It is becoming more and more evident that the “Nkabom posture” taken by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of His Excellency Nana Addo is leading and will surely lead the NPP into trouble in the 2020 and subsequent elections.
If the “Intelligence Networks” of the current regime are not picking the signals of the harm that the “Nkabom” policy is having on loyal, faithful and diligent supporters, sympathizers and members of the NPP in the security services and in the nation as a whole then they better resign their positions.
If the “Intelligence and security networks” have picked the right signals then they must not hesitate at all to alert the Presidency and the authorities of the danger that lies ahead. A lot of NPP members and supporters of the current regime are recoiling into their shell with disappointment, frustration and annoyance.
The difference between the NPP and the NDC in terms of satisfying the needs of their supporters and members is too wide. It may not be an exaggeration to state that the approaches of the NPP and NDC in that regard are diametrically opposite.
Whereas the NPP approaches concerns of its rank and file from the “national interest” perspective, the NDC does so narrowly from the point of view of its members and supporters.
That explains why John Mahama exercised his prerogative of mercy to release the “Montie Three” from prison custody against national interest in the run up to the 2016 elections. John Mahama demonstrated a real love for his party members who had served his interest and that of the NDC to the maximum level.
To John Mahama and the NDC, loyalty to the NDC transcends all other considerations, including national interest. No matter how well meaning Ghanaians would look at this, that is the NDC philosophy. This philosophy fits aptly into the “create, loot and share” strategy.
Rewarding loyalty handsomely makes the NDC more attractive to opportunists, the poor and vulnerable in society. Whether we like it or not, these classes of people are in the majority in our society today.
Owing to the harsh economic conditions of modern times, following the financial crises, worsening climatic conditions and astronomical growth in population, several millions of people have become either unemployed or highly underemployed. In those circumstances, these “poor and vulnerable citizens” will cling into any deception or stratagem as espoused by the NDC. Not only is the NDC able to retain its core members with those schemes of rewards, they are able to entice even core members of the NPP who are opportunistic, impatient and unwilling to sacrifice for a better future.
In the villages, rural communities and poor communities in the urban areas and the cities, the NDC looks more attractive owing to their ability and preparedness to create, loot and share national resources among themselves only to the exclusion of members of the other parties especially the NPP. That explains why we have a lot of the nouveau-riche (modern rich) in the NDC.
Persons who were nobodies in January 2009 are today billionaires, millionaires and averagely rich in the Ghanaian society.
Captains who had to be retired because they were irresponsible and could not pass their Officers’ Promotion Examinations are now fabulously rich and are engaged in estate development, because they got involved actively in the NDC administration of Mills and Mahama.
Persons who arrogated to themselves the right to be at the Ports (especially Tema Harbour) as members of the National Security Secretariat are now billionaires. Some of these persons did not own even bicycles in January 2009. But today, they have between three and six mansions in the prime areas of Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale. Additionally, they own the latest expensive and fast moving vehicles in society.
All these have become possible because the NDC facilitated the looting of national resources. Those who benefitted immensely from the “lootocracy of the NDC” socialized their benefits by sharing with their colleague members, supporters and sympathizers to the exclusion of members of the other parties.
What is the situation in the NPP? It is almost diametrically opposite to the strategy and policies of the NDC. The NPP does not countenance corruption, the philosophy of “create, loot and share”, engaging in unlawful and illegal acts. The “book-long” NPP officials are warry of the consequences of their actions.
Sadly, NPP officials are more scared about offending the NDC and its members than NPP members, supporters and sympathizers. The NPP is more prepared to satisfy the needs of members of the NDC than those of the NPP. The NPP fears the blackmail of the NDC and is prepared to sacrifice the interests of members of the NPP for those of the NDC. As a result, there are a lot of NDC appointees and recruited personnel in charge of very sensitive sectors of the Ghanaian economy, public administration system and the security services.
