Ken Kuranchie's foolish bravado - 10 days in solitude for a medal!

There are two friends of mine. One is wise. The other is foolish. The one is called sammi Awuku, an' the other is K.A Kuranchie. I have hosted Ken on my radio show severally and have worked on several news paper publications with him. He is my friend. As for Sammi Awuku, yes, i have hosted him on radio as well - but beyond that I have been drinking Black Label with him. He is also my friend. Ken is older than Sammi. Ken likes to talk with verbosity. He enjoys making allegations - totally unsubstantiated. And he loves to twist stories maliciously. He is die in the wool NPP journalist. I don't know if his newspaper has been rented by the NPP. Sammi likes -to be so sure of himself. He Believes a lot in conspiracy theories and known for his ability to outwit his group members - be it AFAG or LMVC groups - he always has the last laugh with his peers. These two friends of mine are brave guys. They say a lot of things without thinking about the consequences. But beyond bravery, a soldier needs discretion, some wisdom, some instinct to stay alive or even uncaptured on a battle field. Ask the soldiers, they will attest to it. I am a commandante so I know. This is where there is a clear difference between those two guys. Sammy applied his sixth sense on the battle field. He dared the SC judges, called them *hypocritical and selective* refused to apologize on radio -even rejected an apology on his behalf by Kwesi Pratt - at first. Later in the witness box, though brave, but wiser, sammi upon realizing the mightiness of the SC, humbly ate back his words or perhaps, he was made to vomit them out and was punished leniently without criminal conviction. His political future is intact and unbruised. Mr. kuranchie on the other hand, having been possessed by uninformed bravado, and utter folly, chose to make sammi Awuku's vomit his own dinner. He repeated, emphasized and re - echoed sentiments that sammi Awuku had already denounced by him self before the SC judges a day earlier. What sort of prudence dictates such an action from Ken? Only Mr. kuranchie - and perhaps his pro bono lawyer 'azar' Ata-kyea - can tell us. So like the brave but foolish soldier on the battle field, Mr. kuranchie has been captured, and caged for 10 reflective days in solitary confinement. For what? Foolish bravado!! SaCut ''Commandante'' Amenga - Etego - the writer is a multi - media journalist, broadcaster, ghost writer and political activist in Ghana

RE: ATTORNEY GENERAL FAILED TO PURSUE WATERVILLE CASE DUE TO MISSING DOCUMENTS: GOVERNMENT AND ATTORNEY GENERAL STOP THE LIES – BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU

I have read the online reportage in citifmonline, of 23rd June 2013, a vilifying statement made about me by one Victor Kojoga Adawudu who is described as a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Legal Team. Mr. Adawudu accuses me in some portions expressly and in other portions impliedly of having taken away some documents from the Attorney General’s Department resulting in the latter’s inability to pursue claims against Waterville and Woyome. I write to refute the allegations as baseless, false, malicious and libelous publications intended by the office of the Attorney General to vilify me for fulfilling my constitutional obligation of defending the 1992 Constitution pursuant to Articles 2 and 3 thereof. I returned from New York on 22nd December 2011 having made up my mind never to take possession of the Waterville/Woyome file or allow it to be left in my office. This was because I was lucky to have travelled to the 10th Session of the International Criminal Court at the United Nations Head office in New York with Mr. Cecil Adadevoh, a Senior State Attorney. When the Woyome judgment debt scandal broke out in New York, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions who had also travelled with me to New York came to inform me that Mr. Cecil Adadevoh had told her he was the Attorney working up to Mr. Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh (Chief State Attorney) on the case. I debriefed Mr. Adadevoh in the presence of the Acting Director of Public Prosecution and he disclosed amongst other things that the office did not have the original docket on the Waterville/Woyome cases. It transpired that the Attorney General’s Department had all along been using an incomplete file allegedly built by Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh without a copy of any of the two signed contracts dated 26th April 2006 on file. Consequently, on 23rd December 2011 when the file was brought to my office by the Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, in the company of the Solicitor-General (Mrs. Amma Gaisie) for my first briefing on the Alfred Agbesi Woyome judgment debt scandal which had infected the Ghanaian political environment, I never took custody of the file or permitted it to be left in my office. I am out of that office but I hope Mr. Adadevoh would be honourable enough to confirm that anytime he wanted me to have the file I asked him to make available to me only photocopies of the relevant pages we had discussed. There was, therefore, no way by which I could have taken copies of the documents from Waterville/Woyome files to deprive that Office of pursuing the cases when I left office. Incidentally, the exhibits annexed to the Attorney General’s Statement of 1st Defendant’s Case prepared, signed, and filed in the Supreme Court by Chief State Attorney, Mrs. Dorothy Afriyie-Ansah, which contains documents which were not in the incomplete file exposes the lies being supplied by the Attorney General’s office to the NDC Legal Team with the active approval of the Government to vilify me as a documents’ thief. For example, the two signed contracts with Waterville dated 26th April 2006 were not on the file at the time the settlements were made but upon my advice the Attorney General’s Department got copies which were duly filed. The story Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh told the Deputy Attorney General, Barton Odro, the Solicitor General, Amma Abuakwa Gaisie, the Chief Director, Ahmed Suleiman and my poor self at the meeting of 23rd December 2011 was that the original file got missing since 2006 when he delivered the file to the then, Attorney General, Hon. Joe Ghartey, who never returned same when he was leaving office in 2009. I asked Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh whether he delivered the file to Hon Joe Ghartey through the approved process by ensuring it was signed and received at the Attorney General’s office. He said: “No!”