Opinions of Friday, 21 June 2013
Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah
This write-up was published a few days to the death of President Mills. If those who were holding the President hostage had paid heed to my advice and warning, our Number One Citizen and Commander in Chief of the country’s Armed Forces would have been alive today. But no, the cowards and murderers that they were, continued on their chosen path to Golgotha. And the President died!
What did I get for my genuine concern? Nothing but insults and threats! Yes, that was what I got. Now these murderers have the guts to show their faces in public! Don’t they have any shame? They are despicable. Now their hired press is telling me that the President was sick and so there was nothing sinister with his death. Shame unto such people!
Could someone give me a single instance when they admitted that the late President was indeed ill? I want an answer to this question. It is only a buffoon who will take a contrary view to the point I am raising. Only conscienceless people who are endowed with the brain of animals will exhibit such simpleton.
These were articles which written few days before our late President was dispatched to his early grave. And evil minded persons with sick and demented brains are attempting desperately to defend the indefensible. If your own child is sick but you deny him medical attention and he/she dies, you are culpable. And so for those in authority to have deliberately ignored my genuine concerns on the health status of the Number One Citizen of the country smacks of betrayal, deadened conscience and callousness.
People can call me all sorts of name, I do not care. It is not as if I did not warn the powers that be. Those holding top positions at the Presidency and writing under pseudonyms to defend the indefensible should realize that there is a Supreme Being who sees quite through the deeds of men. Their day of reckoning will surely come and it will be earlier than they envisage. When their Maker comes calling, where will all their ill-gotten wealth be? Where will all their “patapaasem” akakabinsem” “atutruasem” and “paapaa” lead them?
If they have nothing to hide, why not order a Public Enquiry into the death of President Mills? Asking ask for a public enquiry into the death of Former Vice President Aliu Mahama will not balance the equation. That quest reveals their shallow mindedness and confused state of mind. We are all aware of the circumstances that led to the death of the Former Vice President. We can follow the sequence from the time he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital till he died. There was no secrecy about his illness. But can we say same of Former President Mills? Tell me, can we? Even the current President gave two contradictory accounts of how President Mills died. Family members were also not in agreement of how the learned Professor died. Kwabena Adjei said the former President had died in the morning whilst President Mahama claims he died at about 2.15 pm or thereabout. Ignorant blackmailers! And they expect Ghanaians to keep quiet!
There are many revelations making their rounds on the death of Former President Mills. But I leave that for another day. Our God is alive. Please enjoy your reading.
We want to see our President. Where is he?
Daniel Damptey Danquah
The President is the father of the nation. It is therefore of paramount importance that the citizens know his whereabouts and health status. Both the Holy Bible and the Holy Koran enjoin us to pray for our leaders. In offering oneself for the position of President, the candidate, in effect waives some of his/her rights to privacy.
Thus, it raises a lot of concern when the President is shielded from public view and no information is given as to his health status. It is such lack of communication that leads to speculations about the health status of the President.
When Nana Akomeah, NPP Communication Director said that kenkey costs Ghc1.00 a ball, those holding the President hostage at the Castle 'marched' the latter on a publicity blitz to both Agbogbloshie and the Mallam Atta Markets to buy kenkey from a pre-arranged seller. The President bought 5 balls at the price of 50 pesewa each. If the President alone spent so much on kenkey without fish, how much would someone with a wife and children spend?
But if the President indeed wanted to buy kenkey, he should have gone to Teshie, Nungua or Osu. He could have even gone to Kenkey House at Alhaji. By the way, is the Presidency aware that bread now sells between Ghc2.00 and Ghc3.00? 1f he doubts it let his convoy travel to the Alhaji, Osu, 37, Lominava, Trotro Lorry Station at La-Paz. I am wondering why he has not gone in a convoy to verify the truth as pertains to the price of bread. The truth of the matter is simple. The President is not well.
Earlier on, the hangers on at the Presidency had made him undergo a similar ordeal when he submitted his nomination papers at the Party's headquarters. Was that necessary? Couldn't the submission have been done by some of his appointees to free him from the ordeal and torture they put him through?
The President attended those two stage-managed events which were personal to him without any hitch. But when a much more national event of greater dimensions demanded his attention, he was no where to be found. When there were ethnic clashes in the Volta, the Central and the Northern Regions, the President never made any public utterance on them. Almost two weeks or so after the 'events', the president resurfaced and told Ghanaians he was going for routine 'check up'. When the flag bearer of the NPP sent a get well message to him, the hawks, hyenas, dogs, foxes, sharks, snakes, and vultures in the NDC led by the traitors to the cause of national unity Iku Kwesi Pratt and Chemical Ali, Okudzeto Ablakwa descended on him and used all sorts of expression on him.
And at the airport before departure, they made 'the old man' go through a vigorous exercise of jogging just to prove to all and sundry that the president was in a very good health. But I ask the question. 'Was that necessary?’
Well, the president was on his routine check up for more than ten days. When he returned, those same self seekers made him go through another bout of rigorous exercise. The president in his suit was made to trot from the tarmac to the waiting hands of party executives, security personnel and bussed party supporters at the airport. Once again, I ask the question 'Was that necessary'?
