“If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started” MARCUS GARVEY.

I was enthralled by the as many as 177 comments in four (4) days on Ghanaweb in reaction to my call on myjoyonline to Mr. Kweku Baako Jnr to stop commenting on national issues in view of his wee-smoking record. I was as much intrigued by the number of positive responses on the one hand and equally shocked with disbelief at the insults coming from certain well-meaning citizens too in that regard. CITIZENS of course, going by George “the Baloney” Bush Jnr’s definition of the word.

Going by Pareto’s Law (not Peter’s Principle), I feel a sense of achievement and that should be enough for me to gloss over the whole issue and let sleeping dogs lie, but I will not! Read on!!

In the flower and flourish of our 21st Century’s intelligence, if your brain suggests to you that you can judge a person’s intellect by his photograph, then you are a CAPITAL fool.

Look very well at my photo therein which was the same taken by a Joy FM photographer in 2015 and used by myjoyonline to support a story then, immediately upon my return from court where I won a DNA suit. AND if you have a good MEMORY, you will see that my pose is no different from my mentor Capt. Kojo Tsikata when he was in office.

I would have blamed their situation on education but no; Hon. Matthew Prempeh still remains the Best Minister and his curriculum on LOGIC which is the science of reasoning couldn’t be faulted. Neither could it be a question of health as Alzheimer’s disease is not prevalent among Blacks considering the fact that my age-mates like Larweh Narh, are among the PACK. It could only be a social sickness which may be laid squarely at the door-steps of the Minister of Social Welfare (as doctor), and people of the social occupations including social commentators like Kweku as nurses. Nurses indeed! Hmm!! God bless Ghana!!!

Although Ghanaweb has closed room rather abruptly for the submission of any further comments due to the overwhelming numbers of the feedback, I feel but compelled to issue this rebuttal and in the process, fire a second salvo, reiterating my appeal to Mr. Kweku Baako Jnr. to stop commenting on national issues (just like convicted murderers, rapists, thieves and prostitutes would not) because it smacks of hypocrisy A.K.A double standards A.K.A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide.

I put across a photograph taken today, 21/11/2019 which I believe would excite their puerile brains a little more positively and to that effect, their reasoning power, if any, like the diminishing lithium cells in their mobile phones.

I am not being vitriolic; I am just helping them by being frank to them and indeed, they need help! To set the records straight, I was born on 18/8/1953 and I have achieved fame not only as the record 5-time “What Do You Know” national Champion of Ghana whose record has stood unbroken since 1986 (i.e. for the past 33 years or one full generation or Jesus’ life-span on earth) but equally a dedicated Public Servant for 41 years from 1972 at the University of Ghana Medical School-Danfa project to 2013 at the GRA-Customs Division.

Particularly at the Customs Division, I played a significant number of roles including being the greatest Lecturer the Customs Academy, Kpetoe, had ever seen with a unique right-brain approach to teaching, specially crafted and adapted for adult learners by me (as opposed to conventional classroom left-brain lecturing) which is devoid of reading out lecture notes in class and which style makes the acquisition of knowledge, a fun AND which is based on Einstein, of the E-mc2 equation’s assertion that “imagination is more important than knowledge”. The same man also admonishes us elsewhere not to strive to be men of success but rather to be men of value. The GRA today cannot dispute the fact that I was their greatest Lecturer. True, true, I taught even senior ranks, two of whom latter became Commissioners.

It may interest readers to learn that I could chalk both feats mentioned above (the “What Do You Know” primus inter pares from which I retired voluntarily and the dazzling Customs Academy lectureship) in spite of the fact that my highest level of formal education is only GCE ‘O’ Level – the equivalent of today’s JSS at West Africa Secondary School (WASS), then at Accra New Town in 1970-no sixth form! no University!!

I must state for the sake of the records that I broke Public Service in Ghana briefly in 1989 when the International Voluntary Service, UK came over to beg me with an offer to be the Coordinator at their Africa/Asia desk at Newcastle where my kinsman Christian Atsu incidentally now plays his football.

The British High Commission in Accra followed it up with an employment visa and which job schedule entailed travels and handsome wages. I declined to renew my contract thereby rejecting a long-term commitment at the end of my satisfactory probation basically because of the racist nature of Newcastillians (unlike Londoners) and came back to Ghana. So you see, if you consider the fact that Asia and Africa together command about 2/3 of the world’s population, then I have also impacted the world before-at least in the area of voluntary work. I started smoking ‘wee’ on 19/08/2013, a day after I retired from Public Service and I stopped on my 66th birthday on 18/08/2019 or for that matter, I smoked ‘wee’ for only 6 years, compared with Kweku’s 26 years.

Like Moslems, I have abhorred alcoholic spirits (not beverages) all only life, akpeteshie included. So as a former Lecturer with a little background of psychology in that regard, I see the effusions of the PACK as symptoms of stalling intelligence.

They may Google the prescription of the world’s greatest scientist ever, (Einstein), for this malady and who advises such unfortunate people to simply read FAIRY tales; more FAIRY tales; and lots more FAIRY tales. I would personally recommend the Danish fabulist, Hans Christian Anderson to them in order to crank their inert brains.

