Kindly permit me a space to react to the article titled- Atta Mills: What are we Re-Branding? As published on your website Ghanaweb.com on Tuesday, 16 March 2010.
In the said article, the author Mr. Prah , instead of displaying candor and intelligence in his writing to promote a proper challenging discourse, sounded more like a mischievous politician whose only interest is to paint black and create panic, confusion, lack of trust and render as in his words, disastrous and chaotic, The ‘Brand Ghana Office’ project instituted by His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills.
For the sake of public interest and to cure the author of his gross ignorance as far as Country Branding and its benefits are concerned, I decided to share some light on what exactly Country branding is and also answer some of his grievances raised.
Mr. Prah argued and I quote ‘’what is he re-branding? It is not that Ghana does not have a good name. The visit by Barrack Obama, President of the United States of America to Ghana demonstrates amply that indeed Ghana does not need any re-branding. We have, or had a good international reputation, and all that we needed to do was continue with the quiet but effective steps previous leaders were taking to create a good image for this country.”
If Mr. Prah thought that a mere visit by President Obama of the US is enough proof that our country has achieved enough international credibility and goodwill as a democracy and a favourable investment destination then God help us because only an analogue minded individual in a 21st century digital age will arrive at this narrow and myopic conclusion.
It has to be noted that the President is not Re-branding Ghana as he alleged out of pure mischief because Ghana as a country is not a commercial product whose look can be altered or improved upon which is known as re-branding. The ultimate goal for Branding a developing Country like Ghana is to stimulate economic, social and psychological wellbeing for its citizenry through the development and implementation of a proactive and integrated national and international strategy.
Even the United States with her high standing in the international arena as far as tourism, migration, trade and international diplomacy is concerned still spend lots of money improving its image abroad and compete for her fair share of the worlds tourists, investors and international allies.
South Africa, India and many other developing countries are actively engaging in Country branding business with tremendous benefits in terms of the feel and pride if their citizens, achievement of favourable image abroad and parenting local brands into commercial success.
Sitting down to do nothing but to disregard primary journalistic ethics to politicise and ridicule a noble project like Ghana Brand Office shows that this guy was writing from sick and confused imagination when put under a social psychological microscope. Since Mr. Prah choose to confuse branding with re-branding, it’s important to understand country branding which to experts is a nation’s identity that has been proactively distilled, interpreted, internalized and projected for international recognition and to construct a favourable national image. In this vain, Mr. Prah should be aware that country Branding is not just about ‘’good image’’ determined by a foreign Presidents visit which he seeks to project as the case.
A nation’s identity defines its true self, values of her people, essence and character driven by a vision thus different from others and resistant to change. It is a call to duty of every citizen coming together willingly to tell the world same powerful, believable and interesting story about their country through a common communication channel.
Country branding is not in any way a positive spin or propaganda as he tried to paint it but rather involves the act of harmonizing all channels of national expression as varied as acts and policies of government, values and behaviours of the Citizenry, education, culture, sports, public health, taxation, public diplomacy, build and feel of settlements, promotion of export and investment and infrastructure development.
It becomes a framework to bring all Ghanaians including its diplomats, footballers, international icons such as Kofi Annan and every citizen from all walks of life in holism to be goodwill ambassadors of our nation happily espousing our achievements, greatness, hospitality, and business friendliness and to create strong local brands into commercial success.
Just as nobody goes on a therapy or medication unless diagnosed of a sickness so are Countries in the branding business too. Only nations with some kind of traditional position influence and reputation which they seek to change or improve of which Ghana is a prime example, goes into Branding.
For instance we have a past history of instabilities and revolutions not discounting the negative image of our sub-region noted for its unimaginable corruption, civil strife, indiscipline, filthy cities, erosion of some cherished values, failed States, wars, famine, diseases which all feed into the international perceptions that we are all one and the same irrespective of the reality. In spite of our shortfalls, we have achieved substantial progress in areas of democracy, good governance, human and national security, economic growth, food security and our daily efforts to lift ourselves out of poverty are attractive and positive sides of our story that need to be told through country- branding with a clear, direct and coherent communication strategy.
Creating the impression as though Ghana Brand Office is duplicating the roles of State Institutions and Agencies in marketing Ghana is quite unfortunate, ridiculous and clearly demonstrated the author is at complete loss of the roles played by branding organizations.
Country-branding in the case of Ghana is the missing link between national mobilization and development and as such the integral role of Country -branding anywhere involves the creation of more harmony and coordination among stakeholders to tell the same powerful, believable and interesting story about their country with the aim to unite the nation under a common vision and shared values, nourishing confidence, pride, harmony, ambition and national resolve, to enhance nationhood and citizenship and not to endorse and perpetuate division, create discord and other vices of gangsterism and criminal behaviours against the state and people of Ghana.
If the author is a true patriot and a concerned citizen of my Country hence decided to ridicule the branding project, then he should be asking himself why should countries such as South Korea and Malaysia whom we were at par with during independence have achieved so much in terms of development while we in Ghana stagnate as a nation and sadly see us retrogressing in our developmental efforts instead of our desired progressive development goals!!!.
The answers are pretty clear in that we have set grand targets for ourselves as a country with little or no road map to that destination. Vision 2000 came and went and now we have vision 2015 and in some quarters vision 2020 yet there is no clear cut programmes in place allowing for total citizens voluntary acceptance and participation in achieving those goals and it is no surprise that characters like Prah are on the sidelines just to criticise and destroy others’ dreams for this nation as a whole because they do not feel belonged and are brimming with selfish interest of who might take the credit when the dividends begin to pour in.
We aim for a middle income status but our rate of economy growth remains stunted with GDP per capita as low as $450 while we continue to export our major commodities in its primary or raw form in line with the colonial legacy left behind 53 years ago.
Not only did we lack commercial brands with international marketing support but also our level of infrastructure development cannot support the needed foreign direct investment. Incomes from remittances still trickles in from abroad and tourism but too slow and too small to support any major economic push while at the same time not only are we too divided on partisan political and tribal lines for any radical national mobilization for development but also we keep suffering from the negative connotation of Africa as a continent because we are doing very little to positively differentiate ourselves from the larger African and our own past despite our tremendous achievements in the last two decades which warrants international attention and goodwill.
As a Ghanaian, I feel so insulted, ashamed, and disturbed that one will choose to chastise and describe as treacherous the Mills government attempt to investigate the fraudulent sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodaphone as well as the dubious importation of Rice from India in clear violation of our laws and that of India which in part help drive Ghanaian rice farmers out of business.
Brand Ghana Office has come at no other better time to address the concomitant obstacles on our path to national cohesion and development so we can attract the needed investment, tourism and exports, jobs and not short change the birth rights of Ghanaians such as selling national assets for peanuts and granting contracts based on ‘’compassion’’ to achieve false praise singing by foreign ‘friends’ and for other parochial gains.
I urge Mr. Prah and his cronies he sought to impress to adopt and support ‘Brand Ghana Office’ project because they will be emancipated mentally and morally through the brands citizenship development programmes which will consciously affect social regulation.
The fact that brand-Ghana understands that People’s active intellectual and emotional buy-in is critical in reducing Ghana’s negative scorecard such as crime and violence, corruption, unstable political environment, poor safety and security, poor labour productivity, poor public health and sanitation makes a laudable and compelling one. The above is crucial in ending the culture of impunity, political patronage, self-vested interests, greed and loyalties to political and economic godfathers and ethnicity which can only further divide our country and set us on the bloody path of attrition.
