Given the ‘high and mighty’ noises of truthfulness that our current crop of leaders in government took when they were in opposition, one would have thought we would not hear a single rumour or fact of official abuse about them, once they are in political office.
Now, we know better. From all that we have seen so far, it is too clear that the hypocrites and parasites we have in office today are much, much worse in terms of standards than the set of people they so bitterly maligned in order to oust.
Soon after the NDC came to power, reports of rampant profligacy on the side of the new people in government was rife in the media and still it exists. They were buying cars, building houses, renovating old and existing bungalows, and generally spending money as if there is no tomorrow. These reports shocked me, in that we had all been led to believe that these people were saints and that they did not believe in ostentation.
We have never seen a more two-faced set of people in power than the people at the helm of affairs today, and believe me and that is saying something.
In fact, I think that John Evans Atta Mils and his crew are bigger hypocrites than Rawlings and his team ever was. At least Rawlings makes the effort to be seen as someone who cares for the people. He makes the effort to be seen as one of the downtrodden. The same cannot be said for Mills and his crew, and now, even diehard members of the NDC are beginning to realize this.
For instance, during last week’s youth congress, many youthful members of the party were deeply shocked by the display of ostentation, signified by numerous Ford Explorer vehicles, and envelopes full of wads of cash being displayed as if these people owned a mint with a license to print their own money. The NDC youth are beginning to wonder; where is all this money coming from?
I laugh when I hear some people trying to claim that our President is a humble man who deplores ostentation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Have you seen the way he dresses of late? Have you seen the big three-piece agbadas and the spiffy suits? Atta Mills loves his fine suits and clearly, he loves the good living.
Since he became President, he has not renounced the Ford Explorers and the Mercedes Benzes and the wonderful bungalows and the attractive secretaries, all of which are the signs of alleged ostentation that he found so repulsive when he was in opposition, but which he finds very, very attractive now that he is in power.
When he was in opposition, Atta Mills said that he would not allow state money to be used on himself, that he would not amass properties. It is now public knowledge that he is putting up a fine mansion, and that he is renovating his father’s old residence, all at they same time.
And he is not alone. Many of his appointees are grabbing properties. I can name many. I can name the likes of Eric Opoku, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, who, soon after his party came to power, paid a huge sum of money for a piece of land at Sakumono and is now putting up a storey building, into which he has moved his family.
I can name Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, who is putting up two storey buildings at the same time.
There is John Jinapor, Aide to the Vice President; Tony Adioo who could not complete his building at East Legon and left it at the foundation stage and has started construction suddenly and near completion.
Enter the gourmet of a Major General’s son called Koku Anyidohu and his wife Mercy who have bought a new home and enjoying life and going on with his immoral lifestyle…. I hope he does not rape anybody there ooooo!
I ask where these people are getting all the millions of cedis to be putting up all these luxurious and buying mansions within months after coming into office.
My answer is simple; they are robbing us blind. They are picking us clean.
Times have changed, and our friends in the government have clearly arrived in the money. Indeed, for the observant, it is clear that each and every one of them have changed. They are all putting on weight, and acquiring the latest of power clothing. Even John Evans Atta Mills has changed, compared to December 2008, when he looked like death warmed over. These days he looks fresher, healthier, and his clothes are better, unlike when he was in opposition, when he looked like a clothes hanger. If one takes away the padding in his clothes, he is also quite well dressed of late, and there is no doubt, the suits are expensive.
One hopes that he would not deteriorate to his randy and happy cigarette chomping old days when he fathered a child outside of the marriage bed, but need I say this, he has already started bonking one of his female ministers and am sorry for Naadu because she is weak and Atta wants fresh blood.
I am glad that his oft-claimed assertion of austerity is having so little effect on him personally and on his appointees generally. It is clear that they preached austerity, but it is also clear that in the midst of plenty, they are finding it very hard to remember the gospel of austerity.
Hypocrites and parasites in deed!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kokofu Promotions & Appointments In GAF
2010 is here! As we brought the eventful 2009 to a close, many of us had hoped that this New Year would herald a difference in our political and social lives, and that we would not return to the humdrum of the life as we already know it.
