VooDoo Child

A "Weak" White House Foreign Policy, Arab Springs & Russian Protests

2011-12-29T04:58:00.000-08:00

3 Cowboy Diplomatic Options President Obama had on his desk after Iran captured an American Airforce drone but the President chickened out of those options

After invading a sovereign nation’s airspace, and paid the consequences, why not come out of the closet? Listen to US Vice-President Cheney’s gutsy talk shop, "I was told that the president had three options on his desk. He rejected all of them”

Must be painful to sit and watch as Obama “weakened” America by reigning in firepower and replacing it with smiles and extended hands. Even perplexing is why a weakened US Foreign Policy would result in Russian Prime Minister and alpha male, Vladimir Putin holding US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responsible as Russians rise up to fight for their freedom.

Russian anti-Putin protestors

The Russian uprising is easily their version of the Arab Spring which began before the Occupy Movements; spontaneous fight for freedom fueled by social media. Not really touted except by a few like former DNC spokesperson Karen Finney who wrote about it, was the role of US President Obama and the most Senior Cabinet member, Hillary Clinton in fueling these movements.

Until the past two years, United States foreign policy could be generally summed up in 5 words, Judeo-Christian Anglo-Saxon Supremacist. Sure, we have heard the phrase “United States is not at war with Islam” then saw the walk taken by the United States Government especially in the Middle East.

But America did the unthinkable and elected someone with a name which Islamic and Arab countries could even relate to. They saw the new president treat Islam with respect; they observed that even as America would remain pro- Israel, the President frowned on the hard lined ways of the Jewish state. They saw the castigation of the president after that “bow” to King Faud of Saudi Arabia and the general criticism of his charm offensive diplomacy as weak. Heading this foreign policy of engagement is Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton who is said to have logged more than 460,000 and visited 80 countries including, Egypt, Qatar, Afghanistan, Turkey, UAE, Kuwait and Morocco.

Mohamed Bouazizi before, during and after thre fire

With no great Satan to shock and awe their countries, the Arab youth turned against the real enemies, those dictators who like Wall Street, Banking and Finance now came into being with noble ideas and fighting for the people but became corrupt. Gaddafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali, Saleh, al-Assad were all once popular and somewhat depended on America’s “hatred” of Islam as a rallying point until United States made it clear in deed that Islam was no enemy. Some of us even heard for the first time that the Founding Fathers had a Koran printed in Massachusetts and discussed the possibility of an American Muslim president.

Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian man who sacrificed himself out of frustration after being bullied by his own country’s police was a FREEDOM FIGHTER in the highest degree who helped ignite the Arab Spring and had no qualms about his real enemies.

Still, imagine if President Obama had ordered a strike to take out the American Air Force drone and it failed or even succeeded in an “in your face manner” that Obama’s critics wanted?

Back in great mother Russia, the czar seeking to re-enthrone and impose himself on Russians even as his countrymen and women like the Arab Springers, European and American Occupiers – FREEDOM FIGHTERS have identified who the real enemies of the people are.Some weak Foreign Policy this White House has

Person of the Year is The Freedom Fighter NOT the “noisemaker;” a.k.a The Protestor

2011-12-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

Freedom Fighter or just a Protester ( Time)

When everyday American citizens in New Orleans strove desperately to survive after Hurricane Katrina in 2005,, they were labeled refugees and looters by the media; their own government law enforcers did not hesitate to shoot to kill them.

Ok, that example was extreme and apologies to President George Bush 43 for citing the main issue related to what he called the “lowest point of my presidency.” But that kind of labeling is why there is little surprise when the most recognized news magazine in the world, Time Magazine superficially named the “Noisemaker” as its Time Person of the Year 2011.

Yet check out TPOTY 1993, “The Peace Makers,” represented by former South African leaders Nelson Mandela and FW DE Klerk, and the former Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat – 1993. Time Magazine could easily have branded them the “Negotiators,” or “Handshakers” but the Magazine took the high road and named them, “Peacemakers.”

In the world of Time Magazine, if I entrusted an entity with my wealth to keep and add value to it but the entity betrayed me, by using my wealth to boost his self aggrandizement and power, then used that power to exploit me, and I rose up against him, I am just a “noisemaker”(protester).

The main reasons and people behind these noises worldwide is about entities that used power entrusted them to betray and manipulate the very people who gave them that power. The major differences between these corrupt power mongers are geography and personalities involved. Not so much unlike that which occurred on a farm introduced to us by George Orwell.

The whole idea of Wall Street, banking and finance; was and is still a noble one. You are an, inventor, a manufacturer, draughtsman, maybe an opera singer, a teacher or health worker. Whatever you were, it was inconvenient trying to handle all the money. Keep it safe with a financial institution and access it when you want to. You want to expand, start or buy a business, worry not; the collective monies held in trust from other people including you was available to you on loan for a small fee instead of spending time begging relatives and friends to raise money so you could concentrate on your invention, business, work etc.

Occupier with telling sign (Wikipedia)

Realizing the power they had over the collective, they who invented and produced nothing suddenly became inventors of some things that were basically, nothing. They packaged promises, future yields, values and profits of your collective hard work, presented them as products and took your money for it. Others also controlling the collective power of monies they hold on behalf of the people exploited that power in dealing with individuals by dictating to them – bank fees, closing fees, debit card fees, minimum balance, interest rates, credit scores.

Still, Time Magazine thought Molly Katchpole who helped abolish Bank of America’s last debit card enslaving move is just a noise maker. She is a FREEDOM FIGHTER.

The financial institutions deemed themselves to be hardworking and plundered and enriched themselves and when all their greed and lies were exposed causing this massive hemorrhage of the economy, they still had the audacity to draw fat checks and bonuses to pay themselves while the people saw their wealth vanish. But according to President Obama, it was all legal. Off course remember they had your collective power (money) and used it to lobby and sponsor campaigns to help legislate or unlegislate laws in their favor.

They were and still are that powerful even in an administration that sought to be progressive that, President Obama could not even appoint Massachusetts senate Candidate, Elisabeth Warren to head the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) after she worked hard as the president’s Assistant to help establish it.

Here is an Elisabeth Warren quote - “To restore some basic sanity to the financial system, we need two central changes: fix broken consumer-credit markets and end guarantees for the big players that threaten our entire economic system”. The power of Wall Street and the banks through their allies in Congress cost the ordinary citizen a powerful ally; but hang on till the next general elections.

Meanwhile a spontaneous force of people rising up against these enslavers not sponsored by millionaires or boosted by massive coverage; individuals sounding online and writing letters, rising up against the greed of Wall Street and calling for accountability even if they call themselves 99 Percent, Occupiers, Anonymous, are FREEDOM FIGHTERS yes?.

Rawlings gets the last laugh on Gaddafi and comrades; prediction comes true Part I

2011-02-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

“we are tired of these Khaki politicians”

Chairman Rawlings at 34; Khaki politicia

“We are tired of these Khaki politicians,” said a student at a forum referring to then Chairman Rawlings and past military leaders in Ghana. It was at a time Rawlings was a military Head of State in a country with no democracy press freedom and freedom of speech in the 80’s.

But that student spoke his mind and that forum was part of Rawlings consulting the people of Ghana; and yes Rawlings did predict events unfolding in the Middle East now to VooDoo Child. But first, recall that famous statement by former PNDC member General Nunoo Mensah “hand over to whom”?

It was shortly after the 1981 revolution led by a comeback Flight Lieutenant Rawlings during which the question of returning Ghana to civilian rule arose.

State visits to some notorious comrades all over the world reinforced that statement and alarmed especially people waiting to get back into the business of politics. Rawlings visited Cuba’s Comrade Fidel Castro, Comrade Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista revolution, Nicaragua; add Suriname strongman Dersi Bouterse, and off course Libya’s Comrade Mummar Gaddafi - mad man of the desert.

Gaddafi with his female bodyguards The Amazon

Their in your face defiance of the United States

These AK 47 wielding comrades rode on popular uprisings but their main stay in power and seemingly legitimacy emanated from one main thing; their in your face defiance of the United States and its Anglo-Saxon supremacy foreign policy.

President Reagan bombed Gaddafi in 1986 and a chunk of the world rallied to the Libyan strongman and it made him more popular in the region and among his people. Now he is bombing his people; these people bolstered in their resolve by President Obama’s charm offensive.

Backtrack to Rawlings’ state visit and during these visits to the brothers in arms, two of the dictators Comrades Fidel and Gaddafi reportedly told the young leader of the West African nation who looked up to them not to hand over power. “Hand over to whom’?

A choice soon had to be made between making a pact with the devil; i.e. the International Monetary Funds, World Bank and the Western countries or continue on the mundane path of self destruction; running down the country with government and state controlled socialist economic policies. We know how that choice went down – Program of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment, PAMSCAD, devaluation, petrol prices, Kwesi Botwey soon became a staple of Ghana’s economic news

It was an open secret that Gaddafi helped Rawlings

Gaddafi and Rawlings, happier times

Gaddafi with vast oil receipts thought his protégé was betraying the cause; of holding on to power, throwing people into jail without trial, siphoning state funds into private pockets, nepotism etc.

It was an open secret that Gaddafi helped Rawlings with some needed hardware to stage his 31st December coup. Exactly how he did it is still unclear. The report that gained the most currency was that, master orator Victor Obeng helped arrange a rendezvous on the high seas between a Libyan vessel and a Mankoadze fisheries boat for the transfer of certain important goods that facilitated the coup.

“Rawlings’ revolution not democracy saved Ghana.”

Nincompoop King?

In Gaddafi’s mind Rawlings and Ghana owed him a debt and showed his nincompoop mind by making an arrogant statement like the “Rawlings’ revolution not democracy saved Ghana.” Except one thing, Gaddafi forgot Ghana is the land of Kwame Nkrumah and before him the Yaa Asantewas, Ansah Sasrakus and Asamenis.

President Rawlings

Ghana is the story of people who have been fighting for freedom and independence; against domination by other ethnic groups and together, fought against domination by the Whiteman.

It was that spirit of freedom that drew out perhaps the single most important move of Rawlings i.e feel the pulse of Ghanaian people and giving back to them what was their; their power. The power to vote for him and his party, the power to kick his party out and the power to re-elect his party. Indeed, real power to the people = Democracy.

How Mubarak can shape his exit and emerge as a hero in the Arab/Islamic World

2011-02-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Strongman no more Mubarak p.c: kerrywaghorrn.com

Egypt’s President Mubarak can still salvage his situation and go out as a hero to the Arab world; with a little help from Obama’s youngest presidential aide; the symbol of it that is. Remember the “yes we can” speech that helped change history?

The stage is now set for the biggest exit of a ruler in the world and Hosni Mubarak would command world attention for a moment. He needs to do it right with the right speech.

Now looking like a caricature, Hosni Mubarak is a ghost of the once symbol of stability in the Arab/Islamic old. For 30 years he was master of the balancing act between Zionism, Islamic uprising and pan-Arabism.

His cork is up and bobbing

He is now villain in chief because his cork is up and bobbing from under the water. And why? It is simply impossible to suppress the will of the people and freedom of expression forever. The uprising in Egypt and the Arab/Islamic world is the story of, the English and French revolutions, anti-slavery and racism, the wave of African independence uprisings against colonists, women’s suffrage movement and workers rights etc.

It is a just a matter of time for Gaddafi’s Libya, Syria, Zionism Israel, Ahmedinejan’s Iran, Eyadema’s Togo, Mele Zenawi’s Ethiopia, Chavez’s Venezuela among others.

But right now it is Mubarak and it looks like a series of meetings by President Obama’s security team and communications with counterparts in the Middle East, something is about to go down today. How it goes down, whose interest is best served; United States, Israel, the Arab world, Egyptian ruling class, and the ordinary people of Egypt, we will see.

Mubarak can shape his exit and emerge as a hero

Mubarak can shape his exit and emerge as a hero in the Arab world by giving the greatest speech of his career that should end up taking the wind out of the sails or protestors at Tahiri square and Egypt.

He would off course call for unity and peace and maybe outline the time table for elections. Still, the speech must contain the following for effect;

gratitude and congratulations to the people of Egypt for their spirit and will to rise up.
mention names of the victims of the uprising; honor them as martyrs and thank their families. Outline compensation for them starting with the graduate student that set himself on fire
mention the countries experiencing tyranny and dictatorships and for which the people have risen up and thank them – Yemen, Algeria, Tunisia etc
emphasize why religion must stay out of politics
congratulate Christians and Moslems for standing by each other during the uprising

Google executive Wael Ghonim Pic:Reuters

He must invite some of the symbols of the uprising;

President Mubarak needs to invite Al Jazera the CNN of the Arab world which has become a symbol of freedom of expression in these uprisings.

All major networks and media need to be present and given adequate access to cover the event live.

He must invite some of the symbols of the uprising; Egypt’s Google executive Wael Ghonim, and opposition leaders El Baradei and families of the victims that could be reached. If not get to the jails directly and talk to prisoners of conscience being held and invite them to stage for the historic event

We all wait this interesting day of days to climax. Hopefully it ends before the Celtics vs Lakers match even though we have the flipper at our disposal.

“Stay Put ” Ivory Coast President Gbagbo but who is whispering that to him? Part II

2011-01-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Stay put Gbagbo” (liu xialai Gbagbo).

Oil Power

If Sudan’s Al Bashir would oblige China for the lives of black people, war, unrest, sickness, malnutrition, famine, and diseases for oil, what can Gbagbo not do because of newly discovered oil in Ivory Coast?

See? The indicted Sudanese leader gets his Kalashnikov rifles in numbers plus a UN veto cover from China to perpetuate his rule easy. The one controlling the legitimate AK, 47s in Ivory Coast is Gbagbo, meaning more AK 47s more control, easy.

The Red Dragon has never cloaked its intention to stake its claim to that little thing called super power status; and seizes every opportunity to claim territory. Did you see China’s new stealth fighter that sent other world powers scrambling back to review their air defense systems? However, the unknown is whether China whispered into Gbagbo’s ears, “stay put Gbagbo” (liu xialai Gbagbo).

Who would kowtow to France more, Gbagbo or Ouattara?

We trust with difficulty that the whispers in Gbagbo’s ear may not be coming from Monsieur Sarkozy, president de la France. How could one go about trusting any country that has the tag, “former colonial master” to its name and participated in the most heinous crimes on humanity; slavery, colonialism, racism?

Such is the tag on France and that country’s signature is written in most upheavals in its former colonies. France crippled the only black nation, Haiti in the western hemisphere, with imposed debt repayment that the once prosperous black nation has never recovered. True, the absolute Anglo-Saxon supremacy US foreign policy at the time ensured this negative debt collecting strategy, but it was mainly France’s doing.

Can we ever trust France to act in the best interest of Ivory Coast like telling Gbagbo to stay and putting up a front of support for Ouatarra? Which president would benefit France more President Gbagbo or President Ouattara? Or in straight shooting language, who would kowtow to France, Gbagbo or Ouattara?

Good old Uncle Sam,

Good old Uncle Sam, who can ever doubt his nosy moves into other people’s affairs. Just read the Wikkileaks documents and you would find what brother Barack’s people have been up to in different countries. America’s days of a foreign policy that advanced the cause of one dominant race are steadily on the way out.

Even as a half African has taken resident in the White House the shift in foreign policy has been significantly slower than would have been desired and for once Uncle Sam would not be interested in Ivory Coast’s oil for the sake of one race not? How about the idea of relocating US Africa command, AFRICOM from Germany to Ivory Coast in exchange for some protection? Yo, whuddup Laurent, help a brother out here establish a presence in Africa and I help you stay in power, you feel me? Whether that whisper came to Gbagbo is surely unknown

Still the dark horse in all these is Ghana.

Rawlings and Sankara

Here is an Ananse (spider) story; a long (not too long) time ago, there lived two charismatic young rulers of two separate West African countries. They were junior officers two fighter pilots who seized power in their various countries and were popular. The two countries were fascinated with each other’s ruler and their spouses, and there was heightened cooperation between these two countries unprecedented.

