These Raging Political Pronouncements

Since time immemorial, our forefathers told us that, the human mouth that consumes SALT and PEPPER should NEVER be INVOKED for the fun of it.

However, political pronouncements made by politicians on political platforms, either end up GOOD or BAD like fire, which keeps on raging and follow who ever pronounced it right to the grave.

Many politicians have been saved or RESCUED and have their political fate completely reversed by a single positive political statement made by them, others have been DOOMED forever by a fatal political pronouncement that SLIPPED from their mouths. History is replete with most of these political pronouncements which have either catapulted the maker to political fame and grandeur or has damaged the maker for good.

During Ghana’s struggle for independence, stewards of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) before Dr. Kwame Nkrumah came to the political landscape, the slogan was “INDEPENDENC IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME”. What ever this strange and incomprehensible political slogan meant, (because how SHORT was the shortest possible time), remained un-achievable by the leaders of the UGCC who were dancing Adowa around the office of the colonial governor until Osagefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah stormed the political scene. He replaced that strange political statement with “SELF GOVERNMENT NOW” through “POSITIVE ACTION”. Whereas the former political slogan of the UGCC leaders lacked the motivational spirit to attain the Golden Fleece, the later slogan WHIPPED in the youth the zeal and motivation to attain the desired goal, no matter the odds. No doubt political independence was attained on the shoulders of that SINGLE political statement by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who demanded SELF GOVERNMENT NOW, through POSITIVE ACTION. After the violent overthrow of the late Dr. Nkrumah, the National Liberation Council (NLC) military Junta that took over on 24th Feb. 1966, issued the in famous NLC Decree 345 which made it an offence punishable by 5 years imprisonment without the option of a fine, when you are caught with the MERE photograph of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, because they were all scared stiff by Dr. Nkrumah’s popularity, and so, those of us who were in possession of Dr. Nkrumah’s photographs, wisely hid them in side our trunks after the bloody 1966 coup where rivers of blood flowed to the administration of America.

The NLC banned the CPP for 10years and destroyed all the books in his personal library by burning them including very important documents and files on the orders of those bloody coup leaders notably Gen. Kotoka and Brigadier Afirifa all of cursed memories. Dr. Busia, on hearing that his arch political enemy, Dr. Nkrumah was overthrown in a bloody coup, quickly left Oxford and rushed to Accra on 19th March, 1966, less than a month after the coup.

Both the NLC military junta and Dr. Busia’s United Party were conservative and ascribed to the liberal democratic ideas which the NPP represent today 2009.

The NLC immediately set the stage for Dr. Busia to climb the political ladder through the back door by crippling the mighty CPP whose leader had just been overthrown with blood following nationwide for over two weeks. Dr. Busia was appointed chairman of the political committee, and he became the most powerful civilian in the NLC’s government and went on foreign trips on behalf of the government and always accompanied NLC members on such trips. For the UP tradition, which the NPP represent today, they will support every coup that fovours them and that explains why NO NPP member will ever condemn the 1966 coup, claiming that there were detentions without trials but would always forget to mention their numerous bomb outrages that led to the Preventive Detention Bill being passed into law in parliament which Dr. Nkrumah signed, the law was known as the Preventive Detention Act.

