By Clement Sangaparee

Obuasi

E-mail: clementsang@yahoo.com



HISTORY CAN be a vast reservoir of lessons for life. It can help us avoid

falling into the same pits time and time again. To live without history is to

live without a FORM OF MEMORY. Without history, you, your family, your tribe,

or even the nation would seem to have no foundation and little meaning.



Therefore, being familiar with history can open our minds to past civilizations,

amazing discoveries, fascinating people and different ways of looking at

things. IT IS ONLY THE CADRES WHO CAN HANDLE RAWLINGS PROPERLY. In a statement

he personally signed and circulated to the media recently, former President

Rawlings was asked whether he have a problem with President Mills, and he

replied, Yes, I do – meaning that he has a problem with President Mills

forgetting that President Mills is NOT a military recruit to be drilled.

Rawlings must be the last person in Ghana to condemn President Mills and accuse

him of BRIBERY since scores of cadres from the REFORM Movement were dumped into

BNI cells and military guardrooms because of Mills candidature between 1999 and

2000.



Most cadres supported Mills against their will because we hated lawyers who

never supported the 31st December Revolution. Since when did President Mills

become a corrupt man in the eyes of Rawlings to be accused of bribing NDC

Constituency Executives? Is it a crime for the government to provide logistics

to the Regional and Constituency executives to work for the party something

Rawlings did not do through out the 19 years he was in office?



Cadres walked on foot to establish the District Assemblies in 1987 without even

collecting a bicycle. Cadres did every thing possible to make Rawlings what he

is today, so he MUST LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAY OR RISK LOSING OUR SUPPORT COMPLETELY

BECAUSE THE GROUND IS NOT SAFE FOR NANA KONADU TO CONTEST MILLS and even if it

is safe, why should Mills serve one term as President in the first place?



The popular no nonsense days are gone forever so Mr. Rawlings must stop rocking

the boat and ALSO FALL in LINE to enable his CHOSEN BEGOTTEN SON to deliver the

goods through his BETTER GHANA AGENDA.



The NDC will be committing an international political suicide if President Mills

is removed at the 2012 Presidential Primaries. It must be stated that cadres

have confidence in him and will campaign aggressively for his victory in 2012.

For Heaven’s Sake, Rawlings must NOT provoke cadres to tear apart his own NDC

party.

How can the founder leave the very man he single handedly chose in 1999 for his

honesty in the middle of the road on becoming the President?



No doubt, Mr. Rawlings has sent a wrong signal to the world that he has NO

CONFIDENCE in his own adopted son, and so he must be REPLACED by his wife which

is an IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. At worst Mills will get a massive SYMPATHY VOTES at

the National Delegates Congress in 2012.

If a top executive member of the ruling party should decide to contest the

sitting President in less than 2 years of his tenure it means there is something

wrong going on in the government and the office of the President and the party

must sit down to change the direction of government because America took 10

years to build the twin towers of the World Trade Centre and within 24 hours it

was destroyed by terrorists leaving 5,000 innocent people dead in its wake. So

it is very easy to destroy than to build.



Now, if I had to answer the question: do cadres have a problem with Rawlings? I

will respond with an emphatic -Yes, we do.



From 1982 under the revolutionary era of PNDC, cadres were the FOOT SOLDIERS

that sacrificed extremely for 10 plus years during which hundreds of cadres

died, others were maimed for life and yet others were dismissed from their jobs;

thousands of cadres had broken homes – not to mention the widows and orphans –

No rewards, no compensation, no recognition as cadres were asked to TAKE THE

REVOLUTION whilst our senior cadres TOOK THE MONEY. We never derailed the 31st

December Revolution. Mr. Rawlings went ahead to impose then candidate Mills ON

THE PARTY and if he is now REFUSING TO OBEY Rawlings’ revolutionary orders, it

serves him right. While sidelining the cadres, people are EATING WITH BOTH HANDS

and BLACK MAILING CADRES ALL OVER THE PLACE. Jerry Rawlings FREELY USED CADRES

and dumped them without blinking an eye. Now that admirers of Nana Konadu

Agyeman Rawlings have started posting several posters all over the country, it

is now very glaring that Mr. Rawlings incessant condemnation of President Mills

is to PROJECT HIS WIFE as a future President.



I must be very honest and frank with Mr. Rawlings that Nana Konadu will face the

most devastating and humiliating DEFEAT of her life in the 2012 presidential

primaries if she decides to contest President Mills for Rawlings to drive

another HUGE NAIL into her political coffin with the help of that TREACHEROUS

politician in the person of Dr. Obed Asamoah whose eyes are green with envy now

that Professor Mills is the President of the Republic of Ghana. Since when did

Obed Asamoah become a friend of Rawlings and his wife after undermining them in

2000 and 2004? If I am contesting any elected position in the NDC and Obed

Asamoah comes out to openly support me, I will simple step down. Obed Asamoah

has been planted by the Opposition NPP to support Konadu for 2012 Presidential

primaries to cause more division into the already DIVIDED NDC since 2009.