. I asked him what evidence he had that he delivered the file to Hon. Joe Ghartey to enable me write to Hon. Joe Ghartey to return the file or indicate the officer with whom he left it in the Ministry. Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh replied that he had none. He indicated that the file in his current possession was built by him from scratch that was why the documents were incomplete. I asked the Solicitor-General to ensure that her office contacted the Ministries and Departments involved in the case to have copies of at least the signed contracts on file before an investigation came to discover that the Attorney General’s office at that time settled the cases without seeing signed copies of the contracts. I instructed the Solicitor-General, Mrs. Amma Abuakwa Gaisie, as the head of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s office on 23rd December 2011 to supervise the building of a complete file on the Waterville/Woyome case and assumed it had been done. I left office in the evening of 19th January 2012 without being allowed to hand over or say good bye to the staff. Does the fact that the Attorney General was permitted by the technical staff to settle the alleged Waterville/Woyome judgment debts without reading the complete file not reflect disgracefully on the Solicitor General who is presumed to be the most technically knowledgeable legal officer in the Department and also as head of the Civil Division? On 13th January 2012 Captain Kojo Tsikata (Rtd), former PNDC Member, who I considered a mentor persuaded me forcefully in the Chief of Staff’s conference room not to resign but to pursue the objects of the June 4 and the 31st December Revolution by ensuring that I went to Court to retrieve the Woyome monies for Ghana. I had in writing demanded a draft amended Writ, and Statement of Claim to the Woyome case from the Solicitor General for my further action before filing at the High Court on 16th January 2012 which she never produced as at the close of work of Friday 13th January 2012. I respected Captain Tsikata as a mentor and elder, and acceded to his pleas. I then called the Acting Chief Director to summon the Solicitor General, Mrs. Nana Dontoh, and Mrs. Afriyei-Ansah, (both Chief State Attorneys) to wait and meet me in my office to start the processes of drafting and filing the amendment on Monday. I explained to the meeting what was to be done to retrieve the monies not only from Woyome but also how we were to join Waterville and Austro Invest to the suit after the High Court had granted us the amendment of both the writ and statement of claim. I directed the Chief Director to make available all logistics to enable the officers assembled to work on the Saturday and Sunday. I explained to the team when we met on Sunday evening why each of the reliefs was couched in the manner it was written and what informed each paragraph of the Statement of Claim. I repeated several times that we had to join Waterville and Austro Invest to enable us move the High Court to refer the constitutional issues to the Supreme Court as our ultimate aim. Why did the Solicitor General not ensure the joinder of Waterville and Austro Invest to the suit when the amendments were granted? I had settled the pleadings in such a way that no further amendment was needed after the joinder. There was no way the office could prove its case without joining at least Waterville to the action. The judgment and orders of the Supreme Court delivered on 14th June 2013 now makes the case against Woyome easy as he would be unable to rely on anything related to the Waterville contracts of 2006. Mr. Adawudu should have known that not being a member of the Attorney General’s Department, even a fool will know that his falsehood that I took office documents away when my appointment was revoked was fed to him by the Government through the Attorney General’s office. The Solicitor General and her office who passed on the falsehood to the current Attorney General should be ashamed of themselves for maligning me just because I undertook a defence of the 1992 Constitution when the office failed to advice the then Attorney General that international business or economic transactions such as the Waterville and Isofoton contracts could not be settled when they had not been approved by Parliament. In any case was it not the same Solicitor General who supported Nerquaye-Tetteh’s memorandum in her memo of 3rd November 2011 to me requesting me to authorize the withdrawal of the Woyome action pending at the High Court and to make further payment to Woyome which I refused to endorse? At that time I had not yet been informed as the Attorney General that Nerquaye-Tetteh was suspected of having been paid an amount GH¢400,000.00 by Woyome, half of which he used to deposit for a house at Ridge and the other half used in buying treasury bills. It was later alleged that the cheque was issued in the name of his wife. Under the watch of the Solicitor General, her officers were operating on incomplete files in settling unconstitutional contracts, so why am I being accused unjustifiably by the Government which is still comfortable working with the Mr. Nerquaye-Tettehs and their likes. Background checks I quickly made on Mr. Victor Kojoga Adawudu indicates that he was a junior in Awoonor Law Consultancy (ALC) who arbitrated the alleged Waterville claims and awarded Waterville the 25 million Euro which the Supreme Court ordered to be refunded on 14th June 2013. He moved out of Awoonor Law Consultancy just a few months ago to set up chambers with friends at Adabraka. This is the member of the NDC Legal Team who is being used by a former partner in Lithur Brew & Company (Lawyers for Austro Invest) who is now Attorney General to vilify me for allegedly taking office documents away when I left office. The use of a political party’s legal team to vilify a senior member of that political party without any sanction from the political party sends a wrong signal when the Constitution of that party mandates a defence of probity, and accountability. The founder of the NDC has shown