Sodom & Gomorrah Is Finally Gone!

As a poor man, I TOTALLY and UTTERLY empathise with poor people. However, I know the pervasive poverty in this country goes beyond a handful of squatters on the outskirts of Accra. Therefore, I wish to disregard the populist argument about poverty as an excuse to break laws.

I also know that when poor people get displaced, their poverty accelerates. So if i were a populist, I will jump on to the bandwagon and criticise the AMA for demolition sodom and gomorrah and creating a semblance of a refugee situation in Ghana.

But I am not a populist. I am a realist. And realism tells me that, even if demolition is not TOTALLY and UTTERLY the solution to flooding in Accra, at least, it forms part of the TOTAL SOLUTION. A problem partly solved is better than a problem left untouched.

In my books, this sort of courage displayed by the AMA is the sort crucially required by our leaders to tackle difficult national issues - it doesn't matter how many electoral votes it will cost. Afterall, leadership is not about winning elections. It is about solving problems after winning elections. If President Kufuor and the NPP had half the courage several years ago to take the necessary action on sodom and gomorrah, today's debate would have been non-existent.

The AMA must however go beyond demolition of known and popular squatter communities and demolish even the most fanciful buildings that have been put illegally on waterways by well - to - do people in well - to - do communities in the capital.

It will be TOTALLY and UTTERLY unjust to ignore illegal structures that belong to people in power and opulence whiles concentrating the demolition on poor squatters. Ghana must move forward!!!

Dear Hon. Atta Akyea

Dear Hon Samuel Atta Akyea,

Greetings from my corner of the world. I can see that you take the title "honorable" very seriously and very personally - almost like a bonafide title, to the extent that it even forms part of your Facebook name. That's great! You deserve it. After all, you worked hard and paid hard to get to parliament in the name of the people.

My only problem with some of you so called "honorables" is the way that you have taken this privilege to serve the people in parliament as a personal opportunity to do business with anybody from anywhere for personal gain instead of focusing on the public good - which is the primary reason why we-the-people sent you there in the first place.
Honourable, it has become very clear to some of us that you people in parliament have become rentable at a good price, not only to engage in lobbying, but to pursue the parochial agendas of individuals and organisations in this country at the expense of the public good - just for your personal gain.

Mr. MP, I don't think I am the only one who is aware of your dishourable behavior. Indeed, the public knows - thanks to one of you - Hon. Majority leader Alban Bagbin, who not too long ago acused all of you - including himself by the way - of taking bribes from individuals and organisation to work for their interests in parliament. Even before Hon. Bagbin let out this open secret, Hon. PC Appiah Ofori of the NPP made similar revelations of how you people took bribes to facilitate the sale of state assets to foreigners etc.

Hon, if there were still some lingering doubts in the public's mind about thèse damning révélations coming from within your own house, thèse doubts have now been sufficiently cleared by your own déshonorable behavior in récent times.

Does anybody have to think deep to know that some of you, including Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, have been privately rented by the some characters within the destination inspection companies (DICs) to do thier bidding for them against the Trade and industry minister Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah or rather the people of Ghana? The only thing one cannot be exact about - for now - is how much your illégal spinning services are Worth.

Otherwise, how on earth can so-called honorable members of parliament claim that the Trade Minister's creative efforts at paying a judgment debt awarded to Bankswitch by an international tribunal amount to soliciting bribes from the DICs? Where on this plannet Will a minister of state write an official letter with government of Ghana letterhead to solicit bribe?

Or is It that in your indécent haste to fill your pockets and serve your Private masters as well as score your cheap pilitical points, you refused to think before speaking out? Perhaps, you wrongly assume that we-the-people Will be cajoled into this your petty scheme Just because of your empty title honorable? If that is the case, you Will have to think again because we-the-people know that your titles have been rented out for crumbs.

These are the FACTS - in case you care to know.
The judgment debt was for the termination by the Prof Mills administration of a contract awarded under President Kufuor for services in the trade facilitation arena.

The Mills administration thought that the contract was improperly awarded and that Bankswitch did not perform the services for which the Kufuor government contracted it to perform.

Bankswitch then sued the Government of Ghana in international courts and won a judgment debt amounting to approximately GHC 197 million. The payment of this judgment debt has not only delayed, but It Is also accumulating to colossal sums.

Since the Government of Ghana has not been able to pay this judgment debt yet, Bankswitch has been engaged in négociation with Government on alternative payment arrangements.

Bankswitch even recently sought to have the Government of Ghana pay the entire judgment debt over a 5-year period, and in addition for Government to award Bankswitch 0.35% of the FOB values of all Ghana's imports over five years.
This supplementary award of 0.35% of FOB imports over 5 years, was not accepted by the NDC Government of Ghana because that would meak going into a contract with Bankswitch that would be worth more than GHC One billion cedis over five years.

This additional over payment to Bankswitch would be over and above the full settlement by the Government of Ghana of the GHC 197 million debt, whether paid in one lump sum or over a number of years.
It is this 0.35% of Ghana's import trade bill that Bankswitch would wish to be awarded that the Ministry of Trade has invited Destination Inspection Companies interested in paying off the Bankswich debt to present expressions of interest so as to prevent the people of Ghana from being milked an extra GHC One billion for no work done.

The Trade minister's transparent invitation on official Government of Ghana letterhead to five destination inspection companies to treat in pre-paying the GHC 197 million was motivated by the national interest in saving the country more than GHC One billion in overpayments that Bankswitch is seeking from the people of Ghana.
Honorable, it was Members of your NPP government who negotiated and signed the Bankswitch contract, and which includes some of you NPP MPs, your associates in civil society like IMANI GH and your rented press who are today running riot without doing the least due diligence checks. Indeed, hon. Anthony Osei Akoto of the NPP went to testify at the international tribunal to make government of Ghana loose the case against Bankswitch. What is your own rôle in all of this?

something i don't understand is what You people want from the people of Ghana after taking huge house rents, loaned cars, huge salaries etc whiles your ex gratia await you - which you people décide for yourselves without consultation from the people anyways.
The only reason i can attribute to your déshonorable behavior is avarice. Your desire for money and fame and vain glory is so insatiable, you Will go down even to hades, if need be, to have It.

What we-the-people want is Financial prudence on the part of Our governing officials. What we want is to have no illégal and improper contracts signed between government and private companies in the first place.

It is obvious to some of us, honorable, That you people in the NPP only want a delay in the Settlement Which will inevitably lead to paying perhaps more than double the amount in the near future which May then lead to "willfully causing Financial loss" to the state.

As a lawyer, you should know better than to suggest that the Trades minister who Is trying to avoid causing Financial loss to the state in the future is acting illegally. Acting illegally is when members of parliament rent out their public Platform to private individuels for personal gain. Check It!

The destination inspection companies already have contracts with ministry of Trade. Indeed, they are direct stake holders of the ministry of Trade. And the letter written by minister, as we have all Read, is not compelling the DICs into any agreement.

What is the NPP's problem with the people of Ghana? And what is your problem with the minister of Trade?

yours constituent

Amenga-Etego SaCut
(Journalist& Ghost Writer

WAEC!!WAEC!! WHO IS WAEC?

WAEC!! WAEC!! WHO IS WAEC?


Yes, it is very traumatic to have your examination paper or papers cancelled. And this is more especially when one is convinced that one has excelled in that first sitting.
I know this because in 1996, in Notre Dame Sem. Sec. Sch. I, and others suffered a similar fate when we wrote our final WAEC examinations. We had to resit English language and other papers. It was nation-wide cancellation - like this one.
It traumatized us, our mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers. Yes, It traumatized our friends.
At that time, again, I, and my friends naively blamed WAEC for their "insensitivity". But now it is very clear to some of us that blaming and getting outraged towards the exams council for these leakages is very unreflective behavior. Our outrage towards WAEC is indeed misguided because we are the exam council.
Why, isn't it our same fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who themselves go as low as Hades, if need be, to get these so-called "Apor" for the students? The people at WAEC - our brothers, sisters, mothers,fathers etc - sell these questions on the secret market every year to make ends meet because after all, everyone else in other organizations, even at the level of the presidency, has some plan B of some sort to make extra money from their work side - damn integrity. And we, who are outside of WAEC buy these leaked questions Just so that our relatives can "excel" unmeritoriously to boost our egos among our peers in society. So that we'll get "flying colors".
Isn't it true that students will rather risk the cancellation of their papers by cheating rather than be honest even if they have to resit after failing? Yes we think that if we fail and have to resit, we'll be stigmatized by our supposedly more intelligent peers. As a people, we honor those who dishonestly excel and we stigmatize those who honestly fail. So we prefer to cheat and pass - Damn the consequences.
Cheating is in our DNA Or do people think that the people at WAEC are citizens of Jupiter? We should never ask again why the educated people at the top are mostly cheats and thieves because it is obvious this has formed part of our nurture to the extent that it is almost our nature. Those guys in government who inflate contract sums, they started their thievery at WAEC exams. Check it!
Let us admit - WAEC is us. We begin our lives with short cuts from WAEC exams. No wonder we end up as thieves in public office as a shortcut to riches so as to impress the same society for which reason we cheated in our exams. We have now placed "integrity" on cheating, looting and sharing as a people. The ends justifies the means, in other words, is now our motto. Even at the university level, it is more shameful because many students at the universities go in to write common end of semester exams with back up "apor" in their pockets. So you sometimes know straight away that some university students clearly passed their SSS examinations by cheating which is why they come into the Uni. With same attitude only to graduate into greater shame.
Let's stop behaving as if we are a confused people - even though we are indeed confused. Let us blame ourselves for our bad nurture as a people and our get -success-quick&easy attitude. After all we want flying colors!!! And we have it! The flying colors are RED, GOLD &GREEN!