My advice is that if we don’t patch up before 2011, then the NDC must start

preparing its hand over notes to the NPP in 2012. Similarly if Rawlings also

fails to listen to reason and pushes his wife to contest Mills and in the

unlikely event that Konadu wins the 2012 presidential primaries – the NDC must

start preparing its hand over notes to the Blue Elephants of the NPP, and when

that happens, the NDC will take over 50 years to come back to power or even

cease to exist since IT IS NOW A PARTY THAT REWARDS FENCE SITTERS AND OUTSIDERS

INSTEAD OF ITS HARDWORKING CADRES AND FOOT SOLDIERS – Mark my words.

What offence has President Mills committed against former President Rawlings

that the two men can never patch up? Even though Rawlings and his wife are the

most popular politicians in Ghana, their popularity has started waning

throughout the country because of their recent behavior. Once again, if Mills is

changed, hand over notes should be prepared for a peaceful handover to Nana

Akuffo Addo and he will show you people where POWER LIES in this country because

we can never face the NPP on this extreme divided front in the NDC during the

2012 general elections.



The so-called foot soldiers cannot claim to have suffered MORE THAN THE CADRES

in the Party. I don’t always write to please ANYBODY, I always write to

provoke debate but the REAL ENEMIES of Nana Konadu are all those who are urging

her on to contest President Mills in 2012 and NOT this writer. She must NOT

waste her money; rather she should use such resources to rehabilitate the

numerous Day Care Centers throughout the country including the one at Bogobiri,

a suburb of Obuasi, and wait for her turn after Mills 8-year two terms of office

in 2016.



It is undisputable fact that Nana Konadu who is the LIFE PATRON of JUNE 4 is

very qualified to become Ghana’s first female president but NOT in 2012 – she

should pray for long life to contest in 2016 so her supporters must stop rocking

the boat now. She should advise her husband Rawlings who always come from the

Volta Region to drop a big Boom and return to his hometown to relax as if he did

nothing wrong - he must come and stay in that private house he has built in

Accra and stop behaving as a spoilt child. What does Rawlings expect Sir

Knight Commander J. A. Kufour to also say or do since the government has not yet

built his house for him? Things are fast falling apart in the NDC and sharp

divisions as a result of greed which is fast tearing the party apart nationwide

since the executive arm has closed its doors to all cadres through the various

MCE’s and DCE’s and even some Regional Ministers in the Country.



After eating alone for four good years, will these people have the moral courage

to call on the neglected cadres to come back and campaign for votes again in

2012? Strange things are happening in the NDC. Rawlings must know that there

are many party gurus who are NOT comfortable with his pronouncements and general

behavior within the NDC and will wish he is completely sidelined and ignored

forever. Outside the party, fire eating voracious wolves from the Blue Elephant

family will be too happy to see his head on a plate on top of a dining table but

both groups fear the militant cadres around him THEREFORE HE MUST NOT MAKE IT

DIFFICULT FOR CADRES TO DEFEND HIM. THERE IS NOTHING DIVISIVE ABOUT SPEAKING

THE TRUTH- you either take it or leave it but that is the truth. We must not

play into the hands of the NPP.



The foot soldiers have pulled a fast once, they have jumped the gun and have hit

below the belt because nominations have not been opened yet. Ever since Dr.

Spio-Garbrah described some ministers appointed by the President as “Team B

Players” most Ministers, DCE’s and MEC’s always feel very comfortable in dealing

with OUTSIDERS, fence sitters, strangers and even NPP members rather THAN

DEALING WITH CADRES and this notion is spreading nationwide including the Obuasi

Constituency a situation which has compelled Rawlings to state that “You Take

Your Government” and “He will Take His Party”.

One thing is certain in such situation- the President should put his feet down

and deal with this unfortunate situation once and for all.

For 19 years, Rawlings ruled Ghana unchallenged and neglected his cadres who

were the foot soldiers of the PNDC, and for less than 2 years President Mills

has appointed several cadres as cabinet ministers, Regional ministers and even

DCE’s, so why won’t we support him to achieve his Better Ghana Agenda?

Thousands of cadres died to make the party what it is today, so we won’t allow

these so-called foot soldiers to destroy the NDC for us. No cadre worth his

salt will go against Mills – he is going UN-OPPOSED for 8 years and nothing

else. Are the stakeholders in the NDC party and the ruling government

listening? So what is comrade Rawlings really up to? He must let the whole world

know because Times have changed, and I don’t want Nana Konadu to disgrace

herself by contesting President Mills in 2012 at all, if she disagree with me,

she will definitely remark “Delegates Are F**king” after they have voted

massively against her (Apologies to Kwame Adinkra of “Angel FM” in Kumasi who

has been quoting an over confident contestant in an election who was assured of

total victory ONLY to lose that election and remarked that “Delegates Are

F**king”.

Frankly speaking, NOBODY IN THE NDC CAN CLAIM TO HAVE SUFFERED MORE THAN THE

CADRES IN THE NDC therefore those hiding behind the so-called foot soldiers of

the NDC must Apologise to the NDC leadership for flouting the NDC rules.



