Things that Make You Go Hmmm

YA NA'S MURDER WILL NOT GO

One cannot help but notice the deliberate effort on the part of the NPP government to wish away the murder of the Ya Na and the other 40.

Consistently, Ghanaians are being told by the NPP and its government that it was a 'family' war between two gates in Dagbon that led to the 'death' of the late Overlord. We are being told of a war in which the Overlord of Dagbon and 40 others were under sustained gunfire for three days before they were eventually gunned down in cold blood in broad daylight, with the Ya Na's head and body parts severed.

During the so-called war however, the Ya Na and the other victims called for help, but help never came even though, there was a security detachment just a few metres from the palace where the murderous assault on the Ya Na was taking place.

Considering all the developments leading to the murder of the Ya Na and the circumstances after that horrendous action, one wonders why this government should be allowed to drag the matter under the carpet. Is it because from all indications the Kufuor-led NPP government facilitated the act? Why should we wish this matter away when Mr. Kufuor, the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces and his blood brother Dr. Philip Addo Kufuor, the defence minister sat by unconcerned whilst the dastardly act was being committed?

The then Interior Minister, Alhaji Malik Yakubu had earlier categorically denied that there was any assault on the Gbewa Palace even when reports from Yendi established beyond doubt that the life of the overlord of Dagbon was in grave danger.

What of Hackman Owusu Agyeman, who said that he had watched a videotape of the incident and could confirm that there was crossfire, only to resort to the ineffectual damage repairs that he was talking about a post 'war' video?

How does the NPP government expect us to forget what happened when Mr. Kufuor?s press secretary at the time, Elizaberth Ohene stated on air that the Abudu Gate, one of the factions in the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, had the full support of the NPP government as a reciprocate gesture to the Gate?s support for the party in the 2000 general elections that brought the NPP to power; and that Mr. Kufuor had give them an assurance that he would push their interest if they helped him win power in 2000.

Given all this, they still expect us to forget about the horrendous atrocity even though more than three years have passed and not one culprit has been found? What exactly do they take the people of this country for? The NPP wants us to keep quiet over the issue because in their estimation, talking about it amounts to politicisation of the issue, intruding in a chieftaincy affair, fanning a volatile situation, dividing a family, and so on and so forth.

O, these disoriented 'elephants' have some nerve! Hmmmmmmm! MIKE OCQUAYE'S SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST The NPP truly has all the men! O, yes! What better evidence need we than what we witnessed last week when Mr. Kufuor?s Minister for Energy, Prof. Mike Ocquaye all of a sudden remembered he was a reverend minister and needed to call on the nation to pray for God?s intervention in the exodus of the experts from TOR.

Following that came his announcement of a stop-gap measure in the form of a 40% increase in the salaries of the workers, a decision which many consider to be rather too late in the day, since the tide of the exodus had already reached a point where stopping it was going to be virtually impossible.

But Yours Truly would like to concentrate on this prayer thing for now. Who says prayer does not work, or that God does not answer prayer? It is absolutely important for us to pray as individuals and as a nation.

But it is completely unacceptable when the people that we have elected to steer the affairs of this country continue to wallow in gross incompetence, the result of which we now face, only to come back and disturb our ears, saying we should pray for God?s intervention.

If Prof. Mike Ocquaye had done the right things at TOR right from the beginning by swallowing his pride and paid attention to the grievances that TOR workers had put forward for sometime now, the situation would have been saved and the problem averted. If his NPP government had not been treating Ghanaian workers with such disrespect and impunity, all these would not have happened.

Now that his incompetence has brought the nation close to a steep precipice, he has started talking about prayer. Heaven helps those who help themselves. Prof. Mike Ocquaye and the NPP government have not helped themselves, how do they want heavens to help them? If he truly were a reverend minister worth the name, he would have resigned his position for failing in his duty instead of engaging in this diversionary tactic.

It is clear that like the empty barrel former deputy sports Minister Joe Aggrey who knew all the answers on paper but was woeful when put in a position to perform, Minister Mike also is only a theoretical magician. One could remember all his babblings on Radio Universe in the days past, dishing out copious criticisms and advancing all kinds of solutions to socio-political difficulties confronting the nation. Now, we know what he really is worth.

To be frank, TOR does not need any deliverance session. It is rather the Kufuor-led NPP government that needs prayer and deliverance from gross incompetence, corruption, immorality, lying, occultism and election rigging.

Ghanaians must ask themselves why there was nothing of this sort at TOR under the Rawlings-led government. O, NPP where are the men you claimed you have? Hmmmmmmm! KWABENA AGYEPONG TOO? When issues come up of late, the last person that Yours Truly expects to make a comment about them is Mr. Kufuor?s lying spokesperson, Kwabena Agyepong. The man just makes me sick. In fact one wonders if the guy has any conscience at all. If he did, he would be the last to support any further lies about the NDC.

The prolific liar of a press spokesperson had the audacity to dare say by asking the government to explain the circumstances surrounding the bugging of telephones, NDC is only trying to divert attention from the so-called plot by Victor Smith and others to assassinate Dr. Obed Asamoah and the other people mentioned in the Vanguard fabrication.

Clearly, the man as usual has nothing to say. Otherwise, he would have done so. The NDC must not waste its time on a man who instead of being a presidential spokesperson has completely become a 'presidential liability'. Hmmmmm?