Mr. Prah accused the President of manning the Ghana Brand Office with a little known PR man when the project has not even taken off yet!!! If you have the courage to cite Obama’s coming as the sole reason of Ghana as having a good image, then let me remind you of him telling us that Africans does not need ‘’strong men’’ but strong institutions. Ghana in this vain does not need to pay millions of dollars to well known lobbyists or PR groups to market us in the international corridors of power but strong institutions manned by competent and well qualified people operating outside the influences of politics.
We have waited for 44 years since the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah to have another visionary leader that seeks to unite Ghanaians by putting premium on our values and loyalty to God and Country through guidance and inspiration and what else can be so commendable than this.
A society can only succeed when its inhabitants can master the courage to condemn what is condemnable and embrace, support and encourage what is just. Anything short of this will only portray us as backward thinking people walking with our feet up and heads down so Mr Prah work up to your responsibilities for God and Country.
Credit: Mathias Alagbo (kabrocky@yahoo.co.uk)
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Discrimination and Victimization In the Military!
Information gathered by this blog and reaching us through concerned soldiers indicate that there is a deliberate discrimination in the selection of personnel for external and internal operations in the Ghana Armed Forces under the NDC administration of Associate Prof. Atta Mills.
The selection of the personnel for peacekeeping operations as Military Observers is highly controlled by the master strategists to ensure that officers from the Volta Region and sympathizers of the NDC are sent to countries where the UN Allowances are very high such as Darfur in Sudan and Congo. Conversely, Akans and other officers perceived to be NPP sympathizers are sent to less lucrative missions such as Western Sahara and Lebanon.
In the case of the Other Ranks who are selected for the VIP Escort duties in Ivory Coast, the policy under the NPP Administration was to give the vacancies to the Commands, Units, Formations and Service Headquarters for them to select qualified personnel as per the laid down criteria and procedures.
The situation has changed under NDC Administration. The selection of the Other Ranks from all the three Services, the Formations and Units is done centrally by the “Powers that be” and imposed on the authorities concerned. The objective of the centralization and discrimination is to ensure that NDC sympathizers are rewarded handsomely.
While their counterparts on the main Ghana Battalion (UNOCI) will be receiving thirty US Dollars ($30) per day, their counterparts on the VIP duties collect close One Hundred Dollars ($100) in the aggregate adding local allowance per day.
The policy of discrimination is to empower NDC sympathizers financially. While the officers and men of NDC affiliation are sent to the more lucrative UN operations their counterparts and colleagues perceived to be NPP sympathizers are offered the less lucrative but dangerous missions. The cumulative effect is to make the NDC officers and men richer while their so called NPP sympathizers are denied that opportunity.
This policy of discrimination fits perfectly well into the policy of empowering friendly forces as spelt out by Jerry Rawlings during his infamous call to see to the collapse of businesses of Mr. Appiah Menka and Kwabena Darko. Then President Rawlings emphasized that it would be suicidal to either empower your political opponents or create a congenial atmosphere for them to undertake their legitimate business to become rich.
It is the same philosophy and policy that are being conceptualized and implemented as far as military external operations are concerned under the NDC Administration.
If the case of the external peacekeeping operations is bizarre then that of the internal operations is dangerous and precariously pregnant with lowering of morale.
Selection for the prestigious operations such as Operation Citadel is now limited to soldiers from the Volta Region, Northern extraction and more importantly of the NDC persuasion. While under the NPP Administration, selection of soldiers for duties at the seat of government, Castle was given to the Battalions and Regiment in a Command without interference, the situation has changed under the NDC Administration.
The names of soldiers are submitted by their units in advance to the Defence Intelligence and National Security Coordinator’s office for vetting. So far, on three occasions that the names of solders from the Volta Region and three Northern Regions. Even in the case of the three Northern Regions, soldiers from the Northern Region and Upper West Region are preferred to those from the Upper East Region.
The master strategists in the NDC Administration and their counterparts in the military want to ensure that only soldiers that they are 100% sure of their loyalty and can vouch for their character are selected to perform duties at the castle.
Owing to the deliberate policy of the Military High Command under the direction of General Seth Obeng to integrate all sections of the Ghana Armed Forces into a cohesive family, even known notorious ex-64 Infantry Regiment soldiers in Units were allowed to perform duties at the Castle.
This matured Esprit de Corps approach of selecting troops for duties at the Castle is diametrically opposite to the discriminatory and pro-NDC minded selective process.
What observers and concerned soldiers are saying is that the N D C Administration should extend the discriminatory selection process for Operation Citadel to Operation Calm Life (Anti-Armed Robbery Joint Military and Police Patrols).
The Military High Command should equally ensure that only pro-NDC soldiers are selected for the anti-armed robbery operations since their master Jerry Rawlings says that the armed robbers are NPP activists or NPP hired criminals.
Another phase of discrimination in the military is taking place at the Department of Defence Intelligence.
The Department is gradually and systematically being purged of perceived NPP sympathizers. While the perceived NPP sympathizers are being victimized and or posted away, NDC sympathizers are being posted into the Department to strengthen it for the treachery, witch hunting and persecution of perceived NPP sympathizers and enemies of the “Revolution”.
This trend is in sharp contrast to what happened during the entire 8 year period of the NPP administration. Not one single officer or man was posted out of the Department of Defence Intelligence except on disciplinary grounds.
The same officers and men were allowed to do their jobs with a few additions made after interviews had been organized. Thus, all personnel at the Department during the exit of Jerry Rawlings remained there until 2009.
That may explain why an Air Force officer who without authority and authorization procured a visa for another officer, who had been charged with a service offence, tried, found guilty, convicted and given a term of imprisonment, to abscond with impunity.
There was evidence of the letter of introduction to the Embassy signed by the Air Force officer, his personal involvement in collecting the visa under official protocol auspices for the fugitive officer.
When it was recommended that this Air Force officer should be posted out of the unit, because he is an Ewe, he played the ethnic card and has remained at the Department of Defence Intelligence ever since.
Now this officer is terrorizing poor innocent personnel of the Department are perceived as NPP sympathizers because they were posted to the Department during the NPP Administration.
What personnel of the Department of Defence Intelligence and their collaborators at the office of the National Security Coordinator are doing is falsely tagging officers and men as “NPP” and victimizing them while creating and enhancing opportunities for the “NDC” friends to go on courses, operations and diplomatic duties.
The era of fear, curtailed freedom of speech, trailing of officers and men has crept into the military once again as during the PNDC era of 1982 to 1992 and the NDC Administration of 1993 to 2001.
All the gains chalked under General Seth Obeng to revive and enhance mess life have been eroded and attracted negative patronage.
The selection of the personnel for peacekeeping operations as Military Observers is highly controlled by the master strategists to ensure that officers from the Volta Region and sympathizers of the NDC are sent to countries where the UN Allowances are very high such as Darfur in Sudan and Congo. Conversely, Akans and other officers perceived to be NPP sympathizers are sent to less lucrative missions such as Western Sahara and Lebanon.
In the case of the Other Ranks who are selected for the VIP Escort duties in Ivory Coast, the policy under the NPP Administration was to give the vacancies to the Commands, Units, Formations and Service Headquarters for them to select qualified personnel as per the laid down criteria and procedures.