But as I finally took my seat behind my desk and reviewed the news as they have occurred over the past couple of weeks, I could not fail but acknowledge that my hopes are going to be dashed. If anything, things are going to be worse than they used to be, in Ghana, African and the world.
The Military Secretary’s publication on the 23rd December 2009 taking effect from 22nd December 2009 was based mainly on political and ethnic considerations. The obvious political victimization was the case of Colonel K Oppong Otchere.
All the mates and immediate juniors of Colonel K Oppong Otchere who hold appointments that go with the rank of Brigadier General or equivalent have been promoted to the enviable rank of Brigadier General.
Worse of all, some of his juniors whose original appointments go with Colonels or equivalent have been elevated to the status of Brigadier Generals or equivalent purely on political grounds.
Colonel K Oppong Otchere whose current appointment is Deputy Commandant of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) was promoted together with his mates as Lieutenant Colonel on 13th August 1996 and Colonel on 23rd August 2004. He was appointed as Deputy Commandant which goes with the rank of Brigadier General or equivalent on 12th May 2009 together with those of his mates who were appointed as Acting Director Generals during the NDC regime of President Mills.
Unfortunately for Col K Oppong Otchere because he is an Akim Chief and is perceived to be a loyalist of Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP he was not promoted as the others. Rather an attempt was made to send him to Chad to take a Colonel’s appointment instead of Brigadier General, which is a demotion. As luck was to smile on him, the UN took that appointment from Ghana.
Determined to push him out, the NDC regime has forced to get another appointment on UN peacekeeping operations for him. The intention of the NDC is to retire him compulsorily on age grounds on his return from the peacekeeping operations. What an injustice!!!
What a wicked victimization of an innocent officer who performed his duties creditably as Director Army Peacekeeping Operations until the NDC regime of Prez Mills!!!
The NDC will deny it just as they denied Brigadier General Oppong Kyekyeku’s retirement and yet the officer has begun his retirement process and is on terminal leave now.
The mates of Col K Oppong Otchere who have been promoted Brigadier General and their appointments are as follows:
1. Brigadier General F Iddrisu (GH/1760) –Director General Defence Intelligence- Northern Region
2. Brigadier General JK Klobodu (GH/1763)- Director General Plans and Development – Volta Region
3. Brigadier General SM Adams (GH/1782)- Military Secretary- Northern Region
4. Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei –Assistant Commandant GAFCSC- Ashanti Region
5. Brigadier General B Musah (GH/1759) –Defence Adviser, London- Northern Region
6. Poor Colonel K Oppong Otchere (GH/1757)- Deputy Commandant KAIPTC
It is obvious from the list that apart from Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei, the other officers are either from the Northern Regions or Volta Region. It is a known fact that Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei was added to the list at the eleventh hour not because he was an Ashanti and they wanted to give it a regional balance but because he was married to an Ewe wife who died a few years ago and her children have to be catered for by the officer.
A similar treatment has been given to Brigadier General DK Frimpong who is also married to an Ewe. When the likes of Brigadier Generals Okyere, Debrah, Oppong- Kyekyeku and Nana Acheampong were being retired, Brigadier General DK Frimpong was given an appointment that had never existed in the Ghana Armed Forces as Special Military Assistant/ Aide to JH Smith, the Defence Minister.
The other juniors of Colonel K Oppong Otchere who have been promoted over and above him are the Airforce Station Commander of Tamale and Takoradi respectively: Air Commodore PK Ayisa (GH/1819) and Air Commodore IAR Abbas (GH/1825). These two officers were among the team that accompanied ex-President Rawlings to visit the Airforce Base Accra at dawn early 2009 and have been recognized for that and rewarded approximately.
The case of Brigadier General DK Mishio is the most serious and clearest case of politically manipulated promotions. Brigadier General DK Mishio was promoted Colonel on 31st March 2005, a year after Colonel K Oppong Otchere and the others and appointed Deputy Director General Joint Operations on 12th May 2009. It was evident that he was going to take over the appointment of Director General Joint Operations and be promoted Brigadier General once Lt Col Gbevlo Lartey was the National Security Coordinator.
It is their alliance from the Forces Reserve Battalion (FRB) and now 64 Infantry Regiment days that are being exploited to maximum benefits.
