Renowned Ghanaian journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has officially announced his return to the airwaves, confirming a permanent stay on Peace FM’s flagship morning show, Kokrokoo.
Kweku Baako’s announcement comes as a significant development for avid listeners of Kokrokoo, a widely followed program known for its insightful discussions on current affairs, politics, and social issues.
During his appearance on the show, Mr Baako expressed his motivation for the decision, stating, “I’ve resumed because the season demands it, particularly the political season. Expect greater consistency from me compared to the past few months”.
Last year, Kweku Baako addressed inquiries about his absence on the Kokrooko show revealing that he had been closely monitoring discussions regarding his whereabouts.
He candidly explained that he took a step back from radio and TV due to his deep involvement in personal projects, emphasizing the need for discipline and focus in managing them.
Moreover, Mr Baako highlighted how the dynamics of family life underwent a significant shift.
The altered family schedule, according to him, imposed an additional burden, compelling him to prioritize staying at home and attending to other responsibilities.
He stressed that this commitment was non-negotiable and reflected a crucial aspect of his life at that time.
National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah on Thursday delivered a special message from President Akufo-Addo to Mali’s Interim President, Colonel Assimï Goita, in Bamako.
He led a delegation from Accra, which held extensive discussions behind closed doors with Col. Goita on security in West Africa and the Sahel.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Kan-Dapaah said Ghana has had long historical and bilateral relations with Mali dating back to the early post-colonial years and was, therefore, interested in the welfare and progress of the Malian people.
“We did talk about how we can be of help to each other because a fire in your neighbour’s house has to be of concern to you,” he said.
Col. Goita, he said, extended “warm greetings” to President Akufo-Addo, adding that Ghana looked forward to further engagements with Mali.
Members of the delegation included Maj. Gen Adu-Amanfoh, Ambassador Kwabena Osei-Danquah, Special Adviser to the Foreign Ministry, Benedict Dere, Executive Secretary of the Accra Initiative, and Napoleon Abdulai, Ghana’s Ambassador in Mali.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, has been asked to review the enterprise of undercover investigative journalism of his protégé, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
According to Professor Kwesi Yankah, a former Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, the modus operandi of the undercover journalist, hitherto known to be a classic venture, has for some time now appeared to be limping.
He said the journalist has been accused by his culprits of entrapment, something that is gaining enough grounds lately.
In a long article, Professor Yankah questioned, “Is Ghana losing this great morality tool? Is the project heading towards commodification?”
The former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, recounting his numerous encounter with the journalist, expressed his disappointment with how the latest undercover investigative documentary of Anas Aremeyaw Anas dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy’ tends to deceive the public.
To him, as the name sounded, ‘Galamsey’, he thought the investigation was about how some nation saboteurs were destroying the environment and the water bodies in their quest to find gold.
“The announcement of his forthcoming project, ‘Galamsey Economy’ thrilled me and got me heading to town to grab a ticket. The theme somehow merged with my own, and I started dreaming sympathies with my little anti-galamsey efforts.
“I called my friend Ace, who disappointed me saying a synopsis of the show in the media, had nothing to do with Galamsey. Ouch! That was a blow below the belt. My day was ruined, and I did a quick u-turn and headed back home chewing roasted corn.
“The deceptive title, Galamsey Economy, gave enough clues that the pet boy probably regressed while I was looking away. Did somebody censor the original story and decide to give the game away, a Freudian slip?
“That didn’t sound like the Anas I had learned to admire,” Professor Yankah said in his article.
He added: “November 2022, a few days ago, and six years after Central, Anas was playing at a theatre near me; but I responded with waned enthusiasm. The once classic venture appeared to be limping, and claims of entrapment by culprits, were gaining ground.
“…Has the pet Anas even decided to shield the true monsters of galamsey?
“Kweku Baako, mentor of Anas, I urge you to pause and review the entire Anas enterprise, or simply call it a day.”
Read Prof Kwesi Yankah’s full article below:
My time with Anas
By Prof. Kwesi Yankah
I was all set, going to see the latest operation by this mystery man, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who for two decades had gotten Ghana turning on his five fingers.
He had gotten the smartest Ghanaian, big or small, looking over his shoulders in every little move on the wrong side of the law.
A single bat of the eyelid from behind his beaded veil gets men of fame tumbling from high heights and whimpering like day-old babes. Call him a gladiator of national values, but he was also an investigative journalist written in bold.
The announcement of his forthcoming project, ‘Galamsey Economy’ thrilled me, and got me heading to town to grab a ticket. The theme somehow merged with my own, and I started dreaming sympathies with my little anti-galamsey efforts. I called my friend Ace, who disappointed me saying a synopsis of the show in the media, had nothing to do with Galamsey. Ouch! That was a blow below the belt. My day was ruined, and I did a quick U-turn and headed back home chewing roasted corn.
The deceptive title, Galamsey Economy, gave enough clues that the pet boy probably regressed while I was looking away. Did somebody censor the original story and decide to give the game away, a Freudian slip?
That didn’t sound like the Anas I had learned to admire. In truth, I had met him twice. First, the real human Anas Aremeyaw Anas, eyeball to eyeball; and years later Anas as a phantom, a hooded scarecrow. Being a writer myself, I knew his early beginnings as a slim, scrawny journalist working for Kweku Baako’s Crusading Guide in the 1990s. I later met him when he came to do Law at the University of Ghana, and visited my office as Pro-VC for student and academic affairs; that was around 2006. He was a very simple and charming personality, far from a little monster, snooping and tracking executive vices. But I somehow lost track of him, until I started seeing glimpses of the cool gentleman, winning global awards with spellbinding stories.
I was stunned by his early investigations like Ghana’s Mad House, where undercover Anas virtually turned into a crazy man, and entered the asylum in Ghana here, as a patient.
He went on admission, and from day to day ate with inmates and, like them, got injected with daily doses of all relevant medication, depressants and all. And why take this trouble? He had sacrificed his life for the sake of unearthing the story of gross human rights violations in mental institutions. That masterpiece in investigative journalism led to the passage of the 2012 Ghana Mental Health Act. Wow! That was a man after my heart.
Over the years, he had become a household name in the subregion and beyond. Otherwise, how could Anas have attracted the attention of global statesman Barack Obama, then US President? In his speech while in Ghana in 2009, Obama drew attention to “that courageous journalist, Anas, who risked his life to report the truth.” I said wow again, exceedingly proud having met the young man from across my desk in Legon.
In September 2015, I was among the large throng of people who queued up at the Accra International Conference Centre, waiting to see the debut of Anas’ masterpiece on judicial corruption that exposed 34 Ghanaian judges engaged in vices of various kinds. Those judges and over 105 judicial staff had been caught on camera receiving bribes to influence judgment in Ghanaian courts. The public was indeed amazed by a scandalous underworld of sex, bribery, blackmail, corruption, by respected men in wig and their associates, who thereby decide to free rapists and other criminals and conversely throw innocent ones in jail.
Days after I had watched that project, I saw one of the shamed judges, partly disguised in a cap, and pushing a luggage towards the departure lounge of Accra airport. It was weeks later, news spread that one of the named judges had quietly left the country.
In November 2016, a year thereafter; I got a rare opportunity to interact with the man Anas, in full flight and regalia.
9th November that year, here was Anas at my doorstep. I was in full charge of Central University as Vice Chancellor, and had introduced a distinguished lecture series, which had brought to campus the likes of Dr Kwesi Botchway, Dr Mahmoud Bawumia, Professor Adigun Agbaje from Ibadan University. To sustain students’ enthusiasm, why not Anas as the next speaker? The thought alone turned the campus topsy turvy. Anas at Central? Yes. It was a scoop, and I had conspired with the dynamic director of the school of communication studies, Dr Ransford Antwi, for the surprise.
Wednesday morning. The 3000-capacity auditorium of Central University was not big enough. A rare gem was in the house. There was excitement; but also panic, a security nightmare. The question was how to host Anas without putting him in jeopardy; who would escort him; how to interact with him, etc. The campus security was on the alert, but even unsure from what direction he was coming. Did he say which access route he would use; which gate? From which direction: Tema or Aflao? The gentleman had decided to keep us in the dark.
