Resetting Agenda for Better Ghana Demands Honest and Informed Leaders and Citizen Mindset Revolution

Our movement towards Ghana Beyond Aid, hence a Promised Land through a Better Ghana Agenda seriously demands, transparent, very honest, well informed, humble, bold, accountable and consensus oriented or building Head of State and associated leaders who need to ensure responsiveness, inclusiveness and adherence to the rule of law thus inculcate good governance system.

Unfortunately, the poisonous discourses of some of our Nationals and the inactions by Heads of State and the Members of Parliament in the Fourth Republic in all façade especially the need for retooling of the Security Agencies especially the Ghana Air Force for tactical airlifting of troops and the Head of State/ the Commander-in-chief and State Officials within and outside the Country and the lack of execution of swift action against miscreants are detrimental to the promotion of good governance.

It is envisaged that the situation may be due to corruption (dishonesty, immorality etc) arrogance, otherwise lack or poor knowledge on national and global issues. Hence as part of the Resetting of Ghana Agenda, being propagated in the second coming of His Excellency Mr JD Mahama, the President of Ghana among others, there is the urgent need for Mindset (mind, attitude etc) Revolution to help change some of the actions in the Country and the narrative in our public discourses.

So, this writer, a Student of History and Risk Management, has been working hard since 2017, to fill the identified gaps in the nation building efforts to ensure history does not forgive the matured people of Ghana or the current various generations in Ghana for inactions.

The Citizens or the people of Ghana especially the President, Hon Members of Parliament, Members of the Judiciary, Members of the Council of State and all government appointees and Traditional Leaders, security Personnel especially the CDS and IGP and their personnel must always ensure Ghana First and ensure their attitude, body language, actions or works or in a national debate or discourses project a very positive image of Ghana at all times. So when a person is elected as a Member of Parliament or a person is appointed as a State or government official, he or she must understand that he or she is for Ghana First and neither for his affiliated political party not for his tribe nor his religion. Hence the leader must ensure to act swiftly and openly to deal with miscreants or acts that have the tendency to derail the Resetting Ghana Agenda.

So before, I expatiate on the topic, let me use this chance to commend our indefatigable (solid, dependable etc) Vice President of Ghana, namely Her Excellency Professor Nana Opoku Agyeman, Hon Mr Aseidu Nketia, who is the Chairman of the NDC Political Party, Hon Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC Political Party and other members of the NDC as well as the members of the general public who openly condemned the mayhem/ molestation of two persons at the recent Ablekuma Parliamentary reelection at the affected polling station. The General Secretary of the NPP and his team are also commended for condemning the uncouth acts by some of their Party members and travelling to the NDC HQ to render apologies. Thus Ghana through the Resetting Agenda is producing very good Statesmen and Stateswomen.

Hon Mr Alhaji Hamza Sayibu Suhuyini Alhassan Esq, the MP of Tamale North must also be commended for the swift expressing of his candid displeasure on the attack of the female nurse by one Raph. Other persons who followed later on with condemnation of the ungodly acts at the Ridge hospital are also commended. The Ashantehene must be commended for asking his fellow compatriots to stop politicization on matters on the retooling of the Ghana AirFoce and by that actions, make it difficult for the Ghana Armed Forces to be capable of providing the needed very good services to Ghana.

The despicable acts by our fellow citizens do not project a positive image of Ghana at this mature state of our democratic dispensation especially with His Excellency President Mahama, as President. Since he is a Statesman par excellence since he has seen it all due to his occupation of all key appointments in the Country. He started a Corporate Staff, as Hon Assemblyman, Hon MP, Deputy Minister, Minister, Vice President, Acting President and President. He is now the first in the history of Ghana to be nominated by God by a Second coming of a former President as the President of Ghana.

By God, His Excellency President Mahama is supported by an equal Stateswoman par excellence as Vice President of Ghana, who is the first female VC of a prominent University in Ghana and the first female Vice President of Ghana, hence making her also the female trailblazer in the History of Ghana making Ghana proud of having a male and female who are two trailblazers at the helms of the Country and for first term in a Resetting Ghana Agenda. So bad nuts or Miscreants must not be allowed to spoil this situation, the first of its kind by God.

So, the IGP for that matter the Police, must ensure as part of our collective effort in the Resetting of Ghana Agenda, the miscreants who are bent on causing disunity and thus derail the nationals collective navigation as one Ghana, One People with a Common Destiny towards a Promised Land through the good works of His Excellency President Mahama, who is the President of Ghana and not the President of NDC.

So, this week, this regular writer to Modern Ghana has decided to join the campaign for the Retooling of the Ghana AirFoce by sharing some experiences that may help create a national consensus in our forward march and thus help us disregarded our backward tendencies of equalization thus muddy the waters or help kill or cure the PHD (Pull Her Down) syndrome in our DNA.

