[Full Text] Ghana Is Not Poor, We Need Attitudinal Change Leadership—Jacob Osei Yeboah

Speech by Jacob Osei Yeboah, Independent Presidential Candidate 2012 & 2016.

Organizers : Educate Ghana
Venue: Asesewa Upper Manya Krobo
Theme : Ghana is not poor. We need Attitudinal Change Leadership

Mr. Chairman, Executives of Educate Ghana, distinguished speakers, Nananom, invited guests, the media, Ladies and Gentlemen, all other protocols duly observed

An astute intelligence celebrity Mr. Kofi Bentum Quartson in his latest 2016 book entitled ‘Security in the Hand of God’ page 164 has this to say, “why the coup? We had emerged from a long period of the military in politics with all the attendant atrocities, malpractices, and shenanigans. That was a living proof that the military are not the paragons of political virtues. They are as vulnerable as civilians in matters of honesty and integrity”.

Let me thank the Executives of Educate Ghana who have put up such an introspective theme “Ghana is not poor; we need attitudinal change” but I am particularly to also address the qualities of leadership that can translate Ghana from induced poverty to experienced paradise.

On 15^th May,2019, my office released a press on a theme “Successful Failure: 15^th May Coup and the Independent Presidential System (IPS)” as a prelude and a reminder of the historical antecedents that led to exactly today, June 4, 1979, uprising by the junior rank officers of the Military by a secret group within the Military called Free Africa Movement (FAM). The intervention by FAM members led by Captain Boakye Gyan saw the release of their colleague, Flt. Lt. JJ Rawlings from death by firing squad, when it became obvious that the military marshal trial was bound to convict him to death.

This journey of 40 years ago transcends two coups led by the same person, then Flt. Lt. JJ Rawlings. The journey began with about four months (June 4 -September 24, 1979) of turbulence without a clear purpose; there were however ventilations of anger against the established Military Regime and politico-economic status quo. The termination of the 3^rd Republic Government led by Dr. Hilla Limann after a paltry twenty-seven (27) months was very unwelcome news. The beginning of the 31^st December, coup of PNDC which ended on 6^th January 1993 was filled with unparalleled atrocities coupled with a culture of silence. About 60% of Ghana’s current population estimate of 30M are less than 50 years old and do not know about what I term, the Rawlings Generational Leadership (RGL) of 40 years.

The 4^th Republic changed the title of Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings from a walking illegality of December 31, 1981 treasonable coup maker to a prestigious legal First President of the 4^th Republic of Ghana. He is protected by the 1992 Constitution which was accented to by Ghanaians through a referendum. The same Divine providence that saved Flt.Lt. JJ Rawlings from May 15, 1979 coup failure has been exceptionally gracious to preserve his life for such a gated transitional period to the next generational leadership of Ghana that I term as the Liberty Mindset Generational Leadership (LMGL). The gap between RGL and LMGL will define the positive attitudinal change required by Ghanaians and the type of Leadership qualities that can positively reinforce positive attitudes.

Since the 62 years of Ghana as a nation from Independence in 1957, the RGL since 1979 is the longest 40 years of political wilderness experienced like the Israelites towards the promised land. We are grateful to God who continues to hold dear the Life of President JJ Rawlings at such a strategic commemorative 40 years at the Gate for the next generation of leadership (LMGL) and political structure that can help Ghanaians to experience good governance, prosperity and the pursuit of Unfinished National Agenda since 1957.

The Unfinished National Agenda is “the fight for economic and social reconstruction of Ghana in National and cultural politics, in the duty of Ghana’s culture, making a supreme contribution to the achievement, happiness and survival of mankind.” (December 22, 2010 by Jacob Osei Yeboah, aka JOY2012).

FATAL ERROR OF THE BIG SIX THE SEED OF RETROGRESSIVE ATTITUDES, PRE- RGL

The Big Six effect on our nation is like Hyenas that lost sight of the sumptuous prey of freedom to devour one another because of self-aggrandisement. The seed of Pull Him Down to Destroy Progress (PHDDP) was sowed which has been counterproductive inducing poverty on Ghana.

