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Opinions of Sunday, 3 November 2013

Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah

Nunoo Mensah is suffering from Selective Amnesia.

Preamble: “This is my country and these are my laws. Those who do not like my laws can leave my country and go”. Yes, I remember vividly that those words were uttered by an arrogant ethnocentric German called Paul Kruger. It was arrogance at its zenith, similar to those exhibited by the Julius Caesar in the Shakespearian tragedy called Julius Caesar.

But considering the fact that the man Paul Kruger was a German from the “Great and Super Aryan Race” which regarded itself as superior to any other race in the world, the egocentric and ethnocentric Paul Kruger could be forgiven
History will never forgive Nunoo Mensah: But can we say same of “Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensah? No, we cannot! The arrogant and “Almighty” Nunoo Mensah has forgotten so soon his antecedents. He has suddenly found himself amongst the elites in the Ghanaian Society and can afford to insult hardworking but impoverished Ghanaians. One might ask what a fish is doing in the territory of sharks. But such is life. Nunoo Mensah is insulting Ghanaians today because he has lost his sense of direction.
Yes, he, like the pigs in “Animal Farm” has joined the club of “Consumers” who feed fat on the toil and sweat of the producers. He is sitting on top of Mount Olympus with his fellow oppressors to arrogantly look Ghanaians to the face and tell them to go to hell. But Ghanaians will soon prove to them that “se ye to dokono a, yegye mako”. (If you buy kenkey, you must be given “shito”/pepper)
Yes, Nunoo Mensah has forgotten so soon what the junior officers and the other ranks did to him during the June 4 1979 uprising. Very soon, Ghanaians will once again show him the exit. We will use our thumbs to remove him and the cabal from their exalted and mighty positions in the discredited Mahama’s administration. When that happens, what a great fall it will be! Nobody will pity them. What every Ghanaian would say is “Good riddance to bad refuse”
Yes, this creator of God who professes to be a devout Christian is telling hard-working Ghanaians who have been impoverished by the harsh and obnoxious social and economic policies imposed o them by the clueless, visionless and evil Nefarious Destructive Cancer’s administration led by John Dramani Mahama to relocate to any other country of their choice if they cannot bear their yoke in silence. What Nunoo Mensa, a great disaster in history is telling us is that the rest of Ghanaians, apart from he and his “choppocratic” vermin “are hewers of wood and carriers of water” . Well only time will tell, for we live in a wonderful world where anything can happen.
The Brigadier General should not attempt to invent God: Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah has deliberately chosen to ignore one main cardinal principle in life – that power is transient and that no matter how highly placed one is, there is a Superior Being who oversees the affairs of all men- the one who can exalt those of low degree by bringing them from the lowest rungs of the ladder to the top. How did David become King of Israel when he was the least amongst his brethren? What about Joseph, the dreamer?
Saddam Hussein was smoked out of a rat hole and killed. Muammar Gaddhafi was killed by a High School drop up. The late President Mills’ ally Laurent Gbagbo was humiliated by elite French troops and shoved out of power. The rebel and warlord, Charles Taylor who gave orders to kid soldiers to amputate the limbs of defenceless civilians and impair pregnant women is today serving a very long prison sentence outside the country of his birth. Our late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills who said it emphatically that he would peacefully hand over power in 2017 was not allowed to live life to its natural span, thanks to the “Ahistophelian” advice given him by treacherous people like Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah.
My first personal encounter with the General: I met this over-ambitious and discredited General for the first time in the early Eighties soon after he had been “cashiered out” of the Ghana Armed Forces together with the former Head of State, Flt. Lt. John Jerry Rawlings.
I was then teaching at Ghanata Secondary School, Dodowa. Mr Alex Tettey Enyo, former MP for Ada and former Minister of Education was then the Headmaster of the School. I had formed an organization called the Leadership Cadet Corps in the school which was about to be inaugurated, The Patrons of the Club were Lt. Col. Christine Debra (rtd.) then of the National Association of Local councils; Dr. Adjei Barwuah, the then Executive Chairman of Ghana Tourist Board; Dr M. N Tetteh, Managing Director of Uniclean, Ghana Ltd.; Rev. Dr. Sam Prempeh, then Principal of Trinity College, Legon, and former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Mr Kudjuji, MD of Jupiter Printing Press, Rev. Professor Kwesi Dickson, the Head of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana; Mr E.K.Datsa, then a tutor in the school; Dr. Diamond Nii Addy, Proprietor of the defunct Ghana Empire Secondary School and Apostle Barnabas .
Some of the personalities mentioned above are still around and anyone can vouch for the authenticity of what I am going to reveal here from them. I have also in my possession a group photograph of some of the dignitaries present at the function.
