: YOU FAILED IN YOUR MISSION

The political history of Ghana has never been told as it is by contemporary politicians, the media and writers. It has always been narrated with political biases (depending on the author) since 1966 and especially after 31 December 1981. The distortions have made some politicians millionaires and attracted many unqualified people and even Pastors to this “lucrative business.” The country is heading the wrong way; it is now time for serious reflections and prayers.

Since this write-up came about as a result of the speech by a respectable man of God please allow us to refer you to 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 which reads:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being”.

Apostle Paul is saying there are many things that “I” might do and many things I might say. But “my” first concern ought to be, “will this build up or tear down my brother or sister. We are called to build up and strengthen one another. We must be very careful not to tear down one another by our action, inaction, or words. We believe there are other exhortations in the Koran too.

Last Wednesday, 13th June 2012, Archbishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong gave a long speech, admonished Ghanaians and descended on gays and lesbians, politicians and public servants. He gave a brief socio -political and economic history and mentions Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s name as having done well to lay the foundation for Ghana to take off. He then singles out Kwame Nkrumah and lambast him for his intolerance and being a bad man. Our first question will be: will Archbishop Sarpong sit unperturbed if someone threw bombs at him? Our next question is why did Archbishop Sarpong fail to mention the rest of the Heads of State. Was Nkrumah the only bad one? Again the Archbishop failed to point out the reason/s for Nkrumah’s intolerance. It is our godly responsibility to point out the hypocrisy in Archbishop Sarpong’s speech and further ask for forgiveness for him since he committed the same sins he was admonishing others about.

Does Archbishop Sarpong want to tell the World that Major-Gen. Ankrah, Brigadier A A Afrifa, Dr. K A Busia, Edward Akuffo Addo, Gen. Kutu Acheampong, Lt-Gen. Akuffo Addo, Fl-Lt J J Rawling (mutiny) and J J Rawlings (treasonable coup), Mr. J A Kuffour (and J E A Mills) served Ghana better than Kwame Nkrumah?

Ankrah Has Archbishop Sarpong so soon forgotten that Gen. Ankrah was paid and used by the CIA to destabilize Ghana and Africa. He used his ill gotten money to build houses; all projects started under Nkrumah were made to go rot (example Gold refining/processing plant in the Western Region which was 90 percent complete); innocent people were killed in the coup; when he was caught for offering bribes to be projected as the best candidate for the pending elections, he resigned for Afrifa to take over. Was Ankrah, a documented CIA agent, better than Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?

Afrifa Afrifa, was paid and used by the CIA to destabilize Ghana and Africa; took away the monopoly of Ghana Railways to cart timber and cocoa to the ports and imported his personal fleet of articulated trucks thereby collapsing the railway industry. Again he took part of Ejura farms and converted it to Okatakyie farms; was Afrifa better statesman than Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?

Busia Dr. Busia demanded and took more than a year’s salary advance; led delegations to plead with the Queen not to grant Ghana independence and again to the US Congress to ask them not to grant Ghana a loan to build the Akosombo Dam. The same person invited the World Bank to Accra to take control of our economy and when J H Mensah, the then Finance and Economic Planning Minister disagreed with him, Busia split the Ministry into two- Economic Planning, headed by the then just-returned Leeds University graduate and political novice Jones Ofori-Attah directly supervised by Busia himself and Finance Ministry headed by J H Mensah." This he did so he could sideline J H Mensah and carry out his paymaster’s wishes. No wonder Kutu Acheampong later said “Yentua” (we won’t pay). When Busia went into exile in 1959, he became the conduit of funding for bombs, killing and maiming innocent children and adults; courtesy of R. R. Amponsah and Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey. Did Dr. Busia help the nation better than Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?

