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.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Who is Anas Aremeyaw Anas
President Barack Obama praised Aremeyaw Anas, a Ghanaian journalist with a paper called the New Crusading Guide, who worked undercover for eight months, risking his life, to expose a child trafficking ring. The evidence he amassed led to the prosecution of traffickers accused of sending Ghanaian girls to Europe for prostitution.
On his first presidential trip to sub-Saharan Africa, President Obama boosted the Ghanaian investigative reporter profile. He went undercover to break stories about human trafficking, Obama cited the "courageous journalist" as an example of what democracies that respect a free press can produce.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas was named among this year’s CNN/Multichoice African Journalists of the Year Awards finalists for 2009. Anas was the only Ghanaian among 25 finalists from 12 countries.
Ghanaian Went Undercover to Expose Sex Trafficking from EbonyJet.com in association with the Africa Channel, with writer Toby Thompkins and the Africa Channel’s Bob Reid reporting from Ghana.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a reporter with an independent Ghanaian newspaper, had been one of 17 "Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery" named in the State Department's 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The U.S. government monitors human trafficking in 175 countries, including the United States, maintaining that it is a U.S. priority to end the "modern-day slavery" in which foreign workers are "held not just by brute force, but through exorbitant recruiting fees that can result in debt bondage," as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
Anas was responsible for breaking two major trafficking rings in Accra, Ghana, within a year, according to a report last year on america.gov, produced by the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs.
One of his pieces was headlined "INSIDE THE CHINESE SEX MAFIA . . . How Trafficked Chinese Girls Are Sexually Exploited And Beaten In Ghana, Nigeria And Togo. They Are Sold for 6,000 dollars Each."
"He worked undercover for eight months, exposing the ring's methods of transportation and the identities of immigration officials who were accepting bribes in return for overlooking fake visas and passports," the america.gov story said.
"Anas made recordings of his interactions, which allowed him to collect evidence that could be used by the police to prosecute the traffickers who were sending girls to Europe for prostitution. As a result of his investigation, and his collaboration with law enforcement agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other journalists, 17 Nigerian trafficking victims were rescued.
"Following this success, Anas posed as a janitor in a brothel where he collected evidence of a second ring trafficking children for prostitution. His efforts guided police in planning and executing a raid to rescue minors prostituted in the brothel. His exemplary courage and innovation were instrumental in disrupting two rings that profited from human trafficking."
In his speech to the Ghanaian Parliament, Obama said:
"Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through.
We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth.
We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process."
He said at another point, "No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery."
"This is too sweet to hear from the world’s most powerful man," Anas told Africa News on Sunday. "I never knew my investigative pieces are receiving his attention.
What an encouragement! He makes me proud but humbled too at the same time to continue serving mankind," Anas said.
Africa News said Anas, who is nicknamed "FBI," added: 'I have received about 14 international awards and still counting but listening to Obama mentioning my name in public to millions of people across the world is more than an award. I am so touched. I hope it would also serve as an encouragement to my other colleague journalists to continue with the good job they are doing.”
Anas was named the Ghanaian Journalists Association's 2006 Journalist of the Year. He investigated the Euro Foods Company, disguised as a cleaner whose duty was to help mix maggot-infested flour for baking biscuits for sale to the public.
His story on sex trafficking was a finalist for an award from Investigative Reporters and Editors in the United States.
This piece is dedicated to Anas Aremeyaw Anas and my former colleagues at the defunct Crusading Guide now New Crusading Guide especially the Editor Samuel Frimpong whose shouts have made me who I am today.
On his first presidential trip to sub-Saharan Africa, President Obama boosted the Ghanaian investigative reporter profile. He went undercover to break stories about human trafficking, Obama cited the "courageous journalist" as an example of what democracies that respect a free press can produce.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas was named among this year’s CNN/Multichoice African Journalists of the Year Awards finalists for 2009. Anas was the only Ghanaian among 25 finalists from 12 countries.
Ghanaian Went Undercover to Expose Sex Trafficking from EbonyJet.com in association with the Africa Channel, with writer Toby Thompkins and the Africa Channel’s Bob Reid reporting from Ghana.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a reporter with an independent Ghanaian newspaper, had been one of 17 "Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery" named in the State Department's 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The U.S. government monitors human trafficking in 175 countries, including the United States, maintaining that it is a U.S. priority to end the "modern-day slavery" in which foreign workers are "held not just by brute force, but through exorbitant recruiting fees that can result in debt bondage," as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
Anas was responsible for breaking two major trafficking rings in Accra, Ghana, within a year, according to a report last year on america.gov, produced by the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs.