Colonel George Partington who was appointed Director General Joint Operations was very ill to be able to take the appointment and yet was promoted Brigadier General on 12th May 2009.
It was then Lieutenant Colonel George Partington who handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Mishio as CO 64 Infantry Regiment before he also handed over to then Major AK Gbevlo Lartey as the last Commanding Officer of 64 Infantry Regiment under ex- President Rawlings. So the alliance is obvious, clear, unshakeable, nostalgic and mutual and explains why a very ill Brigadier Partington has been posted to the National Security Secretariat.
But as I finally took my seat behind my desk and reviewed the news as they have occurred over the past couple of weeks, I could not fail but acknowledge that my hopes are going to be dashed. If anything, things are going to be worse than they used to be, in Ghana, African and the world.
The Military Secretary’s publication on the 23rd December 2009 taking effect from 22nd December 2009 was based mainly on political and ethnic considerations. The obvious political victimization was the case of Colonel K Oppong Otchere.
All the mates and immediate juniors of Colonel K Oppong Otchere who hold appointments that go with the rank of Brigadier General or equivalent have been promoted to the enviable rank of Brigadier General.
Worse of all, some of his juniors whose original appointments go with Colonels or equivalent have been elevated to the status of Brigadier Generals or equivalent purely on political grounds.
Colonel K Oppong Otchere whose current appointment is Deputy Commandant of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) was promoted together with his mates as Lieutenant Colonel on 13th August 1996 and Colonel on 23rd August 2004. He was appointed as Deputy Commandant which goes with the rank of Brigadier General or equivalent on 12th May 2009 together with those of his mates who were appointed as Acting Director Generals during the NDC regime of President Mills.
Unfortunately for Col K Oppong Otchere because he is an Akim Chief and is perceived to be a loyalist of Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP he was not promoted as the others. Rather an attempt was made to send him to Chad to take a Colonel’s appointment instead of Brigadier General, which is a demotion. As luck was to smile on him, the UN took that appointment from Ghana.
Determined to push him out, the NDC regime has forced to get another appointment on UN peacekeeping operations for him. The intention of the NDC is to retire him compulsorily on age grounds on his return from the peacekeeping operations. What an injustice!!!
What a wicked victimization of an innocent officer who performed his duties creditably as Director Army Peacekeeping Operations until the NDC regime of Prez Mills!!!
The NDC will deny it just as they denied Brigadier General Oppong Kyekyeku’s retirement and yet the officer has begun his retirement process and is on terminal leave now.
The mates of Col K Oppong Otchere who have been promoted Brigadier General and their appointments are as follows:
1. Brigadier General F Iddrisu (GH/1760) –Director General Defence Intelligence- Northern Region
2. Brigadier General JK Klobodu (GH/1763)- Director General Plans and Development – Volta Region
3. Brigadier General SM Adams (GH/1782)- Military Secretary- Northern Region
4. Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei –Assistant Commandant GAFCSC- Ashanti Region
5. Brigadier General B Musah (GH/1759) –Defence Adviser, London- Northern Region
6. Poor Colonel K Oppong Otchere (GH/1757)- Deputy Commandant KAIPTC
It is obvious from the list that apart from Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei, the other officers are either from the Northern Regions or Volta Region. It is a known fact that Brigadier General R Opoku – Adusei was added to the list at the eleventh hour not because he was an Ashanti and they wanted to give it a regional balance but because he was married to an Ewe wife who died a few years ago and her children have to be catered for by the officer.
A similar treatment has been given to Brigadier General DK Frimpong who is also married to an Ewe. When the likes of Brigadier Generals Okyere, Debrah, Oppong- Kyekyeku and Nana Acheampong were being retired, Brigadier General DK Frimpong was given an appointment that had never existed in the Ghana Armed Forces as Special Military Assistant/ Aide to JH Smith, the Defence Minister.
The other juniors of Colonel K Oppong Otchere who have been promoted over and above him are the Airforce Station Commander of Tamale and Takoradi respectively: Air Commodore PK Ayisa (GH/1819) and Air Commodore IAR Abbas (GH/1825). These two officers were among the team that accompanied ex-President Rawlings to visit the Airforce Base Accra at dawn early 2009 and have been recognized for that and rewarded approximately.
