Editorial News of Tuesday, 1 January 2002

Source: --

Joshua Hamidu gives Dan Lartey a scare

Lt General Joshua Hamidu, the National Security Co-ordinator who has been walking from one controversy to another hit rock-bottom when he invited Mr Dan Lartey alias ‘Mr Domestication’, the leader of the infant Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to the Castle Annex last Monday.

This was after Mr Dan Lartey has blown his chest and mirrored on the airwaves his impressions of the NPP government.

He phoned in to a Peace FM morning show programme on Monday December 24 and by 11.00 am he was “invited” to meet face to face with Lt Gen Joshua Hamidu at his office behind the Accra Sports Stadium.

Mr Dan Lartey had spoken of the inefficiency and ineptitude of the NPP government, which have deprived the average Ghanaian a good Christmas. “We are Hungry” He barked; “we are suffering” he added and warned that if the trend continue, an adventurer may try to exploit the suffering of the people and create chaos and instability.

He therefore called for a change in the style of governance or call an early election to test the popularity of the government. “The call to answer” came by emissaries who came to tell him that the security capo wanted to see him immediately.

In an interview with the Ghanaian Voice, Mr Dan Lartey said he went with his General Secretary Mr Amekah. When they got to the Blue Gate, and were ushered into Gen Hamidu’s presence, he was asked why he made those utterances on the Radio and Hamidu went over the bend and told him that the security is tight and foolproof and that no one can rise up against this government. Lt General Joshua Hamidu went on and issued valid threats against Mr Dan Lartey.

I repeated what I said and told him that I have expressed similar statements to the President, the Vice President and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, I told him that the best defence against chaos and mayhem is good governance. I told the President in January to launch a crash programme to put food on the table of Ghanaians by July, if this advice had been heeded, we would not be having the mess we are having now.

Though Mr Dan Lartey claimed he was not manhandled he maintains that he was mentally harassed and that the mere fact that he was invited to that intimidating environment shows that the old ways are coming back.