Washing our dirty linen is good but...

… Argues Arthur Kennedy

Posted: The Chronicle Thursday, March 12, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has disagreed that issues affecting the party must not be discussed in public. “While I agree with those who counsel against washing our dirty linen in public, I disagree vehemently with those who do not want us to wash the dirty linen at all”, he said.
Speaking to The Chronicle in an interview, Kennedy said a number of factors contributed to the defeat of the party in the December elections. He therefore stressed the urgent need for the party to find out those issues, and to identify people whose acts of commissions and omissions caused the party’s defeat in 2008 elections.
He also stressed the need to rebuild the party from the scratch, at the grassroots, to the top hierarchy on the spirit of selflessness and voluntarism, which helped the party to survive thirty long years in the political wilderness, saying “our virtues were surrendered too easily to the temptations of victory.”
This rebuilding process, according to him, must include the selection of candidates who are not only known in the party but also respected in their constituencies. This is in view of the fact that the NPP risked too many Parliamentary seats by rejecting the will of the people.
Dr. Kennedy also urged the party to discourage acts of factionalism, emphasizing that “This is perhaps the biggest challenge facing out party.” For him, it was becoming difficult to express an opinion without being labeled as a tool for another person.
He questioned the absence of intellectual debates which used to characterize the party during its days in opposition, which have all vanished into thin air.
“In 1979, we tried facing the electorate with a divided front and we lost the elections. For the sake of Ghana and posterity, let us not tread that path again”, he cautioned.
Further, he urged the leadership of the party to pay specific attention to the concerns of floating voters and the regions, since neither the NPP nor the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a clear majority in the mandate of Ghanaians.
He noted that swing voters will for a long time to come determine elections in the country, hence the sooner NPP made this a central consideration in its strategies, the better it will be for the party.
Furthermore, he said there was also the need for the NPP to start engaging the smaller parties more aggressively and respectfully by building and extending the bonds and the chemistry that made them the NPP’s natural allies in the 2000 General elections.
“Indeed, every honest person knows that virtually all of them, except the DFP, worked for the NDC during the run-off”, he noted. Probably taking a line from Professor Mills and the NDC’s door-to-door and house-to-house campaign, Dr. Kennedy said “we must return to the politics of the streets. We used to be the driving force behind the ‘Alliance for Change’ and some of the most populist street movements in our history till we tasted power. Then poof! That was it.”
He wondered why the big wigs in the party who used to go on air regularly to defend the party and attack the opposition stopped when they got power and virtually became too big to get up in the morning and go the radio stations or take a phone call from journalists.
Obviously not happy with events that culminated in series of demonstrations at most of the party’s constituency primaries, he said the “primaries that brazenly manipulated to the advantage of people who had no place in our party and its traditions. This party that believes in the rule of law must ensure that rules are applied consistently in the party and at all parts of the country.”
If done consistently, he believes that would have the tendency of reducing the number of people going independent. Dr. Kennedy further urged the leadership of the NPP to discard complacency, which he noted was the greatest error during the 2008 campaign, saying “That sense of complacency prevented us from reacting to situations in a manner that could have helped us and from policing the counting of the votes with an aggression that may have given us victory.”
Though 2012 is fast approaching, he noted that the party seems to be proceeding in the same misguided, self-confidence, and therefore, had cause to caution its leadership “if we do not learn the lessons from our loss, we will lose again.”
To him, winning in 2012 will require a new and re-invigorated leadership at all levels of the party, from the polling station to the national headquarters.
Meanwhile, the party has set up a committee to review the 2008 General elections.
The committee, which is chaired by Ghana’s immediate past High Commissioner to South Africa, Jim Heyman, has been tasked to look into what led to the party’s defeat and make recommendations, for amendments to be made.
Party Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, who disclosed this to The Chronicle, expressed the hope that the committee will do a comprehensive work to enable the party to return to power in the next elections.

