Ghana – the month of July that was

These days when you visit Ghana and especially Accra in particular, you might be mistaken to think that you are in the slums of Calcutta. Accra is so filthy, disorganised and congested. Filth everywhere - used rubber bags, ghosts of used electrical items, human excreta and oh kenkey wrappers. There is even discarded yoghurt, fan ice cream cartons. To add salt to injury houses that used to spot nice paintings are now uglingly painted red or yellow to show the colours of the various phone companies. You are either Zain, Vodafone or something. The roads are so poor and dusty. That is one side of Accra. When I asked the question where the ministers of state drive through to go to work, I was told since the election last year they have all moved to the posh airport residential, spintex road and ridge areas. These posh areas are so pricey that some are even alleged to have torched their own old houses just to rebuild mansions to fit the scenery (oops, sorry Azorka boys). They all drive 4 x 4 expensive vehicles, so they are immune to the destructive pot holes and dusty roads. Hopefully they will all get seized one day then we will all be back to square 99.

This squarely brings me to the subject of my article, the month of July. A lot happened that month. The first was the unwise decision by Nana Konadu to give a less than convincing radio interview where she revealed so many bed room secrets. Something a 20 year old newlywed in the village of Kofabra will not do. First she claimed they had nowhere to live, not even the Novotel hotel. That the fire tenders that arrived that day were nearly empty so she was asked to provide the water which the fire service personnel used to put out the fire (was it because like Nana Dankwah they also believed that the fire was deliberately started by someone in the house say JJ as alleged – but how could JJ torch his own house when he was alleged to be in Sigakope at the time). Then she even went further to say that since that fire incident she has been forced to leave at her mother’s house and her husband somewhere in the Volta lake. She appeared desperate in her interview and believe it or not the radio stations pounced on her naitivity. The commentators likened her ordeal to that relationship between a pen drive and the main computer. The two items need each other that you cannot stick banana into the pen slot without causing damage. The stations appear to surmise that she was desperately missing something but failed to describe what it is was she was missing and this is where my Kofabra babe comes into the picture. Now when a house is destroyed by whatever, a married couple will follow each other to wherever even if they have to lodge in a cave. It happens in Nima, Bantama and sakasaka, where couples lodge in market stalls etc all the time. Many people have had the NDC government bulldozed their expensive houses in recent times. Where do we think these people go to sleep or perch? Or better still why didn’t both man and wife double up at the in-laws house? That President Mills is where he is today not because of the Azorka boys or Samuel King Solomon Justice Okatakyie Okasabebre Ablakwa but her husband JJ. Oh but someone has to help somebody to get somewhere even President Obama. What about those who helped JJ to be where he is today? My sister, Nana you could have done better.

The other interesting story was Kofi Adams, Alhaji Bature and somebody from the Democrat newspaper alleging that K. Pratt could not be trusted because he betrayed JJ, Kojo Tsikata and Kwaku Baako by playing the role of the konkonsa agent. Something like a virus or an STD among the lot. That Kwesi will go here talk, then go there and then talk and then blah blah blah until none of the parties know what each person has particularly said about the other yet angry with each other. This one individual in particular (cannot remember his name because Ghana now has too many “empty” big people that I can hardly remember their names. In the olden days it was so easy to remember the names of all the big people – Limmann, JB DRocha, RR Amponsah, AA Afrifa, Roger Felli, Justice Afreh, Gen Akuffo, Gen Acheampong, Azumah Nelson, Kuku Dadzie etc) alleged that K. Pratt was a show man who provoked a situation by causing his insight newspaper photographer to go and take pictures of the Rawlingses posh house at Egyigorano (am I right?) in order to embarrass the former first couple. He had also done a konkonsa between JJ and KT which nearly upset the security of the state and the more serious charge of betraying K. Baako when the two were locked up at the Nsawam prisons during the useless revolutionary days. He urged the host of the programme to put all the allegations to K. Pratt in a phone call. He challenged that Kwesi will never pick up his phone because he was scared. Actually I admired K. Pratt for his immediate response when he was called (even though I hate the rubbish he spews out every now and then) on the programme. Some of his answers were emphatic and convincing. For instance he claimed he was tortured by the PNDC and harassed by the NDC yet he supported some of their actions when they were in opposition, as if to say that he was a man of principle. Then interestingly he added that Former President Kuffour was his best mate. Kuffour will call and ask him every day whether he has eaten and if he hasn’t he will invite him for meals at hmmm Adeabeba chop bar near the STC yard, yet he still went and took a picture of hotel de wawa. He strongly defended his consistent criticisms of all past governments especially with regards to the fuel price increases and said he had no pay masters as was being alleged. But Kwesi the question that I need answers to is why a million people will accuse you of being a Konkonsa agent? Where do you get your money from? Because you have never done any proper job and if it is the payment for the entire demo you have been organising please show me the way so that I can become somebody like President Mills. Anyway I do not want any grace and favour from anyone just in case their wives and granddaughters broadcast it to the world. I will rather succeed in life through my own sweat. I do not want to steal from the state of Ghana and its people (the poor farmers, fishermen, miners, teachers, kenkey sellers, prostitutes etc) who toil day and night to keep the country going to fund my lifestyle and that of my family abroad.

