NPP consumed by the Kangaroo

Before I go ahead with what I intend to write about today, let me quickly say that I am happy the religious leaders, and here I am referring specifically to the Christian leaders, have finally found their voice. I watched them on TV when they visited President John Mills the other day, and I am happy that they appear to be getting ready to help in putting the government in check.

This is what they have shied away from over the last eight years, for reasons best known to them and them only. I remember how some of them used to be critical of the Rawlings administration and helping to bring to public attention some of the ills of the government, with others using the opportunity offered them on radio to spew out sometimes exaggerated claims against the government.

But for eight years, the concerns of corruption, human rights abuse, profligate spending and other serious matters of national concern escaped their radar. It did not matter to them again. And when the elections headed to the ‘near’ difficult times, they were issuing statements asking John Mills and Nana Addo to respect the will of the people. What were they afraid of? Why couldn’t they simply ask Nana Addo at the time to concede defeat and spare the nation the tension filled moments it put us through?

Welcome back our Christian leaders, and I can assure you that some us of us will be with you in making sure that this government is put in check for the greater benefit of the generality of Ghanaians.

Now to my Kangaroo dance session. Have you also been laughing out loud when you hear the likes of Kwadwo Mpiani, Wereko Brobbey, Kwaku Kwarteng, Gabby Otchere Darko and Frank Agyekum making claims that the Mills administration is either ‘witch-hunting’, ‘harassing’, ‘retiring’ and using ‘kangaroo courts’ against functionaries of the former NPP administration?

I laugh out a lot when I hear them, because I remember 2001 so well, you would think it’s just yesterday. Not that I want some of the horrible things that were done to officials of the pre-2001 NDC administration reciprocated by the present administration, but it makes you wonder whether if the above-mentioned personalities thought same in 2001.

For example, I have heard Dr. Arthur Kennedy, who spoke for the defeated NPP Candidate Nana Akuffo Addo’s campaign, say that the Mills administration is behaving as if they came to power through a coup. I wasn’t sure I was hearing right because, try as I did, I just couldn’t get what has been done to deserve that tag.
By this time in 2001, Jesus Christ!!! Not only had boards been dissolved, DCEs sacked and Managing Directors of banks and other institutions asked to proceed on leave, but people were been hauled before the BNI to answer spurious allegations. The BNI offices were where handing over notes were discussed. This was augmented with deliberately distorted news that various personalities have stolen state vehicles, the engagement of politically inclined audit firms to run what turned out to be spurious forensic audits on various institutions.

And today, with only one NADMO boss who himself came to office after an NPP big wig was snubbed, asked to handover and a Transition team working to understand the state of the economy, people are crying hoarse.
Hearing Wereko Brobbey describe the Transition team as a kangaroo court, I told myself, these guys are just on a failed PR game plan, because no matter what they say, the generality of Ghanaians knew and were not shocked by the revelations of the auditor general’s interim report. That report itself might not be the full truth but we’ll take it like that.

To think that an amount of three billion old cedis was spent on what you see driving past the Liberation circle should make your heart sink. And that more than one billion old cedis was paid to some persons to provide consultancy services for the rehabilitation of the independence square is outrageous. Or? Infact, from what I know I am inclined to believe that the unit cost of items purchased for the various houses etc were heavily inflated. Yes, they’ll be inflated.

And come to think of it, whether the report is Interim or not, is it not a fact that lots of the supposed souvenirs that were meant for the Ghana@50 celebration came after the event? That, as recent as the December election, in the Volta Region many of the Ghana@50 souvenirs were being distributed as campaign gifts? I am trying to trace what Madam Elizabeth Ohene said when she was asked about the souvenirs and the cloths.

The NPP’s apologetics must stop this unsuccessful attempt to shout wolf where there is none and play their role as a responsible opposition.
The kangaroo is the NPP’s new pet after the elephant, not the NDC’s so they cannot be running a kangaroo court. Let’s say, they are running an umbrella court providing a relaxing and comfortable setting for the officials that come in... just check out the seats, the setting of the meeting rooms and the cool air blowing through the vents. And compare that to the BNI interrogating rooms man NDC officials were hauled to, including the wife of the current president, John Mills.

S. Xoese DOGBE writes the Editor's Blog
in the dailyEXPRESS Newspaper- Ghana's only FREE Newspaper.
stan.dogbe@gmail.com
stan@ucomgh.com