he says he has said IT

and this matter must be settled in the middle.

kɔkɔdene!

He cut short the dawn of the animals
dwelling in the villages and in the cities;
disturbing the ears of every dog, goat and pig.

“You animals! come and listen… finally…
I’ve got the grand vision… the one grand vision that
would transform you from goats and pigs into human beings.
make me king uhuh! make me king and you’d have it all for free…free…free…”

and now this matter must be settled before midnight passes.
and so said Akpoplonto!

and he summoned the animals
to his village square and there
they built a stage for kɔkɔdene.
they even added an extra raiser to make sure
his height was not in question as
the man of vision he claimed to be.

and this matter must be settled before the next dawn.
and so demanded Akpokplonto!
“now let him show us how his vision works.”

and so kɔkɔdene! ever the showman,
he mounted the stage; adjusted his collar, touched his cuffs, re-aligned his throat,
wiped his mouth, filled his lungs with air so he was inflated like a balloon,
raised his hand towards the animals and then he began to give his speech.

and so it happened
his voice thundered across the length and breadth of the village square;
breaking the boundaries…
like kroo…like kroo… like boom…like gbim… like gbim…like kroo…like kroo
and he spoke and he croaked and he spoke…and he croaked…and he…

“and so what have we now?” Akpokplonto stood up.
"what have you said?"
“IT. I say to you: I have said IT”.

and so says kɔkɔdene: IT.
he says he has said IT.

Otabil the Azzzaaaa Politician Pastor

Pal,

I never took Otabil serious from the very day (sometime in the 90s when I was a child) I heard him claim he did not eat fufu because human power was used to pound it instead of machines, and that we should be making machines to do jobs instead of using man-power! neither here nor there!

When a man tells me he is not a politician or does not engage in politics, I take a look at his nose, then I tell myself, either he’s confused, doesn’t understand what it means to be a politician, or he’s in want of a better word to describe his circumstance or just  playing plain scam!

Worse so if the man happens to be a pastor who influences the decisions of men in society based on the Bible or other claimed holy grounds or spiritual sources. You peddle your influence, you make tobey-tobey! day after day spewing your opinions mostly under the deception you are speaking from the Bible and yet you want to tell me you’re just a pastor but never a politician? Maybe you’re stoned!

Pastor Mensah Otabil of the ICGC establishment has been in the public domain for long, spewing his opinion at the least opportunity freely under the guise of preaching the word of God. He doesn’t stop there. He has made a whole industry of publishing books/pamphlets and audios of his sayings. He makes good money by selling his opinion that even Jesus under whose name he exploits folks for money would envy him greatly. Hallelujah! Somebody say “I hear you!” Just watch and don’t be deceived by his modest way of dressing in is called ‘African wear’. He’s hidden himself behind the pulpit to make good money for himself.

After holding a scam of a press conference to do veiled politicking on behalf of the NPP in the wake of his voice being played, which recorded voice plays condemn the devilish ‘all die be die’ mantra by Akufo Addo and the NPP and to a large extent their fraudulent ‘free shs’ claim, Pastor Otabil decided to do a preaching in his church by the title ‘Your Vote’. The motive of Otabil to play victim and try in favour of the NPP cannot be over emphasized. This Otabil man’s name was used by the same NPP to peddle scare-mongering among the populace during the 2008 elections that the NDC party had targeted him and another azzaaa Pastor Dag Heward Mills for slaughter should the NDC win power. Lo and behold the people saw through this devilish act which a news report by the statesman, a mouthpiece of the NPP, says Otabil gave credence to. The people voted for Mills of NDC to be president. I’m told Mills even bent over to call this 419 pastor to assure him of safety.

So in this Otabil ‘Your Vote’ sermon, what does he say? He claims when you vote come Ghana Election day you’d be surrendering your sovereignty to one person. What a sheer sounding of deception. This is the kind of confusion Otabil peddles and calls inspirational talk. Pal, The constitution of the republic of Ghana says sovereignty resides in the people of Ghana. There’s no part of that constitution that ever talks about transfer of sovereignty let alone surrender. Otabil just doesn’t get it! Yet he opens he claims to be giving inspirational talk.

Then the audacity of a hypocritical Otabil to call on others to look beyond party names in their voting decisions. This man held a press conference on an issue and did not see beyond the party NDC. He didn’t just blame the NDC for the re-play of his voice and words but called them names such as Evil, schizophrenic, Machiallian, etc. This he did instead of focusing attention on the exact organization, Education Watch, which is behind that project. Yet this man goes to stand behind his pulpit and claims to be advising others to look beyond the names of political parties in their decision making. How come he did not see Education Watch at his presser? Clearly Otabil cannot be taken serious. He’s a damn hypocrite!

And just listen to Otabil talk about democracy not existing in the time of the Bible. Yet in the same breath he cites an instance of voting in the Bible. Otabil calls voting democracy.  Same Otabil cites an example of voting in the Bible. Yet same Otabil claims there was no democracy in the time of the Bible. Which is which? The contradiction or confusion displayed by the man Otabil in that regard concerning events in the Bible, the very book he claims to be a preacher of, is very disturbing if not alarming.

Pal, when I’m told that the Bible says ‘don’t touch my anointed’, I ask, who determines who to be anointed? Doesn’t same Bible also say not everyone who mentions the name of God and claim to do things in the name of God are acceptable to God come judgment day? I reserve my right to judge so as I’d be judged accordingly.

Let’s meet at the junction pal. There we’d have some more to talk about.

collapsed melcom building & insensitive Ghana-ians

Pal,
So it happened. The Melcom shopping mall at Achimota in Accra collapsed resulting in the death and injury of many. Sad occurence really. Sad!