There was talk of these two countries uniting one day to form a bigger country, the dream of the great founder of one of the countries. But before this seed could be planted, the idea was violently wrenched out when a friend of one of the rulers stabbed him in the back and seized power. That back stabbing “friend” is still in power and reported to have run guns to rebels in the northern part of a neighboring country now in question.

That “friend” of the slain leader also danced closely with another power monger who wanted to rule modern Africa and was put in his place by African rulers. Now put the jigsaw puzzle in their right places; Ghana, Burkina Fasso, Ivory Coast, Rawlings, Sankara, Compaore, Gaddafi (Qadaffi, Qatafi, Quathaffi, Kaddafi, Kathaffi)

Which Ivory Coast is better suited for the Black Star of Hope

Puppet and Puppeteer?

One of the reasons sited by Compaore for overthrowing his friend Thomas Sankara was the alienating of Ivory Coast and France. That last information should complete the jigsaw puzzle and we can now understand Ghana’s stance towards Ivory Coast. The chicken has come home to roost in Ouattara’s coop.

If you’re still lost; which Ivory Coast is better suited for the Black Star of Hope, Gbagbo’s Ivory Coast or Ouattara’s Ivory Coast? Think, Ghana has three big guns that could be deployed in Ivory Coast, Presidents Rawlings and Kuffour, and Secretary Annan. But so far President Mills has come up with a genuine cover story, Ghana’s troops were already guarding Ouattara as part of the UN troops and that was enough. Nobody heard President Attah Mills whisper to President Gbago/Ouattarra to stay put.

Maybe it is just the oil whispering to Gbagbo to stay put but Allasane Ouattarra, wish I could tell you in person better start thinking another stint as Prime Minister

“Stay Put ” Ivory Coast President Gbagbo but who is whispering that to him? Part I

2011-01-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

One resolute power mongering African head of state

Laurent Gbago with wife, Simone (Getty Images)

Possible prison sentence and shameful arrest, possible international trial, bad name, outcast; an endless list of the kind that places most African heads of state in the hall of shame of politics is written in Gbagbo’s future should he as much as try to hand over power.

Add the looming feeling of helplessness that comes from wielding so much power then suddenly having no influence even on your grown up kids, and you have one resolute power mongering African head of state determined to deeply entrench (entomb) himself.

On the flip side, should Gbagbo succeed in holding on to power and warm his way back into the hearts of the international community, what awaits Gbagbo but more power and glory and a place in Ivory Coast history as the man who helped turn the West African country into a modern economic powerhouse.

Truth be faced, even with the strife in that country, Ivory Coast still bested its peaceful neighbor Ghana as the world’s number one cocoa producer; then there is the new found black gold that is known to quickly transform economies. With a politically stable Ghana producing oil and cocoa, economies of scale between the two countries should be guaranteed along with some synergy.

Or president in exile.

See what I am seeing? Forget it, “Ivory Coast President Gbagbo” is not moving an inch and “Ivory Coast President Ouatarra” better start preparing for the permanent accolade “the man widely believed to have won the Ivory Coast election in 2010” or president in exile.” That is unless, President Ouatarra has more to offer other than limiting himself to calls to the world have his rival forcibly removed.

African heads of state have fared no better in this conflict resolution and you have to wonder, whatever those African leaders who went with such self righteous bravado; more like impudence offered Gbagbo anything that could be more appealing than power and glory?

What befell that caricature Charles Taylor

Benin President Boni Yayi, Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma, Kenya’s Prime Minster Raila Odinga and former Nigerian President, Obasanjo surely enjoyed some free warm cocoa drinks in Abidjan but it is not known whether between sips of the drink they guaranteed that one day a law suit would not be filed somewhere in the world including Ivory Coast to bring Gbagbo to book. An amnesty backed by a guarantee of immunity also backed by what laws in which countries they said? Such is the known unknown.

Still, what is known is what befell that caricature Charles Taylor, the former Liberian strongman who basked his family and friends in wealth belonging to the Liberian people. Gbagbo’s former neighbor now on trial in The Hague, is in tune with the canary; apatupre and has been singing the unknown knowns about his rise to power; namely his escape from Plymouth prison in Massachusetts with the help of the US government to unleash mayhem in West Africa.

China Maybe? Oui ce’st possible,

Charles Ghankay Taylor, whose eldest son Charles Chuckie Taylor was jailed for human rights violations dared dispatch his lawyer to Ghana to invoke the soul of Pan-Africanism to his side as he faced the International court. Now that we know the known unknowns about Taylor, which unknown is whispering the known unknown into Gbagbo’s ears to stay put?

China maybe? Oui ce’st possible, China guzzles oil more than an American car of the 60’s and the world’s second largest oil consumer shows no sign its oil thirst will abate in the near future. Just check the electronic gadget you are using now; take a moment, in which country was it made? So China does the smart thing and, supports rogue leaders to obtain oil on the cheap with trade deals to fuel its economy. Hugo Chavez’ Venezuela got a total of $22 billion dollars from China early half of 2010. And even as Sudan’s leader Al Bashir’s facilitated racism and other human rights abuses against black people in Southern Sudan, China protected him.

Ghana Needs To Dangle the Carrot; And Take Lead Whip On Ivory Coast Part II

2010-12-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

100 thousand tons of diplomacy, USS George Bush

A prosperous Ivory Coast is in the best interest of Ghana

A prosperous Ivory Coast is in the best interest of Ghana and black Africa and that is no secret. These two countries which once had GDP’s higher than China, Korea and Malaysia have the capacity to uplift black Africa and lead a forever oppressed people into democracy, freedom and prosperity.

Ghana remains the most peaceful immediate neighbor of Ivory Coast with a fledgling economy and peaceful civil society; having one of the few legitimate civilian governments in the region. Then there is the new found treasure, oil. It is no secret also that Ghana’s progress would be negated if a full blown civil war reignites in Ivory Coast and that area could go up in flames.

Gbagbo appears to be defiantly entrenching himself an power and worse still, could turn to rogue leaders for support. Soon enough, have Iran’s Ahmedinejan, Venezuela’s Chavez and Zimbabwe’s Mugabe make courtesy calls to shake feathers together.

First, President Attah-Mills should resist the temptation of allowing Ghana to succumb fully to the concept of alienation of black people ghettoized through racism and slavery. That is, a situation where families and societies separated by invisible demarcations called borders and different languages assigned to them as national languages compels Ghana into a policy of regarding; black people fleeing Ivory Coast as Ivorian refugees and treating them as aliens. We are the same people and this approach is important for any move in Ivory Coast
Wield the whip

Wield the whip on Gbagbo now and tell the African power monger he is no more welcome in Ghana. Any country that would do business with Gbagbo’s Ivory Coast and not Ouattarra’s Ivory Coast is also against Ghana. This extends to his wife and Maybach driving kids and extended family. Yes, Laurent Gbagbo’s kids who live in the state of Georgia “in college” drive expensive cars including one that costs half a million dollars; the Maybach. No foreign dignitary or personal visitor to Gbagbo has permission to access Ghana’s skies, territorial waters or overland.

Ghana’s military and foreign intelligence have built a good reputation for delivering and it is their time now in al these. Former security chief, Kojo Tsikata a.k.a Gbagbladza is back in town we hear. Ask how he helped establish a secure foundation for John to stay in power for that long and handed over to John who handed over to John who may well be handing over to John in 2016.

That disclosure by President Rawlings about Ghana’s in advance knowledge of the 1999 coup showed Ghana’s capacity to infiltrate the Ivorian military to recruit dissenters in the rank and file and among the officers and ask them to standby when the time came. There are those good people in every establishment that have their conscience more intact than others and would do the right thing even when threatened. Ghana’s military intelligence sure has the upbeat on these in the Ivorian military

A directive to General Officer Commanding,

Right now the Ivorian military especially those behind Gbagbo are feeling the unease and anyway out offered without bloodshed would be attractive to them.

Let us assume a bird whispered a directive to General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, Brigadier General Adinkrah, to head a plan to mobilize along with the Western Naval Command and Ghana Airforce. Rapid mobilization could be completed within a week.

Coordination with UN peace force in Abidjan is a given and if Brigadier General Adinkrah wants to give impetus to the mission, he would contact General “Kip” Ward commander of US Africa Command to request the ultimate show of force, a full 100 thousand tons of majestic steel diplomacy a.k.a aircraft carrier for support.

President Obama and Defence Secretary Robert Gates should have no problem approving this. The aircraft carrier, USS George W. Bush is battle ready and has seen little action but with proper request, it should reach Ivorian Waters from Norfolk in time not to engage in combat but as the ultimate show of force; in association with GNS Achimota and GNS Azone.

One Ghana air force jet on the ready to for a low flying sortie in Abidjan should crown the effort

With Ghanaian Special Forces already in place

The whip needs to have all the characteristics of a bluff just to make Gbagbo see the harm he could cause himself and his loved ones. Conversely, should Gbagbo be unwise as to call it a bluff, the whisper in Brigadier General Adinkrah’s ear; “it is a go.” lets face it, one could not prepare such a force without the intention of using it.

If a total warfare strategy instead of battlefield tactics were applied, it is possible to have former Ghana General Officer Commanding General "Buffalo soldier" Quainoo, ’s famous words “if I send 2000 men out, I want to bring two thousand men back home alive” come true. The fear of torture alone is usually enough to elicit information from a subject so a massive show of force plus a psychological warfare in addition to a limited indirect or direct engagement should strike fear into the poorly equipped Ivorian military or the fool hardies loyal to Gbagbo to surrender. Talk about eliciting shock and awe

With Ghanaian Special Forces already in place in Ivory Coast, it should be easy to seize strategic radio stations and main TV stations to synchronize a broadcast from Ouatarra urging the Ivorian military to stand down and all positions and rank would be maintained for now.
Jam and or cut off communications between the presidential palace and the loyal troops
Lay siege to the presidential palace and cutting off supplies, power etc

Take out the Carrot

As the whip or stick is being wielded, take out the carrot and dangle it before Gbagbo. President Outtara has already offered positions to some of Gbagbo’s Ministers as incentive and at least one country has offered a safe haven for Gbagbo and those are good.

Ghana could impress on Ouatarra not to prosecute Gbagbo

Gbagbo can participate in the political process of Ivory Coast again in the next election cycle

Provide safe passage for Gbagbo and family

Gbagbo needs to be given the opportunity to leave in dignity and retain his statesmanship by addressing parliament and the nation before leaving

Support Gbagbo to gain a job as a visiting professor in a reputable college; position in ECOWAS or AU. He could work at the Kofi Annan centre or a regional or sub-regional business project like Africa 1 or WAGP

Maintain communication with Gbagbo and ready a chopper to airlift him and his family; or provide a plane and guarantee his safe flight from Abidjan.

The foundations of conflict resolution

Snap back to reality and these are just wild imaginations of VooDoo Child. Still, in using force and or threatening to use it, the foundations of conflict resolution must be the main approach. This means Gbagbo must be afforded the full respect and opportunity to regain his statesmanship and exit in dignity and honor.

Every step beginning from reaching out to him to applying force on him are all conflict resolution steps but the most important part of these steps are the first peaceful approaches. The wise usually accept to talk and keep communication lines open.

Regarding and acknowledging Gbagbo’s contribution towards Ivory Coast’s political processes and the fact that he never benefited from long periods of stability to manifest fully his capabilities would help.

Yet, all these could only come to fruition if President Allasane Ouattara of Ivory Coast approves otherwise, Ghana should stay clear and or proceed with extreme caution

Ghana Needs To Dangle the Carrot; And Take Lead Whip On Ivory Coast Part I

2010-12-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Gbagbo and Ouattara ...We need this

Leaders in Ivory Coast were also expected in Ghana

Eleven years ago today Saturday Christmas day, December 25 1999, soldiers led by Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibally riding on a wave of popular discontent with the Ivorian government resorted to the usual gun toting solution to changing governments in Africa. Ivory Coast President Conan Bedie, was overthrown in that country’s first coupe d’état and he fled to France.

Dial the history to Friday December 31st 1999 and the main story was still the millennium bug; the fear that computer clocks would reset to zero and there would be chaos. Off course nothing happened.

That Friday New Year’s Eve night was packed with activities as representatives of the Christmas coup leaders in Ivory Coast were also expected in Ghana to explain their agenda if they had any. Where else do you go but to the most successful coup maker in Africa who happens to be you neighbor to explain yourself? At the same time there was high alert for the millennium bug and tests were being run in every sector establishment that affected everyday life, Akosombo Dam, hospitals, power plants, Kotoka Airport.

An invite to take the Flying Coffin

If you could brave it there was an invite to take the Flying Coffin, Ghana’s old presidential jet the old Fokker 28 on a spin in the skies over Accra to see if any digital equipment on board or at the airport control would reset at 12 midnight and what would happen if a “zero” indeed occurred.

Ghana saw year 2000 without issue but the revelation of the night was by President Rawlings in an informal talk with journalist. The actual location and specific time of what he said is still hazy but his words were revealing and still clear. President Rawlings talking candidly to journalist. Revealed that before the coup, they had intelligent information about rumblings in Ivory Coast and contacted Bedie and asked if things were alright and he said yes. Again we contacted President Bedie and said look we are hearing things and it is credible do, we can help do you need help. Bedie said he was alright” therein lies part of the solution to wielding a whip if need be against Laurent Gbagbo now.

UN could intervene using military force but lacks legitimacy

But first it must be made clear why Ghana and not other entities or countries that have better organizational capacity and resources to wield power against Laurent Gbagbo and his tyrannical forces in Ivory Coast.

The UN could intervene using military force but lacks legitimacy due to the nature of its mandate in Ivory Coast.
The only other power with the capacity and a duty behind it as an underwriter of democracy and freedom is the United States but with its history of Anglo-Saxon led white supremacist Judeo-Christian foreign policy; any good intentions even with a black president could be looked with suspicion by black Africa.

Add that horrible image of the bodies of American soldiers being dragged in the streets of Mogadishu; bitter lesson that culminated in President Clinton deciding not to intervene when black Africans were killing black Africans because of tribal differences. About 800 thousand people were mass murdered in that genocide, according to the UN. Indeed the US did virtually nada in its former colony Liberia, Ivory Coast’s neighbor when that country degenerated into civil war. There is no US interest so rule out President Obama ever intervening in Ivory Coast with force.

That leaves only one country, Ghana

Ivory Coast’s former colonial master, France is even in a more undignifying position regarding its former colony just for that despicable role of mistreating black people from Africa to the Caribbean. France has looked out mainly for its interest in such situations with its former colonies and has sponsored and encouraged coups in former colonies in Africa, the pacific and Caribbean; remember that infamous bastard Colonel Bob Denard the dreaded mercenary?

One could not even begin mentioning ECOWAS without looking at the legitimacy and semi legitimacy status of most of its leaders. That leaves only one country, Ghana to take bold and defining steps in Ivory Coast.

Ayi Refused Is Nigger

2010-11-09T04:12:00.000-08:00

The one drop blood rule

The one drop blood rule is one of the most ridiculous and racist rules. Blue eyes and milky white skin was and is still no excuse; if that which flows in your veins has one drop of inherited black blood in it, you were black.

President Obama did check “Black African or Negro” on his census form. What if he had checked “White” because he is half white? Oh, the hoopla, much ado about nothing response if he had dared check it. ….“Now he says he is one of us, now Mr. Cool himself says he is uncool”? Or the response from his other blood “Now, he say he white, he not one of us, he be hanging out with them white folks, them change his mind.” Ask Tiger Wood his experience with those people after he dared claim his multiracial identity instead of limiting himself to his black blood.

