Ghana's mainstream media must commit to promoting climate-resilient green growth policies

It is becoming more and more obvious that our hard-of-hearing ruling-elites, just don't think of the longterm consequences, of the destruction of the natural environment for short-term gain, by a powerful and greedy few. Hmmm, ey3nsem piiiiii,  ooooo, Ghanafuo.

Little wonder, then, that today,  our elites are mostly  beholden to the big-thieves-in-high-places, and Ghana's current cohort of super-ruthless regime-crony-tycoons, who now dominate our country - and all of  whom are determined to send their personal net worth to stratospheric heights: at society's expense, come hell or high water.

Never has it therefore been more critical, in our post-independence history, for the more responsible sections of Ghana's mainstream media, to support  communities nationwide, which instinctively  understand clearly that our nation's remaining natural capital,  is actually priceless  and must be protected by ordinary people  themselves.

As we witness the ecocide resulting in poisoned rivers, groundwater and soils nationwide, by the extractive industries, across vast swathes of the Ghanaian countryside, it is now becoming clear to communities across the nation that at a time when climate change is impacting Ghana negatively, natural capital, is, in reality, much, much more valuable, than all Ghana's mineral resources combined.

The stand being taken by the Chiefs, Elders and youth of the Awutu traditional area, against plans to mine lithium there, is a case in point.

That is why (if they understand their watchdog-role in our democratic society, properly, that is),  the more responsible sections of Ghana's mainstream media, ought to start giving their unflinching  support  to  Ghana's best green entrepreneurs, such as the CEO of the Legon Botanical Gardens, Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, and the founder of the agrisector social impact business, B-BOVID, Issa Ouedraogo, as well as local environmental activists, who campaign against environmental degradation, and the conservation-focused organisations they collaborate with, such as A Rocha Ghana and Eco-Conscious Citizens Group, on a regular basis.

As the anniversary of the day on which Ghana became a Republic (1st July,  1960),  approaches, the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media, ought to commit to being at the forefront, henceforth, in the campaign to promote state  policies designed to engender  climate-resilient green growth - as the common-good and equitable-end, which  we must seek as a wise and aspirational African people: in creating wealth that remains locally, and generates fulfilling-jobs, galore, across the entire  landmass, of the sovereign territory, of the Republic of Ghana. Full stop. Case closed.

Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo: Obiara eny3 obi ewor Ghana ooooo

Like all his fellow  citizens,   Honourable Yaw Osafo Marfo, is also entitled to his views, in our democracy - which is a free and liberal society bedrocked on tolerance amongst a mostly peace-loving people, for whom living in harmony with neighbours, actually matters.  

 

Unlike the vast majority of Ghanaians,  however,  Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo  is a powerful individual, whose voice carries a great deal of weight, in the regime currently in power, in what is a multi-ethnic African society, in which virtually all extended family clans are made of individuals from different ethnicities,  who are united by ties of marriage, and consanguinity, in a country founded on the Nkrumahist-principle that no tribe is superior or inferior to another in modern Africa.

The question we ought to ponder over is: Should politicians holding antediluvian views on the issue of ethnicity, be allowed to remain in government, when their repugnant tribal-supremacist views, come to light, anaaa?

Speaking personally,  I have Akyem blood coursing through my veins. The females in my family, are eligible to be nominated to be Queen Mothers of Akyem Osiem, and I am proud of my Akyem roots.

However,  the idea that somehow Akyems are special, and that the descendants of Okyenhene Nana Ofori-Atta 1, and Dr. J. B. Danquah, are superior beings, is ridiculous - and it is crucial that those in that demographic, who are arrogant for that laughable and absurd reason, put their abhorrent superiority-complexes, in deep-freeze-storage, pronto, ooooo. Yoooooooo...

For their information, the past is a different country that's not worth visiting, koraaaa.  Ancient glories count for nought in today's digitised world. The Yaw Osafo Marfos in our midst must belt up - and keep their ridiculous tribal views to themselves. Full stop. Obiara eny3 obi ewor Ghana, ooooo. Yoooooooo...

A quick note to Nana Afua Frema Busia - on why despite its many challenges Ghana is still a fantastic place

Ohemaa Paaapabi Nana Afua Frema Busia, I can see why for the most part, because of our nation's many challenges, it's well nigh impossible for the average person to see what is so fantastic, about our homeland  Ghana.

The question we ought to ponder over is: Is there civil war raging across Ghana, as we speak?  Certainly not. And that's  the wonder of our nation, oooo, wai, Ohemaa Paaapabi Nana Afua Frema Busia. Cool.

Fact is, this is an aspirational African  society, kept afloat by  a pragmatic, hardworking  and honest middle-class demographic (made up of good people like you, Ohemaa Paaapabi), full of dignity, which eschews do-nothing-cynicism,  and rather focuses on getting things done, regardless, instead, as successful private sector players, making the most of what unquestionably is a very, very frustrating environment.

Ohemaa Paaapabi Nana Afua Frema Busia,  it is that wise and pragmatic  middle-class demographic's  live-and-let-live philosophy of life,  which has managed to keep Ghana relatively stable and peaceful, thus far - despite its many challenges: particularly the nation-wrecking grand-larceny enabling our country's powerful big-thieves-in-high-places, to send their net worth to stratospheric heights: when their political parties take turns to rule Ghana.

Ohemaa, the fantastic bit about Mother Ghana, can be observed in the said wise and honest middle-class demographic's (that is  keeping Ghana on an even keel),  celebration of life's traditional rites of passage, their love of serious-chilling, their enduring friendships and their charitable-giving meant  to empower those who aren't as privileged as they are lucky to be,  to bootstrap their way out of the brutish-hellish-trap of extreme poverty.

Finally, speaking personally, all the above  (plus the blessing that virtually all extended family clans, across the territorial landmass of the Republic of Ghana, happen to be metaphorical-melting-pots, consisting of different ethnicities, united by marriage, and ties of consanguinity, coexisting peacefully), result, in my humble view, in making the splendid African  destination called Ghana, such a fantastic place.  Simple. Cool.

Ensuring food security in Ghana

Food security has become a global issue, as a result of the war in Ukraine, a leading producer of wheat. That is why as a wise and aspirational African people, we must now highlight the efforts of the most successful and innovative  farmers, in our homeland Ghana - and none comes close to what  B-BOVID Farms Limited's founder, Issa Ouedraogo, has achieved in less than twenty years.

Issa, an orphan who went abroad to study in Germany, then worked overseas and saved enough (US $800,000) to enable him return home to  invest in his dream:  establishing an agrisector  social impact  business, with a value-chain of empowered oil palm smallholder  farmer-stakeholders, as a way of giving back to society, for his good fortune in escaping from the poverty-trap.

As it happens, today, the world has finally embraced the idea of business impacting both society and the natural environment, positively, by bedrocking  the ethos that guides its operations on good governance principles that result in a C-Suit  management-culture focused on diversity and environmental stewardship in all the communities they serve worldwide.

That is why the Issa Ouedraogos in our midst, ought to be embraced - for, their innovative  agrisector social impact business model, empowers its value-chain's smallholder farmer-stakeholders to bootstrap their way out of the brutish-hellish-trap of extreme poverty, successfully, generates jobs galore across rural Ghana, and also helps to green our country, because tree-planting is an integral part of their operations.

Replicated nationwide,  agrisector social impact businesses will enable Ghana to ensure food security, and increase its natural capital as agroforestry projects. Our ruling-elites really ought to focus on incentivising our national economy's private sector's most innovative agripreneurs, with tax breaks and seek their views on how to create wealth that remains locally, and generate meaningful jobs for rural Ghana's younger generations, while ensuring food security for Mother Ghana, above all.

A quick note to the U.S. SEC's Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force

The U.S SEC has jurisdiction over the Banque Edmond de Rothschild Group. If that is so, then surely,  the clear-cut evidence showing that Moringa, Banque Edmond de Rothschild Group's African fund manager's unethical company culture in Ghana (the gathered-incontrovertible-evidence, which includes  egregious law-breaking, communicating serial-falsehoods to Ghanaian officialdom  and fraudulent alteration of official documents deployed to enable it hijack B-BOVID from its brilliant founder, Issa Ouedraogo), is proof positive that,  actually, Moringa does not qualify to be lawfully classified as agroforestry social impact  investors, in B-BOVID's country of domicile, Ghana, and must therfore be investigated by the SEC'S Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force, as a  matter of some urgency?