For instance, most of the Chief Executive Officers/Managing Directors of state and parastatal institutions who were appointed by the NDC administration of Mills and Mahama are still at post. The cases of Ghana Oil Company (GOIL LTD), Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), Agricultural Development Bank (AdB) and National Investment Bank (NIB) are there for all to see. The cases of the Chief Directors and Directors of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies are also available for NPP members and supporters to see.
The situation is worse in the security services-the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Bureau of National Investigations and the National Security Secretariat.
Apart from a few cosmetic changes at the topmost levels, the rest of the structures have been left as met on 7th January 2017. For instance, in the Ghana Armed Forces, it was only the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who was taken out completely and replaced by the Chief of Army Staff appointed by the NDC administration of John Mahama. The Chief of Army Staff who took over from the current Chief of Defence Staff had also been promoted Major General by John Mahama and appointed Commandant of the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS). The rest of the military remained virtually the same with Chiefs of Naval and Air Staff, Commandants GAFCSC and KAIPTC maintaining their positions.
In the Ghana Police Service, it was only the Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor who was retired or significantly changed. Even though Mr. David Asante Apietu is the new Inspector General of Police, the Rose Bio Atingas, Yohunos, Kofi Boakyes, Beatrice Vib-Sanziris, Ablors are still very powerful at the Police Headquarters owing to their membership of the Headquarters Management Advisory Board.
The situation is similar in the Ghana Immigration Service where apart from Mr. Kwame Takyi, who won his court case against the service for ill-treatment by the NDC, who is the new Comptroller General; all the powerful former Deputy Directors are still very powerful and influential.
The Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, the BNI and the National Security Secretariat have all seen only changes at their topmost positions with the status quo ante 7th January virtually intact.
The case of the Ghana National Fire Service beats the imagination of well-meaning Ghanaians. A physically and medically challenged Chief Fire Officer is stubbornly hanging on to his post and position. The fact that the Chief Fire Officer is and was a member of the NDC is not in doubt. Perhaps, he was wiser and smarter than the Deputy Chief Fire Officers and managed to “wash his hands well” before those who matter at the Flagstaff House.
The Chief Fire Officer has been engaging himself in media warfare as opposed to physical presence at the office, at national parades and occasions where his physical challenges could be exposed. He has managed to surround himself with his colleagues of Intake 4 to the chagrin of his former seniors of Intake 1. He appears to be destroying members of Intake 1 so that in the event of his final exit, a successor would be found in the Intake 4 group.
The situations in the BNI and the National Security Secretariat are more pathetic. Why should obvious NDC senior officers be allowed to be in charge of sensitive departments and branches still? Can’t we find those loyal to NPP to take over from them? Have we forgotten what Yaw Donkor did in 2009 immediately after resuming duties as the Director BNI for the second time? Why are we wasting precious time and resources in re-claiming our right? Why have we still left those officers who were sent to “SIBERIA” after NDC victory in 2009 in those areas? What stops us from bringing them back to positions that they deserved and deserve now which have been “forcibly” occupied by the NDC loyalists?
In all the scenarios that have been painted, it is obvious that the NDC are still in control of all our security services. Changes at the topmost only may be meaningless and unhelpful. The top middle level matter very much in security matters. For instance, in the military, the Service Chiefs, the GOCs, Base Commanders, Departmental Heads, Heads of Directorates and Commanding Officers are the ones who wield real power. Only few cases may attract the attention of or reach the Chief of Defence Staff.
Similarly, in the Police Service, only few cases would reach the Inspector General of Police. Therefore, it is the Commissioners In Charge of Administration, Human Resource, Criminal Investigations Department, Services, Operations, Regional, Divisional and District Commanders who matter very much.
The story is the same for the Ghana Immigration Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service, Ghana Revenue Authority and the BNI.
It is sad and unfortunately to note that the NDC loyalists in these positions are using their appointments and positions to sabotage the NPP administration of Nana Addo.
For instance, in the military, some Departmental Heads and Directors are deliberating sabotaging the system. The Directorate of Supply and Transport, which is now headed by a dyed-in-wool NDC officer, is creating shortages of fuel, ration and other necessaries in order to create disaffection, hatred, anger and pain among troops to the detriment of the NPP administration.