Rawlings J J Rawlings and Boakye Gyan staged a mutiny, May 15 (25) and June 4 with the excuse of corruption within the military. What ensued after June 4th 1979 were the most gruesome undertakings ever perpetrated on the people of Ghana. What did Rawlings do to the economy? In Takoradi Military officers were slaughtered in the streets like dogs. Judges were killed. Three former Heads of State and other military officers were murdered at the Teshie Military range. Women were stripped naked and whipped in public. He loathed successful business people and jailed or collapsed their businesses. One officer was killed for a 50 thousand loan taken from a bank. They handed over power to Dr. Limman after elections. In less than two years, Rawlings, the coup expert and hungry for power committed a treasonable offence by removing a democratically elected government of Dr. Hila Limman. He introduced an untested, unworkable Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) and Economic Recovery Program (ERP); he personally took charge of reckless sales of state industries to himself and cronies for peanuts (over 66 factories); this was the beginning of mass unemployment. He supervised the destruction of our educational system whilst he educated his kids abroad. Rawlings introduced a cash and carry Health Care System. He brewed a “culture of silence which Adu Boahen spoke vehemently against. J J Rawlings’ record is too long to list here. All that Nkrumah had built Rawlings has destroyed. Was Rawlings a nation builder or destroyer and what can you say of Nkrumah? Archbishop Sarpong, we are waiting for your reply.

Kuffour J A Kuffour just ignored the cries of the people and 1. Continued the sale of state corporations, the last one- Ghana Telecom was sold for peanuts. 2. Brought about mass unemployment. 3. Though educated himself, J A Kuffour saw nothing wrong with schools under trees and encouraged the trend. 4. Kuffour manufactured corruption from the Castle through Ghana @ 50 to the construction of the Jubilee House. He single-handedly sold Ghana Telecom? The cheek of it all is he later honored his looting brigade with gold medals bought from abroad with tax payer’s money. Meanwhile we had gold and goldsmiths in the country. 5. Kuffour encouraged the importation of foreign goods from rice to tooth picks, from coffins to water. 6. He undertook unnecessary foreign trips and accumulated millions of dollars in per diem, which did not benefit the nation. 7. Kuffour sanctioned the importation of foreign culture into the country. The prevalence of pornography on open market and bad mannered cultures (Apuskeleke, am aware etc). 8. Virtually all our natural resources have been signed over to foreign companies with 0-3% Ghanaian interest. Foreign mining companies are looting our God-given wealth, polluting our waters and vegetation whilst the people remain poor and can’t afford 3-square meals a day. 9. He stayed outside the country more than he did stay at home for the 8 years. What benefit accrued to the Nation?

In the 60’s before his overthrow, the elder son of Nkrumah – Francis, was old enough to have owned a hotel. Did Nkrumah buy a hotel in the name of his son Francis? Absolutely not! Between Kuffour and Nkrumah who should be condemned? We demand answers from Archbishop Sarpong.

Mills Professor Mills has 6 months left on his plate, and we will judge him accordingly, but all indications are pointing to an abysmal performance due to ineffective supervision of some unqualified appointees. Let’s wait till the end of his term before we judge him.

What the Archbishop failed to tell Ghanaians about, was the deliberate throwing of bombs in Kulungugu, Kumasi, Accra and other cities to make the country ungovernable. The same trend in a different form has started again. The Archbishop deliberately forgets to tell Ghanaians about Nkrumah capturing an assailant who tried to assassinate him (Nkrumah) in a point blank shooting. Nkrumah sat on this guy until the police arrived on the scene.

Archbishop Sarpong failed to mention that it was Nkrumah who said he was not going to tolerate political parties that were formed based on ethnic and religious lines. As a result, all the remaining parties came together to form the United Party (UP). S D Dombo- the leader of the Northern party which had majority MPs in opposition instead of becoming the leader of United Party (UP) relinquished leadership to Dr. Busia. Archbishop Sarpong should have honestly told the youth and the World that it was rather Nkrumah who forged National unity and integration. He was a very peaceful and God-fearing man, but was hated by the so called elite who couldn’t understand why a poor Nzima village boy could be more intelligent, sensible and visionary, to defeat them to become Prime Minister and later, President.