The question is: If Moringa (which owed Issa Ouedraogo a duty-of-care, from day one, when they first contacted him by email), falsely claimed to be agroforestry social impact investors, initially, should that deliberate-mislabelling, by definition, not  attract the attention of investigators from the SEC's Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force?

Moringa stands condemned by the catalogue of their abominable buccaneering-activities in Ghana (including deceiving Issa Ouedraogo  that they were social impact investors - a ruthless-ruse that enabled them to get away with devaluing Issa's original investment - and avoiding a proper evaluation of B-BOVID's value/worth).

Furthermore, if Ghana is an African investment destination in which they have not provided even one tree seedling, to any of B-BOVID's value-chain's smallholder farmer-stakeholders,  to diversify their income streams, is that  failing not at variance with the African Development Bank's (AfDB) core-reason for its provision of funds to Moringa,  and giving it stewardship of earmarked  agroforestry funds for Africa, I ask?

In light of all the above, surely, while an investigation by the U.S. SEC'S Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force, is pending, should the Ghana Arbitration Centre  (GAC) case between Moringa and Issa Ouedraogo,  not now be suspended?

Finally, amongst issues that might be resolved from such an SEC investigation, would be whether or not the bulk of the money Moringa has put into B-BOVID, thus far, came from the  Agroforestry Technical Assistance Facility - and whether or not such philanthropic funds can be morally parleyed into an acquisition of majority shares in B-BOVID, lawfully. Case closed.

Why nothing can justify a military coup in Ghana

Nothing, not even the egregious grand-larcerny now being revealed in the wills of some of our dearly departed big-thieves-in-high-places, can justify a military coup in Ghana. Do we not have the right to vote out ruling political parties that disappoint us, every four years, I ask? 

 

Has the government of President Akufo-Addo not got two more years to redeem itself? Haaba. Those discerning and patriotic Ghanaians,  who are now sick and tired of the intolerable-greed that drives some of those who dominate our nation, must be more creative in the fight against corruption. Full stop.

Why do they, for example, not collaborate with online platforms, with a global reach, such as The Intercept, to expose the high-level corruption holding back the transformation of our homeland Ghana - since our ruling-elites fear nothing more than international opprobrium?

Furthermore, why do they not promise to incentivise whistleblowing, by guaranteeing indemnity from prosecution, for all whistleblowers, and, add a 25 percent reward, for whistleblowing, which leads to the recovery of stolen public funds - and campaign to win power, to deploy those selfsame ideas to end high-level corruption in this beautiful and peaceful African nation, lucky to have an aspirational citizenry, committed to peaceful coexistence between neighbours?

 
If those who are now lining up to participate in the ongoing brutal gang-rape of Mother Ghana don't change their evil ways, one boldly predicts that we will eventually begin to see Robin-Hood-terrorism in Ghana, in which the worst big-thieves-in-high-places are regularly assassinated, in reprisals, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooo. 

 

Amongst its many victims, will be judges percieved to be aiding and abetting the project to create a tyranny-of-the-majority, senior public servants amassing inexplicable-wealth, and many, many government ministers, and their private-sector regime-crony-business-cohorts. 

 

Finally, in light of all the above, for the sake of Mother Ghana,  let us all boldly speak out against the bad-faith-maneuvering, now being used to create a tyranny-of-the-majority, which frequently passes egregious rail-roaded-legislation, to legalise self-serving-illegalities, such as the Agyapa  gold royalties SPAC. Military coups only create new jackbooted-tyrants accountable to no one - who will end up being even more corrupt than today's big-thieves-in-high-places, as sure as day follows night, and, worst of all, won't hesitate to kill dissenters, to silence them permanently. Yoooooooo. Ghanafuo: A word to the wise...

Saving Ghanaian democracy from destruction

 A democracy that has morphed into a friends-and-family-kleptocracy, in which the judiciary are seen by the vast majority of ordinary people, as being beholden to the government of the appointing authority, and, to add insult to injury, happens to be dominated by super-ruthless big-thieves-in-high-places, is, by definition, an unjust and inequitable society, which sits on a social time bomb, of epic proportions, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooo...


A society like that, is simply beyond redemption, and must undergo revolutionary change, if a ruinious and destructive civil war isn't to break out, in it. To prevent that, perhaps we must look to aspects of our pre-colonial traditional culture's governance structures, in fashioning a new system bedrocked on good governance and social-equity.


That will enable us to finally replace the 4th Republic, with what will be an elected Monarchy, led by a Ghana Omanpanin, who will be elected by a people, in whom sovereignty is reposed, and are declared-royals, elegible to vote in all national and district elections, and, eligible themselves, to stand as candidates, and be voted for, in elections.


The Ghana Omanpanin will appoint a Prime Minister, to form a government, whose members will not be legislators (from Parliament). And, furthermore, all Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), will be elected for five-year terms, with no term-limits.


Finally, in the interim, the current government would be wise to rally Parliament, to pass a new law, which makes it mandatory for all senior public officials, and government appointees, to publicly publish their assets (as well as that of their wives/husbands/longterm partners), immediately before the beginning of their tenures, and immediately after their tenures end. If that were done we just might be able to save Ghanaian democracy from destruction.

Food for thought for common-good app developers who care about empowering the less privileged in Ghanaian society

Ghana's community of common-good. app developers, could make a huge impact, by helping marginalised Ghanaians to bootstrap their way out of the brutish-hellish-trap of extreme poverty. Three examples of needs that if addressed by  common-good app developers, could immediately help alleviate poverty, nationwide, come readily to mind:


1) An app that makes available information about what is available, free of charge, for the financially-challenged, who use public healthcare facilities nationwide, is sorely needed - as at the moment it appears that poor people have to pay for virtually everything, in our NHIS.


2) An app that helps micro-entreprenuers, such as market women, to do ecommerce, to enable them earn more, would be marvellous.

I know a hardworking Liberian lady, for example, who sells fruits and vegetables, in Gomia Buduburam's Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, in Ghana's Central Region, who wants to sell bitter cola online, whose lifelife would be transformed, immediate, if she went online.  If a partnership between Ghana Post and common-good app developers was established for that purpose , that would be excellent.


Finally, Ghanaian agriculture would see a dramatic transformation, if an app that enables the boundaries of smallholder farms to be mapped, digitally, for very little cash, by participating surveyors, globally could be created. It would make a real difference for rural Africa in an era of extreme weather - and  is consequently a must for Ghana, and the rest of Africa.

From my own personal experience, I do know what a difference having mapped farms in rural Ghana, can have for our national economy's smallholder farming sector. In light of all the above, there is no question that common-good app developers, who care passionately, about empowering the less privileged, in Ghanaian society, could make a real difference to wealth creation in Ghana. No question. Cool.

A quick note to Issa Ouedraogo - on Moringa's stewardship of AfDB agroforestry funds

Massa, if you want the global green social impact investment community, to become aware of Moringa's skullduggery, in Ghana, hold a virtual Twitter Space-presser that focuses on presenting to the world, documentary proof (the gathered-incontrovertible-evidence of communicated serial-falsehoods to Ghanaian officialdom), showing that far from being a genuine social impact investor, it is rather a morally bankrupt, greed-filled and corruption-riddled company, with a vile management culture.


The question that needs pondering over is: Why, if Moringa were genuine agroforestry  social impact investors,  with an ethical ethos, would they be focusing on hijacking B-BOVID, willy-nilly, in broad daylight, to grab its oil palm mill - yet, to date, after four  long years in Ghana as agroforestry investors, have, even as we speak, not provided a single tree seedling, to any of B-BOVID's value-chain's smallholder oil palm outgrower farmer-stakeholders, to enable them diversify their income streams, and enjoy higher living standards? Incredible.  

