On 14th February, 2012, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Convener of the Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) is reported to have said “Kwaku Baako Jnr., is on a damage control mission for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag-bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his latest link to drug barons.”
Felix alleged that the motive behind the February 14th publication of The New Crusading Guide newspaper is to undermine the integrity of the state-owned Daily Graphic and extricate Nana Akufo-Addo on allegations that he issued a diplomatic passport to drug barons as Foreign Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor administration.
“I don’t think Kwaku Baako has succeeded in any way in absolving Nana Addo from blame in this particular matter. It would be in his (Baako's) own interest to prove that Nana Addo did not issue the diplomatic passport rather than seeking to undermine the integrity of The Graphic” he asserted.Read story:[http://politics.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201202/81534.php]
In the first place, I believe The New Crusading Guide newspaper was unnecessarily lenient with the state-owned Daily Graphic newspaper on this particular matter. The integrity of Daily Graphic has been doubtful for quite some time now. The Daily Graphic reporter, Timothy Gobah, who wrote the 13 February, 2012 story, must be sacked immediately. It is important to note that, the same reporter, Timothy Gobah wrote the story about how principled former Attorney General, Martin Amidu practically begged the President for forgiveness at the Castle over the “gargantuan crimes expose” when nothing like that happened. The NDC government seem to have finally infiltrated the state-owned Daily Graphic with an “absolutely ignorant”and unprofessional journalist.
The New Crusading Guide newspaper was right. The Daily Graphic published a story with title “Ghanaian Drug Baron Arrested in Brazil” on Monday, 19 May 2008 written by Nii Marma. Readers, you will not believe that, the same story was reproduced by NDC faithful Timothy Gobah on 13thFebruary, 2012 with twisted facts.
Relevant portions of the original story written by Nii Marma in 2008 says:
“Raymond Kwame Amankwah, a Ghanaian described as one of the most wanted drug barons, has been arrested in Brazil through a collaboration between the German Federal Police and its Brazilian counterpart.
He was arrested alongside two women, Mandy Veit, a German, and Irena Beata Ciaslak, a German-Polish, at the Pinto Martins Airport in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara State in December 2007.
Confirming the arrest in a correspondence to the Daily Graphic, a Director of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Ms Madeleine Lacsko, said the three suspects were arrested after security personnel searched Mandy’s and Irena’s luggage at the airport while the two were waiting to fly to Lisbon at 7:30 p.m. and found the drugs hidden in false compartments.
It said Raymond, holder of Ghanaian passport number H1878450, was in custody at the House of Deprivation Provisional Freedom of Caucaia, while Mandy, holder of German passport A0883780, and Irena, bearer of German passport number 176705648, were being kept at female prisons at Presidio Desa, Auri Moura Costa.”
Kindly note that the passport number Ms Madeleine Lacsko, a Director of the Brazilian Supreme Court, gave Daily Graphic in the 2008 correspondence was H1878450.
Let us shift our attention to the “new”report the NDC faithful, Timothy Gobah published on 13th February, 2012. The NDC propagandist says:
“The Federal Police Department of Brazil has established that a notorious Ghanaian drug baron, Raymond Kwame Amankwah, who is serving a 14-year prison term at the Provisional Detention Centre at Caucaia in Brazil for drug trafficking, was holding a diplomatic passport issued by the Republic of Ghana.
A report released by the Brazilian police said at the time of his arrest, Amankwah, was holding passport number D1878450, a diplomatic passport.”
Kindly note that the passport number the NDC propagandist, Timothy Gobah gave is D1878450.
The difference between the two passport numbers is the letter “H” and “D” which prefixes both same numbers. I have seen an ordinary passport, its number starts with “H”. I want to believe a diplomatic passport number will start with the letter “D”.
