Opinions of Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Columnist: Nii Ago Davies

Raymond Archer, your ‘vendetta’ towards McDan is vanity (Part 1)

Raymond Archer Raymond Archer

I felt extremely fuddled when l chanced on social media on your article replete with venom of emotions against an individual who has personally done you no evil. It is low-stooping as an award-winning investigative journalist-turned businessman to be parochially political and haphazardly revengeful towards a genuine and law-abiding Ghanaian businessman like Dr. Daniel Nii Nshia McKorley (McDan).

If it is a political game for NPP to intentionally collapse businesses belonging to NDC supporters, is McDan their grandmaster planner for you to suggest his businesses will also be collapsed by NDC when power changes hands? I doubt NDC will play to that purile gallery.

Ray, you know very well that nobody and no business are above the law. So, when anybody tries to leverage on their political party because they are in power and, for that reason, that person refuses to be compliant to statutory and business obligations, when their "enemies" get the opportunity, they will not spare them. The laws are clear, and the conscienceless politicians who are aware of the advantages will never temper mercy with justice. For your information, today, when NDC becomes the government of the day, you will have absolutely nothing legit against McDan that can warrant the collapse of his businesses. The reason is simple. He is law-abiding and an honest businessman. I will advise you never again talk about evil reciprocity even if you think someone has wonged you so that you don't incur God's wrath. For vengeance absolutely is God's.

But why are you still talking about Songor? I have a few questions to ask you and if you fail to provide correct answers to them, forever, hold your peace.

▪︎ Are you aware that McDan legitimately got the Songor Salt mining Project and his getting is not prohibited by any law?

▪︎ Are you aware that McDan and his Company Electrochem Ghana Limited went through parliamentary processes and got authorised to mine the Songor Lagoon?

▪︎ Where were you and your cohort when the greater part of the Lagoon became heavily silted and thus, unminable?

▪︎ Where were you and your cohort when the greater part of Songor became a dunghill and health hazards to the Ada residents?

▪︎ Where were you and your cohort when a greater part of Songor Lagoon was turned into a deathtrap because it was no-go area for mining?

▪︎ Are you a native or a resident of Ada? If yes, the Community Pans are there for your mining. If your CP is not yet ready, Benevolent McDan has made available free loans to traders for their livelihood. There are other forms of jobs created, including the construction of Sege Sports Village.

▪︎ Are you aware that Adjumaniko, Agbedzrafor and Nakomkope have already had four mining seasons?

▪︎ Are you aware that the mined salt is of better quality and getting good market because, unlike the Atsiakpo days, the community people are provided with brine freely for their mining?

▪︎ Are you aware that the Songor Langoon has been restored to its natural ecological state?

▪︎ Are you aware that all your efforts, together with your cohorts, to tarnishing McDan's image and truncating his good work have been exposed to the people of Ada, hence, the 70 chiefs of the Ada TraditionalA Aeas gave him a thump-up???? for a job well done?

▪︎ Are you aware that the spirit of the original discoverer (Korley) of Songor is reliving in Dr. Daniel Nii Nshia McKorley? In fact, you must be joking to fght that man. You are, indeed, fighting a dangerous and a lost battle.

Ray, when you put all your answers together, you will come to a genuine conclusion that your allegations of how 4,000 people's livelihood has been tampered with is watery, weird and weightless. Clearly, the benefits from Electrochem Ghana Limited to the people of Ada are far more compensating. Stop the propaganda, halt the politics and drop that unkempt chamber filled with proliferation of lies and save yourself from shame and disgrace my award-winning investigative journalist-turned businessman.

Your plight is similar to my story when l was elected to head a private nursing school in Accra, and l had to downsize the teaching staff to 6 from 30. In addition to receiving uncensored invectives from some of the affected teachers, l was nearly beaten. It was quite understandable to act in that manner as it is common with humans. I sympathised with them much as l share with your pain for losing your business to demolition. But what l completely disagree with you is to single out one person to intentionally soil his hard-earned image as if you have been enemies from your mother's womb instead of using a legitimate means to seeking for justice in a court of competent jurisdiction where the following and more questions must be answered to vindicate you or the demolishers.

▪︎ Was the property legitimately acquired?

▪︎ Even if it was legitimately acquired, was the property acquisition lawfully prohibited just like houses are legitimately built at places prohibited by law?

▪︎ Did the demolishers have the legal right to pull down your structure?

▪︎ What are the exact reasons why your property was demolished? I will investigate to find out whether there are more reasons for the public to know.

And many more questions must be answered to ensure justice prevails.