A convert on the way to Damascus

Saul on the road to Damascus became converted to Paul, a spiritual transformation which made him the one of the greatest apostles of God.
Joseph Hubster Yorke grew up as such and attended St. Augustine's College in Cape Coast.

After his O'Levels he got an opportunity to visit the USA on the AFS programme. Twelve (12) months in the USA had remarkably transformed Joseph Hubster Yorke into a slanging 'afro' haired not able to speak Fante man.

Born in Ghana, nurtured and grew in Ghana and till seventeen years spoke Fante fluently but claimed to have lost it in a year of visiting America. This surely is a man born to Ghana but believed he should have been born an American.

What a belief in the Ghanaian and African? Most of his colleagues at St. Augustine's know him as a pathologically self-centered individual who did everything and anything to benefit no one but him. As good fortune will have it, he left the USA after his A'levels.

The life in America is shrouded in a lot of controversy. He did his first degree in University of Wisconsin, Arizona and there are many conflicting reports as to what he did after the first degree and in what area. He has been referred to as an Economist, Management and an Information Consultant.

On no occasion has he ever corrected anyone for introducing him wrongly by any of the titles above. I am yet to meet someone who knows what subject area Joseph Hubster Yorke did his PhD.
There are even those who hold the view that he did not do a PhD but again the answers are not forthcoming.

The most crucial event however is that somewhere in the USA, something happened that made an adult male change his identity completely.

Joseph Hubster Yorke became Paa Kwesi Nduom. His father, Hubster Yorke Snr, God bless his soul, was probably not alive when this conversion took place because I do not believe that he would have taken kindly to it.

Now could it be that having lived in America, he felt his Africanness and therefore wanted to change his foreign name completely? Unlike those who have done that, this man even before he left America identified himself so much that within 12 months, he had forgotten his native Fante.

But most importantly he still tries to slang and makes everybody aware of his Americanness.

So what happened? Did he just change his name completely? What in God's name will make a man with an identity, brothers, sisters, parents, friends, class and school mates change his name like JHY did? Many have done similar things but at least have preserved their family name.

So why did he not change his name to Paa Kwesi Yorke which sounds better to my ears or at least not a double barrel surname Nduom-Yorke or Yorke-Nduom? But no, it was to blight his past identity for good.

A little bird tells me that Nduom is really his grandfather's name and that he may have been named after him. However, his father who begot him and took him to school gave him the name Joseph Hubster Yorke. His was Yorke and wished that the family name Yorke will be preserved.

The Yorke family of Elmina still exists and there are many who are proud of that name. This name change has generated even greater speculation than his unclear academic qualification.

The frequently heard speculation is that he was involved in an insurance fraud in Arizona; others say it was a mortgage fraud and some put the two together. There are yet some others who have associated him with faked deaths, fake death certificates and mega life insurance swindle.

What gives credibility to all these aversions is the credible SFO report of June 1996 on the same Paa Kwesi Nduom's criminal and fraudulent acts with Ghana government that involved millions of dollars.
I do not know what it was except to say that it must take a serious event to let an educated individual 'shred his skin' completely like that of a snake. But even in the case of snakes, they grow the same skin back.
It was this ability to completely change and swindle very tight American checks that earned him the recruitment as a CIA operative.

No wonder he boasts as “representing America's interest in Ghana”. The CIA recruits intelligent fraudsters guarantee their changed identity and use them. Such operatives serve their masters without fear or favor.

How come he now leads the very CPP that the CIA overthrew in 1966? Could that be yet another onslaught from the same CIA to finally obliterate the CPP Dr Kwame Nkrumah? Joseph Hubster Yorke had to change his identity in the USA to survive and along with that got himself entangled with USA citizenship and as an operative of the subversive Central Intelligence Agency. What a president Ghana may have?

Until I read a copy of the Serious Fraud Office report on the State Enterprises Commission, I thought a lot of the brouhaha was jealously on the part of his enemies or detractors but Wow! He must be somebody who has an internal confidence larger than anybody else I know; because many are those who would not venture into the public domain ever again but no, not the convert on the way to Damascus. What is it that gives such persons that kind of confidence?

Dr Tony Aidoo on Saturday's Alhaji and Alhaji programme on radio Gold gave a hint to the source of this confidence. When the Government of Ghana under the NDC decided to take action against Paa Kwesi Nduom, the US ambassador came to his defence threatening a sever of diplomatic relations with Ghana if they went ahead to bring Paa Kwesi Nduom to order.

A Ghanaian shielded in Ghana by USA or is it an American in Ghana shielded by the USA? It is also said that he Paa Kwesi Nduom has stated that he represents America's interest in Ghana. I wonder what that interest is.

Anyway, as if the above was not enough several more issues keep coming out on gentle probing. Among others the Millennium Challenge Account and the use of private banks, National Savings and Credit Bank, for distribution of loans – a direct beneficiary of insider knowledge.

What is the MCA doing about this conflict of interest? Energy Ministry, the West Africa Gas Pipe, the writing of the Law and supply or unsupply of gas were done under his watch. Things were done not necessarily to favour the government and people of Ghana but were skewed to favour the convert on the road to Damascus.

The Ministry of Public Sector Reform will not be left out. Many unanswered questions keep popping up but there appear to be a deliberate government policy to protect this convert perhaps with the blessing of the US government.

Today the convert on the way to Damascus or perhaps the Castle is seeking the highest office of the Land, a position that must be reserved for people of integrity and credibility; People who are natural role models for the future adults of Ghana. Does Paa Kwesi Nduom answer these criteria?

An educated, intelligent swindler who uses his brains to work to his advantage is always a difficult customer to apprehend. They wipe the evidence after them and of course have all the safe guards. Ghana cannot gamble with him and it imposes a huge responsibility on the Leadership and membership of the Convention Peoples' Party, CPP.

The CPP must purge itself and test the SFO report in Court otherwise someone will surprise them. Many are waiting in the wings to do that but for their benefit. Further probing is ongoing in the NDPC, Ministry of Energy, Public Sector Reform, Millennium Challenge Account and others. Stay tuned for more hot potatoes.
Unlike Saul to Paul, Joseph Hubster Yorke to Paa Kwesi Nduom did not benefit the world but only one man seeking the highest office of President of the Republic of Ghana.

Credit: Yaw Berfi, yberfi@yahoo.com

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