One of his pieces was headlined "INSIDE THE CHINESE SEX MAFIA . . . How Trafficked Chinese Girls Are Sexually Exploited And Beaten In Ghana, Nigeria And Togo. They Are Sold for 6,000 dollars Each."
"He worked undercover for eight months, exposing the ring's methods of transportation and the identities of immigration officials who were accepting bribes in return for overlooking fake visas and passports," the america.gov story said.
"Anas made recordings of his interactions, which allowed him to collect evidence that could be used by the police to prosecute the traffickers who were sending girls to Europe for prostitution. As a result of his investigation, and his collaboration with law enforcement agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other journalists, 17 Nigerian trafficking victims were rescued.
"Following this success, Anas posed as a janitor in a brothel where he collected evidence of a second ring trafficking children for prostitution. His efforts guided police in planning and executing a raid to rescue minors prostituted in the brothel. His exemplary courage and innovation were instrumental in disrupting two rings that profited from human trafficking."
In his speech to the Ghanaian Parliament, Obama said:
"Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through.
We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth.
We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process."
He said at another point, "No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery."
"This is too sweet to hear from the world’s most powerful man," Anas told Africa News on Sunday. "I never knew my investigative pieces are receiving his attention.
What an encouragement! He makes me proud but humbled too at the same time to continue serving mankind," Anas said.
Africa News said Anas, who is nicknamed "FBI," added: 'I have received about 14 international awards and still counting but listening to Obama mentioning my name in public to millions of people across the world is more than an award. I am so touched. I hope it would also serve as an encouragement to my other colleague journalists to continue with the good job they are doing.”
Anas was named the Ghanaian Journalists Association's 2006 Journalist of the Year. He investigated the Euro Foods Company, disguised as a cleaner whose duty was to help mix maggot-infested flour for baking biscuits for sale to the public.
His story on sex trafficking was a finalist for an award from Investigative Reporters and Editors in the United States.
This piece is dedicated to Anas Aremeyaw Anas and my former colleagues at the defunct Crusading Guide now New Crusading Guide especially the Editor Samuel Frimpong whose shouts have made me who I am today.
Open Letter to Ministers of Finance & Communications - Re: Registration of Mobile Phone Subscribers and Monitoring of Telecommunications
14th December 2009
The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning
Accra
AND
The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Communications
Accra
Dear Sirs,
Re: Registration of Mobile Phone Subscribers and Monitoring of Telecommunications
I write to express concern and to pose questions on two matters, namely (i) the demand by ‘National Security’ that mobile phone operators (“Telecom Operators”) must ‘register’ the details of all subscribers, and (ii) portions of the 2010 Budget Statement about plans by the Government to “acquire telecommunications monitoring equipment.” My letter is addressed to you, because primarily, the concerns fall squarely within the purview of your respective ministries. But I make this an ‘open letter’ as the subject is one that the people of Ghana need to be aware of and so that we can all arrive at informed conclusions on the matter.
Before asking the question, I would crave your indulgence to refer to Article 18(2) of the Constitution, which guarantees the citizens’ right to privacy of “correspondence” and “communication” and which provides that this right can only be interfered with “in accordance with law” passed for specified purposes. The Article states expressly as follows:
“No person shall be subjected to interference with the privacy of his home, property, correspondence or communication except in accordance with law as may be necessary in a free and democratic society for public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the protection of health or morals, for the prevention of disorder or crime or for the protection of the rights or freedoms of others.”
Registration:
I note that ‘National Security’ has been pushing, behind the scenes for a long time and recently in public, for the mandatory registration of the details of all mobile phone subscribers in Ghana. I am aware that they now want to set a deadline before 25th December 2009 for the mandatory registration of all new customers. This is to be followed (at a date that has not been specified yet) by the disconnection of any existing, unregistered customers.
Monitoring:
I note further that paragraph 621 of the Budget Statement announced a “special audit initiative to cover the telephony sector.” Paragraph 628 announced the establishment of a special Communications Service Tax (“CST” or “Talk Tax”) Unit and the commencement of “procurement process to acquire telecommunications monitoring equipment and software” ostensibly for the CST Unit to track payments. Paragraph 672 mentioned an increase in “monitoring activities” to “enhance compliance” with the CST. Finally, paragraph 864 mentioned, again, the need for “increased monitoring” of the CST to ensure compliance.
