I read the article titled “Spio Garbrah: Kufour, educate Nana Addo on how to apply wisdom” on myjoyonline.com on the 27th of January, 2012 authored by Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, a former minister under the Rawlings regime and a failed flag bearer aspirant of the NDC. The article was in support of the hypocritical stance of President Dzi Wo Fie Asem Mills on the Ivorian Crisis. His praise article might come as a surprise to many, knowing that Dr. Spio Garbrah is acclaimed for “pissing in”. Readers would recall the “pissing in and out” banter that happened in this country last year, when Dr. Spio Garbrah published in the Daily Graphic an objective and bold article criticizing President Mills for appointing TEAM B people to manage our national affairs when he, and other TEAM A’s are on the bench. The TEAM B article caused so much confusion within the ruling NDC party. It got so tensed that the presidency through I-DON’T-LIKE-KUFOURS-FACE Koku Anyidoho described Dr. Spio Garbrah as a fake “Doctor” whose doctorate degree was conferred on him by some “TWO BY FOUR” college in the U.S.A. He also described “Dr.” Spio Garbrah as a “PEACOCK” who sees nothing good in others but himself.


Anyway, Dr. Spio Garbrah claims in the second paragraph of his recent article “After the press conference many Ghanaians in Cote d’Ivoire, those in many parts of Ghana, as well as in the Diaspora, breathed a sigh of relief. Some dubbed the president’s wise stance of “dzi wo fie asem” foreign policy, in contrast to the Georg W. Bush- style “democracy- at- the- barrel- of- a- gun” policy being promoted by the Akufo-Addo-led NPP”. I find it very strange and unpardonable for Dr. Spio Garbrah to join the many one-gear NDC communicators who have said time and time again that the NPP is calling for war in Ivory Coast. The Kobby Fiagbes, the Twum Boafos and their likes can be pardoned [they have nothing to lose] for telling this lie over and over, but for Dr. Spio Garbrah to repeat this lie, it is unacceptable. The NPP has NEVER CALLED FOR WAR IN IVORY COAST! In all the press conferences organized by the party since the Ivorian political crisis started late last year, the NPP has been VERY CONSISTENT in their comments unlike our president and government. The first call from the NPP was for the president to make public Ghana’s position on the impasse. Our loud silence on the issue was strange and discomforting, especially when Ivory Coast is our neighbor and Ghana is a front runner in democracy in West Africa and Africa. Our president is a very good friend of Laurent Gbagbo, and it is believed as a good friend of the former President Gbagbo, at least our president could have said something publicly to discourage his good friend from taking the people of Ivory Coast hostage. Presidents from parts of the continent came out publicly to condemn what Laurent Gbagbo was doing to the people of Ivory Coast. So NPPs first call was for President Not-Looking-Like-Cat-Hunter Mills to speak publicly on the crisis, so that the world can know Ghana’s position. Government communicators responded that, our president would be attending an emergency ECOWAS summit in Abuja. The summit went on as planned and a communiqué signed by all presidents present including our president was issued. The relevant portion of the communiqué stated “in the event that Mr. Gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ECOWAS, the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures, including the use of legitimate force, to achieve the goals of the Ivorian crisis people”. ECOWAS recognizes Alhassan Outtarra as the legitimately elected president of Ivory Coast, and has called on our president’s friend, Mr. Gbagbo to step down. Then our president meets journalist on the 7th of January, 2011 to discuss his 2 years in office. In a response to a question posed on the Ivory Coast crisis, our president makes the Dzi Wo fie Asem statement and includes that, it was not for Ghana to choose for a leader for Ivory Coast[ as though somebody is saying Ghana should do so]. This diplomatic blunder which brought so much shock and embarrassment to Ghanaians did not stop there. The president also said he did not think military intervention would solve the Ivorian Crisis.

At this point, everybody got confused and more disturbed except apologists and hangers-on of the government. International politics experts described the president’s statement as “naïve”, “broken ranks with ECOWAS” and “jumping-the-gun”. It was clear from the emergency Abuja summit communiqué that military option was an option that would be used, but it did not mean, it was the option that was to be considered immediately. So for the President of Ghana, a key player in ECOWAS and AU to make such statements, it was a clear display of dishonesty and bad faith. Especially, when the ECOWAS communiqué signed in Abuja by our president, Dzi Wo Fie Asem Mills, indicated that MILITARY OPTION WAS AN OPTION THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED IF GBAGBO FAILS TO HEED TO ECOWAS’S CALL FOR HIM TO STEP DOWN. How could our president have made a U-TURN by saying MILITARY OPTION IS NO OPTION?

It was on this diplomatic error, that the NPP held its recent press conference on the matter to indicate to our president that he has erred big time. That was the message contained in the statement read by the national chairman, Jake Otanka Obestebi Lamptey and the formidable flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo. The NPP made it very clear and unambiguous that, WE ARE NOT CALLING FOR WAR IN IVORY COAST. The NPP supports the ECOWAS, AU and UN stance on this matter. The NPP believes EVERY MEANS NECESSARY MUST BE USED TO ENSURE THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST IS INSTALLED AS PRESIDENT. The NPP believes in democracy. The NPP handed over power to the ruling NDC after the closest presidential battle ever recorded. Hence, we are in a good position to advise our president’s friend, Mr. Gbagbo to step down like we did 2 years ago.
The article authored by Dr. Spio Garbrah is centred around this LIE that the NPP led by the credible flag bearer, Nana Akufo Addo is calling for war in Ivory Coast. That is not true and no matter the number of times the NDC/ government communicators including Dr. Spio Garbrah repeat this LIE, it would never be TRUE.