Mock elections were therefore conducted in 1969 and of course, it was a forgone conclusion that Dr. Busia’s Progress Party MUST WIN and Dr. Busia was the winner having campaigned against his own shadow with a highly intimidated and very weak opposition in 1969. Here was somebody who wanted the NLC to hand over to him without conducting general elections, but the NLC refused; despite their refusal, Lt. Arthur, Lt. Yeboah and Lt. Osei Opoku on April 17th 1966 staged an abortive coup which led to the killing of the 24th Feb. 1966 coup leader, Gen. Kotoka whose statute still stands tall at Ghana’s international Airport in Accra. No sooner did Dr. Busia become Ghana’s second Prime Minister than he was quickly overthrown by the VERYMAN on whom Dr. Busia’s Progress Party. Government was relying to deal with ANY COUP THREAT, was RATHER the very person behind the same coup threat which made him the Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council (NRC) which Redeemed NOBODY any way. You play with the military; you will smell pepper. Dr. Busia’s attempt to RE-STRUCTURE a parliamentary democratic system created many problems for his Progress Party government like the infamous “No court, No court” declaration when Mr. Sallah took his government to court for the illegal dismissal of 568 civil and public servants perceived to be supporters of Dr. Nkrumah’s CPP and won the case against Dr. Busia’s government and Busia refused to re-instate them. Dr. Busia’s fascist dissolution of the Trades Union Congress (T.U.C) and the appointment of its secretary instead of an election also created problems for the timely overthrow of his government by the military on 13th January, 1972. He never re-instated the 568 civil and public servants until his cool overthrow – just like Ex-Prez. Kufuor’s refusal to re-instated Mr. Hondari Okai formally of the Ghana Immigration Service whom a law court ordered the then NPP government to re-instate but they flatly refused for 8years until the NDC won the elections, democrats, indeed. As the nation grew in our post colonial era, another ambitious and handsome politician also emerged on the political scene called Victor Owusu. He was a very brilliant self confident lawyer who thought he was born to win the general elections and rule this country in a “one touch” victory just like Nana Akuffo Addo who recently lost the general elections to the NDC in 2009, Mr. Victor Owusu also lost the same general elections to Dr. Hilla Liman in 1979. The Present New Patriotic Party (NPP) emerged from Victor Owusu’s Popular Front Party (PFP). Mr. Victor Owusu was a self-destroyed politician who got his political career permanently destroyed by a single foul mouthed ethno-centric statement he made that “Ewes are inward looking people and that if an Ewe becomes the Head of an institution, department or a company, 80% of he employees would be Ewes “I am writing all these historical facts about foul mouthed politicians whose pronouncements on political platforms can either MAKE or UNMAKE them. No matter the intention behind the late Victor Owusu’s statement, and no matter the thousand and one times rationalization that ensued after words even though he later apologized to the clients by killing a cow, Victor Owusu got his political ambition shattered by this single statement because the bottom line is that most Ewes belive that they are NOT respected by the Ashantis and that was the main reason why the late Victor Owusu had the impudence to insult them in that way. Believe me, this self confident self-assertive, fine character was reduced forever and he went into oblivion.

He never succeeded in convincing well meaning Ghanaians and Ewes in particular, the reason behind that nasty statement until he died some years ago.

On June 41979, F/L – LT. Jeremiah John Rawlings was rescued from obscurity by a single fearless and courageous political pronouncement he made not on a political platform, but at a military Tribunal, because he was being court martialled for the May 15th 1979 abortive mutiny. He was being tried alongside his co-conspirators for subversion and then he dropped some magical words from his mouth by saying that “LEAVES MY MEN ALONE, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY THING.”In other words, he was prepared to face the consequences of their action completely ALONE; and this courageous statement was enough to transform the hither to unknown Flight Lt. into a NATIONAL HERO amongst his peers in the military barracks, because he became a HERO worth dying and scarifying for. Now, Rawlings has succeeded-what about his CADRES in the United Cadres Front? It was therefore not surprising that his colleagues in the army rightly RESCUED him from custody on the eve he was supposed to be sentenced to death by firing squad for daring to challenge some TOP MILITARY OFFICERS WHO WERE MILKING THE NATION DRY BUT PORTECTED themselves with sophisticated modern weapons in June, 1979.

Today, Rawlings is a world President in his own right, he has risen to fame and glory, he has international connections, and he is a bit wealthy BUT HIS ONLY PROBLEM BEFORE HE DIES ONE DAY IS HIS REFUSAL TO RE-SETTLE his former FOOT SOLDERS ie. THE CADRES of the June 4 and 31st December REVOLUTIONS, most of them including this writer are being ISOLATED by some destructive stomach politicians in the NDC, won’t you also RESCUE US we beg to ask? When Professor Atta Mills then Presidential Candidate on the ticket of the NDC, stated at HO in 2000 at the party’s congress thus “Mr. President, I am going to consult you twenty four hours when I assume the Presidency, he has not yet recovered from that sincere political pronouncement he made at Ho when J.J Rawlings made the Professor his heir apparent because of his honesty and patriotism as a former tax commissioner before he became the then vice President. Examples of the potency of political statements are more intriguing in Ghana than in America, Canada, Britain or Italy. When the late Prof. Adu Boahen, the former NPP flag bearer in 1992 launched an ethno-centric political slogan to wit “yegye ye mann”, “Akonta be si fam” – we would claim our country, our brother – in law will step down” Did he not lost the 1992 elections miserably and wrote a criminal publication entitled “the stolen verdict” and even boycotted the parliamentary elections? You will claim your country, I mean form whom? Is Ghana the property of only Akans at a time we have over 50 ethnic groups in this country?

