SHUT UP THIS TIME, HASSAN AYARIGA BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU TO BE A HYPOCRITE FOOL. "KWASEA" DON'T TRY TO COUGH INTENTIONALLY AGAIN THIS TIME AROUND. YOU FRIED FISH!!!
SHUT UP THIS TIME, HASSAN AYARIGA BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU TO BE A HYPOCRITE FOOL. "KWASEA" DON'T TRY TO COUGH INTENTIONALLY AGAIN THIS TIME AROUND. YOU FRIED FISH!!!
OLD SOLDIER 12 years ago
AUTHOR: MARTIN A.B.K. AMIDU....
It would appear that those in control of the NDC, for the time being, were bent on excluding other bona fide members of the Party who may wish to lay democratic claims to who becomes the nex ... read full comment
AUTHOR: MARTIN A.B.K. AMIDU....
It would appear that those in control of the NDC, for the time being, were bent on excluding other bona fide members of the Party who may wish to lay democratic claims to who becomes the next flag bearer of the Party by excluding them even before the mortal remains of the demised President were interred. It is also symptomatic of how political party elites in Ghana and Africa worm their way into the confidences of persons perceived as likely to ascend to power positions for purposes of eventual personal economic gain at the expense of the generality of the mass of Party members and the Nation which every President swears to serve under the Constitution...
www.ghanatv.weebly.com 12 years ago
Watch TV3, GTV live, Adom, Joy and Many more. Go to www.ghanatv.weebly.com
Watch TV3, GTV live, Adom, Joy and Many more. Go to www.ghanatv.weebly.com
JOHN 12 years ago
HE IS TOO GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL POLITICS: TRAVEL AND SEE OR LEARN MORE SENSE:
HE IS TOO GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL POLITICS: TRAVEL AND SEE OR LEARN MORE SENSE:
Kafui Ama 12 years ago
Author: Kafui Ama
Please be patient and read this to the end.
By Craig Murray, former Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana
In 2004, Craig Murray was famously removed as British Ambassador in Uzbekistan af ... read full comment
Author: Kafui Ama
Please be patient and read this to the end.
By Craig Murray, former Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana
In 2004, Craig Murray was famously removed as British Ambassador in Uzbekistan after accusing the Uzbek government of human rights abuses. But from 1998 to 2002, Murray served as Deputy High Commissioner in Ghana. Here he tells how, against all odds, he helped leave a legacy of free and fair elections in the African country... It was November 1999 and I'd been Deputy High Commissioner in Ghana for almost a year - the culmination of 15 years' Foreign Office service in Nigeria, Warsaw and the equatorial Africa department in London.
I'd always been passionate about Africa and had immersed myself in its minutiae. Nevertheless, my father, who had a timber yard in Ghana in the Sixties, offered a little extra counsel before I departed, aged 40. 'If you see any good-looking girl, aged about 30, light skinned, whatever you do, don't touch her - she could be your sister!'
Not that this was a big concern for me. My most pressing duty was the 1999 State Visit by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Enhanced Coverage Linking the Duke of Edinburgh, -Search using: Biographies Plus News, Most Recent 60 Days, accompanied by Robin Cook, the then Foreign Secretary. It was a three-day blur of activity, the teeming crowds displaying an uncomplicated and old-fashioned reverence.
A warning that the Duke was averse to looking at things without useful purpose proved absolutely right. As we stood looking at the strip of brass laid in a churchyard that marked the line of the Greenwich Meridian, he said to me: 'A line in the ground, eh? Very nice.'
Ghana epitomises much of the best of Africa, but also throws into relief the tragedy of the continent. It has maintained its higher education and has fewer extremes of wealth than elsewhere. But at independence in 1957, Ghana was richer than Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia or Singapore. Today, those countries are at least ten times as wealthy.
Corruption, cronyism, economic mismanagement, irresponsible lending by the West and the dumping of cheap food all did for Ghana. When I arrived with my wife Fiona, and children Jamie and Emily, Ghana had been ruled for 20 years by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
The son of a Stirlingshire pharmacist and a local woman, he seized power in a coup in 1979, but claimed to have won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, despite allegations of vote-rigging.
