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Opinions of Thursday, 9 June 2011

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Is he "Atta Mortuary Man?"

I was gobsmacked at the news of the seizure of the film cassettes bearing the title "Atta Mortuary Man". Not long ago, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) was on the news to have caused another humiliating blunder. They have rushed to a film production centre to seize the entire copies of the film entitled "Atta Mortuary Man" They were understood to have acted unprofessionally by hurtling down the heavily congested roads of Accra only to seize cassettes upon the presumption that the film was directed at teasing President Evans Fiifi Atta Mills. How could they justify their ill-thought plan executed at a similitude of the stroke of lightning just to please President Mills and the NDC party? It is quite irrational on their part. Is it not?

The last time I checked, President Mills had not changed his name to "Atta Mortuary Man" He has always been Fiifi Evans Atta Mills. Why should it ever occur to the BNI that "Atta Mortuary Man" is an allusion to President Mills? I once listened to a man over the radio who said he was that Atta, Rawlings referred to as Atta Mortuary man. He claimed to be friends with Rawlings and he used to work in a mortuary.

I may well conclude that most of the operatives at the BNI are quite ignorant of their duties and they are shamefully unprofessional. They started chasing up; and arbitrarily arresting some functionaries of the former NPP government alleging they had caused financial loss to the State. They were unable to prosecute and convict any of those arrested. Why could they not cause the imprisonment of any of their alleged criminals? The reason is simple. They did not take time to do proper investigations before rushing to act in a way, which infamously became the slogan of the day, "causing fear and panic in public". I am sorry to say they have become a bunch of laughing stock in the eyes of not only discerning Ghanaians but also their international peers. Anyway, they did it the usual Ghanaian or African way. What a shame.

They are not going to tell Ghanaians they seized the cassettes because the producer was not paying tax. If non-payment of tax was the motivating factor for their action, then Ghanaians are ready to know if the Inland Revenue instructed them to impound the cassettes.

Anyway, the security operatives in Ghana have been acting funny under the administration of President Mills with emphasise laid on their dis-ingenious pursuit of selective justice. Are they consciously or unconsciously dabbling in politics in support of the NDC just because the government has promised them free STX Korean flats or houses? Based on recent developments and or rumours, the STX housing project will not be realised any sooner. They are to take note of that. I want free and decent accommodation for our security forces to boost up their morale but not to make them renege on the principles of their calling.

The BNI should purge itself of those irresponsible hasty attitudes that make them a total failure and a joke. We suggest they study cases before they act. Always acting impulsively will not do them any good.

Rockson Adofo