.

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NPP 'Chairman' Dominic Ampofo: Demerefa Duea, Duea, Duea

Early yesterday morning,   one of my neighbours, passed away suddenly. My thoughts and prayers have been focused on his wife and kids, since then. We are all  in a state shock at our part of the State Housing Company's Gomoa Buduburam estate. A young life suddenly cut short is always tragic. 

An affable young gentleman, Mr. Dominic Ampofo was blessed with a quiet dignity, and was affectionately referred to, as Chairman, by his fellow New Patriotic Party  (NPP) members, in our neighbourhood. 

Regular early risers, like me, he and his incredibly hard working  wife - the mother of his two lovely children - were up early as usual, yesterday, busying themselves with the finishing touches that would ensure that the opening ceremony for their new business, would be a success. 

I had been up from around  1am,  yesterday, myself, dealing with a flooded bathroom, and noticed that  they had stayed up late themselves too. When I saw him at around 5am yesterday morning, little did I realise that that was  the last tine I would  see him alive again.

With the exception of a few -  death row inmates  scheduled for execution and those committing suicide - we none of us know when we will die. That is an oft-unknowable-unknown, in other words.

It is in the nature of things that those who survive us, when we pass away, always look back on the most significant of our past interactions with them, at our funeral - and say ruefully to themselves, that and so all along,  the day we passed away, would  be the date on which our natural lives would come to an end. They would then think of their own deaths and funerals too - and finally come to realise that humans are indeed mere mortals after all. Such is life.

May, Dominic's gentle soul rest in peace - and may the Lord God Almighty give his widowed wife, the strength and courage to bear her loss (and, as a prayerful believer always singing praise-songs to honour the Lord  Jesus, whiles carrying out her daily chores around their compound), come to terms with Chairman's sudden death. NPP 'Chairman' Dominic Ampofo, demerefa duea, duea, duea. Onyame enfa  wu kraa  ensiy3 yiy3. 

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Has U.S.$ 5.118billion Earned Thus Far From Ghana's Jubilee Oil Field Disappeared?

Solomon Kwawukume  (Institute for Energy Policies and Research): "Before production started at Jubilee Field on 15 December 2010, views were solicited from Ghanaians across Ghana as to how the first 5 billion dollars for the first 5 years would be spent."

"10 years down the line Ghanaians have not yet earned the 5 billion dollars from the Jubilee Field. Ghanaians earned 4.716 billion dollars from 23.304billion dollars generated from 304,472,403 barrels of oil pumped from the Jubilee Field.

If at least, we have earned the 9.834billion dollars due us under the bad Hybrid System contract, we wouldn't be in this financial crisis and mess. Where is the difference of 5.118billion dollars of our Oil money?

 
#Fix the Upstream oil industry Now to Fix the Country.
#We Demand Fair Share of our Oil money to Fix the Country."

My response:

Eeiiiii, Oman Ghana, eyeasem ooooo. Enti yewieye paaa enei? Wow, so under the hybrid-system-production-agreement, Ghana has earned U.S.$9.834billion from 304,472,403 barrels of oil, from the Jubilee oil field, since it started production? 

It follows, a priori, then, does it not, that the question we must all ponder over is: Has as much as U.S. $5.118 billion earned from the Jubilee oil field, since it started production, disappeared into the ether, anaaaa? Sarjewah. Where has it ended up, one wonders? Hmmm, Ghanafuo - asem kesie bi, ebeba debi ankasa,  ooooo. Yooooooo...

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An Old Wag's Ruminations - On The Monumental Incompetence Of Those Supposed To Secure Our System

Old wag to me: "Kofi, this is Orwellian stuff.  An unmitigated PR disaster. We have been shown a murky world, full of dissemblers,  and conscienceless-folk, now being fully displayed to the world. How sad that our country has fallen into such incompetent hands. Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

It is obvious that our state security landscape, is a smoke-and-mirrors world, peopled mostly  by men and women,  for  whom the end always justifies the means, alas. Clearly, principles don't matter a whit,  to most of them. Pity.

Furthermore,  many of them are obviously concerned not about the safety of our Republic, but are focused solely on saving face, and preserving  the image of a ruling party, which, to all intents and purposes, has evolved into a criminal organisation in all but name -  because of its avoracious  need for dirty-money to fund its nationwide operations.

Virtually all that  dirty-money comes from the unprecedented destruction of our nation's natural heritage, by powerful and influential party-galamsayers.  Disgraceful. Outrageous. Unspeakable.  Abominable. Unpardonable.