Ghana's MPs - Our Servants or Our Lords?

Ghana's MPs - Our servants or Our Lords?



..Are they ignorant? May be..are they philosophers? NO sir!

If you demonstrate true ignorance on a subject matter (don't forget ignorance of the people's representatives in parliament can be dangerous to the people's wellbeing) - and then, I - one of the people - have the specialised knowledge and courage to tell you that you are indeed ignorant on the subject matter - have I insulted you? How? What has Prof. Doodo than wrong to our representatives in parliament for them to wake up with their arms against we-the-people? I don't get it!

Or have our "legislooters" forgotten that we-the-people put them in there and reserve the right to question their competence or incompetence any time?

Are they better than the President and his team who are placed on the chopping board daily by we-the same-people? What ever they are thinking, they should think again!

Their posture is simply not that of "servants of the people"..as it is supposed to be in a so-called Democracy. And We-the-people will not be cowed by thier wrong posturing into deluding ourselves that our parliamentarians are "philosophers", because they"re simply not!!!

Amenga- Etego SaCut
(Journalist & Ghost writer)

It is neither in my nature nor nurture to flatter men - don't expect it

Open Letter To Ato Kwamena Dadzie

Ope

n letter To Ato Kwamena Dadzie
Massa,
Long time no see. How have you been since returning from your over two years sojourn in Canada? I hear you went to study. And many people have been asking me about what you may have probably studied abroad. Some are doubting that you actually went to study. Others are convinced you went to hustle in the kitchens and washrooms of Toronto. Did you study? Did you hustle? Or you did a bit of both? I hope you will clear the air and set the records straight.
The last time I wrote something about you - not that you are important to be written about - you went to blast me on your defunct blog. That was over three years ago. I Ignored you at that time because you were not worth my time.
Ato, I hope you know why people don't believe that you went for further studies. It is possible you don't know. I know you don't care. I will tell you anyways.
Although I hardly listen to radio, especially "rented airwaves" like yours, I have been told you came back to a lower seat at that discredited multi-media house. I also hear you are still doing the same old sarcastic news paper reviews every morning- the same childishness that you displayed for several years before fleeing to Canada. Is that true? I can't believe it!
Is that why you now call yourself "senior journalist"? Don't you think it is more appropriate to rather call yourself "senior news paper reviewer"? Because that is what you are. Or does it take a diploma in journalism from GIJ to review stories in newspapers and put your arrogant opinions before your listeners? I double doubt it.
First of all, there is nothing like a senior journalist. It is about the content of your work. But even if we admit that people with long practice are seniors in journalism, we will also expect such long term practioners to have worked for various media houses - print, electronic, broadcast etc - and may even own their own media houses. Massa, you have done the same thing on same station for several years, you cannot even run your own blog constantly and you have the audacity to call yourself a senior journalist? Senior journalist my foot!!!
Anyways Ato, what have you been yapping about since your return on the airwaves? Did I hear you have been pontificating and trying to act sanctimoniously as if you were a clean journalist with integrity? I heard you now even call "soli" a bribe. Since when? How about the "soli" that you and your ilk from Joy FM used to take from Kojo Mpian in President Kufuor's reign? Or is it because of the small Canadian Nokofio dollars you got from your Toronto hustle, you now see "soli" as a bribe?
Well, if you now see "soli" as a bribe, then that must be the first glimpse of noticeable change since your return. Some of us only wonder why your change has not occurred in your thinking and reasoning. Even your lyrics are the same stinking water-cooler gibberish.
Massa, I hear even your logic has not improved. Foresooth, it has gotten worse. And that is why you fail to understand a simple analogy of the dead goat syndrome by his excellency the President.
Let me explain in simple class one English so that even the "dullest school kid who is always last in class" can understand. The consolidated fund is the goat.The single spine salaries of workers is the goat meat. The workers of Ghana have taken over 70% of the goat parts. That includes the liver and the heart of the goat etc. And that makes the goat DEAD. If workers now threaten to go on strike, so as to get more salary(more goat meat), those workers are demanding what does not exist - a dead goat. And there is nothing more the dead goat can offer.
Ato, it is either you understand this simple analogy - which means you have more than two brain cells - or you misunderstand it - which means you have less than two brain cells. And so if your so-called further studies in Canada cannot help you understand this simple analogy, then I double doubt if your diploma in journalism from GIJ can help you.
There is little wonder that you now call the president a Dead Goat just because he used this analogy to drive home a point to the discerning people of Ghana about austerity times.
After all, I hear that the reason why your contrastingly beautiful Ex-wife divorced you, and from which ignominy you run away from Ghana to escape, is that, apart from your nerdy behavior, you used your stinking lyrics on her at home too.
And could it be as a result of your lack of reasoning improvement that you returned to the now deserted Joy FM not as a news editor like before but now as what? Do you even have a designation at Joy FM now? A senior newspaper reviewer? What an ignominious stagnation!
It is only at your radio station that people go for further studies and return to a lower position. You should probably call yourselves a topsy-turvy radio station.
And, Ato, what makes you guys think you can single-handedly change a governing regime in Ghana by sitting on your microphones? Do you guys realize the increasing numbers of microphones in town?
So that when you say that President Mahama is gonna be a first term President, do you mean to say that you are speaking for the people of Ghana? Have the people of Ghana spoken into your "chosen" ears? Since when you were abroad? And can you honestly say, with your hand on your heart, that you believe what you are saying?
By the way, Ato, if you really believe in Ghana why did you run away for over two years? And what did you come back with? More vitriolic talks?
massa, you cannot be taken seriously - not by your discerning listeners - unless you think your listeners are namby-pambies. Are they?
not exactly your friend
SaCut Amenga- Etego

NPP Murdered Yaa Naa To Fulfill Campaign Promise

NPP murdered Yaa Naa to fulfill Campaign Promise

Some of us were old enough in 1992 when the ban on partisan party politics was lifted in Ghana.

It was a crazy period. Crazy because many young people in Ghana heard the phrase "political party" for the first time. Many were confused about the meaning of the concept.

Until then, all some of us ever heard about a "party" was an event where one went to gather with other people in public to eat rice and soup and drink Fanta.

PNDC was in power with chairman Rawlings large and in-charge. When the ban was lifted, the PNDC was no more provisional. It metamorphosed into a national democratic congress NDC. The structures of the NDC were already on the ground for nineteen years during PNDC.

The National Patriotic Party which later became New Patriotic Party(NPP) however, had to create entirely new structures from the bottom up..they had to be wickedly creative.

Having been in opposition since the 70's, the elements who came together to form the NPP chose to adopt an incendiary tactic for mass organization and mobilization. This method had implications for our national security then, and still persist today.

The primary tactic adopted by the NPP in 1992 was to "touch base" with "aggrieved gates" or "minority factions" in every local traditional area. In other words, where ever the NPP found out that there was a power struggle in any local community - be it over chieftaincy, land, etc - what they did was to align themselves with the weaker party in the power struggle.

They didn't only align themselves with these minority aggrieved groups, they also mobilized and organized them along their common interests.

Throughout Ghana, from Bawku to Yendi, from Ga Mantse to Alavanyo and Nkonya, from Wa to Bimbila, the NPP cultivated and motivated aggrieved and minority groups to join their ranks with the promise of turning the "tables of power" of the various communities in favor of the aggrieved gates should NPP be voted into power.

This incendiary tactic largely worked for the NPP. Though in the minority from 1992, they succeeded in sustaining that "aggrieved base" for eight years until year 2000 when the tables of power turned in favor of the NPP and their various "aggrieved allies" throughout the nation.

And what did we see beginning in 2002? There was suddenly a resurgence of conflicts spearheaded by emboldened minority groups within various local communities throughout Ghana with the tacit endorsement of state machinery under President J.A Kufour.