But govt and helpers rose to the occasion to save as many lives as humanly possible. A police man got promoted for risking his own life to save as many as 14 people or so we are told. I salute him with urgency! The Isrealis who have been busy killing people elsewhere with bombs and bullets offered to help save lives here and so stormed town with gadgets of their own and we are told they did well to locate many trapped people, both dead and alive. I thank than but they must stop their murderous acts elsewhere.

I must single out our late prez Mills who sensibly laid a good foundation for our security services by re-tooling them in readiness for a day like this. He got the fire service many new fire tenders in addition to other gears. The National Ambulance service was given new vehicles for their job etc. A lot more is left to be done as can even been seen with the difference in equipment the Isrealis brought but I salute the memory of late prez Mills for playing his part well. This situation would have been worse for lack of rescue equipment if it happened before Mills became prez.

So there's much talk about what actually led to the callapse bla bla bla. For me it's just another symptom of the general level of ThiefMan-thief-ThiefMan and indiscipline in the country. Systems don't work much and folks don't respect the rules. Corruption gallore! No wonder the building was put up under the leadership of prez Kufour, which leadership made us witness one of the most corrupting periods of stuff in Ghana's history. And we are told the owner is a friend to prez Kufour.

Me I have one suggestion, aside whatever would be done to help in the future, we should have such big entities employing enough safety officials to be at post day after day to be responsible for general safety measures: fire, light, ventilation, falling objects, etc! And that's another job creation avenue there for those who make noise about job creation as if it's some mystery to have as vision.

But Pal, what I'm curious about is some sumersaulting by Elvis Efriyie Ankra, Campaign coordinator for my presidential candidate of choice prez Mahama vis-a-vis some cloud of confusion some Ghana-ians are calling 'insensitive'.

Mr. Ankra amidst the troubling collapse of the Melcom building granted interview and described the fraudulent free shs proposal from the Nana Addo and his NPP as lacking substance or foundation and hence makes their campaign collapse like the Melcom building.

But come and see Pal, suddenly hell breaks loose, some got up and claimed Elvis was insensitive to the plight of the vitims for his comparison! Of course, and as usual the NPP jumped and issued a statement calling for the sack of Mr. Ankrah. Of course I expect a fraudster to fully take advantage of the sentiments of folks to execute his fraud. So why won't the NPP led by the clown Sir John as Gen. Sec., do that? Of courst to not do so would mean being quiet as their fraud is being further exposed and they don't want that because it would mean costing them votes.

Somehow, but not surprising to me Mr. Ankrah comes out to apologize for 'inappropriate' analogy. nice way to put it. He did not say therefore the fraud free shs lacks foundation. He only apologized for using the 'Melcom' disaster for analogy. So what? Folks are accepting this apology? Well those who called for it must accept it. But not me! Please in the name of Jehohah I reject this apology as being insentitive to my concern for dangers in society. Ahem! you think you are the only one with sensitivity? Me too I have my sensitivity and mine is based on concrete rational reason! Not meaningless sentimentalism or fake political exploitation disguised as concern.

I only pity Mr. Ankrah! He's doing partisan politics in an environment where there are a lot of charlatans parading as statesmen or respectable men or elderly men and who come in all manner of forms like ex-presidents, pastors, etc., such mundane stuff! and who speak on issues and are expected to be heeded without much question.

Sometimes Pal, I feel my maker, thus if I he or she or it exists at all, was not fair to me for putting me in a world with people who spend their brain on such idiotic claims! How could a reference to another danger to society be said to be insensitive to victims of one danger that actually resulted in casualties to the extent of death? Alas that is the state of affairs we have. Not far off in neigbouring Nigeria too is a group of bandits clothed under the garb of Islamism who are bombing and slaughering folks for not being sensitive to their dictate tha Western education or Christian fellowship is a taboo. So so much ado about sensitivity! That instead of reasoning to make logical arguments and conclusions some want us to settle for these nebulous claims about sensitivity.

This can't be a society of justice! It's a society of stupidity. Claims are made and be they logically sound or not, some folks just follow like yoo-yoo swinging!

Please Pal, if you see Mr. Ankrah, tell him me too I say he should apologize to me for being insensitive to my concern for dangers agaisnt society because he apologized for saying what is logically right to say. Something that I stand for: guarding against dangers in society.

May the departed, as a result of the collapse of the fruad building have good rest and may we learn to guard ourselves agaisnt other frauds that are dangerous to the society like the so called free shs from Nana Addo and his company!

I bless you!

2012 prez IEA debate

Pal,
It should be jazzing to your ears by now when I say the IEA is a bogus platform. But I'd start from this point just because Dr. Nduom and his PPP are protesting why they were left out of the debate.

Dr. Nduom as then CPP prez candidate in 2008 partook in the then debate based on same criteria (for parties with MPs only) as is being applied today, but he did not find it prudent to protest for those left out to be included. See pal, this Dr. Nduom guy is a kweku ananse politician. when it's convenient for him and in his favour he shuts up and enjoys himself. Else he makes noise. And he makes this his protest without regard to the fact that the IEA does not owe him inclusion because the IEA is an NGO and not a state institution. Anyway, Nduom and his kantata for you!

Introduction:
The condidates were asked to introduce themselves. Something I found irrelevant. I think the a moderator could have read out simple introductions for all of them. Meanwhile, Nana Addo spent too much time thanking people and saying Baraka da sala to moslems instead of simply introducing himself. He got belled out and so didn't conclude.