 

All the principal actors in this shabby story,  must bow their heads in shame. Poor President Akufo-Addo - a good leader (the best elected leader since President Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966), and a very good human being: who most definitely doesn't deserve such monumental incompetence amongst those paid to ensure the security of our system. Dimwits. Tweaaaaaa..."

My reaction: Eeiiiii, Oman Ghana, eyeasem ooooo - enti yewieye paaa enei? Asem kesie bi, ebeba debi, ankasa, oooo. Yooooooo...

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A Quick Note To Awuradebasabasa - Who Trolls Regularly Online

Awuradebasabasa,

With the greatest respect,  the next Jerry Rawlings, will be in the mould  of the brightest and best of his peers, amongst our world-class younger generations, and a zillion times more intellectually capable, than Flight Lieutenant Rawlings.  Full stop.  Cool.

Massa, you guys still don't get it, oooo: We, who make up Ghana's base-of-the-pyramid-demographics,  will never allow the big-thieves-in-high-places, amongst our ruling-élites, who have ripped off Mother Ghana, since 1992, to get away with their crimes against our people, ooooo. Never. No. No.  No. For your infornation, the writing is on the wall in black and and white  -  and it is very clear for the wise and clear-sighted, wai, Massa. Yoooooooo...

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Will The Next Jerry Rawlings Emerge Suddenly?

Is there a slide towards anarchy in Ghana? It is astonishing how the lack of wisdom, exhibited thus far, by the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) greedy powerbrokers (engaged in galamsay-cloaked-as-land-reclamation), has suddenly  undone all the goodwill-capital, which President Akufo-Addo assidiously  built up, over the last four years, with his impressive transformational-agenda.

Now the NPP's image is in tatters, and the impression is fast gaining ground that parts of our national security architecture (controlled by the assigns of the party-mafiosi that teleguide the galamsay-cloaked-as-land-reclamation), are themselves causing insecurity in the country, with their lawlessness and brutish-barbarism. It is all so unfortunate. The question is: Will their shortsightedness, and lack of foresight, lead to the sudden emergence of the next Jerry Rawlings?

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A Quick Note To Kofi Boakye-Yiadom - On The Propensity Of All Humans To Lie

Favourite nephew, 

The angels in heaven will tell you that ever since Eve made Adam lose his integrity, not a single human being can be pointed to, to date,  as someone who has never told a white-lie, in his or her life, before.

Since time immemorial, they have all been at it, and  are all still at it:  Monarchs; Popes; Presidents; Prime Ministers; tycoons; alter boys; slay queens, pop stars; mortuary-men; borla-men; prostitutes; pastors; etc, etc. Get the picture?  Cool.

It shows you the extent of the hypocrisy of humans that everyone on the planet Earth,  pretends publicly, that they have never told a white-lie before. Incredible.

Speaking for myself, when I am nice to a toxic person, on a social media platform, trolling others, who comments negatively  on a post of  mine, from the safety of  his or her digital device, at sundry locations globally, for example, I do so for the sake of young people who might come across it and read it, Massa.

However, it counts as a white-lie in heaven - because God Almighty knows that on such occasions, there is always murder in my mind. May God Almighty forgive me for all my many sins.  Amen. Should I pray for you too, anaaaa, favourite nephew? Never trust a human who tells you that he or she doesn't lie. It is a big-fat-lie. Some call it hypocrisy, though - but the angels in heaven will tell you that all humans have a propensity to lie. Cool, la.  Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...



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A Quick Note To Kofi Boakye-Yiadom - On Why Pan-Africanits Must Comment On U.S. Politics

Favourite Nephew,

Wise words. As usual. Cool, la.  Alas, the problem for Africans like me, however,  is that the tentacles of America's military-industrial-complex, extend here, and, regardless of whichever political party in Washington, happens to  occupy the White House, they continue to interfere in our country's affairs, as neo-colonialists, forever eyeing our natural resources.

Favourite nephew, with the greatest respect, and  in all humility,  as a Black  person, and a committed Pan-Africanist, not to comment on their racIst nation's politics, at all,  would be unconscionable.

 

Yes, I concede  that commenting on such matters, might be unwise - but it is how one feels: and it is precisely such unwise actions that have made me who I am. Can't teach an old dog, new tricks. And, I am definitely not a saint (saints, as you are aware, only live in heaven, not on the planet Earth, in any case). Thanks. You are loved - and missed terribly, favourite nephew!

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Parliament Must Pass A New Law Banning The Use Of Excavators By Small-Scale Gold Miners

The time has now come for us to take extraordinary measures, to end the apocalyptic destruction, of Ghana's natural heritage. We must not allow small-scale gold miners to use excavators that cause damage on an unimaginable scale, in their 25-acre concessions - concessions that were almost always invariably obtained by the bribing and corrupting of dishonest  officials of the regulatory bodies.