Check it. The 2002 Yaa Naa's murder in broad day light in Yendi was supervised by Military officers under the command of President Kufour. His interior minister Alhassan Malik Yakubu is a native of Yendi and a member of the minority aggrieved gate in the Yendi chieftaincy conflict.

For eight years, the NPP and President Kufour could not find the Yaa Naa murderers. Of course, NPP could not find them. NPP are the murderers. In my books, if a crime of such a gargantuan magnitude is committed next to a military barracks, and the state is unable to arrest the culprits within the shortest possible time, it goes without saying that the state itself is the culprit.

In a word, the murder of Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II was the fulfillment of a campaign promise of the NPP to murder him and instal a new overload from the "aggrieved rival gate". The murdered Dagbon King has still not been buried 'up till tomorrow'!


The people of Bawku lived peacefully under one overlord until the NPP took power. They turned the town into a war zone. They armed the aggrieved gate in the town and endorsed their impunity. They failed to arrest people who were riding motorbikes in town with guns hanging on their shoulders and shooting as and when they felt like. Today, natives of Bawku cannot even go home because of insecurity.

Men, for several years, can no longer ride motor bikes in Bawku town. Their freedom has been taken away for political expediency. Business has come to a halt in that commercial and border town.Thanks to the NPP, President Kufour and their incendiary tactics.

The NPP are pure machiavellian. For them, the ends justifies the means. If they have to murder to capture and maintain power, they will always do it. That's why they now say "all die be die".

It is little wonder, that the NPP now want to lie their way into power. Character assassinations is now their modus operandi. If the NPP wins power again, they will not assassinate characters, they will assassinate people.

All peace loving Ghanaians must think twice about ever allowing the NPP back to power. For if a so-called "gentle giant" had the temerity to murder for power, can we imagine what a war mongering desperado like Nana Akuffo Addo will do to capture and maintain power? His may be "ethnic cleansing" or "Genucide".

Amenga -Etego Akaabitono SaCut - The writer is a Ghanaian political journalist, political activist and ghost writer

Who is dividing? And who is ruling NDC?

Who is dividing? And who is ruling NDC?



Are we not in deep trouble when our party General secretary Asiedu Nketia aka General Mosquito begin to tell us, that our party the NDC was founded on the basis of 'divide and rule'?
Is this history or "mis - history"?
...and that due to his adroit leadership, such a 'bad foundation' has been uprooted?
Having scored such a cheap political point, our beloved general secretary proceeds to accuse some contestants of the National executive positions of making attempts to reintroduce 'divide and rule' into the party..
Self - conceited about his own powers and level of control within the NDC, our general secretary went on to literally threaten we - the - party - people - and our delegates - to not attempt to vote in 'useless people' to work with him as GS at NEC or else, despite being unopposed, he will not "waste his time" working for the party.
Very interesting! Let's clap hands for general Mosquito. And whiles clapping for him, let us remind him that we are not in a Mosquito Republic!
Please allow our honorable delegates who voted you into power, again, on their own free will, and in their own wisdom, choose the leaders for the NDC this time round without your "undue influence" which you are trying very had to impose on the delegates with this "emotional blackmail".
Mr. Asiedu Nketiah! please be a domocrat. If the NDC delegates choses our new leaders, those leaders will not be 'useless people' just because you say so.
We respect you as our general secretary but we reject your 'divide and rule' tactics which you falsely claim that you have eliminated from the NDC.

Occupying The Flagstaff House: foolhardiness, anarchism and incendiarism

I have followed the trend - FB, twitter, whatsApp - and noticed the social media momentum gathering on this lost cause masterminded by faceless characters.

They have sat behind their computers to invite Ghanaians out on the 1st of July to illegally occupy the flagstaff house lawns - the seat of government - in protest or demonstration and dramatization of the suffering of the poor masses under the JM government.

Citizens have the right to assembly, yes. But that assembly must be within the law. No government in the world will tolerate the occupation of its seat of government by incendiary citizens and anarchists.

Things are truly hard in Ghana today, yes. I am feeling it more than some of the characters leading this lost cause. But and so what? Aren't we the same people who voted for this government? Didn't we have an option? Don't we have another option in 2016?

Or do these incendiary characters - who by the way and surprisingly includes some NDC members - suppose that Egypt is better off today under a military dictatorship after using anarchy to reject their so - called Non - performing Democratic leader?

Did we not have similar situations in the past under various leaders? Under President Kufuor, this nation degenerated to a point that poor trotro drivers were put into prison for violating traffic rules. Some drivers under Kufour were forced to kiss corpses at the 37 military hospital mortuary. Water became more scarce than petrol to the point that we introduced the "Kufuor gallons" in Ghana. Under all these bizarre situations nobody occupied Kufour's Presidency. We demonstrated everywhere in Ghana. Yes, I joined the WAHALA Demos personally. We did it from region to region. Nobody attempted or even contemplated on occupying the Presidency because we knew better. We love Ghana.

Why now?

Is it just a matter of demonstrating unhappiness and sufferings to the President? And occupying the lawns of the Presidency is the most prudent tactic? How about law and order?

Even under the military government of Chairman Rawlings, nobody in their right senses attempted to occupy the castle under worse circumstances. University students who once attempted to present a common petition to the castle met a brutal force that saw no repeat of such recklessness.

I think the organizers of this incendiary event are simply foolhardy. They even claim to have support from Europe for this event. Yes, they got the BBC to discuss it. The faceless and cowardly leaders are still not bold enough to disclose their identities, yet they expect well meaning and reasonable Ghanaians to join them on this misadventure.

I personally don't take these characters behind the planned occupation of the seat of government seriously. It is very easy to sit behind a computer or even on your phone and incite anarchy. It is a totally different ball game getting people out to join you in lawless acts. If the organizers were indeed that courageous to defy the public order act and the public force, they should have had the courage to show their faces by now. Why are they still wearing masks?

What difference do these guys intend to bring to the situation in Ghana with the flagstaff house occupation that cannot be realized through civil deliberations or demonstrations on the streets?

Do they actually believe that the President and his appointees will suddenly become better governors after the illegal occupation? - that is if they are ever allowed to occupy the lawns - which I double doubt. Or do they intend to forcefully remove the democratically elected President from power because they think he is not performing well?

Let the characters behind this reckless organization to occupy the seat of government be very clear on their minds, and not to be confused - not even for a second. Their intended action is very serious with regrettable consequences.

They may end up making noise about police and military brutalities under a democratic government when the security agencies carry out their lawful duties by forcefully getting rid of, or arresting the intended law breakers.

However, the people's government, legitimately elected and mandated to rule for four years have the constitutional mandate to protect the sovereignty of the state and the general will of the people.

I therefore call on the security agencies not to renege on their constitutional duties but to enforce the supreme constitution of Ghana come tomorrow - despite what anybody or group of bodies will say.

I call on all peace loving and civil citizens to ignore the call to go out and occupy the seat of government. We have chosen the rule of LAW and not of MEN. The rule of law must reign supreme.

SaCut Amenga - Etego

Aspiring Propaganda Secretary (NDC)

Can You Imagine?

Ghana is really changing indeed! I recently met this maiden. She is beautiful on the outside. I mean standard beauty. She is smart above average. She is charismatic. She is independent. Her attitude is tolerable. And her company is fun. She is a great decoration. However, there is a problem. She insisted on introducing me to her business man father. I hesitated, as i usually do with these sorts of requests but she was adamant. Eventually, i obliged. Now here is the bomb. The man introduced himself as a future father - inlaw. What?? Just now?? I think he got manipulated by my beard and quickly thought I would be a great husband! By the way, his house is an edifice. The man spoke lavishly. In fact, he is a braggard! In less than 30 minutes he told me of all his gargantuan worth. I was amazed at the speed at which he was going.. He then proposed to me to marry his daughter or not waste her time. He was stern. May be he wanted to intimidate me. He added, that he knows i don't have money but a bright future. Therefore, he will gimme aid to marry his daughter. The 'aid' will come in the form of a house, a highly priced car, and some cash. He wants a societal wedding! Shocked by his proposal, i asked him why he will do such a thing - considering that his daughter is capable of winning the heart of any man without inducement? And then he said, ' i hear you are famous. You have prospects and political connections. My daughter will be secured with you'. 'well, this sounds like a bribe, in anticipation of future considerations', i said. 'yes, i don't have money. I don't have a house. And yes, i only own an old fashioned rickety car but this your proposal sir, has made me feel even cheaper'. My 'father - inlaw' was not impressed with my response..so he asked me to go and think about it. Let me confess; I don't love his daughter. Help me think about it!