My first encounter with Flight Lieutenant Rawlings: Dr. M.N. Tetteh linked me with the protocol staff of the then Flight Lt John Jerry Rawlings who had just been retired from the Ghana Armed Forces. I went to his residence at Ridge. That was the day the Daily Graphic published that Zimbabwe had regained its independence and that Robert Mugabe would be sworn in as President. When he read the headline on the front page of the paper, the former Head of State remarked “Yes, this is another victory for Africa”. .
I was not the only visitor at his residence that day. There were many others from different organizations who were there to invite the former Head of State to one function or the other. He declined all such invitations and rather referred us to Brigadier Joseph Nunoo Mensah and General Arnold Quainoo whom he referred to as symbols of the June 4 Uprisings. He told us he would like to maintain a low profile.
My meeting with the Retired General: I returned to Dodowa to get the letter of invitation and took it to the Brigadier’s residence the next day. I met the Brigadier’s wife at home. She told me her husband had gone to supervise the construction of his new house somewhere around the Labadi area. She put a call through to the Brigadier and I spoke with him. He asked me to return in three days time for confirmation which I did. I met him at home and explained the concept of the Leadership Cadets Corps which he wholeheartedly embraced. He asked me how much we expected him to donate at the function adding in a rather jovial manner, “You know I am unemployed”. Both of us laughed over the remark and I returned to my base at Dodowa.
The Great day finally arrives: True to his word, the Brigadier was at Ghanata Dodowa Secondary School in flesh and blood. During the reception held at the end of the function, Major Avornotse, the then Coordinator of the National Youth Council took the centre state and held the audience spell-bound with his wise cracking jokes and words of inspiration.
The retired Chief of Defence Staff reveals his resentment against the Liman’s Government: We took advantage of the General’s presence to ask him how he felt when he heard of his premature retirement by the Government. He stood up, took a deep breath and in a voice filled with emotion, he stated that indeed he knew he would one day leave the military but he never expected that it would come at the time it did. He said the military under him had built a cordial relationship based on mutual trust with the Liman’s Government. He was therefore shattered when he heard the announcement. Those were the words of Brigadier Joseph Nunoo Mensah at Ghanata Secondary School, Dodowa on that day. All those Patrons I have mentioned earlier were present, including the then Headmaster, Mr Alex Tettey Enyo. One Navarro, who was then the Apostolic Pro Nuncio in Ghana, and Mr Gibbs Torto, the Greater Accra Regional Minister were also present.
The Brigadier General has no sense of history: It has therefore come as a shock to me to hear our highly decorated Brigadier General making the same mistake he had earlier on accused the Liman’s Government of. It has to do with the betrayal of trust. Indeed, the people voted, but Afari Djan imported Florida to Ghana and selected Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes to superintend over our affairs. In spite of the stolen verdict Ghanaians thought that their burden would be lessened and corruption brought to the barest minimum.
But Ghanaians have seen the Mephistophelean and medusa face of John Dramani Mahama and his ugly contraption called the Nefarious Destructive Cancer. Yes, they have taken Ghanaians for a ride by exhibiting its arrogance and utter disdain for ordinary citizens of the land.
Brigadier General Nunoo Mensa’s arrogant posture is reminiscent of Rehoboam’s retort in answer to the simple request of the elders of Israel to lessen the burden of the people. Now hear the unrepentant and arrogant Brigadier General Nunoo Mensa carved in the mould of a combination of Rehoboam and Ahithophel, “My little authority I have carries much weight than the President. Late President Mills, on my advice made your yoke heavy, but I and President Mahama will add to your yoke. The late President treated you with kids’ grove, in fact he chastised you with whips, but I Nunoo Mensah have President Mahama’s authority to make you conform. I will chastise you with scorpions”. We all know the end result of Rehoboam’s reckless utterance which will soon become the swan song of this wicked, clueless, visionless and Al-Capone – led type of administration.
The June Fourth Uprising should have swept Nunoo Mensah away with the tide: Indeed, Nunoo Mensa’s arrogant and reckless utterance that anyone who cannot bear the yoke imposed on him/her by the deceitful and callous Mahama’s administration can relocate to other “planets” has revealed the true identity of the nebulous vermin sucking the blood of ordinary Ghanaians. If during his time as Chief of Defence Staff in the early Eighties, he was earning a thousand dollars as his monthly salary, it reveals the extent of looting that took place at the time. But how could he compare that with the peanuts workers take home as their pay at the end of the month. And at that time, he was living in his official quarters and therefore was exempted from paying utility bills. How insensitive could this man who calls himself a full-blooded Ghanaian be!