Still, having a drop of black blood also gives you the honor of being able to use the word “N” word without it presenting an occupational hazard. Dr. Laura Schlesinger the no nonsense family counselor and straight talker found out that hard way thinking it was double standards if black people got offended by the use of the word by a non black person but let it go if a black person used it. Instead of biting her tongue, she went “nigger, nigger nigger.” 8 more times she repeated that abominable word just to prove a point, and was forced to apologize.

Why, because that word nigger was meant as an insult

Why would an African descendant prefer to be called black and not Negro, why would a seemingly harmless word corrupted from the word Negro which simply translated to “black” in Spanish be disapproved by black people? Why, because that word nigger was meant as an insult, derogatory. It was associated with the most dehumanizing practice ever wrought on a people, a race and still practiced surreptitiously today. It was the thought behind the seemingly harmless word that made it a taboo word.

A similar use of a harmless word or term undesired still rides icy tongues in Ghana. Once upon a time, there lived certain King Ayi in the southern part of what is now the Republic of Ghana.

The story was told that advancing slave taking forces from the north forced King Ayi to flee and crossed what is now known as the Volta River into the lands beyond all the way into Glidzi near Aneho in southern Togo.

It was a strategic move by King Ayi to seek protection from his own kind and retraced the path of migration followed by his people from the west. He also knew people of those lands have vowed never again to unite under one king and would do anything to maintain their freedom. Those people gave him the protection he needed from the aggressors.

King Ayi chose to remain in Togo

Now, in King Ayi’s possession was a symbol of power, naturally a stool that he took with him in flight. That stool had united King Ayi’s people, some of whom returned to their original final settled Ga lands in present day Ghana. King Ayi chose to remain in Togo and was already practicing assimilation, including no doubt, local fair young ladies and offspring to his households. Life was good, prosperous and peaceful.

In fleeing with the stool, King Ayi’s story was one of heroism and vilification as handed down orally; the story diminishing or appreciating in value in relation to the story teller as we have grown to understand the Gold Coast’s prehistory. The late comedian Waterproof and the former Linguist Okyeame AKuffo would have told this story with an easier effect on the ear and mind.

Yet no matter how many sides and perspectives were added or taken from the story, the central theme was how King Ayi handled the royal stool just before and aftermath of the war.

The King’s Stool in the West African kingdoms

To understand the importance of the stool, the King’s stool in the West African kingdoms was the ultimate symbol of power and many an innocent soul was sacrificed through fair and foul means to defend and or create a stool for a monarchy. That stool had to go through many rituals and the king’s life was virtually bonded to it. There was a connection to the stool through the king from the people. Capture that stool and you have the people. It was the king’s utmost duty including sacrificing his life to protect it.

Back now to Accra and everybody knows the story of how King Ayi’s people had landed on the beaches and settled, long before King Ayi fled; how they kept disembarking from the canoes and boats, no end in sight. If one could imagine the wave of people coming from the sea one wave after the other, one would understand what went on in a certain people’s minds when they made that famous remark “they are like ants (nkra).” My God, whence these people, they must have wondered.

Mi ya Ga

Still the name, “Nkra” stuck and was used to refer to the people until the pale skin people came to colonize and enslave us and corrupted it to Accra. We call the people; they like to be called Ga, that word according to some stories, also derived from the name of the red ant in the Ga language, “gaga”. And when we go to Accra from wherever, from boarding schools outside Accra, journeying back from the modern day Diaspora we talk about going to Ga. Mi ya Ga.

The Ga people having known peace wanted their stool back to reunite them towards prosperity. Yes, that stool in the possession of King Ayi now at Glidzi near Aneho in Togo. They sent emissaries for the stool. It is not known if they wanted the stool and its occupant or just the stool but the occupant thought the stool was safer with him where it was.

Ayi Refused loo

It must have been a tense moment when the emissaries arrived from Ga. Everybody was on edge, how would King Ayi react? Wait here it comes; King Ayi REFUSED (gbɛ). One report said King Ayi suddenly lost his ability to say words like kɔ mi kɛ kena (kenkey and fried fish) He expressed himself in the language of his other people, saying “mɛ gbɛ” (I refuse) end of discussion. Talk of tricky diplomatic expressions. If a diplomat told you he had a cold, it was likely he never wanted to see you anyways.

King Ayi chose to use language as a barrier to discontinue any further discussion on the matter. Mayhap, a dose of okro soup, staple of the people would have helped lubricate the emissaries’ mouth.

Pictured state of affairs then; the arrival of the emissaries, the tense situation, how would King Ayi react? But soon as Ayi refused, the report quickly spread like fire; “Ayi refused, Ayi refused oo, Ayi refused loo.”

In the absence of Twitter and Facebook updates which would still have read , “Ayi refused,” in the absence of breaking news, telegrams, text messages, e mails and modern telecommunication methods, the town Crier with his conga perhaps took up the mantel. As the town crier had many distances to cover, his message had to be short, concise and specific “ayi refused oo tong tong tong, ayi refused oo tong.” In a scene change, even Pheidippides the man who ran 42 kilometers from Marathon to Anthens nonstop to bring news of the war between the Persians and the Greeks before collapsing to his death would have said those same words “Ayi refused!”

Those two words spawned some of the most wicked jokes

The honor had been established and those two words spawned some of the most wicked jokes and cruelest of stories, most of them dead on humors; others, spot on mean about a people. Ten people in a room, someone asks, “how many people in the room”? Instead of just saying ten people, the reply, “8 people and two AYI REFUSE persons.” It is difficult to write some of these jokes and still be politically correct about but here is another, God created “Ayi refuse” people and cats went on the endangered species list” Actually that last joke is partly true.

Even in God’s own house the use of the word in a demeaning way was not spared. It was common for groups to be organized along ethnic lines using a saint as a patron in Ghanaian Catholic churches in metropolitan areas. Queen of Peace Catholic church, Madina comes to mind. Every major ethnic group had an organization in the church i.e, St. Paul Dagomba Society. There was this silver collection in which all the organizations in the church donated in a healthy competition to help build the church.

It was time to announce the results and when it came to one group, the lady announcer strangely did not mention the real name of the group but said, “and now to “Ayigbeys” (Ayi refuse). Jaws dropped, the grumbling, the mumblings that started from the congregation; she had to quickly apologize. See? those stories and or jokes could be mean and cruel but cannot compare in meanness to that word translated from; “Ayi refuse” and people know that and still use it. Not the majority of people but a significant number.

Wait for an “Ayi refuse man”.

A former good friend Lt. Anthony Suka Gbadago had just been accepted into the Military Academy circa 1992. One had to report with quality clothes to the academy and one of the best places to go for affordable and quality clothes was folksline, corrupted to fossline, a.k.a bend down boutique, a.k.a obroniwoawu.

We trouped to folskline at the Accra Railway station where I spotted a pair of worn out red trousers not pleasing to the eye on a vendor’s hanger and asked who on earth would buy that. Yes you guessed right; his reply, you just wait for an “Ayi refuse man”. Anthony ever the peacemaker quickly put a restraining hand on me the hot headed one as the vendor put a fist into his open mouth.

There he was facing three “wrong” people, the third person, Robert Dzandu and the urchin made that statement. Bless Anthony; he actually bought something from the vendor just to keep the peace. 1^st Lieutenant Gbadago died two years later at the hands of his fellow Ghanaians fighting for tribal superiority up north. He was there to keep the peace.

Still some Black Africans in the Diaspora may have found ways to recycle the meaning of the word “nigger” or “nigga” by referring to themselves as such. It still is offensive. In Ghana there is Ayigbe Edem and some who refer themselves as such trying to poke fun at themselves; their right to exercise that but it is still offensive. Maybe the present King Ayi of Togo a descendant of the original King Ayi of Ghana needs to come out with the full story. But right now, “Ayi refused” is REFUSED

World Cup: Ghana Black Star vs United States Star Sprangled Banner.

2010-06-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

There is more commonality between Ghana and the US

There is more commonality between Ghana and the US than meet the eye. These two countries gained independence from Britain, have a near similar democratic system of government with two similar main ideological political parties, center left and center right dominating. Ghana’s two main parties the National Democratic Congress, and the New Patriotic Party experience the same fortunes as the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States in the last eighteen years. During these periods, there were historical visits from three US presidents, Presidents, Clinton, Bush and Obama to Ghana. President Clinton saw the biggest crowd ever in his presidency when he visited Ghana in 1997.

Black Star flies for Africa, the Star Spangled Banner flutters to the western

When it comes to black African emancipation, the chants are loudest in these two countries that also symbolize liberation, freedom, independence, self determination and democracy to many a country. While the Ghana Black Star flies for Africa, the Star Spangled Banner flutters to the western world. Ghana’s path towards independence is linked to the United States where the man referred to as greatest son of Africa, Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and architect independence schooled and was influenced by the writings and philosophies of prominent African Americans, Marcus Garvey and W. E Dubois, a founder and first head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people, NAACP. Dubois, who became a Ghanaian citizen died in and was buried in Ghana.

Heard about the Allotey Formalism? It is a technique for determining properties of matter in space by scientists at NASA and elsewhere. Right now, you may be using a technological product developed by NASA more than a decade ago and in 15 to 20 years time, would be using a product that is currently being used by NASA. It is how important NASA is and there are Ghanaians working in NASA led by Dr. Ave Kludze rocket scientist extraodinaire who has pioneered complex engineering systems. Anytime you see an important NASA operation in space you can bet this prominent Ghanaian American is in thick

Think Hip hop, a way of life including bling bling, manner of dressing talking and most important, rhyming, rhythm and beats originated in the New York neighborhoods? Think again, Come to Ghana or get a drift in the article, “Chest Out You Bling Mr. Hip Hop President” http://bit.ly/cPIOrw.

It will come down to skills, technique , tactics and strategy; and support

But tomorrow, all that Ghanaian American relationship is put aside for 90 minutes when these countries do battle on the football pitch. In the end, it will come down to skills, technique, tactics and strategy; and support

Skill is equal to talent translated into production. Ghana has the advantage in that department. In football, people with raw talent and skills are generally of a certain origin; African, the Iberian and parts of the Italian peninsula. Maybe it’s the sheer raw animal magnetism people from these origins generally posses no? Would not hurt to mention a certain Edison Arantes do Nascimento, just say Pele of Brazil; and Diego Maradona of Argentina, who have roots from Africa and the Iberian peninsula respectively. The reference is on how many times people originating from these geographical areas have played to win the world cup. Brazil is self explanatory and not surprisingly have won more than any other country. Brazil is the second country after Nigeria with the largest black population. Then there is the Hispanics originating from the Iberian Peninsula helping populate South and Central America.

Want more proof, last year the Switzerland shocked favorites and host Nigeria in the junior world cup final to take the cup but saw names and people like Kofi Nimeley, Ricardo Rodriguez, Ben Khalifa and Joel Kiassumbua. The US like Australia has not taken advantage of its rich diversity and growing Hispanic population yet in football so Ghana with its raw talent wins in the skills department.

French gourmet, Italian sex and German organization

On to technique, strategy and tactics and it is said that the complete Europe takes the gentility of the English, French gourmet, Italian sex and German organization. Now it is a little easier to understand why Germany has the most appearances in the semi-finals of the Word Cup. You never could quite get know how they do it but watchout before you know it, the German players are passing the balls to themselves in your eighteen and all they need is small opening to unleash an accurate shot on target. When dribbling is kept to the minimum, there is discipline, team work and a strategy to neutralize the opponent while sticking to one’s formation, skills and talents of the opponent becomes naught. The US has the advantage technique, strategy and tactics; not much skill but they have used their long passes, speed and strength well and have remained disciplined and focused.

Anti-American leaders supporting Ghana for the wrong reasons, Hugo Chavez

Support and we are talking about world support, the number of people in the world sending positive thoughts and energy to both teams from wherever they are both in and outside the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Taking it continent by continent and some countries beginning with Africa and off course Ghana takes it. Imagine about 90 percent of the more than a billion strong people in Africa wishing Ghana well and wishing football disaster for US.

Off course US takes North America and majority of Mexico. It gets trick in Latin America - South and Central America. The two countries would split the support in Central America where US has not been really popular there, with the largest country, Nicaraguan having a good relationship with Ghana.

South America is also tricky as Brazil may not have forgotten the defeat handed them by Ghana in the junior world cup final but because of the commonality in football, when the Ghanaians start showing skills; Brazilians will come round to it. US will take the Argentina and majority of Brazil but here is the first of many anti-American leaders supporting Ghana for the wrong reasons, Hugo Chavez and his Venezuela. Still overall, the US has a slight edge over Ghana in support because of location

Ghana takers the Caribbean support with Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica leading the support for Ghana. Go to Haiti and Jamaica and you would see people with all the distinct features of Ghanaians there. Chances are even the US Virgin Island full of descendants of slaves would be rooting for Ghana over their territorial rulers, mainland US. Another for Ghana.

Bet on mother Russian to have it for Ghanaians

US takes Europe almost hands down. Bet on mother Russian to have it for Ghanaians thanks largely to strongman Putin’s anti American patriotism policies; Russian President Medvedev’s cozy stroll with President Obama in the White House notwithstanding.

The trickiest of the continents is obviously Asia and the main players are China, India, the Muslim and Arab worlds, the Koreas and Japan. To apportion; US has advantage inIndian has advantage over Ghana especially because of outsourcing of jobs into that region so US takes India. Given the tight control of state on its citizens and the direction of the Chinese leaders, Ghana and US split the Chinese support. Ghana takes the Arab and Muslim world for the right and wrong reasons. The right reasons being, football is the main sport in these countries and the descendants of Africans in some of these Arab countries. The wrong reasons need no elaboration. These same reasons why Ghana takes North Korea because of bad boy Ill Jon Kim and US takes South Korea not necessarily for the wrong reasons. Ghana takes Japan too because of that oh so delightful treat called chocolate. Ask any Japanese about Ghana and chocolate comes before football.

On to Oceania and South East Asia; obviously US takes some points because of the Australia and New Zealand but count on the Aborigines and the descendants of Africans in these regions. Ghana takes Indonesia, no discussion so Ghana takes that geographical area overall.

who wants, needs this victory most would prevail

Do the math, Ghana has the advantage in numbers worldwide but the most effective number would be the 42 thousand strong in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium more than 90 percent of whom would be chanting Ghana and blowing their vuvuzelas.

In the end, who wants, needs this victory most, who would go after every ball, play with a champions attitude would prevail. US seek to avenge a loss 4 years ago at the hands of the Black Stars and to prove seriousness in the game. Ghana seeks to prove to the world that it is a football power house and to carry high the flame of Africa.

It is sure going to be a match of matches, blow the vuvuzelas, enjoy the game and let the best team win

Allow Ghanaian dignitaries to be Obamized

2009-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

It was a matter of fact that we expected President Attah Mills to be allover President Obama, along with his cabinet and members of parliament and goofing allover

Maybe its the mediocre way we plan our events. Still this was a one time opportunity to interact with the chosen one, the people's president so when it comes to Obama, Omama, Omaba, Bama, there is one thing for sure, you would be obamized standing before him.

Reading the microblogs, it seems our Ghanaian VIP's outdid themselves trying to get a piece of the great one. Heard chairman Rawlings became a paparazzo, taking his own pictures. Sayoo, there goes JJ clicking. And members of parliament became class one kids for a moment jostling for toffee as in a handshake from Obama and maybe getting lucky to be in the same picture with him. Hmm, come to think of it, papa Jerry must be feeling a kind of kinship with Obama as they have the same "contaminated" yevu blood type running in their veins. Maybe toot his horns later about it. Just saying, just saying. Well luckily, the gentle giant Owura Kuffour was "cool" Not to be outdone, Mamacita Zita whipped out her own paparazzo apparatus and clicked away. Blame Mama Zita not, she is the official government paparazzo no?