An Apology Of A Propaganda Secretary

I have received so many telephone calls from many young political animals in the past couple of months. All of them asked me the same question " Is it true you are running for NDC national Propaganda secretary"? 'Yes, I am considering running for the deputy position', I will say to them on the phone. 'Why not the main position? Who else can do it better than you in our generation', They would ask? I confess; that question gives me a smile. Why not the main position?? Why deputy?? Many of my friends have said to me that they cannot see any new generation political activist, well abreast with old and new media communication skills, more capable of running a propaganda secretariat for the NDC than I can. What a challenge! Unbelieving of my friends, I decided to embark on the onerous task of finding out if indeed there aren't more qualified people capable and committed enough for that strategic office of communication than I. I began by asking what basic skills are required to run a propaganda outfit. I found three most important: writing skills, speaking skills, and scheming/networking skills. Writing skills are crucially required since the mass media - print, broadcast, web portals, new social media etc - provide the channel for propagandists to disseminate their information. Speaking skills cannot be done without since the propagandist will need to substantiate what he writes through voice speech. Scheming/ networking skills form the foundation for propaganda since the propaganda scheme of the political opponent is laced with malice and demands an above average mind operating in the third dimension to be able to decipher and counteract appropriately. PROPAGANDA IS A BLOODLESS PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR that aims at either totally annihilating the political opponent or repairing the lethal impact of the political opponent's Propaganda machinery. And this WAR is not for weak hearts or unprepared minds. Besides, it takes a certain thinking to be able to align your propaganda war forces in scattered patterns, and to undermine the minds and psychology of your opponents. So: basically, these three qualities combined, the propagandist only need the full support of the party machinery to be effective. On this score, I dare say that, in the past five years, Propaganda within the ruling party has been so ineffective that a certain government and party communications team has taken over propaganda work, and they do so at their abysmal best, to no positive effect. Still in my quest to find the most qualified candidate for the December congress, I first looked within the office. The current secretary, Richard Quashiga (Hon) abandoned his post two year ago to join the legislature. He will excel at his new job provided that legislating is easier than propagating. I double doubt that anyways. The first deputy, Hajia Laadi (Hon), followed her boss to parliament as MP for Pusiga. With two Party propaganda officials now in parliament, there remains one deputy propaganda secretary Solomon Nkansah. Naturally, Mr. Nkansah feels like a heir apparent to the main position of Propaganda secretary of the ruling NDC. After all, he is the lover boy of General secretary Asiedu Nketia. He is also the god - son of "uncle Ato", one of the richest men in Ghana today and NDC kingpin. Unfortunately, god - Son - ism really does not bear propaganda fruits for a political party wanting to maintain power. I have never read a single piece of article authored by Mr. Nkansah as deputy propaganda secretary for the past four years. Mr. Nkansah does not even operate a Facebook account - not because he does not want to but because he lacks the know - how in such hi-tech areas. And I know it for a fact. On this score of writing/hi - tech networking skills, he is counted out in my books. On speaking skills, Mr. Nkansah specializes in speaking Fante. I cannot imagine that speaking eloquently in Fante can really propagate party policy or program to the entire nation, since Fante is not a lingua Franca. That also provides a deficiency in him. As for the third dimension thinking, it requires writing and speaking skills to manifest. Without the first and second skill, the third does not manifest at all. I know that It will not be pleasant in the ears of Mr. Nkansah and his surrogates, what I am writing here. However, it is the truth: that he is woefully unskilled and unqualified at this moment for the position of national propaganda secretary of the NDC. And Supporting him is tantamount to endorsing mediocrity. And since I am not in the mediocrity business, I disapprove of him. Having cast him aside in the analyses, there remains no one in the current office until elections are held in December 2014. What I don't understand is why so far, we have had people opt to run for the two deputy propaganda positions but no one seem BOLD enough to challenge the hegemony of the ruling national executive. And since I don't understand it, I opt to be different. I have written and published in the past seven years, over a hundred feature political pieces of articles, news paper columns, press statements and conferences, youth manifestos, not to mention new social media publications and constant blogging. These does not include my unpublished manuscripts. Again, taking the words of my friends, not as flattery, they tell me that I am an adroit writer when I try. I am not such an excellent speaker, but with practice, I can manage. And if what some people say I have an "evil genius" is anything to go by - what ever that means - then I believe I can think in the "third dimension" and translate that into writing and speaking propaganda. Besides, as a media man, I am strategically positioned to align more prudently with the conveyors of propaganda. Since the daunting investigation have yielded no suitable candidate - both capable and committed - to run effective and results oriented propaganda for the ruling NDC, I am left with no option but a moral mandate to take up the challenge and contest the ultimate position to prevent a mediocre propaganda outfit totally incapable of matching the opposition NPP boot for boot in the next general election from emerging. We can do better. I will do better. Amenga -Etego Akaabitono SaCut (Aspiring National Propaganda Secretary, NDC) www.sacutamenga-etego.blogspot.com — with Larry Gbevlo-Lartey and 20 others.

Seriously Speaking

Yes, I am seriously speaking. We live in a society in which human rights have been ursurped by dogs. And who are they that have transfered the rights of man to dogs?? Dogs nowadays don't feed on crumbs of bones like we saw growing up. It is men who now look for crumbs - but to no avail. The rich and powerful - of course! Who else? Aren't they the ones who champion the social gospel of Christ? And don't they occupy the front seats in the church at congregation? Akin to the pharisees? Yet these are the people who have taken away the fundamental human rights of the poor to food.. Not only that, these rights have been transfered to dogs. And yes, that is what is envoke. Rich and powerful people keep a 'foreign dog/s', feed them on a foreign meal at a dollar price per day - a cost relative per day capable of alleviating hunger in large communinal house holds for a week in Ghana. Well, these days there are rationalising but untenable arguments about security etc. Of course, the rich man has the right to protect himself, his family and property from intruders with all the dogs they want. However, the rich man has more to fear from hungry neighbourhood mobs whose rights to food has been transfered to watch dogs. The hungry masses are the ultimate threat to the rich and powerful. And even though the beastly dogs may protect them -for a while-after eating the fat crumbs - animals have never been able to tame man in the course of history. Therefore, ultimately, dogs can never protect man from man's machinations against man. This makes the security argument an illusion. What is sad about this 'popular culture' is how unaware, or rather more appropriately, how unconcerned or indifferent, rich people are about what destruction it is they are doing to the human society - the elevation of so - called pet - animals above poor people. Let me just remind all the rich and powerful people - lawyers, doctors, bankers, politicians, business men, pastors, con men, artists, journalists, foot ballers etc etc - that if they ever die any where in the absence of their family, or friends, their well fed dogs will have no role to play. The poor starving neighbour may give them a burial or even a police report. Better still, since the rich have become obsessed with their own funerals, and since funerals are all about human numbers to dignify them, let the rich men and women be aware that Dogs - foreign or local breeds - do not attend funerals. Again, they will need the poor miserable masses to make up the numbers for their final dignity - that's if they have any left at end of their greedy lifes! It's a shame!

If only we could learn from the Chinese people!

We are a funny people here. sometimes, we are almost like clowns. To make it worse, we don't even realize it. Yes, we Ghanaians, if not Africans! ...And yes, think deeply! We laugh and mock, sometimes, we even display disdain towards the Chinese people and their global cultural brand. We can't even attempt to deny it. For instance, we here regard any piece of article originating from China as 'cheap' - and in our 'civilized' minds, 'cheap' is inferior...cheap is bad...not for us. We hardly appreciate any gift of Chinese origin - even from our loved ones. It is not uncommon to hear some people say to you ' I need you to buy for me a gadget for my birthday or for Christmas, but I don't want a cheap Chinese brand'... In fact, we make effort to avoid any product - Chinese. For us, such Chinese products are only for those who cannot afford the 'NATO ITEMS' or the 'superior popular cultural products' - the poor folks! If we are not clowns, then we are confused. How can we here in Africa reject cheap substitutes from China and clamor for Western items, only to have the Westerners themselves scrambling for cheap Chinese goods? Have we hesitated for a second, to ask ourselves why President Barack Obama will make an extra effort to be in good terms with the Chinese leader at a time when Hong Kong is a tight ally of Moscow, Washington's cold war enemy? In my books, it is because the Chinese have succeeded in making themselves indispensable to the global village with a global Chinese brand - the cheap and affordable brand. No nation can do without the Chinese. China will, if it already hasn't, take over the world political - economy in the present future. It all started from a Chinese cultural revolution that was begun several years ago by their visionary and culturally conscious leaders. The attempts at cultural revolution by the Chinese failed severally but with persistence and clarity of mind from the Chinese leadership and people, they made it. The Chinese succeeded in making anything they ever need - and more - in China. But what are we doing here in Ghana? In Africa? we are naively mocking at cheap Chinese goods, and yet, even our matches we use to light up fire in our kitchens come from Indonesia. Even as we wallow in our chronic poverty, we still feel pretty expensive in our minds. Double sadly, we are happy about our 'choice' and content to be stuck as 'universal consumers' of other people's goods with alacrity - including of course, the same Chinese goods we reject when we think we can afford alternatives from America and Europe - insofar as they are not priced 'cheap'. How much more naive can we become? If only we could learn from the Chinese cultural revolution, we would be way ahead of our time, and we would have a global cultural identity! Amenga - Etego Akaabitono SaCut - The writer is a multi - media political Journalist, ghost writer, broadcaster & political communicator

