How does one answer a call from Agnes, a sister in France asking: “Ce qui ce passe au Ghana maintenant?” What is happening in Ghana now? The best answer evasive or unrelated – to the question: power is transient. Politicians want to be treated differently like Kings and Queens; forget about ex-Chief Justice, Torkonoo (the law is the law) “in camera” in her case, should be “in public”.
Then you recall what happened in the trial of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) and his counsel Ayikoi Otoo.. Justice Dotse asked AyikoiOtoo whether he enquired from Sir John the cause of his behaviour on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 with the reprehensible attack on the presiding judges of the panel of nine judges hearing the 2012 election petition case. Ayikoi replied that his client (Sir John) had been possessed by “Gbeshi”, a spirit that one has no control over when he is possessed.
Justice Atuguba had to keep his “blood pressure in check” upon the advice of (then) Doctor AyikoiOtoo, to relieve Sir John and Hopeson Adorye from the charge of contempt, with a fine of GH¢5,000 and an apology to the Bench. Ayikoi, Esq. had even requested the court to set Sir John and HopesonAdorye free as a birthday gift to him. Our friend, Sir John’s family do not have to worry too much being the beneficiaries of a huge estate left in late Sir John’s will: plots of land at Achimota Forest 10 Houses, 10 Petrol Tankers, a filling station, cash in local and foreign banks.
Ironically, on a similar charge, the erudite lawyer for Ken Kuranchie, the Editor of Daily Searchlight, Atta Akyea, Esq, expatiating “law” got his client jailed for 10 days for contempt. Ken Kuranchie did not show any remorse while in the dock, having been well-tutored by his lawyer. Ken has now resigned from the NPP and is floating independently at Okaikwei North Constituency.
Fast-forward: what were the honourable NPP men of our respectable Parliament doing on the premises of EOCO, sitting on the bare floor? Remonstrance, Demurrer. Is that what their constituents had voted for them to do? “O, Judgment thou art fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason” (Marcus Antonius) to “show power” and demonstrate “unflinching solidarity” to Bernard Antwi Boasiako (“Chairman Wontumi”)?
EOCO had granted Chairman Wontumi bail; the “condition” – 2 sureties to be justified; property worth GH¢50m. His alleged crimes: fraud; causing financial loss to the state; and money laundering. Running simultaneously with asset recovery processes – to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds of crime.
The minority in Parliament says the investigation is “politically motivated”? — not even talking of the alleged galamsey operations of Akonta Mines? And the man who put in a bid to purchase England’s Chelsea Football Club could not guarantee his own bail condition of GH¢50m (peanuts, he could have said while displaying the bars of gold on Television!). What about other Regional NPP Chairman and the National Chairmen?
Well, thanks to Bryan Acheampong for his timely intervention (he has shown why he wanted to build the burnt Kejetia market) and note that Bryan is not expected to pay the GH¢50m, except and until Wontumi escapes from the law! Bryan is the toast of NPP for his show of love being in contention for the NPP flagbearership and who can exclude Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong for living the message in Matthew 25:35 – “For I was an hungered (hungry) and ye gave me meat (food), I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in”.
Now, with Wontumi out of the EOCO cells, the tussle between Andy Appiah-Kubi and Gary Nimako should cease; we do not want to hear our friend, Gary repeat: “I spoke with him before applying (for a variation of the ball conditions) and he later came out to say the process had been frustrated, which was unfair … I have blocked his (Andy Appiah – Kubi’s) number ”
And the OSP is to open the book on Cecilia Dapaah’s over $1m under the bed. Disregard Paul Adom Otchere’s defence of funeral donations; then go to Ken Ofori Atta a platform to exonerate himself or you want to do “equalization”?
Do we not love NPP again? Jimmy Cliff in “House of Exile” sings “ A drowning man will catch at a straw. You were warned but you wouldn’t take heed. Everything in creation must obey a law. It’s true in words as it is deed”.
Ken Ofori Atta had, intimated to the Office of the Special Prosecutor that he would appear before them on 2nd June, 2025 as part of investigations into five allegations of graft during his tenure as Finance Minister under Akufo-Addo. The charges: the Contracts between Ghana Revenue Authority and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML); the procurement processes and financial transactions linked to the construction of the National Cathedral (so far GH¢58 million spent on digging a hole), a contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the acquisition and maintenance of 307 ambulances; the cancellation of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC); reviewing the handling and distribution of funds from the Tax Pension-Fund Account (hair-cut).
One is tempted to ask: who ordered government vehicles (including State Transport Company ones) to be insured by other companies apart from State Insurance (Enterprise Insurance Company on our mind). How much was earned by Data Bank as commission taken from government loan; was Ofori Atta not taking a salary as he told Parliament Appointments Committee: “I suspect you know that the issue of public service is one that really has been with the family (Ofori Atta family) for a long time and I come into it with that aspect. I do not take a salary. I do not take per diem, so those are not the objectives that I come with”.
When about 88 NPP MPs requested the President Akufo-Addo to sack Ofori Atta, he (the President) was in Tamale saying it was NDC who were agitating for his ouster, Eugene Antwi, NPP MP for Subin stated in October, 2022; ” … we had to demonstrate to him (Akufo-Addo) that our constituents had sent us to come and deliver to him a very very cold message that Ken Ofori- Atta must be asked to step aside. “In his “tintin-tininti” posture, the President would not “yield”. No “positive feedback” from Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
People accusing the OSP of not pulling his weight. They forget that the OSP is a haunted house with Martin Amidu, the first Special Prosecutor resigning (out of frustration?) and declaring President Nana Akufo-Addo, as “master serpent of corruption”.
You think the OSP’s work is “easy”. Ask “Ankwaanoma” man why he sang that lamentable song: “…mereyeneametumi, me mmre so a, nameko… (… do what I can, leave when my time is up).
US President, Donald Trump, in 2015 called Haiti, El Salvador and African countries “shithole” preferring people from Norway into the U.S.A. African Union would show its “infuriation, disappointment and outrage”, but…
