Ladies And Gentlemen, And Now: “The Karbo-Ganda” Tape!

Indeed, this is the era of secret tapes. The history of the political arena of the fourth republic of Ghana will be incompletely written if a full chapter is not devoted to secret tapes and their earth quaking impact they’ve had on the fortunes of our leading politicians.

For me, till date, the “Haruna Esseku” tape and the reaction from the victim always makes my morning so fine. “Big boss, who send you?” is the first thing that goes through my mind.

But in the run up to this December 7, elections, two seriously, booming tapes have popped up: what is now known as the “Yaw Boateng Gyan” tape and the “Anthony Karbo” tape. In both tapes, we hear the voice of these guys planning various ways of causing fear, panic and general instability in the run-up to the December election, and on the d-day.

Two striking differences exist here though. In the case of the Yaw Boateng Gyan tape, the NDC National Organiser and Presidential Staffer has come out o admit it’s his voice. Despite the rather scary and diabolical plans to contemptuously trample on the rights of the good people of Ghana as contained in the tape, the National Security Coordinator, Lt. Gbevlo Lartey, says it’s not worth investigating. In the case of the Anthony Karbo tape, the former National Youth Organizer has come out to vehemently deny it. In his case, The Deputy Minister of Interior, Kobby Acheampong, after a long while of silence decides he has something to say: he threatens a “hell and brim stone” investigation into the matter, swearing on his life to come out with a guilty verdict on the able political youth leader.

So where do we go from there?

I congratulate the NPP and its Director of Communications, Nana Akomea for the politically matured and responsible media response they have issued on what is now known as the “Karbo-ganda” tape. Among other things, Nana Akomea, in admitting to the similarity of the voice to Anthony Karbo, recognizes the denial of its content by the former National Youth Organizer as well as the existence of modern technology to imitate voices. He does not end there. He goes further to assure the good people of Ghana, that the NPP as a responsible corporate institution, will look into the matter and will also corporate in any fair investigations.

So what else is there?

Should we not charge our institutions of state and trust that that they will deliver? Should that not be it? At least for now; while we go back to assess the performance of the NDC government and question what they have done with over GH?24billion of our monies in 3 years?

I’d rather investigate the whereabouts of the over one thousand, seven hundred (1700) eradicated phantom schools under trees. I would rather investigate the number of beneficiaries of the over 3 million school uniforms. The NHIS is going down, and the cash and carry is coming back. More Ghanaians are falling ill as per the head of the NHIS himself. Let’s not forget the hundreds of thousands of our youth who are dumped onto the streets because they cannot afford to pay school fees. Yet it seems our president, H.E. Johnny Spare Tyre is oblivious to all these problems. No wonder he is calling on us to twist our jaws and shout “edey beee k3k3”.

It is interesting, the source of this “Karbo-ganda” tape. No other, than Research and Advocacy Platform, a propaganda Think-Tank headed by Felix Kwakye-Ofosu and affiliated to the NDC. The body is popular for its penchant in issuing press releases laden with “rubbish” and organizing “solitious” press conferences solely meant to shift the agenda away from matters of national interest, using tools of propaganda.

It is also not in the least surprising that Karbo, a former students’ leader and now NPP parliamentary candidate for Lawra has now become the target of the babies with sharp teeth. It is a common ploy by the NDC to indulge in equalization and victimization, whenever leading members of the NPP make them uncomfortable. Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, the NPP presidential candidate himself, Nana Akufo-Addo, and former President Kufuor have at one time or the other been victims of the NDC propaganda machinery. Anthony Karbo is on record to have in recent times descended heavily on President Mahama and the NDC government, exposing their ruthless corrupt practices, the latest being the sacrifice of pension funds to defray the debts of the President’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama. Even senior NDC officials have since times past suffered similar fates of attempted character execution at the hands of the propaganda machinery of the NDC. Martin Amidu, Kofi Adams, Dr. Josiah Aryee, and Dr. Obed Asamoah have all been victims of one form of character assassination or another.

We should not allow ourselves to be drawn into a “Karbo-ganda” agenda by the NDC, just to equalize the very damaging Yaw Boateng Gyan tape which only exposes the NDC as a political institution which wins elections not on the basis of its performance in government, but rather by devising and executing deeds that will create the conducive platform for rigging and violence. We know about the questionable armed robbery attacks that some leading NPP officials, again, including Anthony Karbo have experienced, all with the intention of cowing Ghana into submission.

Fellow Ghanaians, careful we should be about the corrupt propaganda contractors who crowd in corners with cases of Cedis, crafting and executing concepts meant to cause political confusion among the common citizens. Diluting the political atmosphere with cheap propaganda tapes churned in propaganda kitchens and cubicles should not be coped with in this country.

Adieus to this kind of “Karbo-ganda” rubbish. Welcome back, “Real Issues of National Interest”.

GHANA DESERVES BETTER!

YAW P. K. MANU