In his early years, Rawlings unleashed a political terror on Ghana. His campaign against the middle classes resembled Mao's Cultural Revolution. People were persecuted for having savings or two indoor lavatories. Market women were sometimes killed for 'profiteering'.
The Queen's visit delighted Rawlings, who craved international respectability. I, too, was determined to make the most of the trip, by helping ensure Rawlings gave up power by the start of 2001, as the constitution required because he had served two four-year terms.
The Queen's speech to the parliament in the capital, Accra, was to be the focus of the visit and I had contributed to its drafting. It contained the usual guff about a future based upon partnership, but there was a sting in the tail. 'Next, year, Mr President,' the Queen intoned, 'you will step down after two terms in office in accordance with your constitution.' The opposition benches went wild and the Queen stopped, looking in bewilderment at the hullabaloo.
Afterwards, Robin Cook was furious. 'It's a disaster. Who the hell drafted that?'
'Er, I did, Secretary of State,' I said. 'I might have guessed! Who the hell approved it?' 'You did.' Cook's Private Secretary had to dig out the draft he had signed. After the State banquet, I retired to a hotel bar with the Royal Household. The senior staff had withdrawn to allow the butlers, footmen and hairdressers to let off steam.
The party appeared, to a man, to be gay. Not just gay, but outrageously camp. We'd taken the hotel for the Royal party, but allowed the British Airways crew to stay. Now three cabin stewards, two Royal footmen and a Royal hairdresser were grouped around the piano singing hits from Cabaret. I was seated on a sofa and across from me in an armchair was a member of the Household who seemed out of place. The valet looked to be in his 60s, a grizzled NCO with tufts of hair either side of a bald pate, a boxer's nose and tattoos on his arms.
He was smoking roll-ups. I turned to the old warrior and said: 'Don't you find all this a bit strange sometimes?' He lent forward, put his hand on my bare knee below the kilt I wore on ceremonial occasions and said: 'Listen, ducks. I was in the Navy for 30 years.' I think he was joking, but some things are too weird even for me. The lower reaches of the Royal Household are one of them.
One enjoyable aspect of our time in Ghana was the constant stream of visitors. Among them was Peter Hain, the Minister for Africa. Hain, a good footballer, agreed to play in a charity match between children from a community football scheme and the High Commission.
Unfortunately, the ground was hard and the opposition turned out to be super-fit professionals. After a heavy tackle, I went down. Result: a dislocated shoulder. I couldn't move my arm for eight weeks. Other visitors included Clare Short, at the time Secretary of State for International Development.
She was in Ghana to try to persuade it to join a debt relief scheme. At a dinner for her, a Minister had made a speech about how much Ghana had learnt from the British Empire. Short stood up and expostulated: 'The British Empire! Don't tell me about the British Empire. I know about British colonialism. My father was Irish and we know about British colonialism. I'll tell you what the British did to your country. They exploited it, that's what they did. They exploited it.' After a few moments of stunned silence, the dinner continued.
On another occasion we were joined by Bobby Charlton, who came to Ghana seeking support for England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup. He was still an astounding player at 60 and it was good of him to get on the pitch for a local community football programme. Nevertheless, I found Charlton disappointing. He was self-centred and ratty - one of those heroes you wish you hadn't met.
Conversely, Roger Moore, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, was charming and suave, just as you would expect, with a fund of brilliant stories beginning with lines such as: 'One day, Frank, Dean, Tony and I decided to play a trick on Marilyn ... ' He was also well briefed about children's issues in Ghana and was prepared not just to do PR, but to get his hands dirty helping in refugee camps without a camera in sight.
I was less taken with Jamie Theakston.
The BBC were filming a wildlife programme in Ghana, looking at the endangered green turtle population near Ada. A group of young volunteers had accompanied the BBC team to help the newly-born turtles to reach the ocean. But one girl, in her mid-20s, had streams of mascara running down her cheeks. She claimed Theakston had just broken up with her - yet here he was, surrounded by young women, enjoying the adulation.
I had bigger concerns, however. Ghana's presidential and parliamentary elections were due in December 2000 and there were signs that its 11 million voters might be preparing for a change of government. Enthusiasm for politics was everywhere. Even in the meanest village, people gathered under the banyan tree listening to FM stations on a battered transistor and arguing about the coming change.