The plain truth is that those permits and licenses, will never stand the scrutiny of forensic audits, conducted by reputable international auditing organisations. For sure. Period. Sarjewah.

As a people, the question we must ponder over is: Why should we allow such greedy, selfish and  dishonest entrepreneurs, to hold our country to ransom: demanding a free pass to be allowed to continue poisoning our soils, river systems and groundwater with impunity? We are not fools. Parliament ought to quickly pass a new law, under a certificate of urgency, banning the use of excavators by small-scale gold miners. Full stop. Case closed. Enough is enough. Haaba.

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A Quick Note To Hon. Abaas Fusheini Sbaabe - And His Facebook NDC Group Friends

Honourable Abaas,

With respect, we still don't get it, do we? The natural capital (which is our nation's natural heritage), now being destroyed by gold mining, is actually priceless. Far better then, if mining it is now poisoning river systems, groundwater and soils, across vast swathes of the GhanaIan countryside, to leave the gold in the ground, than destroy priceless natural capital that will secure future generations' quality of life, Massa.

Is there any  wonder that so many  discerning-pessimists (whom one disagrees with, incidentally), in our country, are of the opinion that we are too stupid, to get our heads round the simple commonsense idea, of longterm-benefits,  for future generations? Pity.

Honourable, we must empower rural youth to bootstrap their way out of poverty, by funding their green micro-enterprises.Why can't we help them set up coconut farms,  intercropped with industrial hemp, for example? We could produce flax from the industrial hemp,  could we not? Do we not get US $200 million gold royalties every year?

 

Why don't we simply pass a new law ring-fencing it, for it to be used  to support such youth empowerment initiatives, I ask - instead of allowing greed-filled powerful people to use it for a Jersey-based offshore SPAC: which they want to be indemnified from prosecution, and freed permanently from any Ghanaian regulatory oversight, to  enable them run  it  as they please? Are we fools or what? Haaba.

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The Abiding Relationship Between The Spy-State And The Ghanaian Media

In the Ghanaian context, this troubling partnership (an oft rocky marriage of convenience), between the spy-state, and media, is well established. Truth be told, over the years, many respectable and reputable journos, have been, and still are, secretly involved in it.

It is a secret well-kept open-secret, a murky world full of unknowable-unknowns and known-unknowables - ditto agenda-setting  convenient-leaking: by the secret-state's devious-assigns.

 

For yonks, well-heeled North Labone has been a bustling haven for some of it, as it happens. Still is: One gives a shout-out  to all that very influential LCH watering-hole's denizens. Powerful media folk, paaaapa. 

What happens at the aforementioned North Labone,  is a perfect case-study, for those interested  in the very interesting subject of the relationship between the spy-state, and the fourth-pillar of Ghanaian  democracy (the media, which, thank goodness, still plays a watchdog role for society). Hmmm, eyeasem, oooo. Eeiiii, Oman Ghana - enti yewieye paaa, enei? Asem kesie bi, ebeba debi ankasa, ooooo.  Yooooooo...

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No One Is Above The Law In Ghana - Including National Security Operatives

It is most unfortunate  that there appears to be a subtle attempt, underway, to try and undermine the veracity of Caleb Kudah's  allegations of being physically abused, by National Security personal, when he was arrested recently. Why, one wonders - and to what ends?

One's humble advice to CitiFM/TV's Caleb Kudah, is that he must join as many international organisations for media professionals, as he possibly  can, swiftly - and recount what happened to him, to all of them.  It will protect him from the evil individuals  amongst those who now control our upside-down-system-in-urgent-need-of-fixing. 

Above all, he must hold a press conference immediately, to give the whole nation a full account of what he went through - and answer all  the questions the sly-doubting-Thomases pose to him, to try and trip him up. The sods. 

To the  doubting-Thomases, the question to ponder over is: Whatever happened to giving someone the benefit of the doubt - especially since none of us were present when he was allegedly being repeatedly slapped from behind, while seated and being interrogated: by power-drunk individuals who think that somehow they are above the law, and thus routinely  act with impunity?  For their information, no one is above the law in Ghana - including National Security operatives. Full stop. Haaba.

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Ghanaians Are Tired Of State-Sanctioned Public-Sector-Employee-Big-Lies

Ever since the New Patriotic Party  (NPP) came to power in January 2017,  Ghana's National Security apparatus has diligently spun a Kweku-Ananse-dissembling-web, stronger than even graphene. Now enmeshed in it, they are trapped, and unable to escape from those graphene-obscenities that offend the sensibilities of Ghanaians so.