Clearly the agenda of Timothy Gobah and his NDC paymasters is vivid for critical minds. Let us not lose sight of the current Woyomegate that has engulfed the nation. The President’s image has suffered badly. The NDC propaganda machinery is doing everything and anything to repair the President’s image and divert attention. I believe this is one of the strategies but it has back-fired badly.
A discerning mind will ask some questions:
1. Did Timothy actually speak to any officer at Federal Police Department of Brazil?
2. Who did Timothy speak to at the Federal Police Department of Brazil?
3. Was there a correspondence at all between Timothy and the Federal Police Department of Brazil?
4. Raymond Amankwah has been jailed in Brazil years back, why did it take half a decade to establish he was using a diplomatic passport?
5. The color and features of a diplomatic passport is clearly different from a normal passport, how could this elude Brazilian immigration officials for 5 years?
6. What are the real intentions of Timothy in twisting the facts of this story?
7. Who is paying Timothy to undertake this dirty job?
The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo resigned as Foreign Minister in 2007 to contest for the NPP flag-bearership race. The malicious plan to smear him has failed. According to Felix Kwakye “the onus lies with Kwaku Baako to prove that the NPP flag-bearer is innocent and that Nana did not issue a diplomatic passport to Raymond Amankah as it is being alleged.” This was the real intention of the Daily Graphic story reproduced by NDC faithful, Timothy Gobah. The story was supposed to set the tone for the “largely inexperienced and absolutely ignorant”government communicators like Felix to launch attacks on the personality of Mr. Akufo Addo. They have failed miserably.
I have already established per the correspondence with Ms Madeleine Lacsko, a Director of the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2008 that:
1. Raymond Amankwah had an ordinary passport and not a diplomatic passport.
2. The passport number was H1878450 and not D1878450.
3. Timothy Gaboh has gained notoriety for writing propaganda stories for the NDC
If indeed, Raymond Amankwah had a diplomatic passport, he would have enjoyed immunity. Readers will recall the case of Frank Benneh, the diplomat who was arrested with drugs in 1998 in Switzerland. He was transferred to Ghana to be tried because of his diplomatic credentials.
In view of the above, it is clear the mischief Felix Kwakye Fosu and his ilk sought to create did not materialize. He must address himself to the facts before making public statements.
I LOVE GHANA
Patriot Faisal Ibrahim [www.facebook.com/faisal.ibrahim1]
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
RE:RE:Akufo-Addo:Ghana is in a state of leadership paralysis
I am quickly going to respond to an article authored by an “absolutely ignorant and inexperienced member” of the government communication team, Felix Amegashie Mawulolo. His main job is to be doing propaganda for the NDC government on facebook. I wonder why he has veered from his core responsibility. In his article, he attempts to respond to Nana Akufo Addo’s apt observation that “Ghana is in a state of leadership paralysis”. I must say my flag bearer’s observation is shared by many in the NDC. I will cite only three examples.
Let’s start with President Rawlings. He cited an instance where President Mills made an appointment. Only for the Council of State Chairman, Prof. Awoonor to have appointed somebody to same position months before. When the President was told about the development, all he could do was to say “Prof. kwraa awre haw me” to wit Prof. [Awoonor] is worrying me and it ended there.
Micheal Teye Nyaunu, NDC Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, in the wake of the FONKAR-GAMES said the Yutong Bus driver was sleeping and need to be changed. Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, in a subtle agreement offered a different solution. He said the Yutong driver should be given coffee and not replaced.
Lastly, the recent EOCO report on the gargantuan thievery. According to the EOCO Boss, President Mills gave a “stop payment” order twice. The order was violated twice and nothing happened. Which serious leader will do nothing in the face of such insubordination and disrespect to the highest office of the land.
Back to the article [http://mawulolo.blogspot.com/2012/02/re-akufo-addo-ghana-is-in-state-of.html] under scrutiny. Let me ignore the ignorance and pettiness the author displayed in the initial part of his largely empty piece.