Questions:
Sirs, these would appear innocuous upon first reading. However, read together, the proposed registration and proposed monitoring throw up many questions that beg for answers. These questions are:
1. Is there any suggestion or evidence that Telecom Operators have been cheating on the “Talk Tax”, which will then require the implementation of the monitoring of communications to “enhance compliance”?
2. What are the legal bases for the demands by ‘National Security’ for ‘registration’, and therefore unrestricted access to citizens’ details, from Telecom Operators?
3. Is it the case:
a. That at present, the Police, ‘National Security’ and the Military have easy access to individual mobile phone details by simply writing letters to Telecom Operators, without any court orders;
b. That telecom traffic travels in two types of paths, the ‘voice path’ being that in which the actual conversation moves from one network to another, and the ‘signaling path’ being the means by which one network can communicate with the other about a pending call; and that text messages pass through the signaling path, which is the path that the government wants to monitor;
c. That the Government wants to compel Telecom Operators to send all their signaling through ‘black boxes’ owned by the Government, which would monitor all call traffic (i.e. the originating and destination numbers, the time and length of call) and report the data back to the Government in real time;
d. That if or when implemented, the Government will know who we are, who we call, and how often we call, at the time we are calling;
e. That although the Government may not be able to decipher the actual words of voice calls, it will be able to read every single SMS coming into and leaving networks, and know every website that a person visits on his/her phone or mobile internet device;
f. That however, by simply maneuvering the signaling channel messages, the Government will be able to interrupt, process, intercept, block and/or divert calls, so that the Government can then eavesdrop and know every single detail of happenings on the intercepted calls, without our knowledge and/or the involvement of any competent judicial authority in Ghana;
g. That the current proposed implementation will allow the Government, not only to know who is phoning whom, but also (i) from where to where (with accurate location placement), and (ii) whether a person is roaming and in which country and on which network; and
h. That by this means, it is possible to (i) change signaling so that although a specific call is made, all traces of it can be removed or disguised so that no one can trace its origin or destination, and (ii) create an SMS or call that never existed?
Conclusion:
Sirs, as I stated above, this letter is just to ask the questions and to elicit responses, if any. If or when you respond to the above, we will continue with this discussion.
Yours in the service of God and Ghana,
Kojo Anan
(kojoanan.blogspot.com, www.i-can-ghana.com)
cc. The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Information
Accra
The Parliamentary Majority Leader
Parliament House
Accra
The Parliamentary Minority Leader
Parliament House
Accra
The Director-General
National Communications Authority
Accra
(Guest)
The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning
Accra
AND
The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Communications
Accra
Dear Sirs,
Re: Registration of Mobile Phone Subscribers and Monitoring of Telecommunications
I write to express concern and to pose questions on two matters, namely (i) the demand by ‘National Security’ that mobile phone operators (“Telecom Operators”) must ‘register’ the details of all subscribers, and (ii) portions of the 2010 Budget Statement about plans by the Government to “acquire telecommunications monitoring equipment.” My letter is addressed to you, because primarily, the concerns fall squarely within the purview of your respective ministries. But I make this an ‘open letter’ as the subject is one that the people of Ghana need to be aware of and so that we can all arrive at informed conclusions on the matter.
Before asking the question, I would crave your indulgence to refer to Article 18(2) of the Constitution, which guarantees the citizens’ right to privacy of “correspondence” and “communication” and which provides that this right can only be interfered with “in accordance with law” passed for specified purposes. The Article states expressly as follows:
“No person shall be subjected to interference with the privacy of his home, property, correspondence or communication except in accordance with law as may be necessary in a free and democratic society for public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the protection of health or morals, for the prevention of disorder or crime or for the protection of the rights or freedoms of others.”
Registration:
I note that ‘National Security’ has been pushing, behind the scenes for a long time and recently in public, for the mandatory registration of the details of all mobile phone subscribers in Ghana. I am aware that they now want to set a deadline before 25th December 2009 for the mandatory registration of all new customers. This is to be followed (at a date that has not been specified yet) by the disconnection of any existing, unregistered customers.
Monitoring:
I note further that paragraph 621 of the Budget Statement announced a “special audit initiative to cover the telephony sector.” Paragraph 628 announced the establishment of a special Communications Service Tax (“CST” or “Talk Tax”) Unit and the commencement of “procurement process to acquire telecommunications monitoring equipment and software” ostensibly for the CST Unit to track payments. Paragraph 672 mentioned an increase in “monitoring activities” to “enhance compliance” with the CST. Finally, paragraph 864 mentioned, again, the need for “increased monitoring” of the CST to ensure compliance.