The time has now come for our National Security apparatus to tell the good people of Ghana who exactly their sodden private contractor -  whose armed galamsay-employees were recently apprehended in a forest reserve - is, and precisely why his myrmidon-thug-employees are issued with government-owned side-arms, and pose as National Security operatives. 

The question all Ghanaians must ponder over is: Do the so-called National Security private contractor's thuggish employees constitute a privately-owned militia trained, armed and paid for by taxpayers - while he pockets vast sums of off-ledger 'dark-money' profits? And is the stealth-infiltration of a privately-owned militia, into Ghana's National Security apparatus, not a clear-cut case of high treason?

Furthermore, just how much has the National Security private contractor, earned thus far, and how much  has he paid in taxes on his off-ledger 'dark-money' income?  Ghanaians want straightforward answers - not yet more Kweku-Ananse-dissembling. 

Finally, those parts of our National Security architecture, which think they are a law onto themselves, must understand clearly that some of them are destined for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in future, as sure as day follows night. Definitely. No libilaba possible there. Full stop.  We are tired of state-sanctioned public-sector-employee-big-lies. Enough is enough.  Haaba.

 

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A Quick Note To Ghana's Younger Generation Of Media Professionals

The alleged beating up of Citi FM/TV's Caleb Kudah, by rogue myrmidon-thugs from our National Security apparatus, must be the career-watershed-moment for all of you. Even if he broke any laws - and that is a moot point - nothing can justify the brutal assault on him. Ghana is a civilised African nation - and we are not barbarians either. Full stop.

You must not let that metaphorical assault on Ghanaian democracy go unchallenged and unpunished. You could be the next victim. He must stop the assault on media professionals in Ghana.  Now. Not tomorrow. Enough is enough.

Since international opprobium is the only 'Agyemang' that will get the cowardly moderates in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP)  - who look on helplessly as the assigns of the wealthy criminals who dominate their party, carry out unspeakable and unpardonable crimes, such as the torturing of arrested journalists  - to act to stop such egregious-acts-of-impunity, my humble advice to all of you, is to join the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists  (ICIJ), immediately, if you aren't yet members. 

After joining the ICIJ, bring Caleb Kudah's torture to their attention. Once the ICIJ intervenes,  it will be brought to President Akufo-Addo's attention, and action will follow, for sure. Ghana is a democracy in which the rule of law prevails,  not a tyrannical  banana republic.

Finally, I urge all of you to issue a joint statement (copied to the ICIJ) to the nation, condemning the merciless beating up of CitiFM/TV's Caleb Kudah, in no uncertain  terms, and demand that all the National Security personnel who assaulted him are prosecuted.   This nonsense must stop. We are a nation of laws - not savages ruled by the law of the jungle. Haaba.

Please find below the contact details of the ICIJ:

ICIJ contact information

General enquiries

contact@icij.org

Story tip-offs

investigations@icij.org

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

1710 Rhode Island Ave NW, 11th floor, Washington DC 20036 USA.

Tel: +1.202-808-3310.

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#FixTheCountry: Food For Thought From An Old Wag I Know

 #FixTheCountry - food for thought from an old wag, who is clued-on and knows what time of day, it always is, whom  I happen to be acquainted with, and who, like most Ghanaians, today, is also thoroughly fed up with the situation our homeland Ghana now faces:

"Kofi, is it is not an example of their extraordinary lack of perspecuity, that while always willing to find space in the president's tight schedule, to allow the families of prominent Ghanaians who pass away, to see our nation's leader, at short notice, for example, President Akufo-Addo's Jubilee House visitor-scheduling-gatekeepers, failed to see the importance (in terms of the national interest), of allowing the #FixTheCountry leadership, to meet with our elected leader? Was that not a great disservice to both Mother Ghana and to President Akufo-Addo? Pity."


My reaction:

Perhaps some of them don't want the president to know the nation's actual-on-the-ground-mood, anaaaa - because they would be dismissed the moment the president finally understood just how fed up and disillusioned the vast majority of Ghanaians have become, with his administration? Hmmmm, eyeasem, ooooo. Eeiiii, Oman Ghana - enti yewieye paaa enei? Asem kesie bi, ebeba debi, ankasa, ooooo. Yoooooooo...

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Unsinkable And Unconquerable Miraculous-Truth (A Prose-Poem By Kofi Thompson )

When ranged against wretched-looking truth's rag-tagged little band of guerrillas

Falsehood's impressive fast-moving well-equipped and well-trained battalions

Appear unstoppable and all-conquering with their aura of shiny-steely-invincibility

The wonder of it is that truth's rag-tagged wretched-looking guerrillas eventually emerge victorious in the fullness of time

No matter the size of the deployed-falshoods ranged against it

In the final analysis truth's miraculous rag-tag-guerrillas can neither be sunk nor  conquered!