9.45am. Anas was on campus with plain-clothed security, having somehow eluded our campus watch dogs. He had materialized.
The packed auditorium was a mix of students, staff and faculty that were all ears, to seek answers to hearsays and puzzles about the man. How does he get his several spooky stories; what makes him ubiquitous? And is this really journalism? But even before the encounter, I got a sense of his operations speaking to students. I was told Anas had student volunteers all over the country working for him free of charge. These were well-trained and could be reached anytime to assist with secret operations. Some of the students, I was scared to hear, were at Central University!
But who was Anas himself? Before us that day, at Central, were three hooded lookalikes, one of whom was the real Anas. The truth was further compounded when after my introduction of the guest speaker, all three lookalikes stepped up from the high table and stood behind microphone stand. After a moment of suspense, the real Anas took the microphone from me and announced himself, while the other two dummies stood fidgeting throughout the interaction.
The 90-minute dialogue with students was thrilling and educative, giving him the opportunity to narrate his harrowing life experiences: disguises, escapades, close encounters; frustrations, successes and narrow misses. The award-winning experience with mental patients, where he was injected with depressants, was the most audacious; and he explained the safety measures he took to reduce adverse health effects.
All eyes riveted on him, he spoke freely, pacing back and forth the crowded auditorium and bending occasionally to chat with individual students. Vigilant from a distance was his own security, that was alert, and ready to dash and intervene where necessary.
After the encounter, my staff and I returned to my office, waiting for Anas to join us for further interaction and refreshments. But that was a mirage. Anas Aremeyaw Anas had mysteriously disappeared!
November 2022, a few days ago, and six years after Central, Anas was playing at a theatre near me; but I responded with waned enthusiasm. The once classic venture appeared to be limping, and claims of entrapment by culprits were gaining ground. Is Ghana losing this great morality tool? Is the project heading towards commodification? Has the pet Anas even decided to shield the true monsters of galamsey?
Kweku Baako, mentor of Anas, I urge you to pause and review the entire Anas enterprise, or simply call it a day.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, has defended the modus operandi his protégé, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, employs in his undercover investigations.
According to him, Anas will continue to use the undercover methodology to unearth any and all negatives within society whether it pleases his critics or not.
Addressing the Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye P.I. modus operandi in a Facebook comment, Kweku Baako agreed, however, that it is ok for those who do not agree with Anas and his methodologies to ask questions.
“People are entitled to ask questions of Tiger Eye and its “methodologies”. That’s fair game. No problem. Tiger Eye will continue to unearth any and all “negatives” applying its “methodologies” whether its critics like it or not!” he wrote.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest ‘Galamsey Economy‘ exposed Charles Adu Boahen, the dismissed Minister of State at the Finance Ministry over an alleged corruption.
Anas in a post on his Facebook timeline hours before the showing of the ‘Galamsey Economy’ film noted that the minister made some shocking revelations to his team in a hotel in UAE, when they posed as possible investors to Ghana.
Adu Boahen among other things alleged that Bawumia will require about USD200,000 as an appearance fee from an investor to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo, however, referred his former appointee to the OSP in the November 14 letter that announced his dismissal.
The dismissal was on the back of allegations of corruption-related issues in Anas’ documentary.
The OSP, subsequently, issued a statement on November 15 confirming that it had started work on the referral from the presidency.
Kweku Baako added, “for now, Tiger Eye has indicated its readiness to assist the investigation announced by the Special Prosecutor; upon the presidential referral of the conduct of Mr. Adu Boahen to the OSP! DUE PROCESS is underway. That’s where Tiger Eye’s FOCUS is!
“Those who want to continue asking questions and criticising “methodologies” and perceived/alleged omissions of Tiger Eye, are entitled to continue! FREE SPEECH!!”
He also denied any meeting between the Tiger Eye P.I. team and Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, in Dubai as it has been reported widely within some sections of the media.
“The last time I checked, Tiger Eye has no video depicting any interaction with Ken Ofori-Atta! None! Assuming without admitting that there were attempts to “entrap” Ken Ofori-Atta, and the attempts proved unsuccessful? What would that mean? That Adu Boahen failed the “test of integrity” while Ofori-Atta succeeded? Or?
“By the way, documentaries are not exhibits in criminal investigations and/or prosecutions. The RAW FOOTAGES are. And the latter have always been submitted to the relevant statutory authorities for the purposes of criminal investigations and prosecutions that were triggered by undercover ops by/of Tiger Eye!” Abdul Malik Kweku Baako stated.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-In- Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper has described as infantile nonsense assertions that investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas targeted Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for undercover investigation which failed as infantile nonsense.
According to Asaase Radio, Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Tiger Eye PI investigators failed to ensnare Ken Ofori-Atta after meeting with him and attempting to ‘bribe’ him with a gift.
“Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, and his Tiger Eye P.I. targeted the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in 2018, as part of the exposé that was released last Monday but failed to entrap him.
Details emerging from the premiered documentary of Anas Aremeyaw Anas titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ on 14 November 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), confirm that beyond the then Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, the main objective of the investigation was to entrap the substantive Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
This was just over a year of the New Patriotic Party taking over from the National Democratic Congress in office.
It has also emerged that Anas Aremeyaw Anas used a civil servant at the Ministry of Finance, who was then a Senior Economics Officer, to get, first to the Deputy Minister and it was the same civil servant who introduced the private legal practitioner to the fake bankers from Al Baraka Islamic Bank, Bahrain, and later on facilitated Ken Ofori-Atta’s meeting which failed to snare the minister,” the report read in part.
But Kweku Baako has described the assertion as infantile nonsense.
The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is currently facing a censure motion from the minority in Parliament for mismanaging the economy. Nearly 100 Members of Parliament on the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) also want him sacked…
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, has defended the modus operandi his protégé, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, employs in his undercover investigations.
According to him, Anas will continue to use the undercover methodology to unearth any and all negatives within society whether it pleases his critics or not.
Addressing the Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye P.I. modus operandi in a Facebook comment, Kweku Baako agreed, however, that it is ok for those who do not agree with Anas and his methodologies to ask questions.
“People are entitled to ask questions of Tiger Eye and its “methodologies”. That’s fair game. No problem. Tiger Eye will continue to unearth any and all “negatives” applying its “methodologies” whether its critics like it or not!” he wrote.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest ‘Galamsey Economy’ exposed Charles Adu Boahen, the dismissed Minister of State at the Finance Ministry over an alleged corruption.
Anas in a post on his Facebook timeline hours before the showing of the ‘Galamsey Economy’ film noted that the minister made some shocking revelations to his team in a hotel in UAE, when they posed as possible investors to Ghana.
Adu Boahen among other things alleged that Bawumia will require about USD200,000 as an appearance fee from an investor to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo, however, referred his former appointee to the OSP in the November 14 letter that announced his dismissal.
The dismissal was on the back of allegations of corruption-related issues in Anas’ documentary.
The OSP, subsequently, issued a statement on November 15 confirming that it had started work on the referral from the presidency.
Kweku Baako added, “for now, Tiger Eye has indicated its readiness to assist the investigation announced by the Special Prosecutor; upon the presidential referral of the conduct of Mr. Adu Boahen to the OSP! DUE PROCESS is underway. That’s where Tiger Eye’s FOCUS is!
“Those who want to continue asking questions and criticising “methodologies” and perceived/alleged omissions of Tiger Eye, are entitled to continue! FREE SPEECH!!”
He also denied any meeting between the Tiger Eye P.I. team and Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, in Dubai as it has been reported widely within some sections of the media.
“The last time I checked, Tiger Eye has no video depicting any interaction with Ken Ofori-Atta! None! Assuming without admitting that there were attempts to “entrap” Ken Ofori-Atta, and the attempts proved unsuccessful? What would that mean? That Adu Boahen failed the “test of integrity” while Ofori-Atta succeeded? Or?