Questions:
Sirs, these would appear innocuous upon first reading. However, read together, the proposed registration and proposed monitoring throw up many questions that beg for answers. These questions are:
1. Is there any suggestion or evidence that Telecom Operators have been cheating on the “Talk Tax”, which will then require the implementation of the monitoring of communications to “enhance compliance”?
2. What are the legal bases for the demands by ‘National Security’ for ‘registration’, and therefore unrestricted access to citizens’ details, from Telecom Operators?
3. Is it the case:
a. That at present, the Police, ‘National Security’ and the Military have easy access to individual mobile phone details by simply writing letters to Telecom Operators, without any court orders;
b. That telecom traffic travels in two types of paths, the ‘voice path’ being that in which the actual conversation moves from one network to another, and the ‘signaling path’ being the means by which one network can communicate with the other about a pending call; and that text messages pass through the signaling path, which is the path that the government wants to monitor;
c. That the Government wants to compel Telecom Operators to send all their signaling through ‘black boxes’ owned by the Government, which would monitor all call traffic (i.e. the originating and destination numbers, the time and length of call) and report the data back to the Government in real time;
d. That if or when implemented, the Government will know who we are, who we call, and how often we call, at the time we are calling;
e. That although the Government may not be able to decipher the actual words of voice calls, it will be able to read every single SMS coming into and leaving networks, and know every website that a person visits on his/her phone or mobile internet device;
f. That however, by simply maneuvering the signaling channel messages, the Government will be able to interrupt, process, intercept, block and/or divert calls, so that the Government can then eavesdrop and know every single detail of happenings on the intercepted calls, without our knowledge and/or the involvement of any competent judicial authority in Ghana;
g. That the current proposed implementation will allow the Government, not only to know who is phoning whom, but also (i) from where to where (with accurate location placement), and (ii) whether a person is roaming and in which country and on which network; and
h. That by this means, it is possible to (i) change signaling so that although a specific call is made, all traces of it can be removed or disguised so that no one can trace its origin or destination, and (ii) create an SMS or call that never existed?
Conclusion:
Sirs, as I stated above, this letter is just to ask the questions and to elicit responses, if any. If or when you respond to the above, we will continue with this discussion.
Yours in the service of God and Ghana,
Kojo Anan
(kojoanan.blogspot.com, www.i-can-ghana.com)
cc. The Honorable Minister
Ministry of Information
Accra
The Parliamentary Majority Leader
Parliament House
Accra
The Parliamentary Minority Leader
Parliament House
Accra
The Director-General
National Communications Authority
Accra
(Guest)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Is Atta-Mills surrounded by “Yes Men”?
The downfall of many presidents in this world has been their inability to separate loyalty from competence and surrounding themselves with sycophants and “yes men” who sing praises all the way to their banks.
Two questions come to mind here: are the president’s men so scared to criticize him or are they sycophantic “yes men”?
When Ghanaians voted for President Mills in December 2008, they had no doubt that he was poised to deliver a better Ghana but recent occurrences in the country have really turned all hopes into despair. I agree that the president has been in office for 11 months but like the old African saying goes,” you can tell a good game from its onset”. Within the eleven months, all we have seen is lot of management faux-pas and no policy direction for us to have some hope for the better Ghana promised.
Behind every successful president is a mentor or two plus blunt and efficient lieutenants who offer positive criticisms. Atta- Mills needs such people for his relentless pursuit to deliver a better Ghana. He needs the services of men/women who would be willing to tell him he's wrong. If he did, he would not be doing the things that are making him lose the support that propelled him into power.
You would have thought that as learned and politically experienced as Mills is, he would know when to listen and who to listen to. Being the third president in the fourth republic means that he has a wealth of resources to consult. For the first time in our history, a sitting president has two former presidents who are alive to offer the necessary inputs into nation building.
This in theory should have been happening but practically, well, it has not been working that that way because the NDC founder complains endlessly about the presidents refusal to heed to advice and for former president Kufour, I don’t think the president in his wisdom thinks he needs him because he is perceived by the present administration to have mismanaged the country so bad that he is the cause of all our current problems.
Besides these two, the president is surrounded by various advisors, his learned friends and associates mostly in academia, the council of state and above all his spouse to offer advice and direction.