The first point he raised worth addressing is “For the record, Ghana has grown from a single digit economic growth below 7% under the misguided administration of the Kufuor regime to a double digit growth of 13.6% under the able leadership of President Mills and John Dramani Mahama”. Let me number my points.
1. Ghana’s economy grew by 7.3% in 2008.That cannot be “below 7%” unless the author had problems with arithmetic operations in school.
2. The 7.3% growth was recorded when the country was NOT an oil producing nation.
3. The 13.6% growth includes a gargantuan growth in the mining sub-sector-oil production.
4. To show who has managed our economy better, you must compare the figures without the oil contribution.
5. Kindly note that, the Kufuor led administration deserves every credit for the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in 2007.
Secondly, he says “NDC government handled the situation, paid the debts including the TOR debt for which monies stolen from Ghanaians in the Recovery levy was rather used to pay journalists and groups to engage in needless propaganda for the NPP.”
What has crippled this government is its communication machinery. And the author is part of that problem. In the first place the TOR debt propaganda which was led by President Mills fell in a deep ocean. Indeed, last year during the ecomini-state of the nation address, he [President Mills] said the debate on the debt was not necessary. Mind you this sudden “advise” came up when the minority in parliament exposed that the TOR debt was actually GHc 9.27 million per TOR’s own 2008 financial statement. We all recall the inconsistencies in the debt figures.
1. On January 8, 2011, President Mills in his encounter with the media, stated that the TOR debt he inherited was GH¢ 1.48 billion.
2. On April 14, 2009 President Mills said the figure was GH¢1.14 billion. The President had inflated his own initial figure by GH¢380 million
3. On January 23, 2011, Fiifi Kwetey, a deputy Finance Minister in direct response to a question put to him by the host of a 'Talking Point' programme retorted that the TOR debt as reflected in the audited accounts was GH¢1.448 billion.
4. On Good Morning Ghana programme on Metro Tv, Okudjeto Ablakwa mentioned GHc 900 Million as the TOR Debt
Which of these debt figures has been paid?
Then again, the author claims the TOR debts have been paid. As at last year, there was no parliamentary approval for any payment to Ghana Commercial Bank. Neither did it appear in this year’s budget. So how was it paid? This government has only been successful in lies and propaganda.
Thirdly, on state properties, “What about the Ga stool lands and government bungalows that were looted and sold out to their kingpins?” To loot is to steal, plunder etc. The primary responsibility of any government is to protect state properties and interest. If anybody has looted government bungalows and Ga stool lands, why has the NDC government not made any arrests? Who steals and pays for them? Or the author is just using the word “loot” because his sudden-fat belly bosses are using them? Or they told him to use them? Does he even understand the word “looting”?
As a matter of principle, I do not support any politician acquiring any state property under any circumstance. I condemn it though members of my party have done so. However, it should be placed on record that this policy has existed since Nkrumah. The NDC government under Rawlings continued this policy. Embattled Aunty Betty, Foreign Minister Muhammed Mumuni, President Mills, and other top functionaries of the author’s party have acquired numerous properties through this immoral scheme. It must be noted that Nana Akufo Addo, my flag bearer, out rightly rejected that idea. Mills could not resist the temptation so he bought a state land at Ofankor.
On drugs t se author said “There was a big boom in the drugs and narcotics trade. Hardly a day passed between 2001 and 2008 that Ghanaians did not wake up with screaming headlines of on drug haul of the other.” The author and his party are very funny. So because “Hardly a day passed between 2001 and 2008 that Ghanaians did not wake up with screaming headlines of on drug haul” it meant there was “a big boom in the drugs and narcotics trade”? These people should respect the intelligence of Ghanaians. It is as if you say because criminals are being arrested everyday so the government of the day is promoting crime. This is pure idiocy. If drug barons were being arrested, it showed a government that was committed to the fight. The anti-drug fight is beyond the pettiness the author displays.