“By the way, documentaries are not exhibits in criminal investigations and/or prosecutions. The RAW FOOTAGES are. And the latter have always been submitted to the relevant statutory authorities for the purposes of criminal investigations and prosecutions that were triggered by undercover ops by/of Tiger Eye!” Abdul Malik Kweku Baako stated.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has revealed that undercover footage belonging to investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas was stolen and sold by an unnamed ally in 2018.
He explained in a Facebook comment that the very incident was partly the reason why Anas used 2018 footage to expose corruption on the part of Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, in his latest exposé titled ‘Galamsey Economy.’
Baako said the theft coupled with the death of the lead investigator in 2019, that is Ahmed Hussein Suale, impacted the specific investigation, adding further that it was only after backup files had been accessed that the Tiger Eye PI team decided to go ahead with the latest expose.
Baako wrote about the videos in response to a Facebook comment: “Somebody “stole and sold” it to somebody; thinking the evidence had been deleted forever! The “buyer” went out boasting about his possession for years for whatever reason nobody could tell! Apparently, the real “owners/authors” subsequently discovered an extra copy! Today’s story begins from there. PAY ATTENTION!”
Today’s story from the above quote refers to a publication in the New Crusading GUIDE’s November 14 edition in which Anas – a co-publisher of the paper along with Baako – wrote about the minister’s deeds and misdeeds.
The documentary was subsequently screened twice at the Accra International Conference Center, AICC.
In further explanations on the Facebook wall of a pro-Bawumia activist relative to the alleged footage thief, Kweku Baako explained that it happened to be the same guy (unnamed) who doctored a video of Akufo-Addo allegedly taking bribes in 2016.
“Same guy who fabricated a video of Candidate Akufo-Addo receiving a donation from a lady supporter of the NPP in his Nima residence in 2016 when Akufo-Addo was not President but tried to make it look as if he was the President!” he explained.
Baako is also on record to have stated that the Vice President had not been in any way implicated by the documentary just as president Akufo-Addo was not implicated in the Number 12 documentary in which he was mentioned by former Ghana Football Association, GFA, president, Kwesi Nyantakyi; as someone who could be influenced with money.
Background
Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry was implicated in the ‘Galamsey Economy’ investigative documentary released by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas on November 14.
The now dismissed minister was captured on tape making comments to the effect that access by investors to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia could be facilitated at a cost of US$200,000.
Bawumia has dispelled the allegations and insisted that his integrity remains his most cherished asset in life.
“My most cherished asset in life is my integrity and I will not allow anyone to use my name to engage in corrupt activities,” Bawumia said in a post calling for the minister’s dismissal.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has since terminated Adu Boahen’s appointment and referred the contents of the investigation to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, Executive Assistant & Head of Social Media, Office of the President, has chastised investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas over his latest investigative work dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy‘.
He described the investigative work of the journalist as ‘sheer wickedness and evil’.
The Presidential Staffer noted that Anas Aremeyaw Anas is known for recording people and editing them to suit his narrative, something that the former Ghana Football Association President, Kwesi Nyantakyi suffered in the Number 12 documentary by Tiger Eye PI, Anas’ investigative firm.
He extended his criticism to Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Anas’ boss when he was commenting on the investigative work which triggered the dismissal of Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State in charge of Finance.
“I’m soo soo disappointed in my senior brother and mentor Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. Anas Aremeyaw Anas was my classmate at Secondary School and still a very good friend of mine.
“Recording people and editing the recording with your own voice-over to suit your story is nothing but share (sic) wickedness and evil. He did it to Kwasi Nyantakyi and the country looked on. All I can say is that, we are all in the hands of the Lord,” Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe wrote on his Facebook timeline.
Charles Adu Boahen, the dismissed Minister of State in charge of Finance had earlier alleged that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will require $200,000 as an appearance fee to meet prospective investors.
This was revealed in Anas’ ‘Galamsey Economy’ investigation.
The investigative journalist noted that Adu Boahen, in the undercover piece told his Tiger Eye PI team members posing as investors that Dr. Bawumia would also require some positions from the investor for his siblings, in orfer to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
But Dr. Bawumia in a statement on Monday, November 14, denied the accusations and called for an investigation into the allegations.
Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe’s post has since been deleted.
The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has described as “reassuring” the Ghana Police Service’s arrest of “their own people” who were involved in some cases of bullion van robberies in the country.
Four police officers who were arrested for their involvement in bullion van robberies have been caged after they appeared in court on Wednesday.
A statement from the Ghana Police Service revealed that four more policemen and one civilian have been arrested in an “ongoing intelligence-led police investigation†into some bullion van robberies that have occurred in the country.Â
They are Constable Affisu Yaro Ibrahim, Constable Richard Boadu, Constable Rabiu Jambedu, Constable Albert Ofosu and suspect, Razak Alhassan, a civilian.
The statement also disclosed that a raid at Borteyman near Ashaiman, also led to the death of two other police officers who had been arrested earlier in connection with the bullion van robberies. According to the Service, the two died during an exchange of gunshots during the raid.
Meanwhile, “five other civilian suspects who have gone into hiding” are being pursued.
Mr Baako, contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme said: “The key point is that the police are cleaning up the system. It’s good enough that their intelligence led to the unmasking of these criminal elements . . . the positive side is that they’ve been busted by their own people and that they’ll ensure that the law will take its course”.
He has meanwhile, backed calls for the review of the police recruitment process to check fraud, adding, “as we speak there’s a motion before Parliament to look into the recruitment process for the last ten years to see how we can improve on it. It’s a challenge . . . “
Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., has expressed utter disgust over the orders to the Military to burn mining equipment used in illegal gold mining.
According to him, instead of burning the excavators, those caught with the excavators must be penalized through prosecution and their excavators handed over to the Police.
This, he said, is the most lawful way of confronting the issue.
”It’s mindless. It’s lawless because this is a law-governed society. And if you make laws and feel the laws are impossible to implement, there is an option. Just amend the law but you don’t make which I have here and actually let the law prevail but go out there to violate the law and it’s a State institution or State actors who are engaged in that violation, that mindless, lawless action.
”…the law says when you seize it, those using it illegally must be taken to court and by the time you’re sending them to court, you must leave those things in Police custody. When the court is done and convicts them, the court hands over the equipment to the appropriate Ministry; in this case it will be Lands and Natural Resources or so. And then they, on behalf of the State, determine which State institution to give them to.
”…The law says if you see these things, send them to the Police custody and so when you seize them and don’t send them to Police custody, you have violated the law and you’re liable for prosecution”, he stated.
He also deflated the argument that refusing to burn the excavators might result in there-occurrence of the missing excavators saga during the ”Operation Vanguard” exercise when the task force seized the excavators used by illegal miners.
”Is that how weak we are as a State? That assuming we have one negative experience, meanwhile, those who cause that negativity, they’re human beings. They’re alive. They were State actors, some powerful; some middle. Are they not prosecutable? Are they not subjects of investigation?”, he queried.
Kweku Baako likened the burning of excavators to ”anarchy”.
”It is almost anarchy. It is a sign that we’re capable of managing ourselves. That’s incredible. I’m not about to accept that verdict that the State of Ghana is so weak, so impotent, so disorganized that we make laws and we intend not to follow the laws because others are breaking the law. Maybe we should take that to Somalia, not Ghana. We’re a law-governed stable country”, he said on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.
Seasoned Journalist, Kweku Baako Jnr. has shared his view on a tape recording purportedly indicating the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa pronounced former President and NDC Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama President-elect in the 2020 Presidential elections.
A video has surfaced portraying the EC Chairperson as saying the former President had won the elections although declaring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo winner of the elections.
The Electoral Commission has issued a statement to denounce the video, stressing it’s been doctored as the EC Chairperson’s declaration of President Akufo-Addo victor in the elections was televised nationwide for all and sundry.
Commenting on the issue during Wednesday’s edition of “Kokrokoo” programme on Peace FM, Mr. Baako expressed disgust over the video.
He asserted that the video is fake but added it has dangerous repercussions.
To him, the orchestrators doctored the tape so as to push their agenda that President Akufo-Addo was wrongly declared President-elect and that the Presidential seat belongs to John Mahama.