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Ghanaians Demand To Be Better Governed

Good governance is now the major issue of concern, for the vast majority of independent-minded and discerning Ghanaians. In light of that, the Electricity Company of Ghana's (ECG) just-released time-table,  for power outages, comes as a huge relief, to those of us who still support President Akufo-Addo, 100 percent, but resent his regime's Orwellian-dumsor-dissimulation.  

The release of the time-table, for dumsor,  signals the end of the government's Ostrich-like-sand-head-burying-insouciance, and a determination to focus on resolving our country's urgent-nation-building-challenges, thank goodness. With the help of all truly-patriotic Ghanaians, our hardworking and honest President Akufo-Addo, will fix our urgent nation-building-challenges, one after the other, Insha Allah.

On his part,  President Akufo-Addo must also understand, clearly, now, that most of those he has relied on, thus far, to prosecute his transformational-agenda, have failed him badly, if truth be told. He must stop trusting most of  the people around him  - because, left to their own devices, they will destroy his legacy (the foundation for which was laid, during his first term in office), if he continues trusting them. For sure.  

The question that President Akufo-Addo must ponder over now is: If his appointees had foresight, would we be experiencing dumsor, today, and his regime faced with a thoroughly fed-up-populace, now angrily demanding that he fixes the country, in a #FixTheNation campaign ? No. No. No.

Furtheremore, as a wise and creative people, Ghanaians must stop the endless borrowing, of our hard-of-hearing-ruling-élites,  and demand rather, that instead of adding to our massive debt-mountain, our elected leaders must now outsource the vital business of financing the building and modernisation, of our infrastructure, to the private sector. Full stop.

Henceforth, we must insist that instead of resorting to nation-crippling-loans, the administrations of all our sitting presidents, use incentives, to attract infrastructure companies from around the world, to build concrete tolled dual carriage motorways, and railway lines, from Accra, to all the regional capitals, for example, in 35-year long build, operate and transfer (BOT) public private partnership (PPP) agreements. Enough is enough: We demand to be better governed. Haaba. 

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American Mothers Beware: Given Another Chance Trumpist-Dissembling Will End Up Propping A Ruthless-Dictatorship

The all-but-certain-ousting of Liz Cheney, from her leadership role in the U.S. Congress, because she refuses to embrace Trumpist-dissembling, is most unfortunate.

As is the gross disrespect that continues  to be shown to Mitt Romney  (a truly principled and patriotic conservative politician), by beguiled-American-conservatives, for whom, incredibly, Trump is a hero,  who can do no wrong.

One now understands how monsters like Hitler and Mussolini, could rise to lead their respective nations, Germany and Italy, before World War 11. Trump is a clear and present danger to all freedom-loving Americans. Given another chance, his dissembling will end propping a ruthless-dictatorship callously  enslaving Americans, with impunity. No question. Time will tell - as sure as day follows night. For sure.

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All Students In Ghana Must Be Allowed To Enjoy Their Constitutionally Guaranteed Rights - Including Practising Their Religious Beliefs

The Christian Council of Ghana, and the Catholic Bishops' Council, are very respectable and reputable organisations in Ghana.  Over the years,  their wisdom and patriotism, have led to members of the two religious bodies expressing their concerns, publicly, whenever challenging societal-issues, have cropped up.

Ghana is one of the few nations in the world, in which Christians and Moslems coexist peacefully, and even intermarry regularly. Long may that be the case - as Ghana's 4th Republican Constitution,  guarantees all Ghanaians the  right to freely practise their religious beliefs. 

As we speak, Islamic terrorism is wrecking havoc, in sister West African nations,  such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. It is vital therefore, that everything possible is done by Ghanaian society, to ensure that our nation's Moslem youth aren't radicalized under any circumstances.  

That is why, at a time when Islamacist-terrorism's tentacles, are now spread across all the world's seven continents, it is important that the Christian Council of Ghana, and the Catholic Bishops Conference, rethink their views on the controversial issue of permitting Moslem students, in Christian educational institutions, to fast, during Ramadam.

The issue is causing anguish in many Moslem communities nationwide. No question.

In light of that development, with the greatest respect, it ought to be pointed out clearly to the Christian Council of Ghana, and the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, that they definitely need to revise their notes on the issue of fasting by Moslem students, in Ghana's Christian educational institutions. 

There are many discerning and  fairminded Christians, across our homeland Ghana, who consider the current position of the two bodies, as  unfair, unfortunate, and no longer tenable, in a sub-continent plagued by ruthless Islamacist terrorIst organisations, such as Boko Haram. The time has now come for all educational institutions in Ghana, to ensure that students in our nation, are free to enjoy their constitutionally garanteed right, to practise their religious beliefs, peacefully. 