All is NOT WELL IN THE NDC, but we must remember that the party is bigger than

any individual. The President is honest and patriotic; he should focus on his

Better Ghana Agenda.



To Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, come out and clear the air because SILENCE

means CONSENT, and if the sitting President decides NOT to contest in 2012 at

all, the most VIABLE candidate is Vice President John Darimani Mahama who cuts

across the political divide. Is anybody listening? I am done. Aluta Continua







Is Road Traffic Act 683 In Force?

By Cynthia Ama Mills



FIVE YEARS ago (2005), I was informed about the portions of the Road Traffic Act

683 of 2004 on the wearing of seat belts thanks to the Motor Traffic and

Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service then under he command of

Chief Superintendent Mr. Augustine Gyening.



October 12 had then been declared “Seat Belt day” and it has done a lot of good

to the public. The primary aim was to enforce Road Traffic Regulations and

ensure safety of motorists and passengers, and the general public most of whom

did not know much about the existence of the law.

It is interesting to read from section 138 of the Act that a person

of 18 years above who: (a) Drives a motor vehicle on a road or (b) Sits on the

front or rear seat of a motor vehicle being driven on a road without wearing a

seat belt commits an offence.

The section as well spells out the punishment for the offence. That

person shall be “liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 100

penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or to both.

The section 14 also talks about carrying of children without seat

belts in motor vehicles with almost the same kind of punishment.

The import of the Act is to prevent injury, reduce the severity of

injuries and prevent deaths during road accidents.

The question bothering me now is: Is this law enforced? Is it not

the MTTU blamable for the laxity? Is it not a case that the National Road Safety

Commission has not embarked on a strong education of the public to inculcate the

importance of the Seat belt as a lifesaver?



My problem is why has the MTTU not enforced this law all this time?

I am yet to come across a single case in our courts where a driver or passenger

has been arraigned before a Law court for not wearing the seat belt.

But think about this question dear reader. Is the seat belt a

lifesaver? Does it really matter in the lives of the motorist or passenger?



Without waiting for your opinion let me say that the answer to the

question is an emphatic yes. The seat belt is one single most important item

designed to save lives. Of course the seat belt is one most important equipment

for the protection of lives and reduction of the toll of the traffic injuries

and deaths.



It is on record that throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of

persons are killed in traffic accidents.

Research findings reveal that people with seat belts are between 35%

and 60% safer than those without it and that if seat belts were widely used by

the motoring public precious lives would have been saved annually.

Studies have also shown that the chances of being killed are five

times greater if one is thrown out of a vehicle during an accident.

According to statistics by the Ghana Road Safety Commission,

hundreds of thousands of vehicles are involved in road accidents annually.

Out of this, a number of deaths are also recorded with several

injuries.Among the deaths are professionals. Of course, road deaths include

professionals, and persons from all walks of life. At one point, a promising

actress, a deputy minister of Sports and three neurologists perished just like

that.



From the above, chances are that an accident can occur one day in a

driver’s life and that it is wise to take precautions though a school of thought

says a seat belt could trap the user in a burning or submerging car.

Even in such a case one will be kept in place and the likelihood of

being struck unconscious is reduced.



Interestingly, it has been learnt that 90% of road accidents in

Ghana are preventable.



It is for this reason that consideration should be given to a simple device

called the seat belt that could make the difference between serious injuries and

minor bruises.

In Ghana if there were an authority on the need for the use of seat

belt I would not hesitate to point to CPP’s Dr. Edmund Delle. He is Ghana’s

serial accident survivor. Thrice he has been lucky and survived accidents.

Hear him: “I owe my life to God and the seat belt”.

His experience is to dawn on us as a people to see the seat belt as

very important. But while drivers and passengers are sensitized on the need for

it, the Road Safety Commission should intensify education through campaigns

particularly at this time of the year when road accidents are becoming

increasingly rampant.

The Commission has not done much in this regard.

But most importantly, the MTTU should see to it that the law is

enforced to the letter. It could put the fear of God in drivers to respect Road

traffic regulations and help reduce deaths.



Concerned about the lost of lives through accidents, the Government

has already provided 60 ambulances under the Ghana Ambulance Service and trained

187 emergency personnel to bring safety and discipline on our roads. We are duly

bound to complement the efforts of the government and make these efforts

meaningful. Seat belts save lives! Please wear them.



PS: Did you know that fixing Learners stickers permanently on cars is an

offence?

I am reliably informed by an MTTU personnel that the Learner label should be

hanged when leaner drivers are behind the steering wheel. This does not apply to

licensed drivers. So a licensed driver who drives a vehicle with a Learners’

label (sticker) stuck to the vehicle commits a traffic offence and therefore

liable to punishment in line with Traffic regulations.

Do the MTTU personnel know this? Are they informed about it? This

law should also be seen to be enforced to give meaning to the Road Traffic Act

683. I am sure MTTU personnel could definitely add to their “income”.

Wishing every driver safe driving between now and the Christmas festivities.

Ghana needs every individual alive to help in its reconstruction efforts under

the Better Ghana Agenda.