“I’ve seen it, very interesting; even though it was a poor job . . . It’s an abuse of technology but it was also very poorly done. I mean any serious forensic, even non-forensic examination will show it’s fake. But, you see, whiles technologically, it’s fake and poor job; look, politically it’s a very dangerous game,” he said.
“It won’t get all of us to believe in that but it will get some of us and that is the catalyst for some of the street agitations going. Those who don’t have the opportunity to examine the quality of that tape to see how fake it is, they will go out there believing that they’re fighting for a good cause.”
He added that, “this fake video, whiles it’s a useless thing, it might have a certain value for some agitation that some people have decided to mount ceaselessly and relentlessly” but emphatically assured the opposition National Democratic Congress that, “this is not the third Republic where under the cover of darkness, they stole our mandate”.
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says the video in circulation on social media alleging bribery against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was recorded in October 2016.
He said it was recorded by Salis Yakubu Atsuluwo, at a time President Akufo-Addo was campaigning to become President in the 2016 elections.
He indicated the said money, GH¢40,000 was offered as part of political party campaign support and that it was not true that it was US$40,000 as being alleged in the second video.
He also added that it was not bribe as alleged in the second video published by the Salis newspaper owned by Salis Yakubu.
Speaking on Accra based Peace FM’s Kookrokoo morning programme on Wednesday [Watch video below from 1:41:20 onwards], Mr Baako said Salis Yakubu used to work with Anas Aremeyaw Anas’s Tiger Eye P.I. but has since parted ways with Anas.
He said Salis did not know that the original video was “available to us [Kweku Baako and others], so we released it to expose his doctored one,” he said.
Baako who said some aspects of the issue was linked to his [Baako’s] case with Kennedy Agyapong in court as well as that of Anas Aremeyaw Anas versus Kennedy Agyapong in court insisted that he cannot go into details because of the court case.
He said the allegation of bribery was out of place and that it is clear that the money was to help Akufo-Addo finance his campaign in 2016.
Mr Baako said he first came into contact with Salis Yakubu Atsuluwo in 2006 and that Salis approached him at the Labadi Coffee Shop in Accra.Â
From then, he [Baako] influenced his entry into Tiger Eye P.I.
He said when Salis walked to him for the first time, he opened up to him [Baako] that he was an NDC activist.
But later on along the line, Mr Baako said Salis became an NPP member, he told him.
Baako said Anas parted ways with him, so Salis set up his own group afterwards.
He alleged that Salis has currently “exited to Benin” in the wake of the issue
Watch the video below showing Baako [1:42:32 onwards] discussing the issue on Peace FM Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, the Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Sammy Gyamfi says members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) deliberately released a “doctored” video as a ploy for the public to dismiss the “authentic” video which alleges bribery against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Mr Sammy Gyamfi said this at a press conference in Accra Wednesday [December 2, 2020] afternoon and insisted the recording was done in 2017.
He named the person who did the recording as Yakubu Suale to counter what Kweku Baako said was Salis Yakubu Atsulowo.
He confirmed Yakubu was working with Anas Aremeyaw Anas and that the recording was done at a time Yakubu was still working with Anas, but he [Gyamfi] cannot tell if the recording was done with Anas’s approval.
He said Yakubu became friends with Kennedy Agyapong after he parted ways with Anas and that he was the one behind Kennedy Agyapong’s “who watches the watchman.”
Reacting to concerns on the timeless for the recording of the video, Sammy Gyamfi insisted that there is another version of the recordings, which he will later make available and that in that video, which has no audio, the person who recorded it, President Akufo-Addo and Ambassador Barwuah sitting in the same office were captured and the camera captured the date.
Seasoned Journalist, Kweku Baako says he will no longer treat any person or entity that denigrates him with kid gloves.
He made this known while discussing the alleged ‘bribe’ video regarding President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
A video released by the Salis Media showed the President receiving a sum of dollars 40,000 from Ghana’s Ambassador to USA, Baffour Adjei Bawuah who presented it on behalf of the Director of Urban Roads, Alhaji Dr. Abass.
”It has been revealed that Nana Addo is not the angel Ghanaians perceived him to be but one, who is fully entangled in corruption and only fights corruption with words. Undercover investigations conducted by The Salis Newspaper has exposed sitting President Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) taking a bribe in a brown envelope in an undercover video. The money was handed over to Ambassador Baffour Adjei Bawuah…The US $40000 dollar bribe was paid to the President in 2017 after the NPP won the 2016 Elections at Nana Akufo-Addo’s private residence in Nima, Accra. The giver of the bribe is the current Director of Urban roads, Alhaji Dr. Abass”, the Salis newspaper published.
Addressing the issue, Kweku Baako said the ‘bribe’ allegations are falsehood.
He revealed that the presentation was made in October 2016 when President Akufo-Addo was a Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) seeking to unseat the Mahama administration.
The money, he noted, was given towards his (Akufo-Addo) victory campaign and that the Salis newspaper publication is untrue.
He charged Alhaji Abass to sue the owner of the newspaper and those peddling the false story.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZB2w3kFr9g
Kweku Baako stressed that, as for him, should anybody make a disparaging remark about him; he will not hesitate to take legal action.
“You know that I don’t subscribe to going to the court and it’s something that still affects me that I will go to court because it’s against my whole orientation. But I’ve learned one good lesson out of the court processes that rumours, gossips, rumourmongers and so forth; you dey look pathetic. Especially when they’re put in the dock and under cross-examination, they look like kids and so, maybe gradually, I will revise my philosophy,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) got the needed support from the presidency to enable the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu execute his mandate.
According to him, some documents he has cited proves that the Akufo-Addo administration played a very significant role in assisting Martin Amidu with the needed logistics as well.
“My scrutiny of some official documents and records point to the fact that there was no lack of commitment from the executive.
“In this case, the presidency collaborated with the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Special Prosecutor himself to deliver an efficient office in terms of accommodation, logistics…,†he observed.
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper said on Newsfile on Saturday, November 21 that there was abundant evidence of communication and exchanges between the OSP and the presidency, “especially [from] the office of the chief of staff who appears to be the point person the Special Prosecutor was dealing with oftentimes.â€
“So, both sides apparently had a certain commitment to deliver on the office,†Baako concluded.
Martin Amidu in his letter of resignation stated that he was denied key logistics and accommodation that would have enabled him to perform his functions appropriately.
But Baako disagrees, indicating that “with reference to page 7 of the parliamentary report on the office of the Special Prosecutor for 2020, the Special Prosecutor informed a committee that the plan to move the offices to an appropriate office accommodation in 2019 could not materialise due to the fact that the building [which] was finally secured with the help of his excellency the president had certain structural defects which [needed] to be remedied by the original contractor before it could be repurposed as offices for the OSPâ€.
“Given that the 2019 budget of the OSP was prepared on the assumption that the new office facility would be made available among others to accommodate 249 [staff] which were to be recruited in the year and the establishment of a tender entity committee to make the necessary procurement [the] accommodation situation significantly hampered the implementation of planned programmes and activities of the OSP in the year under review,†Baako read from the parliamentary report.
Kweku Baako further observed that some correspondence and communication from both sides gave the indication that they were still in pursuit of a decent and suitable Office of the Special Prosecutor.
“I am not sure it is a substitute for the kind of office the Special Prosecutor envisages for his safety and because the executive also agreed that it was a [temporary] facility, both sides were cooperating or collaborating to look for an effective one,†he noted.
Martin Amidu on Monday November 16, 2020, resigned from his position as the Special Prosecutor.
In a resignation letter to the President, Martin Amidu said: “The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10th January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor.”
Seasoned Journalist, Kweku Baako has expressed disappointment in Martin Amidu for resigning as Special Prosecutor.
Martin Amidu announced his resignation to the nation citing operational challenges and government not paying him his emoluments and other benefits of his office as some reasons for his decision.
In a resignation letter to the President, Mr. Amidu said; “The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10th January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor.”
He further cited a traumatic experience he endured after the release of his corruption risk assessment report on the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal as another reason for his resignation.
“I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020 when I conveyed in a thirteen (13) page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report On Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world . . .
