The Golden Age Of Tape Recording ...

...Said By Kwame Sefa Of Peace FM.

It is abundantly clear that Global trends are now being felt in almost every country on this planet. Elections these days are largely won on scandals and strangely not on the performance of governments or alternative good policies from opposing parties. Gradually we are heading towards a scenario where a Party is elected into government, not based on it’s good policies with its inherent solid economic weapons but a feeble mistake from a party in government could cause a defect.

So many governments in the world have lately lost power primarily on the bases of scandals. The unpredictable nature of modern elections had forced both government and opposition parties finding ways to either retain power or win power. In their quest to win, parties are exploring the use of tape recording to make their opponent unpopular.

Today’s technology gives the media powerful new tools for intrusion into private lives, conversations are easily recorded surreptitiously. Generally speaking, you have little or no right of privacy from the media if you are in a public place.

In 1974 President Nixon of the United States of America was humiliated to resign when he was caught using a device to tap into other people’s territory. Linda Tripp a former white house employee whose recorded conversations with Monica Lewinsky triggered an impeachment process against President Clinton, which nearly destroyed him.

Hungry (Budapest), the Government was in turmoil when the Prime Minister was caught in a tape recording as saying that his Government had been lying to the Hungarians people day and night about the economy. His government may well be performing but a frank speech to a group of perceived party trusted members had been ceased upon by the opposition to unsettle his government.

President Lula d’Silva of Brazil largely failed to win outright first round election last month forcing an unnecessary second round later this month (29th October) partly due to his campaign team -sacked though- being caught in a recorded conversation trying to prepare a diabolical dossier to unsettle their opponent. Many Brazilians have hailed President Silva, especially the ordinary Brazilian but a tape recording caused division amongst the electorate forcing his party into a tough second round of election, it is likely that Mr. Silva will win the second round though.

Poland’s coalition government under Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski had had one of his top officials caught on tape recording in which he tried to use unorthodox means to lure a leading opposition member to the government thinking by offering this opposition politician a top job, although Poland economy according to reports is doing well compare to others, this exposure of an unorthodox means of “ stealing” another party’s top member has rocked Mr. Kaczynski government to the extend that only time will tell if his government can survive in the midst of calls for him to resign.

Now back to the main issue, Ghana has also witnessed some Politicians being caught on tape, which has caused their jobs or brought their names into public rediclue. We have heard the Rawlings tape, which to a very good reason affected his reputation. Dr.Josiah Aryee –Former General Secretary for the NDC- untimely lost his position because he was caught on a tape conversation exposing his own party dealings and strategies. Not only did it affect his reputation by bringing him down but always eroded the sympathy some Ghanaians have for the NDC.

Mr. Haruna Esserku-Former National Chairman of the NPP-became a victim to this tape recording business. Although, I think he did the best he can for the party at the Head Office, time was ripe for him to have given way to a fresh person but the tape recording pushed him down fast which was very unfortunate for him to have gone that way.

Quite recently a judge was also suspended when he was exposed in a secretly recorded conversation by which in the presence of a journalist turned family member, he the Judge promised the family to deal kindly with the suspected drug baron on condition of parting with money. These disgraceful actions by this judge not only will it affect his job but all his family members are likely to be scorn upon by the public.

Then came the mother of all tapes that brought the Nation into her knees the so-called ASP Kofi Boakye tape.

Sadly instead of Journalists and Social commentators educating Ghanaians on the dangers of Drugs to the Nation and discussing issues that will help alleviate the poverty level of Ghanaians, they have for days made ASP Kofi Boakye know no peace. This Gentleman, according to many Ghanaians was doing a great job but when someone wickedly decided to tape him, his job cum his name had badly been damaged. I am not for once claiming that those who do dubious work or abused their office should not be exposed but we cannot destroy a finest policeman on the premise of tape recording. All over the world malfeasances of public officials have been exposed without resorting to secretly recording the individual. Today not only is ASP Kofi suffering, but both the Inspector General Of Police, and worryingly the Ashanti Kingdom and many others have been affected by the comments that followed this tape saga.