NDC and the Government what the NDC stands for but alas those now in control cannot hear nor see the way to probity and accountability? Finally I have to say that the Government and those subgroups in the NDC who are against the results of the two Supreme Court judgments have persistently endangered my life and personal security since I commenced my action in the Supreme Court in June 2012. By continuing to vilify me even after the Supreme Court has spoken the Government and its aggrieved party friends are literally informing the foreign companies and other aggrieved Ghanaians that they are at liberty to endanger my life and personal security. Whatever happens, I, Martin Alamisi Amidu will not regret dying for defending the Constitution and people of Ghana – Ghana a naturally rich country in which the vast majority of the youth, even with university degrees, are unemployed and poverty is avoidably daily extinguishing the lives of my fellow citizens. Fear is the enemy of Change! Martin A. B. K Amidu Post Script I phoned Mr. Charles Takyi-Boadu of Daily Guide at 3:20 pm today, 27th June 2013, to thank him for reading my current thoughts by re-publishing a previous story under the title: “My Life in Danger Martin Amidu cried Out” yesterday. I told him my statement of rejoinder to the accusation of my theft of documents from the Attorney General’s office will be posted today to appear on my webpage tomorrow morning. I asked him to send me his email address so I could send him a copy, which he did. At 3.58 pm the National Security Coordinator phoned to say he had just returned from abroad and read the concerns about my security and wanted us to talk. I asked him to read an email I had sent to him on Friday 21st June 2013 first and let us continue talking. I add this post script to this statement for purposes of accountability and transparency to the public as I completed this statement of rejoinder on 24th June 2013 but had to let it abide my statement of rejoinder in answer to the Ministry of Information and Government’s allegation of my failure to name the names of those who committed the gargantuan judgment debt crimes against the people of Ghana. That statement of rejoinder was published on 26th June 2013. Long live the concept of “Ghana First”.

MY TRIBUTE TO MARTIN AMIDU: HOW TO WIN SOME AND LOSE SOME, BUT WIN, ULTIMATELY

The NDC government’s dismissal of Martin Amidu was Ghana’s gain. When the government thought that it had gotten rid of the irritating pain in its backside by firing Martin as Attorney-General, it only gave to Ghana, a reluctant hero and champion. I do not agree with all of Martin’s positions, which is natural. But I must applaud his dogged, fighting spirit. In the face of the blatant stealing of this nations’ monies by a cabal with obvious official participation and complicity, the shameful and reprehensible cheering and defence of the stealing (notably by persons working in the office of the then President, at least one of whom has now been rewarded with a Ministerial appointment), the appalling and inexcusable ‘interim’ non-investigation by EOCO, and the shocking and scandalous lack of interest in prosecuting the civil recovery and the crime (until recently, and I must commend the current AG for this), many of us could only speak and write. NOTE: To date, the government had taken absolutely no step to recover the monies paid to Waterville!! But Martin would not take all of that rubbish lying down. He took it a step further. He went to court against Waterville, Woyome and the Attorney-General, at his own expense. Today, I sat in court when the judgment was delivered. I left in awe of the man. Some of his claims were upheld and others were dismissed. Yet the court, without any equivocation or prevarication, was unanimous and undivided in its high praise and commendation of Martin and his vigilante role. I now turn to my summary of what I heard the court say. The Unanimous Decision (9-0), by Dr. Date-Bah JSC Waterville: the contracts entered into between the Government and Waterville, were unconstitutional since parliamentary approval was not obtained, in breach of article 181(5) of the Constitution for the international business transaction to which the Republic was a party. All payments made to Waterville (both after the consultants’ appraisal and after the alleged mediation) were therefore unconstitutional. They did not fall properly under the sparing circumstances under which a person whose contract is declared void for being in breach of the Constitution would be entitled to restitution. Waterville was ordered to refund all monies paid to if by the government, including the Euro 25 million paid to it by the government after mediation. Woyome: the court dismissed the claims/reliefs sought against him on the ground that they did not raise any constitutional interpretation/enforcement issues under article 181(5), which would have properly trigger its exclusive and special jurisdiction. The key question affecting Woyome, is whether or not there was a contract between the Government and Woyome at all. Indeed, in Woyome’s own Statement of Claim in his action at the High Court, he does not show any contractual basis for his claim. Thus a determination as to whether or not there was a contract or a cause of action at all, is one that should be determined by the High Court, as it did not involve any constitutional issue for interpretation or enforcement. Attorney-General: The court took note of the claims against the state’s legal representatives for their actions in the matter and stated that those claims, also, did not involve any constitutional issue for interpretation or enforcement, and as such dismissed them and advised the Plaintiff to pursue those claims before a High Court. Conduct of named lawyers (particularly for Waterville and Woyome): The court referred Martin’s claims against the lawyers in the matter to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council and stated that the Plaintiff may continue his complaint in that forum. It ordered the SC Registry to serve a copy of its judgment on the GLC for further action. Obiter, by Jones Dotse JSC: This was the more dramatic and striking opinion. He concurred with the unanimous decision, but decided to read what he termed a “commentary.” His Lordship pulled no punches, barred no holds and took no prisoners when he