” . . The events of 12th November 2020 removed the only protection I had from the threats and plans directed at me for undertaking the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report and dictates that I resign as the Special Prosecutor immediately. Fear is the enemy of change and I am prepared from the vacuum created on 12th November 2020 to meet the threats of my demise as the price to pay for serving my country without fear or favour affection or ill will. I acted professionally through out in the discharge of my duties and my conscience is the anchor of my strength to face any consequences,” portions of the letter read.
“It is essential for me to state for the purpose of the records, and contrary to public perceptions, that my appointment letter was received on 5th February 2020 (almost two (2)-years after my appointment). The copy addressees made no efforts to honour any of the conditions of appointment in terms of emoluments and benefits of the appointment ever since my warrant of appointment was issued on 23rd February 2018 to the date of my letter of resignation.
“I accepted the offer on 10th January 2018 to be nominated to be Special Prosecutor because Mr. President, and Ghanaians knew I have been an anti-corruption crusader all my life and not an anti-corruption entrepreneur. This explains why I have never put the emoluments and benefits of the Office as central to my commitment and my passion for the establishment of an independent, effective, efficient and impartial anti-corruption Office of the Special Prosecutor before the end of the first term of Mr. President. This has not been possible for several reasons.
“The Deputy Special Prosecutor has also not been paid any emoluments since her appointment, and there is the need to redress that situation for her now that I am out of the way,” he added.
But, according to Kweku Baako, the reasons given by Mr. Amidu should have strengthened him to execute his mandate without fear or favour but not pushed him to resign.
He stated emphatically during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” that Mr. Amidu should have resolutely stayed in his office but he choosing to vacate his office is disappointing.
“This was the time for him to stick to the office and use the powers that the Act had given to him . . . because you can’t sack me unless you go through the same procedures and processes that are used to sack a Court of Appeal judge . . . My source of disappointment seriously is him choosing to leave that office based on the reasons he has given, because I think it is rather those reasons which should have strengthened his resolve . . . For me, this was the trigger to prove a point,” he stressed.
Mr. Baako also asserted that, “it is not like President on his own whims and caprices or political guys in the party to say we don’t like him; so hunt him out. Nobody was going to be able to do that unless they go through the right processes. And I know him as a fighter and it will be open so everybody will have the benefit of why people want to impeach or take you out from the place. Meanwhile, you have a job to do. You have the mandate to execute and you say you have seen suspected corruption or corruption, that is the time I will stick to the office and operationalize my mandate; execute it especially when I know the people who I’m saying is tormenting me are a target.”
”Why would I leave the place for you?” Mr. Baako queried Martin Amidu.
Seasoned Journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has sent condolences to the family of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings passed away at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, November 12, 2020, after a short illness.
Mr. Rawlings was beloved by members of his political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some Ghanaians but also had some people who didn’t see eyeball to eyeball with him.
Kweku Baako is among the persons who had personal issues with the late Statesman.
Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Mr. Baako was asked how he received the news of Jerry John Rawlings’ demise.
In his response, he said; ”we’re all humans. So, if a human is dead, how much more a former President and Head of State for a combined period of 19 years. It was sad, unfortunate even though we’ve all moved on. I wish President Rawlings, first, rest in peace. I wish the family sincerest condolences”.
“Death is painful. It’s a leveller though but it’s a painful thing . . . He is a former President whether you like or not. Nineteen (19) solid years, whether we like it or not, he has impacted positively or negatively or both on our contemporary history,” he added.
Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to respond to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) statement on the party’s allegations.
The NDC, over the weekend, accused the electoral body of colluding with one of the seven printing houses printing the ballot papers, the Assembly Press which the party says belongs to an appointee of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
NDC Allegations
The party alleged, at a press conference on Sunday, November 1, 2020, that the EC is printing about 150,000 surplus ballots aside from the 5 percent required excess ballot papers per polling station.
“By convention and practice, the EC prints an extra 5 percent of the total registered voters in each polling station to cater for spoiled ballots but what is surprising this time is that the EC is rather printing an addition 5 percent of the total registered voters per constituency in the total number of ballot papers to be printed. What this translates into is that more ballot papers are being printed in excess of the 5 percent extra ballot papers required for the polling station. From the ballot statistics from the printing houses as coming from the EC, we (NDC) have analyzed the figure from 13 regions and observed that there is an excess of over 150,000 ballot papers been printed beyond the extra 5% required.â€
“This happened at the Assembly press which is one of the contractors printing the ballot papers, and we (NDC) also found out that, the Assembly Press is printing additional ballot papers at a different location on the blind side of the agents of the political parties. The NDC is completely upset with the irregularities as the MD of the Assembly Press who is an appointee of the President was an aspirant who contested the NPP 2020 parliamentary primaries in the Nkawkaw constituency and the Convener of Let My Vote Count Alliance, a pressure group of the NPP.â€
EC Press Statement
Reacting to the NDC’s allegations, the EC issued a press statement to clarify the matter.
”The Electoral Commission finds it difficult to understand why the NDC would seek to cause fear and apprehension around a transparent and open process such as the printing of ballots. This is unacceptable.”
The Commission settled the facts saying ”it has been a standard practice for the Commission to print ballot papers in excess of five percent (5%) to cater for instances such as spoilt ballots. This has been the practice since 1992 and the present Commission has not changed this policy. In line with this policy, all Printing Houses have been directed to print the 2020 ballot papers in excess of 5% for all thirty-eight thousand, six hundred and thirty (38,630) Polling Stations across the country. It is important to note that since 1992, ballot papers for both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections are printed in booklets of 10, 25, 50 and 100 for all Polling Stations”.
”This has always been the practice and the NDC is well aware of this. For the information of the General Public, all Political Parties have accredited Agents in all the Printing Houses who monitor and keep a 24-hour watch of the printing process. The transparency and openness of the process make it impossible for any Printing House to manipulate and compromise the process as all printing is done in the full glare of the Agents of the Political Parties”, the EC added and assured Ghanaians that ”each ballot paper will be accounted for. Not one ballot paper will be included in a package that has not been accounted for. This will not happen. Our processes are open, transparent and robust and will remain so”.
Kweku Baako Dares NDC
Speaking on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Kweku Baako Jnr scrutinized the EC’s press statement and reading portions of it queried the NDC to respond to the pertinent issues broached by the electoral management body.
”The Commission has never provided the Political Parties with serial numbers of ballot papers. The Commission cannot generate the serial numbers of all seventeen million (17m) plus ballot papers. True or False? The NDC, what is their position on this?
”As has been the practice, serial numbers are generated by the Printing Houses and are provided to both the Commission and Political Parties after each batch of printing is completed. True or False? What has been the precedent since we began our election history? They should come out and tell us”, he stated.
On allegations that the EC hasn’t provided serial numbers of the ballot papers to the political parties, the seasoned journalist asked the NDC to furnish Ghanaians with answers to the Commission’s clarifications which reads ”the packaged/bagged ballots are sealed by both the Electoral Commission and Political Parties. Indeed, each Political Party fixes their party seals on the packaged ballot papers. The Political Parties take a record of all seal numbers of each packaged ballot. The packing of the ballots is undertaken in the presence of all the Agents of the Political Parties”.
”True or False?” he questioned.
Mr. Baako also sought the NDC’s response to the Commission’s reply on their accusations that it has colluded with the Assembly Press.
He asked the NDC to tell Ghanaians how falsehood in the EC’s reply that ”the Assembly Press is a State institution which at any point in time is headed by Appointees of an incumbent Government. It is also a well-known fact that the Assembly Press headed by Appointees of the NDC printed 1992, 1996, 2000, 2012 and 2016 ballot papers”.
”True or False? Did they know? Can they challenge these details…?” he further queried.
”Let them be bold and put it out there. In reaction to this November 3rd press release from the EC, the response shouldn’t be that of silence. Silence will not be golden in this context…They should respond to the EC press statement dated November 3rd, 2020”, he concluded.
Seasoned Journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has slammed former President and NDC Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama over his HIPC comments.
Engaging some professionals at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Monday, 26th October 2020, former President John Mahama was worried about the rate of borrowing by the Akufo-Addo administration.
