PROSECUTING THE THIEVING EX MINISTERS, A DIVINE NATIONAL EXERCISE

The multi party democracy inherited by Ghana is full of calculated tenets that must be strictly adhered to, in order to strenghten democracy, safeguard national properties, and propel equitable distribution of national resources and developments to the people. Democracy is therefore, not only going to the polls every four years in a free and fair election, but also meeting the basic needs and the asprations of the ordinary people, allowing a free and independent operation of the rule of law, and upholding the freedom and justice as a creed of our nation.. Denying the people of these inalienable rights and freedom , as a results of corruption and abuse of power by the elcted few, had always been a recipe for revolts, rancor protest s and agitations. Ghana had not been an alien to these experiences in her quest for a lasting democracy. The series of coup's that engulfed our dear nation since the 1966 UP/NPP sponsored overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkruma had their roots from such denial and total alienation of the people. I therefore support the call by the civil socities , and the pro democratic entities in Ghana, for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all former government and public officials who might have corrupted and abused their offices. This also calls for stringent and punitive measures, that would serve as detterent, safeguards government properties, and stregthens our hard won democracy, that has come to stay, and which has made Ghana a beacon of democracy , not only in Africa, but also in the developing world . Corruption has become a bane on our economy, it is a set back to our economic progress, it has grown to be a social canker that had eaten so deep into our financial base. In our governmental, political and public offices, corruption has become an open norm. Ministers and public officials are stealing and looting, not because of economic hardship. This is becuse the thieving public officials belong to the rich and the affluent class in society, who have more than enough to feed a whole municipality.

During the 2000 political campaign, a message attributed to the former vice president was that, the NPP were full of rich and affluent people ' WHO HAVE THEIR OWN SOMETHING TO CHOP", and that they would not even steal a pesewa from ththe national coffers. This same ironic rhetorics has been repeated by Mr Mc Manu, the NPP chairman, just recently. However, the smoke of rumors breezing throughout Ghana today, over the massive financial looting and property theft among the former NPP ministers and public officials ,does not in anyway suggest that, the 'rich and affluent' NPP officials are not thieves. Sometimes, stealing is inborn, The Hon. Sekyi-Hughes dilema, if authenticated, makes him a good example of thief by destiny.Those who lives in and around the Twin city cannot fathom how such a rich affluent Sekyi-Hughes, a former speaker of parliament, an accomplished lawyer, swimming in fabulous wealth, could scoop such low to steal and steal goverment properties including soap dish and candle stands. For such a seasoned lawyer to ask the government to allow him to pay for the millions of cedi of properties stolen, amount to the acceptance of guilt as a thief, and I dont know how the Nana Bediatuos and Tawia Akyeas could help exonerate him ,if Betty Mould Idrisu and her team decide to drag the honorable to the FTC. I would advise Hon. Sekyi-Hughes to stay cool and calm in prayers and wait for his charges., as there is nothing FIIFI can do for Ekow. But the unpolitical and senseless effusions and ranting from KWADWO MPIANIM, KOFI JUMA AND HACKMAN OWUSU AGYEMANG, over rumors and media leads, are nothing but revelations of their emotional fears , nervousness and sleeplessness., as if they have something hiding under their sleeves. Real thieves and evil doers are always afraid of their own shadows, if not these former ministers of the previous regime, would not be ranting and barking like dogs for nothing, even though the government has not yet release any list of those to be probed and prosecuted. Sirs , why dont you reserve your verbal bullets till you are invited by a panel? Why follow rumor mongers , read and listen to media propaganda over something not yet substantiated..? Ghanaians know how 'rich and affluent' you guy are in Ghanaian society, your contribution to the socio economic development of Ghana cannot be glossed over, but do not expect any sympathy from the very people of Ghana who suffered under your corruption infested 'democratic' regime, while you and your family and cronies 'rode on horses' . I mean the ordinary Ghanaian people who could not have access to medical care, and were denied the basic essentials in life, as a results of your heartlessness and insensitivity towards them.