The question is why does he make the elementary mistakes he keeps making with all the people around him?
My thinking is that, the president is either not listening or has scared those around him from offering constructive criticisms or those around him are just “yes men” who do not care if he succeeds as a president or the country moves forward.
I strongly believe the whole truth is that the castle has been taken by “Yes men” (or “yes-women”, for that matter) who are worthless to the presidency, period. The most competent and successful presidents are those who have men of integrity who aren’t afraid to advice them, even when it means telling them something they don’t want to hear but need to- even if it will cost them their jobs.
Think about it. What was the president thinking when he ordered his spokesperson to address a press conference to the effect that his appointees should open their doors for NDC foot- soldiers? The first question I ask is, who were those present at the meeting and how did the deliberations go. Did they ask the right questions but were ignored?
You do not need to be a rocket scientist- but if you were present at the said decision-making meeting and you cared about the presidency, here are a few questions you could have asked.
Mr. President, with all due respect, what happens to the over four million eligible voters who voted against you and the many others in the country? How will the directive be implemented? That is, do we set up a desk to register party members who come to see the appointees and ask them to show party cards etc?, Mr. President, don’t you think party functionaries will flood the offices and prevent your officials from carrying out their mandated duties for which they are paid? More importantly, Your Excellency, you promised to be a father for all so why only NDC functionaries now?
And above all what was Ayariga thinking churning that out irresponsibly? He should have asked the right questions or sugar-coated that nonsense at the very least.
I have really been wondering why some high-ranking persons in the NDC are complaining, is there a communication breakdown between the NDC as a party and the Mills Government, are there really greedy bastards in the party who are fighting the altruistic ones?, is the former president justified in his outbursts or the president has just surrounded himself with sycophantic “Yes Men” who are ready to tell him one-plus-one is equal to three.
There are people at the presidency who are quick to attack and insult anyone within or outside the party who dares offer constructive criticism of the Mills administration.
They claim there are channels for redress but if they did and access was easily available, I do not think that persons no less than the founder of the NDC, the Majority Leader in parliament and Dr. Spio Garbrah will resort to the media to address their issues. All of a sudden anyone who disagrees with the state of affairs becomes a villain and the “yes men” who have formed a brick wall around the president rain insults on them.
These are the people the president should be wary of. There are those hovering around the presidency who believe that they can transition overnight from being mere tramps yesterday into political celebrities on account of being praise poets and repositories of flattery. Mills must be very careful of these political vultures and sycophants masquerading as party fanatics and loyalists who would do anything and everything in their interest to win his support for personal enrichment.
As the seemingly wide- gap between the presidency and the NDC party widens, more vultures and sharks will be coming to the castle.
They will come from different forms: rejected politicians, false prophets, failed and successful business persons, professional bootlickers, and block-headed individuals among others who are playing the game of the stomach. All these people will pretend to love Mills; they will sing praise songs in chorus.
Some will shout on top of their voices and call every radio station and other media houses and boast how much they believe in him.
They will tell him how well and fast the better Ghana agenda is moving when they know word from Axim to Keta and from Paga to Accra is that the country is running too slow and the masses are suffering.
It will be only wise for the president to stay alert and listen to dissenting views within the NDC and even from well meaning Ghanaians if he really wants to deliver a better Ghana.
By. Ouborr Kutando
(Guest)
Two questions come to mind here: are the president’s men so scared to criticize him or are they sycophantic “yes men”?
When Ghanaians voted for President Mills in December 2008, they had no doubt that he was poised to deliver a better Ghana but recent occurrences in the country have really turned all hopes into despair. I agree that the president has been in office for 11 months but like the old African saying goes,” you can tell a good game from its onset”. Within the eleven months, all we have seen is lot of management faux-pas and no policy direction for us to have some hope for the better Ghana promised.
Behind every successful president is a mentor or two plus blunt and efficient lieutenants who offer positive criticisms. Atta- Mills needs such people for his relentless pursuit to deliver a better Ghana. He needs the services of men/women who would be willing to tell him he's wrong. If he did, he would not be doing the things that are making him lose the support that propelled him into power.
You would have thought that as learned and politically experienced as Mills is, he would know when to listen and who to listen to. Being the third president in the fourth republic means that he has a wealth of resources to consult. For the first time in our history, a sitting president has two former presidents who are alive to offer the necessary inputs into nation building.
