The clock is ticking Mr. President (Opinion)

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
People hate me for the strong opinions I hold about raging issues in the country, but as a product of the world acclaimed Economist and ‘no-nonsense’ socio-political commentator, Professor George Ayittey I guess that is what I take delight in doing.
Others have even gone to the extent of asking what political colours I bear but I don’t think my political inclination has anything to do with the views I share each passing day instead my inability to keep quiet long as the tenets of democracy hasn’t changed but still guarantees free speech, for which I’m grateful for.
Today, I want to talk about the soaring economic conditions in the country.
I’m not too sure whether President Kufuor is still with us here in the Ghana.
If he is, then I’m not too sure what kinds of voices he been listening to though he claims and is touted to be a listening President.
Probably, he is only listening to the voices of his peers in high ranking positions in the country, those I prefer to call, the Bourgeoisies and not those of us they often describe as the masses or the down trodden or better still the Proletariats.
Indeed, if he should have been listening to the voices of the masses, he would have long made amends in the economy to pacify the souls of the so-called ‘ordinary Ghanaians’.
For the last couple of months, getting to one year, I have heard people making grievous comments about the state of the economy and the harsh condition which they continue to live in under the very government of the NPP, which promised to put monies in their individual pockets.
Much as I understand that putting money in ones pocket does not take its literal sense but has everything to do with pragmatic economic policies which would translate into employment creation and low interest rates, I strongly believe that the current situation in the country accounts for the incessant cries by the people.
It appears the NPP government is virtually repeating the same mistakes committed by the NDC when it was in power until it tasted the wrath of the people.
Now, what I see the NPP as doing is listening to its own voice and not that of any other person as we are made to believe.
Though President Kufuor has made some modest gains for the country since he assumed the reigns of power, I dare say that his last days appears to be what people say ‘dangerous’.
Everything seem to be getting out of hand, from the issue of increasing utility charges without a commensurate service delivery through to the soaring food prices and transportation fares and that of workers wages and salaries.
Though I understand there is very little the government can do about on the issue of the soaring oil prices globally, I still think there is a way out since every coin has two sides.
I’m not too sure whether the NPP government is afraid of subsiding the prices of fuel and utilities since it could amount to shooting itself in the foot for the reason that the government once said it could not continue to subsidise or decrease the prices of goods and service especially when the prices are determined by global market forces.
That is where I think something might be wrong with those steering the affairs of the nation.
If the men at the horse back have not realised what time it is, somebody should tell them that the clock to election 2008 is ticking like nobodies business.
The voice of the people is one that should send a clarion call on the NPP and its hawks of war to re-strategise and make amends since it has the tendency of changing the fortunes of the upcoming elections.
I’m not too sure since I happen not to be in government to know what is going on but there is one thing that I know for a fact; that is the voice of the people is one that smacks off fear of insecurity for the NPP government if it indeed wants to retain its grips to government.
Well, I may be wrong because I hear the President is a deep thinker and takes a long time before taking a decision.
I can’t afford but to pray that he does not fall asleep in his slumber since he would obviously regret blinking his eyes.
Is Nana Akufo-Addo still around and in the Presidential race? I’m not too sure whether he is still interested in the bid for the Flag Staff house.
I don’t really know what he has been hearing on his numerous campaign trails to the regions because from the prevailing circumstances, I can say without fear that his chances of winning the upcoming elections ‘one touch’ as he claims appears to be either 50-50 or even bleak considering the prevailing economic conditions in the country.
By the way, nobody should call me to ask what statistics I have to buttress my claims because I interact with the people every now and then and as such have perfect understanding of the situation on the ground and message the people are sending.
If Nana Addo really wants to take over from President Kufuor, I think he and the NPP as a party should probably gird their loins to talk down President Kufuor and his government to liberalise the economy since people are whining over their living conditions or better still the cost of living.
Unless something is done within time to salvage the situation, let somebody tell President Kufuor and the NPP of which he hopes to bequeath a legacy to be on the look out since Professor Mills and the NDC has a firm grips on the grounds.
The return of the living-dead; that is the coming back of the NDCs old war horses and chariots from the Reform party should tell the NPP that the NDC is not as dead as they think but leaving ‘no turn unstoned’, oh, sorry ‘leaving no stone unturned’ as it is gunning for the top notch.
For me, I can work and survive under any government that comes to power, provided it does not do anything that would prevent me from being a jagged edge or double edged cutlass to bar me from speaking my mind at will, except not to trample on the rights of others as guaranteed in the constitution of the republic.
Mr. President, now the ball is not just in your court but you have an option of choosing to play it or leaving it for your opponents to come for it.
I have spoken my mind, if you don’t agree with me, speak yours and lets strengthen the good tenets of democracy.
Long live Ghana!.

AKOTO AMPAW TACKLES ATTORNEY GENERAL

…says his comments are misleading
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Accra-based legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw a.k.a ‘Sheshe’ has taken on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Joe Ghartey over his comments about the ongoing debate on the Freedom of Information Bill.
He disagreed with the proposal of the A-G for the provision of certain limitations under the Bill for the purposes of what he (the Attorney General) claims to be the security of the state.
For him, this comment by Mr. Ghartey was misleading since for according to him, it is the public interest that matters, stressing “because sometimes government may hide under the context of the security of the state to do things that are clearly illegal.”
Instead, he noted, “we should insist on limitations in the public interest and not the rarely difficult context of the security and safety of the state.”
Mr. Akoto Ampaw made these comments at a one-day seminar put together by the National Media Commission (NMC) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) foundation at the Coconut Grove Regency hotel in Accra under the theme ‘the state of freedom and independence of the media in 2007’.
The problem of the Bill, according to him, was not that of extensions since there would tend to be the need for exemptions.
In his view, these kind of exemptions would serve as an obstacle for journalists or other individuals and corporate entities from having access to information from the offices of the President, his Vice and the security agencies, emphasising “that doesn’t meet the constitutional terms of exemptions or limitations that are reasonably required for the protection of its interest under the Right to Information Bill.”
In other words, the learned fellow said, “information in the President’s office, the Vice President’s office, in the hands of national security or defence, must also be put to the test.”
Where it is to be exempted, he stressed that it should not just be for the reason that it is coming from the office of the President, but “because it is necessary to exempt that information based on public interest considerations or …”
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw has thus charged civil society organisations to start tackling the issue of such ‘blanket’ exemptions in the draft Bill before it is finally passed into law.
In other areas where the exemptions are formulated, he noted that they are not subject to…public requirement.
“Our concern with the Bill is that they should be formulated in such a way as to meet the constitutional requirement for the qualification of this very important right”, he prescribed.
He also had cause to raise questions about the institution mandated to enforce the implementation of the Bill when it is finally passed into law.
Under the current circumstance, as prescribed in the draft Bill, the Attorney General is mandated to carry out this obviously controversial responsibility of enforcing the law.
Many analysts including the former Executive Secretary of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) have equally had cause to raise doubts about this implausible role to be played by the A-G, a situation some have likened to conflict of interest, considering the A-Gs position as a Chief State Prosecutor.
Consistent with the practice elsewhere that such laws exist, the lawyers said there is the need to establish an independent Commission to protect that right whilst educating people on the tenets of the Freedom of Information law.
“And it’s to be noted that the Attorney General’s office, currently, is incapable of performing even its core functions of prosecution in criminal matters and representing government in civil matters, so to add this very huge additional responsibility to it, it is not expected that the Bill, when passed into law would have any effect”