THE GROWING GUTS

As I sit one day to observe

Long reasons and patches

Which from afar has dominated

The guts and passions of man

In that it lives with man forever

To places which could not be remembered

Or till eternity

Intuitive factors which causes man to succumb

Or to wake up and open a new chapter

That would have long been written maybe

Until now and always into the future

Knowing no uncertainty

To areas that means pushing forward

Or should I say relax perhaps

And if indeed would have to

Remind me if I am to say something

If you would stop moving forward

What pushed you to start moving?

MY TAKES ON THE DEMOLISHING EXERCISE AT PART OF KANTAMANTO BY A.M.A. BOSS

By: Lin Collins

“We want A.M.A and the government to see how best they can help us out of this situation”, the traders pleaded.

The Government of Ghana has been doing well in raising high standard of living and low cost of living as well especially in Accra. Though this has not yielded much over the years, I strongly believe that there are still on going efforts to resolve these social cankers.

Though the Government through Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A.) Mayor Alfred Oko Vanderpuije improves upon the sanitation issues of the country, maybe a second look should be given at the comments or the grievances that the citizenry makes during those exercises.

I know full well some structures in the country have been raised at unauthorised places in the country in that no permit has been granted. In look of this, the first question would be what has actually led to that?

Firstly, it is hard to get a place especially in Accra to mount a structure or trade. If hopefully you get a place, it may be a prohibited area. One reason maybe that it is on a flood line. Implying it is a conduit which can easily be flooded by the rain. If you are to get a first-class place with all the permissions and no intrusions from nature possibly, then it would also be far from market or customers. Or probably source to basic amenities. It is not really appetising to get a place where there is no proximity to market, looking at transport, source of goods or products and just to mention a few.

Secondly, I will understand that there are geographers or personnel responsible to ensure that buildings are not situated at water ways. The one big problem is that, sometimes the personnel are very much aware of the place but simply because it is a very busy place, where the owner can make huge sums of money, he or she will agree. Then finally issue a permit even. After years of operation, a building collapse or the area is over ran with flood and then the question comes back to who gave the permit. A typical example is the Melcom disaster. Even getting the government personnel to grant you the permission to build or put up a structure would need a bureaucracy which can take more than a month. To make things easy for yourself, just go and do the bribing thing. It is disgusting on the part of government appointees. You don’t have to blame them much; they claim low income and some incentives.

Thirdly, with the issue of job opportunities, it would need real struggle to get one in a reputable institution or organization. With all the bribes and corruptions that comes with it. I understand perfectly the Government of Ghana is doing well to clung down on people involved in those acts, yes, he is doing his best. But the simple thing is that his best is just not enough in the country. The government sometimes waste resources on projects that never yield. A whole lot has to be done in curbing this particular canker in the Ghanaian society. I also understand that not everyone in the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are corrupted. Nevertheless, they are a few. My mother would tell you, “It is just one nut that spoils the whole soup.” If the authorities supposed to get people employed are waiting for bribes to get it done, you can imagine obviously that unqualified and people lacking the requisite cognisance would be put there instead. I know full well management and supervision should have a say in these appointments thing. However, if they are corrupt also, it would be overlooked upon. All these acts lead to shoddy work done in the country so to speak. I believe the government have to keep on struggling to get things done well. Just good measures and policies should be implemented to ensure the issue of unemployment are minimised at least. Yes, all levels of authorities should be scrutinized.

Fourthly, getting a job now a day’s seems just hard when in Greater-Accra Region, Accra notably. When this does happens, citizenries may be forced to go into social vices. If that option would not be landed upon, then, some wooden structures again would be put up near gutters, near the private, the refuse dump, just any place to go into selling or trading. With all the hells that comes with getting a notable place in Accra to trade, one would prefer been at any place which seems good to his or her eyes. Of course the Accra Mayor would not like this. It contributes to so many slams and just makes the city buildings look haphazardly built. Assuming there is a job for everyone right after the University, it would at least minimize the rate at which people throng the street to sell. Prostitution is not good, stealing cannot be considered, nevertheless, and man needs to eat. That is the problem. What is the solution? The government should ensure that as earlier said, there should be good implementation of policies and all persons irrespective of position be faced the long arm of the law when found guilty of any act deemed wrong in the society. One fact is that, there is money in Ghana. Unfortunately it has been lodged in only a few pockets.

Finally, I strongly believe the government should do well on the provision of Jobs or better still creating one. However, the citizenry should not always depend on the government. No! The government already has a lot to do. There are problems here and there to for the government to solve. It is here that you engage yourself in doing something as the government support your perhaps. Creating job for one self has never been easy though if we have to consider the level of Education and some special skills needed in doing some of these jobs. In any case, it cannot stop one from still giving out his or her best in learning a particular field of interest to earn a living. In my opinion and a good eye on the current situations in Ghana, one needs not depend on the government much. I know of this ‘Dumsor’ thing myself. Obviously, I cannot complain much though.