Then there was the Kosmos – Exxon Mobil oil deal saga. In an advanced country like the USA, UK and even Russia, you would expect the more mature and sensible politicians to speak on big issues as this one. Prime minister Putin will definitely be on this one and if Ablakwa was in Russia he will not even be allowed near a public telephone booth let alone a radio station. Oh no not in Ghana. The substantive minister for information never said a word, the energy minister was quiet. Even the president went limb. It was as if Okudzeto Ablakwa was the head of state and master of all matters. He was spewing out revolutionary words which JJ would even hesitate to use. Where are our elders or has it now come to this Oman Ghana. Where are the men and who are the boys?

Then there was one Kofi Wayo calling all our MPs criminals. If it was in the revolution days he would have disappeared overnight. Please bring back some of the revolution grits not all of it because Ghana is descending into a lawless place. In the USA and UK there are millionaires who are far richer than the members of the senate or parliament but they never mouth off the members of the legislature. As it is nothing happened to Mr. Wayo and the rest is history. Is parliament losing its venom? Even I hear they are now being accused of being homos, the twisted, defiant, non-creative and self assumed behavior termed sexuality and nothing is being done about it. God forbid that we have homos in our parliament for it will not be long before we have the first homo chief, queen mother then Ghana will be finished. What about the council of state?

The last issue which really troubled my heart was the attitude of the MTU (Motor Traffic unit of the Ghana Police force). I understand the IGP is doing some serious work to reform the service but believe me it is just scratching the surface of the problem. The Accra – Kumasi road is now the Mecca of all bribe taking on the roads. On any day you can encounter about five to six police units all doing the same thing – checking driver’s documents and taking huge and small bribes in the process. Folks these guys are a big disgrace to our nation and I will urge the IGP to immediately disband that unit. The Kumasi Abuakwa – Nkawie road is another haven, gold mine for these MTU rogues. That is why the soldiers whipped them mercilessly at Sofoline in Kumasi. These days it is the Chief Inspectors who collect the one cedi bribery notes not the junior ranks. The last time I was in a taxi which was stopped by one of these maggots. The driver had all the necessary papers but was still asked to pay in broad day light. When he said he only had a five cedi note, the policemen asked him to produce it after which he gave the driver change in one cedi notes and then proceeded to take his share of one cedi. I asked why this behaviour and the answer was that even the IGP collects bribes which I know is not true. My humble prayers - Father Almighty if you are still watching what is going on in Ghana please send your spirit of truthfulness, selfless duty, honesty, leadership, vision and oh if there are any special equipment for cleaning our towns and cities or managers who can do it please do us that favour too. We need your presence father because most of our religious leaders have since given up the spirit of truth and gone for the softer option of acquiring extra powers against each other leaving them little room to preach against the ills in our society. I pray for our president. They say he is too slow and it is coming to 4 years and nothing appears to have changed. Actually when I visited Ghana in 2000 a trip of sand was 400 old Ghana cedis now it is 900 cedis yet they say inflation has come down to where I do not know. Please give our economist the sense to collect, analyse and interpret the data correctly otherwise people outside Ghana will think all is well and will not send us aid, especially the Chinese. God touch the heart of Dr. Aidoo the NDC foul mouthed fire brand. Lord as far as I am aware he has never used his doctorate to do any profitable work not even preaching your word. Now the Asondwehene has elevated him he is attacking your followers on the radio, in the newspaper, on TV and even in his bedroom. Lord let the Azorka boys torch his house so that he will know you are the true God, let him speak the weirdest of tongues in order to draw crowds to your word. Lord he is beginning to behave like Paul even though he is called Tony. Lord change his name and that of Gblovo who is threatening to seize all lands in Accra, Tamale and Kumasi. Will he seize the government land taken by people like Tsatsu Tsikata at Sakumono, Tema, Spintex Road, Ofankor and others. Finally Lord grant Nana Konadu’s wishes so she and her husband can live and sleep in the same room. I also pray for Ablakwa. The tongue you said is like a sharp knife, hold his tongue in check. This I ask in Jesus name Amen.

Source: Alan Joe