General News of Sunday, 6 July 2014

Source: Al-Hajj

"Arab Spring" foiled

... Joy Fm, Imani, Opposition parties cited

An ill-conceived plan by some ‘mercenaries’ with strong ties to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) aimed at toppling the infant Mahama administration through a Ukrainian and Arab spring-like protest was last Tuesday foiled by the nation’s security forces.

Operating under the guise of ‘Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance’ (CGRG) and sharing their frustrations on general hardships in the country, linchpins in the protest dubbed “Occupy Flag Staff House” who are also neck deep in NPP, could not hide their hatred for the ruling NDC party, particularly, President Mahama.

Having realized the window has been closed on the possible recouping of monies expended on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, and election petition, NPP inclined businessmen have been raging with anger, exploring possible means to purge the Mahama government for a much ‘friendly’ administration.

This insurgent group, spearheaded by managers of Accra-based Joy Fm, policy think tank IMANI and some opposition elements whose wicked plots have been exposed in separate publications by The aL-hAJJ, took advantage of the 54 anniversary of Ghana’s Republic day celebration to stage what was to be a forceful takeover of the seat of government to demand the resignation of the president and his vice.

But for the alertness of the security who foresaw inherent dangers in plans by the NPP-inclined protestors, the mercenaries could have staged a modern day coup d’état using the power of the masses.

Though organizers of the protest announced their intension was to express their feelings about hardships and other vices in society, The aL-hAJJ gathered that their real motive was to occupy the seat of government after which they would invite more Ghanaians to join them there to force the president and his vice to resign.

The plot, according to The aL-hAJJ’s intelligence was also designed to provoke security forces to brutalize some protesters to warrant a call for civil disobedience while they remain ensconce at the seat of government pending the resignation of the president and the swearing in of the Chief Justice as Acting President.

Ironically, while the protesters claimed their action was based on genuine concerns devoid of partisan considerations, majority of them, respectable businessmen and women, and from academia and civil society groups, whose actions over the years have exposed their underbelly as hardcore financiers and sympathizers of the opposition NPP.

Leading the NPP’s hatchet job was Nana Akufo-Addo’s cousin and group Chairman of Data Bank, Ken Ofori Atta; Director of Databank Group, Yoofi Grant; former Chief Marketing Manager of MTN, George Andah; vice president of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil; multiple degree holder and lecturer at Ashesi University, Dr Esi Ansah, among others.

Expectedly, media collaborators of the NPP were not left out in the protest as owner of Joy FM, KwesiTwum, on whose orders a satellite studio was for the first time in the station’s history was sited at the venue of the protest, Mr. Samuel Atta Mensah, CEO of Ex-President Kufuors pal, Nick Amarterfio’s Citi FM and other NPP-inclined journalists were spotted during the march.

It is no secret Joy FM and its subsidiary media outlets in the Multimedia fraternity since the inception of the Mahama government, have been championing an inexorable crusade to force a regime change.

Having failed in that regard, it was not, however, too surprising that its owner commissioned a whole crew from the station to join the protest and broadcast live.

Read below previous stories published by TheaL-hAJJ on the activities of the mercenaries

JM’s Gov’t Under Threat…Of Possible Destabilization

March 11, 2014

Very credible intelligence picked up foreshadows an elaborate but wicked plot by some like-minded Ghanaians to push the country into a Ukraine/Egypt-like regime change using the ‘power’ of the masses.

Checks by this paper indicate that though those behind this dastardly and treacherous act began harboring this plot immediately after the announcement of the results of the 2012 presidential election, they operated on a low key.

And have since the verdict by the Supreme Court on August 29, 2013 intensified it even as they are yet to mass up as a group to carry out their wicked intentions.

The agenda of these people according to a very dependable source with bias in security matters is to whip up public resentment against the Mahama government, painting it with the dark brush of corruption, incompetence, nepotism and tribalism.

As these allegations gather momentum by the day through social media and mainstream media, persons behind it are expected to soon instigate an Egypt or Ukraine style of protests leading to occupation of government buildings, offices and strategic locations to forcefully demand a change in government.