In reality, all US presidents get almost the same treatment in the US congress as members try to shake hands with the president of the day..Yet, this is Obama son of Africa coming home with his wife who may well be from Ghana via ancestors and their lovely children Sasha and Malia. Obama, Omama, Bama, Bamama whatever, allow Egya mills to goof to be Obamized, you just cannot help it.To toot a Voodoo Child horn about the encounter with the great one. Voodoo Child shook Obama's hand and the chosen one looked into the former the eye and listened to him talk (mumbled something) He accepted a petition from Voodoo Child and handed it over to an aide. Obama was gracious enough to pose with for a picture but alas, camera fon was Obamized but I bet that image would be on someone's camera and reel. The feeling after the encounter, priceless.

So aye, allow the people to goof allover Obama. For, more than 192 countries in the world, more than 5 billion people rejoicing at the election of this man, how many people will ever get the chance to even look at this living history in person?...Go ahead, get Obamized - definition; the temporal loss of the ability to think, speak coherently in the presence of Obama. Hence Obama, Omama, Bama, Mama, its all good

VooDoo Child; Give me that moment lead by First Lady Michelle Obama

2009-07-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

When Air Force One arrives at the Kotoka International Airport Friday 10th July, it would be that designation’s third journey to Ghana with the most powerful man in the world. Yet, this third time is the charm as Air Force one would arrive with the Chosen One, President Barak Obama, a son of Africa and his wife Michelle, a descendant of African slaves.

People would line up the routes and go to hear him speak, Ghana’s kings, queens and royalty will still deck out in their bling to welcome the US president and his wife. Expect another inspiring speech and if Ghana’s President Attah Mills plays his part well a people would be inspired and feel more united.

The moment to look out for however may not be in Accra

The moment to look out for however may not be in Accra, it would be in a slave castle in Cape Coast. That moment which could fall on First Lady Michelle Obama to create is the key to understanding the behaviour of a race, that failed to be broken, it is the key to understanding why the great son of Africa Kwame Nkrumah would say, "We prefer self-government with danger to servitude in tranquility." It is the key to understanding the concept of the angry blackman, why a race with just 15 percent of the population in the US is the majority in US prisons in demography.

If President Barack Obama’s visit to the former Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald, Germany, last month was described as emotional by CNN, it would just be prudent to wait and see the effect of his visit to the slave dungeons in Cape Coast with his family.

A broken spirit, hunger, pain, slave. Yes, a slave

Anyone who has seen and heard about the dungeons and the reaction of Africans from the diaspora as they tour these places and realise how their ancestors were treated would know. One should take a moment, imagine the chill of the dungeons, where human being were treated like cargo, shackled, degraded and sent marching into waiting ships.

You with a heart, imagine the situation as one enters those places, wondering why a human will do this to another human. Connect with that moment in captivity, pause and take in the moment; submission, helplessness, despair, confusion, inferior, hopelessness, betrayal, who am I, what am I, why am I being treated like an animal?. A broken spirit, hunger, pain, slave. Yes a slave, property of another human.

Young lovers full of hope for the future violently separated along with a growing seed planted in a womb maybe. A spouse, sibling or friend looked with helpless horror as a close one, naked or half naked was forcibly taken away to satisfy the lower desires of a wicked human being, probably a sadist or sodomist. Then there was that gate of no return through which slaves were marched to be packed like goods; a journey into the unknown in the holds of ships. And thence began the attempt of writing on the very genetic code of a people to accept second class citizenship in a world made for all. Yet they survived, and fought to achieve equality. And on the mother continent, Osagyefo Kwame Mkrumah planted a seed that germinated, resulting in this great meeting.
　
Centuries later, a descendant of one of those slaves,

So, centuries later, a descendant of one of those slaves, married to a son of Africa sired to a descendant of the masters would have helped show a moment to the world to see. Hopefully, the world would be reminded about the damage that was caused a race and why i t has generally lagged. Most importantly, and this is a long shot, a few African leaders would have been be jolted into reality.

If the minsters of Tourism, Information, the Central region, the CEO of Cape Coast Municipalities and Elmina; if the President and vie-President have the slightest idea of the significance and opportunity this visit provides, they would help bring about that moment.
Give that moment to Africans and the world, then we can begin by going back to a certain statement made by a certain ex president about the slow pace of Ghana’s President Attah-Mills.

VooDoo Child: Nana Is Losing Leverage, Credibility; Party Leadership

2009-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Nana Addo supported that bizarre notion by the NPP

Nana Akuffo Addo had all but positioned himself to be appointed at least to the Council Of State as an Elder Statesman of Ghana after the election results were announced and it was obvious he had lost the elections by the least of margins.

Days ago, Nana had a significant leverage and credibility to do the right thing by conceding and asking to meet Professor Mills privately to discuss the country’s future. He had the advantage of calling some shots and making the greatest political speech in his life to help unite Ghana and calling for peace even as he hurt inside. Accross the pond in the US, Only God knew what Senators Clinton and McCain were thinking when they conceded to now President elect Obama even before the official declarations but they did, putting country first. Still, Nana who comes from a family that contributed to the march towards Ghana’s emancipation and run as a strong human rights goofed and is declaring himself unfit to lead any national state or political institution, including his party.

Nana Addo supported that bizarre notion by the NPP to prevent the elections in the Tain constituency, perhaps banking on an Abban style judgment to stop Ghana’s Electoral Commission from conducting the electioins. This was one of the most dangerous moves ever by the NPP and one writer rightly called it an attempted coup. Nana is a successful lawyer in his own right who practised internationally, and a three term Member of Parliament. He was one time Ghana’s official lawyer as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

He knew the implication and expected fallout from that law suit

He knew the implication and expected fallout from that law suit filed by the NPP. There could have been a stalemate and by 7th January, Ghana would still have no official President as the Commander In Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces? Anybody associated with that dangerous move is a disgrace to Ghana as, this proud black African country strives to prove the resolve of black Africa to be independent, progressive and democratic.

People should take a moment and savour the atmosphere in Ghana now. The Executive, Legislature and Judicial arms of government, all intact, the Forth Estate, the media doing its work. Ghana is not front page news on CNN, FOX, AP, Skyy, Al Jaazeera Reuters, BBC and co. Stores and banks have reopened and people are still calling in radio programs attempting to insult people by heart. Freedom is what we have. What does the illustrious son of Abuakwa want?

All those still calling on both parties and both presidential candidates to work together, respect the EC, and calling for peace are missing the point. The process has moved beyond that. It is a matter of fact that they will work together but simply put, Nana Akuffo Addo is misbehaving and calls should be directed specifically at Nana Addo to concede and call for unity.

Maybe its time to start working with moderates in the NPP

Perhaps it was good that Samia Nkrumah, Dr. Kwesi Ndoum and the CPP, Edward Mahama and the PNC decided to do the cowardly thing by not picking a side in the runoff. Now is their time to choose between a strong long last democracy. None of the afore mentioned personalities is fit to lead the country or even a ministry if they cannot make a bold and rightful decision if even if it would make them unpopular.

For Atta Mills and the NDC, maybe its time to start working with moderates in the NPP and allow Nana to continue on his self destructive path. Alan Kyeremanteng and Dan Botwe are good candidates. This is a progressive move to make; if Nana Akuffo Addo would put his personal ambitions and pride before Ghana, start ignoring him and start working with people from the New Patriotic Party who are really patriotic in the real sense of the word. Wherever you are Baah Wiredu, you are sorely missed.

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

2008-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-03T07:58:00.000-08:00

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.

The Golden Stool Of Accra, Ghana’s Bling (Second Half)

2008-11-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

We even inserted the Castle into our coat of arms

Most national executive or official buildings have stories to tell. The Union buildings of South Africa are seen as a masterpiece. It was where pale faces planned and executed some of the most nefarious acts against humans especially soot faces. We know how the story ended and how soot faces now head those buildings, the first being Nelson Mandela. Number 10 Downing street, the official residence of the British Prime Minster has a history of backroom deals and machinations behind its construction.

Our own Christianborg Castle, or the Castle may have the richest history of any official residence yet. That castle was the center stage of the first successful coup in Ghana and arguably Africa when an adventurer named Asamani took over the castle and its operations from its Danish owners who first constructed it and used it as a slave trading post. The British took over and did extensive repairs to it based on the original plans and it served as a post against slave trading and as the seat of government. Then the proud black nation of Ghana took over the castle peacefully and also made it into our seat of government. We even inserted the Castle into our coat of arms.

Today, some astute pragmatic people with great foresight and judgment have imposed on the people, a 45 million dollar plus stool like structure to represent the people of Ghana and named it The Golden Jubilee House. It is difficult not to take a moment off writing to have a hearty laugh. Off course the people up north did not really matter. Wasn’t there a time when we referred to a part of the north as overseas? And what is all that noise about animal skin anyways. Still in the north; the Labanga mosque, built and designed by Africans from African materials and by Allah in the 15th century. It is still standing no?. Maybe it is too old to base the design of the stool house on it; just a wild idea.

Foreigners building the seat of our sovereign power

We just have to thank those who executed the project for reinforcing our determination as black people by taking money from foreign lands, employing foreign brains to design it and using Africans as laborers. Take a moment off to clap and say ayeekoo and then you realize the sickening part of it; foreigners building the seat of our sovereign power, the ultimate dream of the any espionage guru of that foreign country. Remember the Entebe raid and how it succeeded becasue Israelis actually built the building housing the hostages and Britain built that airport , and they kept the blue print?

So the bulk of the Accra Golden Stool loan actually went back to the country of origin. But it would have been nice to hear the views of the great patriots Amon Kotei, Philip Gheho, Theodosia Okoh, and Ephaim Amu who all gave us national symbols. Maybey the views of their descendants. It would also be interesting to hear the views of the Ghana Institute of Engineers. Ghana Institute of Architects, GhIE and the Association of Building & Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana. Members of the afore mentioned organizations should be holding their heads proud for their contribution to the golden stool of Accra.

Lets conclude with an idea. Tell the people of Ghana about the project and solicit their views, ask people to submit designs. This should also be a project assignment for students of all the allied courses like engineering, planning, construction, and architecture in all tertiary institutions. Each region or geographical significance of Ghana would have to be represented and or a symbol that unites the people of Ghana should be incorporated in the design. Finally, consideration must be given to the black star in the middle of Ghana’s flag and or Ghana being the home of pan Africanism. A short list of the best proposals would be made and voted on by the people. Each region would be asked to contribute volunteers for the project and asked to donate something significant for the building and to furnish it. Wild imaginations but we believe so save that for that proposal by the Ghana Institute of Architects. For now, we have a golden stool to sit on.

Right now, VooDoo Child is practicing; "the Castle, Golden Jubilee House, the Castle, Golden Jubilee House, the Castle, the Stool." Nice Stool Mr. President

The Golden Stool Of Accra, Ghana (First Half)

2008-11-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

This stool building could be the key to unlocking Ghana’s potentials

To you the against people of the Accra Golden Stool, you want the president to use the castle as his executive mansion. The same castle that was used as a slave trading post and once habited by a man who never feared God. That man who once asked a disputant to go swear at a Nogokpo shrine and had as his chief watchman,a man known as gbagbladza. "Mo yare papa," egya K may have muttered.

The back and forth on the presidential mansion include, the Castle being an ex slave post, Ghana needed a mansion befitting the country, misplaced priorities and the cost of the project. President Kuffour’s opponents forgot what a rich country Ghana was with a gold sword made of pure gold as a symbol of presidential power. It was that which necessitated such accouterments as the presidential medal and chain, bling bling.

So to all those expressing outrage at the president’s decision to build for himself a new bling house, stop wasting your time. This stool building could be the key to unlocking Ghana’s potentials. The president never used the Castle as his home and the offices at there were not in good shape to so he could not organise himself. It could have been the reason why he undertook 130 trips out of the country looking for solutions to govern this proud nation to the promise land.

How dare you compare President Kufuor to Jean Bedel Bokassa

How it felt like to go sleep in executive mansions on these trips and come home to work in a hen coop is a matter best left to the cockerel to decide. Now that he is moving in to steal his successor’s thunder, we should expect some miracles. But how dare you compare President Kufuor to Jean Bedel Bokassa the former president of Central African republic who crowned himself emperor and proudly displayed medals of honor, some acquired from the French. And don’t you dare compare him to the great Mobutu Sese Seko a.k.a. Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga a.k.a Joseph Desiree Mobutu. This man who build mansions allover the place. Just because the 14 days ultimatum issued against persons who accused him of that comparison expired does not mean they were of the same stock.

The first edition of VooDoo Child titled, "chest out your bling Mr. President," has more toli on adorning oneself with ornaments and living large as an Africa thing, a black thang. Bling bling is a term that may have been formalized through hip hop by African Americans but Africans were long into bling and hip hop even before slavery. From the look of things, we are still masters of bling bling,

An edifice befitting the status of Cote d’Ivoire

Other adventures in ostentatious expenditure and show of legitimately acquired wealth include the biggest church in the world next door in Cote d’Ivore’s administrative capital, Yamoussoukro. The late President Félix Houphouët-Boigny decided to build an edifice befitting the status of Cote d’Ivoire and his devotion to God. Ding, dong, the word is "befitting;" not to forget that the late president wanted an image representation of himself near Jesus Christ in the church. Houphouët-Boigny was taking bling to a divine level.

Honorable mention must be made of Teodoro Nguema Obiang junior a.k.a Little Teodoro, son of President Teodoro Nguema Obiang of Equatorial Guinea. Per capita income, that island’s citizens are the third wealthiest people in the world courtesy of new oil discoveries. The average person however lives on less than a dollar per day. And Little Teodoro, he bought a 35 million dollar villa in California to help him discharge his duties properly as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. He divides his time in official travels between that villa, and other mansions in South Africa and other parts of the world. Ding, another bell rings; "official travels." Yet this is not at all in comparison to the 130 trips that President Kufuor took outside the country in discharge of his duties, never. Mr. President was seeking investors and honoring invitations whereas little Teodoro was driving fast cars and partying with the fairer sex.

A revisit of the argument about the castle being a slave post; on 20th January, descendants of slaves and relatives of such would have become masters of a mansion that was largely built using slave labor. A mansion that housed slaves who served masters known as President of the United States. Such masters included, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams. These were some of the founding presidents of the US and guess who is inheriting them now?

The known and unknowns about Intelligence and Francis Poku

2008-11-09T22:39:00.000-08:00

If only President Hilla Lihman had paid heed to them

"Kojo Tsikata would turn into a cat at night and slip past the guards to do his thing. Somtimes he turns into a gbagbladza (cockroach) and slips past them during the day to help plan his activities" Those were some of the rumors then and if only President Hilla Lihman had paid heed to them, maybe Ghana’s history would have been vastly re-written.

The house was in the most prestigious part of Accra, the Airport Residential area and it was located not far from Association school. There were always two Pegeout cars, a caravan and a saloon with some BNI watchmen stretched in the car, wasting tax dollars in the name of national security. Their job was to make sure that Kojo Tsikata, a master of unconventional warfare planned his tactics at home.

The rest is history as we know it so what were they thinking when they tried similar move on Francis Poku, the national security man who inherited Tsikata’s successor? This was the man charged with preventing dawn announcements, and helping to ensure the security of the nation, and that included protecting the presidency. The job description did not say never to consult with the 99 Gods of Fanteland. Makes you wonder what animal or roach Francis Poku manifested into when he slipped by his watchwomen to make his way to pay homage to Queen Elisabeth II. May be he took Drobo Air, like that famous herbalist who reportedly discovered an AIDS cure but vanished into thin air back to Ghana from Japan where he said he was being held prisoner.

Francis Poku’s flight capped rumours

Poku’s story is not strange. He allegedly grew scornful of his boss and would not quit as requested. The president resorted to that old trick used in appointing, disappointing, shuffling, rewarding or punishing friends and ambitious people in government. He resorted to an evening announcement. Very effective and you could not do anything about it even if you were a direct descendant of the most famous Ghanaian fetish priest Okomfo Anokye or Okomfo Bonsam the man still giving some Pentecostal pastors the fright.

