Having listened to the current rumpus between Mr A.B.A. Fuseini of the Daily Graphic and Mr. Kweku Baako of the New Crusading Guide on several networks; including very recently on joyfm on the 24thFebruary 2010,my conclusion is that A.B.A. Fuseini is just filthy jealous of Kweku Baako achievements in life!!
The genesis of the war of words between Kweku Baako and A.B.A. Fuseini was kicked start with statements to the effect that Mr Baako had bought a house and some vehicles. The view of Mr Fuseini been that Mr Baako could not afford the amount involved in acquiring those assets and his conclusion was therefore that, Kweku Baako benefited from some largess in the past from the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
I must say with all honesty that, I was hugely disappointed of these churlish allegations coming from Mr Fuseini especially as he has so far being unable to provide any credible evidence to support his claim! The irony however, is that Mr Fuseini is still throwing the allegations about when even he is unable to provide any shred of evidence!
At least Kweku Baako has practice Journalism for over 30years in Ghana and his excellent performance in journalism has achieved him the title of best Journalist of Ghana in the 1990’s. So what is wrong if Mr Baako is able to plan very well and invest prudently over the years to be able to buy a house now?
I hope Mr Fuseini is not saying that people should just work and not acquire any property against the future. If that is his thoughts then he has no business working. It is not only to drink Star beer and “Aponkyi Krakra” (Light Soup) that people strive in life to work. Any responsible and sensible person aspires to acquire property not only for himself but his or her children and by extension the family.
When I was teaching in Tamale in the 1990’s one person who motivated me so much to develop interest in owning property was a messenger who was earning less than 150,000 old Ghana Cedis but had a three bedroom house.
I hadn’t even a piece of land then! Even though, I could pay him from my salaries. I visited him one day in his house and enquire from him the “Magic” behind his ability to put up three bedroom house with such a skimpy salary. He told me he was buying some foodstuffs down and resale for profit when the prices went up among other things. He had excellent ideas about how to make money with proper planning and I must say that I learnt a lot from him and it has since benefited me a lot.
Dear readers, I just gave this example to illustrate how people can do big things with the little they earn and to dispute Mr Fuseini assertion that, because Mr Baako is a Journalist and he probably knows how much he could be making he can’t buy a house! Is Mr Fuseini aware of other investments of Mr Baako?
Mr A.B.A. Fuseini should dare not make that assertion since recent events and even past events makes his conclusion of what property one has versus how much people think such person earns nonsense!!
My view is that, if the Jubilee House or the Castle is for sale and Mr Baako has money he should go for either of them. Let us not forget that Mr Baako is a private person. He is not a board member of any institution he runs his own business and can buy what he wants.
The other issue Mr Fuseini raised was qualification. I heard him say that He got his a master’s degree in 1992 and that Mr Baako has no even a middle school leaving certificate! I buried my head under my pillow when he was saying such a thing on air. What about paper qualification? I don’t envy A.B.A. Fuseini’s Masters Degree because I also have it somewhere in my room.
I am not one of those who think that competence goes with qualifications. I rather believe in what one can do even in the absence of paper qualifications. Kweku Baako has distinguished himself thoroughly in his chosen profession and has been and still a huge source of inspiration to many including Akilu. So what is A.B.A. Fuseini saying?
What was ex-president Rawlings’s qualification when he ruled Ghana for 19years and founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of which A.B.A. Fuseini says he is a member? Didn’t a law professor served under J.J. Rawlings and he even helped make that professor president of Ghana? Mr A.B.A. Fuseini must look for a better way to attack Mr Baako and stop this elementary argument.
The bottom line is that, Mr Fuseini must provide evidence to buttress his allegations or he should forever shut up!!
Akilu Sayibu UK
Email: Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk