Tuesday, February 14, 2017

General Okyere’s Nonsense



A lot of officers and men who fought bravely to ensure the return of the elephant to “executive power” in Ama Ghana are harbouring anger and pain over the developments in the Ghana Armed Forces in recent times.

When rumours were rife that Brigadier General Francis Vib-Sanziri was to be appointed the Chief of Army Staff, several senior officers including Generals and Colonels, serving and retired, opposed the idea vehemently. 

Little did they know that the worst form of that decision was to follow. Some of the senior officers who “hated” General Sanziri are beginning to revise their notes following the decision by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to appoint Naval Commodore Moses Beick-Baffour (GH/2073) as the Chief of Staff to replace Major General Sampson Kudjo Adeti (GH/2025).

These “Latter Day Saints” are now saying that the angel you know not cannot be better than the devil you know. 

Certainly, Major General SK Adeti is the devil who is known and appears to be repenting and is eager to do positive business with the NPP administration.

Between Commodore M Beick-Baffour and Major General Adeti, the pendulum of the opinion court is apparently in favour of the latter.

Major General SK Adeti has done his worst during the 2016 elections and his position is known.
Commodore M Beick-Baffour has been a thorn in the flesh of Akans and NPP sympathizers.

Using his appointment as the Military Secretary, Commodore M Beick-Baffour persecuted a lot of Akan officers including the Appiah-Agyapongs. He denied several Akan officers their due promotions and appointments. He assisted the Biekros to truncate the military career of the Adjaye-Gaisies with concocted pieces of evidence.

He delayed the promotions of some Akan and NPP sympathetic officers such as those of the Darkwas, Appiah-Kubis, Danquahs and Aphous while facilitating and precipitating those of the Edjeanis and Dzisis. He and the Adokpas, Akou-Adjeis, Ametepis, Agbekas and the Adetis decided the fate of several Akan and non Akan NPP sympathizers.

Commodore M Beick-Baffour had the support of the Steve Obimpehs and the Flagstaff House to decide on who gets appointments, promotions or released from the Ghana Armed Forces. It was Commodore Beick-Baffour who set the agenda with the Adokpas and rest of the Dzelukope Mafia to persuade Service Commanders to do as they wished.

Consequently, the Opoku Aduseis and Obed Akwas were just to rubber stamp decisions of Commodore M Beick Baffour and his Mafia.

They decided on which officers would attend which foreign courses-young officers, Combat Team Commanders, Junior and Senior Command and Staff, War Colleges and Institutes of Defence Strategic Studies and civil courses.

That explains why the Akou-Adejeis and Mustaphas are given courses in the USA and “most preferred countries”-UK, Canada, France, Nigeria and China.

The criteria for the selection of officers for these courses were doctored or prepared to favour “themselves” to the detriment of hardworking, intelligent and professionally upright Akan and non-Akan officers considered to be sympathetic to the course of NPP.

It is in the light of all these “atrocities” against the elephant fraternity that Commodore M Beick-Baffour has again dribbled his way into the forefront of the NPP pretending to be a “born again”. How can such a wicked hypocrite become a genuine born again NPP sympathizer?

Yet, he has managed to play his cards very well using the Ewe Caucus in the Bar, Bench and NPP to become acceptable as a preferred candidate over the Boimahs and Dzamefes to become the Chief of Staff. He has managed to beat the likes of the Omane Agyekums who have sacrificed and suffered under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regimes of yester years and the recent past.

What concerned NPP sympathizers are asking is this simple question: “IS IT WORTH DYING FOR THE NPP?”

Most respondents are of the opinion that comparing what the NDC is always prepared to do for their members and sympathizers and those of the NPP; the answer is a big NO.

Imagine some of the childish and silly arguments being used to support the candidature of Commodore Beick-Baffour: that because Major General SK Adeti is an Ewe (Voltarian) and has been relieved of his appointment, another Ewe (Voltarian) must take his place. 

Secondly, amongst the Ewe (Voltarian) officers who are mostly NDC sympathizers Commodore Beick-Baffour appears to be a “mild NDC” sympathizer.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth! If Commodore M Beick-Baffour’s support for the NDC is considered to be “mild” then I can imagine what a serious NDC supporter in the officer corps would look like!!

For those who do not know how Commodore Beick-Baffour operates, he is more dangerous than Major General SK Adeti. At least Major General SK Adeti is not a hypocrite. Neither is he a pretender.

Right from his Subaltern days (Lieutenant and Captain), Major General SK Adeti has been consistently a pro PNDC and NDC officer. Major General Adeti never for once hid his links with the P/NDC. As a matter of fact, as a young officer, Major General Adeti had the portrait of Jerry Rawlings with him and openly displayed it in his rooms (at Messes and Married Quarters).

Additionally, Major General Adeti was always ready to defend Jerry Rawlings and his two coup d’états (4 June 1979 and 31 December 1982).

I may not like Major General SK Adeti because of the Southern Command pick-up and related issues but as an observer, these are character traits of honesty, bravery and consistency.   

But can the same be said of Commodore M Beick-Baffour? Big NO. 

Commodore Beick-Baffour has always been opportunistic. He dances to the tune of the political order of the day. 

In his young officer days until Lieutenant Commander, he was always with the PNDC and NDC. He managed to get seconded to the Ghana Maritime Academy, Fisheries Department, the Ministries and appropriate Institutions and Agencies where his expertise in the Navy and the Maritime world would be useful to propel him to prosperity.

During the era of President Kufuor, then Commander Beick-Baffour managed to use the Gyaasaayars (Justice) and others to get what he wanted. 

