“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”.
– Lao Tzu
Aesop is said to be an ugly “Greek writer ‘pot-bellied’, misshapen of head, snub-nosed, swarthy, dwarfish, bandy-legged, short-armed, squint-eyed, liver-lipped, – a portentous monstrosity OR “… a faulty creation of Prometheus when half-asleep…”. This ogre, is said to have been a slave from Aethiopia (Ethiopia), born around 600 BC, and famous for his writings together called Aesop’s Fables. One of his 700 tales was “The Boy who cried Wolf”. “Crying wolf” is taken as crying for help when it is not needed and the effect that help would not come when one really needs it.
This is summed up as “repeated dishonesty leads to loss of credibility”. A shepherd boy would cry ‘wolf’ to amuse himself, with the villagers responding to the alarm. One day, the wolf really came, and when the villagers thought, it was the usual trick: the wolf (wolves) devoured the sheep – and the boy!
When our parents were young and virile, they would shout “twooboi” when the politician (in opposition) told them “tales” (like Nkrumah can turn into paper, per the power of Kankan-Nyame) they could not cross-check because there were no other sources of information, save that from the “rediffusion boxes”, Radio ZOY broadcast from a wired relay station in Accra was established on 31st July, 1935 by the colonial Governor, Sir Arnold Hodgon (the Sunshine Governor) this became the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and only few minutes were spared for local languages: Fante, Twi, Ga, Ewe, Hausa, Nzema (Ebiamo), Dagbani.
By 10:00 pm the station was closed; and everybody got close to a rediffusion box by 1:00 pm to listen for who had been “felled” by Nkrumah’s government especially between 1960 and 1966. Television (black and white) was introduced in 1965 and children who had not bathed could be sacked from watching Charlie Chaplin.
Now, there is a plethora of Radio and TV stations, City FM, Kessben, Asempa, Adom, Peace, Joy (Joy News, Joy Prime, Luv) Oman FM, Radio XYZ, Okay FM, Radio Gold, Otec FM, Nhyira, Onua, Angel, Hello, Ashh FM, Neat, Metro, Fox, Kapital, Adehye, Woezor, Oyerepa, Royal, Pan Africa, GN One, TV3, Fire TV, Pent TV, Rock TV, ABC News, … all numbering 175 stations and more (plus TVT-Togo, LNTV-Liberia, VOA and BBC). And the social media: Internet, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, …
Fela Anikulapo Kuti died in 1997 leaving his Afrika 70 in tatters but he had left us with the 1971 “Zombie” song: “Zombie no go, go, unless you tell am to go… Zombie no go think unless you tell am to think… Go and kill… Go and die… Go and quench … Attention, Quick march, Slow March, Left turn, Right turn … Halt! Order! Dismiss!
Is it any wonder discerning members in NPP are leaving the party in droves? Who loved NPP more than Captain Smart? Now tune in to Onua TV and listen to him (not his brazen insults, though), insulting MPs for allowing someone to fake Adwoa Safo during the e-levy balloting on 30th March, 2022. Bawumia’s “Thank You Tour”: why did NPP lose? High Cost of Living: the arrogance of power; the biting e-levy; the betting tax; the ‘hair cut’; the $58m hole for the National Cathedral; raising fuel prices three days to election.
… and look at the speeches of arrogant Abronye (talking of arrogance) and Kennedy’s repetition of “showdown”, “who born dog”, poor people (ordinary members) versus rich people (financiers of the party…) what kind of apology could this be? Mark Antony said O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason” good, Kennedy is off the Tour!
In September, 1858 at Illinois, USA, Abraham Lincoln (The Great Emancipator) remarked: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”.
Alexander Afenyo Markin who was in the “Ultimate Class of 2009” of the Ghana School of Law cannot be a friend to many who have abandoned ship. His Legal Ambition: “To become a renowned Constitutional and international law expert playing an active role in the politics of Ghana”, He states among other things. “…Unnecessary rumour mongering must be avoided…” Why should we not greet this “Winneba man” (mate of Dafeamekpor) for coming out of the Ghana School of Law in 2009 and achieving his ambition?
So, what was Rev. Ntim Fordjour doing alleging the smuggling of illicit drugs and money laundering at Kotoka International Airport? And NPP members would go to his (Rev. Ntim’s) house to “protect” him from going to give evidence? Do we love Ghana? What kind of leadership are we showing our children?
What do readers make of the estranged C.J. (Gertrude Torkornoo) herself saying: “the law is the law”. The question for Ghana Bar Association (for the petition to restore the Chief Justice) is: Are lawyers doing politics? Do you want to bring division, factionalism? Is the CJ above the law?
It is the constitutional right for everybody to go on demonstration. Article 21(1)(d) 1992 constitution. Comrade Kwesi Pratt alone did one in July 2005 taking pictures of President Kufuor’s residence and his son’s Hotel Waa-Waa (near Shangrila Hotel, Accra).
The Police, led by ACP Kofi Boakye were there in their numbers to ensure “there was no breach of peace”, and allowed Uncle Kwesi to take his “one-shot” of the controversial hotel.
So, NPP, Liberal Party of Ghana, National Democratic Party and People’s National Party can do their demonstration on May 2, 2025 against what they describe as “unlawful suspension” of the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo. And they have “resolved to take a stand to defend the constitution” and also “to safeguard our cherished democracy: “It is not funny, but be careful not to use the unprintable word old respectable Sam Okudzeto used in describing the committee “probing” the Chief Justice.
And Nana B was on Hello saying the Acting Chief Justice, Baffoe-Bonnie, would pander to the whims of President Mahama because the President had promoted Baffoe-Bonnie’s wife to head the Prison Service! Doesn’t the lady with 37 years of service qualify to be there? Breeding division, factionalism into every institution.
But, why should anyone in NPP be “crying more than the bereaved”? Is it because on the seat she was doing the bidding of the NPP? A Chief Justice on whom six (6) petitions have been served does not have to defend herself? She has not been judged guilty, so she has not been dismissed. She asked to see the petition, requesting one (1) week to respond, and the President gave her ten (10) days. What more does NPP want the President to do?
So far, the President has followed rigidly the Constitutional requirements: Article 146 (6); Which of the Supreme Court judges is known to carry a party card: Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie? Justice Pwamang? Justice Asiedu? Or somebody thinks the panel of investigators will not be fair? Domelovo? A victim of “sacking” under NPP? Bringing the independence of the Judiciary into disrepute? Isn’t equality before the law a hallowed principle.
On 26/04/25, Amanliba, Esq called the press conference of the NPP “useless”. Could he have been more charitable? Do we need to advise that people should “hasten slowly”?
Is this the NPP Kufuor left?