As Sefa Kayi presses for transparency

SEGBEFIA RAGES OVER JOY RIDE

Castle Chief waxes arrogant as he clams over mystery sponsor and flays journalists

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, March 11, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Under a barrage of questioning by Kwame Sefa Kayi of Peace FM, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mr. Alex Segbefia finally caved in and showed the temperament that made him kick his wife of several years standing (Lavia) in London, and exhibited a high degree of arrogance over queries of the 40-man government delegation that went to la Cote d’Ivoire.
This was during an interview with Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ morning show host, Kwame Sefa Kayi, at which Professor Agyekum of the University Of Ghana and Messrs Kwesi Pratt and Ken Kuranchie, who joined in the chorus of condemnation that greeted the youthful Alex’s inquisition. Though Mr. Segbefia admitted that the cost of the trip was not borne by government/state, he declined to give the names and identities of those who paid for it, describing it as a trivial issue.
Not even the explanation by Sefa Kayi that considering the controversy that the trip has generated, there was need to make public the names and identities of those who paid for the trip, in order to put the issue to rest, convinced Mr. Segbefia who retorted that certain journalists who remained quiet in the past had now suddenly regained their voices. To head off any suspicion of a fun-filled excursion, Alex slipped in a suspicious comment that there were only three women on the trip, though he did not mention who the damsels were pairing with.
This, according to him was because reports in sections of the media sought to create the impression that those who embarked on the trip were all members or fanatics of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC), and that the financing of the trip amounted to dissipation of the already scanty national resources.
Pressed further to ascertain who indeed sponsored the trip, Mr. Segbefia, who was raging and raving with anger, demanded to know the relevance of the story. He virtually questioned the credibility of the line of questioning by the host, when he asked why and how certain journalists were making an issue out of the trip, expressing surprise about how according to him, some journalists have suddenly found their voices to be asking critical questions about government spending.
Though government, specifically the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has not been forthcoming with information on the sponsors of the government delegation to the just-ended CHAN 2009 soccer fiesta in Cote D’Ivoire, The Chronicle’s further questioning has revealed the names of the two individuals who bankrolled the trip, described as a joy ride by Mr. Kwesi Pratt.
Sources close to the delegation yesterday told the paper that Messrs Kojo Bonsu, an agent of sports kit manufacturers, Adidas, and William Ade-Coker, former Chairman of Accra Great Olympics Football Club, were the ones who picked the bills, though it raised rumours that it was one of the telephone companies anxious to position themselves in pole position in the telecom industry.
In all, they were said to have paid an amount of GH 12,000 cedis for the chartered Airforce plane. Mr. Kojo Bonsu has since confirmed to the paper that he and Mr. Ade Coker truly paid for the trip. He was, however, not prepared to disclose the amount involved in paying for the cost.
Mr. Kojo Bonsu said he saw nothing strange with organizing the trip since it is something he has been doing from time immemorial. He recalled having organized similar trips to Cape Verde and Mali for people to go and cheer up the ‘Black Stars’ when they were playing matches in those countries.
Reverend Osei Kofi was also surprised by the controversy that the trip has generated, considering the fact that it was a return journey coupled with the fact that they were not given any per diem.
He also denied that the trip was sponsored by government since he was personally asked by Kojo Bonsu, the organizer of the trip to select some members of the retired footballers Association to join the government delegation to cheer the Stars.
The government delegation was led by Mr. PV Obeng, head of the Government Transition team and 39 others including the Agriculture Minister, Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, the man in the eye of the storm, Alex Segbefia, veteran ‘Black Stars’ players, Reverend Osei Kofi, Awuley Quaye Jnr. and Mohammed Polo.
The rest included sports journalists including Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, who was said to be lobbying for the position of Deputy Minister of Sports, Charles Osei Asibey of Happy FM, football Commentator Nana Agyemang, Adom FM’s Kofi Asare Brako and a host of other selected supporters and fans whose political identities are not known, contrary to the impression being created that they were supporters of the incumbent government.
However, sources close to the delegation have told the paper about how the ‘boys’ (Black Stars) felt gingered up upon seeing the government delegation and retired footballers who had come not only to inspire them, but to grace the occasion.
The entire stadium was said to have gone agog when the presence of the Ghanaian government delegation was announced, unfortunate as it turned out to be, that enthusiasm could not ignite passion for the ‘boys’ to lift the trophy at stake, as in the case of their Congolese counterparts who fought to the last breadth to lift the trophy.