So, the Resetting Ghana Agenda must start with a Mindset Revolution to swiftly kill or cure the PHD (Pull Her Down) syndrome in our DNA to ensure effective and efficient collective forward in the quick march without leaving anyone behind. Hence, no halts, no slow march nor backward march in the Resetting Agenda. let me educate my fellow compatriots that the act of visiting old incidents or past histories should mean or make us feel that we should use the incidents for comparing or repeat the silly acts but the old incidents should be lessons for us to grow into maturity, thus say that never again and keep quick marching forward to ensure inclusiveness through Unity in diversity.

So let me warn those ill-informed persons who have been wasting the public ears with an alleged issue of prosecution of persons who allegedly acted wrongly or otherwise in the 2019 Ayawaso West Wougon Bye Election that Clause 2 of Article 280 of the Constitution of Ghana, is in a very clear English Language to even a JSS pupil that that where a Commission of Inquiry makes an adverse finding against any person, the report of the Commission is deemed as same as a Judgment of the High Court. So, an appeal shall lie of a right from the finding of the Commission to the Court of Appeal. It is also very clear at Clause 5 of Article 280 that the judgment of High is subject to the publication of the Government White Paper among others.

Thus, due to the rejection made in the Government White Paper and thus absolved the affected persons from wrong doing, asking for the prosecution of Mr Akomeah etc by the Attorney General as recommended by the Commission, is Unconstitutional. This is so for two reasons the Constitution at Clause of 2 Article 280 grants the affected person among to suffer administrative punishment including to suffer a consequential punishment of disqualified to be MP or occupy a public Office for the next 10 years when he or she failed to act within the time granted or failed at the Appeal Court to quash the adverse finding, hence the affected persons cannot be prosecuted. This is so, by the judgment of Justice Samuel Marful-Sau, JC in the Ghana at 50 Celebration which involved Dr Wireko Brobbey and Hon Mr Mpiani. So the recommendation by the Justice Emile Short Commission on the prosecution of Mr Akomeah etc by the Attorney General was both unlawful and Unconstitutional and even if the White had accepted this recommendation, hence the case is therefore redundant. This leads to debate on the retooling of the Ghana Air Force.

Retooling of Ghana AirFoce
GAF fighter jets and the Nigeria Jets which were based in Lungi Airport Sierra Leone provided air fir support to ECOMOG. GAF fighter jets and the Nigeria Jets in a rescue mission saved a Ghanaian Battalion especially the forward Combat Team under Command of this writer from total capture and or massacre by Charles Taylor’s rebels or troops that when we suddenly ran short of ammunition in the middle or close to enemy fire with tracer bullets. Thanks to Nigeria for coming to our aid (the Ghanaian Battalion) then under Command of then Lt Col Ayiboteh with then Major Dan Prah as the Second in command. It was really a very chilly and dreadful story which exposed very coward soldiers and bravery by some Officers and men or soldiers like my Body guard then Cpl Gariba and myself who had to conduct confidence patrol to the rear to allow the command vehicle to evacuate wounded persons to the rear and handover to an incoming ambulance which had earlier on left for Monrovia with wounded persons.

So, the Ghana AirFoce (GAF) one of her main roles ( among others) is to provide air fire support to ground troops, so it needs Jet Fighters or Bombers, two may be ok with the current financial state. It needs air surveillance and tactical or strategic air lifter of troops for operational duties and for quick medical evacuation from areas without Airfield or Airport hence at least three helicopters with one capable of lifting the executive and VIPs and in addition to lifting of troops,

The Ghana AirFoce (GAF) is required to be ready to airlift the Head of State/the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces as and when required for the President to enjoy unique sense of Independence to travel wherever and whenever he or she wants. The Presidential Jet is also to prevent the Aircraft crew from landing in a strange or wrong Airport. Thus offers unique sense of Independence to the President to travel wherever and whenever he wants or return to Ghana for major national assignments when necessary.

The Presidential Jet allows the President to travel out independently to undertake physical contacts for face to face and one-on-one negotiations /deliberations, and able to attend summits on time in the diplomatic arena and conduct business trips to countries which Ghana has diplomatic relationships.

So, besides other Official Visits, Head of State is required to undertake State Visits as responses to the invitations of the Head of States of other Countries say Japan or USA or China and it always good for the President to travel a Presidential Jet with a relevant State/Government Officials, reasonable delegation including relevant persons, including business leaders to meet their Counterparts, cultural troupe to show case Ghana for boosting tourism. Also he must be accompanied with a medical team, security details, reasonable media personnel, etc and safety of luggage. Also Benefits of Show of the National Flag during such visits cannot be quantified.

Though the use of Zoom due to the IT revolution may be used, physical contacts are sometimes very necessary, since it affords one-on-one talks to the benefits of both Countries (host and visiting Country Head of States). Hence a plane like Airbus 319 with long range capabilities, capable of flying for at least 12 hours without refueling and reasonable weight payload and capable of taking between 130 and 156 personnel is recommended.

An Airplane with Executive and Tactical Airlift capabilities is the best to kill two birds with one stone, since it may be available to air lift an Infantry Combat Team plus per trip for UN Peacekeeping Operations, with the trip at the cost to the UN. The plane may be used for transporting food items from Ghana for the troops and some of the Nationals in the area of Peacekeeping operation, thus open additional market for made in Ghana items.