excoriated the lawyers who acted in the matter, particularly for Waterville and Woyome. He stated that there was sufficient evidence (particularly the now famous Tetteh & Co. letter) that there was no contract to be enforced, but that Waterville and Woyome had an “alliance to create, loot and share” Ghana’s resources. He noted how Waterville and Woyome (using different lawyers) were first opposed to each other, then started acting together using the same lawyer (Waterville’s lawyer) to recover the monies they received, and then before the Supreme Court, that same lawyer now only appeared as Waterville’s lawyer. He stated that there was no sound legal basis for their claims, and that the lawyers should have known this and advised their clients, instead of leading them in the matter. Both Dr. Date-Bah and Dotse JJSC highly recommended Martin Amidu for his work. Dotse JSC pointed out that Martin has had to fight alone without any help, especially from civil society. My Conclusion: Martin has won; not for himself, but for Ghana. In the process, he has put us all to shame. source: Ace Ankomah

Why I Admire The Supreme Court Of Ghana

Many of us – if we’ll care to admit – had very little appreciation of how the Supreme Court of Ghana goes about the process of dispensing justice prior to this ongoing election petition. So: we can say there is an invaluable advantage to be gained by all of us with a LIVE telecast. No matter how much it is costing us to LIVE TV telecast the election 2012 petition trial, it is still worth our while – in my books. I have followed the LIVE TV telecast with keen interest. I have had an appreciation for a lot of things – legally and logically. I admire all the lawyers representing the various parties for various reasons. I admire Tony Lithur for his impeccable English expressions. His questions and probing keep viewers in animated suspense. He is charismatic and capable of intimidating a weak - minded witness into admitting things to their own detriment. He has clarity and he has swag in his presentation and appearance. He is most handsome, and no wonder most of his admirers are the women citizens of Ghana. This guy is boisterous in his presentation. Tsatsu Tsikata is very admired not just by me, but by multitudes following this legendary court case. He is like the god – father of the law. His deep appreciation and his tendency to try to interpret the law to the judges cannot go unnoticed. He gets the witness to admit things before realizing that they have spoken to their own detriment. His arguments are flawless. You will think that any lawyer is good until you hear Tsatsu Tsikata. He is a master of logic. He makes exhaustive arguments with unique legal and English expressions. His trade mark grey hair distinguishes him – even from the judges – none of whom has that animated appearance. I admire him very much for his ability to litigate unabated until the judges’ rule in his favor. I admire Philip Addison too albeit, I oppose his petition. He seems to have good coaches surrounding him and whispering some ideas to him. He is very adroit at putting words into the mouth of witnesses. An unintelligent and unalert witness is most likely to crumble under Philip Addisson. Indeed, this guy can make a case out of no case. He also has a sense of fashion similar to Tony Lithur but his pot belly makes him less sexy. He tries to be bellicose with his language. He is good lawyer with a bad case in his hands. I admire Philip Addisson nevertheless. Quarshie Idun is the smoothest lawyer in the group. Old and gentle, he does not use flamboyant language or ‘bellicose rhetoric’ as the North Americans will say. He is also very adroit in detecting the right moment to intervene. His demeanor is pleasing not only to the nine judges and other lawyers at the bar but also to the general public. It looks like in his young days, he was a handsome man. His baritone voice is very pleasant to the ears. I admire him for his prudence in language and demeanor. I also admire Justice Atuguba very much. His manner of speaking seems to differentiate him as the president of the presiding judges. With a hand gesticulation, an undulating voice pitch, a low tone, and a succinct use of rare vocabulary, Justice Atuguba’s rulings are uncontestable. Indeed, he sounds like that invisible and invincible voice of the people. I admire him also because he appears as a very democratic president of the SC judges. I admire Amekudzi the Amicus Curae. His dramatic presentation in court twice was a great comic relief. His attempt to sound more American than the American President was something to laugh about. But more importantly, he is a detective of the right moment. He took advantage to be a part of the history in the making. He is a smart guy who failed woefully to make smart arguments in court but gained all the publicity for free. I admire the witnesses’ too but that is partisan admiration so I will leave that out. I admire justice, and hopefully, we should soon have it. But there are those who believe that injustice is more profitable than justice. What would we rather have? I know I will admire the final SC verdict on election 2012. SaCut ‘’Commandante’’ Amenga –Etego – The writer is a multi – media Journalist, ghost writer and political activist in Ghana

Walk Away From Foolishness

Several years ago I met a European girl right here in Ghana. This was whiles I was still a student in Cape Coast. She was tall and attractive. Honestly, I no longer recall her name. She told me that she was very adventurous. I told her I was a maverick. We paired for an adventure. First fact is that I was not the first 'local guy' she had met and taken as her boy friend. Even though she was a foreign volunteer teacher in a local nursery school, you could describe her as one of those sex tourists. She first met a 'London burger' who returned to Ghana on holiday. This guy seemingly 'spoilt' her with all the good things in town at all the good joints and hangouts. He paid all the bills - and he did with alacrity. Their affair lasted a couple of months until the 'London Burger's' wife - who by the way was back in England and the main source of the burger's money and power - got informed about the affair. She threatened to leave the burger. It became scandalous. The 'London Burger' had to advice himself quickly. He fled. This is where I got into the