Ghana at 57 - let's see our leaders in the mirror not on the Television

At 57 I see Ghana's biggest problem is a cultural one. The 'dominant society' has a grotesque grip on our minds. We have an identity crisis..not everyone will agree - of course! Our lives are driven by the 'popular culture', which obviously is a different people's 'national culture' packaged and delivered on the platform of globalization in a so - called liberalized new world market order.. It now seem at 57 that the founders of our nation took no concrete steps to protect our cultural heritage, and carve a national cultural identity . If that were done, perhaps, Ghana will be exporting things of culture, of value, rather than being perpetual importers of all things including other people's national cultures. The protection and promotion of Our national culture and identity was disregarded at the foundation of our nationhood. It now even seem to some that our problems as a nation are insurmountable insofar as they are linked to our 'borrowed culture' or acquired tastes. How can we for example, expect the Ghana cedi to appreciate when we don't eat our own locally produced rice in our homes - less 'they' call us 'uncivilized'? Who are 'they'? The 'dominant society'. Pop culture says those who wish to be seen as 'cool' are those who eat so called perfumed rice from Texas - USA or from Thailand in the absence of the American brand. Sadly, at 57,we don't even agree among ourselves as to what exactly our problem is, as a nation. Some prefer to blame our leaders. Yes, blame them all you can, they are also victims. My solution is that at 57, we must demystify leadership. We must stop looking for leadership on the television or the radio. You can only expect misdirection from a prostitute mainstream media that serve as the vehicle for the same values passed on to us by the western style dominant society. When I think about it, if I can't lead myself, who can lead me? Leadership starts from the individual directing his own thoughts..his own tastes..his own actions..his own choices.. At 57, Let us see our leaders from the mirror, not the TV. Happy Independence Anniversary to all my compatriots! Be a Black star where ever you find yourself on the planet at this moment of truth. Amenga - Etego Akaabitono SaCut - a political journalist, broadcaster & ghost writer.

The Hostility Of Cairo

I was one of those lucky fans, but also courageous Ghanaians who dared to enter into Cairo Tuesday 19th November 2013 to cheer our national team the Black Stars in that final encounter which qualified Ghana into the 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP in Brazil. There was so much talk about insecurity in Cairo prior to the game. With a military government in place there after the overthrow of the Democratically elected president this year, It seemed to our minds, or at least, to my mind, that we were going into a rowdy city. Cheerfully, It was not. Well, we went into a quiet city. Even though we the fans were asked to report at the Kotoka airport here in Accra at 12:00 midnight, all the process at the Kotoko airport lasted between that time and 5: 30 am Tuesday morning. Imagine such a long night standing between siting, talking and walking. We finally took off with a chatted Egypt Air flight lasting six hrs to Cairo. It was like sitting in a bus from Accra to Bolgatanga, so long and boring at some point. When I first sat in the flight,I said to myself, well, Egypt is better than Ghana, at least, in that they own a national career. I imagined how Much government of Ghana was paying the Egyptians to carry us on their own plane from Accra to Cairo and back to Accra, simply because as a nation, we have failed woefully in managing our own national career which was established by our forebears and collapsed because of a lack of discipline on the part of our political and business leaders over the years. So lets say that I began that journey with some thoughts of Lamentations for Mother Ghana. There were all categories of fans. Some called themselves GOLDEN AGE SUPPORTERS UNION, JM SUPPORTS BLACK STARS, APSU etc etc. there were also some of us who were unlabeled. I went to Cairo as a journalist. We arrived in Cairo airport at mid - day to be welcomed to Egypt by the smell of Tobacco all over the place. Cairo is definitely a smoking city. And if what we witnessed in Cairo is anything to go by, Egypt is a smoking nation. Almost every airport worker was smoking tobacco in the open. Cairo airport even have 'smoking rooms' where workers and travelers can seclude themselves and cloud themselves in tobacco smoke. At the airport, one Ghanaian supporter was detained briefly for entering into Cairo without a valid visa. How he managed to do that remains a mystery. Refreshingly, there was a free WiFi here at the Cairo airport which enabled me to post one photograph on my Facebook wall to announce our arrival to Cairo that afternoon. The buses were waiting outside of the airport. With a suit - wearing driver accompanied by suit - wearing security man with a walkie - talkie in hand, each bus was supposed to be secured. We were instructed by the security man in each bus to close all curtains and not attempt to look outside the bus. Our curiosity to see the streets of Cairo did not allow some of us to strictly adhere to that sort of instruction. I tried to look as the buses moved in a convoy. I noticed too many construction works and excavations going on in Cairo, or at least, along the route that was taken by our buses. The landscape had the semblance of a desert. The driver pulled over at a hotel named Le Passage. We the supporters were again instructed by the security man on the buses to remain seated. Of course, we obliged. Soon, food was brought into the buses. Each one for a box of assorted food and fruit. In addition to rice and chicken, there were vegetables and pastries. I had a piece of banana on my plate. Something was missing and everyone noticed it - water. These desert warriors don't play with water. When we loudly demanded water, it took the security man on the bus not less than ten minutes to give us a hostile response of '' no water, only food, no water''. He was very stern in his demeanor and gesticulation. I couldn't understand. I needed water much more than I needed food that afternoon. On the top of my voice, I shouted out ' Is this how you welcome visitors to Egypt? First thing we give to visitors in Ghana is water. Give us water now or take your food'. That shout only worsened by thirst as I didn't even get a glimpse from the security man in response. He ignored us completely, then I remembered that we are not in democratic Ghana where people can demand their due - there was a military government in - charge of Egypt. So with solid food in the stomach without water, we headed for the 30th June stadium which also is a military encampment. There were more soldiers than there were fans. Apart from the guns in their hands, almost all those I saw also had cigarettes in their hands. Cigarettes must be the cheapest thing in Cairo. Even journalists were distracted from their work by the cigarettes in their hands. At the entrance, a friend of mine dared to borrow a cigarette from one Egyptian security man. ' Can I borrow a cigarette' ? He requested whiles stretching his hand. And here comes the rude awakening. ' You want cigarette? Bring money' responded, the Egyptian man, unwilling to part with a free cigarette to a Ghanaian visitor. My insistent friend decided to give the Egyptians a lesson on hospitality. 'You have to welcome me to Cairo with a free cigarette ' he said whiles stretching his hand to receive one. He got it finally, accompanied by fire to light, it took us into our stands. Here, we saw a couple Ghanaian supporters holding some bottles of water. They bought each bottle for US$7. Water is Gold on this desert called Egypt. Of course, some of us couldn't afford it - even if it was sold in Gh cedis. Understandably, our energies were low at the stadium. Our voices too sounded horrible considering the dry throats we used. Determined to cheer our black stars, we still tried to put up a good performance but these desert warriors won't let us. With laser lights, they beamed into our eyes offensively - and they did it without apology. If they were not pointing it at our players on the field, they were on us the supporters on the stands. It was so irritating, you have no idea. The hostility of Cairo was coming to it's peak. I am sure you saw it on on television. With US$ 1m winning bonus promise from the military government determined to hold on to power by any means necessary, the Egyptian players put up their best performance. As we cheered, we debated the US $ 1m. Could these power usurpers, who we are told, have been denied funds by their American friends and allies, really afford a million dollars for each Egyptian player if they beat Ghana by more than 5 goals to qualify for Brazil 2014? or were the soldiers just yapping?Some of us argued that their promise was just a populist move - one of those discredited communist inferior tactics usually employed by soldiers everywhere to get the support of the masses. The Egyptian military rulers knew that it was near impossible to beat the black stars of Ghana with so many goals to qualify them for Brazil World Cup. Nevertheless, that tactic employed by the military regime went as far as energizing the Egyptian football players beyond reasonable doubt. According to what I saw on the pitch, their formula was ' If you miss the ball, don't miss the man' and they had a timid referee to give them back up. Unfortunately for the Egyptians that day, God was a Ghanaian. Sending us back home after the game wasn't such a daunting task for the Egyptians. We left the military stadium at about 10 pm under full military protection and direction straight to that same hotel where we got lunch without water earlier in the afternoon. This time, we were allowed to disembark and walk into the hotel where assorted dinner - and of course water for the first time since we arrived in Egypt - was waiting for us. Just imagine the stampede from thirsty and hungry foot soldiers turned black stars supporters who were asked to serve themselves. Many foot soldiers headed first for water - naturally. Others went for food without knowing it's names or tastes. That seemed like a recipe for disappointment. One foot soldier after loading his plate with tasteless junk food came to sit by me. Upon his first attempt at tasting the food, he turned round to ask me ' what food is this' ?....but amazed by his unreasonable question, I asked him why he didn't ask that question before fetching the food. He left immediately to replace. Whiles here, I gulped at least 5 gargantuan glasses of water, plus, there was another free WiFi to power my iPad which was now full of interesting pictures from Cairo which I wanted to share with my social media friends. I took advantage immediately. This other guy had been so famished without water the whole day he decided to harvest water from the various tables after dinner. He carried with him two empty bottles, and from where he got those bottles, I don't know since the Egyptians did not serve their water in bottles. As he harvested, he got to a table near us but occupied by Egyptian security men. He found a glass full of water. The owner, a security man, had gone for more food. As he emptied the glass of water into his bottle, the owner returned and caught him in the act. The Egyptian was uncharitable as he grabbed the glass of water with anger and replaced it on the table to the disappointment of the Ghanaian foot soldier. Visibly angry at the very provincial act of the Ghanaian soccer fan, the Egyptian security man began an amusing narrative to all his colleagues who were willing to listen and laugh off the night. Such a worthy ambassador of Ghana! I felt ashamed as a Ghanaian witness. Anyways, the Ghanaian ambassador to Egypt, Alhaji Said Sinare who welcomed us into Egypt in the afternoon was also at the Cairo airport that night to give us a goodbye handshake as part of his diplomatic routine after late dinner. When I got into the returning flight, I concluded that Cairo was undoubtedly hostile to us. May be hostility is their nature but who knows, it could have been out of their envy over us going to Brazil at their expense. A desperate man is capable of anything including hostility. What ever be the case, we had the last laugh. I say ayeekoo Black stars! Brazil, here we come. And hopefully, the Brazilians being half Africans and not Arabians, we may come home with a better story of hospitality to tell come next year. Amenga -Etego Akaabitono SaCut - The writer is a political journalist, broadcaster and ghost writer.

