Captain Smart and the Maid of Orleans: Aluta Continua

Oh granted, Owusu Bempah is a paragon of virtue and a saint of our time! all and sundry must applaud him for establishing a correlation between the alleged gift of President Mahama and his brother, Ibrahim to Captain Smart of Adom FM and election 2016.

I am equally curious to know; is there any significant relationship between Owusu Bempah’s intransigent stance against the late president Mills and ex-president Mahama’s governments under the pretext of FONKAR and later NDP and his current position under President Akufo-Addo?

Joan of Arc otherwise known as Maid of Orleans was born in 1412 in the village of Domremy in northern France. She was born during the 100 Years’ War between France and England. England was defeating France and the latter’s hope of victory appeared to be a bootless errand due to a peace treaty concluded in 1420. Per this treaty, Charles of Valois, a crown prince of France lost legitimacy to rule France.

Henry V was therefore crowned a ruler of both England and France. He was succeeded by his son Henry VI in 1422. Under the alliance with French allies led by Phillip of Good, duke of Burgundy (in France), England occupied northern France near Domremy (Joan’s hometown) which compelled the villagers to leave the place.

Joan of Arc who was without any military training told the embattled French crown prince, Charles of Valois that she had received a divine direction from God to lead France to victory. Joan was a devout Catholic.

Joan translated her vision into reality and, in a war that ensued, France inflicted a catastrophic defeat on England and captured city of Orleans under her command. After she assisted in crowning Prince Charles as French monarch: Charles VII, Joan was captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces and accused of witchcraft and heresy. She was burnt at stake in 1431 at the age of 19. Burgundians were French citizens who took solace in the fall of France. They accused Joan of witchcraft for liberating her country.

They also masterminded her death. Today, Joan is celebrated as a Saint in France. Discerning readers can follow this link:

There are a lot of Burgundian spirit Ghanaians who have “a registered oath in heaven” (Abraham Lincoln) to destroy the country. Captain Smart with the spirit of Joan of Arc is attempting to liberate his country and what is Owusu Bempah saying? That he has no locus standing to preach against corruption because he received a gift from President Mahama and his brother?

Owusu Bempah, which moral philosophy posits that individuals alleged to engage in corruption have no moral right to complain about corruption? Why did you wait to accuse the broadcast journalist now as sanctimonious and priggish as you claim to be? Mr. Bempah, you cannot just be trusted: this is a mere character assassination! I suggest to you!

Oh granted, Owusu Bempah is a paragon of virtue and a saint of our time! All and sundry must applaud him for establishing a correlation between the alleged gift of President Mahama and his brother, Ibrahim to Captain Smart of Adom FM and election 2016.

I am equally curious to know; is there any significant relationship between Owusu Bempah’s intransigent stance against the late President Mills and ex-president Mahama’s governments under the pretext of Friends of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (FONKAR) and later National Democratic Party (NDP) and his current position under President Akufo-Addo? What exonerates Owusu Bempah from the fact he is not attacking Captain Smart under the behest of some unscrupulous and unseen cretins in our national discourse? The journalist is acting on Auditor-General’s report and what a hell are you talking about? Some of us are interested in the substance of the issue, not his (Captain Smart) private relationship with ex-President Mahama and his family. Receiving gift is his (Captain Smart’s) personal choice Owusu Bempah has no control over.

Apart from financial misappropriation charges against some officials per age-long Auditor-General’s report, just look at the salaries of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State institutions in a country which struggles to support her own budget. In my article entitled: “President Akufo-Addo and Ghost Names: Observer’s Appraisal, I hinted that “The CEO of COCOBOD takes home GHS 75,102 ($18,096.7), his deputy GHS 42,000 ($10,120) per month. Other monthly salaries are, The Governor of Bank of Ghana: GHS 89,909 ($21,664.8), the CEO of Ghana Revenue Authority: GHS 88,102 ($21,229.3), SSNIT CEO: GHS 76,606 ($18,459.2), CEO of Agricultural Development Bank: GHS 68,707 ($16,555), CEO of National Investment Bank: GHS 65000 ($15662), CEO of Bulk oil storage and transportation company limited: GHS 62,000 ($14,939.7), CEO of TOR:GHS 56,000 ($13,493.9), CEO of Ghana Commercial Bank: GHS 55000 ($13,253.0) and CEO of EOCO: GHS 44909 ($10821.4).” (Source: Nana Yaw Osei, peacefmonline.com May 4, 2017). The author went further to compare the monthly salary of the Governor of South African Reserve Bank with Bank of Ghana’s Governor. The Governor of Bank of Ghana’s monthly pay is $ 21664.8 while his counterpart in Republic of South Africa takes home about $6500 a month. Even the President himself takes home about $7000 a month. In spite of these huge salaries which they retire with, every year Auditor-General’s report indicts them of financial misappropriation and overspending.

Teachers, Police officers, army officers, Prison officers, and nurses after 25 years of serving Ghana receive a pension lumpsum less than one month salary of the CEO of social security and national insurance Trust (SSNIT). How many unemployed youths/graduates could be employed by simply reducing the salaries of the CEOs of public institutions? You may disagree with Captain Smart but he must be commended. Ghana media is now doing fantastic job. Let us correct our systems and give hope for the unborn generation.

Owusu Bempah, Silence is golden. Owusu Bempah: “Boys abr3” “Girls Abr3” your national effusion about Captain Smart is needless! Besides, “Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cocksure of many things that were not so” (Oliver Wendell Holmes Jnr, US Supreme Court Judge).

Suffice it to observe that in the general qualities of rational thinking and justice no Ghanaian is above the other teaming compatriots. Somebody steals a goat and he is condemned into incarceration. Others duped the country millions of dollars and we treat them with kid groves.

There are more jobs to be done in the country. One CEO receives a huge salary that not even F. W Taylor (Father of scientific management), or Henri Fayol will deserve while graduate nurses and teachers are told, there is no money to employ them. Captain Smart must be treated as a liberator.

If he dies today, like John Brown of American history fame, his body will lie a-moldering in the grave but his soul will go marching on! The soul of patriotism and political correctness in Ghanaian national discourse. Captain Smart, Aluta Continua!!!!!!! God Bless Our Homeland Ghana and Make Us Cherish Fearless Honesty.