The situation has changed under NDC Administration. The selection of the Other Ranks from all the three Services, the Formations and Units is done centrally by the “Powers that be” and imposed on the authorities concerned. The objective of the centralization and discrimination is to ensure that NDC sympathizers are rewarded handsomely.
While their counterparts on the main Ghana Battalion (UNOCI) will be receiving thirty US Dollars ($30) per day, their counterparts on the VIP duties collect close One Hundred Dollars ($100) in the aggregate adding local allowance per day.
The policy of discrimination is to empower NDC sympathizers financially. While the officers and men of NDC affiliation are sent to the more lucrative UN operations their counterparts and colleagues perceived to be NPP sympathizers are offered the less lucrative but dangerous missions. The cumulative effect is to make the NDC officers and men richer while their so called NPP sympathizers are denied that opportunity.
This policy of discrimination fits perfectly well into the policy of empowering friendly forces as spelt out by Jerry Rawlings during his infamous call to see to the collapse of businesses of Mr. Appiah Menka and Kwabena Darko. Then President Rawlings emphasized that it would be suicidal to either empower your political opponents or create a congenial atmosphere for them to undertake their legitimate business to become rich.
It is the same philosophy and policy that are being conceptualized and implemented as far as military external operations are concerned under the NDC Administration.
If the case of the external peacekeeping operations is bizarre then that of the internal operations is dangerous and precariously pregnant with lowering of morale.
Selection for the prestigious operations such as Operation Citadel is now limited to soldiers from the Volta Region, Northern extraction and more importantly of the NDC persuasion. While under the NPP Administration, selection of soldiers for duties at the seat of government, Castle was given to the Battalions and Regiment in a Command without interference, the situation has changed under the NDC Administration.
The names of soldiers are submitted by their units in advance to the Defence Intelligence and National Security Coordinator’s office for vetting. So far, on three occasions that the names of solders from the Volta Region and three Northern Regions. Even in the case of the three Northern Regions, soldiers from the Northern Region and Upper West Region are preferred to those from the Upper East Region.
The master strategists in the NDC Administration and their counterparts in the military want to ensure that only soldiers that they are 100% sure of their loyalty and can vouch for their character are selected to perform duties at the castle.
Owing to the deliberate policy of the Military High Command under the direction of General Seth Obeng to integrate all sections of the Ghana Armed Forces into a cohesive family, even known notorious ex-64 Infantry Regiment soldiers in Units were allowed to perform duties at the Castle.
This matured Esprit de Corps approach of selecting troops for duties at the Castle is diametrically opposite to the discriminatory and pro-NDC minded selective process.
What observers and concerned soldiers are saying is that the N D C Administration should extend the discriminatory selection process for Operation Citadel to Operation Calm Life (Anti-Armed Robbery Joint Military and Police Patrols).
The Military High Command should equally ensure that only pro-NDC soldiers are selected for the anti-armed robbery operations since their master Jerry Rawlings says that the armed robbers are NPP activists or NPP hired criminals.
Another phase of discrimination in the military is taking place at the Department of Defence Intelligence.
The Department is gradually and systematically being purged of perceived NPP sympathizers. While the perceived NPP sympathizers are being victimized and or posted away, NDC sympathizers are being posted into the Department to strengthen it for the treachery, witch hunting and persecution of perceived NPP sympathizers and enemies of the “Revolution”.
This trend is in sharp contrast to what happened during the entire 8 year period of the NPP administration. Not one single officer or man was posted out of the Department of Defence Intelligence except on disciplinary grounds.
The same officers and men were allowed to do their jobs with a few additions made after interviews had been organized. Thus, all personnel at the Department during the exit of Jerry Rawlings remained there until 2009.
That may explain why an Air Force officer who without authority and authorization procured a visa for another officer, who had been charged with a service offence, tried, found guilty, convicted and given a term of imprisonment, to abscond with impunity.
There was evidence of the letter of introduction to the Embassy signed by the Air Force officer, his personal involvement in collecting the visa under official protocol auspices for the fugitive officer.
When it was recommended that this Air Force officer should be posted out of the unit, because he is an Ewe, he played the ethnic card and has remained at the Department of Defence Intelligence ever since.
Now this officer is terrorizing poor innocent personnel of the Department are perceived as NPP sympathizers because they were posted to the Department during the NPP Administration.
What personnel of the Department of Defence Intelligence and their collaborators at the office of the National Security Coordinator are doing is falsely tagging officers and men as “NPP” and victimizing them while creating and enhancing opportunities for the “NDC” friends to go on courses, operations and diplomatic duties.
The era of fear, curtailed freedom of speech, trailing of officers and men has crept into the military once again as during the PNDC era of 1982 to 1992 and the NDC Administration of 1993 to 2001.
All the gains chalked under General Seth Obeng to revive and enhance mess life have been eroded and attracted negative patronage.
Soldiers Collapse At Burma Camp!
There is widespread expression of grief; howling and gnashing of teeth within the various barracks across the nation following the decision by government to release (retire) a whopping 1367 soldiers in April this year!
This blog has learned that the matter has caused so much distress that some of the affected soldiers collapsed and had to receive treatment at the 37 Military Hospital, since the release came to them as a complete shock!
This blog can confirm that on say-so of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that military authorities are ready to release 1,367 over-aged troops comprising the 1978, 1979,1980,1981,1982 and 1983 year groups.
What is causing the distress is that in the run-up to election 2008, propagandists of the ruling party told troops across the country that if the NDC wins power, the policy of releasing over-aged soldiers which was initiated by General Seth Obeng during the era of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be brought to an end and in fact even retired soldiers would be re-employed by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The policy of releasing over-aged soldiers was aimed at releasing troops who have dedicated 25 years of their lives to serve this nation and its people in terms of capability and capacity to handle assigned tasks professionally and effectively to pave way for young soldiers.
In fact during the 2008 electioneering period, a loan was contracted by the then Government to pay off troops comprising the 1977 year group but this was used by the then opposition and now ruling NDC and its allies against the NPP.
This blog has learned that beginning April this year, the above mentioned year groups would be sent home, a situation that has troubled many of them.
Interestingly, a letter intercepted by this paper and signed by Brigadier General Y Nyamekye-Yeboah, Defence Financial Comptroller dated 01 February, 2010 and copied to the Military Assistant (MA) to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) states that in 2010, the 1978 and 1979 year groups are going to be released.
The very same letter states that in 2011, the 1980, 81 and 82 year groups are going home whilst in 2012, the 1983 year group will go home, but instead of that, all the affected year groups are being retired by force in April this year!
The notifications of release for the 1978 and 1979 year groups of Other Ranks (ORs) are due to start their Terminal Leave with effect from 1 April 2010 whilst those for 1980, 81, and 82 starts from 15 April 2010 and 1983 is 19 April 2010.
The number of troops for 1978 and 1979 are 296 and 243 respectively whilst those for 1980, 1981 and 1982 are 175 and 151 respectively. The official figure for the 1983 in-take is 655 but this we gather may go up as the 1983 year group boasts of batch 14, 15,16,17 and the 64 Infantry Regiment which had their training in Cuba.