This in theory should have been happening but practically, well, it has not been working that that way because the NDC founder complains endlessly about the presidents refusal to heed to advice and for former president Kufour, I don’t think the president in his wisdom thinks he needs him because he is perceived by the present administration to have mismanaged the country so bad that he is the cause of all our current problems.
Besides these two, the president is surrounded by various advisors, his learned friends and associates mostly in academia, the council of state and above all his spouse to offer advice and direction.
The question is why does he make the elementary mistakes he keeps making with all the people around him?
My thinking is that, the president is either not listening or has scared those around him from offering constructive criticisms or those around him are just “yes men” who do not care if he succeeds as a president or the country moves forward.
I strongly believe the whole truth is that the castle has been taken by “Yes men” (or “yes-women”, for that matter) who are worthless to the presidency, period. The most competent and successful presidents are those who have men of integrity who aren’t afraid to advice them, even when it means telling them something they don’t want to hear but need to- even if it will cost them their jobs.
Think about it. What was the president thinking when he ordered his spokesperson to address a press conference to the effect that his appointees should open their doors for NDC foot- soldiers? The first question I ask is, who were those present at the meeting and how did the deliberations go. Did they ask the right questions but were ignored?
You do not need to be a rocket scientist- but if you were present at the said decision-making meeting and you cared about the presidency, here are a few questions you could have asked.
Mr. President, with all due respect, what happens to the over four million eligible voters who voted against you and the many others in the country? How will the directive be implemented? That is, do we set up a desk to register party members who come to see the appointees and ask them to show party cards etc?, Mr. President, don’t you think party functionaries will flood the offices and prevent your officials from carrying out their mandated duties for which they are paid? More importantly, Your Excellency, you promised to be a father for all so why only NDC functionaries now?
And above all what was Ayariga thinking churning that out irresponsibly? He should have asked the right questions or sugar-coated that nonsense at the very least.
I have really been wondering why some high-ranking persons in the NDC are complaining, is there a communication breakdown between the NDC as a party and the Mills Government, are there really greedy bastards in the party who are fighting the altruistic ones?, is the former president justified in his outbursts or the president has just surrounded himself with sycophantic “Yes Men” who are ready to tell him one-plus-one is equal to three.
There are people at the presidency who are quick to attack and insult anyone within or outside the party who dares offer constructive criticism of the Mills administration.
They claim there are channels for redress but if they did and access was easily available, I do not think that persons no less than the founder of the NDC, the Majority Leader in parliament and Dr. Spio Garbrah will resort to the media to address their issues. All of a sudden anyone who disagrees with the state of affairs becomes a villain and the “yes men” who have formed a brick wall around the president rain insults on them.
These are the people the president should be wary of. There are those hovering around the presidency who believe that they can transition overnight from being mere tramps yesterday into political celebrities on account of being praise poets and repositories of flattery. Mills must be very careful of these political vultures and sycophants masquerading as party fanatics and loyalists who would do anything and everything in their interest to win his support for personal enrichment.
As the seemingly wide- gap between the presidency and the NDC party widens, more vultures and sharks will be coming to the castle.
They will come from different forms: rejected politicians, false prophets, failed and successful business persons, professional bootlickers, and block-headed individuals among others who are playing the game of the stomach. All these people will pretend to love Mills; they will sing praise songs in chorus.
Some will shout on top of their voices and call every radio station and other media houses and boast how much they believe in him.
They will tell him how well and fast the better Ghana agenda is moving when they know word from Axim to Keta and from Paga to Accra is that the country is running too slow and the masses are suffering.
It will be only wise for the president to stay alert and listen to dissenting views within the NDC and even from well meaning Ghanaians if he really wants to deliver a better Ghana.
By. Ouborr Kutando
(Guest)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Obama Should Apologize To Africa (Part 2)
Concluding Part:
The significance of President Barack Obama's planned trip to Ghana should not be over-emphasized. As written by Mathew Kukah:
A more important question is, beyond the emotional and symbolic value, what difference will a Presidential visit make in the lives of ordinary people in the country?
Three American Presidents have visited Ghana as far as I can remember Bill Clinton, George Bush.
The main drivers and beneficiaries of Presidential visits are businessmen and women who, under the shadow of the President, seek to cut the best business deals, concessions, and monopolies they can get for their businesses.
For example am told that when President Carter visited Nigeria during his Presidency but it was not until over 20 years of his leaving office that they reaped the benefits of his tremendous work in fighting guinea worms around the world under the banner of his Jimmy Carter Foundation which is enjoyed by many here.
