Of Political Conspiracy Theories and National Security

The Saga of Hon. Alhaji Mumuni On Oct. 18, 2004 the Ghana Chronicle reported that: Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, the NDC's Presidential running mate who suffered a near fatal accident staged a walk before the cameras at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra to showcase his speedy recovery and desire to roll back into action.

The report also attributed the following statement to Alhaji Mumuni: …that several twists had been given to the probable cause of his accident but added that “As a lawyer, I owe my duty to the law and my duty to the state and this is as you know a road traffic accident. I have the responsibility to speak to the police and explain to them what happened for them to investigate. I have not had the opportunity to do that and I don't think I will want to breach the law by discussing this matter outside,” Mr. Mumuni said.

“I know that there were many speculations and that is quite natural, there has been a lot of conjecture and of course it is also quite natural that where information is stale, speculation is bound to run riot and as I have indicated in God's good time, I will tell the story to the police.” He said.

According to him, what has really pre-occupied his mind is the fact that God has saved him from the calamity.

Pushed further to know whether he suspected a foul play, he chickened out and said, “That will form part of my package of the information that I will give to the police.”

It would be recalled that when the accident happened some NDC big wigs alleged they could smell elephants at the scene of the accident. This is what brings me to this discussion. Ghana is situated in a volatile West Africa region where political instability has become the norm and any pronouncements that could kind of breach our relative peace and harmony and tip us into civil strife should be confronted head on.

So many allegations and conspiracy theories have been spawned to cover this accident one would have hoped the first thing the Hon Alhaji would do was to put enquiring minds and waging tongues to ease and rest when he had the chance to talk to the press. This he did not do and thus allowing the wild allegations to continue whilst at the same time intimating that he could not wait to get back on the campaign trail to become our vice-president. I would say not so fast. Listening to what he said you would think there is some criminality involved that is why he has to talk to the police whilst at the same time he was insisting it was pure road traffic accident.

I would like to opine that as soon as he became the running mate for Atta Mills, Alhaji Mumuni's private life took a back stage as he was now in the public square and the public deserve and reserve the right to know and be informed of issues that surround an individual who stands a good shot to become their vice-president. Dr. Aryee and JJ Rawlings misguided statements should not go unchallenged.

The public deserves to know from the horse's own mouth whether some elephant – meaning NPP operatives - stage managed his accident in order to eliminate him. That such baseless argument could have pushed some NDC party hot heads to engage in some disturbances cannot be overlooked. Theories abound and among those making the wild circulation are that the Hon. MP and Vice-President-select went to Legon Volta Hall to “browse” the damirifa of a beautiful female student. Such wild allegations cannot be taken lightly. We demand to know now and not after the election what the Honorable MP was doing at the wee hours of the morning. Where did he go or where was he coming from? Who did he go to meet without telling his wife? This matter wouldn't call for our attention if he was not on the NDC ticket. But since he is now there the public deserves to know all there is to know in order to make an informed decision in selecting the leaders of our country.

We are all aware of the wild rumors that whirled around the late Gen. Kotei and co during the SMC government days when a number of young girls where given gifts of VW Golf cars just for banging top state officials. Those rumors were so rampant they gained a currency of their own and spawned terms like “broad base” and “fa wo to begye Golf”. We have had situations such as the sex scandal that involved Dr. Kwesi Botchwey (I prefer Botwe for it's literal translation) and the female Canadian Ambassador. We have got to worry about political blackmail where state secrets can become endangered in the hands of its elected officials. Those are the kinds of things spies dwell on and we cannot allow slipping through our fingers a sex machine that may put the secrets of the state on pillows all over the place. And if I am a parent I have got to be really mad if my 21 year old daughter is coerced into frolicking sex with state officials by the sheer position of the power they weigh.

So Hon. Alhaji Mumuni your country waits for you. Please come out clean and level with us. The thing is how could you be so unmindful of the trust and security invested or vested in you that you could Nicodemusly go some where under the cover of darkness without telling your very own wife the specifics and without any security detail or page . Did the NPP try to kill you or not? Don't hide behind lawyerly talk to throw dust into our eyes. We are too sophisticated for that and we do not intend to elect people who would turn the Castle into a place where young girls go to get shagged and get a whole lot of goodies such as import licenses and contracts in businesses they have no expertise. Come on you can tell us more without compromising any police investigations. Failure to do so all Ghanaians should draw their own conclusions as to the caliber of men campaigning for our votes. You don't pee on our legs and tell us it is raining. That won't wash I can assure you.

Presented by, Eric Bottah (alias Oyokoba) Philadelphia, PA. USA