Summary First:
I wish to present a sum of all the presentations by the candidates as follows before delving into specifics:

Mahama the teacher:
It was a debate, but you could be mistaken for assuming Mahama was in to teach instead of debating. Pal, Mahama is not like me who relishes provoking nonsense out of people. He's a gentleman. Ok. So instead of jabbing, left-hooking and upper-cutting Nana Addo the main opponent and also the most dumbest of all the candidates, he relaxed and rather resorted to what I'd best describe as teaching. He was the teacher of the night with facts and on-the-ground substance and logic to show and I no objective rating would rate him second to any of the candidates.

Abu Sakara the dreamer:
Good measure for a dreamland rhetoric, a day dream of a dark-skinned lady with the sun in her eyes charming the loins of men! That was what Abu was like. And Pal, you can call me a discoverer of Abu for this sort of measure. Way back in 2008 when he was veep candidate partnering the kweku ananse Nduom on CPP ticket I blogged and stated he was the kind of leader Ghana needs in terms of how he speaks to issues. Then of course I did not analyze his policy positions critically but now that I do I just he's ok for challenging ideas but on substance he confuses his own positions and I'd show soon. Some say he was rather the winner, I think those are either dissappointed Nana Addo's apologists or just people who did not pay critical attention.

Hassan Ayariga the entertainer:
Forget those staged comedy shows. This was pure comedy borne out of frankness and guts. He certainly had a problem communicating in English, something he's not shy to admit with the challenge that he's a German trained and hence could dare anyone to speaking German. In any case he has subsequently argued that if English was what was needed for leadership then we're better off bringing back the 'whitemen' to govern us. language difficulty aside, Ayariga spoke to core common sense on the subjects discussed.

Nana Addo the mentioner of English words:
He was the talkative who got belled out on the very first attempt: his mere introduction and he was the talkative who got belled out of his closing remarks despite asking for an additional 1 minute for closing remark to add to the initial 2 mins given. In-between, he was just a mess complainant of problems some or most of which do not even exist or at best exist in his head as his claims were just bogus. And he even needed help from Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, one of the moderators, with a leading question (something the others didn't get) to attempt finish answering a simple question asked. In the end, even with the help he failed to answer.

NOW THE DEBATE:
a) Broad Vision For Ghana (under theme 'economy'):
They all did ok on this. Except that Nana Addo had his presentation interrupted by some wrong timing by the timer and when asked to continue he requested to be allowed to start from the beginning. So he got and 3 full minutes again to repeat part of the stuff he said. A lot of the things he said were just words.

b) views on National Development Planning Commission based on 1992 constitution and how to make it more effective:
-Dr. Abu Sakara argues that there should be a national policy entrenched in constitution. But Dr. Abu cannot be taken seriously on this because the regime we have is a multi-party democracy and not a one-party state. That is point number one. Point number two is found in the prez answer below. So Sakara was just off. He got put a square peg in a round hole.

-Ayariga argues that all stake holders should be brought on-board to put a national policy together so that it would not be said that only one party did it and hence condition for rejection. In essence this is what the current state is. Then he talks about separating political power from economic power. He didn't say exactly how to do this.

-Nana Addo makes a bombastic claim that they'd not wait but move straight to implement their manifesto and that He'd put his veep as head of NDPC. That is his idea of making it effective and he claims it is backed by the constitution. Just hogwash! It is not the NDPC that implements policies. So the veep being head there is neither here nor there. The veep can be there and the executive would still decide not to follow NDPC plans. So Nana's claim is just, I repeat, hogwash!

-Prez Mahama quickly shoots down Nana Addo's claim that he'd not wait to implement his manifesto and that the veep being in-charge of NDPC clearly shows confusiong in Nana's head. He pointed out that his govt waited to run GPRS2. Again he pointed out that putting veep as head of NDPC only compounds the problem of continuity with succeeding govt. Indeed, the NDPC is an advisory body and hence how Nana expects his govt to be advised by it's own veep is clear confusion. Again, in responding to the question on entrenchment, the prez made it clear that doing so would mean after every period of a plan the constitution would need amendment and that makes it an excessive exercise. The prez was on point.


c) How to maximize tax for implementing policies:
-Ayariga argued about broadenning the tax network. The argued for proper national identification system and a decentralization of the system for effective monitoring. He added generally that people who offend the should be taxed instead of imprisonning them. That's very general. Surely not all categories of law offenders should be taxed instead of imprisonment but it's not a bad idea. It's something that could be distilled and targetted at people who commit minor offenses.

-Nana Addo talked about reforms under Kufour. Then he said point number 1 is simplifying our tax laws. Yet he didn't show about our tax laws are complex that need simplification. His said his second measure would be reducing corruption in the system and for that he claimed he'd apply what he calls Anas-principle, based on the under-cover work of journalist Anas. Why this man is claiming he'd use this crude method in our formal system leaves much to be desired. Anas-principle indeed! Meanwhile we know how cases from Anas have not been suscessfully prosecuted in court for lack of evidence. So what again? And we know that even after Anas exposed some people with his money making videos corruption is still going on *feverishly*. So what's it with Nana's fixation on Anas principle since this guy got national recognition? He's been all around singing Anas principle...Anas principle.

-Prez Mahama argued about his party's record being for tax reforms and pointed out how some people who built reputation fight tax reforms (Nana Addo protested against introductio of VAT). He then talked about ongoing reforms that has resulted in creaation of National revenue Authority to replace old system. Then he talked about application of technology to eliminate human discretion in the system. That's a scientific thing and provides preventive measures. Compare that to Nana's crude so called Anas-principle. The prez then added that tax evaders should be punished with prison terms for example instead of just paying fines.