Ghana today is enjoying the benefits of the MIDA projects through George Bush and today Nigeria through Bill Clinton’s Foundation in the area of HIV/AIDS surpasses a 100 fold what his visit as President achieved. So, by themselves, Presidential visits are useful, but surely, they should not be the measure for a country's greatness or lack of.
Nigerians and Kenyans have gone to town to second guess Obama’s trip and come to the dubious conclusion that the visit is an indictment on their flawed elections. Fr Kukah asked: If elections were an issue for Obama, would he go out of his way to incur the wrath of his fellow countrymen by hugging or bowing to President Hugo Chavez or the King of Saudi Arabia as he did recently? While Chavez had amended the Constitution and secured an open ended tenure, Saudi Arabia's citizens have neither seen a ballot box or ballot paper in their lives. Is President Obama the world's electoral Pope who is going around rewarding and punishing election defaulters? Kukah concluded: It is the oil, stupid!
Yes, Ghana has just discovered oil. It therefore makes sense that the US, with its gargantuan appetite for oil ensures that it is not caught napping.
Kukah added: This visit is, in simple terms, in pursuit, defence and protection of the permanent interests of the United States of America which is the primary responsibility of any President. These interests, whether they are economic, geopolitical, strategic or even intangible, are varied and complex and only the US knows and defines them. America has shown that it will go to any length or overlook any international obligations or obstacles to achieve these interests.
I have written elsewhere that in choosing to visit Ghana ahead of his fatherland Kenya. "The official word is that we're celebrating democracy, but there are probably some ulterior motives," I continued, "It has not gone unnoticed that oil was discovered, and Ghana has 600 million barrels under it and offshore. And many Ghanaian leaders think the U.S. might like Ghana to serve as a kind of capital for Africom," the U.S. military command responsible for African operations.
Further Ghana sits on the eastern Atlantic Ocean, on the southern side of Africa's western hump. The tropical nation of low plains and plateaus is home to 23 million people. This places Ghana at a strategic location relative to Nigeria and other oil rich countries like Equatorial Guinea.
"Using Ghana as a hub would allow the U.S. to keep an eye on Nigeria and the whole Gulf of Guinea." The United States already keeps a very large embassy in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, is it a lie….somebody tell me.
West Africa is arguably the poorest and least stable area on earth. It is also afflicted by a number of transnational trafficking flows, attracted by and aggravating the special vulnerability of this region. On the other hand, the region is rich in Oil, Gold and other precious resources.
The United states are eager to be well-positioned in the on-going scramble for these resources amidst threats from China, Russia and India challenging the dominance of the United States and Europe - West Africa’s traditional friends.
Moreover I warned that Africa should not expect too much from Obama. The reason being that those that understand the way things really work in the United States, a change of a person as president do not necessarily signal a change in policy and direction unlike Ghana.
In the United States, the president is less a leader than a manager of policies formulated by corporate elite interests. Thus there is stability of the political system, regardless of who is president. US presidents come and go, but the interests remain constant.
Let me be clear. I am not downplaying the significance Obama’s visit to Ghana as the first African-American president of the almighty US of A which caught my favorite minister turned into a photographer. However, I believe that this visit is for President Obama to use Ghana as a platform to address Africa by laying down where he wishes to take the US.
President Obama is ultimately interested in expanding America’s interests, America's commitment to seeking collaborators around the world in the search for global peace and an end to world terrorism.
Yes, as Kukah also pointed out:
Obama will politely but firmly speak directly to the leaders of Africa, calling for an end to corruption and the need for an equitable distribution and allocation of the continent's resources. He will call for an end to violence and the need for Africans to hold their leaders accountable and responsible. These may be nice sound bites. The real challenge is that as he may realize, Africans have heard all this before. What they are yet to see is a clear signal from the US and the international community that they are truly committed to helping Africa. For, to do this, they must be ready to expose their multinational corporations and other corporate crooks, the sponsors of strife and violence in Africa in the course of the exploitation of mineral resources and the need to energise and support civil society groups.
But please Africans, don’t look up to an Obama as a saviour of the continent!
The significance of President Barack Obama's planned trip to Ghana should not be over-emphasized. As written by Mathew Kukah:
A more important question is, beyond the emotional and symbolic value, what difference will a Presidential visit make in the lives of ordinary people in the country?
Three American Presidents have visited Ghana as far as I can remember Bill Clinton, George Bush.