I am concerned Dr. Spio Garbrah’s seem to have lost his boldness in pointing out the president’s flaws like he used to. The president committed a diplomatic blunder, and if the likes of Dr. Spio Garbrah would want to “perfume” it, then Ghanaians must take a second look at who fights for their cause. In their bid to score cheap political points, the communication director at the presidency, I-AM-NOT-ON-DRUGS Koku Anyidoho, in his right frame of mind, circulated a confidential document, purported to be the position of ambassadors of African states at the UN Security Council. This document states some points including “MILITARY OPTION IS NO OPTION”. This position was in sharp contrast with that of the ECOWAS body. This document was used as propaganda to tell Ghanaians that, President NOT-CAT-HUNTER Mills has been vindicated. Media houses received copies of the documents. NDC/Government communicators and apologist were all over the place, singing the VINDICATION HYMN composed by I-AM-NOT-ON-DRUGS Koku Anyidoho.
I recall, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko of Danquah Institute, posted on his wall on facebook that government must be circumspect because that position can not be accurate. The likes of Stan Dogbe were quick to extinguish Gabby’s “propaganda”. Just days after Gabby’s post on facebook, the AU envoy to Ivory Coast, Raila Odinga came to meet the president over his DZI WO FIE ASEM statements. Experts described the visit as “whip-in-line” or disciplinary visit. Raila Odinga visited to ensure the president does not “destroy” the efforts being made by every important international organization to resolve the Ivorian impasse with his undermining utterances. The president then changed his position quickly. He told Raila Odinga, he supports FULLY anything the ECOWAS intends to pursue to solve the Ivorian crisis. How sudden and hypocritical many thought. The Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mumuni was all over the airwaves, trying to do some damage control. He told the listening public on CITI FM, the Mills government supports any action the ECOWAS would take to solve the Ivorian crisis even with the use of BRUTE FORCE.

This week, the BBC, apparently seeing it news worthy for Ghana’s president to have broken ranks and concerned about the statements of our president discussed “DZI WO FIE ASEM”. It was an embarrassing episode, with commentators using very uncharitable words to describe our president. Again, the foreign minister was able to secure time on BBC to explain his boss’s position better. He performed so badly, that many NDC communicators and facebookers are calling for his sack. That is how bizarre this NDC government has handled the Ivorian crisis.
The NPP has NEVER called for war in Ivory Coast. The NDC is so embarrassed by their bad handling of the Ivorian crisis that they are using propaganda to hoodwink Ghanaians into believing them. They have gone to the extent of using an important state institution as the military as a propaganda tool. They say, the NPP wants Ghanaian soldiers to be killed, “that is why the NPP is calling for war in Ivory Coast”. This claim by the NDC is simply ridiculous. One wonders how the NDC could even conceive such an idea, but that is how low they think the ordinary Ghanaian is. I have already given facts to indicate that the NPP has NEVER called for war in Ivory Coast. For Gods sake, how will the death of Ghanaian soldiers benefit the NPP in any way? Members of the NPP also have relations and friends who are military men. The NPP worked closely with the military for 8 years. The NPP resourced the military force. The NPP was quick to recognize the potential of the military as a useful partner in the economic reconstruction of the country in addition to its traditional role of defending the territorial integrity of the country. An amount of US$60 million was provided to ensure that all Peacekeeping Missions are provided with sufficient equipment The NPP increased the peacekeeping mission allowance astronomically. The NPP would definitely work with these soldiers when Ghanaians vote us back. So it would be unthinkable for anybody to say, the NPP wants Ghanaian soldiers to be killed.

In Dr. Spio Garbrah’s weak defence article, he says “Is the NPP not aware that Ghana’s Jubilee oil fields is just a stone throw away from the Ivorian border and could be attacked if Ghana invades Cote d’Ivoire?” The NPP can not forget the location of the Jubilee field, especially when that particular oil field was discovered under the Kufour regime. It was under Kufour that Tullow brought the oil samples to the Castle, subsequently it was taken to parliament, the NDC described the oil as “DIRTY OIL”. How can the NPP forget the location of the Jubilee field? Again, has anybody said Ghana should invade Cote d’Ivoire? I feel very sad that Dr. Spio Garbrah is commenting on this very serious matter in such a propagandist manner, unless, he is limited with the facts, this is unacceptable and unpardonable. He better come again because “he is forcing there to be there, when there is not there”

Lastly, it is rumored Dr. Spio Garbrah is to be appointed Minister. If it is true, then let me say CONGRATULATIONS to him. This rumor came to me as a surprise because Ato Ahwoi [arguably the Prime Minister] had swore “over his dead body” will Spio-Garbrah be appointed in the Mills-Mahama administration. Time changes. God works in mysterious ways.

I LOVE GHANA
PATRIOT FAISAL IBRAHIM
Mobile_faisal@hotmail.com

0262232000
The author is an Associate Member of the Association of Business Executives, UK. He is also a blogger on facebook ( www.facebook.com/faisal.ibrahim1)