Ghana ripe for ten coups – Tony Aidoo

Inspite of the fact that Ghana for the first time in 15 years has had a continuous practice of democratic governance and immensely benefited from it, Dr Tony Aidoo is virtually calling for a coup d'etat.

Dr Aidoo, a former Deputy Defence Minister in the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government headed by J.J Rawlings made the call on Radio Gold's "Alhaji and Alhaji show," a current affairs programme last Saturday.

"Conditions have been created today that will justify ten coups d'etat, conditions have been created that will justify ten coup d'etat and over," charged Dr Aidoo belligerently.

According to him, inspite of the fact that Ghanaians had pledged "that we don't want change of government through the barrel of the gun but rather through the ballot box doesn't mean that we must tolerate an incompetent government that came to rule rather than administer our resources in our interest."

He railed against the ruling New Patriotic Party government, headed by President J.A Kufuor, accusing it of arrogance and inefficiency in all spheres including policy making and administration.

According to him, the Government had been bankrupt of ideas in managing and appropriating energy for the country's use. He maintained that he and others of like mind would hit the streets should the government ask for increase in energy tariffs.

He said: "The moment they announce tariff increases we will hit the streets. We are tired of paying for the inefficiencies of this government, for the extravagance of this government, for the corruption of this government, we are tired.”

He placed the current energy crisis at the doorstep of President Kufuor, saying that the President was not bothered about the common man's need for electricity.

"Do you think President Kufuor gives a damn about you common people," Dr Aidoo spurted, adding "He doesn't care whether you have light or not because he wants the light for himself."

Dr Aidoo: "Listen, he is talking about paying more tariffs, 'toofiakwa yen tua'. Why should we pay for increased tariffs?"

According to him, the Government had been insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians and would never, because of the element of intellectual bigotry apologise to Ghanaians whenever it erred, especially in relation to the current crisis.

He said intellectual bigotry had led the NPP government to ignore advice from experts "from persons who know nothing.".


Comparing his boss, ex-President Rawlings to Kufuor, Dr Aidoo said the former had been more proactive and desirous of solving and preventing national tragedies.

He cited the example of the ex-President's tendency to wade in flood waters as not "because he was making showmanship, it was genuine concern."

Dr Aidoo added that when the energy crisis struck in 1998, Rawlings called two emergency high powered cabinet meetings to which persons known to be affiliated to the NPP but at the time held strategic positions in the energy sector were invited.

He castigated the government for inefficiency, saying since 2005 the nation had been losing ¢700 billion a year.

Culled from The Crusading Guide