The main drivers and beneficiaries of Presidential visits are businessmen and women who, under the shadow of the President, seek to cut the best business deals, concessions, and monopolies they can get for their businesses.
For example am told that when President Carter visited Nigeria during his Presidency but it was not until over 20 years of his leaving office that they reaped the benefits of his tremendous work in fighting guinea worms around the world under the banner of his Jimmy Carter Foundation which is enjoyed by many here.
Ghana today is enjoying the benefits of the MIDA projects through George Bush and today Nigeria through Bill Clinton’s Foundation in the area of HIV/AIDS surpasses a 100 fold what his visit as President achieved. So, by themselves, Presidential visits are useful, but surely, they should not be the measure for a country's greatness or lack of.
Nigerians and Kenyans have gone to town to second guess Obama’s trip and come to the dubious conclusion that the visit is an indictment on their flawed elections. Fr Kukah asked: If elections were an issue for Obama, would he go out of his way to incur the wrath of his fellow countrymen by hugging or bowing to President Hugo Chavez or the King of Saudi Arabia as he did recently? While Chavez had amended the Constitution and secured an open ended tenure, Saudi Arabia's citizens have neither seen a ballot box or ballot paper in their lives. Is President Obama the world's electoral Pope who is going around rewarding and punishing election defaulters? Kukah concluded: It is the oil, stupid!
Yes, Ghana has just discovered oil. It therefore makes sense that the US, with its gargantuan appetite for oil ensures that it is not caught napping.
Kukah added: This visit is, in simple terms, in pursuit, defence and protection of the permanent interests of the United States of America which is the primary responsibility of any President. These interests, whether they are economic, geopolitical, strategic or even intangible, are varied and complex and only the US knows and defines them. America has shown that it will go to any length or overlook any international obligations or obstacles to achieve these interests.
I have written elsewhere that in choosing to visit Ghana ahead of his fatherland Kenya. "The official word is that we're celebrating democracy, but there are probably some ulterior motives," I continued, "It has not gone unnoticed that oil was discovered, and Ghana has 600 million barrels under it and offshore. And many Ghanaian leaders think the U.S. might like Ghana to serve as a kind of capital for Africom," the U.S. military command responsible for African operations.
Further Ghana sits on the eastern Atlantic Ocean, on the southern side of Africa's western hump. The tropical nation of low plains and plateaus is home to 23 million people. This places Ghana at a strategic location relative to Nigeria and other oil rich countries like Equatorial Guinea.
"Using Ghana as a hub would allow the U.S. to keep an eye on Nigeria and the whole Gulf of Guinea." The United States already keeps a very large embassy in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, is it a lie….somebody tell me.
West Africa is arguably the poorest and least stable area on earth. It is also afflicted by a number of transnational trafficking flows, attracted by and aggravating the special vulnerability of this region. On the other hand, the region is rich in Oil, Gold and other precious resources.
The United states are eager to be well-positioned in the on-going scramble for these resources amidst threats from China, Russia and India challenging the dominance of the United States and Europe - West Africa’s traditional friends.
Moreover I warned that Africa should not expect too much from Obama. The reason being that those that understand the way things really work in the United States, a change of a person as president do not necessarily signal a change in policy and direction unlike Ghana.
In the United States, the president is less a leader than a manager of policies formulated by corporate elite interests. Thus there is stability of the political system, regardless of who is president. US presidents come and go, but the interests remain constant.
Let me be clear. I am not downplaying the significance Obama’s visit to Ghana as the first African-American president of the almighty US of A which caught my favorite minister turned into a photographer. However, I believe that this visit is for President Obama to use Ghana as a platform to address Africa by laying down where he wishes to take the US.
President Obama is ultimately interested in expanding America’s interests, America's commitment to seeking collaborators around the world in the search for global peace and an end to world terrorism.
Yes, as Kukah also pointed out:
Obama will politely but firmly speak directly to the leaders of Africa, calling for an end to corruption and the need for an equitable distribution and allocation of the continent's resources. He will call for an end to violence and the need for Africans to hold their leaders accountable and responsible. These may be nice sound bites. The real challenge is that as he may realize, Africans have heard all this before. What they are yet to see is a clear signal from the US and the international community that they are truly committed to helping Africa. For, to do this, they must be ready to expose their multinational corporations and other corporate crooks, the sponsors of strife and violence in Africa in the course of the exploitation of mineral resources and the need to energise and support civil society groups.
But please Africans, don’t look up to an Obama as a saviour of the continent!