In the West, tired of our politicians' deceit, we no longer much value democracy. It is wonderful to see a people exercising for the first time their power over those who would govern them. Our job was to see the elections were free and fair, with Britain funding a £10 million programme for photo-ID cards to reduce electoral fraud. The exercise eradicated one million fake names.
Another practical new weapon was indelible ink: when somebody voted, their thumb was painted to stop them casting more than one vote. India was the only source of a truly permanent ink that could not be washed or rubbed off. I had also persuaded the Foreign Office to provide experts from the Electoral Reform Society. Further valuable additions were two British MPs, Roger Gale and Nigel Jones.
Rawlings's party, the National Democratic Congress ( NDC), put up the vice President, John Atta Mills, as its presidential candidate. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) fielded John Kufuor. There is a tribal element in Ghanaian politics: the Ewe people vote overwhelmingly NDC; the Ashanti overwhelmingly NPP.
It was clear the governing party would not abandon power easily. Alarmed that it would lose, it had the high court declare the ID cards illegal because they disenfranchised legitimate voters. But the ruling was to no avail - the people took over. Polling station officers decided they were going to use ID cards anyway.
When first- round votes on December 7 were tallied, Kufuor had 48.4 per cent against Atta Mills's 44.8 per cent. The opposition was heading for a small majority but, with no candidate exceeding 50 per cent, a run- off was required. Ghana's 30 or so FM stations were vital in bringing democracy, so it was no surprise that the NDC moved against them.
On the evening before the poll, I took Roger Gale and Nigel Jones to visit Joy FM, possibly Ghana's most influential station. We were sitting in the office when an armed posse of Rawlings's security men arrived, saying they were closing the station on the President's instructions.
‘Good evening,' I said. ‘I am Craig Murray, Deputy British High Commissioner, and these gentlemen are Mr Roger Gale MP and Mr Nigel Jones MP, members of the British Parliament.' Gale added: ' Obviously there has been some mistake.
I thought I heard you say that you were closing down the station, but we are here to visit our fellow democracy, Ghana, and democracies don't close down radio stations.' The goons left. Joy FM never was closed. However, the NDC started to think I was a part of their problem and they assigned a secret service team to follow me around.
As the second round on December 28 approached, we discovered a problem: not enough Indian ink. We had paid for more, but it had to be specially made and would not be ready until December 24. This was cutting it tight and action was needed. Chartering a private plane to set off from India on Christmas Eve was easier said than done. Whitehall was in festive mode and unlikely to sanction spending quickly, so I used the Embassy's budget to pay for it.
Ghana's government did not want the Indian ink to get in and I was concerned it would be delayed by customs officials. So on Christmas Day 2000, instead of eating turkey, I stood baking on the airport tarmac. When our plane taxied in, we unloaded the boxes of little ink bottles on to two trucks. I escorted these out of the VIP gateway, helped by a substantial tip to the guards.
The truck drivers then delivered the ink to regional centres for distribution to constituencies. This was a game being played for high stakes, with real danger of civil war.
Hotheads in the ruling party might claim electoral fraud and mount a military takeover. The Ashanti could also react violently to losing. Every embassy was updating evacuation plans. Around 1am, the results started to come in. There was a more or less consistent swing to the opposition candidate, John Kufuor. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.
The coolest man in Ghana that night was the wry, chain-smoking Electoral Commissioner, Kwadwo Afari- Gyan, who received constant threatening phone calls instructing him to fix the result. Each time, the Electoral Commissioner replied: ' The result will be what the result will be. I am just making sure it is fairly counted.' Then, taking his umpteenth call, he stiffened. He summoned me to listen: it was his wife. Soldiers had come to their bungalow, taking her and his children hostage and threatening to kill them if he did not deliver the ' right' result.
Kwadwo barked down the phone: ' Put their leader on.' ‘Listen you little *****,' he snarled. 'How dare you come to my house and threaten my wife and children. I am sitting here with the British Deputy High Commissioner and he knows what is happening. Now get out of my home before we have you thrown into jail!' The soldier said: ' Yes, sir; sorry, sir.' Kwadwo then told his wife not to worry and calmly returned to his work.
