It was a fatal mistake and I wish I had sat in a different chair as I paid rapt attention to a feud raging at the table left side. I was in an expensive restaurant of a hotel, after foolishly agreeing to meet with a friend who called and cancelled at the last minute. I was already seated near the beach side, the waves were cascading with a nice threatening thunder on the rocks and as I watched the filth beaching on the sand, and the light sea spray splashing the glass, I convinced myself it was worth staying for dinner even if I had to redesign my menu in the coming week.
Accra is food expensive these days and I am finding increasingly that what used to cost a moderate GH¢15 is now a bitter GH¢65 and threatening to rise with the proverbial retort, “its not us ooo, things are just expensive.” Better said in the vernacular with a knowing smile and mischievous expression, knowing very well that a man in a Mercedes Benz will never drive away from a two-cedi piece of roasted plantain. It costs that much in Tema Community 8, as I discovered earlier in the day, driving around, lost in Tema for the umpteenth time.
And I wondered again, “how do you spell, oooo”? Is it three or four o’s or is it as long as the inquisition needs to be dragged?
Now here I am, sitting by the angry waves, wondering whether it is worth living in a democracy that can’t seem to go beyond voting. Just how do we get a majority of semi-literates who think democracy gives them the right to destroy property because their choice of candidate for a District chief did not materialise?
Just like little Sylvan loudly talking back to who seems to be his mother about why his food is not here yet, and the patient boyfriend, Uncle Tommy, who would give anything to be left in a room with this spoilt bozo, and who probably can’t wait for Mum to wrap up this meal and get home to a big apology on a therapeutic mattress. For now, his patience is shining through and he might be in line for next year’s VGMA awards if only they could spot him.
And while all the tantrums are flying around the place, Ibrahim Mahama is giving me something else to worry about. This week he just told us about his SSNIT non-payments and penalties totalling close to a million cedis, which SSNIT of course failed to collect while his brother was in authority. He actually had the audacity with GRA, I just noticed, to issue dud cheques on an account with Merchant Bank.
And I suddenly wondered how did he slip through to have an account with this bank? When I last looked he owed the bank several million cedis and was close to pushing them into bankruptcy. So all our protests came to zilch. Nobody would prosecute him, not while his brother was at the top. And what hurts me most is that JDM does not see anything wrong with this. How much more has Ibrahim been up to and will we, once and for all, set the investigative agencies loose to get to the deep bottom of this corruption, because we are yet to look at Zoomlion and RLG. I am still waiting for the CHRAJ to let me know how far with my petition on the GYEEDA scandal. Since November 2013?
And why would a bunch of followers, with little or no clear understanding of democracy not move in to take their share of the one million one constituency money that is about to fall in the hands of their MPs and of course as they understand it, it will then move to their level.
This spate of militancy we are witnessing, first from the Invisible Forces, and then to this outright rejection of nominations by the President’s office as per the Constitution needs to be looked at a little closer.
The Trump says he will deport close to seven thousand Ghanaians living illegally in the USA. Haba!, they should come home. We will find space for them as MPs. And they can travel on diplomatic passports. Even in that house they are carrying their illegal family to the States and UK. So much so that the Colonial Masters are leaking their own documents.
Now the MPs are upset. Worried they have been singled out to be treated as ordinary citizens, the story is hurting their false pride more than anything. Well everything must end.
NDC is still yelling about the cedi bond that might shore up the cash problems of this Government’s first term. But I caution Nana and his team, his party people sway towards extravagance and another gaff into opposition might not see them back ever again.
And while the Parliamentary Accounts Committee is scathing over fifty cedi motorbikes and GH¢350 trucks sold at auction, GIMPA has no record of the title to their property in Greenhill. The Auditor has warned them in Para 832 of his report on Public Boards of this.
And in the report on Ministries Departments and Other Agencies (MDA’s) they are stealing the money by heart. This from the Audit Reports of 2015 and before. In 2013, MDA’s misappropriated GH¢395.2 million. In 2014 the amount came down to GH¢252.8 million. Now in 2015 they have filched GH¢505.2 million in various ways of which the bulk of it is in evasion of taxes, contracts and cash infractions.
With all this money slipping through government hands and piling the pressure on cash disbursements, the NPP have no excuse not to achieve their budgetary targets. In all sincerity, they only have to plug the stealing holes, trap the thieves and they will have enough money to do all they plan.
I hope unlike their political enemies they will read the Audit reports and move quickly. OccupyGhana is in court with the Auditor General in about three weeks. Why we have to take this unnecessary step to achieve what is good governance, I really do not know. I was hopeful that a new Auditor General would recognise the efforts we have made to get them to this point, but we will see our day in court if need be. It is about Ghana and the need to clear the fog.
And what was the little boy’s tantrums all about? His mother had promised him if he behaved, dressed up nicely and came out with her and his Uncle Tommy, he could eat anything he wanted when they got to the restaurant. So in the restaurant, he ordered downside of rice. In Ga, it reads “omo shishi” the bottom black part.
And the waiter with a wink and a nod from Uncle Tommy had taken the order and now was back with an apology of no down side rice. And of course Sylvan would not accept this. So he yells for entitlement against all odds, knowing that in the end there would be knocks and deprivation of Nickelodeon viewing time, including a bottom smack and an early goodnight.
Does Uncle Tommy mind? With no intention of calming Sylvan, he urges an early exit, licking his lips as Mummy meekly agrees and offers ice cream to lure Sylvan away.
So I sit and ponder my problem and leave Sylvan to solve his. Downside rice at Labadi Beach Hotel. Honestly. Who promised the youth they would be able to choose their downside MCE with a constitution drafted by Uncle Tommy and his people? Very different objectives.
Ghana. Aha a y? d? papa. Alius valde week advenio. Another great week to come.
Sydney Casely-Hayford, thenewghanaian@gmail.com