-Dr. Sarkara argued that the economy first needs to be grown so to make tax collection meaningful becase as he puts it (you can't collect what is not there). He also argued for expansion of tax net, saying that people in the informal sector should be taxed in 'small amounts over a period' instead of big sums that could threaten their businesses. He also called for the completion of the National ID system for efective monitoring.

Pal, let us pause. The debate was a long one, so I'd only hence pick and choose some areas to focus on.

d) EDUCATION: candidates asked to show how they plan to fill funding gaps at all leves (primary, secondary and tertiary) while implementing their individual proposals for education alongside:

-Dr. Sakara claimed dealing with wastage in the system and using a percentage of oil funds

-Ayariga, argues that if even with fee-paying currently we have problem with quality then it rather makes sense to focus on investing in quality. He says that in any case those talking about free have left out university and so who would take care of building universities for shs graduates to be absorbed into. As he puts it we should produce 'absorbable graduates and not avoidable graduates'.

-Nana Addo claimed that school blocks cost more today than in Kufour's time and that it is due to waste. So he claimed we should restrain the 'padded' developments. He did not say he'd make sure there's no padded development in his govt.Also he said we need to pay attention to timeous releasing of funds for schools. He claimed the gaps talked about would be filled by our oil revenue. He did not say the oil funds are finite and would run out at some time but educatio would continue to be in need of funds. He did not even respect the fact that allocation of oil money has already been made by parliament. When asked how his free education solves the problem of people who have qualified and can afford but don't have access, his answer to Kojo was that he wasn't sure who Kojo was listening to and that the din from people he met on his tour is free shs. Such a crass level of stupidity! This guy has no respect for available data on education. Has he checked the latest admission figures across the country? sheer foolishness.

-Prez Mahama makes the point that priority must mean providing access to more people in terms of building infrastructure and not declaring education free because that would not cover all the students. He referenced the constitutional provision that places demand on govt to implement free compulsory, universal basic education. These provision he pointed has not been achieved and that's where attention should be focused.

--Ayariga called for a rebuttal and stated that we should be serious when it comes to economic and national issues. He argued along the same king of line that Mahama did. He challenged all to a simple maths of 200 cedis x 1,000,000 student polution for a term and check where would get that kind of money to fund free education.

--Nana Addo obviously felt the heat and called for a rebuttal too. He was given the opportunity and what did he say? bla bla bla... we can no longer wait... bla bla bla... that once you make it a priority, whatever the amount is (seriously, whatever the amount is?) you'd find the money to do it. And that we should understand for him it's a national crusade. Pal, if this is not sheer lunacy then I wonder what we're about.

--Prez Mahama also called for a rebuttal and summed up that the needed infrastructure for the kind of thing Nana Addo was talking about was non-existent and so his claims were just mis-placed priority.

Pal, me, Nana was lucky to have Mahama who was ready to give him lessons. If I were the one debating him I'd have pointed out his clear lunacy and fraud. Enough of this crusader of lunacy in that name of the people.


e)Candidates asked to give 3 top challenges of heal care delivery and what they'd do about them:
-Nana Addo, started and he just went on and on and on about NHIS and you couldn't tell which part of the question he was answering. NHIS this and NHIS that. He claimed the NPP admin left the NHIS with surplus funds. hallelujah! surplus funds? Was everyting about the NHIS achieved by the time NPP was leaving office? Clearly Nana Addo does not understand what surplus means. lunacy! And he was belled out. The man did not answer the question. Yet, Kojo somehow claimed he had provided one and so he should give the other two, and Kojo helped him with the leading question: what about access and infrastructure? And even with that leading question, Nana still went back to NHIS. He claimed the NHIS funds were to cater for access and infrastructure. Meanwhile, before being aided with this leading question he had claimed that the NHIS fund was meant for the NHIS development! Pal, if you try to mary the contradiction you'd go mad. Nana's lunacy is severe.

-Prez Mahama responded to Nana's NHIS ringtone and pointed out that Nana was wrong about the current state of the NHIS and that the scheme had improved contrary to what Nana was saying. He provided some datat to back his point. He then 1. Access and of this he talked about invesment in infrastructure like hospitals etc. 2. Human Resource, about which he said midwifery institutions and universities have been setup to address this. 3. Affordability, which he says the NHIS was setup to deal with, etc. (remember Nana said NHIS is responsible for infrastructure).
So you see a clear sound minded answer to the question asked by the prez compared to the lunacy of an answer from Nana Addo. Pal, it's not a joking matter! Nana Addo is not correct! plain and simple.

-Dr. Sakakar talked of 1. Prevention (of diseases). 2.Access 3. Adequacy of health care. He also explained his areas somehow.

-Ayariga 1. Acess. 2. Family planning (contraceptives). 3.Personnel training (doctors, nurses, etc) and provision of equipment. He also talked about sanitation and infrastructure (private centres, ambulances).

--Nana Addo asked to make a rebuttal, and what did he say? He claimed the fact that more people visit hospitals mean that more people are getting sick. So in the world of Nana Addo folks don't go to do check-ups. Folks don't do medical exams for travel, etc. For Nana Addo once you visit the hospital it means you are sick. My God! the man is sick. Then he put out some figure as cost for training doctors.
--The prez too asked for rebuttal and pointed out that Nana's figure for the Cuba training of doctors was not correct and instead of Nana Addo keeping quiet since it wasn't his turn to speak he interjected and claimed the source of his figure was the Internet! Christo! This is some man who has got some young guys around him working stuff for him on the Internet which he launched in his usual flamboyant manner and does not even know that the Internes is a place for different things and hence making it a reference for a platform like that amounted to nothing but stupidity. Which part of the Internet? sheer lunacy from Nana Addo again.