Francis Poku’s flight capped rumours about his unintentional attempt to prematurely commune with the Gods forever and that was the whole dilemma. How do you eliminate a cat, a big cat without suspicion. But first, it would be easy to dismiss such rumours until you take a VooDoo eye look at acts of other security and intelligence bosses. The name first name to mention is J Edgar Hoover, the legendary first Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.

J Edgar Hoover was also the longest serving director who outlasted 5 presidents as FBI Director and worked with 8 US presidents in total. Two main reasons, he was good at his job and had a lot of political clout while also amassing information on most of them. They were scared to touch him because of what he might know. Sometimes it was just a bluff. Here was a man who sent tapes of Martin Luther King junior’s extra marital affairs to the latter’s wife.

Francis Poku however grew scornful

Back home in Ghana, the man Kojo T was said to have grown scornful of his boss over some alleged extra curricular acts that the intelligence boss did not disapprove but that was in the latter years of that rule. Francis Poku however grew scornful early on because he might not have known unknowns or he might have known those unknowns including the known. Anyone who found the last sentence a trifle difficult to comprehend would appreciate that intelligence and security is about a whole lot of unknowns and known; and planning to be ready for anything.

Former US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfield’s famous quote best explains. He was quoted as saying; "There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know" With a mind shackling quote as that, what prevented the man from becoming scornful and once insisted on President Bush calling him when then National Security Advisor Condelaza Rice called his attention to a situation that fell under his purview? Off course the man won an award for that quote but was also shown the exit by his Boss too late in his tenure.

How dare you bring in domesticated cats to corner a big cat like the lion?

People like J Edgar Hoover, Kojo Tsikata, Donald Rumsfeld and Francis Poku failed to appreciate the human weaknesses in their bosses and in the act, fell victim to their own human weakness, pride. The fundamental question remains solid, what do you do with someone powerful who has no known and unknown information regarding 14 day ultimatums and a certain hotel near the HIPC flyover and has become scornful of the boss? Alright, what do you do with this person after telling him "fri me fie ko"?

Whatever fate that was written for him by mere mortals, Mother Fate did not approve of it and besides how dare you bring in domesticated cats to corner a big cat like the lion? The thing however about being a security and intelligence capo is, you either shove it and serve your boss even as you grow powerful or resign honourably in disgust if you thought your moral values were being insulted. One of the bosses mentioned may have done that but the unknowns and knowns about the knowns and unknowns are not really known or unknown.

Ma Frema, it was your name

2008-11-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

If you were called Busia or Nkrumah, that sure is an asset in Ghana

A name is a herald, announcing you, it could open doors for you, get you a good job, a date or get you into the prestigious schools and clubs. Your name could be a magnet, attracting all the right people to you. Then again that same herald could announce you in a bad way, closing doors in your face and restricting you from all the places you need or want to be. Your name could be so repulsive people would spit in disgust after mentioning your name

Your name could help buy you a grand hotel near the Tetteh Quarshie overpass or help you enrol briefly at the Ghana International School. There is no good or bad name, it is all relative unless you were called, say, Ahelege and you decided that not everybody liked okro soup which helps lubricate the tongue making it easier to pronounce it so you shorten it to Ahey. Yeah, that sounds friendlier.

If you were called Busia or Nkrumah, that sure is an asset in Ghana at any time now, more so if you were the real deal; that is if you were directly related to the two founding fathers of Ghana. There has always been pressure on these people to continue in he family tradition or stay out. The pressure on Samia and Sekou Nkrumah, and Frema Busia to carry on the torch of their fathers in politics or stay out of it like their other siblings is one only they can attest to.

To have a name like Nkrumah, Busia, Danquah, Rawlings, Kuffuor, may be an asset however assets have their downside and could depreciate and become a liability. In the case of Frema, it was obvious that the government would want such an asset around especially to reassure the diehard UP followers and that is all about it. Anything else is straying into dangerous territory.

When Frema Busia got to understand the workings of the game

An independent minded and educated woman named Busia holding a front line position in government, what are you nuts? Poor Francis Poku, the chief warden in that "political prison" called National Security should have just accepted his "prisoner" with humility instead of being "too known" about the security of the country and insisting on working with professionals. Whoever heard of people launching or boosting their political career as watchmen or watchwomen. Unless you were planning a Putin style political move. Then, being a watchman should have been a choice.

When Frema Busia got to understand the workings of the game, the players had already moved on and that must have been painful to realize. All that while, "damn I was the ball, I was the ball I was the ball?" Beware the scorn of woman; and she went to town, exercising that scorn, spilling the beans hitting where it hurts most. Her press statement reminded one of that letter written by the jilted angry girl from Besease who wrote, "God will beat you with a stick and eat my case for me" in a long letter to her ex. That letter actually ended, "I will show you wise, apiitor"

she redefined what a political prisoner meant

Frema’s own aunt sought to distance herself from her while implying that her niece’s head needed a little poking. Anyone who wants to judge Frema must remember his or her most painful and heartbreaking experience and remember whatever action he or she wanted to take. Frema did bravely and with a stroke of the pen she redefined what a political prisoner meant and promoted her status to that of people like Akoto Ampaw, Kwesi Pratt, and the number one former political prisoner, Nelson Mandela. It could have been worse, nobody died and all we had was a ten pager that was even easier to read than VooDoo Child.

Yes beware the scorn of a woman, but beware the wrath of man. Yet, mostly, beware the machinations of men.

14 Day Ultimatum in a 14 Day Ultimatum

2008-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

The mother of all 14 day ultimatums was yet to expire

14 day ultimatums appears to be the ultimate directive now to be taken seriously. Your children misbehaving or your workers taking the job for granted, issue a 14 day ultimatum and fold your arms. Maybe your campaign not shaking the elephant as desired or your patient not following your advise, just issue a 14 day order and he would go on diet and drink water to lose weight.
The mother of all 14 day ultimatums was yet to expire when another 14 day was issued by the main government lawyer, Joe Ghartey. In association with the IGP, Joe Ghartey made it plain plain! People being held unlawfully in prison would be released until a case could be made against them. The Ghana Police was to follow this directive or personnel involved in the unlawful practice would be disciplined. Sweet.

Real sweet, and here is the crux of the news report; "according to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, his outfit would take steps to ensure that remand prisoners were released on bail if police prosecutors did not take steps to renew their warrants within the given period.""Section 169 (2) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act 1960, Act 30, as amended by Section 17 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2002, provides that "a court shall not adjourn a case for more than 14 days where the accused person is on remand".The warrants for more than 300 remanded prisoners at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison alone have expired, with some of the prisoners having been on remand for several months without any court appearance, the report concluded

Remand could also mean you need to buy a phone card or make a HIPC call
It is obvious after reading the last three paragraphs that, the sweetness turns to sour for those affected. Police prosecutors just have to renew their warrants and back in the can, they go to await another renewal. But that number, 300 represented only Nsawam which houses Ghana’s celebrity prisoners. If you were in a heavenly prison near the Paga Crocodile Pond, you would shut up and be content with an expired remand and not being given the "opportunity" to clean the pond, as that kind of prisoner.

Joe Ghartey, too known

Remanding suspects in prison may not be a terrible idea as it may seem. A suspect could be remanded pending further investigation or for her own protection because she may have be a suspected ritual killer with a contract on her head issued by the victim’s village. Remand could also mean you need to buy a phone card or make a HIPC call or text your aunties in jaaman and or Bush country to scrap some money for you while you raid your family fortunes to sell whatever bling you could afford to part with, to raise "cola" money.

Do not ask "cola for who," you dummy. Did you not read what that circuit judge in Offinso said when he remanded some rioters into custody and demanded 20 million cedis to free them ? You were lucky your beloved was not sentenced but rather given extension to raise the money. Next time your court reporter cousin thrice removed comes to tell you, "oh, anyemi, akee remand eei". You know what to do.

And by now the koti people and all that line of people in the "remand food chain", from the judges through the state attorneys’ office would mutter Joe Ghartey's name while invoking the wrath of the gods. Joe Ghartey, too known "twea kai, ah, kakraa ye be di enti." Jealousy go say

Oman Panyin Kufuor was fashionably late

Meanwhile Joe, undaunted was in The Hague on business with his boss, the issuer of the main ultimatum. The Hague is the real administrative capital of Netherlands and it is where Queen Beatrix resides and performs her official duties. It is also the seat of the world court, the judicial branch of the United Nations where international court cases are handled peacefully to prevent June 4 uprisings and Iraq invasions. Ooh, oh snap, The Hague was where a certain wild allegation of billionaire agreements was transferred for arbitration no? Explains why Joe Ghartey issued that ultimatum?

Then Oman Panyin Kufuor was fashionably late for an event organized for him while in the Hague and nefarious minds with wicked imagination connect that to a no existence case. Come to think of it, he was not even late as reported and all those standing in the cold weather shivering just forgot to add 3 hours African time to their time. That is aside the fact that black people and cold weather just do not mix. When was the last time we saw a black skier or ski jumper or skater. So Oman Panyin was actually 2 hours early and again no, it had nothing to do with the case referred to as'wicked lies and a figment of the imagination of the NDC.

What is known about President Kuffour’s trip

Lets try this for imagination of the figment, the President was in The Hague on a three day visit at a time when a wild case was supposed to be in arbitration there. You’ve got to love monarchs like Queen Elisabeth and Queen Beatrix. Playing quiet diplomacy is their boon in modern times. Queen Beatrix’ invite to our "dear leader" was rightly timed. So was Justice Abban’s decision to send Rawling’s brain into the can. Who knows more about Ghana’s oil than the man Tsatsu, a friend to Joe Ghartey. The alleged case was about oil no, whose oil, Ghana’s oil, and the foremost Ghanaian authority on our oil is? Ayayaa, he is a lawyer too but not just another lawyer. Wild coincidences in a figment of imagination only the wicked could imagine.

What is known about President Kuffour’s trip for sure; he was never in court or a private meeting negotiating Ghana’s debts to The Netherlands or finalizing discussions on the "The Making of An African Billionaire" a proposed movie based on another figment of wild imaginations. We know for sure because the president’s itinerary was revealed. But where was he as the kukrudu people waited for him dressed in their best Kente wear yelling ehe edzo bodoo? Nana Akuffo Addo sure has some appeasement to do when he becomes president or opposition leader .

Program of action to mitigate the social cost of adjustment to confinement

Meantime, within the 14 day ultimatum, we expect a morning conversation such as this in a Fante household, "darling afa wo pills aa," a sweet feminine voice asks. "Engnor medo, maafa me vitamins. Enkayea?" Sounds unlike a household headed by a certain professor proving his macho abilities to the world, stumping on the campaign trail.

Also within the 14 days, someone or persons would have completed a program of action to mitigate the social cost of adjustment to confinement, PAMSCAD. Actually that should be PAMSCADCO, the updated version of the PNDC program that sought to alleviate the Rawlings Chain. Those were wilder days of imagination. But here is to waiting 14 days within 14 days.

Health Status, Professor Mills; Bank Account, President Kufour

2008-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

We heard Professor Mills was unfit to occupy the new presidential palace

Acting to malign the opponent or prove one’s guilt, it is a rat race by President Kuffuor’s detractors and himself to outdo each other.

We heard Professor Mills was unfit to occupy the new presidential palace and would not be able to gallivant all over the world in a presidential jet hunting for investors and pocketing per diem. Maybe the president did not say those exact words but for a president of a country to drop a bomb on the health status of another statesman attempting to succeed him sure meant more than just a a national security issue.

The storm from President Kuffour’ statements had not settled when the First Citizen of Ghana was himself accused of something only former Zairean President Mobutu Seseko had attempted and succeeded, being a sitting African billionaire head of state. Billionaire in American dollars, not Zimbabwean dollars. Remember how that former president of now Dr. Congo had more than 5 billion dollars in his personal account while his country owed that much to its debtors? Coincidence or stupidity, Maybe both.

The professor made it clear to Kofi Annan

Back to Professor Mills, he was reportedly drinking only water when people were cutting and tossing tots (shots) and quarters of akpets, while others were cracking beer bottles at an event for former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The thing is, some medications just do not see eye to eye with alcohol and you could be dispatched prematurely to the land of the forefathers for mixing say aspiring with agiman, a.k.a Alombo bitters, Ginseng and Mandingo Bitters.

So, making his doctor proud the presidential candidate must be, people thought. But the professor made it clear to Kofi Annan that his health was not an issue and he was not on any medication. Agya Mills insisted that common aspirin which is known to be a life saver for at risk of stroke people was not even on his list, as he went at length to prove his innocence; his physical abilities to man the throne once held by both his idols, Kwame Nkrumah and the living one.

That was classic Mills, the man who shut his two families up by proving his manhood with his wife’s understanding a long time ago. This potential First Lady to be must be commended for her strength and acceptance. But the other move by the professor to prove his readiness for the high office was intriguing. Gye Namye Concord editor , Ogbame was forced to take a crash course in human anatomy to examine Professor Mills. Candidate Mills took his clothes off to prove to the editor that no white African doctor used a knife on him as alleged. Luckily, there were witnesses present to prevent any accusations and counter accusations of gay advances after that male body inspection. If only a tenth of African politicians would provide proof of their innocence as Professor Mills demonstrated, songs like Africa Money by Sidney could be ear piercing.

We the NDC did not say that

The "people" however must have been fuming, seeing all these unfolding about their presidential candidate. They prepared a package of their own and delivered it, "President Kufour was once a billionaire" they yelled. This serious accusation was allowed to marinate until a threat from the colonial mansion "jolted" Hannah Tetteh. "We did not say that and yes the accusation was political but we the NDC did not say that even though it came from Victor Smith the former spokesman of our founder and leader." True, but if shots were fired from a building, that building takes centre stage too with the person who fired the shots abi?

President Kufuor’s quick move to prove his innocence by issuing a 14 day ultimatum supported by his chief investigative journalist, Kweku Baako junior was at first baffling. An order to his accusers to prove his guilt or else.... Why not take action now? Yet, all those who thought Victor Smith should start prepping himself to meet Justice Abban, then off course a meeting with Tsatsu Tsikata at Nsawam, got an added spice to the matter. Well dodged, the man implied. " I have evidence but I do not have evidence and I will say it but I will not tell." Said differently but that kind of no talk could only be deciphered by VooDoo Child.

Phones bugged, debugged and rebugged

It is difficult to determine which of the accusations is more serious. The health status of a man who could possibly become president or the changing bank account of a sitting president. No one should expect the president to take Attah Millss route and start revealing his bank statements and assets. That is a national security issue but expect the 14 day ultimatum to be the ultimate days of suspense in Ghana’s history.

That day, Ghana would say Akwaaba 14th day and the country could enter the Guinness Books of Records as having produced a sitting billionaire president or not. One thing for sure, people are busily having sleepless nights trying to make things right behind the scenes. Be it making sure medications and diet regiments are adhered to, accounts balanced properly, sources interviewed and reinterviewed, phones bugged, debugged and rebugged, snooping on conversations, begging for extension and mercy and making fervent phone calls. VooDoo Child and you, we wait.

Professor Mills on cruise control, where is the convoy?

2008-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

From the word go at that fateful NDC rally in Swedru, it had been Professor Attah Mills verses the NDC establishment. The tricky part yet, the establishment was headed by the very person who "established" the NDC, the founder, chief inspirer, doctor doctor.

Who in his right mind would head such a party, be it the position of chairman or the presidential candidate. Disaster loomed the moment Obed Asamoah took the chair; hitherto divided twice if you consider the co chairmanship and the hand of the doctor doctor, and attempted to consolidate power in the chair. There was no peace until he was pushed out.

The NDC obviously derived strength from its diversity as an off shoot of the PNDC which was a meeting point of all Ghanaian political traditions. Oman Panyin Kuffour did his second internship in the PNDC government, one of many from the Danquah Busiah tradition. The rest were mainly Nkrumahists and revolutionaries. It is that strength in diversity backed by the "establishment" of the Rawlings faction that made the PNDC and thence the NDC. The machinery of the establishment was the cadres with those dominant pragmatic intellectuals Vincent Assiseh, former NDC Press Secretary described. In Assiseh’s words, the "NDC was a movement" and Attah-Mills has never been in charge of that movement as its spearhead leading to elections. The spearhead may not be blunt but it is not sharp enough.