The Big Six Lost the focus of freedom with liberty Mindset that united them for Ghana but rather engrossed themselves with dark age stupidity of self-destruction and continual polarisation of Ghana from perspectives of political shambolic ideological orientations, ethnicity and religion.

The Big Six plaqued Ghana with TELM. TELM stands for The Enslaved Leadership Mindset. A TELM leader is often someone who has suffered or experienced a form of subjugation (fear, colonization, apartheid, money, race, tribe, religion, dominance, thuggery etc.) that puts his mental faculties into submissiveness. Such an individual willingly suffers for the wellbeing of his or her oppressor(s) because they see them as superior. The oppressors could be individuals, friends, girlfriends or boyfriends, lecturers, political party, imperialist etc.

Mr. KB Quartson has this to say which reinforces TELM of 1966 coup, “it was not difficult to establish that the anti-Nkrumah tirade was so professionally organised to ensure that not only was Nkrumah totally destroyed, but also that everything he stood for was soundly liquidated. Which inevitably brought to the fore the powers behind the coup and the way the coup actors, the Military and the Police, were used as stooges and quislings to prosecute the foreign policy objectives of the western powers”.

TELM is a negative attitude that continues to plaque not only leaders but most citizens as well but more noticeable in the RGL especially the last 27 years of the 4^th Republic. The country also suffered the 1972 Supreme Military Council (SMC) I & II Coups by General Acheampong and General Akufo until June 4 1979.

As a nation we’ve not critically analysed and ascertained a clear understanding of the gargantuan economic consequences and woes of the various coups on this nation so we can state without equivocation that never again will we as a nation and a people desire even in our hearts for any military intervention in our democratic governance.

The 3^rd Republican Government of Dr. Limann presented the glorious golden opportunity for the establishment of Government Of National Unity (GONU) immediately the AFRC handed power. This effort would have been the renaissance of the Big Three to correct the Fatal error of the Big Six. Mr. K.B. Quartson stated, “The thinking settled on an all-embracing and all-inclusive arrangement to oversee a post-AFRC era. That an interim arrangement be put in place where Dr. Limann, the PNP Leader and President in-waiting, Victor Owusu the leader of the main opposition Popular Front Party and AFRC Chairman would constitute a collective presidency to oversee a transition period to be agreed upon.” The three gentlemen agreed but the Vice President Dr. Joe de Graft-Johnson objected to the decision and Ghana was finished to begin the political wilderness adventures of PNDC.

This thought again redefines the National Interest First Agenda and was quite a commendable display of patriotism. Ghana has been impregnated with GONU political structure but continually suffers miscarriages and stillborn at birth. As it normally goes, the frustrated woman had to seek help from the goddess of foreign democracy and has given birth to a stubborn child that seeks to tear the family apart and impoverishes the family called political parties.

27 years of Multi-Party
The 27 years of the 4^th Republican constitutional rule has been witnessing gradual increase of unbridled corruption that has exacerbated the plight of the suffering masses with political parties taking the nature of neo-colonialists and inducing TELM. Most Ghanaians have become beggars by default to the political parties (NPP and NDC particularly) just like our governments holding its begging bows that leaks terribly to our developed partners and yet piling huge debts on the next generation and inducing poverty to Ghana whilst enriching family and friends.

Currently, the political sham, plain lies, state looting, dubious and inflated contracts, joblessness, Banking and SEC sham and pile of debts on the next generation are fertile grounds that would have justified coup in Ghana now in 2019 more than it was in 1979.

The multiparty democracy by the duopoly of NPP and NDC is corrupting religion and emboldening false religious proclamations. Some religious leaders enjoy themselves with the wine of politics and sadly engrossed in intoxicating drink of corruption not different from the government (Is 28:6-19) Where False Prophets, fetish priests and Mallams conspire with politicians to shed blood, divining lies in the name of God to swindle citizens whilst the Priests have hidden their eyes to differentiate between holy and unholy (Eze 22:23-30) to the citizens because of mammon or money.