Pal, I'd end here, the rest of the debate followed similar fashion with Nana Addo blowing senseless Jazzzzzzzzz while even Ayariga who was laughed at for his use of English even made more substantial sense than him.

Pal, for me this who thing proves my long standing point on Nana Addo that he does not speak sense. The man is just full of nonsense and must not be allowed near the presidency of Ghana!
Later!
 

president @JDMahama on IEA platform

Pal,

So finally prez Mahama mounted the IEA platform in reverse to his party's initial position not to.

I was never amused when it was announced that the NDC had rescinded it's decision not to partake in IEA encounter. Not that I agree with the reasons given for the initial snub. No. indeed I find the reasons the NDC gave bogus, that it was convention that no sitting prez took part. bogus reason.

The IEA has been a misbehaving entity! They have failed to own up for their ills and on that score, I hold the opinion that all Ghanaians must hold them to task and demand responsibility from them instead of sweeping issues under the carpet. Instead of doing this clearly, the NDC rather issued an official statement claiming it's convention that no sitting president has taken part in the IEA encounters or debates. Convention my foot! I don't care about convention. tell me something more meaningful. tell me you want to snub the IEA bcos of their behaviour and I'd support that stance 100%. After all the IEA is not a state institution. It's an NGO which gets funding from external sources and hence must not be allowed to dictate to Ghanaians how the nations democracy should progress.

Anyway, many things have passed under the bridge. Prez Mills has passed too. Now prez Mahama who took over after the passing of prez Mills decided to partake in the encounters after meetings with the IEA. no problem. 'new king, new law'. So he goes to mount the stage.

Prez Mahama like the others before him makes an initial speech, enumerating a number of stuff done by his govt and others planed to be done if he is elected as prez in the 2012 elections. Many things. I'm not one who goes chasing promises. For me I've seen too much stupidity in leadership that all I look out for are really basic advancement of sensible positions. I know corruption can never be eradicated by anyone. I know we can only keep working at it. I know no one can make manifest all his electoral promises by the end of his/her 4 year term. I need not be told that even some promises need to be discarded before any recall of them let alone that they have attempted implementation. These I know. Hence I'm no fun of electoral promises. I just listen and take notes however. All I want is sense. Talk sense to me. If you are a leader who cannot or does not speak sensibly to facts with logical linkages of objectives and means then just don't bother talking to my hearing.

So well, prez Mahama talked a lot of sense. I'm not the type who does praise singing because I think outside the arena of play or fun, praises easily corrupt. So even though I make no pretenses of the fact that he's my candidate of choice to be president for the 2012 elections, I'd rather do critical analysis of his talk than praise him. But this is tough I must confess because Mahama simply did well. I can hardly punch a hole in all the things he said. I'd very much be ready to engage anyone who thinks he/she can pick out vital flaws in Mahama's presentation for us to see. 

Pal, Mahama talked about education and health, among others. On education he made the point succinctly clear that we should not allow anyone to steal the vision set out in our constitution by the framers of the constitution on the point of free education at any level. This statement for me is very profound and shows that all those who have been hailing the NPP's Nana Addo's claim of being the one with a vision coming with 'free shs' (pal, note that I put that in quotes because I dare say Nana Addo does not know what he's promising. free edu or free shs) have just been fraudulent. It's a pity that for whatever reason, even people who are expected to be sensible, journalists, professors, etc have all fanned this rape of the conscience of the nation by Nana Addo just because he wants to be president. Such poison! But thank God that prez Mahama minced no words in pointing out the fact.

The most striking thing about Mahama's presentation was the fact that when he mentioned something in broad terms, he took pains to define exactly what he means. Meaning he was very particular about his choice of words. For example on his energy policy which he laid out broadly as improving accessibility he stated how he was going to tackle it by saying with a pause: "let me give you the definition of this" and proceeded to say what he meant. Again, in talking about the involvement of women in leadership by govt already, he pointed out specifically that his govt had appointed the first substantive head of the CHRAJ. A loose talker would have just said 'first woman head of CHRAJ' but that would be deceptive because we've had a previous woman head of CHRAJ, only she was an acting head and not a substantive head. Mahama nailed it down to the bare bone!

My only problem with Mahama is one of a deep philosophical delving. He said in answer to making secondary education affordable that all secondary schools should be made to charge same fees in Ghana. I'm not sure this can work. First of all, the secondary schools are of different standards with different facilities. So it can't be that govt can provide same amount of resource to all secondary schools. For example, a secondary school that has 3 buses would need more money for maintenance than one that has only one bus. So if the secondary schools charge students somehow (and they do have their ways of doing these) for such maintenance then it only stands to reason that the one with 3 buses would charge more than the one with only one bus.

Would govt be ready to take all these burden and equalize the charges? how would the equalization work? You'd take the upper limit which is that of the one with the most buses (or needs) and give same to the others which don't need all the extra? or how? The lowest limit certainly can't provide for the ones with more demands so that one is a no-go! So how would this equalization or standardization be done? I doubt govt can achieve this. By another view, there are differences that exist between materials needed for practical work and theory. Schools with more practical material/tool demands have their uniqueness too. similar thing like the 'bus analogy' I've just given. I think this would be a wild goose chase and it must not be pursued. Me think the schools should rather be given the right to decide their individual needs and charges with concensus with students/parents and with good supervision by govt and provision of subsidy by govt where needed and where appropriate.