It may also be available for rescue mission for nationals in a distress situation in an outside Country. This make the use of the Airplane to be very cost effective since Ghana stands to gain from the Humanitarian Services or operations, State Visits and from revenue from UN Peacekeeping Operations with a Presidential or Executive Jets when it is used to lift people, State Officials, troops and goods produced in Ghana since the cost of feeding is at the UN expense..

It must be noted that the NRC/SMC regime of General Acheampong bought Fokker 27 and Fokker 28 in 1977. Both Aircrafts were used for lifting some of troops including this writer within Ghana especially from and to Takoradi and Tamale and to Monrovia for ECOMOG Operation.

In 2001, when this writer had an intelligence that some bad nuts in Awudia near Tarkwa were in an attempt to burn the palace of their chief and set fire on or kill their Chief or take him into hostage. GAF Takoradi, provided a Helicopter which lifted this writer and his troops to the place and rescued the Chief, his Elders and their family members and assisted in quenching the arson of part of the Palace which started before arrival of the troops.

GAF also provided a helicopter to lift some troops and this writer in 2001 to then GAG now Goldfields Tarkwa for rapid deployment and managed to stop an attempt to set fire on some of the key installations at the Mine Side and an attempt to take some of the expatriate staff on hostage by malcontent workers. GAF also provided a helicopter to the members of the RESGEC of Western Region including tis writer for air surveillance or air reconnaissance of mining sites of illegal miners especially in Rivers and in the forest. GAF also provided Helicopters for airmedivac, rescue missions, surveillance of VRA etc assets. So these narrations tell the importance of Helicopter in the Armed Forces. So need for Helicopter at least three for GAF.

In 1993 Ghana could not get a suitable airplane type for military cargo with a very good weight of the payload to convey weapons. Ammunition and some explosives, food items and about 100 officers and men under this writer command as or the third chalk Commander of the last batch of the Ghanaian Battalion with 2BN Takoradi as the commanding or nucleus unit to marry up with the rest of the battalion under the command of the Commanding Officer in Cambodia for UN Peacekeeping Operation. Ghana had to pay huge sums of dollars though to be recouped from UN but with no profit for the suitable airlift of military troops and cargo.

So, the biggest Military aircraft and also as the biggest Aircraft in the World namely Antonov An-225 Russian, made the first time landing in Accra, with much attraction. It was bigger than the biggest world commercial Airbus 380. Both are Double-deck jet airliners. So much money was paid by the UN to the owner of the Airline. Ghana would have benefited huge money if Ghana had acquired the world most versatile jumbo jet the C130 Hercules for the duties thus affording the opportunity to reduce the cost of acquiring a suitable plane for strategic and executive airlift.

This author’s operation in Cambodia Liberia, Rwanda, Congo, Sierra Leone etc saw the use of C130 Hercules Airplane for Airlifting of Military troops and cargo, Armored Vehicles, tanks and trucks for rapid deployment and good for rescue mission since it can land and take off in unfriendly area. A ride in it to Liberia demo a very pleasant Military Plane with excellent avionics and communication facilities The C130 Hercules is a very versatile jumbo jet which just is a little smaller than Airbus 380, hence Antonov 225 since it also has Frames that can make this jet to be used as Air Gunship when fitted with guns to provide fire cover for ground troops, for rescue mission as well as capable of airlifting vehicles and troops and for parachutes of troops and goods.

Nigeria and Senegal, Zimbabwe South Africa etc have more than two C130 Hercules planes. It is therefore recommended that due to UN Peacekeeping operation, the Ghana AirFoce should acquire aircraft type Hercules C130, the best Military airplane up to date with the manufacturers still in production due to global demand because it is very versatile for strategic airlift as military transport Aircraft. Since it is capable of using unprepared runways for takeoff and landing.

As stated, it can be used for medical evacuation (medevac) and it has good frames that afford such a very bigger Aircraft to be used as a gunship for airborne assault, it has range capability, huge payload and volume to be used cargo transport aircraft. It has good systems including efficient binoculars for search and rescue mission, capable of aerial refueling. Fast troop dropping and withdrawal capabilities. So it was no wonder that the Israelis Army used C130 Hercules for the Entebbe Raid during the reign of Iddi Amin to recuse over 100 hostages from Uganda.

The cost of airplane among others is made of Cost of plane, cost of insurance, cost of fuel, cost of servicing and maintenance/repair, cost of storage or hangar (garage) or cost on tie down or space for parking the plane. Hangar is like a garage to provide shelter and protection from the elements. Cost of Maintenance cost of engine oil, propeller, avionics and airframe overhaul. Aircraft need to go for inspection and change of oil at the Station or by the manufacturer either every three month or after say 70 hours whichever comes first. Upgrading is possible for new flight decks, air to ground Wi-Fi, cockpit and avionics upgrade, satellite capabilities. Aircraft normally have a life span of a minimum of 25 years with depreciating cost of 4 percent per year. So it is advisable for Ghana to go for a suitable plane of the type C130 Hercules series.

   Comments0