In March 15 1948, 150 students in Cape Coast (in solidarity with the detention of the big 6) were expelled by the colonial government. Four teachers, from St. Augustine’s and Mfantsipim were also sacked. July 8th 1948, Kwame Nkrumah donated 10 pounds towards starting a school for the sacked students and teachers. With this, the teachers made benches, desks, blackboards, bought writing tools and rented space on the ground floor of a building in Cape Coast and started classes in July 16th 1948. He donated half of his monthly salary to run the school. The school is what we now know as Ghana National College and whoever thought these 16 boys and 1 girl were going to be great public servants? Among them were: Prof. Francis Kofi A. Allotey -World renowned scientist and former Vice Chancellor, K.N.U.S.T, served as Board member - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEC). Listed among the 100 most eminent Physicists and Mathematicians in the World? Please read about this great guy @ http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/pop-up.php?ID=136 Prof. Kofi Amoa Oduro - Professor of Anesthesia at the Ghana Medical School Mr. Joseph Kingsley Bentum- Williams - First Head prefect, and for many years CEO of GIHOC Mr. S.I.K. Boakye - Agyeman - Chartered Accountant Dr. L.K.A. Derban - Rtd. Industrial Medical Officer, Volta River Authority Dr. Asare Berkye - Gynecologist and Obstetrician in Cairo, Egypt. Prof K. Osei Manu - University of Columbia Mr. Twumasi Ankrah - Died prematurely from activities of his political career

The list is too exhaustive but there are others such as: J J Mensah-Kane- a renowned Educationists, General Erskine- Ist UNIFIL Commander, General Mensah-Wood, Gladys Asmah- Former NPP Minister of Fisheries, Egbert Faibillle- Barrister, Abieku Santana- OK FM, Colonel George Sam- Ghana Armed Forces; diplomats, lecturers, police officers, accountants, senior executives, scientists, educators, business executives and many more are great achievers because of Nkrumah’s vision and compassion. And yet Archbishop Sarpong says Nkrumah was an evil man.

At this juncture the CPPNorthAmerica calls on all Nananom (Ghana National old students) to help sing “The joy of Ghanacoll” wherever they are and if you know someone who attended Ghana National, please tell him/her to sing the school anthem on Nkrumah’s coming birthday (21st September) to celebrate an exemplary life. If you’re close to where Archbishop Sarpong lives, please sing it very loud for him to hear and see the joy in your hearts.

Apart from Nkrumah, all our past Heads of State have come to loot money and yet Archbishop Sarpong finds nothing wrong with that. Where are Rawlings and Kuffour living now? In mansions! Nkrumah never owned a house. Can Rawlings and Kuffour boldly submit their bank statements both local and foreign to the BNI and Reuters? They cannot, they know why. When Nkrumah was leaving for Hanoi (to mediate in the US-Vietnam war), the last time he was going to see the country he so loved and helped fight poverty and colonialism, he signed off all his personal assets to the CPP and not to his wife and children. Such was the love of a man for a Country, Africa and all Black races. This is a man voted as the African Personality of last century and posthumously awarded at the UN.

If a well respected man of God like Archbishop Sarpong strays recklessly like he did on the 13th, he should expect the consequences. We believe that for him to play into partisan politics and use the occasion to commit the same sin he was preaching about, is humanly unpardonable. A class 4 pupil can infer from his long speech that he was on a mission; a mission to take part in the long thought-out plan to damage Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy, but he failed woefully. It is an indisputable fact that Archbishop Sarpong failed to denigrate Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah; he rather succeeded in tarnishing his own respectful influence and the clergy.

Finally we humbly advise Archbishop Sarpong not let partisan politics cajole him into apostasy as lamented in the Book of Jude verses 8-11 and 16-19; but to live in the full sight of the Lord and to keep himself in the love of God (Jude vs. 20-21).

We should not allow any person/s to divide and rule us.

God Bless our Homeland Ghana.

Kweku Manful Vice-Chair. CPP North America

Write to join cppna: akokonini@yahoo.com