It emerged during the investigations that while some of the people desirous to see Ghanaians mimic their colleagues in Egypt and Ukraine have political leanings towards opposition political groupings in the country, others are not known core political activists but occupy privileged and sensitive positions in Ghanaian society and are disappointed with the Supreme Court ruling.

They therefore relish the destabilization of the infant Mahama administration, even if that would mean the disruption of the democratic environment that we have labored to nurture for over two decades now.

The Al-Hajj has gathered that these people who cut across the country’s socio-political strata such as religion, professionals, academia, CSOs and unions are peeved at what they see as being under the specter of John Mahama’s presidency until 2017.

Though it is not yet established if this move to replay a Ghanaian version of the Egypt/Ukraine insurrection is directly linked with the opposition NPP’s pledge to cause disaffection for the President, sources say it is the expectations of these groups that having led the country on this path, some disgruntled security service officials may intervene and forcefully remove President Mahama from power as happened in Egypt.

Information gathered by this paper suggests that the ‘insurgents’ want to exhibit their wicked ploy in a manner that even some members of the ruling government would buy into their agenda, and won’t hesitate to give it their support.

Some religious heads and security experts have been predicting violent disruption of the country’s democratic dispensation if steps are not taken to deal with the rising issues of youth unemployment, economic hardship, corruption and growing inequality which have gained grounds in recent times.

Those behind this nation-wrecking and treacherous move championed by persons from academia, supposed impartial socio-economic and political experts, religious heads obsessed with the toppling of the Mahama administration, are on daily basis haggling for platforms to run down government, create animosity and paint a gloomy picture of a leaderless nation under President Mahama.

It all began on the night of December 31, 2012 with the General Overseer of Lighthouse Chapel International, Bishop Heward Mills, just three weeks after Dr Afari Gyan of the EC announced the results of the 2012 presidential election, even before President-elect, John Mahama was sworn into office on January 7, 2013.

Though President Mahama’s predecessors, former Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor and late John Mills all had their fair share of vicious ‘attacks’ from critics and civil society groups, it does not compare to what is been done to President Mahama.

In the case of President Mahama, he was not even allowed to be sworn into office. Seven days to his investiture, Bishop Heward Mills at a watch night service began inciting Ghanaians to hit at the then President-elect to start delivering on the promises outlined in the NDC’s 2012 manifesto.

The man of God while preaching forcefully asked the yet-to-be-sworn-in government of John Mahama to hurry up and fulfill all the promises he has made to Ghanaians during the electioneering campaign.

Bishop Dag Heward-Mills in the said sermon and with a loud voice reminded President John Mahama that Ghanaians are expecting him to fulfill the numerous promises he made to the electorates in the run-up to the 2012 elections.

He began by cataloguing some of the promises including the full implementation of the free universal basic education, free senior high school in 2016 as well as the construction of 200 SHS.

He also catalogued among others his promises on SADA, Kumasi jute factory, youth employment, gas pipeline and one time NHIS premium.

“And also you said you will give us a strong currency that would not deflate or inflate between now and two thousand and whatever, which used to be 1:1, it is now to 100 percent devaluation. So we want strong currency, single digit inflation, and 8 per cent GDP growth rate; these are your promises, just implement and serve to us. We are waiting, that is all,” the Bishop said.

This was to follow another instance of the diabolic agenda of discrediting and eventually toppling the Mahama administration, the intense and unguided assaults on the nation’s Supreme Court Justices by notables in the Ghanaian society including lawyers who had scores to settle with the Law Lords for adjudicating the novel election petition case in favor of President Mahama; the EC and the ruling party.

The most vilified in this campaign has been Justice William Atuguba, who was the President of the court during the petition hearing and who like President Mahama hails from the north.

These attacks on the Justices was also intersperse with ridiculous allegations in the media that President Mahama through the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II bribed the Justices to deny the petitioners victory in the case.