There is a general paucity of Petroleum Oil and Lubricants (POL) in the Ghana Armed Forces today. The truth is that the NDC administration of Mills and Mahama had accumulated debts to the Oil Companies in several millions of Ghana cedis. The problem was compounded by the nefarious activities of some officers and men in the Supply and Transport Corps.
A clear case was the alleged diversion of several thousands of litres of fuel by the immediate past Commanding Officers of the Base Supply Depot and Defence Mechanical Transport Battalion.
Our call for a probe into their operations, especially after the arrest by the former Director General of Defence Intelligence, Brigadier General AK Adu. Just as our call for probes into various scandals (contracts at GHQ(Plans and Developments), Directorate of Engineer Services, Sale of Peace-Keeping vacancies to officers and men by the former Army Secretary and Director Army Peace-Keeping Operations), the call for probe into the affairs of the Supply and Transport Corps has fallen on deaf ears.
It is the impunity with which senior officers are looting the Ghana Armed Forces that has created the shortages of basic necessities. Monies that could go into services and development have gone into private pockets of criminally minded officers and men.
A major sabotage in the Ghana Armed Forces occurred about two weeks ago precisely in the week ending Friday 16th June 2017. The normal practice in the Ghana Armed Forces is for troops to reach their pay (salaries) latest by the 15th of every month.
This long tradition, according to our investigations, has been maintained since the government directives all pay and allowances must be paid through the banks and not on the pay table for Other Ranks and Civilians while Commissioned Officers received theirs through their bankers. The pay and allowances for the Ghana Armed Forces for the month of June 2017 was deliberately and unnecessarily delayed by the Defence Financial Controller and his Nyebro Chief Director at the Ministry of Defence.
The two responsible officers knew that the pay and allowances of troops and civilian employees of the Ghana Armed Forces had to be at the banks by 10th June or thereabout to enable them access their funds by 15th June 2017.
Yet they could not be bothered. It had to take the personal intervention of the Chief of Defence Staff himself on Friday 16th June 2017 to get the Ministry of Finance approval for the Controller and Accountant General and the Bank of Ghana to release the funds for the Banks.
This deliberate sabotage by the Defence Financial Controller and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Defence (All Nyebros) must not be allowed to pass under the bridge “as usual”. This is a deliberate sabotage. There was so much anxiety, panic and anger in the barracks. The allegation of sabotage gained credence when on Saturday 17th June 2017 on Radio Gold; NDC panellists took advantage of the information on the delayed pay fed them by the Nyebros and Allied Groups of the NDC who wish the downfall of His Excellency Nana Addo.
One would have expected the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters to show interest in the pay and allowances of troops and civilian employees. Any responsible Chief of Staff has to show extreme concern over pay and allowances of troops. It is a major welfare and morale issue of the military. Information gathered indicated that the Chief of Staff was not even aware of the delay. The Chief of Staff is in the same “zone of saboteurs” as the Defence Financial Controller and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Defence.
Is it not surprising that the Department of Defence Intelligence could also not act proactively? They could not be bothered either. The whole Department is packed with NDC inclined officers from the Director General to the youngest soldier or civilian employee. Is it not surprising that since the change in government, no attempt has been made to change officers and men of this all impartial Department. Almost all the officers who were posted to that Department after 7th January 2009 are full NDC members.
It was not possible under the NDC to have any officer, man or civilian employee suspected to be a sympathizer of the NPP to be allowed to stay or be posted to that Department. The NDC “swept” clean that Department and ensured that only NDC members, especially Nyebros and Northerners trusted to be extremely loyal to the NDC were allowed to be there.
The evidence is there for all to see. Yet Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere, the National Security Minister, the Minister of Defence and Chief of Defence Staff could not be bothered about that.
Sadly, it is General Okyere who is justifying the appointments of the Andohs, Komlagas, Mustaphas and others.
Any wonder that accurate and prompt intelligence cannot be picked up by the Department of Defence Intelligence.