Konadu alarmed over

Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, March 10, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

A former First Lady and women activist, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, has expressed shock at the increasing spate of rape cases across the length and breadth of the country.
She believes the rape of under-aged girls has become more prevalent than ever before, and therefore stressed the urgent need for a concerted effort to nip it in the bud.
“Rape of under-aged girls is even more prevalent now than it was before, and our men folk have to join hands in ensuring that we bring this dehumanising practice to an end,” she emphasised.
This was contained in a statement written and signed by the former first lady on ‘International Women’s Day,’ which fell on Sunday, March 8, 2009.
This year’s theme, “Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls,” is particularly significant because of the emphasis on the role men have to play in ensuring that women are treated with dignity, and as co-equals in society.
As a way forward, she pushed for the exposure of those who perpetuate such acts.
“We also need to assist our womenfolk in educating the girl-child on preventive and reporting mechanisms, as a lot of such young victims do not even understand what has happened to them until they fall ill, and are compelled to explain what caused their illness,” she noted.
Nana Konadu had cause to equally complain about the fact that women who report violence from their men folk face being ostracised, hence their preference to endure the violence in silence.
For her, “What is worse, is religious attitudes that compel women to play second fiddle to men and stand by them, come what may, even in the face of wife battery and marital rape.”
While calling on the government to play its role by condemning unequivocally, violence against women, and equipping institutions such as the Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) and the Department of Social Welfare, so they can adequately investigate issues of violence against women, she said, “it is imperative that we all come together as one force, to tackle this problem.”
Considering the fact that women’s contribution to the development of society was immeasurable, she cautioned, “if we allow antiquated practices to obviate our judgement and overlook abuse of women and girls in our society, we will be setting a very bad precedent for the generations of the future.”
The former first lady took the opportunity to commend President Mills for significant women appointments he has made in his government, expressing hope that such appointments were not decorations to fulfill campaign promises, but a conscious desire by the Mills administration to tap the wealth of female talent that abounds in Ghana.
Furthermore, the Nana Konadu, who is also the President of the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM), expressed optimism that by this time next year, state institutions responsible for enforcing laws on domestic violence and other forms of outlawed violence against women and children, would be in a better position, resource-wise, to perform their roles.
To her, a good beginning would be a national offender’s register, which will be publicised in the media, to serve as a major deterrent to would-be offenders.
That notwithstanding, she congratulated Ghanaian women for the strides they had made over the past year in enhancing the quality of womanhood in Ghana.
In this part of the world, where a call by women for equality and respect is usually met with grunts by many of the opposite sex, who see such comments as uncalled for and misplaced, because a significant number of women occupy positions of importance in various political and social establishments, she emphasised, “we have made inroads over the years.”
She, however, noted that women empowerment was not about getting women in important positions in society, but giving women the confidence and comfort to perform their roles in society, without subtle intimidation from men. Nana Konadu believes violence against women was still a scourge in the Ghanaian society, with the majority of victims unable to publicly declare their pain.
In appreciating the significant role played by the DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service, in giving victims succour and serving as a deterrent to perpetrators of such violence, she emphasised that such institutions were so ill-equipped that they were powerless when it comes to real prevention.
She described as significant, the call by the United Nations for men to play an active role, since the minority of men in society perpetrate violence against women, even though the stigma tends to affect a more significant percentage. “Men have their image to protect, and the only way they can do so, is to ensure that they help nip the scourge in the bud through peer pressure, education of their colleagues, and a conscious effort not to abuse their physical advantage,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, recent research has revealed that religious and other traditional practices still tend to sideline women and impose on them a subordinative status. Indications are that girls are still prevented from attending school, and in some societies female genital mutilation is still practiced, even though its health and trauma effects have been widely exposed, and laws passed to make it illegal.