After becoming Ghana’s President on Jan, 7th 2001, then President J.A.Kufuor made a damaging political pronouncement that when you ascend the Presidency in Ghana, people always rush with monies from all sides and corners to give to you adding that such monies were coming to him, Waa! Waa! Waa! Waa!

However, on June 4th 2001, Jerry John Rawlings the NDC founder, also replied Mr. Kufour and his NPP gov’t that the main reason that brought about the June 4th Uprising in 1979 was corruption, adding that the NPP government was busy introducing the very ingredients that brought about that Uprising and if that would continue, there will be an explosion that would sound “Boom” and Rawlings was nick named Dr. Boom by his political opponents. Therefore, our politicians MUST weigh their words before they open their mouths on political platforms because Ghanaians are very discerning and wide awake. Today, former ministers of Kufour’s NPP government are being invited daily by the BNI and they are crying foul complaining of political vendetta, harassments witch huntings, intimidations, persecutions and what have you –whose fault is it? Nobody but their own past President who ruled Ghana as if it was his father’s cocoa farm. Has the former NPP ministers forgotten too soon about what they did to Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, Mrs. Naadu Mills, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings who spent 8years going to and from their Fast Track Court as well as Sherry Ayitey ONLY TO BE PARDONED by Ex – Prez.Kufour when the NPP lost the 2008 elections – what about Hon. E.T. Mensah, Kwame Peprah, Sipa Yankey, Hon. Dan Abodakpi, Victor Selormy who died in the Nsawam prisons etc Ex-Prez. Rawlings was even invited to the BNI and he did NOT refuse to go but reported himself to them. Who are the former NPP ministers that would refuse to report to the BNI? They claim to have balls in between their legs, they should refuse to report when invited by the BNI and we all see. How many official letters were written to the above mentioned NDC former ministers and leaders before being hauled to the BNI under Kufour’s presidency? Truly speaking, every cut throat fears to lie flat on his back. It seems Ghanaians have SHORT MEMORIES that is the main reason why I have written this article for the benefit of Ghanaian youth because we lived under the RULE OF MEN in the NPP regime 2001 – 2008. We are now living under the RULE OF LAW in Pro. Atta Mills administration – our president is very learned and God fearing that is why former NPP ministers and their Party gurus are still making noise like hungry birds. These NPP ministers and their former President refused to be NICE to SOME Ghanaians on their way up but they are meeting the same Ghanaians they NEVER respected on their disgraceful way down, may be in handcuffs sooner or later.

After over eating the national cake with their relatives, girl friends and cronies, without thinking of the masses including this writer, do they really need our sympathy during their ordeal? The answer is a BIG NO because we are members of the Very Ordinary Persons (VOP) group so the BNI have no time for us because we were poor and are still poor in our pockets but happy in life because we knew and still know very well that those who stole the people’s monies would have to vomit them out, and they would have NO WHERE TO HIDE. Ghanaian’s from both sides of the political divide should NOT BE SURPRISED when we get up one day to hear that those heartless Angles of Democracy in the NPP who ruled this country as if it was their fathers’ large cocoa farm are hand cuffed to the Nsawam prisons by the very people the NPP described as “Sasa bonsam”, demons, thieves, dictators and what have you – but whom have been ordained by the Almighty God to take over and rule Ghana with Professor Mills as the President with his BETTER GHANA AGENDA. The Professor will SURELY SUCCEED because the beginning of everything is very hard. The Professor has passed through the MILL for over 25 years in the academia that is why he is called Mills and he will surely deliver Ghanaians from poverty.

I shall be back later

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