Addressing the gathering, he reportedly made an emphatic statement that Ghana is back to the status of a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC).
“Even worse, the rate of borrowing by this government has dazed many observers.
“The IMF in its Sub-Saharan African Regional Economic Outlook forecast the current rate of borrowing and debt at a frightening 76.7% debt to GDP ratio. Officially, Ghana is back to HIPC status under Nana Akufo-Addo and Ken Ofori-Atta administration,†he said.
Kweku Baako, speaking to sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, has punched holes in Mr. Mahama’s HIPC statements.
Mr. Baako first wants to know where Mr. Mahama gleaned his information from, asking ”who made that official declaration?”
” . . what did President Mahama mean by official, Ghana is back to HIPC status?” he further queried.
He admitted that Ghana has some debt issues but asserted it doesn’t give credence to the comments made by Mr. Mahama.
”I don’t think that any Ghanaian should think that we don’t have a challenge with our debt profile or debt servicing. I don’t think anybody should entertain that idea. We do have as a lower middle income and the borrowing we’re doing, there’s always a risk element there and I think those in charge who are doing the borrowing on our behalf know that. The question really sometimes, when you do a debt sustainability analysis, is to determine whether you’re able, in spite of the profile, the stock, the quantum; whether you’re able to service your debt,” he stated.
“The IMF hasn’t declared Ghana HIPC,” Kweku Baako called out Mr. Mahama’s lies.
Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Jnr. has frowned on the acts of impunity involving political party members and supporters.
On Sunday, October 25, 2020, a fight broke out between supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The supporters were seen, in a video that has gone viral, hurling stones and other objects against each other.
They reportedly belonged to the camps of the incumbent Odododiodio MP, Nii Lante Vanderpuiye and the NPP Parliamentary candidate Nii Lante Bannerman.
Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of ”Kokrokoo” on Peace FM, Kweku Baako called on the Police to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators irrespective of their political party affiliations.
According to him, the culture where members and supporters belonging to political parties, with specific mention of the NPP and NDC, stir riot and go scot free must end with immediate effect.
Using the Odododiodio violence as a case study, the seasoned journalist said, ”whether they’re NPP or NDC, charge them. Take them to the law court. Let them face trial and if the evidence is sustained, jail them according to law . . . The arrest, the charging, the prosecution, the conviction and sentence; we need some of those things going forward as a way of helping each other”.
“I feel we’re weak at the enforcement of the electoral laws and even the national laws. It’s part of the issue that is sowing the seeds for impunity. We have to close our eyes sometimes to the party colors of the perpetrators but arrest them, send them to court, try them and sentence them,” he asserted.
Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako has jumped to the defence of Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo’s son and President Nana Akufo-Addo’s cousin’s involvement in the Agyapa Minerals Royalties deal.
Background
Parliament approved five agreements on Friday, August 14, 2020 to allow Agyapa Royalties Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle, to secure about $1 billion for Ghana’s minerals sector.
The deal is to permit Agyapa Reyalties Ltd to operate as an independent private sector entity and raise funds from the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and London Stock Exchange (LSE).
The Agyapa Royalties deal is intended for the country to gain maximum value from its mineral resources by monetizing its mineral income in accordance with the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act of 2018 (Act 978).
Senior Minister’s Son & President’s Cousin’s Roles
The Senior Minister’s son named Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo and Gabby Otchere-Darko, a relative of the Finance Minister and the President of Ghana have been appointed as members of the Agyapa Mineral Royalties firm to handle the deal.
The roles of these two gentlemen have been met with vehement opposition as members and leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as well as the Minority in Parliament share a strong opinion that the selection of the Senior Minister’s son and President’s cousin is a conflict of interest.
Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Spokesperson on Finance speaking on Joy News file programme, questioned the selection process asking ”was there a system in place that this government advertised for any Ghanaian to be able to have that opportunity; what type of recruitment process was done..?”
Kweku Baako’s Take
Addressing the issue during a panel discusson on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kweku Baako also questioned the opposition’s logic in citing a conflict of interest in the deal.
According to him, the fact that Kofi Osafo-Maafo and Mr. Otchere-Darko are related to the top government officials and the President does not disqualify them from handling the minerals royalties deal.
To Mr. Baako, he would see the importance in discussing the issues if the argument was about whether the gentlemen have the expertise to secure the deal or not, but they being relatives of the Senior Minister and President is inconsequential to the deal.
He further alluded to similar issues that characterized some events in the past.
He cited former President J.A Kufour’s son whose ownership of the African Regent Hotel became a political topic with the former President receiving bashings from his political opponents and publications where former President John Mahama’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama was said to own Merchant Bank.
In 2017, Ibrahim Mahama, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Engineers and Planners Ltd, was reported to have owned the Merchant Bank but managers of the bank denied the reports stressing he is neither a shareholder nor owner of the bank.
In all of these incidents among others, Kweku Baako, speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, noted that he consistently defended Mr. Kufour’s son as well as Ibrahim Mahama on the lines that they have the right to own businesses provided they use the right means.
He is today standing by the same conviction that the selection of the Senior Minister’s son and Gabby Otchere-Darko in the Agyapa Minerals Royalties deal is in right order.
“We have to be consistent. We have to be coherent . . I don’t expect everybody to agree with me and I expect people who disagree to vehemently, if they like violently, disagree with me and criticize me . . . The way we’re going around this politics, the so-called conflict of interest relative to political office holders over the period, I see a certain huge area of inconsistency and incoherence and I’m worried about that. This is not going to be the last time this will happen; you bet me!”
Mali’s coup leaders say that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta has been released from detention, and is at his home.
He was arrested during last Tuesday’s military takeover and hours later announced his resignation as president.
The coup came amid growing dissatisfaction over the government’s handling of the economy and the jihadist conflict in the north.
It is not yet clear if the former president is restricted to his home.
Mr Keïta’s release has been a key demand of Mali’s neighbours and international organisations, including the African Union and European Union.
West African mediators say the coup leaders want to stay in power for a three-year transition period. They had earlier said they were not interested in powerArticle share tools
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, has expressed disappointment in the work of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu.
Kweku Baako slammed Mr Amidu for failing to pull off his best because he expects him (Amidu) to work hard on the cases before his office.
Citing the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) scandal which was forwarded to Mr. Amidu office to probe the case, Mr. Baako asserted that the seeming delay in executing the case cast doubts over the significance of the office.
He added that, the integrity of the parties involved in the PPA scandal, thus the Chief Executive Officer Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei remain hanging so far as nothing is done to establish the truth in the matter.
Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei was suspended following a documentary dubbed ”Contracts For Sale” by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The President further referred the case to the Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu to probe the allegations of corruption levelled against the embattled CEO but there has since been no communication of the findings by the Special Prosecutor.
Other critics have also lambasted Mr. Amidu saying his office is irrelevant because there has not been even one particular corruption scandal that he’s been able to pursue, let alone help to prosecute the culprits.
Speaking on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, Kweku Baako told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that although he is an ardent supporter of the Special Prosecutor office and the appointment of the former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, he is however utterly unhappy with Mr. Amidu’s work.
“The inertia and it is so obvious and lack of results doesn’t help anybody. Indeed, it only helps to enhance that subculture of cynicism that people are using against such an important creation of law and I’m very worried about that, especially because I’m a very ardent [1] of the creation of the office and [2] of the appointment of Martin Amidu . . . I’m not just playing mischief; I’m geniunely expressing concern that out there, the perception is that nothing really is happening,” he stressed.
He urged Mr. Amidu to accelerate his investigations and make public his work on the corruption scandals, if he’s already conducted his findings, in order to whip up confidence in the Special Prosecutor outfit.
”Some of us were ardent supporters of that office – the creation of that office – but I’m not too sure that we can all say that on the balanced sheet, when you do a very fair analysis, they have produced the results that we expected. And I believe that, going forward, both the NPP as a ruling party now, and all anti-corruption advocates, should try hard to ensure that this office is producing the results. They need to provide a list of the investigations they’re doing.”
It will be recalled that Anas Aremeyaw Anas, during one of his investigative missions, unearthed a rot in Ghana’s judicial system.