In all, the Ghana Armed Forces is going to pay Thirty Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Seven Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty one Ghana Cedis Ten Pesewas (GH¢30, 997,621.10) as End of Service Benefits for the affected troops and Three Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Eight Ghana Cedis Seven Pesewa (GH¢3,450,748.07) bringing the grand total to Thirty Four Million, Four Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Nine Ghana Cedis Seventeen Pesewas (GH¢34,448,369.17).
This blog has learned that the matter has caused so much distress that some of the affected soldiers collapsed and had to receive treatment at the 37 Military Hospital, since the release came to them as a complete shock!
This blog can confirm that on say-so of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that military authorities are ready to release 1,367 over-aged troops comprising the 1978, 1979,1980,1981,1982 and 1983 year groups.
What is causing the distress is that in the run-up to election 2008, propagandists of the ruling party told troops across the country that if the NDC wins power, the policy of releasing over-aged soldiers which was initiated by General Seth Obeng during the era of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be brought to an end and in fact even retired soldiers would be re-employed by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The policy of releasing over-aged soldiers was aimed at releasing troops who have dedicated 25 years of their lives to serve this nation and its people in terms of capability and capacity to handle assigned tasks professionally and effectively to pave way for young soldiers.
In fact during the 2008 electioneering period, a loan was contracted by the then Government to pay off troops comprising the 1977 year group but this was used by the then opposition and now ruling NDC and its allies against the NPP.
This blog has learned that beginning April this year, the above mentioned year groups would be sent home, a situation that has troubled many of them.
Interestingly, a letter intercepted by this paper and signed by Brigadier General Y Nyamekye-Yeboah, Defence Financial Comptroller dated 01 February, 2010 and copied to the Military Assistant (MA) to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) states that in 2010, the 1978 and 1979 year groups are going to be released.
The very same letter states that in 2011, the 1980, 81 and 82 year groups are going home whilst in 2012, the 1983 year group will go home, but instead of that, all the affected year groups are being retired by force in April this year!
The notifications of release for the 1978 and 1979 year groups of Other Ranks (ORs) are due to start their Terminal Leave with effect from 1 April 2010 whilst those for 1980, 81, and 82 starts from 15 April 2010 and 1983 is 19 April 2010.
The number of troops for 1978 and 1979 are 296 and 243 respectively whilst those for 1980, 1981 and 1982 are 175 and 151 respectively. The official figure for the 1983 in-take is 655 but this we gather may go up as the 1983 year group boasts of batch 14, 15,16,17 and the 64 Infantry Regiment which had their training in Cuba.
In all, the Ghana Armed Forces is going to pay Thirty Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Seven Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty one Ghana Cedis Ten Pesewas (GH¢30, 997,621.10) as End of Service Benefits for the affected troops and Three Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Eight Ghana Cedis Seven Pesewa (GH¢3,450,748.07) bringing the grand total to Thirty Four Million, Four Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Nine Ghana Cedis Seventeen Pesewas (GH¢34,448,369.17).
Friday, March 19, 2010
Unfair Enlistment Into The Armed Forces!
The general enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) of 2010 appears to be and indeed is unfair to certain categories of Ghanaians. A deliberate policy of discrimination has been implanted to disqualify some categories of Ghanaians by age and academic qualifications.
This discrimination is unjust, unmerited and discriminatory and calls for immediate redress.
Information gathered from Burma Camp by this blog and some interested applications show that this deliberate policy has been invoked in order to disqualify some group of Ghanaians while making it possible and easier for the NDC and the ‘powers that be’ to select only those persons they have already earmarked. There is already anger and frustrations in Burma Camp over the issue.
The unjust, unmerited and discriminatory policy has to do with the two major types of Commission into GAF. These are the Regular Commission and Short Service Commission Career officers. There have been arbitrary significant changes in the ages and academic qualifications requirements.
Ever since the Ghana Armed Forces started enlisting personnel for commission, the age limits for Regular and Short Service Commission applicants had been 26 and 30 years respectively until 2010 when they were arbitrary changed. The age limit for Regular Commission applicants is now 25 years and no more 26 years. The irony of this change is that it has been effected at a time that Senior Secondary School/ Senior High School graduates are no more qualified to apply for Regular Commission and therefore only graduates from the Tertiary Institutions are qualified.
The exclusion of Senior High School graduates from the Officer Crops had long been completed and the policy had implemented gradually with circumspection until 2010 and is aimed at improving standards. It was therefore only the best SSS/SHS leavers especially science students who had qualified for University admission with very good grades who were in the past enlisted into the Officer Crops especially into the Navy and the Airforce as Executives and Pilots respectively. This window for SSS/SHS leavers enabled a lot of children of officers and men in the GAF to be enlisted. The change has seriously affected the soldiers in particular and they are seriously crying for HELP.
A Warrant officer said that “officers are discriminating against us since most of their children are in the good tertiary institutions because they have more money and ours are roaming about in Barracks because now we cannot pay for the high cost of their tertiary education’.
Another Warrant Officer also said that “the NDC brought the SSS system to replace the SC/GCE Ordinary and Advance level system and yet they do not want us to use the products of the system to join the officer Crops. The NDC wants our children to join us as Other Ranks while the children of the elite members of the party and the officers join as officers”. Surely, the two Warrant officers feel that the policy is arbitrary, unfair, unjust and discriminatory.
On the age limit for Regular Commission, the concerned persons were wondering about the wisdom in reducing the age from 26 to 25 years while at the same time insisting that the applicant must be exactly 25 years or less than that as at 31si October 2010.
This blog gathers that all Ghanaians born between 1st January and 30th October 1985 who are all 25 years old now or will be 25 years old before or on 30th October 2010 are disqualified for Regular Commission.
Also, considering the fact that only degree, HND and diploma holders are now qualified for Regular Commission, and their ages are certainly higher than SSS/SHS leaver, it really sounds more reasonable to have maintained the age limit at 26 years since applicants on completion of their courses have to undertake a one year national service compulsory.
The other issue of concern to interested persons is the fact that only selected qualifications are now accepted for Short Service Commission while the age limit has been reduced from 26 years old to 25 years for Regular Commission thereby making it more difficult for some large numbers of degree, HND and diploma holders to apply for Regular Commission because of age and the exclusion of some academic qualifications from the Short Service Commission has worsened their plight.
An aggrieved soldier illustrated his point by reference to the Advertisement for example, in the advertisement, the only professionals and academic qualifications accepted for Short Service Commission are the Legal Service, Medical Crops, Chaplaincy Service, Engineer Services and Band. All other degrees, HND and diploma from the tertiary institutions and professional bodies are not accepted for Short Service Commission making the policy certainly unfair, unjust and unnecessarily discriminatory.
In the past, professionals and academic qualifications for the major Services in the Armed Forces namely Public Relations, Ordinance, Supply and Transport, Pay and Education, among others, mainly in the Army, Supply Branch and Administration in the Navy, Supply and Administration in the Airforce were all accepted.
In the current exercise, whereas the Navy and Airforce have maintained their professional and educational requirement, the Army, which is the largest of the three Arms of the Service, has arbitrary changed its entry requirements to the detriment of some Ghanaians.