I am outraged by the Emperor-with-no-clothes-syndrome, pure nonsense on stilts  that Moringa's  exploitation of  Ghana's criminal  justice system, represents. In no other jurisdiction would this nonsense be entertained.

Massa, do you think that if you took EU agroforestry funds, in France, and after four years you still had not provided a single tree seedling,  and went to court to try to use falsification of official documents to change the ownership of a mill, ditto provided false information  to obtain a work permit, as well as use deep-fakery  to unlawfully  secure a bank mandate,  and then proceeded to empty the mill's bank account, you would remain a  free man, to litigate the said mill's ownership, using expensive-to-acquire lawyers, paid small  fortunes,  in hourly professional fee charges?


My advice to you is to use Twitter Space-pressers to expose all the above to the world - so that the global social impact investor community are aware of the egregious ruinous-actions and weaponised-falsehoods, which  Moringa is ruthlessly  deploying in Ghana, in its disgraceful attempt to steal B-BOVID, and its mill, from you, the visionary founder, who executed a  project to transform the lives of value-chain  smallholder outgrower farmer-stakeholders in Ghana's Western Region, to perfection. Cool.


Massa, genuine social impact investors have moral compasses, and operate with company cultures bedrocked on ethics. The question to ponder over is: Why have Moringa done the opposite of all that in their shabby attempt to take your life's work away from you?


Massa,  under no circumstances should  greenwashing-carpetbaggers like that, be given stewardship of earmarked African Development Bank (AfDB) agroforestry funds, wai. Full stop. Enough is enough. Case closed.  Haaba.

A Quick Note To Issa Ouedraogo - Copied To Banque Edmond de Rothschild Group, the AfDB President and the Western Regional Police Command

Yewura Issa, genuine social impact investors are law abiding in all jurisdictions, they operate in, today, oooo, Massa.


So the Ghana Police Service, our nation's principal law enforcement agency, have a legal obligation not to allow Moringa's forceful takeover of the factory, under cover of darkness, using thugs, to persist. This is a nation of laws. Full stop. Haaba.


After alI, would most ordinary citizens not be locked up, in a police station cell, awaiting processing for court the next day - if they tried a caper like that: just to enable them cynically tell a judge hearing a matter they had taken to court that they were in possession of the factory whose disputed ownership the honorable court was hearing (and had recommended recievership for, to protect it, before judgement in the case was passed), in a blatant and outrageous attempt to influence the honorable court's decision?


The Western Regional Police Command is duty bound to order personnel of the Ghana Police Service to take over the task of securing the factory - and ensure that no one has access to the factory: until a court appointed reciever takes over and takes inventory of what's there.


The era of when in Rome do as the Romans do, is over in the corporate world, globally, oooo. Ask the Ericsson executives who are being held personally responsible for the reputational-damaging Ericsson corrupt management culture's actions and inactions in Iraq. Genuine social impact investors are law abiding in all jurisdictions they invest in, today, oooo, Massa - regardless of how corrupt some of those jurisdictions are. Moringa's executives in Ghana, obviously aren't aware of that, the greedy sods. Enough is enough. Haaba.

Nothing can justify mobs attacking police stations in our homeland Ghana

One's thoughts and prayers are with those who suffered in the dreadful  tragedy that occurred at Nkoranza, in the Bono East Region on Tuesday 17th May, 2022 - both civilians and police. However, the point needs to be made that  Ghanaians, a wise and aspiratiinal African people, are a civilised people, and that nothing can justify mobs attacking police stations in our country.  Full stop.

The question we must ponder over is: When, koraaa, will our hard-of-hearing ruling-elites, get it, that we need to merge the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prison Service,  the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the CEPS of GRA, into a new Homeland Force, that then becomes the fourth armed service, of the Ghana Armed Forces  (GAF), if we are to ensure that those tasked to ensure internal security in our nation, are properly resourced - particularly at a time when terrorism is on the ascendancy in West Africa, and such horrible examples of mob violence,  in which police stations are attacked,  by lawless elements, is increasing in frequency?  Haaba.

The  time has now come for the deployment of AI citywide surveillance technology  to protect government installations such as police stations, and the barracks of all our security agencies, as well as all public spaces where large numbers congregate. We must not allow a break down in law and order, under any circumstances, anywhere, in the territorial landmass of the Republic of Ghana, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooo. Enough is enough. Nothing can justify mobs attacking police stations in our country. It is simply intolerable.

Ghanafuo, we can dig ourselves out of the deep hole that our hard-of-hearing, debt-accumulating promise-and-fail ruling-elites, have gotten us into, by championing the cause of Ghana's private sector's most innovative entrepreneurs - the businesses of all of whom ought to be given long tax holidays, and extended super-low-interest longterm loans, to expand their companies. Today, not tomorrow, oooo. Yoooooo...

Ghanafuo, our nation's fledgling green economy, ought to be seen for what it actually represents: the transformative-pillar of our country's future - for it is the creativity, nous and gumption, of the brightest and best Ghanaian green entrepreneurs, such as the CEO of the Legon Botanical Gardens, Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, and the brilliant founder and CEO, of B-BOVID Farms, Issa Ouedraogo, who, in the post-pandemic era, can create wealth that remains locally, and generate the jobs galore, needed for our younger generations.

If we are to make any headway, as wise and aspirational Africans, members of our nation's political class, ought to take the opinions of the private sector's foremost green entrepreneurs, into account, at all material times - because it is their flair for wealth-creation and generating jobs, which can help us dig Mother Ghana, out of the slippery-walled muddy-hole, which our country's too-clever-by-half politicians, have finally landed us, in, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yooooooo...

Ghana's Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Must End The Impunity Of Akyem Juaso 's Criminal Syndicates

It is an open secret in Akyem Juaso, a fringe-forest cocoa farming community, in Ghana's Eastern Region, that some members of the P. E. Thompson family, its biggest landowners, are actively collaborating with the criminal syndicates engaged in the production of bushcut chainsaw lumber, and galamsayers, in parts of our freehold 14-square mile upland evergreen rainforest property, off the arboreal slopes bordering the Atewa Forest Reserve (and in the 99.6 acres land we own inside the Atewa Forest Reserve, known in Forestry Commission jargon, as an admitted farm).



The question is: When will the dynamic Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Abu Jinapor, finally act to end the impunity fueling the egregious ecocidal-crimes, of the aforementioned. P. E. Thompson family members, Ghanafuo?  Hmmmm,  ey3nsem, piiiiii, oooo...



At a time when global climate change is impacting rural Ghana so negatively,  is it not vital that the impunity enjoyed by the ruthless and murderous criminal syndicates benefitting from illegal logging and galamsay, even as we speak, at Akyem Juaso, ends, and that those greedy rogues are arrested, prosecuted and jailed - to deter other such criminals across the territorial landmass of Ghana: especially at a time when those responsible for the safety of our Republic, ought to be making food security, a top national security strategic-priority, anaaaa, Ghanafuo? Enough is enough, oooo. The time has now come for the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to act to end such egregious-impunity. Now. Not tomorrow. Yoooooo...

Ghanaian politicians: Creating wealth and jobs isn't rocket science. It is simple-commonsensical-stuff

Why do Ghanaian politicians persist with the egregious dissembling-nonsense  that somehow, governments-of-the-day, can create jobs that are fulfilling for those lucky enough to find such government created jobs in Ghana? Are Nabco jobs fulfilling, anaaa, I ask? Do the young people who do those protocol-type-jobs get paid regularly, anaaa? Haaba.

With the greatest respect, it is only Ghana's private sector that can create wealth that remains locally, and decent fulfilling jobs, for those willing to work productively - because smart entrepreneurs across the nation incentivise them, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooo...

One's humble advice to members of our nation's hard-of-hearing political class, is to make the whole of Ghana's agricultural sector, not just the cocoa industry,  tax free - and demand that all farming in Ghana converts to organic farming within the next 5 years.

They will be astonished by how such a policy will result in a dramatic improvement in crop yields nationwide; and be amazed by the jobs galore it will generate - and boost the immune systems of Ghanaians, and make us a healthy people once again: like our forebears were before Africans came into contact with Western civilisation.  