Kweku was born on 7/71952. He was an Activist of the 31st December, 1981 Revolution, then aged 29 years. The pinnacle of his career was in 1999, when aged 47 years he was awarded the GJA – Journalist of the year. He is now 67years old. So when did he start and when did he stop smoking the ‘wee’? Ghanaians need to know the alignment and more so, as according to Wikipedia, he is the 39th most influential Ghanaian today.

I hereby challenge him to come out with his dates vis-à-vis the offices he held. I don’t dispute the opinion of one of the PACK that madness begins with persons quoting religion. I grant it and this time, I go another step further by quoting a specific Bible verse; Matthew 7:1-5.

Conscience is that little voice of God in the hearts of men and I may only appeal to Kweku’s conscience. I see practically nothing wrong with that especially as it is a “quid pro quo” for his motivation in making me stop smoking ‘wee’ and confessing too albeit that his confession in 2014 came to my attention late. I am not forcing Kweku out of Radio and TV studios. No! Far from that!! I have not such power. I cannot take him to court. No way! As an avid litigant myself, I know I would lose so I would not even dream of it.

So Larweh Narh and PACK, your PRO work was not necessary. You are trying to put a wedge between me and someone I used to secretly adore. Thank God you are not politicians. You would have ruined this country!! So no big deal. I have come out in rebuttal so, Larweh Narh and the PACK of capitals; come, I beseech you and come again but come well (with credit/acknowledgement to the indefatigable Quizmaster Dan Afari-Yeboah AND why not? Because the sages say “if you steal one literary work, it is plagiarism by a CITIZEN, but if you steal several, it is research”.

Now, Larweh Narh and the PACK of them, we need to go back to Batan (an Island in the Pacific) because as former privileged students of the “Logic segment of the GCE ‘A’ Level General Paper, you appear to have dodged my categorical statement. To guide you, I am saying “it is criminal to smoke ‘wee’ and be caught (proper criminal) AND it is equally dishonourable to smoke ‘wee’ and not be caught (smooth criminal)”.

A proper criminal has no honour – that’s automatic! A dishonourable man too has his honour, absent by virtue of the prefix “dis” as in disability. There is therefore little to choose between the two AND who says a proper criminal like one-time world heavy weight boxing champion Sonny Liston cannot contribute to national pride just like a newspaper Editor/Reporter and a Lotto forecaster (albeit with a stained honour)? But stain is not good for a JUDGE; be he Social or Legal and that is my opinion to which I am entitled.

Google “hara-kiri “of the bushido code of the Samurai of ancient Japan! That is the issue we are addressing not photographs; like the haggard photograph of an already born-ugly Confidence Hiagbe or the beautiful photo of gangster Al Capone and I dare you contradict my assertion.

Do you remember Bob Cole in Ghana’s first movie or so “I told you so”? Do you recall the “adzramoa wu ye ewi (cat you are a thief) episode? The goat, the sheep and the cow would eventually enter the boiling soup for the funeral (gbo nyo) party.

AND Amenyaglo the Cat who had cautioned the animal kingdom on the stupid behavior of alcoholic Mr. Horse and the need to restrain him but who like Cassandra in Greek mythology was ignored because of his stealing habits would coolly strut and relax on the master’s bed while the funeral DJ alternately spinned at 10,000 watt-power, Amakyi Dede’s Kose Kose and Barima be ko Tarkwa on the turntables at the Koforidua Jackson’s park when calamity finally struck! Respect and greetings to Richard Commey, Ghana’s only current world boxing champion and holder of the IBF version of the World light-weight boxing belt (not WBC, WBO, WBA or IBO). I love the car donated to you by the Government of Ghana in recognition of the honour you bestowed on the country. ENTER…..Ace Ring Announcer (Hon.) Nii Lantei Vanderpuije….”AND the new….is Confidence (the Amenyaglo) Hiagbe.

Confidence Hiagbe

(Former IBF Boxing Judge)

PS (Post Scriptum)

But in all these so far, What Do You Say to the “What Do You Know” man, my beloved brother and astute communicator, Kweku? I mean you yourself! Say something!! This is a simple matter between two Ghanaian brothers, one an Ewe and other one an Akan. Dog bite dog, no blood! Let’s eliminate these Larweh Narh and PACK of sycophantic PRO’s. Once a ‘wee’ smoker, always a ‘wee’ smoker. Some say so!. You are older than me by such as much as one year and more highly educated than me too!

If you insist that it is honourable to smoke ‘wee’ even if you are not caught and you are able to convince me in your New Crusading Guide Newspaper, why not, I will take it so because I have an open mind. AND my brother you are the only one I am telling this secret that I smoked ‘wee’ only as an aphrodisiac like Viagra because of latter-day sexual erectile dysfunctions (due to age and the cumulative stress of life) as acknowledged in the track “HERBALIST” by Musician/Radio DJ Blakk Rasta in his album “Naked Wire”. How I wished that song was available to all on Youtube! However, by this rebuttal, I am requesting Blakk Rasta to play that song for my listening pleasure on Zylofon FM (that is, if it is not banned). It beats the original KAYA by Bob Marley. Eheh, if you convince me it is honourable to smoke it, I shall not hesitate to go back! After all, I had this new 40 year-old “yellow cici” of a buxom about two months ago and you know, man needs “karifi; still”!

In fact and indeed, all said and done, I shall take your further silence on the matter to mean that you have convinced me that it is honourable to smoke it.

Thanks and bye for now!