picture. I inherited a 'brand new second hand' European girl from the burger. But that is not all that I inherited. I also inherited the burger's burdens. My European girl friend had acquired not only new tastes but also new spending habits. She had obtained a relief from the 'cost sharing' culture of Europe among men and their women through the 'London Burger'. And it was easy for her to mistake me for the burger. As a student at the time who didn't have a golden spoon in my mouth, I was almost always broke. My wallet was constantly lean. Sometimes I went without a wallet for lack of money to keep in it. Yet, I wanted adventure - money or no money. We started it quiet nicely. It was no love affair although we shared the benefits of lovers. It was adventure designed from the onset. We went to many places. I was the natural tour guide. To my dismay, I was also the sole financier of our adventure. Can you imagine a man without a wallet sponsoring an adventure with a European girl with a combination of European and African tastes? you have to be creative. And well I did it - but not for long. I was constantly now more broke than ever. I lost priorities. I spent school bills money with her. Unconsciously, I was trying to measure up the the burger's standard - naively deceiving and ridiculing my self in the process. When I was completely without money, I had to go into 'by force' solitude. She always wanted to go out and enjoy like she used to have with the burger. One day I had a rude awakening from my adventure. We went out. We chilled very well. We indeed had a lot of fun that night. I mean outdoor fun. We went deep into the night. Finally, we went to her trotro station where she will pick a ride home. One good thing about that girl - she always took trotro which cost less. She got a ride and left for her house. I stood there all alone drunk and weak. I still had a working mind though. After more than five minutes of searching my pockets, I was faced with a reality - I had no more money to transport myself back to school. Indeed, I had no money anywhere. I was completely and shamefully bankrupt. I could not walk because it wasn't a walking distance. I had to devise a plan B. I went on the road but could not find a trotro. I could not take a taxi from the road side either since I could not afford it. I got an idea. I went to the taxi station where there are many taxis in a queue for passengers. There was one taxi with a sign 'ready going'. There was no passenger in it so I made myself the first. I sat in the front seat whiles the driver kept on with his noisy advertising for three more passengers. He kept saying 'last person....last person' though he needed three more passengers. Whiles he was at it, I put my plan to work. The driver didn't hide his coins displayed in a tray close to the gear lever. I found enough coins. I picked out exactly the amount that the taxi driver will demand from me as cost of transport. I then closed my palms tightly and waited. In a jiffy, three more people joined me in the taxi. The driver got in quickly and ready to move. But before he will get to his ignition, I was already handing my coins over to him. He smiled gladly at the alacrity with which I was willing to pay even before take off. What he didn't know was that I was paying him with his own money. I was getting a free ride on his blind side. I smiled back at his naivety as he received 'my coins'. Did I face moral dilemma? absolutely not. I had no time for that at that moment. I was faced with the question of prudence not morality. I woke up the following morning full of emptiness and the truth staring at me. I concluded that this whole adventure was utter folly. The adventure was too costly for me. I couldn't afford it anymore - unless I was prepared to become a petty thieve. I was not confused - not even for a second. I had to walk away from it - walk away from foolishness. If you don't have money, you don't have it. Don't pretend you do - not with a woman.'' culled from the book - PANAFEST IN THE DUNGEONS - An experience of a natural mystic: A narrative by SaCut Amenga- Etego (coming soon to your book shelves)

Telling our side of the story - My second political attempt

The first time I run for political office, I lost the ballot completely albeit, I enjoyed a good measure of fame. It was student politics in 2005 when I run for sports and Entertainment secretary. That campaign was run haphazardly. With some creativity, I raised some little funds which barely covered the cost of feeding my three - man campaign team. Nevertheless, we did it. I particularly enjoyed the manifesto reading in front of large crowds of students. The grand entry into the arena. And the accompanying appellations from my ashanti friend and class mate Tiwaa Opoku Ware. She added some poise to the entry with her surprise act which differentiated me from the rest of the candidates. I wore a black jacket and tie - first time in school. I became a spectacle for the many student fans who showed me love - but not with their votes. They called me SaCut 'TheGeneral'... I also remember the deep and affectionate hug I received from miss Sefakor Vowotor - my super star campus 'girl friend' that never was. She was impressed beyond the point that she could not hide her feelings from her friends when I met them in the crowds after the speech. She hugged me so closely. But that is all I got. All that deluded me into thinking I was going to win. I lost. And when I lost, I got a hair shave, an extreme make - over, to disguise myself. I was completely stupefied. When my dean of students met me the morning after the declaration of results, he was surprised to see me smiling - and he said it, that I was such a 'cheerful looser'. Yes, I am unlike some other politicians we know in Ghana. He was happy to have such a good sports man as a student of his. Well that was over seven (7) years ago and it marked the beginning of my political adventurism. Since then I have supported other people's candidature for political office including some of my best friends. I even supported and actively campaigned for the first female candidate in the presidential primaries of my political party. I was my candidate's official polling agent at congress. I have decided to run for political office - again. This time, it is national politics. This time, I have experience. The ruling