Ditto be incredulous that such a policy results in exponential growth in the processing of agricultural produce; and also be pleasantly surprised to  see how adding value to agricultural produce, through processing, contributes positively to Ghana's trade balance - and actually  strengthens the hapless new Ghana cedi (a more or less worthless currency that sundry dog-collar-charlatans have prayed to God Almighty to strengthen, and stabilise, for yonks - but to no avail, alas:  because God hates stupidity in leaders), a feat which over the years, has eluded policymakers of virtually  all regimes, since the founding of the 4th Republic. Creating wealth and jobs, really isn't rocket science, koraaa, oooo, Ghanafuo. It is simple-commonsensical-stuff, wai. Cool.

A Quick Note To Those Advocating For A Miiitary Coup In Ghana

A military coup in Ghana will set our country back decades, and make us the slaves of soldiers accountable to no one. Life in a Ghana ruled by soldiers, would be akin to living in hell-on-earth conditions. No question. With the greatest respect, what dim-wit  wants such a life, I ask, Ghanafuo?


In that light, instead of advocating for a military coup, why not campaign openly, instead, during the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections,  with a manifesto calling for a new 5th Republic, with a Constitution, which ensures democracy, by mandating the election of heads of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies,  amongst other common-good provisions?



Ditto campaign for a new 5th Republic with a Constitution that bans all forms of media censorship, makes it mandatory for all elected public officials to publicly publish their assets before assuming office, and immediately after leaving office;  makes tax evasion a crime punishable by  mandatory life sentences with hard labour, and  no possibility whatsoever,   of parole, and gives prosecutorial powers to the Auditor General? That will be a great deal more preferable an existence, than living under the jackboots of ruthless soldiers accountable to no one, ooooo, Ghanafuo. Cool.

A Quick Note To Father Joop Visser - On The Benefits Of The Win-Win Social Impact Business Model In Emerging Nations

Father Joop Visser, even in low-wage emerging nations, in which labour laws are weak, and workers mostly aren't unionised, truly honest and wise social impact investors, specifically choose that particulsr business model, because its value-chain empowers local stakeholders to bootstrap their way to financial independence, while their quality of life is enhanced, by the improvement in the health of the natural environment.


That ensures the long-term sustainably of their projects, gives consumers worldwide the satisfaction of knowing that the company's products are authentically green and good for both people and the planet Earth. It's a proven formula for success. Cool.


Above all, the win--win ethos underpinning their project, keeps the business profitable, in the long run, ensuring an eventual exit for the original investors, whicn takes the business forward into the future, with new social impact investors, who come in with fresh ideas to take the business to the next level, so to speak.


Finally, if you want proof of its desirability, and suitability, for Mother Ghana, just ask the value-chain oil palm smallholder farmer-stakeholders of the pre-Moringa B-BOVID, founded and  built by the brilliant Issa Ouedraogo, as well as the incredibly hardworking indigenous Ga Dangbes, of the Songho Lagoon - who over the centuries have won salt there, as a cultural and spiritual activity - whether or not that is the type of win-win social impact investor they dream of daily. Simple, really, Sage. Cool.

 

Diversity and inclusion are good for Mother Africa - so let's embrace them

The yearning for freedom is innate in all humans, regardless of race, gender and class. Amongst Africa's younger generations, today,  it is creating melting-pot-energy, empowering thriving private-sector start-ups, of the continent's most innovative green entrepreneurs.


Above all, it will also fuel an unstoppable movement for social diversity, and inclusion,  in hidebound societies across sub-Saharan Africa - unleashing  a wave of boundless-energy  bedrocking creativity and innovation  that will power the continent to achieve its destiny as a global power, and force for good, in the world, in the process.


Incidentally, we are witnessing the first stirrings of it in Ghana, as victimised  women become bolder, in outing powerful men who engage in sexual misconduct, on social media platforms. It will eventually  bring down many  such men, and end that evil-menace. No question.


As it happens, that selfsame boldness-of-spirit, is driving the many successful ecommerce start-ups led by female entrepreneurs, booming across our homeland Ghana.   Watch this space. Diversity and inclusion are blessings for Mother Africa, so let's embrace them.

Yabr3 Ghana Mpaninfuo Asuodinfuo

The insousiance of our hard-of-hearing ruling-elites, especially the big-thieves-in-high-places ripping Mother Ghana off, so carelessly, in the face of ever increasing hardship being experienced by so many in Ghana, is beyond belief. 

 

Take the stupidity of not realising that social media, whatever its ills, offers a safety-valve for a thoroughly fed-up population, to vent their anger, virtually  -  instead of launching violent attacks on the percieved-oppressors they feel are responsible for the unbearable cost of living crisis ruining countless families across Ghana, today.

In that light, can someone please tell Ghana's current Attorney General that it is those selfsame social media platforms (which he clearly seeks ways and means to shut down, within Ghana, if possible), that ordinary people will leverage, someday, to fight tomorrow's dictatorships? Haaba. 

 

(Talk about an acute case of  the not-seeing-beyond-flat-nose-syndrome that afflicts so many arrogant African politicians.  Hmmm,  ey3asem piiiiii, oooo...)

It is shortsighted, in the extreme, for our hard-of-hearing  ruling-elites, to continue to think that democracy in Ghana,  cannot ever be overthrown, even if political parties governing our country, mess up big time,  at any given  point in time, and turn the lives of the masses of the Ghanaian populace upside down, making them suffer unbearable hardship,  while a lucky few quaff champagne, copiously, regularly, amidst acute potable  water shortages nationwide, oooo. 

 

The symbolism in that should not be lost on  discerning-folk who love Mother Ghana passionately, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yabr3 y3n mpaninfuo asuodinfuo,  oooo.  Yoooooo...

Ghana's ruling-elites must now put their thinking-caps on

Humble suggestion to Ghana's ruling-elites, who have lost their way, and have now been hoisted on their own collective-petard, because of their infernal arrogance: Please put your thinking-caps on, now, and stop the endless skirt-chasing. Ditto end Ghana's dominant kleptocrats' egregious hold on  Ghanaian society, and on our national economy. Now. Yooooooo...

Our leaders ought to ignore the hypocritical-strictures of the West about Huawei being a security threat (aren't its Western competitors in bed with the intelligence agencies of the West, too, I ask?), and approach that brilliant tech superpower, with an idea it has never thought of: becoming a global power in the telco business, starting with a win-win joint-venture partnership with the government of Ghana.

 

Will it not eventually lead to the transformation of AirtelTigo, into the dominant player in the Ghanaian market, offering a world-class service for the benefit of a much-abused industry subscriber-base, now lumbered with steadily deteriorating networks, resulting from the industry's focus on spending zillions attracting yet more subscribers, instead of improving the quality of their sodden networks?

The question we ought to ponder over as an aspirational African people is: Could the nation's share of the profits from such a win-win joint-venture partnership, with Huawei, not fund profitable and innovative tech start-ups, set up by the brightest and best younger generation Ghanaian entrepreneurs, in exchange for stakes in them - that the government could eventually sell on the Ghana Stock Exchange' (GSE), for handsome profits, anaaaa? And, if helps Huawei to become a global mobile money behemoth, too, would our nation not get some of the worldwide profits accruing to Huawei, too, anaaa? Haaba.

For what it's worth, this is a simple idea, paaaaapabi, from an uneducated old fool (considered a public-enemy because he criticises our hard-of-hearing ruling-elites frequently), for free to Mother Ghana, whom he loves passionately, oooo, Ghanafuo. Our ruling-elites need to put their thinking caps on, ooo. Now. Not tomorrow. Yooooooo...

Why Moringa Must Not Be Allowed To Hijack B-BOVID

"If we don't handle our independence very well, colonisers will come back in the form of investors"

    - Simon Kapwepwe (1922-1980)
 

A pivotal bell-weather investment dispute case, will be heard at the Ghana Arbitration Centre (GAC), in the not too distant future. The brilliant and farsighted founder of B-BOVID, Issa Oueodrago, is battling Moringa, which is claiming to own B-BOVID. The most responsible sections of Ghana's mainstream media ought to take a keen interest in the outcome of that particular arbitration case.