Anas’ undercover work showed some judges taking bribes to skew their verdict while others also conducted themselves in a manner that brought the judiciary into disrepute.
The former Chief Justice, Georgina Wood, instituted a Committee of Inquiry into the issue and found the judges guilty, therefore, dismissing them from the courts they presided over.
Kweku Baako, speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, stated that he has stumbled on a report recently circulating on social media which claims the judges have been reinstalled to their positions.
According to him, the reports are “fake news peddled by bogus informants”.
“My checks, specially with the General Legal Council, showed that was actually fake story. And the bloody truth is that the Chief Justice doesn’t have the power, authority or mandate to have done what was attributed to him. The truth is none of those dismissed judges has been reinstated,” he added.
He, however, disclosed a petition was made to the Chief Justice after the judges were dismissed to ascertain if they could practice as lawyers because their dismissal doesn’t affect their role as lawyers.
He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that, after examining the petition, the Chief Justice reissued “their certificates to practice as lawyers” and not as judges.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has called on the government to make public their social interventions and stakeholder meetings that preceeded the reopening of schools for Ghanaians to appreciate their efforts.
Kweku Baako believes publishing all that the government has done before the schools reopened and with regard to protecting students against the spread of COVID-19 will help to bring the matters to rest.
He made this comment following calls on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to shut down schools after students in some Senior High Schools tested positive for the virus.
Schools like the Accra Technical University, Accra Girls’ SHS and others in the Greater Accra and Western Regions have recorded cases of the COVID-19.
Fifty-five (55) students and staff of the Accra Girls’ SHS, according to the Ghana Education Service, have tested positive for the virus.
Due to this, the President has been asked to close the schools to curb the disease.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also lambasted the President for refusing to allow the school children to return home and painted a picture that he and his government are cruel and also exploiting the students for political gains.
But, according to Kweku Baako, the government has taken precautionary measures to safeguard the students.
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Mr. Baako was of the view that the opposition party and critics are trying to trivialize the President’s efforts to protect the students, hence wants the government to publicize the processes they went through before reopening the schools.
“The engagements they had, the school authorities they engaged; they should publish, publicize and communicate those things…the supplies they have made, the number of sanitizers they’ve distributed and so forth including the schools they have provided these things.
”Put it out there. Let people know that this is the commitment. This is the management process that’s going on. It doesn’t mean you have 100 percent solution or everything is fine but people will understand you when they have the info,” he advised the President.
Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has slammed the leadership and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over their comments on the military deployment to the Volta Region.
NDC On Security Deployment
Some residents in the Volta Region raised eyebrows over heavy security presence in the Region.
Addressing the concerns of the people, the NDC Minority in Parliament issued a day ultimatum to the government to withdraw the military personnel.
Chairman of the Volta Regional Caucus, Emmanuel Bedzrah and Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa called for the troops to be recalled to their barracks.
Minority Spokesperson on Defence and Interior, James Agalga, also accused the government of deploying the Military to intimidate Voltarians and prevent them from participating in the new voters’ registration exercise.
”There is a certain scheme which is designed by the government to intimidate our teeming supporters from coming out in their numbers to register and have their names on the new voter register”, he said.
Ex-Prez Mahama’s Statements
Former President John Dramani Mahama also scolded President Nana Akufo-Addo for sanctioning the deployment of security personnel in the Volta Region.
According to him, he has ”sufficient reason to believe that there is merit in the concerns raised by the residents of these Regions. This represents another unprecedented low in the shameless abuse of state power to attack the very citizens whose safety and security the Akufo-Addo government should be protecting. It is becoming evident by the day, that the Akufo-Addo government perceives political power as an end in itself hence the resort to such crude and high-handed measures to usurp the mandate of the people.
“To send troops into regions in times of peace for the sole purpose of preventing them from registration amounts to declaring war on them. Any President sanctioning this sort of activity stands in breach of his oath to the people of Ghana. Any President doing this, commits a grave sin against the very people he swore to protect. No one would have imagined that a Ghanaian government would be so obsessed with hanging on to power as to subject its own citizens to such mistreatment and execute an ethno-tribal agenda of this magnitude against them,” a statement released by his office read.
Scaremongering Campaign
Addressing the issue on ”Kokrokoo” on Peace FM, Kweku Baako said the NDC is embarking on a ”scaremongering campaign”.
He questioned the logic in NDC’s claims and advised them to stop creating tension.
To him, the NDC’s argument that the security personnel have been charged to prevent people from partaking in the registration exercise has been defeated by the huge turnout to the ongoing registration exercise across the nation.
“The total effect of that scaremongering campaign was that the Military personnel had been deployed to put fear in potential applicants who would want to register in order to exercise their democratic right. The figures coming out is indicating that people are out there exercising their right. The Military personnel are not at the registration center creating any chaos and fear,” he said.
On Friday, June 26, 2020, Accra High court ruled in favour of Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr in a defamatory case brought before it against Ghanaian businessman and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy Agyapong.
Per the ruling, the loudmouth politician will pay GH¢100,000 in damages to the veteran journalist. The court also directed Kennedy Agyapong to pay GH¢30,000 as a legal fee.
Reacting to the court ruling on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Mr Kweku Baako said his intentions of going to the courtroom was not after Kennedy Agyapong’s money.
According to him, all needed was to defend his integrity in a court of competent jurisdiction and therefore will donate the money he will receive from Mr. Agyapong to the charity.
“There’s another angle I’m looking at but I won’t disclose it now. We’ll take the cash there. I may top it with my own money. I’m broke myself but I don’t need that kind of money. That’s not why I went to court. I sort to prevent my integrity for the vicious and malicious words used against me”, he told host, Kwami Sefa Kayi.
Mr. Baako also indicated he will constantly monitor Kennedy Agyapong on the very platforms he defamed him to see whether or not he retracts and apologizes as directed by the court to do within 30 days.
An Accra High court has ruled in favour of Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako JNR in his case against Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong.
The court has given the lawmaker a 30-day ultimatum to retract and apologise three times on the platforms he used to defame Kwaku Baako.
The legislator also got a damage set at GH¢100,000 with cost of GH¢30,000.
Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr has supported the call by Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu that there should be a mechanism to protect experienced Members of Parliament (MPs).
The Majority Leader was worried that some competent MPs lost their seats during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries on Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Forty (40) sitting Parliamentarians lost their seats during the primaries and to the Majority Leader, it’s a setback as it impedes the effectiveness of work in the House of Legislature.
He has therefore called on the NPP to institute an in-built mechanism to protect experienced MPs and hopes the situation would strengthen the democratic dispensation.
“The longer one stays in Parliament, the better a material he or she becomes,†he said.
Kweku Baako, also speaking on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo” on Wednesday, shared the sentiments of the Majoriy Leader as he equally believes retaining sitting MPs with rich experience in Parliamentary affairs will help improve the House.
According to him, he doesn’t subscribe to the notion that experienced legislators should be ousted from Parliament for competition sake.
“Parliamentary experience, expertise can and must be retained to a balance. Because it’s a democratic competition, it’s a tight rope that we’re walking…I’m not one of those that because it’s competition, just go out there ensure that the experience that has been gathered can be completely lost because of one election. No! Every serious political party must begin to find ways and means of walking this tight rope and do it well. Do it long before primaries, create certain structures, create certain understandings and retain some experienced legislators. It’s critical.”
He noted that in some legislative jurisdictions, Parliamentarians stay as long as 40 years or more and added that drafting laws is a skill that is not developed in a day.
“Already we have a problem with this executive fusing with the legislator; we already have that problem. Then, when you have a situation where experienced legislators leave, an overbearing executive will have much more room to manipulate the legislature. [2] Drafting laws is a skill and that also could suffer,” he said.
It’s been five days since the diplomatic building of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra was demolished by unknown armed men.
The issue since it came up, has been extensively condemned by the masses; and the latest to express his opinion on the subject, is the Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ Wednesday, Mr. Kweku Baako indicated the perpetrators who demolished the building should be made to face the laws of the country and also pay for cost of the reconstruction of the building at their own expense.
