Should Akufo-Addo Support Environmental Terrorism Because Of High Unemployment Rate?

It is no secret that President John Dramani Mahama gleefully presided over the depraved and wanton destruction of our environment, pristine forestry resources and our waterbodies. Barring his auspicious and decisive trouncing at the 2016 polls, Ghana would have fast been heading towards becoming a net importer of potable, or drinkable, water. We know for a fact that Mr. Mahama gleefully presided over the wanton destruction of our ecological system, thus criminally endangering our very survival as humans, because the former President once appeared before a full-session of the Okyeman Council, presided over by His Majesty, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori-Panyin, II, and called Kyebi (Kibi), the traditional Okyeman state capital, “The Galamsey Capital of Ghana.”

But, of course, what I remember most from that heretical episode is the fact that about exactly the same time that he unleashed his crudest and most primitive sentiment of disdain at the “Okyem” people, in particular the people of Akyem-Abuakwa, the then-President Mahama was fervidly courting the electoral support of the Fante people, in the wake of the “mysterious” passing of then-President John Evans Atta-Mills, and had just embarked on a land reclamation program in the Central Region, under which the government of the National Democratic Congress’ regime intended to hire hundreds of recently “retired” Galamsey operatives to plug, or fill up, deadly mine pits that had been created by these same FanteGalamseyers. To the best of my knowledge, no such environmental reclamation program had been put in place for the people of Akyem-Abuakwa or even residents of the Eastern Region, in general.

Now, curiously, but not the least bit surprisingly, Mr. Alban SK Bagbin, perhaps the longest-serving Fourth-Republican parliamentarian in the country, would have Ghanaians believe that the Akufo-Addo-mandated Operation Vanguard soldiers who reportedly torched some 14 tipper trucks belonging to some scofflaw sand winners in the Kumbungu Constituency of the Northern Region, are guilty of “state-sponsored terrorism” (See “State-Sponsored Violence Is Not the Solution!” Ghanaweb.com 3/10/18). I don’t blame a career politician like the Nadowli-Kaleo NDC-MP for so conveniently, shamelessly and suavely pretending to be oblivious of the “revolutionary” origins of his own political party, namely, the Jerry John Rawlings-founded National Democratic Congress (NDC) and, before the latter, the Rawlings-led junta of the so-called Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC). And, by the way, Mr. Bagbin is one of the Indemnity Clause-protected “democratic” terrorist politicians in the country.

What is at once interesting and significant and worth highlighting here is the very disturbing NDC mantra that, somehow, the high unemployment level in the country authorizes environmental terrorists like the Kumbungu sand-winning contractors, 14 of whose tipper trucks were “legitimately” set alight by the Operation Vanguard security and law-enforcement agents from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), had a bounden obligation the lay the precious water and landed resources of the Kumbungu District to waste. The torching of the tipper trucks clearly appears to have been “legitimately” executed because there is hard and convincing evidence that the sand winners had been given repeated warnings to cease and desist by the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the Regional Minister, Mr. Salifu Saeed, all to no avail. The fiery and definitive intervention by the Operation Vanguard environmental-protection agents was clearly an act of last resort.

Anyway, this is what Mr. Bagbin had to say in fanatical support of the right of the Kumbungu sand winners to destroy the potable water resources of the White Volta, which is reportedly fast dwindling in volume, and thus making it increasingly difficult for the Dalun Waterworks to supply residents of the Kumbungu District with adequate and wholesome drinking water: “This is what happens in all civilized societies. State-sponsored brutality cannot, and must not be applied on a people who are currently grappling with rising levels of unemployment and excruciating poverty. If you cannot guarantee them employment, do not destroy their livelihoods with methods that belong to the Stone Age!” Maybe Mr. Bagbin would do better to remind us of the moment when the infamous Cash-And-Carry NDC politicians attempted to build a civilized society in Ghana or out of Ghana. Mr. Bagbin is on record for having mordantly accused President Akufo-Addo of unconstitutionally implementing a fee-free Senior High School policy initiative. And he would have us believe that Nana Akufo-Addo has absolutely no genuine grasp of human rights!

By the last sentence of the Bagbin quote, I am fully convinced that the Nadowli-Kaleo “Methuselah,” as he is widely known by his critics, was unmistakably referring to the brutal midnight assassination of the three Akan-descended Accra High Court Judges, namely, Justices Cecelia Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Poku-Sarkodie and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong on June 30, 1982.” It has been wisely said that: “Those who live in straw huts had better be careful not to play with kerosene and matches.”

Now, talking of state-sponsored terrorism, the last time that I heard about it, it was IGP John Kudalor summarily yanking Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare off the investigation of the widely alleged brutal and fatal bedroom contract stabbing-assassination of Mr. Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, then-New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Akyem-Abuakwa-North. And the most significant fact worth knowing here is that it was then-President John Dramani Mahama who appointed Mr. Kudalor as Inspector-General of the Ghana Police Service; and before the latter, Mr. Alhassan. State-sponsored terrorism, indeed!

I sincerely think and believe that if, indeed, he had a scintilla of morality in his heart or mind, Mr. Bagbin would not have mustered the nerve to so caustically castigate President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo as a prime sponsor of state terrorism and a passive leader surrounded by “indolent” cabinet appointees. Rather, Mr. Bagbin ought to look hard and pensively at the man in the mirror.

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