At a time when global climate change is impacting the continent so negatively, nations across Africa could empower sundry demographics that are key players in their rural economies, to bootstrap their way out of the poverty-trap, successfully, through the utilisation,  by the private sector, of Agroforestry funding earmarked for Africa, as a COP26-benefit.

 
Ghana is particularly well-placed to use such funds to empower its rural economy, because of the current government's policies developed to boost the agricultural sector, to enable its best green entrepreneurs create wealth, generate jobs and help increase Ghana's GDP, that way.


A major impediment to the successful transformation of our homeland Ghana, is the unfortunate tendency of so many of our people, to bend over backwards, to help outsiders from Europe, the Americas and Asia, at the expense of local Ghanaian entrepreneurs, who are in competition with such foreigners.


That colonial-slave-mentality,  will most definitely not help us benefit from earmarked COP26 agroforestry funds, now being eyed by canny Western investors, looking to hoover-up such funds - some of whom are even prepared to resort to commercial-skullduggery to achieve the dark-ends they seek in Africa.



A classic example, is Moringa's shabby attempt to hijack the brilliant and farsighted Issa Oueodrago's B-BOVID (using amoral and unethical local end-justifies-the-means lackeys, prepared to resort to illegalities, and law-breaking, to achieve that evil-end for their paymasters), by exploiting that unfortunate colonial-slave-menality, which makes so many Ghanaians bend over backwards, to assist even the most dishonest whites (to the detriment of their fellow Africans battling such rogue foreign investors or competing with them).



In light of all the above, and, based on available gathered-incontrovertible-evidence, investors with such a vile robber-baron management culture (prepared to bankrupt B-BOVID, by imposing a European employee with a debilitating monthly compensation package amounting to €25,000, who is so corrupt he transfers funds from B-BOVID'S bank account into his personal account), regularly deploying such Mafiosi operational-tactics, are, by definition, anything but social impact investors, who must not be allowed to successfully hijack B-BOVID. Full stop. Case closed. Yoooooooo...

Why the residents of Bogoso-Appiatse must take their destiny into their own hands

In any serious country, in which a truck laden with explosives, had been involved in an accident that wiped out a whole rural community, destroying about 500 houses, an architectural design competition, offering the winner GHc3 million, to design a new model climate-resilient village, made up of 500 homesteads, each surrounded by fruit forest garden compounds, and built using plastic building  blocks, with a network of plastic paving block community roads,  with both sides lined with fruit trees, would have been announced by now.
 
Furthermore, one wonders whether or not the hapless residents of Bogoso-Appiatse, have had any post traumatic stress disorder counselling, yet. Hmmm , eyeasem, ooooo...

Above all, one's humble advice to the residents of Bogoso-Appiatse, is that they ought to take their collective-destiny into their own hands, and contact the public interest the leading Ghanaian legal NGO, Centre for Public Interest Law  (CEPIL), and ask them to collaborate with the U.S. public interest law firm that won compensation for the Ogoni people of Nigeria, in the U.S. law courts, from oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell, and sue for appropriately large compensation, from the mining company, whose criminal negligence, has resulted  in the catastrophe, which has turned their lives upside down in such apocalyptic fashion.

Ghana's Supreme Court ought to have been guided by the conventions surrounding the Deputy Speakers of the UK Parliament's House of Commons, not those of the House of Lords

It would definitely have served the longterm interests of Mother Ghana, best, had Ghana's Supreme Court been guided (in its latest ruling on Deputy Speakers' voting rights), not by the conventions surrounding the Deputy Speakers of the House of Lords, of the British Parliament, who can vote on issues, but by the conventions that ensure that like the Speaker of the House of Commons, the UK Parliament's Deputy Speakers, remain politically neutral at all material times, and don't vote on issues before the House. 

To quote an old fogey I know: "Kofi, this Supreme Court has mastered the art and science of giving judgements that give ordinary folk the unfortunate impression that they serve the the people now in power, not the Ghanaian nation-state." Hmmm, ey3nsem piiiii, ooooo...

My response: Now that darkies in the UK can suddenly be deprived of their citizenship, without any recourse to the law, simply because serving Home Secretaries demand that, on behalf of friendly criticism-averse foreign kleptocrats, whom their ruling parties are in bed with, as fellow travellers,  I will not bother myself any longer, responding to such issues, when they crop up.

Suddenly jumping on a plane to fly back to the UK has lost its attraction for cantankerous Grandpa Kofi Thompson. So, let the judges of Ghana's Supreme Court, do their worst. The sods. After all, none of them will be there forever, ooooo, will they, Massa? Yabr3 wormu nyinaaa, aafe. Eeiiii, Oman Ghana - enti y3wieye paaaa enei? Asem kesie, bi, ebeba debi ankasa, oooo. Yooooooo. Cool.

Kevin Taylor: A military coup in Ghana will only worsen matters

Yewura Kevin Taylor, nothing can justify a coup in Ghana, wai - because no matter what  those in power today, do, Ghanaians will still vote the New Patriotic Party  (NPP) out of power in December 2024. Who will hold soldiers with unfettered power to account? Haaba.

Simple question: Which institution in Ghana is free from 'protocol-admissions', I ask? Massa, easy, wai. Some crimes have no statute of limitations protection,  koraaa, wai. Cool.

What we need is consensus that Ghana must become a meritocracy - and, like India, take active steps to get rid of the Chieftaincy institution (the mother-serpant of corruption), to rid Ghana of inherited privilege: which is the greatest enemy of meritocracy. Simple.

It is instructive that India,which set out after independence, to rid itself of the baleful influence of its incredibly powerful Maharajahs,  is a global power today - while resource-rich Ghana, enthralled to Chiefs, because they apparently embody our traditions, has now ended up as  a mismanaged financial basket case: deliberately mismanaged through an orgy-of-borrowing that a powerful few profited mightily  from (in commissions and professional fees). Hmmm, ey3nsem piiiiii, oooo, Ghanafuo. A military coup will not resolve any of our hydra-headed challenges. It will only worsen matters.

Ghana's ruling-elites must clean up their act fast

Ghana's ruling-elites need to clean up their act fast, to save Ghanaian democracy from being destroyed. One's  prayer, is that God Almighty intervemes in our nation's affairs swiftly, to make that happen.  A nation whose leadership face constant accusations (admittedly mostly unproven) of routinely harassing females, and, incredibly, even face bush-telegraph-sourced accusations  of the serial rape of women, too,  has become a decadent society, in need of change.  

 

(The rumours of egregious-victimisation swirling around Hon. Adwoa Sarfo, encapsulates this nation-wrecking amoral-phenomenon, perfectly, sadly.) 

If one adds the many rumours of sudden unexplained wealth acquired by Ghana's big-thieves-in-high-places, to the toxicity of the mix of serial-philandering and misogyny, and caps it with the destruction of the national economy, by greed for cash, from earned fat-commissions and juicy professional  fees, being made from the orgy of borrowing,  then only God Almighty can save our democracy from entering the realms of the possibility of enforced-regime-change (God forbid!), ooooo, Ghanafuo.

 

That is why it is vital that those amongst our  ruling-elites, who are still principled, and have kept their integrity intact, begin to stand up to their colleagues who engage in  constant-skirt-chasing, ditto compete with each other, in the egregious-pillaging-race to send their personal net worth to stratospheric heights, at society's expense. In light of all the above, Ghana's ruling-elites must clean up their act, fast, if Ghanaian democracy is to survive, ooooo. Yoooooooo....

 

 

 

 

Eeiiiii Abinom Ekaasa Ooooo

Old cynic to me: "Kofi, just how many private jets fly in and out of Ghana, in a typical year? Secondly, are you aware that the international airport in Ghana's capital city, Accra, is recognised,  rightly, as a world-class airport, security wise? Is it not egregious that  nepotistic-elements within the regime now in power, are prepared to risk that world-class status of Accra's international airport  being reclassified,  and downgraded - so as to accommodate a regime-bankroller's slapdash third-rate private jet terminal?"

