I could not believe my ears when I heard Nana Ohene Ntow, the embattled chief scribe of the opposition New Patriotic Party, go to town late Wednesday encouraging members of his party especially the former government functionaries, to refuse honouring “friendly courtesies” extended to them by the constitutionally backed Bureau of National Investigations.
What I found amazing was his party’s quick reference to the actions of the BNI as “tantamount to witch-hunting”! Quiet a joke, isn’t it?
Maybe Nana Ohene Ntow needed a refresh of his “defeated” memory! I recall, the day Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata was arrested at church, this same Nana Ohene Ntow, was on Joyfm leaning unflinching support to the swoop on Mr. Tsikata and stated clearly that the arrest of Mr. Tsikata was justified and that he needed to account to the taxpayer on his “misapplication” of public funds by the former. And all along his trial of Mr. Tsikata, Nana Ohene Ntow continuously supported his government’s pursuance of this matter that finally landed Mr. Tsikata in jail. Again this same Ohene Ntow, was all out for the prosecution of Mrs Konadu Rawlings and Madam Sherry Ayitey for the Carridem saga.
Today, Nana Ohene Ntow happens to sit in the opposite seat to the ruling government and he is crying foul because a former Minister who has the same rights and privileges as the tomato seller in Kantamanto, had been prevented from leaving the shores of Ghana in order to honour an invitation of which all indications showed that he (Asamoah Boating) saw coming sooner than expected?
Again, was Nana Ohene Ntow telling Ghanaians that anytime the police, the BNI or even the Interpol extends similar “friendly courtesies’ to any Ghanaian or foreigner to assist in unraveling some mysteries surrounding certain transactions under any government, that person should turn down all forms of invitation save written ones only? What kind of “property-owning” illogical philosophy is this one?
It is only a technologically sterile entity of political party like the NPP trumpets the infantile assertion as Nana ohene Ntow sought to do on that fateful Wednesday just like what his failed presidential candidate sought did a month ago. In this modern world of high-tech, high-speed transactions when at the click of a button, contracts are entered into, proposals are sealed, permissions are sought, bilateral and multilateral agreements are concluded, invitations sent and even cyber-crimes committed, the NPP still lives in the times that only paid up messengers should be sent to deliver urgent messages on elephant back? This is most unthinkable and I hope the earlier the leadership of the party whipped these irate comments by elements like Nana Ohene Ntow in line, the better for the future of the NPP.
The Boatengs did the honourable thing by presenting themselves to the BNI though he threatened non-compliance minutes before he sneaked into the BNI installation. I presume Mr. Boateng had indeed thought dispassionately through his actions and comments on air seriously and advised himself that the earlier he complied with the BNI, the better for all of us.
What at all did Nana Ohene Ntow mean when he said “Nana Addo’s comments perhaps received the biggest reinforcement on Wednesday when the youth of the Mfantseman West constituency threatened mayhem if the president fails to ensure that the BNI follows due process in handling the former officials of the NPP”? It is a direct support for their paid up youth groups like AFAG and their incredible leadership to create panic, mayhem and stoke violence in the country to feed into that myopic insecurity ghost that chases only the NPP in today’s Ghana. What a facade!
I sympathize with Nana Ohene Ntow. The man is a frustrated scribe of his party. It is obvious he loves his job. It is also obvious he wants to keep the job in spite of the obvious incompetence he had demonstrated in thoughts, words and actions. It is also obvious that they are working too hard to be seen as a credible opposition in raising the political temperature of the country as against the impending Obama visit. It is only unfortunate that the NPP and its functionaries would stoop so low in playing this comic circus they tag press conferences to trumpet their steep sided understanding of issues of accountability and probity.
My generous advice to Nana Ohene Ntow and his NPP is that they should be in tune with recent trends in technology. It is widely acceptable that transactions via the internet, mobile phones, hand-delivered messages and even third-party directives are legal and valid. For Mr. Ohene Ntow to conjecture that the BNI will play to this dangerous circus of theirs and grant them this fantasy will forever remain a figment of their ‘property-owning’ imagination.
Again for Nana Ohne Ntow and the NPP to say that only a court order can invite them for inquisitions, it’s a direct undermining of our traditional values where chiefs use Linguits, messengers and even drunkard town-criers to deliver their messages and invite persons to their palaces without a court order to participate in, and answer mind-boggling questions of mutual concerns.
Nana Ohene Ntow, wake up, yours is a mere circus!!!
Felix Mawulolo Amegashie lix_mawulolo@yahoo.com