Attah-Mills, when he was named running mate in 1996 was the right choice in keeping with the traditions of the PNDC, bringing qualified people into the government for their attributes, not loyalty. It would have been political suicide or even hypocritical to seriously oppose his nomination then. But the Swedru declaration and subsequent imposition of him on the party was his Achilles heel. He was tainted for the rest of his political carrier the moment he accepted the imposition and Attah-Mills has himself to blame for the continued existence of the National Reform Party and the wayward Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere.

When prof. tasted the soup, he should have drank it all yet he took spoonfuls, he should have moved to take control of the party and help built it into a solid machinery. He ignored or rather, was helpless to the concerns of the cadres who became Reform Movement then the Reform Party and that caused the worse damage to the NDC. To understand the position of Professor Attah Mills in the NDC; ask, what would he be without the backing of President Rawlings. What is Thabo Mbeki without the backing of Nelson Mandela or Jacob Zumah. Professor Mills was not self made in the NDC and did not play the political game to control the party. The establishment did not fully accept him, yet the establishment was headed by his guardian who is also leader of the party.
The founder and leader of the party does his own"thing" aside the party, the Attah Mills campaign do their own thing while off shoots of the PNDC / NDC do their own thing and one writer referred to the Mills campaign as being in cruise control. Cruise control is always good but if the highway has a minimum speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour and you are cruising below or averaging that speed, your competition’s taillights must be looking attractive and fading.

Professor Mills and his party has also not made overtures to the other political parties. The last we heard was that a certain doctor was willing to become his running mate. But here is Professor Mills and the NDC cruising while the CPP tries to discover its roots as the PNC stands firm. The last "serious"attempt by the NDC to reach out to another party was when then chairman Obed visited a warrior called Dan Augustas Lartey and his Great Consolidated Party for cocoa drinks. Then there is the Democratic Freedom Party still with Dr. Obed Asamoah. The other parties matter but are not king makers like the ones mentioned above who do not seem to be graduating towards NDC.

The 2000 elections was not necessarily a vote to bring the NPP into power as a vote against the NDC. The vote was for an alternative to the NDC and NPP happened to be that alternative going into a loose alliance with the other parties. It was also what the NPP anticipated and their leader, now President Kuffour said it in a BBC interview in 2000.

The 2008 elections may well turn out to be a vote against the NPP and if the NDC is that alternative is Professor Mills cruising just ahead of the political parties’ convoy or far ahead trying hard alone to overtake one political party holding the upper cards?

Bringing GBA into esteem "undisrepute"

2008-10-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

YOUR LAWYER IS ONE OF FOUR PEOPLE ON EARTH YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE HONEST WITH

When involved in an accident or arrested by the police, the advise always given is, never to talk until you have spoken to a learned friend. That leaned friend could be the difference between life and death or life imprisonment ala OJ Simpson 13 years ago or the difference between going home a millionaire or going home with pittance in a claims case.

Indeed your lawyer is among one of 4 people you should always be honest with and, attorney client privilege protects you from your lawyer. The others you should be honest with, your doctor, your priest and off course your spouse. Off course your spouse who is the sugar in your tea, the butter to your bread or kose to your kooko until divorce do us part and you are hit with a million dollar suit. Its when you slap your head like super OD wondering, why why why, what devil did I marry? Then your lawyer takes your spouse’s place regarding the afore mentioned accolades.

Those lawyers, a good one beside you is the ultimate earth angel, giving you guidance, advising you on ways to play hide and seek with the law. On the opposite side of you, and he is the devil incarnate on earth. Its why they are buried face down when they are recalled by the gods to come and wine and dine in eternity. Not true but it is what we believed growing up no? Facing their master Satan himself? Urban myths, urban myths but the truth is that lawyers do what they have sworn to do when they were called to the bar; whether it is defending the most obnoxious repeat offence criminal or an obviously innocent person, or sentencing another learned friend, all within the law. Or beside the law.

DR OBED ASAMOAH MAINTAINED HIS GOOD STANDING WHILE IN "BAD STANDING."

The truth also is that lawyers are always held in high esteem and there is no country in this world that would not boast of a bar association that is highly respected. Our own Ghana Bar Association, they stood by us, speaking against human rights abuses and advocating the rule of law. That fraternity maintained its integrity and being in good standing order with it is a must. Even former Attorney General Dr Obed Asamoah maintained his good standing while in "bad standing." He supported the tribunals and that criminal press law yes? The fact is, GBA had our back, military or civilian government, it was a given assurance for me and you.

We looked forward to GBA commenting on jurisprudence, on resolved cases, socio-economic and political issues. They even noted the increasing number of drinking bars in the country in 2000. In 2008 there was a sentencing of one of their members and we awaited their comment, a reaction, something, anything, but the silence was deafening. It was so loud, the rants of Tony Lither, Dr. Boom and a football club named Free Tsatsu Tsikata Movement were drowned.

THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR

The only GBA in the news was one headed, oh, also by a learned friend Foa Amoaning. Then GBA spoke, broke its silenced and mouthed what everyone knew, Justice Abban erred in her judgement on the side of politics. No, Osah Mills cannot speak for GBA? President Kuffuor cannot speak for Ghana? Let him be silenced then. Not oman panyin. He was overthrown in the closest thing to a coup d’etat you could ever have in such a fraternity.

Most intriguing is the statement of the year, "the actions of ex GBA President Nii Osah Mills has brought the entire administration of justice into disrepute." For sure, so what do we call the comments of Kyerikyie Opoku, Dr. Boom and Tony Lithur. Wait, what do we call the appointment of additional judges to the Supreme Court just to influence a case in a different direction. Ah, how do we describe Justice Abban’s initial actions which has resulted in all these ruckus all over the place.

Ex GBA President Ossa Mills spoke "too soon" or "too late" but he spoke his mind and the truth, and those are fundamental qualities of the Ghana Boxing Authority, GBA. The good news yet, GBA decided to appoint a permanent representative to the court whenever Tsikata visits to address it. That is the revelation worthy of at least a three pager assignment at the Makola school.

A RARE BREED OF HUMANKIND, KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU

2008-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

MY ENCOUNTER WITH KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU

My real encounter with Honourable Baah Wiredu was brief and pleasantly refreshing even though the circumstances were unfortunate. Parts of Accra were flooded after heavy rains in June 2001. Then Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu was making the rounds of the affected areas. I caught up with him just as he was about to leave after inspecting the East Legon drains that had overflowed causing floods in the area. He stopped as soon as he saw me and a colleague. I identified myself and he said warmly, "Oh you are the one" as he put a name to a face. We shook hands and he immediately explained the situation at East Legon and mentioned other flooded areas that they were concerned about.

Anyone imagining the scenario should appreciate what is being described here. Here was a minister who was about to leave a scene but saw a reporter and recognized the need to communicate, to tell the people what had happened and what they were doing about it while reassuring them. He knew what I wanted and he delivered without me asking. I also recognized that he had to go and did not press on any questions. Then he shocked me by giving me "solidarity." He gave me that deep honest look and hushed my protests. How could you refuse such a man?

WE PARTED ON A GOOD NOTE

Maybe I portrayed an overworked, underpaid and under utilized journalist who was only clinging on to hope for survival. The rest of the conversation is vague now but we parted on a good note and promised to be in touch and he gave me his private number. The rest of my encounter with him as with most Ghanaians was on TV and we all saw his calm demeanor and the way he carried himself.

That his untimely passing evoked the same reaction from his aisle and across also revealed a kind of despair; why such a man who was needed during this heated political climate should pass on. You just have to read about the reaction from all the Johns and the leading men of the other political parties to understand Honorable Baah Wiredu’s standing with them. That is a not to those making a grab for his parliamentary seat.

FOR MOTHER FATE AND MOTHER NATURE TO PERMIT THIS

We would never really understand why this untimely turn of events just as we would never understand how other great men like John and Robert Kennedy and Yshak Rabbin would lose their lives when they were sorely needed. For Mother Fate and Mother Nature to permit this indicates one thing, the really honorable gentleman Kwadwo Baah Wiredu has fulfilled his destiny.

To you the family of this rare species of a human being, you are honored and respected for the sacrifice, allowing him to serve the nation. People have experienced your pain, everybody would at a point experience your loss but for now, we all experience your pain and loss together. Rest In Peace Honorable Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Hede nyuie

Showing John Who The Real John Is

2008-09-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

John warned Lihman, John warned John and both Johns delievered

President Rawlings, banned, seven ex security rebels, banned and we are really surprised at the turn of events. That warning was issued; that historic presidential debate in 2000, the one John "already in motion" boycotted, probably on the advise of John then of the Castle. John warned that if John went about with any too known activities after leaving office, he would show him who the real John was. Interesting, John warned Lihman, John warned John and both Johns delivered. But that was some debate, the debate that stressed the meaning of the simple words, thank you, reiterated by CNN Johanesburg beareau chief, Charleyene Gaunther-Halt the debate moderator. "Thank you thank you thank you" she rattled on attempting to quiet down the enthusiastic audience. Thank you John for the ban.

For good measure, the ban on John the ex was not uncalled for because one way John used to release stress was to jump into a Ghana Air force jet and fly away to get close to God in the sky. Why not follow VooDoo Child who would just dance like crazy to release stress. John is no ordinary pilot either, he won the coverted Speed Bird trophy and that trophy was all that mattered if you were in the Air Force Academy. You could graduate top of the class but if you could not fly the jet right under the Adomi bridge and do a tail spin, how could you fly the President of Ghana and manoeuver the presidential jet in a difficult situation if say, your landing gear failed. Or, if you hit a very difficult air pocket, a.k.a "pot holes" during the glorious days of Ghana Airways. God have mercy if John felt stressed out, jumped into an Airforce jet and flew right past the new presidential mansion.

Ten Alavanyo pistols, ten strategic broadcast stations

So it was that John made good on his promise and clipped John’s wings when the former became president. Just curious about the latest ban on the ex security capos, what if one of them suddenly had a bout of diarrhoea and was near a so called military installation and wanted to use the john, what if it was John himself? He would be arrested, locked up and given an ex presidential treatment, not so?. Exactly the kind of treatment that he was enjoying before he was rescued for that dawn broadcast in 1979. Colonel Bogey March, that was the martial song played over and over again on June 4, 1979 on GBC radio. It is still the number one martial song in the world, that song, should a radio station add it to its playlist by sheer coincidence or design, you think the program director would still have a job or he would be invited to have tea Kibaki style. Military installations huh? Ten Alavanyo pistols, ten strategic broadcast stations, a prepared statement and off course a Colonel Bogey march song timed to play at dawn and what do you have, an effective ban or organized chaos? Aha, they forgot that one, that vital one that the Generals in the former Soviet Union missed when they attempted to retire their Commander In Chief Premier Gorbachev, without consulting their African counterparts first.

The mafia boss is jealous of the escalating violence in the country

Here is the thing, the man who is responsible for the most stable multi party democracy in Africa, setting up CHRAJ; and an independent electoral commission, the man who handed power to his opponents. This man who is arguable second only to Mandela in popularity among ex presidents on the African continent, the outgone John who was invited instead of the present John to witness a peace treaty signed between rebels in a foreign country. He who privatized the airwaves and saw an expansion of the free press but wielded that sweet press criminal law. The ex dawn broadcaster who indemnified himself resolutely in a constitution he signed would throw all that away. He would throw all that away for a shot at 15 minutes of fame in the new presidential mansion built by John?

Maybe John is jealous of the John who decriminalised that law that "protected" journalists from criminal prosecution. This John that brought us HIPC and a new cedi and wined and dined with Owura Bush and sided with the resolution against Iran. The John that imprisoned Abodakpi and Selormey and Tsikata. A pause, oh, John of ex misses his consiglieri. That should be it, the "mafia boss" calls a meeting of ex capos and discusses the security situation in the country and how to use it to rescue tsikata. No? The Godfather is jealous of the escalating violence in the country that he felt only he had the right to wage. This violence that resulted in deaths and property damage, this violence which has a signature akin to the one written over Ya Naa’s death as John reigned.

What did Fela Anikulopa Kuti say about abongo boys?

The meeting was supposedly non partisan it was reported and the ex service chiefs were expected to release a statement on the security situation, a noble or treacherous move depending on which side of the banned wall you were. This statement would obviously have been presented to government or parliament. They never did that before they were all banned from "staging a coup" The president could not have given this directive arbitarily, meaning, it came at the recommendation of the present security capos. They got scared that the ex security bosses would march into the various barracks, and command the abongo boys to follow their lead. What did FelaAnikulopa Kuti say about abongo boys, what did the stubborn cat say?

A General and her peers are like gods in the regimented services. She 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. Only Buffalo Soldier 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" heeeey, the soldiers cheered. Good for morale but the most verbose Ghanaian General ever was stretching the truth a little there. The General is the ultimate in that disciplined military chain of command which 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 have disaster, disorganised and or organised chaos, dawn broadcasts. A mutiny is the worsts disgrace any commander in the chain of command could face and it is avoided at all cots.

Would you disobey a direct order from your CINC?

The security chiefs must have had reliable intelligence like the one leading to the assassination of the Ya Naa and the unrest in Tamale and Gushiegu. They were not prepared for any mutiny in the ranks no? Roll call, Chief Of Defence Staff, Lt General Joseph Boateng Danquah, Chief Of Army Staff, Major General Samuel Anum Odotei, Chief of the Naval Staff Rear Admiral Arthur Riby Sampa Nuno, Chief of Air Airforce Staff Air Vice Marshal Jo Boateng, Inspector General Of Police Patrick Kwateng Acheampong, Director of Immigration Ms Elisabeth Adjei, Minister Of Defence, Dr. Albert Kan-Dapaah Minister of the Interior Mr. Kwamina Bartels. The question is, are you in control?

The other question to the present security chiefs, if the President of the Republic of Ghana, Commander In Chief Of the Ghana Armed Forces gave you an order to circumvent the constitution, would you obey it? Fair question and it was a focus during the Watergate scandal. 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 offence when it was suggested that President Nixon could ask the military to bail him out instead of leaving office. Would you disobey a direct order from your CINC if it contravened the constitution? Alright, what if the order would result in genocide or if the order would seriously destroy your hard earned reputation forever and muddy the military?

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, luckily the ex security capos in Ghana were banned, luckily, you are banned from reading this.

Excerpts from VooDoo CHild Tomorrow Monday

2008-09-21T14:05:00.001-07:00

The mafia boss is jealous of the escalating violence in the country
Here is the thing, the man who is responsible for the most stable multi party democracy in Africa, setting up CHRAJ; and an independent electoral commission, the man who handed power to his opponents. This man who is arguable second only to Mandela in popularity among ex presidents on the African continent, the outgone John who was invited instead of the present John to witness a peace treaty signed between rebels in a foreign country. He who privatized the airwaves and saw an expansion of the free press but wielded that sweet press criminal law. The ex dawn broadcaster who indemnified himself resolutely in a constitution he signed would throw all that away. He would throw all that away for a shot at 15 minutes of fame in the new presidential mansion built by John?

VooDoo CHild appears in The Daily Express, dzifahhiatsi.blogspot.com/, ghanaweb, modernghana.com myjoyonline.com

"We did not know" what happened in the North. Raising telescope to a blind eye.

2008-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

That gun is useless as a thruster

A story goes that a secondary school in Sekondi set up a cadet corp and wanted rifles to practise for their big parade. They turned to that breeding ground for men, Ghana Secondary Technical School, GSTS for help. GSTS had an established Army Cadet Corp and an armoury stocked with the British Enfield rifle that saw action in World War II. These guns were just like an improved form of the local muskets we call kafugbeng but with magazines.