My response: Yewura,  bush-telegraph sources  allege that the sacking of the asimasi in charge of the outfit overseeing standards etc., etc., in airports across Sikakrom, is yet another example of unelected-arrogant-sods in the Anansekrom presidency, usurping the powers of the Sikakrom Omanpanin, to get rid of a patriotic public servant, who won't kow-tow to the big-thieves-in-high-places, who now dominate Sikakrom. Hmmm, ey3nsem piiiiii, oooo, Ghanafuo. 

Yet still, perhaps glass-half-full types will opine cheerily that Sikakrom's high-and-mighty, do need a staging-post to enable them send gold, diamonds, foreign currencies and slay-queen-consorts, out of Ogyakrom, in a hurry, whenever the need arises - ditto bring in weapons and munitions by stealth, as and when needed, wai. Eiiiiii, ebinom 3kaasa, oooo. Ebeiiiii. Hmmm...

Ken Ofori-Atta: Why not outsource infrastructure projects to the private sector and incentivise whistleblowing?

As egregious high-level corruption worsens, perhaps the question that Ghanaians ought to ponder over is: Why do our ruling-elites not incentivise whistleblowing? It could be done by simply passing new laws to indemnify whistleblowers who help recover stolen public funds, from prosecution, and rewarding them with 25 percent of such recovered stolen  funds. Will that not help us retrieve trillions of old cedis regularly siphoned off by big-thieves-in-high-places? Haaba.

It is also worth pointing out the fact that Ghana's finance minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, made his fortune, mostly from commissions and fees earned from investment products, sold by Databank.

As it happens, some of his critics have accused him of focusing on policies that earn fees and commissions for regime-cronies in Ghana's financial services sector - to the longterm detriment of Mother Ghana. That is a moot point, in my humble view. However, that he is not suited, to be in charge of our country's finances, is now obvious to many independent-minded and discerning-folk, across Ghana.

Some of us made that point, early on,  during the first term of President Akufo-Addo's government - when it became clear that far from not borrowing, as they had promised Ghanaians, while campaigning for power, in 2016, he and his colleagues were rather going to saddle Ghana with yet more debt, which would end up crippling our nation: for which reason we thought the president was better off without him, strategically.

In light of their debilitating-penchant for borrowing, for the umpteenth time, Ken Ofori-Atta and his colleagues, need to be told to the face that they must stop borrowing for infrastructure projects. It doesn't make sense.

Ghanafuo, the provision and expansion of our infrastructure, ought to be outsourced to private sector companies - which should bid competitively, in transparent public tenders: to self-finance, build, own and operate roads, markets, railway lines, airports, etc., etc., and then hand them over to the state, after say 35 years, during which their profits should not be taxed. Simple. Case closed. Haaba.

If that becomes government policy, will we not still get all the roads, bridges, modern railway network, airports, markets, etc., etc., that we need, that way - without incuring yet more debt: and saddlingt future generations of our people with crippling interest payments that never end? Haaba.

The trouble about the arrogant sods now in power in Ghana, is that they are full of themselves - yet haven't a clue about creating empowering-opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive, and drive growth, create wealth and generate meaningful jobs: all in sustainable fashion.

Instead of relying on the e-levy, funding for innovative start-ups, creating wealth and meaningful jobs, at any given point in time, ought to be from the annual U.S.$200 million gold royalties cash, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooooo...

One challenges those twits to tell us why the nation shouldn't give U.S. $50 million from the annual U.S.$200 million gold royalties cash, to the Forest Research Institute (FRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for example, to develop green leather from mushrooms - to create a new green industrial sector export-niche, producing and  selling high-end luxury-class shoes, bags, apparel, and other luxury leather goods, globally, to create wealth that stays locally, and meaningful bootstrapping-jobs, nationwide, for our younger generations. Haaba.

And, if innovative road construction companies, such as TerraFusion International, were invited to self-finance the reconstruction of Ghana's entire rural road network, into a tolled-network of world-class roads, and operate them for 35 years without their being taxed, won't that ensure food security and create prosperity for smallholder farmers nationwide, without burdening hapless taxpayers in the process? Haaba.

Finally, why do our ruling-elites  not incentivise whistleblowing, to stop the siphoning off of trillions of old cedis of public funds, into private pockets, to enrich Ghana's big-thieves-in-high-places, who are ruthlessly milking Mother Ghana dry, with their endless-greed?

Can that not be done by the simple measure of granting whistleblowers, who enable stolen public funds to be successfully recovered, indemnity from prosecution - and offered 25 percent of such recovered-sums, as the reward for their patriotism? Will that not end corruption in our country? The time has now come for the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and his colleagues, to start outsourcing infrastructure projects to the private sector and incentivising whistleblowing with cash rewards, to save Mother Ghana from ruination, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yooooooo..

When the people become fed up and rebel en masse no army in the world can save the government in power

Our hard-of-hearing ruling-elites need to be very, very careful, oooo. They must stop thinking they are invincible. The e-levy issue can ruin this country  if those currently in power aren't sensitive to the sufferong of ordinary folk across Ghana, oooo. Yoooooooo...

The fact of the matter is that precious few industry watchers,  foresaw that mobile telecommunications companies, would one day become fintech platforms enabling tens of millions of the unbanked, to send, recieve and save cash in digital-wallets, in daily transactions dwarfing tranactions carried out by traditional brick-and-mortar banks, when MTN first came to Ghana.

Thus, in a sense, what are unprecedented windfall profits, which telcos offering mobile money services are making today, ought to be taxed. That is why the e-levy is a good idea - but only if it is levied on the mobile money  transaction-charges fixed by the telcos themselves. Nothing more, nothing less. Yoooooo...

In light of the controversy the e-levy has stirred up, and the arrogant response of the sly finance minister, those now in power ought to remember (in case they forget), that all our post-independence enforced-regime-change events, occurred,  because those in power had become politically  complacent, and impervious to the cries of ordinary folk, struggling to make ends meet, daily, nationwide.

Finally, for the information of those now in power,  when ordinary people are forced to the point where they feel that rebelling en masse (against selfish-kleptocrats governing them),  is the only way to end their suffering,  no army on earth can stop them,  in order to keep tone-deaf and power-drunk politicians (completely lacking wisdom), in power, oooo. Yoooooo...

From a global branding perspective why do we not focus on Ghana's female soccer national teams instead of the Black Stars?

As aspirational Africans, instead of continuing to spend zillions on the Black Stars, why do we not rather invest a fraction of the expended-sums lavished on the Black Stars, thus far, on Ghana's brilliant female national soccer teams, who have won so many tournament-trophies over the years? Cool.

We must put misogyny aside now, in a nation dominated by ruling elites, full of philandering-males who don't value women  -  and stop focusing on the Black Stars to the detriment of our hardworking female soccer players, whom we refuse to honour, even when they win trophies. 

That is daft in the extreme.  Our female soccer players will put Ghana on the global stage again in stellar-fashion and make us proud once again as a soccer-loving African  society. Speaking personally, my passion is cricket  -  so  I don't particularly care much about soccer:  but even I find Ghana's female teams exciting to watch. That is telling, from a global branding perspective, is it not, Ghanafuo? Yooooooo...

Should Ghana's traditional rulers start reforming their archaic-straightjacket institutional-frameworks?

For their own good, it is vital that all our nation's traditional rulers, understand  clearly, that this is a 2022 modern-day African nation, sitting on a ticking social-time-bomb. Past pre-colonial-glories count for nothing,  to today's young people, fed up to the backteeth,  with a mostly incompetent,  greedy and selfish political class, completely out of touch with realities-on-the-ground: a tension-filled national mood bedrocked on anger and hunger.

 

Furthermore,  for the information  of Nananom, many Ghanaians now feel that inherited-privilege,   is preventing Ghana from becoming a meritocracy,  in which effort and achievement, not nepotism,  determine one's success. It is fueling the rebellious-streak we see right across urban Ghana amongst base-of-the-pyramid demographics. Yoooooo...

And, worst of all, for Nananom, many young people have now started pointing out the fact that India, which had Maharajah's whose magnificence and power, far outstripped those of all Ghana's traditional rulers without exception,  clipped their wings and stripped them of all their powers, and is  consequently  now a world power, precisely because its  nationalist leaders had the wisdom and foresight,  to turn India into a meritocracy free from the debilitating-downsides of inherited privilege.