By 3am on the second night only two constituencies were still to declare. Even if every voter there went for Atta Mills, Kufuor could still not be beaten.
The opposition had won - an African country ... had shown that democratic change could be achieved peacefully. Kufuor's eight years as President saw economic growth of more than 70 per cent - the first prolonged period since independence when Ghana was not getting poorer. But Ghanaians chose to exercise their democratic right to change and earlier this month narrowly elected Atta Mills.
Ghana is the only country in Africa to achieve the democratic norm of power alternating peacefully between parties at successive uninterrupted elections.
As I look back on my involvement with Africa over 30 years, I remain most proud of helping Ghanaians to attain democracy. It is an example that sadly, the rest of the continent has so far done little to follow.
But Ghana remains there - a glimmer of hope, an example to others and a rebuke to cynics who claim democracy is not possible in Africa.
Zoobie-Zoobie 12 years ago
not presidential material
not presidential material
Zoobie-Zoobie 12 years ago
a joke!!!
a joke!!!
insight to the bone 12 years ago
Fake leaders claim thrones without building kingdoms as pepeni has done by murdering mills . today there is another divide and that is the north south whereby these Muslims think its their god given right to plunder and oppre ... read full comment
Fake leaders claim thrones without building kingdoms as pepeni has done by murdering mills . today there is another divide and that is the north south whereby these Muslims think its their god given right to plunder and oppress the Akans. Just as pharaoh had pestilence after pestilence , no water , no electricity , no infrastructure , no development, chinese locusts poisoning our lands and waters ,corruption and death everywhere and the people suffer. they are blind to see the will of God and in their selfish fantasies think its a right or their turn to pillage the coffers . they send their chariots or special police and army to try in put fear in the children of God the Akans . we are told their plan is to start shooting first and again blame the Akans so we must now prepare and make sure when they do not a single one leaves alive . we number millions and can never be defeated by your mischievous fools . THe lord has promised us freedom and nobody with their trickery and biased toilet carrying pepeni judges can stop it.It is time to take the children to the villages and prepare to defend ourselves against this evil pepeni , long live the republic of Akan
truth hurts 12 years ago
Bawumia is pepeni too,brainless chimp......get the fuck out of here with you stupidity.nitwit
Bawumia is pepeni too,brainless chimp......get the fuck out of here with you stupidity.nitwit
Woman's wisdom 12 years ago
Please please please, don't compare Bawumia to this idiot at all. Come on, did you hear Bawumia speak, answering questions during the cross examination by Tsatu the jail bird? How dare you compare a fool like Ayarega to a shr ... read full comment
Please please please, don't compare Bawumia to this idiot at all. Come on, did you hear Bawumia speak, answering questions during the cross examination by Tsatu the jail bird? How dare you compare a fool like Ayarega to a shrewd,intuitive individual like Dr. Bawumia? Please don't go there at all. Bawumia is a human being but ayarega is a bush meat.
Zoobie-Zoobie 12 years ago
you need a mental check-up
you need a mental check-up
insight to the bone 12 years ago
we shall see who is mad when the day comes , rigging elections , corruption and all the evils you think are ideal . its your madness railroadinf us all to a status quo and war
we shall see who is mad when the day comes , rigging elections , corruption and all the evils you think are ideal . its your madness railroadinf us all to a status quo and war
Nicholas J Bedzo 12 years ago
This article is not necessary.
This article is not necessary.
truth hurts 12 years ago
Moronic fools...this guy is making a whole lot of sense and you fools are here insulting him.You all need to grow some brains if you can..idiots.
