Armed Forces And Service Commanders, The President Or The constitution?

The president appoints the chiefs and they obey his commands

National constitutions designate one Commander In Chief, CINC the President, or Head of State who appoints the chiefs and they obey his commands. These Generals or their equivalents are like gods in the regimented services.

A General is such that she orders an underling and it has to be obeyed even as the underling knew he was being dispatched to commune with the gods forever. You have been ordered indirectly to go and die for your country, you do it. The song "zombie" by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was dead right on the money albeit an affront to the honourable men and women of the military who have pledged their souls to the service of their countries.

Only General Arnold "Buffalo Soldier" Quainoo, Ghanas former Army head once promised not to give such order when he told Ecomog soldiers "I want to send ten thousand men into the battlefield and bring back ten thousand men," and the soldiers cheered. Good for morale but really misleading. That was in 1990 when Anglophone ECOWAS members mobilized a force to stop the carnage in Liberia

And here is the question, if the President, CINC  gave an order to circumvent the constitution

The disciplined service chain of command has to be maintained at all times with high morale and quality leadership. Throw that chain of command and discipline through the window and you get disorganized and or organized chaos, and dawn broadcasts. A mutiny is the worsts disgrace any commander in the chain of command could face and it is avoided at all cost, sometimes at the cost of human lives.  Service Commanders could also be court marshaled, disgracefully removed and in extreme cases, executed for disobeying an order from their Commander in Chief . This is how important they are are to any democracy.

Having known what the military commanders in Libya, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Yemen Bahrain etc were and are facing today, the question arises.

And  here is the question, if the President, CINC  gave an order to circumvent the constitution, should service commanders obey?  Fair question and it was a focus during the Watergate scandal in the US in the early 70's. The book, Four Stars by Mark Perry which traced the formation of the United States Joint Chiefs Of Staff from General Omar Bradley, the first Chairman to Admiral Crow in 1985 revealed how the service chiefs took offense when it was suggested that President Nixon could ask the military to bail him out instead of leaving office after he was embroiled in that scandal and there was pressure on him to resign.

Should service commanders disobey a direct order from the CINC, the president if it contravened the constitution or is not properly explained in the constitution? What if the order would result in genocide or if the order would seriously destroy their hard earned reputation forever and muddy their military service;  obey or resign?

These questions point to a grey area in governance that show that at the end of the day, conscience, morality; virtue, these are values that become the main guidance in making a decision. Luckily, President Nixon resigned and the Generals were spared a great decision.

None of them has what Ghana has today

This edition of VooDoo Child was taken from an earlier edition published in September 2008 titled  "Showing John Who The Real John Is," http://bit.ly/i3J4A7 after President Rawlings and some ex security chiefs were banned from entering military installation following a meeting with the ex president over unrest in the country. Those Generals made decisions that have helped guide Ghana through turmoil to what we have today. Our neighbours provide perfect examples of misadventure Generals making wrong decision that was largely based on their own survival, riches and power.

Egypt, Yemen, Cote d’Ivore, Togo, Libya, Burkina Faso, Nigeria etc. Name almost all African countries and others largely in the developing world; Pakistan, Haiti, any country in which people cannot criticize the authorities freely without being persecuted. None of them has what Ghana has today, stronger freedom of association, freedom of the press, human rights; and this is partly because those countries’ service commanders were not tested or did not pass the test like most of those banned service chiefs in Ghana.

MORAL JUDGMENT, VIRTUE, CONSCIENCE, those become values that should guide the military, police and other regimented service commanders when confronted with a grey area in upholding the constitution or executing a command. Our service commanders need the moral support of the citizenry. VooDoo Child is always about debate in civility and the question remains, "WOULD YOU DISOBEY A DIRECT ORDER FROM YOUR CINC, THE PRESIDENT IF IT CONTRAVENED THE CONSTITUTION OR IS NOT PROPERLY EXPLAINED IN THE CONSTITUTION?

VooDoo Child: Nana Akuffo Addo Has The Ball, Professor Mills Needs To Return Favour

What happened is, the people of Ghana spoke

It is not difficult to guess the feelings of disappointment, hurt and even animosity within the two camps in this election. In one camp, joy, fulfilment, victory, even vindictiveness. In the other camp, how can the people betray us thus, we did everything we could do, what did we not do, but most of all, what happened, what happened?

What happened is, the people of Ghana spoke and there we have it. There was some anxiety when one camp said, we may not recognize the results from one or two regions and the other replied, we may not recognize the election results in one particular region. These regions are what you call, the world banks of both parties where the disparities in numbers between the winning votes and losers defied mathematical logic that, even that genius, Professor Albert Einstein would scratch his head in amazement to add up.

