According to a story posted on the General News of Thursday, 3 July 2008 on Ghanaweb by the GNA from Bonwire (Ash), Dr. Nicholas Westcott, British High Commissioner to Ghana, has promised that his country would continue to partner Ghana in her socio-economic endeavours to enhance the standard of living of its people.
The story went on to state that Dr. Westcott’s declarations at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Bonwire in the Ejisu/Juaben Municipality of Ashanti was based on the astonishing premise that Ghana had over the years upheld the rule of law, respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry and also deepened democracy through good governance. We find this premise astonishing.
Dr Nicolas Westcott, in whose words we have absolutely no trust, because the British High Commission was behind the anti-CPP coup of 1966 “commended leaders of Ghana for putting in place proactive economic policies for the accelerated development of the nation and challenged them to aspire for greater heights to help achieve a middle income status in the near future.”
Yet when Vodafone, a British Company, went ahead to acquire Ghana Telecom on terms, conditions and in circumstances that the British Government in the UK would never allow any of its own privatised industries to have been acquired, the British High Commission failed to act in tune with the same principle of promised partnership.
The promotion of British interests through the illegitimate, improper but legal Vodafone Acquisition of Ghana Telecom is not our understanding of partnership that Dr. Nicholas Westcott asserted at that durbar. It undermines it.
We therefore call on Ghanaians to be wary of the British High Commission who are past masters at running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.
We also call on the British High Commission with loaded interests in our human and physical resources to stop making duplicitous and deceptive declarations of partnerships and development assistance throughout our land.
Kwami Agbodza
