General News of Thursday, 3 March 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-03-03Atuguba ‘misfired but calling for his arrest is stupid’ – Sekou Nkrumah
Professor Raymond Atuguba
Prof Atuguba says the current economic situation could trigger a coup
Many have called for his arrest
But Sekou Nkrumah believes it is stupid
Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, one of the sons of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has said Professor Raymond Atuguba misfired with his
Read full articlerecent suggestion that current economic hardships could trigger a coup.
According to him, if the current government is mismanaging the economy, the electorates have to wait for the next election and vote out the government but not think of an overthrow.
Dr. Nkrumah in one of his Facebook posts also sided with Paul Adom-Otchere, the host of Good Evening Ghana, when the latter chastised the law professor on his biweekly programme for the comments he [Atuguba] made.
Many have suggested that the law professor’s comment was treasonable, therefore, he must be arrested.
KT Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, contended that as a Professor of Law, Atuguba ought not to have made such a comment.
Although he agreed that the latter’s comment was conditional, he said the Law lecturer should not have made such a statement.
“The others could be pardoned for their ignorance of the law and ignorance of every other thing that you can think about. Atuguba doesn’t have that privilege…I am saying that he’s taken leave of his senses. He doesn’t have that privilege. Professor of law, he must know what is there in the Constitution.
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“We don’t intend to do anything he is suggesting, if we don’t do, the way is paved for the military to take over. Is that what he is suggesting?” he asked.
“I am surprised by now they [Police] have not called him. Certainly, they should invite him. At his level, he has no reason, no excuse to make that kind of statement,” he stated.
But Dr. Nkrumah described those suggestions as “stupid”.
He wrote, “I think the Prof misfired, Paul is right on this one.
"I think the prof misfired, but calling for his arrest is stupid!
“If we believe the NPP government is mismanaging our economy, we vote them out in next elections! We don’t overthrow governments anymore!” he stressed.
Background
Professor Atuguba, at a public forum in Accra, referenced one Samuel Huntington’s PhD thesis and said the current economic situation could trigger a coup.
"We do not want a coup in this country yet I fear that if we do not act quickly, we may have one on our hands very soon. A former colleague doctoral PhD student wrote his dissertation also on Ghana.
"He now teaches at a War College in the US. Whilst my topic was on the Ghana Police, his topic was on the Ghana military.
"Naturally, our paths intersected and we have remained friends since. My friend’s PhD thesis was on the topic ‘Why certain coups succeed and why others fail;’ his case study was Ghana.
"My current assessment that Ghana may be ripe for a coup partly springs from the knowledge I gained from accompanying my friend through part of his doctoral research on this topic.
"It does not help matters when we consider Samuel Huntington’s thesis on the snowballing effect of coups in the sub-region and the closeness of recent coups to home. A big part of why certain coups succeed and others fail is the economy. What is the state of Ghana’s economy today?" Prof. Atuguba questioned.
Paul Adom-Otchere, on the other hand, chastised Prof. Raymond Atuguba indicating that his comments are lies and propaganda which is influenced by evil and serious people like the law professor should not be engaging in such lies.
Doing a touchscreen presentation on his show on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Adom-Otchere stated that the law professor was part of John Mahama's government which presided over the worst economic crisis in the history of Ghana yet there was no coup during that time.
"You Dr. Atuguba, you were a member of John Mahama’s cabinet [but cedi was ranked worst currency in Africa]. This was an economic crisis not occasioned by COVID but occasioned by pure mismanagement of the economy and ineptitude of what to do…”
He continued: "Speak the truth…, don’t speak lies and propaganda influenced by evil. These kinds of propaganda is influenced by evil; is coming from the pitch of hell when you look at the people who are talking…it is only evil that can make you do that."
Turning to Prof. Raymond Atuguba’s photo on his touchscreen, Adom-Otchere advised the law professor to repent and not to do that again.
“Dr. Atuguba, don’t do that again. You are a nice guy, we respect you; don’t do that again, don’t let partisanship worry you ok. This partisanship is evil, repent, read John 3.16; repent," he stressed.