 

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Yet Another Quick Note To Myles - Who Claims To Be A Fan Of Kofi Thompson's Writing

Myles, you are a highly intelligent chap. Ponder this: What if investors suddely lost interest in SPACs because of tighter regulation, and started shunning them, in droves? Where would that leave your precious Agyapa Royalties?

All that is glitters isn't gold, ooooo, Massa. All you seem to see is the billions the sector's value-chain generates. This is a classic example of the value of the bird in one's hand,  equalling that of two in the bush,  wai. 

I have always stated openly that President Akufo-Addo is the next best elected leader after Nkrumah - and that I support him 100 percent. Still do - and I am not ashamed to say so.

Sadly for people like me, it has become obvious that he is poorly served  by most of those close to him. who have his ear.  Some of us resent that deeply. He deserves better. Definitely. And Mother Ghana deserves better too.

Nothing annoys one more than the fact that his new administration is beginning to look like a lame-duck-regime, even before it has began its work in ernest - because of pole-position jockeying by some of those in his party whose ambition is  to succeed him as president. Monstrous. But I digress. Since you also support President Akufo-Addo 100 percent, one wishes you well. My email address: kofi.thompson@yahoo.co.uk. Thanks.

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A Quick Note To Myles - On Why Agyapa Royalties Isn't A Clever Idea In A Corruption-Riddled Ghana

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Myles. Agyapa might be a very clever idea, were  Ghana not a corruption-riddled society, dominated by the ruthless and cynical big-thieves-in-high-places,  destroying our nation, with the unfathomable-greed that drives them. Get it? 

Far better for our younger generations, then, that Parliament passes a new law, ring-fencing the guaranteed U.S.$200 million  annual gold royalties, to provide interest-free long-term loans, to fund potentially profitable business ventures, of the most innovative, of  Ghana's many brilliant cash-strapped young entrepreneurs. 

Will that not create wealth that remains in Ghana, and jobs galore, in a nation in which youth unemployment is a social-time-bomb, which poses a national-security-threat that could destabilise our country, and set it back ages: were it to explode? Never discount that vital-negative-factor, in your clever-calculations, Myles. 

With the greatest respect, our hard-of-hearing ruling-élites need to understand, clearly, why commonsense, not sleight-of-hand-cleverness, is an important prerequisite for the good leadership, desperately needed, to fix our country's myraid of challenges. Some of us are tired of the endless self-seeking of smug too-clever-by-half-incompetents, in the corridors of power, dressed up as cleverness. Enough is enough. Haaba.

How Do We Truly Fix Our Country?

If we truly want to fix our country, should we not begin by building a national consensus on state funding of political parties - and decide that there will be two broad-churches of political parties: made up of Nkrumahists, and the political-progeny of the Busia-Danquah-Dombo tradition? And, furtheremore, that  there will be no state funding of small political parties? 

If that is done, will it not mean that the powerful thieves-in-high-places in Ghanaian  society, who dominate them, and  have more or less turned the ruling New Patriotic Party  (NPP), and opposition National Democratic Congress  (NDC), into criminal-syndicates,  in all but name, will quickly become pariahs,  and their galamsaying-days in forest reserves, swiftly brought to an end? 

Finally, will we not be killing two birds, with one stone,  in so doing, so to speak? And will we not be able to live happily after that, perhaps, as our river systems recover, and scientifically-based-forest-restoration guarantees their recovery,  and ability to thrive again, to benefit our younger generations, their children, and those children's unborn offspring?  Cool, la... 

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The Right To Speak Truth To Power Is Non-Negotiable

In a nation being slowly destroyed by high-level corruption, it never ceases to amaze one that so many in our country, seem to overlook the fact that the well-intentioned desire by some to stop reckless commentary on social media, today, might provide tomorrow's tyrants with the building-blocks to enslave Ghanaians in future.

 

Only the freedom to speak our minds freely, on all communications platforms, and speak truth to power, will enable  vigilant-ordinary-folk to prevent powerful  self-seekers, from collaborating with big-thieves-in-high-places in Ghanaian society, to act with the egregious-impunity (now sadly eroding our society's moral fabric, on top, too), enabling them rob Mother Ghana in broad daylight,  and impoverish the masses, ooooo. The right to speak truth to power, is non-negotiable, oooo.  Yooooooo...