Incidentally, most of those traditionally Army dominated Services are now all Tri-Service meaning that officers from the Army, Navy and Airforce can join those services. Thus, there are now officers from the Navy and Airforce with the Public Relations Directorate, Ordinance Service, Supply and Transport, Pay, Education and Engineer Service. What this means is that while the Army is using age and qualifications to disqualify some categories of Ghanaians, they are being accepted in the Navy and Airforce, albeit in small numbers, the balance may eventually tilt in favour of the Navy and Airforce in the not too distant future creating frustration for their Army counterparts.
Already, in terms of promotions and appointments, officers in the Navy and Airforce generally move faster than their colleagues in the Army from the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and their equivalent and above.
Furthermore, while for instance degree holders with Bachelor of Science Administration, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Service Planning are not accepted for Short Service Commission, persons with diploma in music are accepted for Short Service Commission.
Additionally, while HND (Civil Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Building Technology) are accepted for Short Service Commission, all other HND holders i.e. Marketing, Accountancy, Purchasing and Supply, HCIM are not eligible for Short Service Commission.
Again, whereas a trained journalist (a holder of degree or diploma in journalism) is not considered as a professional for Short Service Commission, a holder of diploma in Bio-Chemistry or a diploma in Environmental Health is considered as such and is eligible for Short Service Commission.
Certainly, these discriminatory requirements are unfair and arbitrary and need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Already, there is tension in the Barracks, according to grape vine sources over the mass release of the 1978/79 year groups of soldiers and the way the 2010 recruitment is also being conducted. We shall come to those areas later.
Our sources have indicated that there appears to be a systematic well coordinated, well orchestrated and well rehearsed plan to recruit and enlist certain groups of people into the GAF and special avenues have been opened for them. Specific examples will be given in subsequent publications. For instance, the age limits for the Legal Service and Clinical Psychologists have been raised from 30 to 35 years because of some specific individuals.
For instance, is it not interesting and ridiculous for the eligibility requirement on Clinical Psychologists to read that “Applicant must not be more than 35 years and be a holder of a first degree, Masters or PhD in counseling or Clinical Psychology with a minimum of 6, 4, and 3 years working experience respectively”?
This discrimination is unjust, unmerited and discriminatory and calls for immediate redress.
Information gathered from Burma Camp by this blog and some interested applications show that this deliberate policy has been invoked in order to disqualify some group of Ghanaians while making it possible and easier for the NDC and the ‘powers that be’ to select only those persons they have already earmarked. There is already anger and frustrations in Burma Camp over the issue.
The unjust, unmerited and discriminatory policy has to do with the two major types of Commission into GAF. These are the Regular Commission and Short Service Commission Career officers. There have been arbitrary significant changes in the ages and academic qualifications requirements.
Ever since the Ghana Armed Forces started enlisting personnel for commission, the age limits for Regular and Short Service Commission applicants had been 26 and 30 years respectively until 2010 when they were arbitrary changed. The age limit for Regular Commission applicants is now 25 years and no more 26 years. The irony of this change is that it has been effected at a time that Senior Secondary School/ Senior High School graduates are no more qualified to apply for Regular Commission and therefore only graduates from the Tertiary Institutions are qualified.
The exclusion of Senior High School graduates from the Officer Crops had long been completed and the policy had implemented gradually with circumspection until 2010 and is aimed at improving standards. It was therefore only the best SSS/SHS leavers especially science students who had qualified for University admission with very good grades who were in the past enlisted into the Officer Crops especially into the Navy and the Airforce as Executives and Pilots respectively. This window for SSS/SHS leavers enabled a lot of children of officers and men in the GAF to be enlisted. The change has seriously affected the soldiers in particular and they are seriously crying for HELP.
A Warrant officer said that “officers are discriminating against us since most of their children are in the good tertiary institutions because they have more money and ours are roaming about in Barracks because now we cannot pay for the high cost of their tertiary education’.
Another Warrant Officer also said that “the NDC brought the SSS system to replace the SC/GCE Ordinary and Advance level system and yet they do not want us to use the products of the system to join the officer Crops. The NDC wants our children to join us as Other Ranks while the children of the elite members of the party and the officers join as officers”. Surely, the two Warrant officers feel that the policy is arbitrary, unfair, unjust and discriminatory.
On the age limit for Regular Commission, the concerned persons were wondering about the wisdom in reducing the age from 26 to 25 years while at the same time insisting that the applicant must be exactly 25 years or less than that as at 31si October 2010.
This blog gathers that all Ghanaians born between 1st January and 30th October 1985 who are all 25 years old now or will be 25 years old before or on 30th October 2010 are disqualified for Regular Commission.
Also, considering the fact that only degree, HND and diploma holders are now qualified for Regular Commission, and their ages are certainly higher than SSS/SHS leaver, it really sounds more reasonable to have maintained the age limit at 26 years since applicants on completion of their courses have to undertake a one year national service compulsory.
The other issue of concern to interested persons is the fact that only selected qualifications are now accepted for Short Service Commission while the age limit has been reduced from 26 years old to 25 years for Regular Commission thereby making it more difficult for some large numbers of degree, HND and diploma holders to apply for Regular Commission because of age and the exclusion of some academic qualifications from the Short Service Commission has worsened their plight.
An aggrieved soldier illustrated his point by reference to the Advertisement for example, in the advertisement, the only professionals and academic qualifications accepted for Short Service Commission are the Legal Service, Medical Crops, Chaplaincy Service, Engineer Services and Band. All other degrees, HND and diploma from the tertiary institutions and professional bodies are not accepted for Short Service Commission making the policy certainly unfair, unjust and unnecessarily discriminatory.
In the past, professionals and academic qualifications for the major Services in the Armed Forces namely Public Relations, Ordinance, Supply and Transport, Pay and Education, among others, mainly in the Army, Supply Branch and Administration in the Navy, Supply and Administration in the Airforce were all accepted.
In the current exercise, whereas the Navy and Airforce have maintained their professional and educational requirement, the Army, which is the largest of the three Arms of the Service, has arbitrary changed its entry requirements to the detriment of some Ghanaians.
Incidentally, most of those traditionally Army dominated Services are now all Tri-Service meaning that officers from the Army, Navy and Airforce can join those services. Thus, there are now officers from the Navy and Airforce with the Public Relations Directorate, Ordinance Service, Supply and Transport, Pay, Education and Engineer Service. What this means is that while the Army is using age and qualifications to disqualify some categories of Ghanaians, they are being accepted in the Navy and Airforce, albeit in small numbers, the balance may eventually tilt in favour of the Navy and Airforce in the not too distant future creating frustration for their Army counterparts.
Already, in terms of promotions and appointments, officers in the Navy and Airforce generally move faster than their colleagues in the Army from the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and their equivalent and above.
Furthermore, while for instance degree holders with Bachelor of Science Administration, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Service Planning are not accepted for Short Service Commission, persons with diploma in music are accepted for Short Service Commission.
Additionally, while HND (Civil Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Building Technology) are accepted for Short Service Commission, all other HND holders i.e. Marketing, Accountancy, Purchasing and Supply, HCIM are not eligible for Short Service Commission.
Again, whereas a trained journalist (a holder of degree or diploma in journalism) is not considered as a professional for Short Service Commission, a holder of diploma in Bio-Chemistry or a diploma in Environmental Health is considered as such and is eligible for Short Service Commission.
Certainly, these discriminatory requirements are unfair and arbitrary and need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Already, there is tension in the Barracks, according to grape vine sources over the mass release of the 1978/79 year groups of soldiers and the way the 2010 recruitment is also being conducted. We shall come to those areas later.