Finally, dear reader,  with the greatest respect, in case they can't see it, the writing is on the wall for traditional rulers in Ghana, ooooo. They had better start reforming their archaic-straightjacket institutional-frameworks,  pronto, ooooo -  or change might be forced on them, willy-nilly: when  the ticking social-time-bomb eventually explodes, oooo (God forbid). Yoooooooo...

Ghana must avoid Dubai-based stoney-hearted Shylock-Sheikhs in the fight against COVID-19

The production of a COVID-19 vaccine locally, is a matter that Ghana's national security apparatus must make a priority, and get the private-sector team that built the private sector COVID-19 specialist isolation-centre to plan, lead and execute. It was led by Senyo Hosi, the Managing Trustee of the Fund set up by the private sector to deliver it.

 

It must be private-sector driven, and led, because Ghanaians deserve serious world-class leadership, when it comes to ensuring that we have local production capacity, for COVID-19 vaccines, ooooo. Yoooooooo...

This is a quotation from a U.S. vaccine researcher, Dr. Maria Botazzi, whose team at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine, has developed an effective patent-free COVID-19 vaccine, whom our leaders must invite to Ghana, as soon as practicable:

“We want to do good in the world. This was the right thing to do and this is what we morally had to do. We didn’t even blink. We didn’t think, ‘how can we take advantage of this?’ You see now that if more like us would have been more attuned to how the world is so inequitable and how we could have helped from the beginning so many places around the world without thinking ‘what’s going to be in it for me?’, we could have basically not even seen these variants arise.” 

The quotation is from an article, in the online version of the UK newspaper, The Observer (which the link below leads to). It ought to be read by every educated Ghanaian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/15/corbevax-covid-vaccine-texas-scientists.

In the fight against COVID-19, these are the kinds of humanitarians Ghana ought to collaborate with - not ruthless greed-filled Shylock-Sheikhs with stony-hearts, from Dubai. Yooooooo...

An Open Letter To All Those Threatened By The Planned Demolition Of Gomoa Buduburam's Camp Liberia

 Dear Friends,

Your future is not nearly as bleak as many of you now understandably feel, it is,  as a result of the impending planned-demolition of  Camp Liberia. A far better future is possible for all of you - regardless of whichever part of Ghana and Africa your origins lie - if you take your collective-destiny into your own hands. Now. Not tomorrow.

Your unique, dynamic and very special melting-pot-soceity, so full of creative energy, and blessed with ambitious younger generations (the vast majority born and bred in Camp Liberia), gifted with the most amazing talents, can be replicated, and recreated again, in Ashalajah, in a  new purpose built, climate-resilient green gated-community. Yes. Halelujah. Insha Allah.

The question that ought to excersise the minds of all those of you  currently residing in Gomoa Buduburam's Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, is: Who will lead us to this new African-Nirvana? The answer is simple and uncomplicated.

To begin with you must ditch all the so-called leadership of the Liberian refugees whose criminal egregious-insouciance, has led you into the dead-end-situation, which  you now face, and are grappling with, amidst such dread-filled-uncertainty.

You must then have a Town hall meeting, to select a transition team, and give them the mandate to request a  meeting (arranged by the CEO of the Legon Botanical Gardens, Mr. Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom), with the stakeholders, to discuss a private-sector plan, to build a new green climate-resilient gated community, for you, at Ashalaja.

The transition team's task, will be  to sound out, through discussions,  the following key individuals, whom they  can collaborate with, on your  behalf, to have the new Ashalajah  climate-resilient green gated-community, built, for those now living in the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Camp Liberia refugee settlement area, who so desire, to occupy it:


1) The Ashalaja Prince, popularly known as  Mushey, his business partner, baby-Mama, and my beloved granddaughter, Helena Otoo-Ofori, the green economy fixer; Mr. Nelson Boateng, the founder of Nelplast Ghana Limited; the brilliant Ghanaian architect, Mr. Kojo Derban; and last, but not  the least, Ghana's foremost green entrepreneur, and CEO, of Legon Botanical Gardens, the master-planner Mr.  Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom.


At that meeting, the transition team members, must assure the named key individuals above, that they (the transition team members representing all those now currently resident in the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Camp Liberia refugee settlement area),  would welcome, on your behalf, the opportunity to live in the new climate-resilient green gated-community, at Ashalaja, made up of plastic houses, for renting out (at very low rental rates starting from GHc100 to GHc400 per month), and outright purchase, at amazingly affordable prices.

With that given-assurance, duly delivered, all the above-mentioned individuals, will work  together, as a project team that will be led by Mr. Eugene Kofi Boakye-Yiadom, which will endeavour  to get that Ashalaja climate-resilient green gated-community, built, all things being equal, within the next six months, before Camp Liberia is  finally demolished. Take heart, dear friends - the future for your great and unrivalled creative-energy-filled melting-pot-soceity, is very, very bright: at Ashalajah.

Sent from Samsung tablet.

An Open Letter To Father Joop Visser

 Father Joop Visser, the frightening thing, in all this, is that our greed-filled ruling-élites still don't get it - that our homeland Ghana sits atop a ticking social time bomb. You'd be amazed at the numbers of ordinary people whose hearts also feel  the same deep sadness and pain you feel.

The insouciance of our leaders, in the midst of what is a leadership crisis, is beyond belief. In being harsh, when criticising our ruling-élites, we are trying hard to avert  our journey on the democratic-path, from being brought to a jolting halt. Simple.

 

Father,  our society has become a case-study, in social injustices, of the most egregious kind. Songhor Lagoon is but one of many troubling examples, wai.

 

Go and see how land belonging to smallholder farming families, which have been legally owned by some of them for generations, with registered titles (dating back to the British colonial-era in some instances), are being taken over forcefully,  by brutish sandwinners prepared to murder those who cross them,  across Akyem Abuakwa - because they aren't Akyems: an abomination in a unitary state in which no tribe is superior or inferior to another, and all Ghanaians can own property, anywhere in the territorial landmass of the Republic of Ghana. Incredible.


Incidentally, such tribal-supremacist monstrosities, would never occur anywhere in the Ashanti Region - where the Asantehene regards all the Ghanaians living there, as his own grandchildren, whom he protects: and thus  expects every Chief under him to protect too, at all material times: under pain of instant destoolment if they fail to do so. That is exemplary leadership. Full stop.

Father Joop Visser, I  am a Ghanaian with Osiem Royal-heritage, from my maternal Grandma's branch of my family tree, who feels ashamed by what is happening across Akyem Abuakwa, and elsewhere in Ghana,  even as we speak. Sadly, and surprisingly, some amongst our smug and arrogant ruling-élites seem to forget that the judgment of history, can neither be procured by intimidation nor by bribery. Hmmm, Oman Ghana - eyeasem ooooo.  Enti yewieye paaa enei?

Sent from Samsung tablet.

The Few Crooks In The Ghana Police Service: The IGP Must Root Them Out Swiftly

I will begin by freely acknowledging that I might have been deliberately misled about the true facts concerning the matter below that I am about to express my own views on.  However, so commonplace is misconduct in police caution-statement taking from illiterate-folk, by investigators nationwide,  that as a human rights advocate,  I must nonetheless risk writing publicly, about what I was told was a clearcut-case of injustice, involving an injured construction foreman.   

One was quite shocked by the story narrated to one yesterday - about how a police investigator attached to the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia police station, had allegedly succeeded in making a case against a building construction foreman, who while midstream executing a contract to build a fencewall, for a client, had allegedly collapsed in full view of independent witnesses. 

(Incidentally,  although one is yet to verify all the details of the story for want of time, so alarming is the story that for common-good reasons, one simply has to make it public,  and thus ensure that it is investigated by the new transformational leadership, of the Ghana Police Service, for the truth to be established. But I digress.)