Moronic fools...this guy is making a whole lot of sense and you fools are here insulting him.You all need to grow some brains if you can..idiots.
alw 12 years ago
may not be a presidential material but he is making sense - hope Mahama and Akuffo adhere to this sense
may not be a presidential material but he is making sense - hope Mahama and Akuffo adhere to this sense
kkd 12 years ago
so this guy thinks he is big among leaders
so this guy thinks he is big among leaders
Ojomo 12 years ago
Foolish Ghananians! So this man wanted to become your president. No wonder you all look like him
Foolish Ghananians! So this man wanted to become your president. No wonder you all look like him
Ojomo 12 years ago
Ghananians, mosquitoes and flies
Ghananians, mosquitoes and flies
Abigarmont 12 years ago
Our dear country Ghana is still discovering itself in the democratic league of nations,and for any nation to be taken seriously they must believe and respect the instruments which they have put in place to manage and govern t ... read full comment
Our dear country Ghana is still discovering itself in the democratic league of nations,and for any nation to be taken seriously they must believe and respect the instruments which they have put in place to manage and govern thier day to day affiars.
MAAMA AYARIGA 12 years ago
GO COUGH YOUR USELESS BRAINS OUT, FOOL.
GO COUGH YOUR USELESS BRAINS OUT, FOOL.
GREAT NANA ANTWI 12 years ago
ARE YOU IN NEED OF A FAST POWERFULL SPIRITUALIST?THEN GO TO www.greatnanapowerfullspiritualist.blogspot.com
ARE YOU IN NEED OF A FAST POWERFULL SPIRITUALIST?THEN GO TO www.greatnanapowerfullspiritualist.blogspot.com
Lawanger, canada 12 years ago
Hassan Ayariga was a toilet carrier in Germany, is only Ghanaians that he fool.
Hassan Ayariga was a toilet carrier in Germany, is only Ghanaians that he fool.
Truth 12 years ago
Where are all those crazy people who were violent sometime ago? Throwing bombs, killing people and burning markets. Dombo, Busia, Danquah, etc. are all gone with the wind so will be all those who want to cause a state of anar ... read full comment
Where are all those crazy people who were violent sometime ago? Throwing bombs, killing people and burning markets. Dombo, Busia, Danquah, etc. are all gone with the wind so will be all those who want to cause a state of anarchy after the Supreme Court judgment.
Truth 12 years ago
If you think this guy Ayaringa was carrying toilet in Germany , what are you doing in Canada? Cleaning dead bodies at funeral homes, grave-digger or in nursing home cleaning old white folks' shit.
If you think this guy Ayaringa was carrying toilet in Germany , what are you doing in Canada? Cleaning dead bodies at funeral homes, grave-digger or in nursing home cleaning old white folks' shit.
Woman's wisdom 12 years ago
This Ayarega fool has never said anything good. To the SC case, he said the judges will look outside the evidence and not exactly what took place in the court room to determine who wins... Does it make sense? Don't forget wha ... read full comment
This Ayarega fool has never said anything good. To the SC case, he said the judges will look outside the evidence and not exactly what took place in the court room to determine who wins... Does it make sense? Don't forget what he did during the IEA debate. He coughed into the face of Nana Addo every time Nana Addo was talking(without covering his mouth). He is not a presidential material. He is just a fool. And I think this guy was dead after the debate because his type of Ayarecough was deadly. Let us do away with fools like this or Ghana because with idiots like this, Ghana will never move forward. This is a typical fool so let us not give him this platform to propagate stupidity. He also called for his macho men to beat up a radio presenter because the presenter exposed Ayarega's foolery. what kind of a fool is this? Ayarega is sick or what? The nonsense of it.
Mansa 12 years ago
Ayarega may you live long and become president in Ghana one day. Do not listen to AAA workers in USA, group home workers and nursing home workers.
Ayarega may you live long and become president in Ghana one day. Do not listen to AAA workers in USA, group home workers and nursing home workers.
Koforidua Flowers (fr) 12 years ago
i THINK THE TRUTH OF A MATTER IS DETERMINED BY WHAT WE HEARD,HOW WE SAW IT AND HOW WE PROVE IT.i KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE LAW IS VERY WELL APPLIED BY CONSIDERING SUCH FACTORS.tHEREFORE,hANSSEN aYARIGA OUGHT NOT TO MISINTERPRET ... read full comment
i THINK THE TRUTH OF A MATTER IS DETERMINED BY WHAT WE HEARD,HOW WE SAW IT AND HOW WE PROVE IT.i KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE LAW IS VERY WELL APPLIED BY CONSIDERING SUCH FACTORS.tHEREFORE,hANSSEN aYARIGA OUGHT NOT TO MISINTERPRET THE LAW REGARDLES WHAT HE HEARD, SAW AND WATCHED ON THE TV.aYARIGA IS WARNED NOT DISRUPT PEOPLE WITH HIS CALCULATED COUGH WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR JUBILATING WINNERS OVER THE LONG WAITED SC VERDICT.
