Kwesi Platt An Icon We Have Not Celebrated

The name Kwesi Platt began to echo during the PNDC days in the eighties, a name that tormented Chairman Rawlings of blessed memory.

Comrade Kwesi Platt knew how brutish military juntas operates, even that didn't deterred him from consistently criticizes the PNDC and exposed some of the extra judicial killings during those era.

Prison custody became the bedroom annex for Kwesi Platt Jnr, Kweku Baako and others who were the fierce critics of Rawlings regime. Despite all the pain, anguish and humiliation they were subjected to, that did not scared him to discard his sociopolitical activism.

Comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr. a staunch Nkrumahist, but he freely joined forces with others with different political persuasion and orientation that masterminded the abrupt end to the military dictatorship under chairman John Rawlings.

They never allowed President Rawlings to enjoyed his new role as a civilian president. They came together and formed Alliance for Change (AFC) a vehicle they used to torment Rawlings and the National Democratic Congress till they finally lost power to the New Patriotic Party in December 2000.

Comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr exhibited a remarkable role during the political activism by Alliance For Change (AFC) which earned Kwesi Platt the accolade the commander in chief of demonstrations. He excellently led the popular kume preko and all the prekos demonstrations nationwide.

Unfortunately his compatriots most of them took position in President John Kuffour's government and the rest were compromised, Comrade Platt refused to be part of the new government.

Sadly Comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr became an enemy to the New Patriot Party administration because he refused to be sycophantic to the new government.

They tried to intimidate him to succumb to the dictates of the new patriotic government by sending officials of the Internal Revenue Service, to assessed his tax compliance level and further went ahead to contract a sixty three years old man to spread a false allegation of $125,000 bribery against Comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr.

Those periods were very difficult moment in the life of Comrade Platt while fighting to extricate himself from the falsehood peddled to discredit him. Surprisedly he had the energy to criticize and exposed corrupt activities within the president Kuffour government.

He again joined forces with others and formed the Committee for Joint Action, (CJA).that kept President Kuffour's government on his toes until they were also booted out of power in 2009 January 7th.

Politicians can be callous, comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr. who was on the same platform with presidential candidate Kuffour and all the leading members of the NPP, could sit aloof and allowed Kwesi Platt to be humiliated by spreading falsehood against him, knowing very well the allegation was not true, and it was being done to discredit him, because he wanted to be different.

Another non conformist Captain Smart is on a slaughtering table to be devour because he has opened his mouth wide to criticize Nana Addo's mismanagement of the nation scarce resources.

Captain Smart is an asset and our expectation is Ghana Journalist Association, Media Foundation for West Africa and the Ghana Independent Broadcasting Association, must help these non conformist journalist to deal with their excesses.

Kwesi Platt is an exceptional human being who never harbor bitterness, anger or revenge against those that torment and tortured him, he rather aligned and became friends to them. Unfortunately his twin brother Comrade Kweku Baako allowed bitterness, anger and revenge against late president Jerry John Rawlings and the National Democratic Congress to eat him up to the extent that he has lost almost all the credentials accorded him.

Comrade Kwesi Platt Jnr. desirous of becoming a member of parliament and was selected as the alliance candidate for Central Ayawaso Constituency. The supreme being does not want him corrupted and compromised if he became a member of parliament. Alhaji IC Quaye resisted the agreement and put up himself as candidate on ticket of the NPP and eventually became the member of parliament for the Ayawaso Central Constituency.

Despite his age he consistently does what he knows best, and continue to put Ghanaian government(s) on their toes even up till this date.

Kwesi Platt Jnr is an Icon we have not celebrated or honoured. He is not a politician but a humanitarian, who consistently goes to the rescue of suppressed people.

I saw the speed at which he went collecting signatures to free Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, and quickly marshall some people to form the Free Tsatsu Now Movement that put pressure on president Kuffour until he was released on the eve of handing over power to Prof. Atta Mills.

Mike Kalley
Sociopolitical Analyst.