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Opinions of Thursday, 18 February 2016

Columnist: Daily Guide

Big waves, Kokrobite

Last time I went to Kokrobite in the Central Region, it was a beach resort with live bands, dancing troops, spicy khebabs and plenty chicks to ogle and sneak at. Of course I was much younger and more adventurous and the biggest attraction was to swim round the corner of the huge rocks, resurface round the other side and walk back triumphantly having conquered the break waters and crashing waves of the Guinea Coast. But it got me into a lot of trouble with everyone I was there with on the picnic, more so because there were so many rumors of how the big waves had swallowed many a competent swimmer only for them to resurface several miles down the east side with missing eyes, ears, key male parts gone and unidentifiable marks.

Strange how it is a male thing to try and conquer the unknown and boast thereafter if successful, but leave it to the ones behind to explain how competent a person and how able a swimmer you then were.

Since then, 1997 I had never gone back to Kokrobite. No other reason than I was out of the country, and visits back just could not reminisce the huge rocks and the adventure of the solo swim around those rocks, curdling roar of the water hurdling at you, threatening to dash you against the cliffs without a bit of remorse.

But that is what Ghana can be about.

If you ever decide to attempt that swim round, please call me and let me explain how when the massive waves come hurtling you toward the rock, even when you have taken a deep dive thinking the wave is surface deep only, you still catch the drag of the rushing sea water and gasp for air only to catch a mouthful of sea water on the way up. Panic is the first thing on your mind, but should be the last thing you ever contemplate.

It is an exercise in swimming experience and you must at all costs stay strong, buoyant and drive to the end goal, which is to live.

Beyond the breakwater, the ordeal has ended and you will get the exhilaration that comes only to a dope addict after a shot of something strong. Panic is probably the highest drug on the addiction list.

Now that is the kind of feeling that rides on the mind when you find yourself in the middle of transposition errors.

I refuse to dabble in this infantile terminology. If the Communications Ministry thinks they can fool us all with big statistical terms, they should come again.

Our members of Parliament want a security detail because someone killed one of their own, Mr JB Danquah Adu in his home. JB damirifa due. You will be missed by all.

Story in the media is, someone who was a previous mental patient was offered two thousand cedis to commit the murder and killed you in your sleep. You were not writing any legislation, and you were not involved with any committee as at the time you were murdered. MP work is not dangerous work. It can be difficult if you do it as it should be done, but is definitely not dangerous and does not call for anyone to murder an MP for their work.

A fellow MP and Deputy Minister for the Interior James Agalga poses his biggest challenge in security as his own competitors in his Constituency might want to get one back at him for losing the seat in the party parliamentary elections race.

That makes sense and is better reasoned, because they stand to benefit if he should drop out of the race, for one reason or the other.

But I pointed him to “Heyjulor”. A brilliant and very cost effective security software designed by one of our own, very popular all over the continent and more than capable of handling all the MP’s security alerts. They can have up to as many as five per MP. One for their existing matrimonial homes, another for their concubine, one more for the family home in the city, one for the family home in the village and the last one for the University chick they are nurturing, in the event that wifey should catch the concubine.

That for me would be fair and acceptable. The solution is cheap and effective, they can have their own command center, it will be monitored twenty-four seven and we all know where their non-religious activity is carried out.

. It will also help in the audit of their assets declaration. I like this idea. I might consider a private member’s bill, because right now they are thinking of how they can have more security following them around, carrying their empty portfolios and opening doors for them.

And our economy? Seth Terkper in hiding for now, talking and lying to foreigners about how well we are recovering. I don’t know how many people are still buying what he is selling, but we have to make something clear.

If the NDC Government is banking on a splurge in 2016 and a major blitz around the country like they did in 2012 with JDM lifting his eyes to the Lord even as he sticks a finger up at him, I hope they are in for a surprise and Ghanaians will stay alert to this gimmick this election year.

Me, I want them to spend plenty money. Improve all roads, resurface inner city road with bitumen, design new and unnecessary culverts, complete Eastern corridor road and make all rural road to the farm gate, the feeder road, motorable even after rain and make good ALL promise.

I want new schools to be completed, new trees planted over classroom blocks, old taxes removed and better electricity and water tariffs. What more can I ask for?

And when it is all done, I will vote Freedom Party. I fear nothing.

So my co-conspirator of IMANI Ghana fame, President Franklin Cudjoe rode that wave this week. On the back of very strong evidence, he kicked up a swim against the big contract waves for the Interconnect Clearing House awarded by the National Communications authority to Afriwave of Ghana.

Seems Subah Infosolutions lost to a better bidder. But was the scoring fair? Was the adding up done correctly? And was it all mucked in shady under-dealings?

Since the beginning of 2015, Occupy Ghana has written several letters to the National Communications Authority and copied the Ministry of Communications for details of meetings and information regarding this deal.

Occupy Ghana sees no need for this ICH arrangement. We have said so openly and threatened to scupper it if possible.

David Poku’s Afriwave was eventually awarded the contract with their Huawei partner. Joseph Siaw Agyepong’s Subah, even though tied to Ericcson as a partner lost on a technicality to deliver documents before cut-off date. This is what I know today. We will see how tomorrow unfolds. I leave the scoring matter to IMANI.

Whichever way, it is a big wave akin to Kokrobite, and it would, if we had a straight-up President, catapult another of his ministers out of office. This time the Communications one.

But Subah is a blacklisted company on the back of their ride through GYEEDA waters, so am I going to lose any shut eye?

Ghana, Aha a y? din papa. Alius atrox week advenio. Another terrible week to come!