The firing pins in the Enfields rifles at GSTS armoury were long removed rendering them useless for combat. Removing the firing pin from a gun is like removing the fuel injection system or carburetor from a car’s engine. It is like putting a man in a situation that makes him think, "maybe if I take 10 pills of that magic blue pill at once, it would help" It would not, that gun is useless as a thruster; as the GSTS kafugbengs that could not even fire blanks. That however did not stop the Tarkoradi police from intercepting the vehicle carrying the guns from GSTS.

Whether they were tipped off, whether someone at the T’adi police command did not get his share of other transfers, the most important thing was that the police did their job and stopped a transfer of arms that was not properly authorised and documented, even if those arms were impotent. The fact remained, you could always reinstall firing pins just as you could reinstall a carburetor. There is always hope for man in the gun department and it is why the they refused to put telescope to a blind eye.

"Dem kill Ya Naa o"

"Charley trouble for the North, be like dem wan get Ya Naa o."( )"Dem no fit get am, that man too be powerful. Dem wan start tribal war be dat" That was a telephone conversation between VooDoo Child and another journalist then still residing in Ghana a week prior to Ya Naa’s assassination. When the phone rang again and it showed International call from Ghana, readying oneself for the worse news was inevitable "VooDoo Child, dem kill Yaa Naa o Charley," the journalist friend said.

Who are the "dem" is a fair question to ask. Is it the person or persons who physically killed the king, the people who ordered it, the people who supported it, the people who wanted to take his place, the government of the day, the local government or Ya Naa’s activities? The other questions, who put the telescope to the blind eye, who were the half blind people, who looked the other way while a crime was being committed? Find the answer to the other questions and bingo.

When crime flourishes in an area, one thing people surely do not see is the hand of the police, lawyers, judges, local and state officials. The hand of the very people tasked to prevent and stop crime and protect the people. Which judge was it that allegedly boasted and mentioned all the people in the law enforcement chain including the police and state prosecutor’s office that he had to bribe to redirect a case. This situation is hardly unique to Ghana. When the Chicago mob was busted, the list of " half blinded" officials was that long and surprising and included, judges, police, congressmen, state attorneys, and city officials who got indicted.

"We Did Not Know"

The official story about inaction in ensuring the Ya Na’s safety was that "we did not know." Makes us think of the first official story that occurred more than a century ago that gave birth to a famous idiom that also translates into the "did not know" excuse. Half blind English naval officer Admiral Horatio Nelson at the battle of Copenhagen was ordered to withdraw via a flag signal. Nelson lifted the telescope and put it to the blind eye, and "did not" see it. He won the battle anyway leaving people to wonder what would have happened had he "seen" the signal

So the Taadi police could intercept the transfer of useless arms being carried out by students because of security concerns. Questions still loom about Ya Naa’s death and how to settle matters arising from that unfortunate event. Then there is that war that war referred to as the stupidest war in 2001. National Defense Council Foundation a US defence watchdog concluded that ``what should have been a quarrel between two young men over an act of vandalism escalated into a renewed fight between two ethnic groups,'' the Mamprusi and Kusasi.It actually started over a guinea fowl we were told.

Backtrack to 1994 when VooDoo Child had nightmares after good friend Lt. Anthony Gbadago was killed while on peacekeeping duties in the Kokomba Nanumba war. He was killed by his own countrymen while his mate another young lieutenant, who also lost his life at the hands of his own countrymen a week earlier was being buried. Two gallant soldiers, one alma mata St. Pauls Secondary School. That war was a repeat of that which occurred in the early 80's. Then there was the Gonja Vagla war in the late 70's. Now compare the Tarkoradi police actions to that of all security agencies and security capos responsible for ensuring peace in the Northern Region. Rest in peace all gallant soldiers, security officers who went to keep peace in their beloved country Ghana and were killed. Rest in peace all the innocent victims who were killed by their own country people; black African Ghanaians, actively or inactively or half blind.

"look who’s talking, we never armed militias like the PNDC days"

The picture is wide now. The biggest region in Ghana accommodating volcanoes that could erupt anytime. Yet, according to officials, these volcanoes were so invisible as to assume the character of a needle in a haystack. So who is half blind, who has been half blinded or who is pretending to be half blind to events leading to the unrest in Tamale where a major party’s vice-presidential candidate was fired upon, and the armed clashes in the Gushiegu? Well, Owura Jerry must know because he went to town and the towners retorted, "look who’s talking, we never armed militias like the PNDC days" the town spokes man said.
Maybe the old guy was recalling the activities of some macho men while wielding the bling State Sword. Remember Corporal Azaglo? This man could mount road blocks with boys under his command, wielding AK 47s and disappoint all the people who thought they had swindled the state out of import duties. Azaglo grew so powerful and was feared by regular security agencies because they thought he had protection from the colonial mansion.

One fine Sunday, it was officially reported that Azaglo had been apprehended at the Jerusalem, by the old guy himself. Aah, Jack Bebli who pretended to be blind to an armed robbery he actually planned. "Jack Bebbli suffering from stroke told a news man then when the heat was on "look at me, do you think I will do that?" Oh, he did alright and was jailed, by the old man’s people along with his accomplices, people with guns who were not regular members of the security agencies.

It could be renamed the SouSoudis and Kwame Addo search

So Nana Ohene Ntow may have been right about unauthorized guns authorised under the previous administration but did not his people embark on an exercise to seize all unregistered arms in the country? The search was so wide it could be renamed, the Sousoudis and Kwame Addo search. These two accounted for all the guns in the country the exercise was called off after the police dealt with them. Now we know Sousoudis along with Kwame Addo may have released more arms into the Tamale municipality and Gushiegu Karaga area to cause the unrest. Those were the only people found with guns during that search in 2001 no?

They turned a blind eye to the order to submit all guns to the police or military then. Maybe they were the blinded culprits this time again. Or did someone ask for the resignation of the Defence Minister? He is not half blind is he? Find the telescope, then find all the half blind people in government, the presidency and security agencies, then what?

"Oh, Its Tsatsu Tsikata" 2nd Half 1:08pm

2008-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

VooDoo Child
(By Dzifah Hiatsi)

YOU ARE NOT MY LEARNED FRIEND

Few learned men would not give a million to challenge Tsatsu and his counsel to a display of legalese. The only catch, you must not only be brilliant and learned, but be a "learned friend" It was coup maker accomplice, Major Gbedemah who once committed that sacrilege of calling a law man, my "learned friend" in court. Big mistake, he was dressed down, "I am a lawyer you are not my learned friend, you are a soldier and a coup maker,"the lawyer said. Bigger mistake! Gbedemah threatened the lawyer with what he knew best, wielding a gun. "Then I will blast your head off" he said. He might have continued in his mind, "with an AK 47 or better still, kafugbeng" the Alavanyo version of the famous Russian mass murder machine.

When you fight Akwasi Rawlings and his "brains" at the same time the results are predictable especially when it appears you are up against the very country called Ghana. The heart and soul of pan Africanism, the most stable country in West Africa and arguably, Africa with free thinking people and a largely stable economy. Going after the man behind such resolute evidence of a a developing modern Ghana times and the "brain" behind that man only points to some sayings, "there is no smoke without fire" and "when a blind man threatens to stone you, his foot may be resting on a piece of rock". Those who are also fighting the losing battle to free the man Tsikata appear at a loss and not even thinking like the man. They act like there is no fire or piece of rock.

JUSTICE ABBAN GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM, "STOOPING LOW TO CONQUER

Pitting legal mind against another is no different from an intense competition in a sports arena. Picture Azumah Nelson fighting the thin and haggard looking Mexican, Marcos Villasana. Zoom Zoom turned Villasana into a punching bag and gave him blow after blow but Villassana took it all and refused to go down. Azumah won by points in both meets. Azumah would have taken a cue from Tsikata’s detractors now; go low, hit below the belt. Just one low blow aimed directly at the balls. Serves you right. Now, if you have the balls get up and fight. Poor Justice Henrietta Abban, she was the short arm of the law with a glove wrapped around her fist. She crouched low on to the floor and delivered to the balls, with an advanced precision missile guiding system allegedly installed in the Colonial Mansion, ouch. Justice Abban gave new meaning to the term, "stooping low to conquer." Is it fire or rock on her or be it that the stars from the mansion would shine on her fortunes in the near future?

THAT AMBIGUOUS LAW THAT EX ASHANTI GOLD CEO, SAM JONAH LOVES SO MUCH

In the near future Ghanaians should expect the state prosecutor’s office to get busy with the law, "causing financial loss" and "misapplying public property." That ambiguous law that ex Ashanti Gold CEO Sam Jonah loves so much. So does the state go after him for introducing Ghanaians to the terms, "hedge" and "margin calls" or enter a plea bargain with him? Imagine all that knowledge about Ashanti Gold and its modernization, expansion and acquisition locked up in Nsawam. Now that we have struck oil, why is the man responsible for collating all data on oil exploration in Ghana locked up? Intriguing ei, Free Tsatsu Tsikata Movement. Thinking like the man Tsatsu are we? A word to the wise is in VooDoo Child.

A caution though, thou shall not go to court to fight or defend without your learned friend even if your middle name is learned or you are learned like Tsatsu or a bunch of learned people led by Kweretwie Opoku. Should academic efforts fail, there is always that alternative embarked on that time by certain people from Oseikrom who marched to Accra intending to overthrow the government by baring it all. The Ghen residents awaited avidly, eyes wide open for the STC bus carrying the adagya people to arrive. The first person to disembarked was a woman wearing a densinkra At least her shoulders were bare and she may be the aluta henmaa and a prelude of what was to come, the Accra people might have wondered.

NOT EVEN THOSE TWO MILK BEARING MOUNTAINS WERE EXPOSED.

Alas, any hope of seeing beautiful black women with shapely moulded legs and beads around their thin waist resting on top of a thick juicy behind turned into disappointment. Not even those two milk bearing mountains were exposed to the people. Two or more men disembarked in white supporter and dared show their assets to the public. Maybe some members of the fairer sex in Accra were not unimpressed and giggled at the Ticos and the Mini Coopers dangling from the top off the exposed supporters. Maybe they were expecting to see Hummers, Landcruisers or Articulators.The demonstrators were expecting to whip up enough support among the Accra populace to follow their lead to go alimama. Aside the legendary beating of a traditional leader with the ahenma, it was one way of dethroning a ruler.

Imagine Kwame Nkrumah Avenue from circle to Sankara overpass become a sea of people akin to Louis Farakhan’s the Million Man march. The exception, a gleaming sea of naked bodies. Dwarfs and little people also marching along would have had a nose full of "scent no agye bebia." Nobody joined in the demonstration, these Nkra fuo. The Accra people literally said in deed, "wanna eye tear proper."

A closer look at the demonstrators also revealed that the people were in no way related to the guardian of the Golden Stool. Our famous adehye are ebony beautiful and swing their hips as they take those adowa steps. These demonstrators however, some of them had Fanta faces and Coca Cola feet. They might not have been real Kumasianos. They looked like the funeral contractors usually hired to come wail bue bue bue when the need arose.

Well there you have it; Free Tsikata Movement, a need has arisen, and oh, its Tsatsu Tsikata, bue bue.

"Oh, its Tsatsu tsikata" (First Half)

2008-09-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

"Oh, Tsatsu Tsikata was the brightest. They were all good but Tsatsu was very brilliant" That was Ghana National Party Chairman, Obed Asamoah talking about his tutoring days at Legon. He was at a certain radio station for a program and a colleague and I were just eager to gulp in any knowledge he would dissipate and he was was willing. We never got to ask him about the alleged Volta River resettlement toe printing issue but we asked him who was the brightest among his three famous students, Kwesi Botchway, Tsatsu Tsikata and Attah Mills. "Oh, its Tsatsu Tsikata" () "They were all bright students but Tsatsu Tsikata was the brightest"

Tsikata panfooled everybody

We did see that coming. Did Tsikata not hold the record for being the youngest lawyer to be called to the bar until Osofo Kristo Asafo sent an offspring to push that record aside? He was alleged to be responsible for inserting that "abomination" known as the indemnity clause into the 1992 constitution. To add laughter to a not so funny joke, Tsikata pan-fooled everybody especially "those people" into thinking that they had to wait a certain number of years before challenging the constitution.

People were preparing, gathering evidence and awam witnesses They were building up their cases, then someone looked again triple trice and, oooh, seh ena! My God "adie ye ashi me. Aaah." They were supposed to take action within a certain number of years after the constitution took root, not the other way round. True, while he who signed the constitution was still at the colonial house with all the colonial institutions at his command, as well as majority of appointees to the Supreme Court. These added to a "rubber stamp" at that time called Parliament. He also technically was the Headteacher of the Ghana’s higher places of learning, effectively controlling the brains of the country’s future. And don’t forget that oh so fine God sent, Criminal Libel Law, or was it colonial master sent. Tsooo mi dzor movi ntor.

The first clue was given by the stubborn cat

So the people waited till the same constitution told him he could no longer rule, then they their people took over government and started clipping his wings. First, they gave him police protection, revoked some of his privileges like driving his jaguar to the airport terminal and flying Ghana Air Force jets to release stress. The man’s response was to unleash verbal boom after boom against them. Then came the Truth And Unreconcilable people who invited him and the man prepared to go unleash more vituperation only to be silenced with a question and told to go home. "Oh master" he said. Lesson one, how do you silence a boomer? The answer is in one quiet question.

Try did they find ways to get him. Ah, a discovery, they thought they were fighting a certain ex coup maker with an O’ level educational background. Yes but the brain they were up against was that of the other man, Tsatsu Tsikata. They discovered his finger prints everywhere. The clue was first given by the stubborn cat, His excellency the former Vice-President, Kow Nkensen Arkaah. He protested the presence of Tsatsu in the cabinet and got burned. Actually, not after he referred to his boss and others in the cabinet as abongo boys who were intellectually bankrupt and became "zombies" as a last resort because they were on their way to becoming misfits.

You don’t mess around with Jerry’s brains

Tsatsu’s classmate Kwesi Bocthway also tried to call him to order and got burned and till this day, paying a political price, Ghana standards for his misadventure. Even if you were credited with turning Ghana’s economy around, you don’t mess with Jerry’s "brains". Enter presidential candidate Nana Akuffo-Addo who first started pursuing this case. Then Attorney General Nana Akuffo Addo is brilliant in his own right and has argued cases in foreign courts in foreign languages. But this is Tsikata, and he also got burned. Rumour had it he ducked through the nearest window at a party when he espied his friend and learned friend Tsatsu entering. Nana transferred quickly and sought refuge in a presidential shuffle to Foreign Affairs. Maybe it had something to do with the report that the man in charge at the time, owura Hackman stepped into the shoes of a foreign policy guru, Obed Asamoah and diplomat extra ordinaire, Vitor Gbeho and go burned.

Yet, how do you get that John who came before the current John? You dispatch VooDoo Child’s Learned friends to the Scandinavian countries to dig for incriminating evidence to use against him. If you do not succeed, continue going after, his brains off course. This brainiac who was his defence attorney in 1979 when John shouted to his men, walk like soldiers and later told the court at the Burma Hall, "leave my men alone"

Akuffo Addo Plays NPP, Maame Dorkono Dribbles NDC

2008-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Nana Akuffo-Addo must be feeling on top of his game now after that political play that obviously scored with the majority except honourable Kennedy Adjapong whose bravery has few bounds. VooDoo Child’s first encounter with the honourable was at the opening of his sister’s hollywood Shopping arcade in Madina where he told invited guests and the crowd not to dabble in rumours that the project was financed with drug money.