NDC is going to congress in November to elect new national executive officers who will form a committee to run the political party for the next four (4) years. I have seen a weak link in the current national executive structure of the party. It is the propaganda secretariat. The current secretary in charge of Propaganda is Richard Quashiga who is currently preoccupied with parliamentary duties. But even before then, he has been a pale shadow of his predecessor Fiifi Kwetey who is my all time best propaganda secretary of the NDC in the time of opposition. Richard Quashiga has simply been a failure in his attempt 'to tell our side of the story' to the people. He has been constantly reactive to issues that emanate from the opposition. He eventually lost control to the government communications team which has since taken over and are 'attempting' to 'tell our side of the story' to the people. I believe that this very crucial branch of the party structure must be rescued and the much needed propaganda WAR properly and strategically waged. It is a very crucial psychological warfare because it is the means by which political parties win or loose the hearts and minds of the people to their side. I can't imagine anybody in my league within the NDC doing it better as a secretary of propaganda than myself. This is the bases of my ambition. So: I am going to offer myself to be elected by the NDC delegates when nominations are opened officially. There are two positions here. The secretary and his deputy. As a strategic move, I am running for deputy propaganda secretary. In four years from now, God willing, I would've been totally prepared to take on the full Job. I have revealed my ambition to a few friends and close allies. I have also mentioned it on radio a couple of times. Recently, some daily news papers put out a story about prospective candidates in which included my name. All these little pieces of publicity put together seem to have communicated sufficiently the intention of my candidacy - and I think my rivals are unsettled. I was sitting in the studio the other day readying for that weekly radio interview that I have agreed to grant to Bobiyie Ansah on agoo 103.5 fm. Whiles I was setting up my tools, an old friend of mine Peter Boamah Otokunor walked into the studio. Apparently he was just driving by the station and decided to come up and greet - according to him. After greeting he said to me ' I hear you are planning to contest me'. Whiles he talked, he was smiling with it. He appeared to have a 'sense of entitlement' to a certain position I want to contest. 'What is your name', I asked him with a stern look, also smiling. He was amazed by my question, knowing that I know his name too well. 'You mean you don't know my name'? He asked me. I think he was now confused - for a moment. 'Are you called propaganda secretary? or deputy propaganda secretary?', I asked him. He laughed. He told me he run for the post of deputy propaganda secretary the last time and lost to the incumbent, and now, naturally, he wants to go back for it. But now he is hearing about my candidature and welcomes it because, according to him, 'it will make the race exciting'. Of course I bring excitement. But not only that, I bring competence, practical experience and acumen. I laughed off his bluff and suggested to him to perish his ambitions immediately to avoid being mashed up by me in the elections. He laughed it off - of course! He walked out of the studio not long after that with food for thought. So: it will seem to me that my intentions have been sufficiently communicated and the battle lines are being drawn for the start of the PROPAGANDA WAR! I will soon put together my campaign team so I welcome all volunteers on board to help present 'our own side of the argument'. SaCut 'commandante' Amenga - Etego - Ghost Writer, broadcaster, multi - media journalist and politician

The Ultimate Price - a Koforidua Flower

It was something we looked up to. We were young and daring. Adventure was always on my mind. The first going was on an excursion with many other students to the Akosombo Dam. It was my first time in that part of Ghana. I was by then undergoing practical training in school radio whiles attempting to study to become an accounting technician. At last I mastered radio. Accounting technician, I did not become. This was in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city. Being on school radio makes one popular among students, and the surrounding communities. My radio show was usually between 5PM - 7PM on Saturdays. It was a once a week show. I called it ''General@ the controls''! And I played dance hall reggae and spoke 'corrupted English'. The students loved it. It was during this period that I met my long time friend and brother Cassius 'King' Owusu It was he who taught me that all I needed to speak 'patois' was corrupting my English language. This was after EDEM, final year student programmes manager, under whose tutelage I was undergoing my radio training, handed to me his slot to sit-in in his absence. It was a music/talk show. And I enjoyed the experience of excitement at the time. Bobby was my class mate and friend. We both wanted to become 'accounting technicians'. We were also eating mates, though I hated his eating habit. He would usually start with the meat. Not only that, he took a different bite of every piece of meat in the soup. The first day we had a meal together, I confronted him right in the middle of the eating. I told him to take it easy. He did not. After a couple of weeks of adopting to Bobby, he became my friend. I chose him as my friend because he was a neat guy. He didn't argue much intellectually or politically or philosophically. He was not judgmental and shared a couple habits. His interest was entertainment and girls. He was a simple guy. Although he wasn't a rich student, he appeared as one, with his neat and fashionable dressing. Women were always attracted to him, sadly, he didn't know how to coax them. He either misunderstood them, or misinterpreted them. He was a Fante boy but who was born and lived with his parents in Tema. I had one problem with him; when ever you asked him where he comes from, he will say he comes from Tema. Unlike me who will say I come from Kandiga, 18 km east of Navrongo. I suggested to him to to be himself. but he was adamant. Anyways, we rolled together. We