The case of Brigadier General DK Mishio is the most serious and clearest case of politically manipulated promotions. Brigadier General DK Mishio was promoted Colonel on 31st March 2005, a year after Colonel K Oppong Otchere and the others and appointed Deputy Director General Joint Operations on 12th May 2009. It was evident that he was going to take over the appointment of Director General Joint Operations and be promoted Brigadier General once Lt Col Gbevlo Lartey was the National Security Coordinator.
It is their alliance from the Forces Reserve Battalion (FRB) and now 64 Infantry Regiment days that are being exploited to maximum benefits.
Colonel George Partington who was appointed Director General Joint Operations was very ill to be able to take the appointment and yet was promoted Brigadier General on 12th May 2009.
It was then Lieutenant Colonel George Partington who handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Mishio as CO 64 Infantry Regiment before he also handed over to then Major AK Gbevlo Lartey as the last Commanding Officer of 64 Infantry Regiment under ex- President Rawlings. So the alliance is obvious, clear, unshakeable, nostalgic and mutual and explains why a very ill Brigadier Partington has been posted to the National Security Secretariat.
KOKU & AYARIGA TO BE FIRED!
The looming cabinet reshuffle has already started causing some jittery nights to some Ministers and Aides at the seat of Presidency, as information available to this blog indicates that Messers Mahama Ayariga and Koku Anyidohu, Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications respectively are to be fired.
According to sources, the two communicators who speak for the President, last week, placed calls to the phone of a very senior journalist who has very close links with the President and meets him often, to ascertain whether they would be given the sack or not.
“They are going to be fired; the President is sick and tired of all the lapses in the communications machinery and he has decided to deal with the matter. The Vice President is also very worried,” Castle sources said.
According to the sources, “Their fate precariously hangs in the balance; it is a done deal.”
Mahama Ayariga, a former Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, was appointed by the President as his spokesperson but sources say the two communicators are going to have their positions scrapped for non-performance and “unguarded utterances Koku usually spews.”
This blog has also gathered that the President’s action to relief the two men of their positions was restore sanity into the communication set-up at the Castle.
Koku Anyidohu, the President’s best friend created his current post for himself so that he can be recognized after he was sacked from the Bank and became a columnist for the Ghanaian Lens newspaper under the pen name “Thoughts of Uncle JB”.
Mr. Koku Anyidohu placed a call to the landline of the said editor wanting to know from him his fate as to whether his name was on the list of the possible ‘push-outs’ come the reshuffle whist his colleague also called one of the many mobile numbers of the same editor.
There are rumours doing the rounds that Hon. Fritz Baffour, who has been tipped to replace Hon Zita Okaikoi, the current Minister of Information, has started meeting some editors and also going on radio stations to inform the citizenry about government’s programme, one such was at Obonu Fm, a Tema based radio station.
According to sources, the two communicators who speak for the President, last week, placed calls to the phone of a very senior journalist who has very close links with the President and meets him often, to ascertain whether they would be given the sack or not.
“They are going to be fired; the President is sick and tired of all the lapses in the communications machinery and he has decided to deal with the matter. The Vice President is also very worried,” Castle sources said.
According to the sources, “Their fate precariously hangs in the balance; it is a done deal.”
Mahama Ayariga, a former Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, was appointed by the President as his spokesperson but sources say the two communicators are going to have their positions scrapped for non-performance and “unguarded utterances Koku usually spews.”
This blog has also gathered that the President’s action to relief the two men of their positions was restore sanity into the communication set-up at the Castle.
Koku Anyidohu, the President’s best friend created his current post for himself so that he can be recognized after he was sacked from the Bank and became a columnist for the Ghanaian Lens newspaper under the pen name “Thoughts of Uncle JB”.
Mr. Koku Anyidohu placed a call to the landline of the said editor wanting to know from him his fate as to whether his name was on the list of the possible ‘push-outs’ come the reshuffle whist his colleague also called one of the many mobile numbers of the same editor.
There are rumours doing the rounds that Hon. Fritz Baffour, who has been tipped to replace Hon Zita Okaikoi, the current Minister of Information, has started meeting some editors and also going on radio stations to inform the citizenry about government’s programme, one such was at Obonu Fm, a Tema based radio station.