Game was played by Papa Jerry in 1996

If the honourable could say that, how difficult it must have been to protest the choosing of an outsider as Nana Akuffo Addo’s running mate. Nana knows his political game and he fought fire with fire when he beat his cousin Owuraku Amofa to the seat he now holds in parliament. But analysts were right to point out that this game was played by Papa Jerry in 1996. The "outsider" shocker was effective as it served its purpose but heavyweight favourites like Iddrisu Mahama and then Majority leader Owusu Agyepong were played out. That play however continued unchecked and it culminated in the "dammed" Swedru Declaration. Oh NDC, they never recovered from it.
That declaration was the last straw that sowed the seeds for the formation of the Reform Movement which became the Reform party. That Papa Jerry and NDC still underestimate the damage caused them by that declaration is obvious. The National Reform Party still exists no? And now, the Ghana National Party; three parties sharing a politically progressive ideology but separated by declaration activities, the kind that got Maame Dorkono out of the NDC .

Who Is Attah-Mills, Where Did He Come From?

Indeed a very peeved Reformist told VooDoo Child, "you know one of the reasons we have peace in Ghana? Rawlings hears of a tribal strife or other unrest somewhere, he takes a chopper and flies there to meet the people directly at night and they appreciate it and work things out." () "Who is Attah Mills, where did he come from and what has he done?" Now to appreciate who a reformer was and his importance to the NDC then, picture the average reformer as one in his middle 30's to middle 40's, he or she was likely a cadre and held at least a first degree. The reformer probably liked Che Guevera and Noam Chormsky. He or she must have been a student leader and his first degree was likely acquired in the Aluta days when the students mobilised themselves to bring in the cocoa from the inner regions. You think these people take bull from anybody? One NDC executive described them as "intelligent and pragmatic but had no resources to form a political party" They were the future of the party and yet they were ignored.

The reformers took their activities a step further, and were chased out of their various positions state offices and directorships. Off course there was outcry, even for Peter Kpordugbe, then National Service Director who practically forced young people to appreciate more, the four corners of the country. That nice residence in Labone that served as an office for some reformers was double confiscated. Goozie Tanoh, the anointed one almost went bankrupt as "madam" and her people allegedly did kululu on him. "You don’t do that to people" Goozie lamented in his famous interview on JOY FM that was also nearly "sabotaged". He survived and banded together with the against people to dethrone the NDC from power. What looked liked a winning play in 1996 by President Rawlings became a double losing hand. As soon as that hand said " I will consult you night and day" at the party’s "World Bank" convention, disaster loomed. People saw visions of koliko with a bearded consultant and his wife pulling the strings. That phrase, "I will consult" became a watch word. Poor Mallam Issah was not warned. He repeated that phrase over and over again, "I will consult, oh for that one, I will consult." He consulted alright but the consultants did him 419.

What If Kpordugbe And His People Were Not Woman Handled Like Ogray

Who outplayed whom then and now, President Rawlings, the reformist, the old NDC guards? Nana Akuffo Addo is an all round player both on and off the field and should know. So it is tricky to point out for sure who is having the last laugh now but Peter Kpordugbe and his people had a good laugh and could say they blazed the trail for Dr. Obed Asamoah and his followers. What if Kpordugbe and his people were not woman handled like Ogray who now claims she has moved back home to her UP roots.

Until the NPP wins the elections, Maame Dokono cannot laugh and she is dribbling dangerously. Consult your memory back to the 2000 NPP convention in Legon when Alhaji Innusah thought he had the NPP National Organiser position wrapped up, being candidate JK’s friend also. Unfortunately for him, the man he was up against had a courageous name and used to take care of coup makes in the PNDC era. Major Courage Quarshigah used guerilla tactics and took care of Alhaji. What happened next was a political dribble that Krobo Edusei would have noted in his political book. Alhaji dribbled into the NDC area and Papa Jerry was impressed. Then NDC lost the elctions and Alhaji Innusah dribbled himself, attempting to go back into the NPP and was met by a concrete barrier defence.

Now tell Maame Dokono that time will tell if she really dribbled the NDC or herself. Auntie Omaboe, says she is self made and few would doubt it. We remember obraa aaah aah obra. That kenkey act certainly brought in revenue. This woman famously stood by the Rawlingses saying, "I love the man and I love the woman" when her property was raided by anti NDC demonstrators.
Her loyalty may not be the question, it is the dribble. And we observe that and Nana’s play.

Kwashiorkor and baby-faced voters

2008-08-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Ask the average child from a so called developed country what he had for dinner and the answer could be chicken, lamb, fish, steak etc. Ghana woman child? brace yourself for kenkey, akple, fufu, TZ etc. If the child is lucky, 2 or three pieces of fatty meat in the accompaniment soup which is reserved for last at dinner. It is an added bonus if the bones contain marrow so you can have a jaw exercising activity on its own after dinner.

Almighty kokonte with ground pepper and tomatoes, and sliced onions is a list topper. Aside fufu, it is the ultimate energy food and, the browner or greener the kokonte, the better. This means the left over pieces of cassava left to the mercy of the elements under the sun got dried along with some African friendly bacteria for colouring.

Ghanaman’s child is packing himself with carbohydrates

The difference is that, while the first group of foods mentioned above is full of protein, essential for growth, Ghanaman’s child is packing himself with carbohydrates. Meaning, the potential of a Ghanaian child growing to and or over six feet tall in a sound body and sound mind is left to permutations; good governance, good rainy season, the fortunes of the parent and an uncle and his generosity. It is the ultimate formula for rescuing a child from kwashiorkor. By now we all know the chances of Ghana fielding a men’s national basketball or volleyball team at the world stage. We could even field the mens team now against an all female national team from Russian or even a Brazil and predict the results.

Of all the words that Ghanaian languages have contributed to the expansion of the English language, "kwashiorkor" stands out and has become standard for describing malnourished children the world over, with a reference to Ghana as its origin. And you are pissed about it. Even kente is spelled checked wrong by Microsoft word, not kwashiorkor. Everybody can recognise a kwashiorkor child with some of the identifying symptoms, pot belly, swollen feet with openings on the body and unkempt falling off hair. There could be a valid argument that most Ghanaians know their food now and that kwashiorkor children are no more a usual sight in Ghana as can easily be found in war zones like the Sudan and Somalia etc

You or saomeone close to you was kwashiorkor

A kwashiorkor child is a malnourished child who did not receive the required dose of protein. If this occurred, it is likely that child did not receive the normally required dose of vitamins and minerals like calcium, found in milk which is vital for growth. Medical experts argue this point. Therefore; saying it Ghanaian, "so therefore", it is likely you reading this or someone close to you was kwashiorkor at a point in time. And this pissed you off still. "Me kwashiorkor?"

The questions, did you drink milk or have milk in your breakfast at least 4 times a week while growing up, and was at least a forth part of your lunch or dinner meat, fish, allied or soya bean or bean products? There you go. If you answered yes to one of the questions, it is likely you were dadaba and your dad dropped you off at school and it is also likely that only your biological parents paid your school and PTA fees. They also bought your student’s mattress and you were not worried when the SSNIT loans came late. That was your blowing time money. Everyone also pretended that the SSNIT loan was entertainment money instead of for koko. Some of that money was even dispatched home to supplement your parents’ although it was never admitted. No one or few did.

It is a big reason to smell rat the moment that report came out that the two political parties were helping register so called under aged voters. How do you tell if they were minors, their appearance, baby face, height, mannerism, what? At least that was former NDC pressman, Vincent Assiseh’s theory when this issue came up 8 years ago. He actually said they could have been stunted growth people, not minors, a suggestion that drew a response from Adwoa Afari Yeboah, "30 year old stunted growth person, hm" That was at a press conference at the International press Center in 2000. It was a long shot at not justifying allegations of minors registering to vote. A hearty exchange but the seriousness of Vincent Assiseh’s suggestion was buried in there, away from the underage registration allegations.

Kwashiiorkor players claiming to be dadaba

That no one would raise the question that these potential voters could have been; well, kwashiorkor affected is not limited to Ghana. China has been accused of fielding minors as 20 year old gymnasts in the on going Olympics. It could also mean they were genetically disposed not to grow tall. We remember then FIFA President, Jao Havalange saying every country was guilty of fielding overaged players in the junior world cups. That would mean kwashiorkor players claiming to be dadaba. Sort of like the mustachioed under 16 players from the Arabic countries who must have had more than their fair dosage of protein while growing up. Was not the now famous 1989 -91 starlets squad built around Alex Opoku. In this case, he was dadaba along with most of the players.

This is still a sure way of establishing sovereignty. A country says these are my citizens and listed are their various ages. Now who can challenge that? One is sure curious, which of the parties is fielding a dadaba as presidential candidate. At least we know the outgoing one is not kwashiorkor and so is the outgone one. So what do we call all the pot bellied people in Ghana, men and women.

Chest Out Your Bling bling Mr. Hip hop President. Its In The Blood

2008-08-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Being a show and source of power, one is sure to pause and say, "aaah, that’s why;" the chieftaincy disputes in Ghana. Everybody wants to control the bling that accompanies that office.

Just imagine yourself the guardian of the great Sika Dwa Kofi, the famous tradional power source and you think about Okumkom Nana Agyeman, the former mayor of Kumasi. People knew him to be of royal blood but whaaat, in line to the throne too? When the time came to choose a new Asantehene, Okumkom made an about turn in his appearance and suddenly became the clean shaven, genteel person that he as a royal was groomed to be. The kingmakers may have muttered under tone, "tweakai;" and the mother of mothers, Nana Kobi Serwa Ampem, "otwea, se me kaa ye". That’s right, "aye ka," seemed the most appropriate thing to say, as, that assertion that royals remain apolitical was proven right.

Bling Validation

Then there is also the proof of power or bling validation. Where is your proof? The answer really comes out in that statement from the Presidency. The gold chain was an accoutrement to the State Sword. It serves like a silent announcement when one entered a room full of dignitaries. Can’t you see me wearing all these bling. Why, you think I borrowed them. So some of our kings and royal go to the consular sections to have their passports stamped with "rejection" after waiting for eternity sitting as if in state on a bench with the commoners; even after displaying their proof of authority. The too know visa people, aah, they knew everybody was chief in his hometown. But we knew Naa Poku Chiiri was never seen waiting at any consular section when he wanted to travel outside.

The Most Practical Use of Bling

Yet the most practical use of bling was for insurance policy in times of great need. After exhausting all avenues including seeking the help of your uncle thrice removed from you, the bling hidden in that tipple wrapped polythene bag with the nice smell that never left the side of your uncle’s bed was opened and you smelled half a century old air, trapped in that bag along with the gold all those years. When you passed your Common Entrance or gained admission to the university and you thought you could not possible make it and were rather going to your uncle twice removed to learn carpenter, bling power saved the day. A piece of that bling was pawned or became collateral for some money to be mobilized quickly and off you went to the big school to become somebody too.

Did not Togbe Gbagbladza emplane to a hip hop land in full bling along with his entourage that time? On his return, wait a minute, was that Togbe wearing a double breasted three piece suit with a bowler hat and stick to match? We naturally assumed all that bling that went along came back in that locked chop box. Not long after his return, Togbe released a new Beemer with bling alloy wheels thus pushing his status among peers up a notch.

So Rather?

But to my friend Andrew Awuni’s statement about the chain being an accoutrement, to the state sword, is enough to make one pause. A heavy state sword in the right hand, then a heavy gold chain hanging around the neck while the left hand struggles to adjust the kente cloth wrapped around the shoulder of the new president elect. Everybody say hear hear, not bad for a bling nation. Chet out your bling Mr. President but then, a whisper of correction and you say aaaah oooh, so rather? That’s why, the gold medal, he did it like GBC’s then director, Anaglate.

Chest Out Your Bling bling Mr. Hip hop President , It is In The Blood

2008-08-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

1st Half

When the parade sergeant major barks, "chest out, chest out"on parade at the Independence Square, it is not only about showing a manliness, or womanliness by standing tall straight and erect, it is also about the bling, that shining medal of honour pinned on the chest for a heroic deed or extra ordinary achievement.
Did not corporal Opee get one for saving his master from choking while the later was tossing sizable mini balls of fufu inadequately lubricated with meatless palm soup down his throat. You see, his master failed to follow the rules of fufu swallowing which dictates, roll the fufu in your fingers then press the thumb in the middle to form a mini pot hole with which you scoop the soup for added lubrication before tossing it.

President Kuffuor got a new bling, big deal. He has worked hard enough and what better way to show for it than a bling bling befitting the president of Ghana, a bling nation formerly known by that famous bling name, the Gold Coast.

While soldiers chest out their bling, Hip Hop artists, Lil Jon and Flavor Flav, say "yeaah; boyee". These hip hop artists have mouthful of bling. Diamond grills for Lil Jon and Gold teeth for Flavor Flav. Who can ever forget Flavor Flav with his big watch dangling on his chest. He was in Accra with the group Public Enemy in the 80's to perform. Those were the good old fledging days of the hip hop culture, black American culture.

It Is A Black Way Of Life

Hip hop culture is the tale of black people in America trying to establish their way of life as mainstream. There is talk about this culture rising up from the neighbourhoods in Brooklyn New York and Compton Los Angeles etc. It is a right and wrong assertion depending on which side of the Atlantic you reside or how many times you have crisscrossed the Atlantic between the two hip hop lands. Hip hop is about poetry, rhyming, way of dressing, walking and talking, storytelling, singing, and attitude. It is a black African way of life. Talk about gyrate, who can gyrate better than the Takai or Borborbor dancer. In doubt, visit an inner city American neighbourhood and the familiarity gets to you. Familiar faces and expressions, people talking loud and trashy, the people from Ga Mashie and James Town area living near the sea will recoil in surprise but feel at home and join in the fray; kue, ka fee buulu

Want to know the origins of rap, blues or rhymes, listen to nyonkrom, go to a storytelling time at Anasekrom, listen to Gyedu Blay Amboulley and the Ta’di people do the Simigwa. Who can rhyme better than the former state linguist, Okyeame Akuffo and his son who can spew out more than 200 words in a minute. Who shows more attitude than an Adowa dancer with a proud facial expression and movement; or a king dancing in his palanquin extending his arms and back to his chest saying in sign language that, everything around here belongs To me. You want to see a way of dressing, wait till the Kundum, Aboakyir or Damba festivals and witness our kings and queens decked out in colourful tradional wear; and the best display of bling bling in gold ever on this planet. Heavy gold triangles, chains and necklaces; rings and crowns, all real. Proper real even if the against people say the real gold ornaments were locked up in a chop box buried deep in a hole under the king’s bed.

Bling Bling Is Not All About Showing Off

Get the picture now? Bling-bling, the ostentatious show of wealth and jewellery as defined by Webster dictionary runs in our gene pool, it is a black thang. Other races might indulge in it but we put an attitude to it and we show it off like no other race and being part of hip hop, it originated from Africa. It is in the president’s blood. Say it for real, ewor ne mogya mu how for do. An African American would buy a car for a thousand dollars but the bling installed on the car, shinny spinning alloy wheels, and front grills alone could be more than triple the car’s value. And guess what, he lives in the Housing Projects, heavily subsidized by government. Low cost houses we used to call them in Ghana. Remember when then Finance Minister, Kwesi Botchway used to put local contractors in place when they cried foul for not getting enough contracts like their foreign counterparts. Apparently Ghana man gets one contract, makes small money and orders the latest bling car instead of reinvesting in his company. See, it is in the blood, mogya mu

Still, bling bling is not all about just showing off, it is a source and show of power. Ghana, the land of gold has a presidential gold sword, and every president has to wield the sword with one hand on D day. On the day of inauguration, should the gold state sword, the ultimate symbol of bling power fall from the brand new president‘s hand, saayooo. How could you wield power over these bling loving people of Ghana without wielding the symbol of power? The presidential candidates, all sporting grey hairs better stick to their vitamin regiments or start taking some, then hit the gym to work out once or twice a week to pump those muscles that aspire to become presidential muscles. Remember the last time the state sword appeared to have been held with an unsteady hand, there was a comeback. Luckily this bling nation has outgrown comebacks but we will never outgrow bling bling.