got a guided tour of the DAM that provides over 50% of our energy requirements as a nation. We asked questions. And we said good bye and headed to the Akosombo Hotel were the action was to take place. There was a large swimming pool. Some other accounting and banking students from Koforidua were coming to mix and socialize with us. We got excited when we heard this. We hoped for more 'Koforidua flowers' in the crowd. I was particularly looking for a rose flower. In the end, I got an Anita flower. I don't know if it was because of my swimming skills in the pool. Or was it because I was walking with the handsome Bobby. Perhaps, it was my dancing skills though the last time I checked, only one person has ever said I can dance well. Anita chose me. May be because she noticed I was famous among the crowd. She was one of the Koforidua girls. She came into our bus with many other students from Koforidua. They wanted a short ride back to their campus, from where we will proceed to Kumasi. Even though there was no space by me, Anita still came and tried to push me from my seat. I looked at her fair face and slender figure. I obliged. Next thing she was asking everything about me. I gave her a few correct answers. And I 'packaged' for her the rest of the information she wanted to know. She was smiling. She had just met a half - Ghanaian, half - Jamaican. An exotic guy with a 'patois' accent. School radio star. All I did was to ''corrupt'' my English to assume my character. I found out from my experience that many Ghanaian girls interestingly wants a guy remotely exotic. So if you really want a pretty Ghanaian girl, put on your exotic self. By the way my parents are both proud Ghanaians. It was just my own 'acquired identity' as a life skill. And it always worked. The bus ride to her campus was short but I got her number. She had a mobile phone at that time when many of my peers didn't own one. I hadn't even dreamed of owning a mobile phone. There were telephone booths everywhere in town, on campus etc. etc. One only needed to buy a telephone card to communicate. Whiles I was saying goodbye to the Anita Flower, Bobby was hugging Tilly. He told me later that he had managed to con her and got her number. In that case, We both went to Kumasi with some Flowers from Koforidua. What are we going to do with them? It was our puzzle to answer. I kept in touch with my Anita flower from Koforidua. Actually, she hailed from Cape Coast and lived in Accra with her parents. She was only attending school in Koforidua. I constantly telephoned her from the booth. We talked and she told me how she was boasting to all her friends about her new 'Jamaican boy friend.' She was completely obsessed. After a couple of months, when we had received our student loan, and were sufficiently rich, we decided to return the flowers to Koforidua. Bobby and I planned the trip tactically. We wanted to make such a big impression on these girls so that we could claim the 'ultimate price' before we return. First of all, as exotic as we wanted to portray - or at least, I wanted to portray - we had to show that we were not poor guys - even if we were. ATM BANKING was the BUZZWORD at the time. It was new in town and it was prestigious to operate an account with an ATM card. It was enough to get you a beautiful girl friend for a short while - even when the account actually has no credit balance. So having assured ourselves that the both Koforidua flowers were anxious to see us again, and hopefully bond with us, we set a date for departure on that adventure. Rather not so strategically, we decided not to carry cash with us on the journey from Kumasi to Koforidua. We wanted the girls to know about our 'ATM status'. We wanted them to be there whiles we withdrew our cash to dramatize the point. And we took this major decision without knowing - and just assuming - that there is an ATM machine in the Koforidua branch of the Barclays bank. We didn't even care to inquire from our hosts. We were so sure because we assumed that that town must be as commercial as the city of Kumasi. How naive we were. We left in the morning on a crowded bus. We looked forward with excitement to meet our flowers. I wanted to smell mine properly and appreciate it. My Anita flower was more than eager to experience her exotic new breed. Everything went pretty well until we arrived in Koforidua that late afternoon. It was the beginning of our adventure proper. To our utter amazement, the Barclays bank in this whole town of beautiful flowers did not operate an ATM machine. The banking hall had just been closed with an unyielding security man in a tattered uniform making sure we didn't get near. What a horror story. We were now standing in the town, so near to our flowers, yet, faced a dilemma. We couldn't let them know about our situation. That will spoil the plan. So plan A had failed brutally. We had to operate plan B. The nearest town that may offer a solution was a town called Suhum, we found out after some inquiries from some ignoramuses around whose advise only misled us through out. We had just a few cedis in our pockets combined. We were so surely misled into believing that Suhum will offer a solution, we decided to rent a taxi with the rest of the money to take us through a guess of 18 km of red, bumpy feeder road to that town. When we finally arrived, having paid off the taxi driver, we were told that that bank did not even operate, or exist, if you like, in that town, let alone an ATM machine. It was now 5PM and we hadn't arrived in Koforidua yet. We had no money except a few coins. We had had neither water nor food. Luckily for us, as we didn't own mobile phones at that time, we could not be reached by our hosts flowers who were prepared and anxiously waiting for us. We also could not even afford to communicate with them. Even if we could afford, we will not until the right time. Next stop was Nsawam. Here, the bank also did not operate an ATM machine even though it existed. It was now a completely disastrous day. We were now standing at Nsawam at 7 pm, having set out in the morning from kumasi to visit our flowers in Koforidua. We were yet to arrive - and we had no way of arriving soon. We now had to decide. Bobby brought a brilliant idea. He said we are close to Accra. Let's take a trotro to Tema station. I know a branch there with an ATM. He was so sure. When we got