Whiles the lawyers were on their image smearing campaign, Sermons (though not directly) of a president and government steep in corruption and sleaze and a leaderless nation by notable religious leaders including the Presbyterian Moderator, Obuasi and Kumasi Methodist Bishops, the Mensa Otabils, Owusu Bempahs and the likes were afloat.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Right Reverend Professor Emmanuel Mantey, for example has continually bemoaned the high level of corruption, indiscipline and low moral values in society as if these vices started under Mahama. What worried him most, he says was that about 70% of the country’s population and majority of its leaders were Christians.

This, in his view, suggested that “there were either no Christians in the country, or they were simply not living up to the true principles and values of their faith,” he said.

On his part, renowned man of God, Pastor Mensa Otabil few days ago spoke forcefully against what he sees as the nation’s preponderance of turning everything into jokes.

This was in an apparent response to the use of the infamous local catchphrase ‘Tweaa’ comment by the President when he delivered the 2014 state of the nation address to the august House of Parliament. This is in spite of the fact nearly half of his (Otabil’s) sermons is usually intersperse with anecdotes and jokes.

At a seminar last week, Mensa Otabil said: “One District Chief Executive makes a comment which we should be angry about, but it has become a national joke and we just carry on and on and on and I’m wondering, what is wrong with us? Can’t we for once be serious and face life and stop joking.

“We’re polluting ourselves. We have issues we can’t solve. We have problems we can’t solve. We are overwhelmed all around us, yet we have a lot of time to joke and to laugh and to act as if this is the most normal environment to live in,” the man of God said.

As part of the wider plot, the founder and leader of Glorious Word Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah predicted last year that Ghana’s current President, John Dramani Mahama will die before the end of that year, unless the President and his advisers take steps to reverse it.

According to Rev Bempah, the earth-shattering prophesy was revealed to him on the night of December 31, 2012 and he announced it at the Church’s end of year service.

He however, bemoaned his inability to meet the President and inform him about the dark cloud hanging over his head and the necessary steps to be taken to avert the looming disaster.

Deliberate antagonistic verdicts clothed in analysis, and or comments by supposed impartial commentators and so-called experts turned-politicians, the likes of the Lloyd Amoahs, Sydney Casley-Hayfords, Lawyers Dr. Maurice Ampaws/Sam Okudjeto, Prof Amoako Baah of KNUST, the Ransford Gyampoh of the University of Ghana, IMANIs, Ghana Center for Freedom and Accuracy, AFAG and Ghana Medical Association among others continue unabated.

Arab spring in Ghana?...Anarchists Plot Mahama’s overthrow June 5, 2014

Intelligence reports picked up by The aL-hAJJ have unearthed how some renegades and miscreants desirous of toppling the Mahama led-administration are planning mass actions aimed at forcing the resignation of the president and his vice. Their intension is to repeat what happened recently in North Africa and the Middle East, popularly called the Arab Spring.

Akin to the political turmoil in Ukraine and the Arab spring, organizers of the modern day coup, as part of moves to activate the plot, are said to be planning a million-man mega demonstration to be staged in Accra at a date to be announced soon.

The promoters, according to information reaching this paper will cite the current economic difficulties, hardship, corruption, abuse of office and mismanagement in the Mahama and NDC government for their diabolic agenda.

Information gathered by The aL-hAJJ reveal that the organizers of the plot intend using the protest as a ruse to overthrow the government.

Their strategy is to invade government offices including parliament and the seat of government in their numbers, close down government offices and force the resignation or the collapse of the Mahama-led government.

They would then install the Chief Justice as temporal Head of State having succeeded in forcing President John Mahama and his vice, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur to resign pending the re-writing of a new constitution and the election of a new president.

Though Parliament will continue to operate to assist the acting president, ministers and government appointees will be sacked to make way for the appointment of new ministers in acting capacities.

As prelude and a dress rehearsal to this diabolic plot and to test the endurance of the masses ahead of the mega demonstration in Accra, sources familiar with the plot but not enthused disclosed to this paper that the organizers will organize a mini demonstration in the capital of the opposition New Patriotic Party’s stronghold, Kumasi, on the 10th of this month.