Pal, that is the only problem I found with Mahama's presentation and this one is an issue of opinion. It's not that he got some fact wrong. It's not that he made an outright illogical claim. Mahama just delivered so well that I'd be happy to have anyone point to me anything so bad. I don't see any. Not that I had any doubt he could deliver. no. indeed like I've stated my position against the IEA, as my candidate of choice, I was against him mounting that platform with the reasons I've given above. I know Mahama to be a good and sound communicator. I know he talks a lot of sense and that's the reason why I support him and I don't need anyone coming to tell me about his level of thoughts.

Pal, I'd leave you to go find out the other details of what prez Mahama who has the twitter handle @JDMahama presented. To continue would mean risking singing praises which I don't want to do because he gave very sensible and pragmatic answers to questions raised. I support him because he preaches ideals I share and I'd rather let it remain so.

Pal, have a good time!

Nana Addo's SCAM called free shs

Pal dearest of all dears,

In all the discussions about Nana Addo's free SHS claims I find Ablakwah, the deputy minister for Information's description very apt: SCAM!

I find it rather imperative that I document as one package my reaction to the SCAM free SHS proposal being presented to Ghanaians by that man called Nana Addo who wants to be president of Ghana but is not correct! (no! he's wrong!).

Pal, again let me first lay clear the idiotic foundation of the thoughts from this man: He opened his mouth one fine day and told Ghanaians he was coming with programmes but not promises. How any sane person vying for president would claim he's making no promises alone is something that should require urgent examination of his head let alone that that person comes saying whatever proposals he presents to be considered for entrusting him with power are programmes but not promises must necessitate the person having his head quarantined in an intensive care unit away from children!

Forget some of those for a minute pal. Rather, imagine that as a presidential aspirant claiming 'programmes but not promises' is any sane thing to say. Grant him that for the sake of an idiotic-dance try! Just assume so and guess what? The man has been around the whole place, going against his own claim and promising to set up Zongo fund, bring back that pointless ministry of fisheries as what is solution to fishing problems, etc etc etc! Pal, the man has forgotten that he said he's not coming with promises!

So how more base would this man Nana Addo poison the air in our society with his idiocy?

Well pal, against Nana's own claim of not coming with promises is the very stupid promise that he is coming to implement free secondary education because basic education was made free by Kufour! You see pal, basic education is not wholly free in Ghana. So Nana Addo is lying right there! Yet he says  based on that lie he's bringing free SHS. Nana and his Kufour and Co introduced some capitation grant for basic school pupils that was noting but some paltry sum per head and used that to peddle deception especially in 2008 that they had made basic education free. But Ghanaians were not fooled at all and voted against Nana and his NPP party. Now we are told NPP reviewed why they lost 2008 elections. Yet they have still kept at this lie that basic education is free and so Nana is coming to add free SHS. But me pal, when someone insults my intelligence I call the person out. So Nana and his cohorts can only be stupid or worse to be telling me basic education is free. such idiocy!

So clearly, Nana's basis for his free SHS is non-existent! Indeed it's based on a stupid lie. But again, ask Nana what he means by free and he'd tell you he means every cost for putting and keeping students in SHS would be borne by his imagined govt. Now, if so, why are they calling basic education free when not all the cost is taken by govt? See what I see pal? So Nana has two definitions for what is free: (1) The existing basic education which is not free but only has partial cost absorption by govt is free for Nana Addo and (2) for the same Nana Addo, at the same time, his proposed 'all cost' absorption by govt SHS is also free. If this for you is not something from a sick mind pal, then you need your head examined before you next blink your eyes.

Now, it is clear to me that in order to divert attention from his idiocy, when called to answer questions about his free shs claim, he and his apologists would rather be spewing more idiocy with the claim that others are against free education (and they don't say 'against free SHS' but 'against free education') or that others do not have the vision that free education is possible but they have the vision it's possible! Such crap!

Do they even know what they are promising us at all (against Nana's own illogical claim of 'no promises but programmes')? Are they promising us that free education is POSSIBLE (which can only also be a foolish promise to make anyway), is that the promise huh? or they are promising us that they have a particular plan to make SHS free? Which is which for Nana Addo to be beating his chest about that he has vision that free education is possible as if that is his promise which is under scrutiny?

Meanwhile it's important to remember that this same Nana Addo was reported by the GNA in 2008 to have promised the delivery of free public university education by the end of his term in office if voted into power! So it must be asked what happened to the free university bit of his by-heart and clearly thoughtless promises since in 2012 he has not brought that one up again? Should we just assume that that free university education was found to be IMPOSSIBLE by Nana or that it has totally vanished from his head beyond his own comprehension and he can't remember? So, Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo, your royal lunacy, where is the free university education promise? is it hidden between your thighs now? Pal find that free public universities education promise here (and note that you'd find the lie that basic education was made free by Nana's Kufour administration also there).

Again, talking about what exactly it is Nana Addo is promising: Is it 'free SHS'? or is it 'free education'? or is it 'free education possible'? Which one is it that's Nana Addo's promise? If it is 'free SHS' as he puts it then that's an outright scam! if it's 'free education' then again, another scam! But if it's 'free education possible' then well as for that one it's a lunatic promise! We don't need Nana to tell us free education is possible (that's already even in the constitution) let alone that he comes to promise us it's possible. So what? So he says: "I promise you free education is possible"? That? What kind of promise is that if not lunatic, huh?!! that Nana Addo just gets up to promise us the POSSIBILITY of free education? (for which reason those who oppose his claims should be said to be people who don't accept that free education is possible?) How so lunatic!