It requires serious logistical and international support to fight it. This inspired President Kufuor to collaborate with the UK government for the Operation Westbridge. You need policies like making drugs a non-bailable offence which Kufuor initiated and enacted. Unfortunately, this government has given inexplicable bails for drug suspects. Indeed, in one instance CRAZY AKRASI, NACOB Boss said on Joy Fm a drug suspect was a “hardworking young man” so he deserve to be given bail. NACOB actually filed for a bail to be granted that suspect. Since this corrupt party took over power, I am yet to see any concrete policy in the fight against drugs. Apart from President Mills raising his armpit to be checked at the airport, what action has he taken to fight the menace? President Mills has stated that he knows members of his entourage are drug couriers. He has appealed to the UK government to provide him with portable drug detection devices so that the screening will be done secretly to avoid any embarrassment. The anti-drug fight is no joke.
We all remember the arrest of a large number NDC NACOB officials who aided drug barons in their illicit trade last year. One of lady officer arrested was allegedly the “Personal Assistant” of CRAZY AKRASI.
Having said all these, it is clear the author is absolutely ignorant about the things he wrote about. His inexperience was vivid. Ghanaians are still waiting for the 580,000,000,000 cedis this corrupt government rewarded Woyome for allegedly financing the President’s campaigns.
I LOVE GHANA
PATRIOT FAISAL IBRAHIM [https://www.facebook.com/#!/faisal.ibrahim1]
Let’s start with President Rawlings. He cited an instance where President Mills made an appointment. Only for the Council of State Chairman, Prof. Awoonor to have appointed somebody to same position months before. When the President was told about the development, all he could do was to say “Prof. kwraa awre haw me” to wit Prof. [Awoonor] is worrying me and it ended there.
Micheal Teye Nyaunu, NDC Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, in the wake of the FONKAR-GAMES said the Yutong Bus driver was sleeping and need to be changed. Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, in a subtle agreement offered a different solution. He said the Yutong driver should be given coffee and not replaced.
Lastly, the recent EOCO report on the gargantuan thievery. According to the EOCO Boss, President Mills gave a “stop payment” order twice. The order was violated twice and nothing happened. Which serious leader will do nothing in the face of such insubordination and disrespect to the highest office of the land.
Back to the article [http://mawulolo.blogspot.com/2012/02/re-akufo-addo-ghana-is-in-state-of.html] under scrutiny. Let me ignore the ignorance and pettiness the author displayed in the initial part of his largely empty piece.
The first point he raised worth addressing is “For the record, Ghana has grown from a single digit economic growth below 7% under the misguided administration of the Kufuor regime to a double digit growth of 13.6% under the able leadership of President Mills and John Dramani Mahama”. Let me number my points.
1. Ghana’s economy grew by 7.3% in 2008.That cannot be “below 7%” unless the author had problems with arithmetic operations in school.
2. The 7.3% growth was recorded when the country was NOT an oil producing nation.
3. The 13.6% growth includes a gargantuan growth in the mining sub-sector-oil production.
4. To show who has managed our economy better, you must compare the figures without the oil contribution.
5. Kindly note that, the Kufuor led administration deserves every credit for the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in 2007.
Secondly, he says “NDC government handled the situation, paid the debts including the TOR debt for which monies stolen from Ghanaians in the Recovery levy was rather used to pay journalists and groups to engage in needless propaganda for the NPP.”
What has crippled this government is its communication machinery. And the author is part of that problem. In the first place the TOR debt propaganda which was led by President Mills fell in a deep ocean. Indeed, last year during the ecomini-state of the nation address, he [President Mills] said the debate on the debt was not necessary. Mind you this sudden “advise” came up when the minority in parliament exposed that the TOR debt was actually GHc 9.27 million per TOR’s own 2008 financial statement. We all recall the inconsistencies in the debt figures.
1. On January 8, 2011, President Mills in his encounter with the media, stated that the TOR debt he inherited was GH¢ 1.48 billion.