Open letter to Victoria Hammah

Dear Victoria Hammah, I have heard the news of your dismissal from the governing regime of Ghana by his excellency the President John Dramani Mahama. It was deeply saddening, not for me, but for you - I can imagine.I first heard the news of your recorded conversation. When I heard it, I had no doubt it was your voice because I know you and how you try to speak with authority on some of these intra party political machinations. I always knew it was going to end like this with you - brought down by the media - just that I didn't know it would come this soon. I knew it not because I was praying for it, but because I have had arguments with you on how you carry yourself about in your media relations. First of all, you know that you and I worked together long before you even dreamt of running for that parliamentary seat that you obviously knew you will lose. We did the weekly radio show together. I brought you on the radio show frequently to 'patronize your political godfathers', as you always put it. You once even got into a near physical fight with an NPP guest during my show before the elections. I was surprised but happy when you got appointed by the president as deputy communications minister. Do you remember that I came to your office a couple of months after your appointment to visit you? You told me you enjoyed the publicity you received from your vetting. We started a discussion on negative and positive publicity. Your stand was that you enjoy any form of publicity - negative or positive. You just wanted to be in the media. I disagreed with your chosen methods. I told you about image building and the need to take it easy with negative publicity but you remained adamant. Indeed Vic, you continued to enjoy your negative publicity with a social media publication that sought to indict your party foot-soldiers making demands on you - demands that are capable of forcing you or any other public official to steal from the public coffers to satisfy them. You even got a public applause for that and I guess that spurred you on and on until you were caught on video and audio reading the wrong speech to the right audience. You interrupted your own speech in a very embarrassing manner and ridiculed yourself before the world in that episode. I guess you enjoyed that one as well? Victoria, do you still remember vividly when we met recently during the one - week funeral of the mother of one of our mutual friends, Randy Abbey, at his residence here in Accra?That day we took a stroll down to the house of Mr. Silverster Mensah which is very close by. On our arrival there we met with Abdul - Malik Kwaku Baako who was just leaving Sylvester Mensah's residence. That day we had a heated argument. Do you remember the bone of contention? I can remember it and I wish to remind you of your own words. That day I asked that you be careful - again - with the way you try to handle issues with the media. I said to you that the manner in which you allowed who ever to use such strong language in attacking the media after your aborted speech scandal in a press statement was counter productive and could spell your doom especially if you became the main target of the media. I said to you the media is too powerful for such an approach from a mere deputy minister of state. I also said to you that if you want to succeed with the media, you must learn to make friends with media practitioners rather than fighting with them and making yourself a target. And do you remember your response to me? You told me in my face that you could fight the media. You also asked me if I knew the number of stories you have managed to 'kill' in the last couple of months? You were emphatic that all was under your control and my knowledge and experience as a journalist was irrelevant in your scheme of things. I felt very saddened that you will be digging your own grave and refusing to accept free professional advice. But that was our last conversation regarding how you conduct yourself. You listened to some of us on issues of media before you became a deputy minister of state in this government. I promoted you because I believe in the ability and participation of women in our body politic. But you suddenly became madam know- it - all - rejecting even expert ideas from some of us with contempt within such a short period of time in office. With you, I now understand when they say power corrupts, and corrupts absolutely. I was hoping that with your so - called new found power, you would have fought the media vehemently in this current saga that has led to your political demise. But obviously, you were only boasting about media power that never existed in your hands. You were sacked by the President for opening your mouth too wide on the telephone ( well the president didn't exactly say why he sacked you but we all know) without even giving you the opportunity to resign with a little dignity left in you. What a shame! Does that mean the million dollar dream is cut short? And talking about a million dollars, may I ask you where you actually intended to get that from? Were you going to steal it through dubious contracts? I don't think your former boss at the ministry would have passed any of such contracts to you - and especially since you accused Omane Boamah in one of your leaked tapes of taking 'kickbacks' without giving to you what you consider your due. Did you have some 'ways and means' at the ministry of communications? But if you intended to make one million dollars , why then were you complaining about the foot soldiers who trooped to your former office for favors from you? Did you intend to 'chop' all that money all by yourself? Oh that can not be an egalitarian philosophy - unless you have forgotten what the ruling NDC stand for. I also hear that you reported your former driver who is also your cousin to the police for recording that unpalatable conversation which led to your political nemesis. I can't understand why you will do that. Are you blaming him for how loosely you spoke over that telephone? For your lack of discretion? Are you sure it was your driver, and not Ayitey Basty the guy who you hired as your personal assistant and fired recently for what ever reason? Not too long ago, before the broadcast of your voice, Ayitey Basty was threatening you on social media and dared you to open your mouth. Predictably, you didn't open your mouth. I later heard from some of our mutual friends that this former personal assistant sent you a copy of the tape for a ransom earlier in that week. Could that be true? If that is so, why are you not reporting Ayitey Basty rather than your driver? Isn't it your personal assistant who had a motive of revenge after you fired him who you should be chasing? And by the way I thought ministers were no longer entitled to personal assistants at their various ministries? Anyways, I don't think the person who recorded you did any wrong. You are just lucky we have a naive police force who will arrest anybody without even establishing the relevance of the report. Indeed, if there is anybody who should have been arrested by the police, it should have been you who is heard speaking on the tape. By reporting your driver to the police for recording you secretly on a tape, you have exacerbated your ignominy with a confirmation and authentication of it's content. Now look at the bad situation you have created for your government and party? However,I think the person who published or leaked the tape for publication has been wicked to you but they cannot take blame. The only one to blame is your arrogant self - your own mouth brought you down from the day you naively conceived the idea you have the ability to fight the media. Next time you find yourself in power in the unlikely event, please don't make new friends because they are likely to be fair weather friends. But I don't doubt you know, and you will admit humbly by now that no one can fight the media no matter who they are - not even a mere incompetent deputy minister whose sole confessed objective it is in politics to make a million dollars. Take it from me. I am a journalist and I still remain your friend. Yours sincerely, Amenga -Etego Akaabitono SaCut - The writer is a political journalist, broadcaster and ghost writer