 

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The Adjapa Royalties SPAC Not In Ghana's Longterm Interest - Whatever Its Promoters Say

As is usually the case in Ghana, after making a lot of noise protesting against a very bad idea, we have allowed ourselves to give in, to the selfsame  clever-self-seekers robbing us in broad daylight, and accept a deal that is definitely not in the longterm interest of Mother Ghana,  whatever its clever promoters tell us.

It is careless in the extreme, to agree to indemnify any individuals in a corruption-riddled society, who have a fiduciary duty to account for, and  protect public funds, from prosecution for fraud, and causing financial loss to the state - which is precisely what the promoters of that confounded Jersey-domiciled offshore special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) seek from Parliament. 

Are we demented to agree to such arrogant and unreasonable  demands? Rather than Parliament accepting such nonsense, let it rather pass a new law allowing  the annual US $200 million gold royalties to be ring-fenced, and used to fund potentially profitable business  ideas of young people in Ghana - by providing them with interest-free longterm loans: because the creation of wealth and  jobs by the ventures of brilliant young entrepreneurs, is most definitely in the longterm interest of Mother Ghana. Whatever its promoters say, the Adjapa Royalties SPAC is not in the longterm interest of Mother Ghana. Period.

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Is Electrochem Ghana Limited's Songhor Lagoon Agreement A Legal-Cloak For Aquiring Cheap Land By Stealth?

Perhaps to enable the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media, to better understand the monstrosity of Ghana's government giving a mammoth-sized area, of the Songhor Lagoon, to Electrochem Ghana Limited - totalling 15.83km2 - a few key things  ought to be pointed out to them.

To begin with, Electrochem Ghana Limited's Songhor Lagoon area lease, is, in effect, an intolerable and unethical monkey-dey-work-baboon-dey-chop case of unjustifiable-injustice, being imposed on the local people, who hail from there - who are now banned from accessing ancestral lands, which for centuries, have sustained them through saltwinning.

Our nation's media professionals need to also see, in their minds' eyes,  the negative on-the-ground-impact of  Electrochem's lease, on the lives of the Songhor Lagoon area communities, by  juxtaposing their plight, with the impact a similar  agreement in northern Ghana, would have on local communities, to better understand the unpardonable-and-unconscionable abomination going on in the Songhor Lagoon area, as we speak.

A similar agreement in northern Ghana, would mean, in effect,  that all the areas in the north, with shear trees on them, will be allocated to politically well-connected  private investors,  and the north's mostly-female shear butter production's traditional value-chain's micro-entrepreneurs,  permanently banned, from engaging in their age-old key-survival-economic-activity, the seasonal collection of shear nuts.

In other words, Electrochem Ghana Limited's lease, is,  an egregious example, of state-capture rent-seeking. It is a legally-sanction land-grab, by politically well-connected crony-capitalists, who have acquired  an incredible 15.83km2 of the Songhor Lagoon area  - much bigger than the Carribean island state of Jamaica's entire 10.99km2 sovereign territory's total landmass.

Indeed, so huge is the leased area - which is now guarded by a detachment of the military, billeted there -  that some critics wonder whether the agreement isn't  a legal-cover, for the buying up of valuable land, by shrewd real estate speculators, who happen to be the cronies of some of Ghana's powerful big-thieves-in-high-places. Hmmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

The last question that the media ought to ponder over is: Has the agreement enabled the promoters of Electrochem Ghana Limited,  to acquire vast tracks of cheap land, for the development, in future, of luxury  gated communities, industrial estates, an airport for private jets, and cargo aircraft? Ditto airport cargo-villages?  This is Ghana. Everything is possible, when it comes to pork-barrel-politrick's to empower and further enrich regime-crony-capitalist bankrollers, of ruling political parties.  Cool.

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A Quick Note To Jack Dorsey - Twitter's Prescient CEO

Dear Mr. Dorsey, 

Choosing Ghana was prescient. Power sector collaboration with the brilliant  Ghanaian inventor, Raphael Afordoanyi, will enable you help prevent  humankind from reaching  the climate-change-tipping-point-of-no-return. Cool.

Alas, the oblivion-bound gobal-power-sector, nuclear included, is now obselete - but blissfully unaware of their fate: 

They are at the same point that manufacturers of horse-drawn carriages, and stage coaches, were, in 1860, when the first internal combustion engine was created by the Belgian inventor, Étienne Lenoir.

Raphael's serendipitous game-changing emission-free off-grid stand-alone clean power technology, will provide electricity that never goes off, regardless of prevailing weather conditions  -  and at tariff-rates cheaper than that from even nuclear power plants. Imagine that. Truly mind-boggling -  the global power-sector's holy-grail, no less.