Most local CSOs, Unions and Associations have become stooges to political patronage without respect to their core values. The rented media with ancillary of serial callers characterised by blackmailing kickbacks from nation wreckers. Citizens enjoy pouring garbage into water pathway thereby endangering lives and properties with flooding. Governments intentionally failed to solve problems holistically in order to justify spending. Students are more eager to cheat in exams and the youth losing diligence. As a matter of fact, most Ghanaian endeavours are becoming Ponzi. These are all unfortunately what is gradually grinding Ghana to a halt with self-deceit. After 27 years of multiparty democracy the usual light at the end of the tunnel is darker and gloomier.

NPP and NDC believe in their collective TELM inducement and so can confidently emphasise Ghanaians do not have the capacity to change them. But just as colonialism ended by the self will of the people so will neo-colonialism end to chart the path of LMGL.

TELM is the cause of general appetite for voter apathy Mindset being developed in most Ghanaians towards the 2020 general elections because of great disappointment in NPP and NDC. The Liberty Mindset will rather anger and engender keenness to legally campaign and vote against the subjugation by NPP and NDC.

Liberty Mindset Generational Leadership (LMGL)

A man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility.” – Albert Einstein

The next generational leadership is gated through today, 4^th June, 2019 and the journey begins from June 5, 2019. If Ghana will ever progress, we need to occupy the gate with the Liberty Mindset and journey through the next generation with National Interest attitudes that can help build and deploy the potential of Ghana for the benefit of Africa and the world.

The core values of Liberty Mindset are great commitment to the rights of individuals; to freedom of speech, freedom of thoughts, open inquiry, civil discourse and most importantly the virtue of intellectual humility which underpins these values. Ghanaians should NOT shy away from civil discourses and open inquiries to confront corruption in order to hold leadership accountable.

LMGL will engender citizens to spend their time improving their human capital in order to have a much higher chance of not remaining in an enslaved mindset. As human capital correlates with self-worth which will urge citizens NOT to enslave themselves for the wellbeing of others and playing victim of circumstances in political party system.

Ghana will not play stooges to other democracies but with LMGL derive her own democratic structure of GONU which lends itself to the Independent Presidential System (IPS) to put the interest of Ghana first and to fight for the Economic Freedom for Ghanaians and by extension Africa.

The next generational LMGL is not against multiparty democracy as stipulated in the 1992 constitution. But as the intellectual humility characteristics require, we need to humbly accept the fact that we need to change for other alternative structure for democracy that will work for Ghana and I’ve no doubt in my mind that the IPS is a panacea.

The unwritten code of good governance by the developed democracies understand that whereas the government is the main contractor elected by the shareholders/citizens to undertake the development project of the country, the opposition parties become defacto consultants forming an integral part of the project team. They possess undeniable responsibility of checking and ensuring that the contractor does the good job for the wellbeing of the country. But what do we witness about NPP and NDC? It is about who can lie and develop sophisticated looting strategy and deceptively capitalise on the vindictive nature of Ghanaians to give false hope of putting each other behind bars. These are deceptive attitudes that should not be countenanced in the LMGL.

Ghana needs a Government and not political parties and cronies to rule this nation. Such a Government structure which was envisioned variously from different perspectives by Dr. Nkrumah’s one part state, Acheampong’s UNIGOV, Dr. Limann’s all-inclusive Government, Rawlings PNDC FAM will become self-evident through the IPS in 2020.

Let us as a nation endeavour to use this opportunity of LMGL generation to build positive attitudes with leadership qualities that can deliver prosperity to Ghana. We need to develop a new political structure that builds cohesive society and holds citizens and leaders accountable in order to minimise corruption for nation building.

2020 Nana Besifom ama Mahama akoda na IPS beba p33.