Open Letter To President Mahama

Dear President John Mahama (JM), I pray you are healthy as a fiddle to be able to carry on with the daunting task of ruling this nation Ghana. It is known to all that the inception of your presidency has been rocked with legal roadblocks - heddles that you only just recently succeeded in overcoming in our Supreme Court. Given that stagnation, it has become imperative to stamp your legitimate authority and show clear direction for all of us to work in harmony and with strategy towards achieving your set vision for this nation as the President of Ghana in this epoch of our democratic history. No doubt your presidency is the youngest regime in our recent political history. This youthfulness of your government is in the interest of good governance and in accordance with the new world order of youthful leadership and ideas taking charge of governance. And your government is not a young one only because Your Excellency is relatively young but also because majority of your appointees are young and talented - not old and experienced. It is however clear to all of us that not everyone in the NDC party hierarchy or government is impressed with your decision as a young president to rule with young appointees and advisors. Many older party people are giving you a public fight over that. Mr. President, they include Hon. Alban Bagbin, NDC MP who is also one of your 'three wise men' as well as Dr. Tony Aidoo, also a former appointee of both the late president Mills and the former President Rawlings. These and others have been speaking publicly about your government in recent times but not in palatable terms. Indeed, some of the comments from your comrades about your presidency have been very abrasive. Some of it cast a slur on your integrity. Hon. Alban Bagbin for example claims that your government is not an NDC government but a government of your family and friends. He didn't stop there Sir. He also claimed that when you became president, your appointments of your officials have not been based on meritocracy among party members or Ghanaians but based on how much financial contribution people made to your campaign not withstanding their political inclinations. At least we know that Hon. Alban Bagbin is not a strange face, and was not appointed based on his financial contribution to your campaign so he must be speaking about others - but may be because he wished for a better appointment from you than a 'wise man' - he definitely prefers silver and gold to a good name. As for him, judging from his past, I can tell that all the issues Bagbin has raised against you will disappear as soon as you give him what he wants from you beyond a 'wise man'. He did it with late President Mills. He is still relying on same old discredited tactics to achieve his personal interests. Mr. President, I know you are wise, so kindly ignore Hon. Bagbin with all the contempt he deserves. I am just short of words; otherwise I would have said he is envious of your elevated position. To make things worse, Mr. President, this appointed 'wise man' even claimed that you are attempting to fight allegations of corruption by the wrong methods of setting up committees. He has tried to convince Ghanaians that if he had access to give you wise counsel, that you would be fighting corruption differently and efficiently. The most common of the allegations against you by your comrades is that there is an iron curtain around you which restricts access to your office or home for your audience. Interestingly Mr. President, this is not a new phenomenon in the NDC. We saw it when President Mills reigned over Ghana. There were similar public allegations made not just by anybody within the party but by the NDC founder President Jerry John Rawlings. There were also similar allegations made by former Attorney - General Martin Amidu as well as former National Youth Authority boss Dr. Sekou Nkrumah. Mr. President, what I find intriguing here is that, unlike in the case of Mr. Martin Amidu and Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, when they made their public statements against the sitting president whiles being part of the same governing regime, they were immediately dismissed from government for their open disloyalty to the regime, it seems different under your reign since Hon. Alban Bagbin is still in office. Besides being dismissed from government, along with President Rawlings, Martin Amidu and Sekou Nkrumah faced the wrath of the President Mills’ appointees in the media. The party leadership especially the General Secretary always remained emphatic that there was never any justification for any member of the government or party to go public with comments that seek to ridicule Your Excellency as President and Leader of the NDC party itself. His favorite refrain has always been that all members of the party and/or government must always use the 'official party structures'. Anything short of that is condemnable by the National Executive Committee. Mr. President, we those observing from a little distance as students of Ghanaian politics and particularly NDC leadership perpetuity, can see a sharp difference and a lack of clarity from the NDC executive structure in your instance. I will not insist that you must sack Hon. Bagbin from his job for his open criticism because some of us didn't support the sacking of Mr. Martin Amidu and Dr. Sekou Nkrumah under President Mills, yes, because we believe in freedom after speech. I think your decision to still keep Hon. Alban Bagbin in office clearly differentiate you as a more tolerant President of dissenting views within your own party. Well done for not following the old ways of thinking from an intolerant point of view. However, Mr. President, it is not difficult to see the inconsistent stands taken by both government officials and party executives or even government communicators. The ruling party's General Secretary Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia for instance, inconsistent with his previous stands in the past, failed woefully to condemn the unorthodox means used by Hon. Bagbin to make his allegations against Your Excellency. He also went ahead to endorse the allegations made against you by lending them credence when he said that those same issues had been raised within the party hierarchy at various levels. He called for cease fire on the airwaves without debunking and restating emphatically that Your Excellency’s government is a government of the NDC and the people of Ghana and NOT as Hon. Bagbin put it, a government of your family friends. Some of us find it very curious that the General Secretary of the ruling party will rather provide an exit for Hon. Bagbin to escape the heat of his unfounded allegations on the airwaves whiles at the same time allowing these allegations to remain hanging on Your Excellency’s government as though they were true. What is the difference between Mr. Martin Amidu and Mr. Alban Bagbin in the context of our democracy and the NDC? Why will Bagbin be protected by the party against the sitting President? Juxtapose that with the same party represented by the same General Secretary protecting President Mills against Mr. Martin Amidu in his public utterances barely over a year ago – I see an unprincipled party leadership acting on their own personal and parochial interests. Do you see the same thing I see here Mr. President? It will seem to some of us that there is a seeming tension between the young and the old within the ruling NDC. The young President is being resisted by the old party advisors in his youthful and progressive thinking. Unfortunately, some young people in the party and government are towing the line of the old thinkers. In my books, the old guys must be told to take a step backwards now and allow the new order to operate. They must desist from all these old political tactics and traditional mindset of so - called seniority in the party etc etc. They must immediately abandon this old notion that gives them a sense of entitlement to the NDC party, its government etc etc. As if that is not enough, official governments communicators have tended to side with the General Secretary and are now openly justifying the unfounded allegations of your 'fair weather friend' Hon. Alban Bagbin. Some few of the fire brand young appointees currently in your government were also in the last government. They were super - vociferous in their Defense of the President in the last regime of President Mills. Today, Mr. Kwesi Pratt, Alhaji Bature, Dr. Tony Aidoo, Alban Bagbin and so on are all on the rampage, accusing even your wife of creating and running a parallel presidency. I am yet to hear some of these young government appointees - some of whose godfathers by the way are among these current acidic critics of yours - come out with a defensive response to all the damaging allegations against your Excellency. At first, I was thinking that your Excellency, in accordance with your new thinking, restrained response to the allegations. However, I later read and heard a few close aids and appointees of yours make statements. Kudos to appointees like Hon. Hannah Tetteh, Stan Dogbe, Hon. Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Hon. Joseph Yammin, Twum Boafo, Hon. Felix Kwakye Fosu for standing to be counted in the defense of Your Excellency. I also heard your Excellency recently in a speech in which you lamented the lack of comradeship and loyalty from some of your colleagues. You added that those who questioned your ability to deal with corruption do not know you. I took that as a defense of yourself and your integrity against the allegations made by people like Bagbin and co. I was not surprised to hear you personally speak in defense of your integrity since the party whose duty it is to protect you seem rather to be in cahoots with the accusers - something which is clearly against the laid down party structure and exposes great discrimination and selectivity in applying the same party rules differently to different actors. Some of us are deeply worried by this glaring and sudden inconsistency and its implications for party and government cohesion. No wonder Your Excellency thinks that some of them want to see your back even before 2016! Mr. President, I know you are a listening President. The NDC founder/former President has confirmed publicly that indeed you are. Many others who some of us have heard all say that you are a listening President – no wonder you have listened to cries of Ghanaians and reduced the price of electricity tariff to make life more bearable for your people. Sir, I have never tried to meet you and failed in my effort. May be it is because I know already I will fail in my effort so I don't make a try. But if you are truly as accessible as your aids are telling us, and to proof that Bagbin is totally wrong with his allegations, kindly tell your soldiers at your home gate to allow me entrance to come and see you for a conversation this weekend. Tell them I am bushy haired, bearded, and agitative! I am a foot soldier so I will be coming to your home on foot. Also remember that I am coming as a comrade, and NOT as a family member or friend, to give you some piece of advice on how you can succeed as President of Ghana - that is if you consider me worthy of advising Your Excellency. Yours Sincerely, Amenga - Etego Akaabitono SaCut – rasacut@gmail.com The writer is a political journalist, broadcaster & ghost writer. -- Amenga - Etego Akaabitono SaCut Political Journalist, broadcaster and ghost writer. +233277819038 +233207267072 www.sacutamenga-etego.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/sacut skype: rassacut If your chief plan is to destroy my plans, check yourself. Don't say you are just toying with my 'small plans'. I have no such small plans, as I have no such small goals. If your chief plan is to destroy my plans, I say again to you, I am like a stepping razor. I am dangerous! I go for the overkill.