2. On April 14, 2009 President Mills said the figure was GH¢1.14 billion. The President had inflated his own initial figure by GH¢380 million
3. On January 23, 2011, Fiifi Kwetey, a deputy Finance Minister in direct response to a question put to him by the host of a 'Talking Point' programme retorted that the TOR debt as reflected in the audited accounts was GH¢1.448 billion.
4. On Good Morning Ghana programme on Metro Tv, Okudjeto Ablakwa mentioned GHc 900 Million as the TOR Debt
Which of these debt figures has been paid?
Then again, the author claims the TOR debts have been paid. As at last year, there was no parliamentary approval for any payment to Ghana Commercial Bank. Neither did it appear in this year’s budget. So how was it paid? This government has only been successful in lies and propaganda.
Thirdly, on state properties, “What about the Ga stool lands and government bungalows that were looted and sold out to their kingpins?” To loot is to steal, plunder etc. The primary responsibility of any government is to protect state properties and interest. If anybody has looted government bungalows and Ga stool lands, why has the NDC government not made any arrests? Who steals and pays for them? Or the author is just using the word “loot” because his sudden-fat belly bosses are using them? Or they told him to use them? Does he even understand the word “looting”?
As a matter of principle, I do not support any politician acquiring any state property under any circumstance. I condemn it though members of my party have done so. However, it should be placed on record that this policy has existed since Nkrumah. The NDC government under Rawlings continued this policy. Embattled Aunty Betty, Foreign Minister Muhammed Mumuni, President Mills, and other top functionaries of the author’s party have acquired numerous properties through this immoral scheme. It must be noted that Nana Akufo Addo, my flag bearer, out rightly rejected that idea. Mills could not resist the temptation so he bought a state land at Ofankor.
On drugs t se author said “There was a big boom in the drugs and narcotics trade. Hardly a day passed between 2001 and 2008 that Ghanaians did not wake up with screaming headlines of on drug haul of the other.” The author and his party are very funny. So because “Hardly a day passed between 2001 and 2008 that Ghanaians did not wake up with screaming headlines of on drug haul” it meant there was “a big boom in the drugs and narcotics trade”? These people should respect the intelligence of Ghanaians. It is as if you say because criminals are being arrested everyday so the government of the day is promoting crime. This is pure idiocy. If drug barons were being arrested, it showed a government that was committed to the fight. The anti-drug fight is beyond the pettiness the author displays.
It requires serious logistical and international support to fight it. This inspired President Kufuor to collaborate with the UK government for the Operation Westbridge. You need policies like making drugs a non-bailable offence which Kufuor initiated and enacted. Unfortunately, this government has given inexplicable bails for drug suspects. Indeed, in one instance CRAZY AKRASI, NACOB Boss said on Joy Fm a drug suspect was a “hardworking young man” so he deserve to be given bail. NACOB actually filed for a bail to be granted that suspect. Since this corrupt party took over power, I am yet to see any concrete policy in the fight against drugs. Apart from President Mills raising his armpit to be checked at the airport, what action has he taken to fight the menace? President Mills has stated that he knows members of his entourage are drug couriers. He has appealed to the UK government to provide him with portable drug detection devices so that the screening will be done secretly to avoid any embarrassment. The anti-drug fight is no joke.
We all remember the arrest of a large number NDC NACOB officials who aided drug barons in their illicit trade last year. One of lady officer arrested was allegedly the “Personal Assistant” of CRAZY AKRASI.
Having said all these, it is clear the author is absolutely ignorant about the things he wrote about. His inexperience was vivid. Ghanaians are still waiting for the 580,000,000,000 cedis this corrupt government rewarded Woyome for allegedly financing the President’s campaigns.
I LOVE GHANA
PATRIOT FAISAL IBRAHIM [https://www.facebook.com/#!/faisal.ibrahim1]
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