Kweku Baako punches holes in Sam Jonah’s controversial speech

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Cheif of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, has identified gaps in the argument postulated by Sir Sam Jonah in his famous “Down the up escalator – Reflections on Ghana’s future by a senior citizen” speech.

Sir Sam Jonah, in this speech which was delivered at a Rotary Club event, raised a number of issues with the country including a seeming culture of silence, the fast-rise of the public debt, among others.

On the public debt, Sam Jonah said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the inevitable conclusion from all of this is that the sustainability of our current sources of revenue is under threat. We are borrowing huge sums of money for our children and grandchildren to pay yet we are not seeing realistic strategies that assure us of our capacity to pay back. How are the 30-year, 40-year bonds going to be paid?”

On the culture of silence, he said, “I am afraid that unless there are clear plans to ensure that the economy creates jobs, reduces poverty and improves upon the quality of life of the average Ghanaian, a sense of hopelessness and helplessness will be the lot of our children and grandchildren. The debt will suffocate them. This is what concerns me.

Sam Jonah noted the media "appears to me that the culture of silence has returned. This time not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy and lack of conviction. Where are our Adu Boahens and PV ANSAHs?”

But speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Programme on, Baako dissented to some of the claims made by Sam Jonah.

Baako on some key issues raised by Sir Sam Jonah regarding the powers of the president, the invasion of parliament by some armed military officers and the perception of the culture of silence.

He said, “That school of thought that the executive wields too much power has been a long-standing view some people have. A lot of the CSO have been saying that and it came up during the Constitutional Review Committee. I’m for [the] executive presidency. It’s a long-standing debate and I don’t worried when it comes up but I still think that what we have now is fit for purpose I don’t think we can make any serious amendment that will change the power for the executive."

Kweku Baako continued: “I condemned the intrusion of military personnel into the chamber of parliament but Uncle Sam proceeds to say that it is the greatest assault since 1992 and then he makes the point that there have been no investigation or nothing at all is happening. I disagree with that. All those issues were raised during the vetting of the Defence and National Security Ministers and they said that the military had begun an investigation into the matter. So I disagree with anyone who says nothing is happening.

“Culture of silence, there’s none of that here. We have infractions and violations of media freedom which is a fact. We’ve had serious challenges with expressions of free speech in this country but we are long gone past the days of culture of silence.”