Chimini 12 years ago
You have have spoken wisely.War mongers will be put to shame.
You have have spoken wisely.War mongers will be put to shame.
SHUT UP THIS TIME, HASSAN AYARIGA BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU TO BE A HYPOCRITE FOOL. "KWASEA" DON'T TRY TO COUGH INTENTIONALLY AGAIN THIS TIME AROUND. YOU FRIED FISH!!!
AUTHOR: MARTIN A.B.K. AMIDU....
It would appear that those in control of the NDC, for the time being, were bent on excluding other bona fide members of the Party who may wish to lay democratic claims to who becomes the nex ...
read full comment
Watch TV3, GTV live, Adom, Joy and Many more. Go to www.ghanatv.weebly.com
HE IS TOO GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL POLITICS: TRAVEL AND SEE OR LEARN MORE SENSE:
Author: Kafui Ama
Please be patient and read this to the end.
By Craig Murray, former Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana
In 2004, Craig Murray was famously removed as British Ambassador in Uzbekistan af ...
read full comment
not presidential material
a joke!!!
Fake leaders claim thrones without building kingdoms as pepeni has done by murdering mills . today there is another divide and that is the north south whereby these Muslims think its their god given right to plunder and oppre ...
read full comment
Bawumia is pepeni too,brainless chimp......get the fuck out of here with you stupidity.nitwit
Please please please, don't compare Bawumia to this idiot at all. Come on, did you hear Bawumia speak, answering questions during the cross examination by Tsatu the jail bird? How dare you compare a fool like Ayarega to a shr ...
read full comment
you need a mental check-up
we shall see who is mad when the day comes , rigging elections , corruption and all the evils you think are ideal . its your madness railroadinf us all to a status quo and war
This article is not necessary.
Moronic fools...this guy is making a whole lot of sense and you fools are here insulting him.You all need to grow some brains if you can..idiots.
may not be a presidential material but he is making sense - hope Mahama and Akuffo adhere to this sense
so this guy thinks he is big among leaders
Foolish Ghananians! So this man wanted to become your president. No wonder you all look like him
Ghananians, mosquitoes and flies
Our dear country Ghana is still discovering itself in the democratic league of nations,and for any nation to be taken seriously they must believe and respect the instruments which they have put in place to manage and govern t ...
read full comment
GO COUGH YOUR USELESS BRAINS OUT, FOOL.
ARE YOU IN NEED OF A FAST POWERFULL SPIRITUALIST?THEN GO TO www.greatnanapowerfullspiritualist.blogspot.com
Hassan Ayariga was a toilet carrier in Germany, is only Ghanaians that he fool.
Where are all those crazy people who were violent sometime ago? Throwing bombs, killing people and burning markets. Dombo, Busia, Danquah, etc. are all gone with the wind so will be all those who want to cause a state of anar ...
read full comment
If you think this guy Ayaringa was carrying toilet in Germany , what are you doing in Canada? Cleaning dead bodies at funeral homes, grave-digger or in nursing home cleaning old white folks' shit.
This Ayarega fool has never said anything good. To the SC case, he said the judges will look outside the evidence and not exactly what took place in the court room to determine who wins... Does it make sense? Don't forget wha ...
read full comment
Ayarega may you live long and become president in Ghana one day. Do not listen to AAA workers in USA, group home workers and nursing home workers.
i THINK THE TRUTH OF A MATTER IS DETERMINED BY WHAT WE HEARD,HOW WE SAW IT AND HOW WE PROVE IT.i KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE LAW IS VERY WELL APPLIED BY CONSIDERING SUCH FACTORS.tHEREFORE,hANSSEN aYARIGA OUGHT NOT TO MISINTERPRET ...
read full comment
You have have spoken wisely.War mongers will be put to shame.
That is wise but fools will not agree to that