Our sources have indicated that there appears to be a systematic well coordinated, well orchestrated and well rehearsed plan to recruit and enlist certain groups of people into the GAF and special avenues have been opened for them. Specific examples will be given in subsequent publications. For instance, the age limits for the Legal Service and Clinical Psychologists have been raised from 30 to 35 years because of some specific individuals.
For instance, is it not interesting and ridiculous for the eligibility requirement on Clinical Psychologists to read that “Applicant must not be more than 35 years and be a holder of a first degree, Masters or PhD in counseling or Clinical Psychology with a minimum of 6, 4, and 3 years working experience respectively”?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Atta Mills: Not A Trust Worthy Character
It is fast turning out that President Professor John Evans Atta Mills is not a trustworthy character.
His word is not worth the paper it is written on, and all those who have been taking his words to heart would be right in taking his promises with a pinch of salt. The evidence shows that he does not mean what he says.
On 23rd February 2009, President Professor John Evans Atta Mills ordered all his appointees to file their Assets Declaration Forms in seven clear days.
Fourteen (14) months on, I can say on authority that this order by the President has been flouted after the Presidential fiat. In other words, the president’s fiat has been flouted with impunity, meaning that as far as many of his appointees are concerned, they could care less.
To them, the President’s word is not worth the paper it is written on. Do you remember he told a group of journalists to ask his appointees if they had declared their assets when he held his so called ‘meet the press’ on 7 January 2010?
But to be more serious, one wonders what clear actions the President took to ensure that his fiat is obeyed. Did he just make the public announcement without clear orders to his people to obey his fiat?
Did he set deadlines with systems of assurances? If he did not, then the President simply made a populist and public pronouncement meant to tickle the populist sentiments of the populace.
He spoke with intent to deceive the public, and then went to sleep, sure and certain that he had assured the people of Ghana that he is a man of action and now he has been exposed, again!
The President in his Manifesto for a so called Better Ghana promised that 40% of his appointees would be women, the mathematics showed that only 11% of his appointees were women, a far departure from what he promised the people and women of Ghana.
Again, therefore, in this present instance, it is turning out that the President deliberately hoodwinked the women of Ghana to win votes.
When he was questioned about this matter in London, President Professor John Evans Atta Mills said that he could not identify the women to fit the positions available because they had not applied themselves in the field of politics.
I find this claim to be laughable, and worse, rather dishonest on the part of the President.
Since this matter came up, a lot of people have expressed the opinion that women should apply themselves in order to earn the presidential recognition. I disagree, simply over the fact that the problem moves beyond women simply applying themselves.
The problem is that we have a politician who made a promise that he knew clearly before he made that he could not fulfill based on the simple facts of our reality.
In Ghana today, even though we have a higher ratio of women as against men, we have far less females in educational institutions than men.
This unfortunate situation means that in all spheres of endeavor except possibly petty trading, we have more men than women.
In the brutal world of politics, the women are even less represented. In the last parliament, we had less than thirty women in a house of 230 representatives. In a situation where the law stipulates that the President, in appointing his ministers for example, choose 50% and more of them out of parliament, it becomes immediately clear that he would have problems meeting his claim to appoint 40% of his appointees from among the womenfolk.
Again, after the nominations had been filed during the run-up to the last general elections, where we had less than twenty-percent of women applying to go into parliament, it became even more obvious that it would be impossible to appoint a Cabinet made up of40% female representation.
A simple and cursory examination of the facts would have shown the presidential candidates that a promise to make 40% of appointees from women was unrealistic.
Yet, there was Candidate Atta Mills, mouthing of and busily assuring our women that 40% of all his appointees would be made up of women. The promise, clearly, was unrealistic and insincere.
But there is a worse aspect to this whole matter. The difficulties I have outlined above towards meeting the 40% representation in government is not unique to our current situation. In fact, it has been the status quo over the years and throughout our history.
A few years ago, the situation was worse. But in spite of that, the immediate past Kufuor Administration ensured that it gave 25% of its appointees to women. The lowering of this standard to 11% by the Atta Mills administration, itself signaling a lowering of over 50%, would indicate a very serious lowering of the standards for women in public service.
In deed the word of our President is not worth the paper it is written on period!
His word is not worth the paper it is written on, and all those who have been taking his words to heart would be right in taking his promises with a pinch of salt. The evidence shows that he does not mean what he says.
On 23rd February 2009, President Professor John Evans Atta Mills ordered all his appointees to file their Assets Declaration Forms in seven clear days.
Fourteen (14) months on, I can say on authority that this order by the President has been flouted after the Presidential fiat. In other words, the president’s fiat has been flouted with impunity, meaning that as far as many of his appointees are concerned, they could care less.
To them, the President’s word is not worth the paper it is written on. Do you remember he told a group of journalists to ask his appointees if they had declared their assets when he held his so called ‘meet the press’ on 7 January 2010?
But to be more serious, one wonders what clear actions the President took to ensure that his fiat is obeyed. Did he just make the public announcement without clear orders to his people to obey his fiat?
Did he set deadlines with systems of assurances? If he did not, then the President simply made a populist and public pronouncement meant to tickle the populist sentiments of the populace.
He spoke with intent to deceive the public, and then went to sleep, sure and certain that he had assured the people of Ghana that he is a man of action and now he has been exposed, again!
The President in his Manifesto for a so called Better Ghana promised that 40% of his appointees would be women, the mathematics showed that only 11% of his appointees were women, a far departure from what he promised the people and women of Ghana.
Again, therefore, in this present instance, it is turning out that the President deliberately hoodwinked the women of Ghana to win votes.
When he was questioned about this matter in London, President Professor John Evans Atta Mills said that he could not identify the women to fit the positions available because they had not applied themselves in the field of politics.
I find this claim to be laughable, and worse, rather dishonest on the part of the President.
Since this matter came up, a lot of people have expressed the opinion that women should apply themselves in order to earn the presidential recognition. I disagree, simply over the fact that the problem moves beyond women simply applying themselves.
The problem is that we have a politician who made a promise that he knew clearly before he made that he could not fulfill based on the simple facts of our reality.
In Ghana today, even though we have a higher ratio of women as against men, we have far less females in educational institutions than men.
This unfortunate situation means that in all spheres of endeavor except possibly petty trading, we have more men than women.
In the brutal world of politics, the women are even less represented. In the last parliament, we had less than thirty women in a house of 230 representatives. In a situation where the law stipulates that the President, in appointing his ministers for example, choose 50% and more of them out of parliament, it becomes immediately clear that he would have problems meeting his claim to appoint 40% of his appointees from among the womenfolk.
Again, after the nominations had been filed during the run-up to the last general elections, where we had less than twenty-percent of women applying to go into parliament, it became even more obvious that it would be impossible to appoint a Cabinet made up of40% female representation.
A simple and cursory examination of the facts would have shown the presidential candidates that a promise to make 40% of appointees from women was unrealistic.
Yet, there was Candidate Atta Mills, mouthing of and busily assuring our women that 40% of all his appointees would be made up of women. The promise, clearly, was unrealistic and insincere.
But there is a worse aspect to this whole matter. The difficulties I have outlined above towards meeting the 40% representation in government is not unique to our current situation. In fact, it has been the status quo over the years and throughout our history.
