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Opinions of Monday, 13 December 2010

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

When did Ghana's "Ecomini" find Herself in an Intensive Care Unit and Resuscitated?

How serious and honest are Ghanaian politicians, one may wish to know? Not long ago, I heard the Economic and Finance Minister say, "the Ghana Economy is not broke" The import of his statement was to change that warped perception held by his fellow NDC members purporting that the NPP had left the Ghana economy completely broke. Or, was it just to deceive the IMF and the World Bank to lend Ghana money? Just on Wednesday, 8th December 2010, he has another different story to tell. He says the NPP left the "Ecomini" in total disarray. He came to find it in an intensive care unit, on a life saving support, and about to die off. It was wrapped up in heavy blankets of indebtedness to the tune of inexpressible amount of "opepepeepeeee! It is only President Evans Fifii Atta Mills, the Tax and Law Professor, who may be able to tell us how critical the condition in which the "Ecomini" was left by his predecessor, Former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

The Finance Minister wept when he saw the decrepit state of the "ecomini". It was crying for help, near-lifeless as it was. Its urgent need for medical assistance could only be told from the tears streaming down her cheeks, comatose and incapable as she was to talk. He had compassion on her. He quickly enrolled in a University to pursue a second degree in Medicine. No sooner had he started than he was awarded a PhD in Medicine. He emerged with flying colours from the intensive medical course as a Medical Surgeon. He said to himself, I had better take this ecomini-patient to China before it passes. The ecomini was flown out of Ghana aboard the Presidential jet to Beijing, the Capital of China. On arrival, an air ambulance was waiting impatiently at the airport to transport the patient to the most specialised hospital in Human and ecomini resuscitation. Hardly had it been taken to the hospital when it was rushed to the operating theatre, attended by the Chinese medical experts. They immediately put her on a saline drip. No, we have nearly got it wrong, they said. Is saline drip the right medication for a comatose patient, they argued among themselves? Anyway, blood transfusion was in the end the life-saver. They gave her many pints of blood. A few months later, she came out of the intensive care fit as a fiddle.

She was taken back to Ghana, this time aboard a Chinese airliner. She was met at the airport by a throng of NDC gurus, Government Ministers and NDC sympathisers. They lined up the sides of the routes specially designated for the convoy taking her from the Kotoka International Airport to the Castle and to the House of Parliament. She has been resuscitated from near-death - "Econimi" to "Full life" - bouncing Economy.

Our gracious Chinese overlords did not send her away without the necessary medical accoutrement. She was given billions of US dollars, material wealth, offer of Chinese expertise, Chinese men to befriend our Ghanaian women to procreate half-caste children (as Sekyere Marfo may say, Quarter-caste person when the Half-caste beings produce children by full black women/men). In exchange for their kindness, they have obliged Ghana to use a percentage of their newly found petroleum as collateral. These crafty Chinese will one day end up owing the full Ghana shares of the Jubilee oil. The oil has been the lifeline of Ghana's economy upon which China was convinced to lend Ghana billions of US dollars.

This revival of the economy is due to the farsightedness, dedication and selfless meticulous work by the Finance Minister. Now, it should be noted that if the "Ecomini" was found in an intensive care unit, it was simply for a good reason. It was a means to show Ghanaians how the Finance Minister can perform magic or miracles to the bewilderment of both the NDC and the NPP. Could President Mills have obtained that massive loan from China without petrol as collateral for the money borrowed? If the petrol has been the lifeline of Ghana in recent times, empowering her to borrow without fear, who must have the credit? Should it be the one who discovered the oil fields from that expansive oceanic wilderness or cemetery, or, the one who collateralises it to raise loans? Should both not be applauded for the good job done?

I thank God that the NPP for all their perceived and actual embezzlement of funds, were still able to spend quite a sizeable amount of money on the discovery of oil field for Ghana. They never wasted all the money on setting up Committees upon Committees or eating "Chinchinga" and drinking tea. They never paid thieves like Carl Wilson to impound importers' cars in the hope of saving up the money towards the Atta Mills' 2012 election campaign.

I hope the NDC are not that desperate to raise 10% for their party from any contracts to be awarded from that huge loan taken from the Chinese. A close NDC pal has told me they will surely take their 10% as that as a normal practice anywhere in the world. Should this happen, I will expose the NDC. As at now, I hope and pray that nothing untoward in the form of underhand dealing is going on within the NDC, or has taken place with regards to taking a 10% cut from those to be awarded contracts. The money must be fully used in the best interest of Ghana without any politician, be they NDC, NPP, CPP, dipping their filthy hands in.

My eyes, ears and nose are wide open. I will see, I will hear, and I will smell any dodgy deals.

Rockson Adofo