Indeed, just yesterday, Nana Addo was about town claiming that members of the NDC who claim to be social democrats (whatever they also mean by that) and yet oppose his plan are against free education and that makes them hypocrites! How so stupid! Why should Nana Addo think that just because someone professes to be some social democrat, it means any idiocy clothed under the guise of some social democratic principle should be accepted by that person? But any wonder? That is just how base Nana Addo is with his head! To him it doesn't matter; once you say you are a social democrat, when he Nana Addo or any other idiot comes telling you that he can use his little finger alone to feed all the mouths in the world you must accept it to be true because that would tie in with your social democratic principle since all would be fed. That is the man Nana Addo for you! That is certainly the man who says 'all die be die'! uhuh!

Talking about free education being possible or otherwise (and ignoring the fact that that is not what Nana promised even though if you question him he'd come claiming you don't accept free education is possible), Pal, the framers of Ghana's 1992 constitution long ago, before this Nana's vision, envisioned that govt of Ghana should work towards making education 'PROGRESSIVELY FREE'. And this constitution was championed by the NDC folks whom Nana Addo today wants to tell us are hypocritical social democrats who don't believe in free education. Now, what could be more visionary than that provision in the constitution that binds all administrations and hence does not give any administration the choice to act otherwise? Indeed, what could be more of a statement of the POSSIBILITY of free education than that for Nana Addo to come today claiming that he has some vision that free education is possible instead of answering concrete questions on his free SHS claim?

Now, back to the beginning again, Nana claims that because students are failing, the solution to that is his bogus free SHS which would give students continuous schooling from basic to SHS nonstop! Mass production! Which sane person would say such a thing? What kind of diagnosis and prescription is that? He claims also that because people cannot afford the fees that's why we have people who are staying at home instead of being in SHS. So the solution is free SHS. Nana fails completely to appreciate the fact that there are many who are staying at home not because they can't afford but because there are no spaces to absorb them even though they qualify by the regulations.

Aside all those complete abuse of the human brain by Nana Addo is the issue of monetary cost! And even here that one could expect Nana to work the numbers as population by cost of items needed with reasonable margins of error, Nana fails to show sense! But of course I don't expect him to show sense even with such mundane estimations! First after various in calls in Ghana for Nana to demonstrate how he'd finance his bogus SHS, he went to the UK and booked an interview spot on BBC HardTalk and when asked Nana claimed, rather bizarrely that he was going to Ghana to tell Ghanaians first before telling the BBC as if if he mentioned it on BBC Ghanaians would not hear or when he comes to mention it in Ghana the BBC would not hear!!! hmmmm pal. I say hmmmmm!

In the end what we got from Nana on that shameful BBC interview were two contradictory positions on the cost: (1) That the financing was already 'costed' and (2) that the financing was 'being costed'. Which is which? Nana Addo failed to tell. But lo and behold, by the next few hours after that interview, all manner of figures started flying at us from his team (including Prof. Gyan Baffour and Boakye Agyako) as the 'cost'. Yet Nana Addo did not come out to tell us which one those figures were: the 'costed' or the 'being costed'. Well, some air got blown over these to quieten things down with the passing of prez Mills and all, but lo and behold, not long after, we were told Nana was to make a full presentation of the cost at the IEA evening encounter with presidential aspirants. OK. Nana got there and talked plenty without substance as I stated in my previous blog and all we got was some by-heart figures mentioned with bogus references to GDP percentages as if we are all dumb we don't know that GDP is not income for govt to spend and as if GDP was always static.

At that encounter Nana claimed he was going to pay for tuition fee too. But tuition is already paid for by govt. I never paid any tuition fee throughout my attendance of public schools including university. Yet Nana adds this to what he claims he'd be paying for to make SHS free. He said 78million cedis is the cost for the first year of implementation. Pal, you can work that figure by the current population alone (don't add those who have not got access yet) per head for fun and see what magic Nana brings! I leave you to do that. that is the figure that would pay for books, tuition, feeding, uniforms, etc. He did not tell us whether all the students (1st, 2nd and 3rd years) would benefit. He just said first year of implementation. hehe! let me laugh!

Yet not long after that claim, Nana's own communication director, when challenged on live radio, claimed that Nana meant additional cost but not full cost? additional cost? how is it additional cost when Nana himself mentions 'tuition' as one of the things he's coming to pay for when tuition is already paid for by govt? The man himself did not say additional cost. he said that is what the cost is for the first year of implementation. Yet when challenged further then to tell what the full cost is, Akomea then bizarrely claimed he did not know the full cost!!! eiiiii more mess! just mess! phumm phumm phumm! hold your nose pal! this is foul air! phumm!

Now, we have the NPP launching their manifesto, and yet after all the gymnastics by Nana at IEA encounter, his figure of 78million cedis cannot be found in that manifesto against his free SHS promise!!!

Pal, need I say more? Nana is a charlatan who doesn't speak sense and his proposal is nothing but a scam!

Nana Akuffo Addo talks plenty at IEA

Pal,
Nana Addo mounted the IEA platform and among his first words he stated it was at his request that this IEA encounter was postponed after the passing of president Mills. What an empty boast! Why? did the IEA tell him they'd go ahead with the schedule irrespective of Mills death?

Alas that was the way Nana Addo opened his flood gate for empty talk.

But an aside, before I go on I want to make it clear that me; I'm totally opposed to the candidature of Nana Addo for president for two cardinal reasons:
1. After declaring that vampire 'all die be die' and claiming he must win the elections 'at all cost' Nana Addo does not have the moral right to take part in the democratic process. Yes! it's a democratic process and not an all die be die process. Nana Addo fails on that front.
2. Nana Addo hardly speaks sense and I've demonstrated here  before and my general view on his IEA presentation would show more of this point. Clearly for me the NPP failed to listen to one of their own Kwame Pianim who admonished that any idiot could hold a flag. Nana Addo is simply a no no for president of Ghana. Especially not after we've had a sound minded person as prof. Mills being president. I'm talking about Nana Addo who recently made a very irrational claim that he was not coming into office with promises but programmes. That is the mental state of the man I'm talking about.