Then came the NDC under Presidents Mills and Mahama, then Captain (GN) and now Commodore Beick-Baffour would use his “anchor” in the Volta Region and mast in the Biekros and Faidoos to get what he wanted.

Again, under President Nana Addo, Commodore Beick-Baffour is in the limelight having “washed his hands” well and is set to be appointed Chief of Staff and promoted Rear Admiral which will catapult him to become the next Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) after Rear Admiral Faidoo as originally planned by the Adokpas had the NDC won the 2016 elections.

With the pieces of information on Commodore Beick-Baffuor, may I proceed to analyze some of the arguments used by the General Okyeres and their likes to justify their shameless betrayal of the cause of the helpless, already victimized and uncared for teeming supporters and sympathizers of the NPP in the barracks.

Firstly, is it not nonsense for the likes of General Okyere to think that two Akans should not occupy the seats of Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, where were they when Air Marshal Dumashie was the Chief of Defence Staff and General BK Akafia was the Army Commander?

These two Generals were not Ewes but were all from the Anlo area of the Volta Region too. 

Again where were they when General Arnold Quainoo was the Force Commander (combining the functions of Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander) after the resignation of Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah as the Chief of Defence Staff and Brigadier General Klutse was the Brigade Commander of 1 Infantry Bde Gp and effectively the No 2 to Quainoo in spite of the fact that we had lame duck Navy and Airforce Commanders. 

Where were the General Okyeres when the Bosrotsis, Ntumys, Toppors, Kpetos, Weirs, Agumes, Agbemasus, Attopoes and Lord Attivors were in charge of all the key positions in the Ghana Armed Forces between 1982 and 1993?

The argument that if the NDC made errors, the NPP should not follow suit does not wash. They used the executive power to the advantage of their supporters and sympathizers to the detriment of the Akans and non-Akans suspected to be NPP sympathizers
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Because of the Ewe hegemony, first class officers such as the Twumasis Oti-Prempehs, Ohene Asantes, Ohene Asares, Lemteys, Ayiteys and Addas were thrown out of the main stream to pave way for Quainoos, Dumashies, and Akafias.

Surely, the General Okyeres did not see those ones and are prepared to hurt and humiliate sympathizers of the NPP in the barracks.

Today, the rank and file of the elephant fraternity have become the laughing stock. 

Ardent, vociferous and non- compromising “NDC soldiers” and supporters in the barracks are the ones who have been selected for duties at Castle and Jubilee House while the real combatants, warriors who sacrificed and fought for the elephant to leave the jungle and return to the corridors of power are still walking and roaming about in the barracks disappointed, dejected and uncertain about their future.

The soldiers who behaved professionally and protected the Constitution of Ghana cannot find favour with the Captain Kodas, Lieutenant Colonel Owusu Ansahs and Colonel Onwonas.

Instead, the drivers, bodyguards and clerks of the Chief of Staff, Commandants, Director Generals, Directors and Principal Staff Officers at General Headquarters, Service Headquarters, Command Headquarters, Bases and Units are the ones now enjoying thanks to the nonsense of a certain Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere. 

These “parasites” are the ones riding in the Toyota Landcruiser V8s, V6s, Prados and other enviable vehicles.

Some loyal soldiers of the elephant fraternity are being victimized. Some of them have been deliberately posted to Bawku, Yendi and Bimbilla while the “parasites” are now calling the shots.

The distressed faithfuls are crying inside themselves. Their spouses are worried. Their children are being mocked at.

This can only happen because of the nonsense of a certain Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere who as GOC Southern Command made sure NPP lost to his mother party. 

There is anger in the barracks today due to the nonsense of Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere.
My sources have indicated that the Armed Forces Council has met for the first time under the auspices of Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia with the following as other members:

MINISTER OF DEFENCE- DOMINIC NITIWUL
MINISTER OF INTERIOR-AMBROSE DERY
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS- MRS. SHIRLEY AYORKOR BOTCHWEY
MAJOR GENERAL OB AKWA –CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
MAJOR GENERAL WA AYAMDO-CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF
REAR ADMIRAL PK FAIDOO- CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF
AIR VICE MARSHAL M NAGAI-CHIEF OF AIR STAFF
BRIGADIER GENERAL RO SACKEY-MEMBER
COLONEL C ANKOMAH DANSO-MEMBER
FSM-MEMBER
THE CHIEF DIRECTOR AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.

The main agenda for the first NPP Armed Forces Council Meeting were promotion and appointments of officers in the wake of the elevation of Major Generals OB Akwa and WA WA Ayamdo to the status of Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff respectively.

The following officers have been given appointments and promotions as follows:


1.      Brigadier General WO Agyekum – Commandant MATS.

2.      Brigadier General CKAA Awity – DG PA

3.      Brigadier General F Vib Sanziri – DG IPSO

4.      Brigadier General  M Whajah -  MOD (CD) PGSO

5.      Brigadier General T Oppong-Peprah- GOC South Comd

6.      Brigadier General  PN Andoh  - DG DI

7.      Brigadier General  AK Adu- DG IGD

8.      Brigadier General  INA Aryeetey – R List (Att to GHQ(Camp) for duties with MONUSCO as Western Bde Comd

9.      Brigadier General  ST Osabutey – R List (Att to GHQ(Camp) for duties with UNMISS as Sector Commander

10.  Colonel JP Osei Owusu- A/DG DID

11.  Colonel AY Nsiah – A/CSO Army HQ

12.  Colonel EA Baidoo- DMP

13.  Colonel S Adorkor – LO Army MOD

14.  Commodore SW Anim – Naval HQ

15.  Commodore M Beick-Baffour – A/COS GHQ COS