You could see from the demeanor of the President that he was not finding that exercise funny. He was panting and wished he was at a different location far from the airport. But there was nothing he could do. He who must be obeyed had spoken and the order had to be obeyed, even by the President.
At the Airport, the president spoke and you could see that there was everything wrong with his health. His voice was breaking at various points. A picture of the President resplendent some few days later in his three piece white Agbada out fit revealed that all was not well with him. And the people at the Castle have remained mum.
What is happening? Where is the President? How is he? We are his constituents and we should know his whereabouts. Where have they taken him? It is almost three weeks after his ‘triumphant’ home coming but he has not visited any of the troubled spots. Why? Has he been kidnapped by alien forces from outer space?
The answer is not farfetched. The President is out of coverage area. He is not in sound health and instead of telling us the true state of affairs as it affects the health status of the Number One Citizen, the powers that be are prevaricating. I have stated it at different platforms that our number one citizen is not sound in health.
Sickness is like pregnancy which cannot be hidden for long time. The President demeanor shows that he is unwell and needs to be prayed for. I was not enthused with the antics of those who held him hostage at the airport. If the President is not well, he should take some time off to take care of his health. He should hand over to his Vice for some time. When he gets well, he can the go back to his post. We will understand.
You see the absence of the President on national affairs has given room to some unscrupulous elements in take actions inimical to the stability of the nation. The Accra Mayor a few years ago stated that the President had apologized to him.
Koku Anyidoho said the President had put the security forces on red alert. EOCO said the President attempted to stop payment of money to the 'wayoman' but was thwarted by Kwabena Dufuor, Betty Mould and others. Koku Anyidoho also used the name of the President to fire a so- called non-existent official of the EC in Ashanti Region. That resulted in the powers that be to clip the wings of Koku Anyidoho. Because the president is not in firm control of national affairs, those holding him hostage had their way by firing the attorney General Martin Amidu. The stony silence on the whereabouts and health status of our President has given room for the likes of Okudzeto to tell stories about the real cost of the Gallopers.
The President's AWOL and inability to crack the whip on his erring appointees has created a tense moment for Ghana as Hanna Tetteh and the hurriedly assembled GUTA Task Force go berserk like a bull in a China's shop to initiate an action which is likely to put the country on collision course with ECOWAS. ECOWAS Parliament has sent a delegation appealing to Trade Ministry to halt its hari-kari move, but the dogs in Animal Farm, have tasted blood and nothing will hold them in check.
Can the country withstand the might of ECOWAS? Is this action not in tune with the President's mantra of ' Dzi wo fie as?m'? Well, at the moment the whereabouts of the President is not known. Actions are taken in the name of the President. There have been troubled spots in various places without intervention from the Presidency. People have been relieved of their appointments in the name of the President. How long are we to continue living in darkness as to the health status and the whereabouts of our Commander in Chief?
There are problems confronting various components in the country today. There are speculations that the President is unwell. Amidst all these the whereabouts of duly elected President remains unknown.
But the latest authentic information about the health of our President is that he is very ill. He was initially sent to 37 Military Hospital for observation. When there seemed to be no improvement, he was flown outside the country for treatment.
In case you care to know of the President's ailment, it is neurological disorders. This is the latest authentic report on the President's health. It is the truth but this is quite different from what Baby Ansabah put out prior to the December, 2008 Elections.
I know the sharks, the snakes, the hawks, the vultures, the hyenas, the foxes, and the rabid dogs will unleash their venom on me and call me. They will say it is not true. But I stand by this story and know that vindication awaits me in the end. It is the extra stresses these never-do-wells in the NDC have put the President through that have aggravated his health situation. But I have sworn to my God to stay by the truth and to perform my patriotic duty by alerting the nation on the precarious precipice these people are pushing the President to.
If you doubt the authenticity of this story, ask yourself where the President is. I speak on behalf of the silent majority to demand the whereabouts of our Commander-in-Chief. I challenge the Presidency and the Ministry of Information to produce President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces within twenty Four Hours after publication of this story to debunk the notion that the President is not sound in health and is not in control of affairs of the country. This is the only way they can curtail the numerous rumours flying all over the place. This is the only way they can placate the numerous agitators who are concerned about the health of the President.
But even before getting there, they should answer these questions. Was there any time the President was on admission at 37 Military Hospital? Is it true that the President is suffering from neurological disorders? If so, how long has the aliment persisted? We need answers to all these posers in order to have an informed decision as to whether or not the President can withstand the stress and challenges associated with a combination of his duties as President and as Presidential candidate of his Party. We would then be in a position of knowing if he is capable of discharging his functions as Executive President of this Country.
Hiding the President's ailments from the public view will not do his office any good. So the Presidency should come clean on the health status of the Number One Citizen of the Country. Those playing a yoyo with the President's health should realize that they will be held accountable should anything untoward happen to the President.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the Church. I have spoken.
Daniel Danquah Damptey (0243715297)
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