Opinions of Monday, 30 January 2017

Columnist: Dabbousi, Fadi

Sharp teeth, insatiable greed, dirty journalism: Kwesi Pratt – A caustic liar

Mr Kwesi Pratt Mr Kwesi Pratt

By Fadi Dabbousi

One would have thought that after fighting the fiercest electioneering battle Ghana had ever experienced since independence, loud mouths would tone down and allow a measure of sanity to prevail in the journalism industry that had taken on a radical form of unethical insensitivity.

It was not without reason that His Excellency former President Jerry John Rawlings described people like Okudzeto Ablakwa and Kwesi Bratt as “Babies with sharp teeth”, albeit Mr. Pratt being more the “Methuselah” amongst the lot.

Even though they were not mentioned by name, the description not only fit their appearance, but their demeanour too. All of a sudden, since the re-debut of the NDC in 2009, an oligarchy of unethical journalists led by Kwesi Bratt took center stage. We have not forgotten yet that he was the same journalist who terrorised the Electoral Commission together with Asiedu Ntetia, the current General Secretary of the NDC, forming a gang of bandits and robbers to storm the commission, demanding the announcement of the rigged election results then.

This unethical and brazen liar was on the payroll of the late John Evans Atta Mills, whose sudden death was much suspected to be orchestrated by forces that were at the time, and suspiciously covered up by the oligarchy headed by Kwesi Bratt.

However, that was not strange to Ghanaians, and I’ll tell you why. You see, most people were too aware that Kwesi Pratt was the political prostitute (gigolo) who roamed the corridors of power sniffing out wealth that he’d do the impossible to lay his hands on. The various administrations of the NDC had taken care of this charlatan, who played angel on air - while he educated his children in universities abroad at a colossal cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars at the time that plebian Ghanaians were denied free quality education because of his nonsensical rantings about what could or couldn’t be done in this country.

He is a journalist, albeit a miscreant, who does nothing else for a living, but generate rubbish from his buccal cavity, so why wouldn’t Ghanaians suspect him to be a political hound of the NDC political thieves who stooped low enough to steal TV sets, fridges, computers, printers and so on from the Jubilee House (FlagStaff House) when they were ejected by the masses in a clear show of force at the polls on December 7, 2016? Then again, why would Kwesi Pratt’s name come up at a meeting of NDC plunderers that he was a beneficiary of the Jubilee House loot, allegedly?

What work did this man ever do that he could afford all the luxuries possible during the egregious days of the most incompetent governments under the NDC administrations of 2009 and 2012? It is common knowledge that Kwesi Pratt was an extorter, using dicey scandals to demand ransom from his victims, where those persons were wealthy enough, otherwise he just skewed them in the media heartlessly. That does not imply that criminals must be let loose, but selective practices of this nature create unnecessary rancour for some innocent victims who should appropriately be given their right to fair trials.

John Dramani Mahama had Kwesi on his payroll, and even bought him a brand-new maroon coloured Land Cruiser. He was on the payrolls of some benevolent thieves, and Agbesi Woyome’s too. That is why his wealth does not surprise the discerning Ghanaian.

That is why his profligate lifestyle and expensive villas have raised eyebrows. The last iota of credibility, if he had any at all, abandoned him when he recently lied publicly on radio about the false bribery allegations against Hon Boakye Agyarko, the substantive minister for Energy.

They were horrendous lies that were designed by the cohorts of the NDC, suspiciously including Kwesi Brat, and peddled by Mahama Ayariga, the quack MP from Bawku Central. This MP, supposedly a graduate of Harvard University, is not only a shame to his constituents and Ghana as a whole, but also to the very university that he holds a degree from.

He claimed that Hon Boakye Agyarko bribed the minority GHs100, 000 (one hundred thousand Ghana Cedis) to confirm him as Minister after his vetting was stalled. Because many people are naïve, they are yet to understand why the confirmation of his nomination was stalled.

Well, the Honourable Minister had to submit some documents before same could be made. The requirements were soon complied with and the he was soon confirmed, in accordance with the law. Is it logical to say that babies with sharp teeth could measure up to this noble man in knowledge and competence? The most foolish questions that these NDC buffoons asked made mockery of Parliament as an institution worthy of the Ghanaian cause. The caliber of questions were indicative of the ignorance and evil that were playing out.

The Minority Chief Whip, Hon Muntaka, swore that no bribery whatsoever took place, contrary to the assertions of Mahama Ayariga and the full-mouthed Kwesi Brat. But why would Kwesi continue to peddle falsehood in a matter that was shot down in the house of Parliament? If it did not say much at all, it told of the agenda of the NDC cabal. This unethical oligarchy of journalists, led by Kwesi Frat, will not be allowed to continue, after all who born dog?

So I say to you Kwesi, stand by as we expose your journalistic tyranny and retire you to the garbage of history as the most dangerous liar the industry had had to cope with in Ghana under the pretext of free speech.

#OperationExposeKwesiPrattNow