to the Tema station, it was 9 PM. It was a long ride in traffic. We got our cash finally in our hands. And we were still on our way to Koforidua. It was too late to arrive that night. The journey from Kumasi to Koforidua had taken us more than 24 hrs. We were now much closer to Bobby's 'home town' - Tema. I suggested we go visit his family and pass the night. He agreed but he needed a decoy to cover our real adventure story. After much brainstorming we came out with a tale that we had come to Tema on a school excursion bus to visit the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). That some how, we went about touring and eventually missed our return bus. It was an acceptable story for his parents to welcome us home. It was too late when we arrived so nobody asked us about food. Early the following morning, I gave Anita a call from the phone booth at the Koforidua lorry park in Tema. I expressed my regret that I failed to turn up the previous day as promised. I told her We had to 'run a few thins'..' in Accra first but I was now on my way with my friend Bobby. She was excited. She shouted and called out my name on the phone. Some how, my name was the most exotic thing to her. We finally arrived to rousing welcome - at least for me. Anita was jumping all over me. She took me round to show off to all her friends. She kept touching my bushy hair. And she kept saying 'this is my Jamaican boy friend...this is my Jamaican boy friend...' Bobby's Tilly Flower was 'still coming' after more than three hours of arrival that Saturday morning. It was curious considering that Bobby had assured me that she was equally eager about his visit. So far, she hadn't demonstrated eagerness. My Anita hadn't only demonstrated, she was practically dramatizing her eagerness in front of all of us. We were eventually invited for lunch. It was to take place in a certain hostel where we would finally meet Bobby's Anita. We arrived. There was a crowd which included other guys. It was introduction time. Tilly introduced herself and introduced a certain guy in the crowd as her boy friend. Bobby's eyes were wide open. He was shocked. As if to equalize it, Anita introduced me '' This is SaCut, my Jamaican boy friend. He is a school radio star and he speaks 'patois'.'' I now had the easiest task of 'corrupting' my English to demonstrate my exotic nature. I was good at it, and I enjoyed doing it. We enjoyed their food as well as their drinks. Bobby had started getting real. Whiles I was acting as a non - alcoholic drinker, he on the other hand, drunk the liqueur unashamedly. As if he wanted to get drunk and lose control. He may have started regretting for the journey after his 'girl friend' introduced to us her boy friend. Later that evening, we went out for drinks and meat and ice cream. At that time, 'fried rice' was very fashionable and we had our own share of the fashion. Regrettably, we could not prove our ATM point which we set out from the onset to do - the same reason that we spent over 24hrs making that long journey. Anyways, that was no longer necessary for the plan. All my plans were on course so far. I worried less about the games between Bobby and his Tilly flower. That was their own cup of tea. Of course, I sympathized with Bobby but he was responsible for misreading and misinterpreting the signals from the girl. He had to take responsibility for his poor judgment. We planned to party through the night but Tilly suddenly wanted to go home and see her mother. She promised to return to see Bobby. She left. I told Bobby to give up. He said yes, but he still nursed hopes. We eventually returned to the Hostel where we were to stay the night. It was a time many students were at home with only a few professional students still in school. There was one empty room with two double beds. I now had the onerous task of managing a situation where my friend Bobby had no other place to sleep except in the same room with me, and an eagerly awaiting Anita flower who wanted to bond with - but in private. It was such a dilemma. There was only one option - to convince Anita that my friend Bobby will sleep and slumber and will not even notice us. It took some time to convince her, but she succumbed eventually. I had a 'special agreement' with Bobby. I told him to do well to sleep, probably start snoring as soon as he can pretend. He promised on his honor, with his hand on his heart, that he will not give Anita any reason to escape my grib. He told me that he wanted me to 'pay his debt' for him since it was almost certain that he had hit a hard rock with his Koforidua exploit. We went to bed with our rubbers - of course. Anita and I slept in the first thirty minutes when Bobby was preparing to 'pretend to sleep' but we kept awake for the rest of the night. We were playing. And she loved playing with me. We even did run together but not with our bare foot. We run with the rubbers on our feet. We also talked. Bobby had had enough of our all night play. Whiles, we played, Bobby chose to wake up and urinate. He however staggered as though he was sleep - walking. We halted until he came back and pretended to be sleeping. To put it simply, the night was blissful. I woke up smiling broadly, having risen to the occasion and claimed my title to the regret and annoyance of my friend Bobby. I got the price. He didn't. Anita's face glowed in the morning. Before we left later that afternoon, I promised Bobby - but not on my honor - that I will 'package' the narration such that I will edit out the part of the story that says that he missed the price, but not always. That part of the story hinges on his honor - he claimed. He said he was jealous of me but understood fully that it was not my fault that he missed the price. He told me that he had at least 'enjoyed watching us play during the night'. He couldn't keep his promise to remain sleeping during our play. I currently don't know the whereabouts of either Bobby my friend and old school mate nor Anita my Koforidua Flower. My meeting with Anita was the second and last time. Interestingly, we had no mutual friends. As I had no mobile phone on which to be reached, and could not constantly keep in touch from the phone booth, I put her out of my mind. That Flower is now a souvenir in my mind. - extracted from the book 'PANAFEST IN THE DUNGEONS - an experience of a natural mystic by SaCut Amenga - Etego.