Sooner than later, some of the figures would start getting out of synch

The thing about lying is, you need to keep lying all the time to make your story credible. It is a very difficult thing to do. Sooner than later, a criminal is bound to slip, stories would not add up and he would start desperately trying to justify and or make excuses for holes in the story. It is one of the basic lessons in criminology. Ghana should fear not the fraudsters and liars trying to bad name this elections. Sooner than later, some of the figures would start getting out of synch and impossible to add up, then we will know who is trying to fool whom.

For the people of Ghana and Africa, especially black Africa, this is victory. The great black star of Africa did it again. This great country that produced Kwame Nkrmah, the number one African, the resting place of the great pan Africanist, Dr W Dubois, a haven for refugees, and freedom fighters. The country that helped bring peace to Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Middle East. We took on Apartheid and the hypocrites that supported them. When it was time to go through turmoil, we did it with gusto and came out with grace. A black shining star of hope for black Africa to follow.

The freedom of Ghana is meaningless unless

From that moment that Kwame Nkrumah said those famous words, "the freedom of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked to the total liberation of Africa" Ghana took on a certain responsibility and Ghanaians have always felt it a duty to lead Africa. The soul of pan Africanism really came into being in this proud African country and resides there forever.

Another historic moment is here and Ghana is poised again to show the world that the black man has always been ready to seize control and shape his destiny. We have the opportunity to show that we were and are democratic and value the resolve of the people. They have spoken and the person who holds a major key now to complete the deal is NPP’s presidential candidate, Nana Akuffo Addo.

In the 2000 elections in which Attah Mills was so sure of himself that he predicted a first round win, reality snapped in his face when he lost to candidate Kuffuor in the second round. Yet it was Attah Mills that first gave a major validation to then president elect Kuffuor by conceding the elections and congratulating him. But not after the professor wisely advised the president elect to calm down his supporters and Agyekum Kuffuor did.

Right now, the winner is Ghana and Africa

Nana Akuffo Addo. has the ball rolling in his court now. He is as a true son of Ghana and Africa and yes, a strong advocate for human rights. His name has been etched in Ghana’s history but here is his chance to make it golden. Nana, stay in touch with prof play that ball back and write you name in history. It would also be fair to ask the professor to return the favour that was extended to him in 2000 and calm his supporters down. Prof, it is time to shine but remember almost half of the people also voted for your Ghanaian and African brother Nana.

Right now, the winner is Ghana and Africa. It is one of the best times to raise one’s head high and say, proud to be Ghanaian, proud to be African. A largely peaceful elections, perhaps a wonderful birthday present for VooDoo Child.

VooDoo Child: Attah Mills’ time to shine, Akuffo Addo’s smoothness is key. Samia is kingmaker

The presidential elections going into round two appears to be a repeat of the 2000 elections yet it is tricky as the main opposition party now may not necessarily win the second round; win the majority of seats it had, the sound argument maybe.

The 2000 elections was more a referendum on President Rawlings and the NDC. The message then was, "please get out but we do not fully trust the NPP and candidate Kufuor." The other parties sealed the deal for the NPP especially when the Reform Party decided to join hands with the NPP thus helping send the message to those who had supported the NDC in previous elections that it was alright to shift allegiance to the NPP.

When Ghana spoke, on 7th December, it appeared the people turned the table repeating same to President Kufuor and the NPP but regarding the NDC with suspicion. Over to you Nana and Prof. While the former is a smooth operator, eloquent and a seasoned politician with a legacy of a name, the latter has proven himself to be his own man in tenacity.

The country is now divided on political party lines of established democracies such as the US and Britain, leftist and rightist with the accompanied characteristics. Nana Akuffo leads a strongly unified party of the UP/ PP party, a Danquah Busia party, the rightist. The base is solid and this is his main advantage. What is needed now is his communication abilities to project himself as a moderate candidate. President Kufuor appears a bad news for him but his choice of running mate also seems a mistake now. Alhaji Bawumia does not appear to have a strong constituency at this time unlike the other running mate who appeals to the youth. All Nana needs now is that 1 percent vote assuming he retains his 49 percent plus win.

Time for Nana to play, using his famous negotiating skills and the obvious targets, Samia Nkrumah and Dr. Ndoum. Samiah has not joined his brother Sekou into the NDC camp while Dr. Ndoum worked with the NPP. The way she destroyed NDC’s Lee Ocran in Jomoro, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter appears to have more clout than her presidential candidate and she is now the lone CPP voice. Appearing on the same stage with Nana and Paa Kwesi could seal the deal for the NPP. Go Nana

Professor Attah Mills? This is his crowning moment and he is the key to unifying the second main political grouping in Ghana, the social democrats or left wing. He is an Nkrumahist standing on the ticket of a Rawlings party, which in reality was an Nkrumahist based party with a sprinkle of UP / PP personalities. The NDC actually decimated the CPP using the NCP led by Kwaku Boateng

If Professor Attah Mills and the NDC had been in talks with the other parties then these talks must have been secretive. Maybe that is their weapon but should Professor pull off a Rawlings Nkrumah unity and beat Nana to Samiah, he is on the way to making history. His running mate John Mahama is already an asset. This is the man who as then government spokesman appeared on radio after a frowned upon presidential display and convinced people to excuse their president’s behavior. He has a solid support especially among the youth and if the NDC sees every vote as important, he would be the link to the prodigal Reformers and Obed’s people.