Kofi Juma spent almost his youthful life in the streets of Newark, and his words, actions and rhetorics are nothing but 'Downtown Hanya' . His appointment into the Kuffour's stealing syndicate was highly expected and anticipated, as a bail out for a struggling Kofi Ghana, since, prior to his appointment, he had overstayed his usefulness in the U.S He was selfless and instrumental to Kuffour's 2000 U.S campaign. It is being rumored that, Kofi Ghana has been the front man for all Kuffour's greedy and dubious property aquisitions and wealth creation. I dont think the NDC government, in their bid to detach corruption from our deomocratic dispensation, has anything against Kofi Juma, but in case they do, Kofi, your Newark -style threats and dares, would not take you anywhere. Those who were clean and honest to their political offices have nothing to fear about, in this divine corruption cleansing exercise by the NDC social democratic government. Those who did their job with no elements of corruptionin do not have any noise to make over rumors and hearsays So, why the brag and the threats to the government from KWADWO MPIANIM, daring the government to take him to court, as if he is still the chief of staff , who had powers to sneak a piece of note to a presiding judge, seconds before judgement. Surely, Mr. Mpianim, dare them, threat them, but , mind you, your eloquence and effusions would not stop Betty from performing her professional and legal responsibility of dragging you to court, should your name officially pop out . Sir, what you must know is that, it is the responsibility of a democratic goverment to take stock of the nations asstes and resources, retrieve the stolen ones, and prosecute those who misappropriated them in any way, and the 757 , out of almost 900 cars you imported to the government cannot be traced, how do you expect the current governement to explain to the people who voted them to power...? how do do you expect the current ministers and officials to commute to work...? , to walk or to ride..????. If you know you did your job as expected of you like you say, why then this preposterous public campaign, afterall you have not been officially named by the government as a thieveing minister, or have you?. By your own actions and threats to the government, the people of Ghana are tempted to believe that you have something to hide.

Ghanaians need a government that would make judicious use of our available stretched resources to satisfy all, not the few in government , their families and friends. To protect our resources, Ghanaians need a government that would use the democratic tenets of the rule of law, and the independent judicial system to locate and retrieve the nations stolen properties, both in cash and in kind, prosecute, not persecute officials found culpable of corruption, and ascribe stringent punitive measures to serve as a deterrent to the current and the aspiring political and public office holders. It is the civic responsibility of every democratic Ghanaian citizen to support this exercise of social justice, but not to see it as a campaign of political witch hunting or persecution. We should rise up in unison to condemn our political and public officials, regardless of their political and tribal affilaition, who see politics as SAKAWA., or as a source of get-rich-overnight.

Prosecuting the ex public officials who misconducted themselves while in office , is not only an ideal political tool to save the country from further economic doldrums, but also a divine direction. .I was in full support when some former NDC ministers were gagged to court to answer questions of financial malfeasannce. To me, it was a good precedence to quash away corruption in government that had crippled the progress and the development of our nation. It is not about who is to be prosecuted, but how the trial would go. People lost confidence right from day one of the trials in the judiciary. It was evident that the justice system was not independent, government manipulation of the courts was glaring, with some of the charges unconstitutional, and denying the victims of their rights, as in the case of TSATSU TSIKATA, and in some cases, the prosecution(the government ) had no evidence, and had to abandon the case after 7 years of trial, as in the case of NANA KONADU RAWLINGS AND HER GROUP, what an injustice!!

With this history of political persecution behind us, the people of Ghana are not comfortable, as to whether the NDC, would repeat the same constitutional disgrace to our democracy, in this divine exercise of probing and prosecuting the nation's financial looters. The NDC government would not persecute the ex ministers, but would prosecute them in an independent, unmanipulated courts of justice. However, as usual, the NPPs, who are yet to see the gravity of costs and effects that their ostentatious opulent regime had on Ghana, a regime that left Ghana a wanton debt of 47 trillion in 8 years, as against the total debt of ghana of 41 trillion in 44 years, since independent(1957-2001). The NPPs would get onto the streets of Accra with their protests and demostrations that they know best, regardless of who is charged with what offence , or whether the trial is fair or not., but If dragging an institution that has supervised a brutal sodomy of a 6-month old baby to court, is described as a political persecution, just because the owner of that institution happens to be an NPP member, how would they describe the dilema of their thieveing and looting ex ministers. If trying Charles Daniel Dwuma of NIB, for giving millions of dollar loan, without consultation of the NIB board , a political persecution, how would they call KWADWO MPIANI'S who cannot account for over 700 cars belonging to the sate? But, in the upcoming national exercise of divine prosecution of of the thieveing ex. ministers of the NPP, there are winners and the losers, the ex ministers, by their actions are already losers, and by their feverish legal research and preparation, the mushrooming practcing NPP lawyers are the winners, at leas, t they would cash in about half of the stolen money as fees for legal representation.

NANA BOADAA (kkingofkings@excite.com)