The politically tainted and nation-wrecking demonstration in Kumasi christened “Ya Ye Den demo” to wit “what have we done demo” ostensibly against rampant electricity and water cuts in the garden city, is aimed at drawing people’s attentions to their intended actions and solicit their support ahead of the main demonstration in Accra.

Prior to the Kumasi mass action, another source has told this paper that the group would take advantage of students grievances over some new educational policies and mobilize buses and participants from Kumasi to join demonstrations in Accra expected to take place this week.

Sources say the organizers are also banking hopes on the upcoming world cup as a season that will afford them the opportunity to whip up public sentiments against government’s inability to supply power to watch the matches.

The strategy is to instigate Ghanaians to join the mass protest geared towards forcing the president and his vice to resign while they work towards the election of their preferred president.

But The aL-hAJJ sources in the security services have hinted that the nation’s security is alert and fully prepared to combat any treacherous activities of any insurgent group, saying “we are well-prepared to crush any insurgent group. No evil-minded person or persons will have their way.” Joy fm conspires with opposition NPP? May 15, 2014 Priding itself as leader in ‘independent’ private broadcasting in Ghana, Kokomleme-based JOY Fm; a once credible and thought-to-be objective radio station in Accra is fast been exposed as an appendage of the opposition NPP in Ghana, The aL-hAJJ can today confirm.

As a result of the violence visited on its staff and properties and the subsequent bashing it received from members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and their allies for calling the 2012 presidential election results in favour of president John Dramani Mahama; JOY FM, a flagship media outfit of the Multimedia group, having perhaps regretted its action never ceased working towards bringing down the regime.

Exhibiting extreme hatred for President Mahama and the NDC government, JOY FM has since the swearing into office of the present government embarked on a political agenda to paint government as filthy corrupt and not fit to rule in order to pave way for the removal of the Mahama administration.

Even in clear cases where the once impartial and balanced media outlet is caught flat-footed for peddling false and malicious stories about government and is asked to retract and apologize, the station either renders half-hearted apology or arrogantly fail to do what is rightly accepted in journalism.

Without any sense of shame to the falsehoods they have in the past reported about President Mahama and the government, JOY FM in cahoots with the mouthpiece of the opposition New Patriotic Party, The New Statesman was last week once again exposed for what turned out to be blatant untruth intended to create disaffection for the Mahama government.

Deliberately intended to stir the hornet’s nest and rundown government as inept in the management of the power sector, JOY FM gave prominence to a false news item it “manufactured” that “it can report on authority that Nigeria has cut back gas supply to government hence, ongoing load management’.

Well aware of how Ghanaians react to issues of power outages which has been christened “Dumsor Dumsor”, the hitherto fair and balance radio station now turned anti-government media outlet reported that Ghanaians should gird their loins as the power rationing will still linger and even get worse.

Even when the Communication Director of Volta River Authority, Samuel Fletcher, voluntarily spoke on the stations’ morning show program a day after to correct the mischievous and spurious news with an explanation that, there wasn’t any cut in gas supply from Nigeria, JOY FM continued in its deliberate misinformation of the Ghanaian people.

Obviously bent on giving credit to the false story and perhaps to pitch the VRA Communication Director against government, the anti-government station in partnership with The New Statesman widely reported Samuel Fletcher to have said ‘any promise to end the current power rationing in the country would amounts to a grand deception’.

The VRA Communication Director has since been seething with intense rage over the inaccurate and twisted reportage.

Since the inception of the Mahama government, JOY FM and Multimedia in general have persistently embarked on an undrilled agenda to create public disaffection for government aimed at forcing a regime change.

Government has had enough of their spurious and false reportage when it accused it of working towards regime change in one of their highly hyped but inaccurate reportage that the president stopped managers of the defunct Merchant bank from collecting monies his brother, Ibrahim Mahama owed the bank.