Opinions of Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Columnist: Sayibu, Akilu

Asiedu Nketia is Ghana's most prolific political comedian

Before I proceed, I wish to announce that contrary to refusals by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to have the current petition at the Supreme Court of Ghana broadcast live, the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana has given the green light for the proceedings to go live. The live broadcast is no longer an intention; it did take place on the 16th Day of April 2013!

When discerning Ghanaians were making a case for the Petition to be heard live, the General-Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia said it was impossible for it to be aired live. He went further to tease that the Supreme Court was not a cinema hall to waste time on live broadcast.

I don’t know what he will be saying to himself now. He was on a live TV from the Supreme Court laughing indiscriminately the first day the live broadcast began and even called for foreign media to also be allowed to give a live coverage.

It must be recalled that it was this same Nketia who said any idiot could go to Court when the NPP hinted that it was going to the Supreme Court to prove how the December 2012 elections were rigged in favour of John Dramani rather than resort to violence in Mother Ghana.

It didn’t take time at all before Nketia and his NDC hired lawyers to go and beg the Supreme Court to allow them to join the election petition. If it were “idiots” who could go to Court, then it means one can effectively term the NDC comedian General-Secretary as the “Chief Idiot”.

This man who has fast become the most prolific political comedian in Ghana is known for running very dangerous and illiterate commentaries each time the Supreme Court holds its sittings. Initially, many Ghanaians said he should be forgiven but for him to continue to make such infantile commentaries even after live broadcast of the hearing is insulting and unacceptable to say the least!

The Supreme Court had directed all the parties in the case; the Electoral Commission, John Mahama and the Petitioners to file their affidavits within a specified period of time for the case to proceed without further delay.

Whilst the NPP was able to file all the affidavits they are expected to file, the NDC also claimed they filed theirs while the petitioners said they were not served. The EC was yet to file theirs on the final day. On one occasion they were even against affidavit witnesses and wanted articulator trucks to carry their so called witnesses to come and crowd the Supreme Court in the name of testifying in the case.

So when they came to Court on the 16th April, 2013, the Supreme Court directed the EC to file its affidavit by the close of work on Tuesday. A directive was also given that the NDC’s affidavits should be served the petitioners in the same way the petitioners’ affidavits were served them.

When the Court ended for the day, Nketia quickly signalled the media to come for an interview. He continued his misinformation to the effect that, the petitioners were running away from the case and behaving like Junior High School boys. Somebody should please tell me, is there any sense in what he told the media?



When the case was reduced to two issues for all the parties, Nketia on his usual misinformation mission told the media that the NPP came to Court with 32 issues and the Supreme Court threw away 30 leaving only two. So to the General Secretary of the NDC, it was a victory for the NDC. HILARIOUS!



I want to conclude that, Asiedu Nketia has succeeded in becoming Ghana’s most prolific political comedian and should be ignored now and forever. However, those who want to de-stress after a day’s hard work can continue to listen to him.



Am off folks, Cheers!



Akilu Sayibu



Email: Akilu.Sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk