President Outtara poohs poohs while President Mahama engages

By Cletus D Kuunifaa

The description as a fabrication, a recent UN report, by Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara that Ghanaian intelligence foiled at least two attacks against Gbagbo associates in the country this year must not go without comment. The guy even doubts that such events ever occurred in Ghana. In an interview with Radio France International’s (RFI), Christophe Boisbouvier on December 4, 2013, the Ivorian President said the report is "despicable" "irresponsible" and "a lie". Mr Ouattara even said the United Nations Experts who compiled the report have acted in a way that could "discredit the UN, especially [the] Sanction Committee" adding that the report "may create difficulties in...relations with the Sanction Committees in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Liberia" (Ghanaweb, December 9, 2013).
Surely, he is looking for an avenue to muddy the waters to begin his modus operandus and we must either sit quietly to watch that unfold or we must not allow that to happen.
This paper finds it as a matter of urgency for Ghana to tighten security, but most importantly to craft ways to contain Outtara’s machinations. Is it Ghana that must lie to the public that they foiled at least two missions this year from Ivoirian agents to kill or abduct Gbagbo’s associates to win international sympathy? Or what other advantage or incentive does Ghana stand to gain for peddling such lies? Fact is that we have been of tremendous help to Cote D’Ivoire during their distress moments and still “sorting” them out in numerous ways.
But what all Ghanaians should know are the silent diplomacy subtleties going on regarding our Oil Fields from the Ivorian quarters. The earlier we open our eyes wide enough to see, the better for us. What I mean by this is that President Outtara has a game plan. This man is very controversial and sneaky. He is been in this sneaky business for long and knows what strings to pull regarding especially the Oil Saga. He is sneaky to have caused all the mess in Cote D’Ivoire. A Burkinabe by origin, suddenly appropriated Ivoirian citizenship to wreck havoc and now in total control of Ivorian affairs.
If not done yet, Ghana Government must mount as a matter of urgency a crack think tank on Energy, put together the energy experts and legal brains as well as international experts and consultants on the subject matter.
We cannot wait until we begin to laugh at the other side of our mouths. President Mahama must be commended for stressing at the two-day session at the Paris Elysee Summit on Peace and Security the need to invest in security and safety for the continent. At the summit, President Mahama said, “the continent cannot take advantage of the conditions it has created for growth and prosperity in "an environment of maritime piracy, terrorism, rebel activities, drug and human trafficking."(http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=294482&comment=9965586#com)
Totally agree with his point and suggest the urgent need to partner with international Geospatial Groups to delimit our resources especially our oil deposits. Given that the Government of Ghana is or will be in negotiation with Cote D’Ivoire to determine the limits of oil extraction and exploration, it will be appropriate for Government to consider the services of GEOGHANA, an offshoot of Northstar Geospatial Group to provide geo data to validate as per Law of the Sea requirements, the exact boundary of Ghana’s resources. GEOGHANA has the pedigree to provide geospatial solutions and the infrastructure needed to effectively address and control our natural resources.

By Cletus D. Kuunifaa, Long Island University, LIU Post, New York. Can be contacted at dipnibe@yahoo.com or Follow him on twitter @ckuunifaa