A few years ago, the situation was worse. But in spite of that, the immediate past Kufuor Administration ensured that it gave 25% of its appointees to women. The lowering of this standard to 11% by the Atta Mills administration, itself signaling a lowering of over 50%, would indicate a very serious lowering of the standards for women in public service.
In deed the word of our President is not worth the paper it is written on period!
Cover Up @ Burma Camp
This blog has intercepted a petition written by Colonel Kwadwo Damoah to the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service; Mr. Frank Adu Poku, dated 5th November, 2009 and copied to the nation’s number one policeman, Mr. Paul Quaye.
Below is the unedited petition:
RE- THREAT ON MY LIFE
COLONEL KWADWO DAMOAH
1. I wish to remind you, Sir, about a formal complaint that I lodged with the CID of the Ghana Police Service on 25th February 2009.
2. In the said complaint, I mentioned and volunteered the names of certain military officers, high dignitaries and members of the Security Services that I suspected of being part of a conspiracy to eliminate me. Examples of the text messages that I received on my mobile phones between the 06 December 2008 and January ending 2009 threatening to kill me were provided in the said complaint.
3. At least two letters were written by the then Acting IGP, Mrs. Mills- Robertson, to the Acting Chief of Defence Staff to release those military officers to assist in investigations.
4. Unfortunately, the named officers either refused or failed to report at the Police Headquarters as requested. My information is that the Minister of Defence, General JH Smith, asked them not to report and has since been shielding them. Some of the officers have even been deliberately sent on military operations outside Ghana to avoid reporting at the Police Headquarters.
5. Some of the named officers are also using their appointment at and closeness to the “Castle” to brag about with impunity and have vowed never to report at the Police Headquarters.
6. I was happy to hear the Honorable Minister of Interior, Mr. Cletus Avorka, in an answer to an urgent question in Parliament on the status of the compliant on the threat to my life, say that the Ministries of Defence and Interior were resolving that issue. That, however, has not materialized and yet there have been several occurrences that are worrying and of major concern to my safety and security.
7. On Wednesday, 4 February 2009 at the office of the then Air Commodore CEK Dovlo, then Director General Personnel Administration of the Ghana Armed Forces between about 0900 and 1100 hours in the presence of Group Captain Dwamena-Mante, Deputy Director General Personnel Administration, now Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo, Commandant of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) admitted that he had been told by Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie that there was “bad blood” between he Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie and Colonel Kwadwo Damoah.
8. Furthermore, I was told Lieutenant Colonel EDEM Fiawoo, the Director of Legal Services of the Ghana Armed Forces, that Lt Col LL Attachie said in his presence that I, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah had gone to the Tain Constituency with troops, weapons and ammunitions to assassinate former President JJ Rawlings at a time that he Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo had seen me in Burma Camp. Fortunately for me, Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo refuted the allegation to Lt Col LL Attachie and later informed me about it.
9. You might have noticed that Lt. Col Attachie is one of the officers suspected to be involved in the conspiracy to kill me. The fact that Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo admits that there is “bad blood” between Lt Col LL Attachie and Colonel K Damoah coupled with Lt Col LL Attachie’s attempt to frame Col K Damoah up in an accusation plot on former President Rawlings, calls for serious concern and urgent enquiry.
10. Moreover, on 29 May 2009, I had to escort my younger brother Mr. Kofi Brobbey Damoah and the Secretary to an Association called “Concerned Citizens of Jaman South” to the BNI to assist in investigations connected to a demonstration at Drobo in the Brong Ahafo Region and information on an attempt by unidentified security personnel to dump arms and ammunitions in my family house as part of the accusation that Colonel K Damoah was indeed involved in an attempt to assassinate former President Rawlings at the Tain Constituency. I was made to write a statement to the BNI.
11. General JH Smith is alleged to have remarked that he would have fired at Members of Parliament who drilled and embarrassed him on 10th June 2009 when he appeared in the House to answer an urgent question on the fate of the 420 Army Potential Recruits if he had weapons on him that day. Gen Smith continued that he would put the blame on Colonel Damoah who was the cause of his woes on the floor of Parliament and swore to pay Colonel Damoah back at all cost.
12. Certainly, if Gen Smith was and has been so annoyed about his “ordeal” on the floor of Parliament and would have killed even MPs, then his threat to pay me back at all cost should not be taken lightly. One of the things that Gen Smith has succeeded in doing is to get me retired from the Ghana Armed Forces. He has put so much pressure on the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Adinkrah, to recommend my release.
13. I wish to state that now that I am on terminal leave and would soon leave the military, I am more vulnerable to the plans of those plotting or having plotted to kill me. If while in the military, I was not safe and secure then you may imagine what would happen to me now that I am going to be a poor retired officer and they continued to have the state security, authority and power at their disposal and have troops, weapons and ammunitions under their care and control.
14. It is in the light of the above facts and factors and those earlier on enumerated in my formal compliant to the Criminal Investigations Department on 25th February 2009 that I write to appeal for urgent investigations into the matter.
15. I also wish to reiterate that I am by this letter making it known to the Ghana Police Service, my families and the general public that should anything happen to me and/or any member of my families, General Smith and Lt Col Attachie in particular and their Agents should be held responsible.
Below is the unedited petition:
RE- THREAT ON MY LIFE
COLONEL KWADWO DAMOAH
1. I wish to remind you, Sir, about a formal complaint that I lodged with the CID of the Ghana Police Service on 25th February 2009.
2. In the said complaint, I mentioned and volunteered the names of certain military officers, high dignitaries and members of the Security Services that I suspected of being part of a conspiracy to eliminate me. Examples of the text messages that I received on my mobile phones between the 06 December 2008 and January ending 2009 threatening to kill me were provided in the said complaint.
3. At least two letters were written by the then Acting IGP, Mrs. Mills- Robertson, to the Acting Chief of Defence Staff to release those military officers to assist in investigations.
4. Unfortunately, the named officers either refused or failed to report at the Police Headquarters as requested. My information is that the Minister of Defence, General JH Smith, asked them not to report and has since been shielding them. Some of the officers have even been deliberately sent on military operations outside Ghana to avoid reporting at the Police Headquarters.
5. Some of the named officers are also using their appointment at and closeness to the “Castle” to brag about with impunity and have vowed never to report at the Police Headquarters.
6. I was happy to hear the Honorable Minister of Interior, Mr. Cletus Avorka, in an answer to an urgent question in Parliament on the status of the compliant on the threat to my life, say that the Ministries of Defence and Interior were resolving that issue. That, however, has not materialized and yet there have been several occurrences that are worrying and of major concern to my safety and security.
7. On Wednesday, 4 February 2009 at the office of the then Air Commodore CEK Dovlo, then Director General Personnel Administration of the Ghana Armed Forces between about 0900 and 1100 hours in the presence of Group Captain Dwamena-Mante, Deputy Director General Personnel Administration, now Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo, Commandant of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) admitted that he had been told by Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie that there was “bad blood” between he Lieutenant Colonel LL Attachie and Colonel Kwadwo Damoah.
8. Furthermore, I was told Lieutenant Colonel EDEM Fiawoo, the Director of Legal Services of the Ghana Armed Forces, that Lt Col LL Attachie said in his presence that I, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah had gone to the Tain Constituency with troops, weapons and ammunitions to assassinate former President JJ Rawlings at a time that he Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo had seen me in Burma Camp. Fortunately for me, Lt Col EDEM Fiawoo refuted the allegation to Lt Col LL Attachie and later informed me about it.