As the 2008 general election draw close, which had been dubbed“ life and death” affair by some pundits, though I did not agree with them, the major political parties will fight the 2008 elections fearsly. And with the trend whereby usually governments became unpopular thereby pushing them out of office, the propagandists of the political parties will try the Tape Recording strategy. You may assumed that you are interacting with party trusted members and you may end up disclosing party secrets or candid opinion about your party and the next day the media catapult on it and it would likely bring you or your party down. I find it hard to believe that a mere tape recording is increasingly bringing down governments and personalities, which generally are performing well. A Council of State member open his mouth to give a candid opinion about Mr. Rawlings and naively used words which shouldn’t have been conveyed to Journalists and the next day his name is toasted in our airwaves. I am extremely disappointed that tape recording is gradually polarization the Nation.

After the Offfinso South By-Election, instead of the wining party celebrating and the loser party analysing the results to see where they went wrong and improve on it during the 2008 election, we have engaged in a useless agenda to reconcile President Kufour and Ex. President Rawlings. As far as His Excellency Kufour’s comment at Offinso is concerned the best the President could have done was to have ignore Mr Jerry Rawlings but we got to understand that as human being when you are pushed so hard, you are tempted to react and that is what unfortunately President Kufour did

Any one who witnessed and heard Mr. Rawlings speech at South Bank University (London) will be anxious to dash to the podium and tell him straight in the face that; Mr Rawlings you are rather destroying Ghana than pretending to help build this Nation.

One thing was evident during his speech at the South Bank University Mr. Jerry Rawlings likes Ghana but it seems he does not want the country to progress under the leadership of the NPP.This mindset has permeated through so many members of the NDC and I’m totally convince that they will use all their well rehearsed propaganda machinery to unsettle the NPP. For me it is only the NDC who can explain the reason for their persistent antagonist stand against the NPP government. If on the other hand the NPP is doing anything harmful to the NDC that we Ghanaians are not aware of then the NDC should let Ghanaians know and all of us will condemn such act.

Ghana surely needs the wisdom of some members of the NDC and for sure they will win election in the possible future and all Ghanaians will rely behind them but when there seems to be cynical plot to unseat this government in an unnecessary manner then Ghanaians should be worry.

The hint by a newspaper that the NDC members in Parliament are preparing to ask the President to substantiate his allegation made against the Ex-President Rawlings is commendable but since when did the opposition call on Mr. Rawlings to also provide evidence to back his numerous allegations against this government? As a Nationalist thinker I love to have leading Politicians and Public officials call before the Select Committee of Parliament to back their allegations with paper or concrete evidence but the NDC if they are really planning such an agenda then they should start with the Ex-President.

It had been a worry to many that instead of the policies of the various political parties being discussed we have become a Nation of discussing insults from politicians and always-unnecessary noise on our airwaves. Our traditional teaching taught us how to respect authority but it is painful that some section of the public is always trading insults on individuals.

One thing I fault the NPP is their ineptitude about propaganda and have allowed the NDC to use their superb knowledge in propaganda to penetrate their message. Any one who claims that the Government under President Kufour has not done well may have just arrived from the moon. Though there are lots more to be done. If the NPP does not start to strategise their thinking they face a herculean task ahead.

As a Youth, I’m extremely worried about the impart some of these devilish utterances would have on my fellow colleagues. At times I wonder why some of these politicians are bent on wining power. I strongly believe that there are many ways to serve Ghana and therefore do not need a dubious tape recording to unsettle Government or cause disunity among Opposition Parties. People like Rev.Mensa Otabil. Father Palmer Buckle, Professor Frempong Boateng and many others are contributing immensely to the development of the Nation and have not indulged in insults to make their voices heard.

Timely on the issue of Mr. Rawlings comment, the Military High Commend has assured Ghanaians of their readiness to protect the Nation. Such should be the case, they should protect the NDC when in power, so should they protect the CPP should they also win power. I am increasingly frustrated when I heard people mentioning a likely coup in Ghana. I sincerely believe that these people have no brain, which country on this planet had coup solve her problems, if any thing at all, coups makers have rather worsen the situation than what they proclaimed to repair. I am hoping for the day when Journalists will resolved not to broadcast or publish insults from Politicians, will they? For they want to sell their news.

The soul of GHANA is suffering and politicians and the so-called social commentators should let Ghana have peace.

Ghana is not mortgaged to any one Political Party and the time for this unnecessary loose talk should cease.

LONG LIVE GHANA.