The man, Nunoo Mensah has a dangerous mien: Yes, decorated Brigadier General Nunoo Mensa has become an albatross to various NDC Governments. His counsel has become that of Ahithophel. The man has a dangerous mien; therefore the man is evil in all ramifications.
Have Ghanaians forgotten so soon the Ahithophel type of advice he gave to late President Mills? Our National Security Adviser told Ghanaians in clear unmistakable language that the late President had wanted to resign on many occasions due to his poor health status. But anytime the late President brought out the matter, he Brigadier General Nunoo Mensa would dissuade him from taking such an action by referring him to the Book of Job, for in spite of all the difficulties Job went through, the man did not lose hope.
But Nunoo Mensa ought to have realized that the circumstances that befell the two were quite different. But Brigadier General Nunoo Mensa, perhaps blinded by selfish, evil and parochial interest deceived the late President to follow a path which was inimical to the latter’s and that of all Ghanaians. Which person will in all sincerity advised a sick person who had just returned to the country after receiving medical treatment to undergo such a strenuous exercise of trotting at the airport? And in his suit and shoes with the Ghanaian flag?
Permit me to remark here that if the Nunoo Mensa had not given such an unsolicited unfriendly and evil advice, perhaps the late President Mills would be alive today.
Nunoo Mensa should be arrested and charged with treason: Our ubiquitous Brigadier General thought he had done the most patriotic thing by coming out to tell Ghanaians the role he played in the demise of our late President. I have always maintained that President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer in connection with the death of his predecessor. In fact, if the President has nothing to hide, he should have ordered the arrest of his National Security Adviser immediately he came out with his admission on the role he had played in the death of President Mills. But who will order the arrest? The President, whose duty is to order the arrest is himself implicated in the “murder” of the late President. So, who is to order or do the arrest? No one!
Brigadier Nunoo Mensah has a hidden secret: Fellow Ghanaians, Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensah is being haunted by his own shadow. If anyone should relocate from this country of our birth, it should be the retired Brigadier General himself. His antecedent speaks volumes of such actions.
When the PNDC came to power, Rawlings appointed the Brigadier General Vice Chairman of the Council. Readers should ask Ghanaians what he did. He ran away from his responsibilities. In short he ran away from the country to seek greener pasture outside. But the most disgraceful aspect of the whole resignation saga was that our so-called acclaimed National Security Adviser did not exhibit any of the military prowess a person holding such a sensitive position was expected to. Where did he make his resignation public? Outside! He did not submit his letter of resignation here in Ghana. He was on an official assignment when he deserted the delegation he was leading and made public his resignation letter. Afraid man, one might say! If he was man enough, why didn’t he submit the resignation letter here in Ghana? If indeed he has the qualities of a General, why didn’t he return to the country after his resignation?
Is History repeating itself? Isn’t it an iron that the same hardships he then claimed were facing Ghanaians which resulted in his in resignation and exile are the very conditions he is trying very hard to justify, albeit astronomically?
Yes, this is the antecedent of this weakling, this coward, this ill-bred Ghanaian with taste for foreign products, this man who hates his upbringing, this cantankerous man who ran away from the harsh conditions which Ghanaians were facing at that particular time in the nation’s history. And it is this ingrate who has come back to enjoy the fruits of the labour of hardworking Ghanaians who brazed the difficult terrain to make conditions better for the ilk of Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensah.
Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end of our National Security Adviser? Yes, when and if the going becomes tough, Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensa will be the first Ghanaian to leave the shores of the country. He is behaving like the son of Adam who boasted of his sexual prowess in bed, but when offered the opportunity by the daughter of Eve, our man did not last. Nunoo Mensa is finished! His cup if full and will soon be plunge headlong e from the exalted position he now occupies.
Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensa will soon be hauled to face criminal charges at The Hague: When that happens, he must be prepared to face the wrath of ordinary Ghanaians whose national pride he has bruised. We shall drag him to The Hague to face criminal charges for making life “excruciatingly” difficult for Ghanaians to survive. Is that not tantamount to committing Genocide against the good people of the country? Just mark my words.
Want to contradict me? Catch you.

Daniel Danquah Damptey (0243715297) [email protected]