If the A.M.A Boss has decided to undertake such a move, it should not be a problem. I fully understand it would increase the cost of living for the people affected, nevertheless, we should think wide. We need to look at other ways of earning living. On a serious note if you have just one way of earning a living, there would be a serious problem if sources close. But wait a minute, what if we all upgrade our handy skills and some level of education, would it not help on the long run?

 

 

 

 

MY TAKES ON THE ANGOLAN JOURNALIST RAFAEL MARQUES DE MORAIS SUSPENDED JAIL TERM

By: Lin Collins

If the cock would not crow at dawn does that mean that man would not wake up? And if a neighbour does yawn, would it mean his eyes are heavy? “This is not going to end here. It’s a victory for treachery and ill-faith and it just prove the generals were aware of the abuses in the region...” an excerpt from Journalist Marques de Morais.

It is rather in despicable to see a fellow good man, given a suspended jail term. Why? He exposes the ill-manners of top officials. If the society we claim we live in is fighting for goodwill, the exhibition of the rule of law and justice, irrespective of the authority involved, then we have just begun rescinding to the days where democracy did not prevail. If the claim that what is he’s (Marques) done is a slander, then there should be evidences. Yes of course there should be one. The whole case of Marques centred on his 2011 book, Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola, which detailed more than 100 killings and hundreds of cases of torture allegedly perpetrated by security guards and soldiers in the diamond fields of the Lundas region. It argued that seven generals who co-own a private security company involved in many of the abuses were criminally responsible, prompting them to sue. If you are not comfortable with a particular behaviour, why then would you still put it up? Now even if it’s fictional thing or a rumour, mind you, there is an atom of truth in every rumour.

Moreover, the rule of law has not being fully allowed to operate. Yes! How can a judiciary run a court ruling without potential proofs on which the accused would be held accountable for? How possible is that? “...I was convicted without any body of evidence.” In this our age where democracy and the rule of law are to dine together, now there is a separation. You (Adriano Cerveira, the Judge) sentence someone without legitimate and substantial evidences and yet you call it legal. For the fact that you (Angola) are part of a Union or Association, you should be able to live by the rules. Or do I have to remember someone that when in Rome, Romans doing should prevail? If the country Angola would not take a second look at what has been done, I am afraid as there is Indirect Rule, there would be Indirect Dictatorship also. Of course a little drop of water makes a mighty Ocean. If it starts from Marques de Morais, why would it not continue? “The way in which the Angolan judicial system manipulated this case, from the very outset, shows the brazen extent to which the Dos Santos government will go to criminalise freedom of expression” grieved Africa programme officer at the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Why would these things be allowed in the first place, if there is a rule of law and in their constitution there is freedom and expression, then it should be utilized fully not partially or better still overshadowed? It is an insult to other upcoming journalist or ordinary citizens. They would not feel protected. If the very people who are suppose to interpret the laws of the land are twisting it, who else would be in good position to do that?

In addition to that, it would diminish the faith the people of Luanga and Angola as a whole have in their legislation. Upcoming investigative journalist would fear most. Rafael Marques de Morais described the sentence as a blow to freedom of expression in the southern African country: “It’s sending a message that ‘we can lock you up, including Rafael. We can send him to jail any time we want.” Why on earth things like this would be allowed to happen. The simple thing is Africa as a whole sometimes fails to recognize the little things that build up responsible and accountable governance. If cases of Marques type would be handled like that, what would be of minor cases? Those below Marques belt of offence? The suppression of Human Right should not be taken on a lighter note. Angola is bound by the African charter on human and peoples’ rights, as well as numerous international human rights conventions. It would therefore not do things without any rule governing it. Nevertheless, what faith could the people of Luanga and Angola on the whole have in their country in terms of security? If you (Angola) are bounded by Africa charter on human and people’s rights not forgetting other international human rights convention and yet still operate in these ways, how would it be if you are not?

Finally, in personal opinions I think the Africa charter on human and people’s rights should investigate this case again and find out reasons for the Judge Adriano Cerveira would give such a sentence without the basis of evidence from the accuser(s). It would not be prudent to see this happen. It’s just a fire match stick which would set a whole place ablaze. If nothing is done about it, the assumption is that a fellow Judge in some other African country would do a similar thing. Yes, making references to this case. “After all what was done on his ruling, what happened to the country and the people who lived in it, or better still the Judge who sat on the case?” That is what a colleague or friend would ask.

It is rather unfortunate that there seems to be betrayal of trust and incompliance of common reasons. Africa should be far from these things at least. If Africa wants to grow, there should be a change of attitude and behavioural impulses. If a branch of a tree would be affected by a disease, it would probably affect the rest of the branches too. Other member states should work effortlessly to ensure that the rule of law is used by hook or crook. Africa cannot sit down to watch things been trampled upon. No!