Information Minister Lacks Information …As He Demonstrates Gross Ignorance

An amateurish attempt by the Deputy Minister for Information and National Orientation, Frank Agyekum, to whip up tribal sentiments against the NDC failed woefully and left him exposed as being ignorant of the peculiar land tenure problems facing the Gã people.

Speaking on Joy FM yesterday, Frank Agyekum sought to create the impression that, by making a manifesto pledge to repeal the obnoxious Act 2 of 1960, which discriminates particularly against the people of Gã is so far as land administration in the country is concerned, the NDC is implying that it does not care about similar situations in other parts of the country.

Clearly, Mr. Frank Agyekum was unaware that Act 2 is only applicable to Gã lands, and that the law does not affect land administration in other parts of the country.

Instead of gentlemanly apologising for his gaffe after his ignorance was pointed out to him, Mr. Frank Agyekum rather went on glibly to talk about other matters as if he couldn't care less whether he was right or wrong.

Frank Agyekum was reacting to a joint press statement issued by three GaDangme groups congratulating the NDC for making a manifesto pledge to repeal the obnoxious and discriminatory Act 2 of 1960.

The full text of the press statement reads:

Genocide In The Name Of Democracy &The Rule Of Law"-Kufuor's Legacy
We wish to make public our views on the political developments in our country in the run up to the December 2008 general elections. We have observed keenly the campaigns of all the political parties and parliamentary aspirants hoping to contest for seats in the GaDangme Region which spans the entire Greater Accra and parts of the Central and Eastern Regions.

We have noted the deliberate efforts being made by various Flagbearers at picking their Running-mates from particular regions and the rationalization of ethnicity in those instances. We wish to put on record, that the demand by the GaDagme people to be represented by their own people should not be extinguished by the term "Cosmopolitan'' just as Ghanaians would not countenance the Chinese representing us at any level under the clich6 "Global village". The fact that there many Chinese migrants resident in Ghana, does not supersede the fact that they do not hail from any part of Ghana.

We are encouraged by the various proposals which focus on efforts at ensuring the National wealth is deliberately used to cushion the underprivileged sections of the Ghanaian society particularly the North, with the view to bridging the North-South divide and stem the rural-urban migration.

Similarly, we are excited by the specialized packages being promised different groups such as farmers of cash crops like cocoa, but upset that Tetteh Quarshie (14th February 1842 - 2St(1 December 1892) whose people in LA and OSU in ACCRA are conspicuously left out, while their Traditional Council offices are showpieces of the scorn by the ruling elite.

Ghana's projected oil revenue is the major pivot upon which the promises being made by some politicians with a further promise to allocate 10% of the 10% due Ghana to the people of Cape 3 points In Axim under the 90:10 ratio agreed by our government with the oil drilling companies without reference to the fact that SALT is the key to the refining of oil; unless Ghana has no intentions of refining the oil with the view to adding value to the product so the profit to further boost our developmental agenda.

If the latter is true, then what Is the stake of the GaDangme people of Songhor, whose salt (White Gold) besides being used for the refining of Ghana's Oil can be iodized to guarantee the Health of Ghanaians (Mental & Physical wellbeing} who eat food prepared with It.

Of great concern is the effect of the gas pipelines being laid across the coast of Ghana under the West African Gas Pipeline Project on the livelihood of the poor fisher-folk and communities taking cognizance of the numerous explosions of similar installations in Nigeria and lately Ghana, coupled with our poor maintenance culture.

Our long standing issues of LAND, SALT, CULTURE, LANGUAGE, HISTORICAL HERITAGE have not gone away, they have indeed become even more relevant today. We DEMAND the RETURN of ALL our LANDS, which have either been TAKEN or "STOLEN" by CRAFT, FORCE or LAW.

It is against this background that, we wish to congratulate the NDC party for not only listening to the GaDangme people but also taking the first step of including in their Manifesto the Pledge to RETRURN all such LANDS and also REPEAL the OBNOXIOUS ACT2 (I960) which is DISCRIMINATORY in as far as it is TRIBALISTIC as it applies only to GaDangme Lands and therefore at variance with the 1992 Constitution.

The ACT2 is responsible for the large army of LAND GUARDS who moonlight as Thugs and Armed Robbers, terrorizing Ghanaians and Real Estate Developers.

While we are of the conviction that the NDC means well, and thus given the mandate will do as they have stated, however, taking a cue from the deception practiced on the GaDangme people President Kufuor, who on 15th February, 2001 similarly promised the Chiefs and People of GaDangme, the return of our lands only to turn a blind eye to the massive looting of our lands by state actors and their cronies in the name of "Property Owning Democracy". We wish to request of the NDC to do now, whatever they can even now that they are not the ruling Party.

Fortunately, the NDC is in Parliament and has enough Members of Parliament to initiate the REPEAL of ACT2 within the remainder of the life of the current Parliament. It is such an action which sufficiently-demonstrate to us their commitment to the pledge they have made to us at LA, for which they ar*s seeking our mandate to rule this country.