9. You might have noticed that Lt. Col Attachie is one of the officers suspected to be involved in the conspiracy to kill me. The fact that Air Vice Marshal CEK Dovlo admits that there is “bad blood” between Lt Col LL Attachie and Colonel K Damoah coupled with Lt Col LL Attachie’s attempt to frame Col K Damoah up in an accusation plot on former President Rawlings, calls for serious concern and urgent enquiry.
10. Moreover, on 29 May 2009, I had to escort my younger brother Mr. Kofi Brobbey Damoah and the Secretary to an Association called “Concerned Citizens of Jaman South” to the BNI to assist in investigations connected to a demonstration at Drobo in the Brong Ahafo Region and information on an attempt by unidentified security personnel to dump arms and ammunitions in my family house as part of the accusation that Colonel K Damoah was indeed involved in an attempt to assassinate former President Rawlings at the Tain Constituency. I was made to write a statement to the BNI.
11. General JH Smith is alleged to have remarked that he would have fired at Members of Parliament who drilled and embarrassed him on 10th June 2009 when he appeared in the House to answer an urgent question on the fate of the 420 Army Potential Recruits if he had weapons on him that day. Gen Smith continued that he would put the blame on Colonel Damoah who was the cause of his woes on the floor of Parliament and swore to pay Colonel Damoah back at all cost.
12. Certainly, if Gen Smith was and has been so annoyed about his “ordeal” on the floor of Parliament and would have killed even MPs, then his threat to pay me back at all cost should not be taken lightly. One of the things that Gen Smith has succeeded in doing is to get me retired from the Ghana Armed Forces. He has put so much pressure on the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Adinkrah, to recommend my release.
13. I wish to state that now that I am on terminal leave and would soon leave the military, I am more vulnerable to the plans of those plotting or having plotted to kill me. If while in the military, I was not safe and secure then you may imagine what would happen to me now that I am going to be a poor retired officer and they continued to have the state security, authority and power at their disposal and have troops, weapons and ammunitions under their care and control.
14. It is in the light of the above facts and factors and those earlier on enumerated in my formal compliant to the Criminal Investigations Department on 25th February 2009 that I write to appeal for urgent investigations into the matter.
15. I also wish to reiterate that I am by this letter making it known to the Ghana Police Service, my families and the general public that should anything happen to me and/or any member of my families, General Smith and Lt Col Attachie in particular and their Agents should be held responsible.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Atta Mills: Face Of A Thug
The recent brouhaha and out-and-out war that has broken out over the school feeding program must cause the scales to slip from the eyes of the majority of Ghanaians. For many of our people, the simple and brutal fact is becoming clear. Our President may be a Professor of Laws, but the simple and brutal truth is also that at heart he is just a thug!
For a large number of Ghanaians, there is a growing feeling of dismay at the sheer and barefaced employment of brute force and thuggery in official matters. They have witnessed a long list of such rampant abuses orchestrated by the Mills Administration, but the latest abuse in the school feeding program is causing many people to catch their breathe.
They are in shock, and they are asking themselves; is this what we really voted for? For many people, it would be more palatable to blame the underlings of President Professor for the numerous stories of abuses that we are hearing, but I would not be so charitable. I think that I would like to live by the mantra which Professor Atta Mills repeated often times when he was in opposition and running for the presidency that the buck should and would stop with him.
For whatever is happening, the President has the ultimate responsibility. He is responsible, and he can no more remove himself from blame, when things go wrong, than the people directly implicated.
For what is happening in the school feeding program, one may blame the MMDCEs. One may blame vicious characters like Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and the rest who are out there defending this crappy behaviour, but the fact is that the man who makes it all possible is John Evans Atta Mills.
Even as we are debating the issues with regard to the school feeding program, it is now also emerging that people working in the Office of the President, at the level of the Deputy Chief of Staff, has constituted themselves into a syndicate to deal with suspected stolen cars.
I was very amazed when I heard this piece of news. I had a feeling of déjà vu. It reminded me of something I had heard before. And I wondered, whenever did the job of reviewing stolen cars become the preserve of the office of the Chief of Staff? What happened to Interpol, the Customs, Excise & Preventive Service? What happened to the National Security set-up at Blue Gate, which normally has been responsible for some of these things?
Busybodies like Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, are suddenly in this daylight robbery and thuggery because Professor Atta Mills makes it possible. It is the same way he made it possible for Akufo Addo’s car to be seized and never returned. It is the same way that the vehicles of a number of Ghanaians to be seized.
It is the same way he allowed members of his party across the length and breathe of this country to seize public toilets and car terminals.
It is the same way he allowed the numerous beatings, intimidations and outright murders to take place and the perpetrators to walk scot-free. It is the same way he allowed Akwasi Osei Agyei’s passport to be seized and detained in spite of two court judgments. And it is the same way that he is turning a blind eye even as his party illegally kicks people out of their contracts in order to award them on silver platters to his party functionaries.
It is so, because Atta Mills is a thug.
For a large number of Ghanaians, there is a growing feeling of dismay at the sheer and barefaced employment of brute force and thuggery in official matters. They have witnessed a long list of such rampant abuses orchestrated by the Mills Administration, but the latest abuse in the school feeding program is causing many people to catch their breathe.
They are in shock, and they are asking themselves; is this what we really voted for? For many people, it would be more palatable to blame the underlings of President Professor for the numerous stories of abuses that we are hearing, but I would not be so charitable. I think that I would like to live by the mantra which Professor Atta Mills repeated often times when he was in opposition and running for the presidency that the buck should and would stop with him.
For whatever is happening, the President has the ultimate responsibility. He is responsible, and he can no more remove himself from blame, when things go wrong, than the people directly implicated.
For what is happening in the school feeding program, one may blame the MMDCEs. One may blame vicious characters like Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and the rest who are out there defending this crappy behaviour, but the fact is that the man who makes it all possible is John Evans Atta Mills.
Even as we are debating the issues with regard to the school feeding program, it is now also emerging that people working in the Office of the President, at the level of the Deputy Chief of Staff, has constituted themselves into a syndicate to deal with suspected stolen cars.
I was very amazed when I heard this piece of news. I had a feeling of déjà vu. It reminded me of something I had heard before. And I wondered, whenever did the job of reviewing stolen cars become the preserve of the office of the Chief of Staff? What happened to Interpol, the Customs, Excise & Preventive Service? What happened to the National Security set-up at Blue Gate, which normally has been responsible for some of these things?
Busybodies like Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, are suddenly in this daylight robbery and thuggery because Professor Atta Mills makes it possible. It is the same way he made it possible for Akufo Addo’s car to be seized and never returned. It is the same way that the vehicles of a number of Ghanaians to be seized.
It is the same way he allowed members of his party across the length and breathe of this country to seize public toilets and car terminals.
It is the same way he allowed the numerous beatings, intimidations and outright murders to take place and the perpetrators to walk scot-free. It is the same way he allowed Akwasi Osei Agyei’s passport to be seized and detained in spite of two court judgments. And it is the same way that he is turning a blind eye even as his party illegally kicks people out of their contracts in order to award them on silver platters to his party functionaries.
It is so, because Atta Mills is a thug.