Anyway, it happens that this is the person the NPP is presenting to us and so just for the sake of routine I'd analyze his presentation at the IEA. I'm still yet to do that for PNC's Ayariga here but let's look at Nana Addo for now.

Nana Addo's prepared speech which he delivered was just full of a lot of words with little substance. He tells Ghanaians to be proud of their democratic achievements. That's fine. He congratulates president Mahama and his veep for assuming power after the demise of president Mills. That's fine too. But before woman could say elephant, this man Nana Addo called the leadership of Mahama a 'caretaker' one and says he'd take over. Why this look down on our instituted leadership? But it's in keeping with Nana's derogatory nature at the least opportunity. He's the same one who called Mills 'prof. Do Little'.

Nana Addo then starts mentioning some strange names claiming they were people he met on his tours around the country and that these people told him all sorts of stories of hardships. What a cheap-trick! Nana immediately reminded me of McCain and his 'Joe the plumber' during the 2008 American elections. McCain got a good embarrassment of his campaign when he wanted to set up Joe the plumber for another deception. And McCain called out: Joe the plumber...Joe the plumber! where are you Joe? but Joe the plumber was nowhere to be found. Nana Addo cannot take us for children to be toyed with. It is imperative that all those mentioned by Nana Addo should be made to come to testify for their cases before if they have to vanish they do so like Joe the plumber.

Nana Addo then proceeds like a zombie to tell that prices of some things have gone up and that shows people are worse off today than they were under his Kufour's administration. What Nana Addo failed to tell was: 1. When we ever had reduction in prices of items on the market in Ghana due to govt policy. 2. He clearly takes us all for fools who don't think about percentage increments but just mere zombie increment. After all, he's the one who says 'all die be die' so it must be to him that 'all increase be increase'. And then he said the black market trade is back as if it went anywhere. Nana Addo should tell us where the black market went to for him to be saying it's back. Such a Sham!

Nana Addo boasted that his was to provide transformational leadership. Whatever he means by those empty words. Juxtapose that with the late president Mills saying he was doing his job and that people should tag it whatever they wanted. See the difference? Nana Addo just talks plenty! Nana Addo lied that the 'cash and carry' scheme under the health system is back. A blatant lie. Then he adds a bizarre line that "today, the fear of getting sick is back". The fear of getting sick is back indeed! He should exorcise that fear and make us feel bold and happy to be sick. What a distorted brain!

On the major issue of his promise of free education at the SHS level of which he stated in that shame of an interview on BBC that he'd tell Ghanaians first before telling the BBC how he was going to fund it, the least said about what he said the better! Indeed, it's vital to ask Nana Addo, since he gave two conflicting positions to the question of cost on BBC ('costed' and 'being costed') as to which one do the figures he presents represent. The 'costed' figures or the 'being costed' figures. Now he claims the first year of implementation would cost 78million cedis. And this figure is different from what his Prof. Gyan Baffour told us not too long a go: $150million (note that that's dollars and not cedis unlike the 78million cedis). Pal, we can deal with the by-heart figures later.

Meanwhile, after mentioning the arbitrary figures this is what Nana had to say: "we know how to fund it. A percentage of the oil revenues allocated to the Ghana National Petroleum Company, and for the funding of the budget, as well as a greater percentage from GETFund, will be used to finance the programme.  And really that was just the kind of language he churned out with all his verbosity: 'we could... those can... this should... that must...'

In closing his initial speech, Nana Addo, again, very characteristic of him, without provocation decided to launch an attack on the NDC by claiming the NDC pinched the slogan 'people matter, you matter' from them. And yet he did this without providing a shred of evidence.

Anyway, So it was time for Q&A and again it was all bla bla bla. Ask Nana Addo a question and he would either mention Busia or Kufour as having done something and then he would say 'we should, we could or we must'. A little girl called Angela asked him about how he'd ensure private schools benefitted from his bogus free education provisions and his answer was that there should be partnership between private schools and public schools. hahaha What partnership? what a joke! I don't think the question was relevant but the answer was even more insane! let me laugh, hahahahaha He clearly had no answer. The fact of private schools being profit making institutions must have knocked his head hard beyond his comprehension. Would Nana Addo's govt cater for the profits of private schools? pls let me laugh again at this hollow display!

And then came the most hilarious for me: Nana was asked about how many disabled people he'd employ in his administration and his answer was that anybody willing capable who believed in his agenda, regardless of gender or disability was welcome and that he had no limit. WHAAAAAT? a good laugh must be sufficient at this point. And he too laughed over his own answer. What a flatulence of a Nima gutter stench proportion!

Nana Addo, how would you fight corruption? he was asked and that was my star question as most of the questions were rather blunt with needless preambles. And as part of his answer he claimed as Attorney General he got some legal thing done and then proceeds to say that under him as president potential judgement debt claims would be published for citizens to make inputs and after that the actual payments too would be published, HOWEVER, he failed to tell us that under his watch as Attorney General, this was not done and why it wasn't done! Nana Addo has been exposed as one who even in his private life and recently silently wrote a letter to govt to ask for payment of judgement debt for some so called Great Cape company. Why didn't he publish that letter for us all to see in line with this bogus publication principle of his?

On the whole let me just pause here by saying that Nana Addo's performance at the IEA was just a balloon full of verbosity with little substance!

Pal, this is my judgement of Nana's performance which I don't want to lazily leave to posterity to judge as some would otherwise say. I leave you to make your own judgement.