Choose wisely Samia Nkrumah, but do make a choice. We live in interesting times, a half African about to become the most powerful person in the world, the Black Star of Africa shining bright as an example, Ghanaians voting skirt and blouse; proud to be Ghanaian? You bet, prouder.

These K4 and JJ reshuffles

amass all the wealth that you could while in office

Ready set go, start cutting deals and giving contracts to cronies and relatives, open an off shore bank account and stash some foreign currency there. Allow your directors and their deputies to run the ministry and recycle speeches of your predecessors to deliver when necessary. But whatever happens, amass all the wealth that you could while in office.

If you do it well and cover your tracks you might be well off when you leave the ministry otherwise, Fast Track court awaits you and maybe Justice Henrietta Abban. Still, that might only occur in a change of regime or if you belonged to a different party serving in the government of the ruling party and you failed to consult properly and got 419ed out of state dollars. Then you might serve your sentence and come out to yell, "vote for the opposition party" and be branded "full of sour grapes."

If these were not the thoughts of the Ghanaian Minister of state when she assumed the position she must be nuts. How else would you survive after the six o’clock announcement when the president decided that he has had enough of the tunale and all the other scent no emanating from his minster and sacks him without end of service benefits or reshuffles him to the upper East region or the Western region, maybe Volta or Ashanti?

President Kuffour beat the ex John to it in cabinet reshuffles

The public Agenda reported that President Kuffour beat the ex John to it in cabinet reshuffles 18 to 17. Before any fan of President Rawlings starts jubilating, backtrack to just two weeks ago when the distinguished statesman reshuffled his cabinet, his team. One newspaper reported that this move followed the shuffling of long time aide Victor Smith via a HIPC call or was it text messaging? See, Owura Smith’s tunale was getting too strong for the old guy’s nostrils.

In this case, the tunale was Victor Smith’s alleged open support of John Mahama as vice presidential candidate over the favorite of President Rawlings, Betty Moulds-Iddrisu, the number two wife of her hubby. And that move by Victor Smith and the consequences seems to be the main totality of the problem with appointments and reshuffles. Disagree, ready set go; agree, ready set stay or go when the president decides to reshuffle.

Senator Clinton may well become Secretary of State in the US.

Across the Atlantic, Senator Clinton may well become Secretary of State in the US. She would give up her senate seat, a safe seat that she could stay in as long as she wished and would only stand for reelection every six years. Yet this young lady who has a lot to offer and has a rich track record of public service would give all up. She would do so knowing her position is guaranteed and would be allowed to operate as she wished albeit within the parameters of her president’s foreign policy. The bitter campaign period of the primaries would be history.
Back in Ghana again some of the major achievements came about in ministries headed by people who really settled in their jobs and had enough time to execute policies and plans that worked for the country. Kwesi Botchway did it in Finance although his petroleum economics was just too foresighted?. Dr. Obed Asamoah heading Foreign Affairs saw a foreign policy that put Ghana on the map exercising its sovereignty as a positively neutral country that did not play to the whims and caprices of the powers that be. Kojo Tsikata played it cool for a long time as the National Security person and the PNDC/NDC itself lasted long enough with a survivor Head of State to force the bitter pill down the throat of Ghanaians. The result, peace democracy, stable economy and freedom that is the envy of the sub-region. NPP government’s Dr. Yaw Osaafo Marfo also achieved economic growth and stability heading the Finance Ministry for more than 4 years and presided over the HIPC pill which reduced Ghana’s debts.

Now if you were appointed to head a ministry, maybe health, by the time you orient yourself with the minstry and the various departments and tour the regions study the plans of your predecessor, the nurses would have given you a welcome baptism of fire by going on strike. The doctors would follow up soon. As you maneuver to settle these issues an outbreak of meningitis gets you scratching your head even as you try to ward off pressure from friends and relatives demanding a piece of you. Maybe you were a good man wanting to do your job and did not succumb to their pressure. Your mistake! Weeks turn into months, then a year as the problems play you like a football. One day you are summoned to the Castle, or rather to the Accra Golden Stool house and told, "fri me fie ko"

The constitution gives the sole right to the president to appoint minsters as he sees fit to work with but this attitude to shuffling and reshuffling, itself needs a reshuffle.