Reach out to inventor Raphael Afordoanyi: WhatsApp: +233 26 974 6270. It will make you trillions. Take the risk. Swiftly. You can help give humankind a second-chance-opportunity, which will usher in a pandemic-era period of  unparalleled-prosperity, underpinned  globally by 100 percent clean power  -  and banish extreme-poverty, worldwide, on top, too. Cool.

Because I often criticise  our hard-of-hearing ruling-élites, in published articles, I can easily be located by Ghana's security agencies, on whose radar I am  - so you have nothing to worry about: This is not a scam.   

Thanks.

Kind regards,

Kofi.

WhatsApp:+233576564600.

Tel: +233277453109 & +233558852619.

Falsifying Ghana's History Is Intellectually Dishonest - And Must Cease Forthwith

One felt very sad, listening to speaker after speaker, at the 16th Baffuor Akoto Memorial Lectures,  reiterating the big-lie that the tribal-supremacist organisation,  the National Liberation Movement's (NLM) Baffuor Osei Akoto, was a Ghanaian hero and patriot. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is yet another example, of the many falsehoods and half-truths, being fed to young people today, about our pre-independence colonial past. The revisionism that today's  political progeny  of yesteryear's tribal-supremacists, are shamelessly undertaking, is an egregious example, of the dissembling that produces war-victor's-version of historical events.

For the information of today's young people who are not yet aware of it, the NLM was a ruthless Akan tribal-supremacist terrorist group, whose sole  aim, was to ensure that the new state that would emerge after independence,  would be a federation made up of the precolonial tribal entities, dominated by the progeny of the precolonial privileged elite, and only a qualified-few could vote. Full stop.

They were vehemently opposed to Nkrumah's vision of an indepenent unitary state, which was a democracy in which there was universal suffrage, and social mobility, and all tribes had an equal stake, that was underpinned by meritocracy. The shameful attempt to falsify our homeland Ghana's history is intellectually dishonest, and must cease forthwith. Haaba.

 

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A Quick Note To Hon. George Nartey - About Government's Purchase Of AirtelTigo

 Honourable,

Greetings. I am only an ignorant old fool, but, are we not a nation that has chosen the private sector, to be the engine-of-growth, of our national economy, anaaaa? This is a classic example, of clever politicians looking for easy pickings, taking  the good-intentions-road, only to end up in hell, ooooo. Yoooooooooo...


Secondly, surely, Massa, is the true cost of government taking over AirtelTigo,  not the quantum, and actual-value, of the "agreed liabilities", anaaaa? In other words, are our present leaders  not saddling Ghanaians with yet more debt, anaaaa?  Yooooooo...

Finally, would it not have been more creative, if the government  had sought to  persuade Huawei (which one agrees has probably never imagined itself as a teleco, but would have swiftly grabbed the opportunity for the option of gaining the experience, and know-how, to enable it compete as a 5G telco, globally, in future), to take over AirtelTigo, as a strategic longterm move - designed to give Ghana the capability of becoming Africa's equivalent of Estonia,  as a digital-state, anaaaa? Hmmmm, eyeasem, ooooo. Eeiiii, Oman Ghana - enti yewieye paaa enei? Asem kesie  bi, ebeba debi ankasa, ooooo. Yoooooooooo...

 

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A Quick Note To The Owners Of Electrochem Ghana Limited - And Their Backers In The System

The Songhor Lagoon area is the traditional home of the indigenous Ga Dangbe people living around it, who have lived off the saltwinning carried out there, for centuries.  It can thus be argued that  in spirit their traditional saltwinning, falls under the rIghts stipulated in the United Nations  Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007. 

Globally,  all civilised nations agree that "indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their traditional political, economic and social systems or institutions,  to secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities."

One doubts very much that public opinion in Ghana wouldn't turn against Electrochem Ghana Limited, if  its one-sided agreement was made widely known. There are many fair-minded discerning Ghanaians, who feel that it is unconscionable  that Electrochem, and its regime-backers, are using military personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, to subjugate the indegenous Ga Dangbes, of the Songhor Lagoon area.  

They are not galamsayers, are they? Massa, the vast majority of Ghanaians are now thoroughly fed up with the fact that they continue to live in an unfair society, which is corruption-riddled, and, has been dominated for nearly two decades now, by big-thieves-in-high-places, ooooo.  Yooooooooo...

Power in Ghana, a democracy,  is transient -  just as it is in all genuine democracies the world over. The question the promoters of Electrochem must ask themselves is: What if a Jerry Rawlings-type figure takes over Ghana? That is a real possibility now. Would Electrochem's unfair one-sided agreement survive? The company's owners  would be wise to see the indigenous Songhor Lagoon people as win-win-partners and make the original J. J. Rawlings Masterplan the basis of  their relationship with them, oooo.  Yooooooo...

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