After allegedly collapsing,  the said construction foreman was apparently then rushed to the Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia St. Gregory Catholic Hospital  -  where he is said to have received treatment for a period: a verifiable-fact apparently known to the client he was building the fencewall for, who apparently never had the decency  (and humanity) to even visit the poor man whiles on admission at the St Gregory Catholic Hospital.  Such is life in the Ghana of today - where the impression one gets is that the  rich and powerful are a law onto themselves.  Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

The question is: Did that poor foreman, who it is said, neither speaks, comprehends, nor writes English,  have a lawyer, or independent  witness (who understands and writes English perfectly),  present when the police investigator was writing his caution-statement, which one presumes formed the basis for his being charged with stealing (i.e. the agreed contract sum advanced to him to enable him mobilise and begin the building of the fencewall, which he is said to have also been apparently forced to repay that  cruel Shylock), from that sodden client? 

The question for those of us who are now totally fed up to the backteeth, with the few  dishonest police officers still busy ruining the good name of the Ghana Police Service is:  How possibly  can the foreman have been charged with theft, if that police investigator had been professional and honest in handling the matter: such that it now appears that the man has more or been found guilty of the charge of stealing and now awaits sentencing, if one understands the issues narrated to one correctly, that is? 

The Director General of the CID, must call for the docket (at what is the eleventh-hour before an innocent man is probably  bundled off to serve a longish custodial sentence), and ask that the court adjourns the matter, and  defers judgment - while the matter is reassigned to honest  crack-investigators from CID HQ: to reinvestigate and report back to the CID Director General to avert a possible miscarriage of Justice outcome. Yooooooo...

The Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia Police Commander must also refer the investigator in question to the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS), as soon as practicable - so that they deal with him for professional misconduct if it turns out that that is what actually happened: to serve as a warning to other Police investigators inclined to also take bribes to send impecunious and  victimised innocent-people, whose only crime is that somehow they  irritated the rich and powerful,  in Ghanaian society, to prison. 

Law-abiding  and discerning-Ghanaians  are now totally fed up, with the continued impunity and chicanery, still being exhibited by a relatively small number  of  ruthless and greed-filled crooks, in its rank and file,  whose unprofessionalism is ruining the image and reputation of the Ghana Police Service. Enough is enough. The new IGP must root all of them out of the Ghana Police Service swiftly. Full stop. Case closed. Yooooooo...

Sent from Samsung tablet.

How Can We Rid The Ghana Police Service Of A Particularly Nasty Group Of Corrupt Rogue-Officers?

It is vital that all Ghanaians give their full support to the new leadership of the Ghana Police Service - to enable them carry out the needed reforms that will make it a truly world-class law enforcement agency fit for the digital age - and the new world of serial-pandemics caused by the widespread deforestation that is bringing zoonotic viruses into  human populations,  globally. 

A vital piece of digital kit that the Ghana Police Service ought to issue to all its officers, as soon as practicable, is the wireless earbud invented by the brilliant British-Ghanaian inventor, Danny Manu, which does not require an Internet connection and live-translates as much as forty languages: (https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/How-a-Ghanaian-entreprenuer-developed-wireless-earbuds-that-can-translate-40-languages-1381420).

If the Ghana Police Service collaborates with the Kofi Annan India Centre of Excellence for Technology,  and the Ghana Institute of Languages, all the  languages spoken by every ethnic-group, across the entire landmass of the territory of the Republic of Ghana, can be included in the software underpinning the wireless earbud invented by Danny  Manu.  It will enable all police personnel in our country to overcome language-barriers,  wherever in our multi-ethnic homeland, Ghana, they are posted to. 

From what one gathers from bush-telegraph sources (which may,  or may not be, complete nonsense), one humbly suggests that the Police Intelligence and Professional Standard Bureau  (Pips), demands that all police officers assigned to trouble spots, nationwide, where land disputes arise from rival Chieftaincy claimants' land sales, declare their assets to Pips  -  which ought to investigate all cases of unexplained sudden wealth accumulated by such police officers. 

That will finally help rid the Ghana Police Service of a particularly nasty group of super-ruthless and corrupt rogue police officers, within its ranks, today, even as we speak. Every good  law-abiding citizen, in our country, today,  instinctively understands the danger posed by such criminal-elements, within the Ghana Police Service. Case closed. Let's rid the Ghana Police Service of such miscreants, once and for all. Now.  Not tomorrow. Full stop. Case closed. Yooooooo..

Sent from Samsung tablet.

The Kevin Taylors Must End Their Negativity - And Contribute Innovative Ideas Instead: For Transformative-Nation-Building

To criticise our ruling-élites for unimaginative-leadership (and the egregious self-seeking by big-thieves-in-high-places, which is responsible for the high-level corruption  now slowly destroying Ghanaian democracy),  and not proffer better nation-building alternatives, to government  policies  being implemented, by regimes-of-the-day, in power, at any given point in time, in our history, is not very helpful, either for our nation, or its wise and aspirational people, at all. No. No. No.

The question is: Why, instead of proffering creative ideas (such as the need for Ghana to focus on becoming the world's leading producer of certified organic cocoa beans, processed locally - for example - into cocoa products such as: own-brand chocolates; cocoa powder; cocoa liquer; etc.; etc., for the world's biggest supermarket chains), do Ghanaian social media regime-critics, such as the sodden Kevin Taylors, rather choose to constantly make incidiary-statements, which are likely to cause instability in our country? Hmmm, eyeasem, ooooo...

Do the Kevin Taylors not realise that their endless-negativity, drives away potential investors, both Ghanaian and foreign? For their information, it is only when that crucial factor for economic growth, the great-intangible, confidence, is present in any society, that its green economy, a stellar-growth-pillar at a time of transition (when the impact of climate change is being felt in nations like Ghana),  attracts patient-investors: which is the sure-fire way, today, for the private-sector to create wealth that remains locally,   and jobs galore, in all national economies,  worldwide. 

Enough is enough. The Kevin Taylors must end their negativity - and contribute innovative ideas, of the kind needed to help transform our homeland Ghana, into a prosperous and inclusive society. Kevin Taylor, yabre mu, oooooo, tooom. Haaba. Hmmmm, Oman Ghana - enti yewieye paaa enei? Asem kesie bi ebeba debi ankasa, ooooo. Yooooooo...

Sent from Samsung tablet.

MTN Must End Subscription-Fraud On Its Platform Immediately

Previously, it was eyebrow-raising for me, hearing the caller tunes of some of the staid-folk I call by mobile phone, until l received a text message from phone number 200 on my MTN mobile number, informing me that I had subscribed to their caller tune service, for which reason they would be deducting a relatively minute-sum, from my account.

Yet, I had not subscribed to their caller-tune service by opting for it in deliberate-fashion. Neither had I subscribed to "the product Selfie-Star", as phone number 1998 informed me, on 21/09/2021 at 12:47, nor to  Health Tips for 0.22, as  the text message from phone number 947 informed me I had done, on 03/10/2021, at 20:10. Ditto phone number 295's Story Portal subscription alert, sent on 01/10, 2021 at 12:13. The list goes on and on and on. Endless. Monstrous. Abominable. Unpardonable. Unspeakable.

No wonder our MTN recharge top-up units disappear so quickly. Because of such messages my MTN sim's text message inbox is full - and only heaven knows what other text messages from cyber-fraudsters is still flooding it. 

The question is: Why should that be happening in our country in the digital age? What is going on? It is an abominable situation to find one's self in, if one counts the pesewas, as many now do, in today's harsh COVID-19-induced economic climate.

Surely, the digital sleight-of-hand enabling such daylight robbery (with millions of unaware-innocent-victims), to occur, ought to be outlawed if it isn't - and vigorously enforced, if it is: by permanently banning the perpetrators of this gigantic cyberfraud from the platforms of all the telcos in Ghana? 

Added up, those relatively minuscule sums come to vast sums. The regulatory bodies must ensure that all added third-party services provided by telcos in Ghana, can be delivered by providers, only if subscribers opt in with their eyes fully open - not in the surreptitious manner it now happens in cases such as the 200 caller tune service and the 947 health tips. Are the telcos not obliged to protect their subscribers from such outrageous cyberfraud? MTN must take immediate steps to end this abominable digital-era subscription-fraud on its platform. Haaba.

Sent from Samsung tablet.