Opinions of Saturday, 8 August 2009

Columnist: Kwaning, Martin

The Bad Treatment Against Mr.Asamoah Boateng.

It is extremely incomprehensible why the President of the republic of Ghana has kept mute while his appointed security officials are humiliating this former Minister Of Information, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng and other NPP officials. Or, is’t the fact that the President is not in charge of the security agencies?

For a President who professed to be the Father for all Ghanaians to see a family being humiliated in such a manner at the airport, is most unfortunate.

For me, it is only a responsible parent who can quantify the ordeal that Asabee’s children will be going through, the pains and torture that will engulfed the kids are regrettable. Please if you don’t have children, don’t treat other children in that way. .

The first incident happened when zealot and vigilante security officials from the BNI Prevented Mr.Asamoah Boateng and his family from traveling, in that ensuing fracas they stupidly failed to show their identification card (ID). We all heard loud and clear when during the struggle, Mr.Asamoah Boateng was heard repeatedly asking the officials from BNI to show their ID but they failed. Then all what we heard in a subsequent court hearing, in defence of those BNI officials were that, the officials involved in the Asabee fracas boldly displayed their ID, said their Director who was at the court. Nonsense!

Do you think Asabee would have been so blind that he couldn’t have recognized the ID of those unintelligent security officials had their ID being truly shown to Mr. Asamoah Boateng and wife? I call those officials, unintelligent, because nowhere in a civilized world will a security official make arrest without showing his/her IDENTITY In the court hearing, I was surprised the judge did not rebuke the BNI officials for their failure in identifying themselves to Asabee and his family. After the first drama, we heard all kinds of reasons behind the Asabee and the airport saga by the government spokespersons. For this deputy minister of information Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, I wonder if any sensible youth in Ghana will emulate his character-he does not care what comes from his mouth, paradoxically he was brilliant at the University. .

Then came the second bizarre episode last Monday 3rd August, when Mr.Asamoah Boateng was whisked out from a British plane. What kind of human beings are we? The government’s reason that Asabee is a subject of an on-going investigation is balderdish. It can only come from people who have the mindset of causing pyscological torture to Asabee and the NPP. On what grounds does the Deputy Minister of information; Mr.Agyenim Boateng claimed that the wife could have boarded the plane, because according to him, it is the husband that has a case to answer and not the wife. Had Mr.Agyenim Boateng legitimately had a wife and children, he wouldn’t have dared made that flimsy preposition? May God forgive him on his inept about family affairs?

What investigation? The cost of the contract the NDC alleged that Asabee awarded to someone is less than the Tea party the NDC transitional Team had. I certainly can’t get the argument, granted that Asabee dubiously awarded a contract, which I doubt though, how many years or months do the NDC cum BNI need to interrogate Mr. Asamoah Boateng? Again had there been an organized and sensible BNI- that is not remote-controlled- they could have handled the Asabee issue in the most civilized manner. Be as it may, Mr.Asamaoh Boateng could have been allowed to travel anyway and a letter given to him to return into the country when needed by the BNI. Do you think Asabee will refuse to return into the country when there are legitimate cases against him?

It is awkward for the NDC to claim that the NPP government did similar thing to their appointees in 2001, it is not true and a blatant lie that the NPP government prevented any NDC government official from traveling outside the country. That has been the propaganda weapon used by the NDC to win more public sympathy. The NDC is behaving as if we are in a police state. The way and manner the NDC government is administering the country is clearly a caricature of the communism and socialist regimes. Their members go round ceasing toilets and lorry parks, driving NYEP staff and other state officials from their offices with impunity and sadly the President and the NDC leadership seem unconcern about all this development. If the NDC thinks they thrive on violence and revolt, their time will come.

Admittedly, Mr. Asamoah Boateng’s posture during his tenure as Information Minister might have caused discomfort to some people, but there are hidden aspects of Mr. Asamoah Boateng that is much admirable-his workaholic and passion for the NPP foot soldiers and many people in his region. Yes, he is a vociferous speaker and a candid guy but undoubtedly he did the ‘dirty’ job for the NPP government, where some members of the NPP can’t go, this gentleman will go using acceptable means of course. I will not mince words; there were many achievements by the NPP government that were single-handedly spearheaded by Mr. Asamoah Boateng.

This is the time for all NPP supporters to show solidarity to Asabee and his family and all other NPP members who will be arbitrary treated by the government and thereby send an unequivocal message to the NDC government that their wicked and socialists style of suppressing their opponent will come back to hunt them.

If you have suffered about how to bring up children, you dare not humiliate a father before his children as in the manner the BNI did to Asabee. Per the BNI actions, it is manifest that the security agencies are inspired by the tactics the PNDC used. It is obvious to Ghanaians both home and abroad about this present administration, is the embodiment into single overarching party the tactics of PNDC and NDC in spite of the later professed contradictory nature. Truly, the prevailing conditions in Ghana are horrible and very frightening for our future. If the actions of the BNI against Asabee had happened in a civilized world, people could have been fired or resign, for the mere trauma and ordeal that Asabee’s children might have gone through.

. To the President of the Republic of Ghana, it is time he put his foot on the pedal and put a halt to this disgraceful drama. The militarisation of Prof.Atta Mills’s administration is strangely contrary to his persona, what is going on Mr. President?

Yes, past government officials must be asked questions when there is every reasonable case to call them to account but all this must be devoid of 14th century tactics and witch crafting tricks.

To Mr. Asamoah Boateng, with God, you shall never walk alone.

MARTIN KWANING (Former TESCON President)