Shaking Hands with Atuguba JSC on the streets

I was privileged to meet JSC Atuguba surprisingly on the street in osu yesterday. It was difficult to identify him - unless it is you really know him. He was standing by the side walk and having a conversation with one young man. When I saw him, I left my friends and walked across to greet him. I got close to him and attempted to shake hands but he seemed reluctant. Looking at my strange face, he just nodded at me in response. But I wasn't satisfied and wasn't about to give in. I wanted to talk to him. So I was adamant. I said to him ' mam Dela hu Mabia ooh'. And I got his attention immediately. 'What's your name'? He asked me. 'Denis Amenga - Etego, from Kandiga'. I said. He was smiling now. But he still had a question to ask. ' you are from Kandiga, but who is that SaCut guy on radio here in Accra who is also from Kandiga'? He asked me. Now I am shocked. I thought he was the most famous but the great had of me. ' I am the one' I answered. ' you don't mean it' he said excitedly whiles shaking my hands. ' I used to listen to you on radio. You made me proud especially when you mention your grandfather's name' he added. 'Oh I am humbled hearing this from you. But you are the one who made all of Ghana proud. In fact we are proud of you. May the gods and ancestors guide you always' I told him with a handshake. We exchanged phone numbers on the streets like some ordinary guy I just met. Mehn, the man was in simple sandals, his car parked somewhere, and he was walking on the street. I doff my hat for the JSC Atuguba the great! May he live long!

CHURCH & STATE IN BED – WHERE STANDS THE PEOPLE?

Has the non - denominational church in Ghana ever heard of liberation theology? Are there no ‘men of God’ in Ghana who have listened to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? Did they not understand that to be a man of God means to be an avowed defender of the poorest people in the society? If they did, how come we have the church hierarchy offending the poorest people in Ghana and rooting with the prosperous in the class war? Well, I know about the church in Latin America and in other parts of the world where it is actively involved in liberation theology whereby the teachings of Jesus Christ have been interpreted in relation to liberation from unjust economic, political or social conditions. This is where the church and it's leaders interprets and the Christian faith through the poor’s suffering, their struggle and their hope. This form or version of Christian theology also actively and with consecrated determination, work against the oppressor’s establishment just as Christ preached and lived - that which led to his crucifixion on the cross. In those countries, at least, some men of God side and work with the poorest masses. The Peruvian priest and strongest advocate of liberation theology, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez says, ‘’God is revealed in the historical ‘praxis’ of liberation. It is the situation - economic, social or political – and our passionate and reflective involvement in it, which mediates the word of God’. Today, the true word of God is mediated through the cries of the poor and oppressed. Liberation theology has arisen principally within the church first in Latin America, and now universally, as a moral reaction to the massive levels of poverty in our society caused by social injustice which is perpetuated by our political, religious and business leaders. The Vatican has openly criticized liberation theology- which started in the Catholic Church anyways – because the priests and laymen of the church - such as the Peruvian father Gustavo - who identify with this theology know, and have openly said that the hierarchy of the church in our society, our ‘Osofos’ and bishops, cardinals and deacons – all these people fall under the same privileged class with the oppressive politicians and business men of our society today since our so – called independence from colonizers. The advocates of liberation theology have criticized the church for its refusal to root for the poor in a class struggle. I have joined that movement for a while now. In Nicaragua, the priests of the church in the late 1970’s took liberation theology even to a revolutionary point of armed struggle by joining the Sandinistas to form a poor people’s government in 1979. In Haiti, liberation theology brought Jean - Bertrand Aristide, a catholic Priest of the salesian order to power as first democratically - elected President of that country. In Mexico, Peru and many other countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe, liberation theology – taken to the extreme - has led to the formation of various political parties based on a theocracy which has further led to popular political and armed struggle over the years although we know that Christ advocated non – violence in any social, political or liberation struggle. This is where true men of God’s church root for the poorest people in society’s ongoing class war. So: liberation theology says the church can get involved in politics as long as the church and its hierarchy will be on the side of the oppressed, the poor people. In this regard, the ‘men of God’ of our nation Ghana, have no moral reaction to the ongoing injustice, characterized by pure squalor, which has led to a general apathy among the people. Our ‘men of God’ are unable or rather are incapable or even uninterested in interpreting the Christian faith through the poor’s suffering, their struggle and hope simply because they are in a clique with the politicians and business men – or perhaps, because they are politicians and business men themselves. These days, names of pastors and their respective political party affiliations have been published for all of us to know what we long suspected. This means it is no longer a conspiracy theory – they are indeed in bed with the politicians here in Ghana – since there has not been denials of these publications. A relevant question to ask at this point in my books, is whether or not; these ‘men of God’ know that they are part and parcel of the group of people responsible for the mass poverty of our people? I thought that Jesus Christ identified with the poor during his ministry? So why are they claiming to be preaching the teachings of Christ whiles acting the complete opposite of the Christian messiah’s teachings? Did Christ ever wined and dined with the King of the Jews? Not that I have read of. However, I have read and heard of Christ’s wining and dining with the poor people in Galilee. So are we talking about a different Christ here in Ghana? Others keep saying we are a former colonized people. Granted that to be true, and we know that the colonizers oppressed the indigenous people in colonial times. Are we indigents of this nation going to pretend that we are a formerly oppressed people too? I cannot imagine that. Again in my books, we the indigenous people – not the foreigners residing in Ghana - are currently oppressed with public utility prices and services, we are oppressed with public bureaucracies and bottle necks, we are oppressed with discrimination and patronage, with the total lack of meritocracy in our commonly created opportunities as a nation, we are also oppressed by the ‘majestic egalitarianism’ of the law. We are oppressed with church collections, donations, festivals, rituals and offertories. Indeed, we are oppressed with unjustifiable and exploitative taxes and levies. public office Corruption is the greatest tool of oppression here. And what do we hear? a mute church unashamed of their complacency in this social injustice. This time, the oppressors are not white men. They are our own brothers and sisters - who by the way are even more brutal than the white colonial oppressors. For example, the white colonial administrators in the colonial governments were less corrupt with public resources than the current indigenous administrators in our governments. In similar terms, the white priests and ‘men of God’ in colonial times took less collections, no special donations and offertories from their colonial congregation. This should rationally make the colonial oppressor more preferable to the indigenous ones - if we are to choose the lesser of two evils. As if this sort of oppression is not enough, our ‘men of God’ who we expect to stand with us in this situation, according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the theology of liberation, are on the side of the oppressor. They have completely abandoned liberation theology – that is if they have ever embraced it. The church hierarchy in Ghana is prosperous and stand with the prosperous so they are preaching prosperity. They abhor poverty, so they dissociate from the poor masses and their poor and meek aspirations. Or do these ‘men of God’ in Ghana want us to give them a biblical bases for why they must interpret the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to liberation from unjust economic, political or social conditions as well as from sin? That has already been long established. Let them refer to Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 10:34, Luke 22:35-38 where one will discover that the mission of Jesus Christ brought a sword which stirred controversy and civil strife and not peace. For there shouldn’t, and cannot be peace in the midst of poverty and social injustice in a mass scale such as we have among our people. If our ‘men of God’ understood this, the non – denominational church and its men and women in Ghana today may stop being a hypocritical bunch pretending to be neutral, or even on the side of the people, when indeed, they form part of the oppressor’s regimes that we have past and currently enduring as a people. Rather, they will interpret the Christian faith through the poor’s suffering, their struggle and hope. Amenga – Etego Akaabitono SaCut – The writer is a political journalist, broadcaster and ghost writer rassacut@gmail.com www.facebook.com/sacut

saCut Amenga-Etego: I BROKE THE NEWS - PRESIDENT MILLS IS DEAD

saCut Amenga-Etego: I BROKE THE NEWS - PRESIDENT MILLS IS DEAD

When I Joined The Table Of Men

It was a Saturday night. We just returned home late night from a whole day's trip to Cape Coast to meet a crowd outside the main gate. I knew something was terribly wrong. What is wrong? I asked. Apparently, My landlady has been dead two days without notice. Some female neighbors only noticed late on the day. Police said it was weekend and their men are few. Tenants must take responsibility of conveying remains into the car to the mortuary. Everybody was scared to enter the dark room where the dead woman sat on a chair waiting to be conveyed. Stench was unbearable. Nobody could sleep. Her room is just steps away from my crib. Then her sister noticed me arrive and she calls out 'General help us...we are afraid' ...what...??? Afraid of your own dead sister? I just had to take off my cloths, leaving my boxers, improvised gloves and masks. Together with four other neighbors, we got a first- hand undertaker experience ...Mehn! It was not a joke! If you're not brave and bold, don't call yourself a General because when the moment of truth comes, you must have to rise to the occasion. Well, I had to call on God for help when I got inside the room! But we did it nevertheless.

Now I needed the strongest disinfectant on earth afterwards!!