We have seen all the NPP Manifestos and heard their many promises, however, the ONLY thing we welcome are the MANIFESTATIONS of these... ACTION not WORDS as they are still in Government NPP unlike the NDC is still the ruling party and therefore we expect them not only to support the NDC if they should so initiate in Parliament an action for the REPEAL of ACT2 and REVISION of ACT123 but, their Flag-Bearer, who himself is a Parliamentarian to independently initiate and Fast Track such action which we anticipate will receive the vote of the CPP Flag-Bearer who coincidental^ is also a Parliamentarian.

GaDangme demand of the NPP, the immediate fulfillment of President Kufuor's promise to RETURN our Lands within a ONE-MONTH timeframe (DEADLINE: 10™ November, 2008) and ensure the reversion of the name of the ACCRA SPORTS STADIUM by the same date from its current offensive designation which was clandestinely initiated on 26th November, 2004 at Alisa Hotel in Ridge, under the direction of the late Hon. Baah Wiredu, then Minister for Youth Education & Sports.

Upon the expiration of the deadline we stand ready to embark on a series of "Protest Marches" to demonstrate to the world the "BAD GOVERNANCE" being practiced by the Kufuor Administration and the legacy of his era resulting in an acute Genocidal phenomenon unleashed on the GaDangme people.

These would commence on 11th November, 2008 (1st Anniversary of the Accra Sports Stadium infamous re-naming by President Kufour and the Birth Date of Ghana's Premier Football club Accra Hearts of Oak) until President Kufour either rescinds his decision to insult the sensibilities of the GaDangme People or the day he leaves office as President of the Republic of Ghana.

We have tolerated the Genocidal policies of the Kufour Administration for too long; we refer to the PETITION presented to him by the GaDangme Chiefs, GaDangme Council and Youth in April, 2005 and the continued use of the Accra Community Centre as a Car Park cum Kangaroo Court, instead of its intended use as a Youth Development Centre (Conversely he donated 10BILLION CEDIS to the youth of his home town for their development); housing CHRAJ in the ACCRA TOWN HALL (former Parliament House) which could have effectively served the purpose of the Seat of the Ga State, thus housing all the Traditional Council offices as well as receiving of State Guests (Local, Foreign, Corporate, investors...) to facilitate the proper coordination and development of the GaDangme as is done elsewhere.

We shall be hosting the Local and Media to a Press Conference to expatiate on these on 10th October, 2008 at the International Press. Center, ahead of the burial of our illustrious Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey. We believe that it is not his death that made him a Hero but his lifetime achievements and thus he will not be buried along with the aspirations of his people for which he gallantly fought and died.

We know that GHANA'S MONEY is being used to do a lot of things such as the construction Mansions at LA Wireless Station (which case is yet to be ruled upon); GHANA'S MONEY should have been used in compensating for lands compulsorily acquired by the State for stated specific purposes but alas, have we paused to notice that they all bear the COAT OF ARMS crafted by another great Living Legend Nil Amon Kotei; who never received any of the numerous National Awards President Kufour has been giving lately or is he destined for a State Burial.

Finally, as the 10th November deadline draws closer, we cannot fail to notice the STARTING POINT of or PROTEST MARCH, the ACCRA SPORTS STADIUM has been RAPED by President's Kufour's hand-picked Chinese Contractors of the very HISTORY not only the NAME!

The needless removal of the Tartan Tracks or Athletics Oval was not an accident, but was a deliberate decision to re-write Ghana's Sporting History through a carefully calculated attempt to first obliterate from the history books the name and achievements of one of Ghana's foremost Athletes and Olympian — Gabriel NH Sowah Laryea — whose original training site (Brighton Park) was the Athletics Oval the became the toast of Old Accra and thus was central to the UAC's construction of the Accra Sports Stadium, the home of Accra Hearts of Oak and Accra Great Olympics Football Clubs.

God in his cunning wisdom paid President Kufour with shame at the just ended Beijing Olympic Games when he did not only lead Ghana's smallest ever contingent (9athletes) to an Olympic but the contingent performed so abysmally that they attracted the ridicule of the international media and made Ghana (with him as President) the laughing stock.

When you have ever been bitten by a snake and in this instance several times by President Kufour, then his Heir Apparent - Nana Akufo Ad do, to surmount this obvious challenge, must show that his influence in the NPP is above average by ensuring that he takes the necessary steps to bring about CHANGE from within. ACTION not WORDS!

In conclusion, special mention must be made of "coup labeled" Lt. Colonel Gbevlo Lartey (64 Battalion), Nii Osa Mills (GBA President), ACP Kofi Boakye (Multiple Low Degrees), the BANNING of Journalists from Kumasi by Nana Akwesi Agyemang and his friends of the Ashanti Youth, Brig. General Nunoo Mensah who spoke eloquently of the "stealing" of GaDangme Lands particularly Military and Police Lands, he and his colleagues may have been banned from these lands but we would give them a symbolic key to Accra - GaDangme! The likes of Hodari Okai who have suffered would have a special place in our hearts.

GaDangme: Wodzi Ngooe! Wodzi Gontie!!
Jointly Signed By:
Nii Komieteh - 0244 282 130

Nii Yemoh - 0244 683 108

Nii Gbosane - 0277 807 663
Nii Maama - 0277 4566816

Nil Jale - 0277 747 901