By Kwame Agbodza

Ladies and gentlemen, I know Nana Akuffo Addo may be rejoicing because his man has been elected as chairman of the NPP. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, a man who is heavily challenged academically has been elected as the New Chairman of the NPP, hopefully to lead them in the ‘Dr Arthur Kennedy Bush’. Well, first of all, I wish to congratulate him and the NPP for conducting their congress, apart form few bags of Gari, Shito, Rice and cash changing hands with votes on sale, let’s say they had a congress where the highest bidder won. Jake’s way of politics emanate from his late father who is alleged to have carried out some clandestine activities in Ghana during the days of late Dr Osagyfo Kwame Nkrumah, It is alleged he imported and distributed bombs which were later used to introduce violence into Ghanaian Politics. These bombs were also used to unleash terrorism in Ghana. Not surprising, his father was alleged to have flown young boy Jake to the UK for sake keeping before embarking on his dirty politics in Ghana. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey has never condemned his father’s dirty past rather he rides on it as a basis for his right to play part in Ghanaian politics.

Jake Obetsebi Lamptey is very controversial, and is capable of acting in ways that could plunge the country into serious problems. Some people believe his inability to obtain any relevant formal education sometimes impacts negatively on his way of thinking. I wonder how the NPP is expecting him provide leadership in the ‘bush’. I remember when Jake arrogated to himself the illegal responsibility to address a press conference in Accra where he declared the NPP winners in the December 2004 election, even before the constitutionally mandated Electoral Commission could make their verdict known to the public. This irresponsible act could have plunged Ghana into serious problem, if not for the peaceful nature of the then NDC presidential Candidate Prof J.E.A Mills. I have no doubt that Jake sees some of this past acts of irresponsibility as heroism and is promising similar in the future, well, we live to see how he conducts his ‘bush leadership’.

Jake nearly exacerbated the already fragile security situation in Dagbon, when he once again acted without thinking by announcing the murder of the Late Ya Na. It is still not known what possessed him to act in such a low manner. Even if Jake lacks the classroom acumen, he probably spent enough time in the house to have leant a bit of ‘home sense and custom’. What Jake did was against the custom of Dagbon traditions.

It is the same Jake who is alleged to be implicated in the strange ways in which the Mormons acquired prime properties in Ghana. It will be recalled that The Chronicle News paper serialized a story in which they suggested that Jake and his wife travelled to Utah headquarters of the Mormons , and were later joined by their daughter on an all-expenses paid trip.I don’t believe the Mormons give free lunch to the likes of Jake.

The paper later opined that Jake, who used the NPP government to assist the Mormons by facilitating the resolution of a land title dispute between the Mormons and the Osu Stool .Probably, he was instrumental in helping them for his parochial reasons, after all, his daughter gained admission to Brigham Young University (BYU), a very expensive university run by the Mormons. Only heaven knows what else he benefitted. Jake was alleged to have admitted later in an interview that he helped the Mormons under the instigation of President Kufuor. President Kufour’s office was later forced to deny asking Jake to help the Mormons. Is this the man the NPP wants to lead them? what moral credentials does Jake hold to convince Ghanaians? Now we can see who is a liar. It is going to be interesting in the bush.

As part of the ‘Grand Theft of State’ Jake Obetsebi Lamptey also attempted to annex No. 2 Mungo Street Ridge ,a state property for his personal aggrandisement. Not ashamed after he was caught with his pants down, Jake had the nerve to argue that the then minister of works and housing had approved of his sordid act. Jake later went to court and sued the Attorney General for taking the necessary to stop him from taking ownership of the property illegally Jake suggested that the Lands Commission allowed him to leased the property from September 15, 2008 for redevelopment. He wanted to turn the property into a three blocks of four storey’s each .This is exactly what the NPP meant by ‘property owning democracy’. Just how greedy can this small elephants be? How do these people sleep at night? It appears all they think of doing day and night is to dishonestly use the power of the state to transfer the wealth of the state into their personal control.

It was hysterical to hear Jake suggesting that the NPP was on their way back to power because Ghanaian’s have forgotten about their mismanagement, corruption and incompetence.“The country is looking to NPP to come to its rescue” I sincerely believe Ghana was rather rescued from the hands of the likes of Jake. Jake might have succeeded in getting himself into the position of the Chairman of NPP, but that is just to lead them further into the bush nothing less nothing more.

God Bless Us All.

Kwame Agbodza