“Kwame, those who went to demolish the building should be arrested and taken to court. After that, they should prepare a bill for them to pay for the reconstruction of the building at their own expense. Yes, it’s as simple as that”, he told host, Kwame Sefa Kayi.
Meanwhile, two persons have been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in connection with the unauthorized demolition of the said apartment.
The two were picked up on Monday, June 22, 2020, according to a press release issued by the CID and sighted by Ghana Guardian.
It said, the two are facing charges of conspiracy to Commit Crime to wit; Unlawful Entry and Causing Unlawful Damage and are scheduled to be arraigned before court on a yet-to-be-disclosed date.
Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has eulogized both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for engaging in intellectual political discourse.
According to Kweku Baako, both parties have done well by not trading insults but resorting to sound criticisms to establish their points on which party deserves to be voted into power.
Mr. Baako was commenting on the NDC score of 14 percent regarding the government’s fulfillment of its campaign promises.
The NDC scored the Akufo-Addo-led administration 14% stressing the government has achieved only 86 out of 631 campaign promises it made to the people of Ghana.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa added that the party has even been charitable and that the actual figure is 13.6%.
“We observed that only 86 promises have been delivered out of the 631 and if you do the arithmetic and divide the 86 by the 631, what you will get is 13.6% and so we have been generous to gift them 14%; we added 0.4% to it by rounding the figure up,†he indicated.
Addressing the issue on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Mr. Baako said the NDC scoring the government isn’t surprising because it is a political trend to find parties challenging themselves in an electioneering year but what he wouldn’t subscribe to is the use of insults.
“We don’t have the luxury of an alternative. Whether we like it or not, December 7th, this country will go for an election. That is five/six months; so if you hear that political parties and politicians are throwing out some of these things, I think it shouldn’t be surprising. It is to be expected and indeed, on one level, I prefer these things to the subculture of outright insults and character assassination and so forth. So, it’s not bad”.
“This sounds a little bit more intellectual. It’s academic. People like us who do research and historians and so forth would have the threat shifted to this level…In principle, in essence, I think it’s not bad. Indeed, if there is anybody who I think has personified this particular trend, I will say Dr. Bawumia is one. His emergence on the political landscape, he comes with that decisive, focused, intellectual, sometimes academic…He’s like a pioneer in it,” he stated.
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has said that the opposition NDC have misplaced priorities.
Kweku Baako has asked the largest opposition party in the country to get their priorities right after they claim the ruling government had fulfilled only 14 per cent of its campaign promises.
14% score charitable
NDC had scored the Akufo-Addo-led administration 14 per cent on the fulfilment of its 2016 campaign promises.
According to them, only 86 out of the 631 campaign promises made by the government have been delivered.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says they were even charitable and that the actual figure is 13.6%.
“We observed that only 86 promises have been delivered out of the 631 and if you do the arithmetic and divide the 86 by the 631, what you will get is 13.6% and so we have been generous to gift them 14%; we added 0.4% to it by rounding the figure up,†he indicated.
Padded figures
Kweku Baako in a discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, said the figures put out by the NDC were padded and deliberate; adding if this is the opposition party’s message five months to an election; they should ‘watch out’.
“What is your target or what did you want to achieve? If this is your message 5 months to an election, watch out . . . what was your goal, what was your target for that exposure? You are a political party, you must have a strategy especially with 5 months to an election…” he stated.
Fulfilling All Promises Mission Impossible
Kweku Baako also noted that it is impossible for any political party to fulfil all of its electoral promises. He has asked the NDC to do an introspection and ask themselves if they were able to achieve all of its promises.
“No political party has been able to fulfil all promises; there’s none. The NDC should ask themselves if they were able to achieve all their promises in their manifesto? he rhetorically asked.
When it comes to former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, one person among the lot who hardly come into consensus with him is Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide.
It is very uncommon, almost near impossible, for Mr Baako to agree with Mr. Rawlings but Wednesday, June 3, 2020 will go down in the history books as the day the seasoned journalist finally came on the same page with the former president.
Kweku Baako disclosed the one thing he agrees with Mr. Rawlings which dates back to 1983 when he had been imprisoned under the erstwhile Rawlings’ military rule.
He noted that during the same time, the ”monsters” that he (Rawlings) had created turned on him and in fighting them off made a popular quote which resonated with Kweku Baako in prison.
The monsters, as described by Kweku Baako, referred to the loyalists of Mr. Rawlings who later betrayed him.
”On August 28, 1983, Chairman Rawlings delivered an address on national radio and television to the people of Ghana. The speech was essentially a close-up analysis and critique of the populist and economically unproductive elements in the 31st December Revolution as it had evolved to date. [Quote] We can no longer postpone the time for halting the populist nonsense and for consolidating the gains of the past twenty months and making a noticeable leap forward. Production and efficiency must be our watch words. Populist nonsense must give way to popular or unpopular sense to scientific sense whether it is popular or not,” Mr. Rawlings is quoted and published in West African Magazine in 1983.
Kweku Baako drew inspiration from the Rawlings’ words to make his submissions on Peace FM’s flagship programme ‘Kokrokoo’ on Wednesday saying, “one thing that Rawlings said that I agree is that populist nonsense must give way to popular sense. That’s the only thing I agree with him. He might have meant something nasty but I just love that quote and I’ve never forgotten about it. I was in prison when he made that statement . . . and it stayed with me since then. This was made in 1992, somewhere August/September and I was listening to it on the rediffusion box (radio)”.
Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has reflected on his ugly past under the regime of Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings.
Kweku Baako, who has been an instrumental figure so far as Ghana’s liberation from the military rule of Mr. Rawlings is concerned, recounted the moments he was imprisoned for standing against the oppression of the Statesman.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Kweku Baako sent Ghanaians down memory lane by touching on how he survived in prison.
One thing that kept him busy in prison which he revealed to host Kwami Sefa Kayi was smoking marijuana.
According to him, there were times he tore pages of the bible to roll up marijuana in prison.
”We used the bible to smoke wee. It’s true”, he professed.
On May 11, 1995, a new history was written in Ghana as hundreds of Ghanaians trooped to the streets in protest against the Military rule of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The demonstration, which is known to be the biggest in the country, was held against the atrocious hardships imposed by the Rawlings’ regime.
Twenty-five years down memory lane, the instigators of the demonstration in the persons of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, seasoned journalists Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Kwesi Pratt, and politicians Dr. Nayarko Tamakloe, Akoto Ampaw, Victor Newman, Napoleon Abdulai, Kwaku Opoku, Dr. Charles Wreko Brobbey and Agyeri Blankson have been reminiscing about their revolution.
The leaders recently met at the residence of Mr. Agyeri Blankson to mark the 25th anniversary of the “Kumepreko” demonstration.
In recalling the formation of the nine-member leadership of the Alliance for Change (AFC) which ignited the demonstration, there has arisen an argument over the role of President Nana Akufo-Addo in the group.
Since precision is key to history and in order not to distort facts, seasoned journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has sought to put to final all questions regarding the role and impact of President Akufo-Addo to the revolution of 1995.
According to Kweku Baako, he needs to rehash the position of the President to lay to rest misconceptions that he wasn’t an active member of the Kumepreko protest.
In setting the record straight, Kweku Baako stated emphatically that the President played a significant role as the AFC Spokesperson.
“Have you Akufo-Addo anywhere anytime suggest that he was leader of the AFC? I haven’t heard that . . . That meeting we held in the house of Agyiri Blankson, in a very interesting way, Agyiri Blankson was recollecting history of kumepreko. How it began in his house and all those, he was telling the story and how we constituted the nine-member leadership collectively”.
“Then Agyiri Blankson, in the process, said ‘oh and we made Nana the leader’; at the moment, I stood to correct him but the President was faster. The President said; ‘Hold on! That’s not correct. I was the Spokesperson, not leader’. So, where is this coming from? Everybody was present and nobody can deny this thing I’m saying,” he stated.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has come under a barrage of criticisms by opposition parties over their decision to compile a new voters’ register.
While the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is objecting to the decision and claiming the EC wants to disenfranchise 11 million Ghanaian electorates and rig this year’s elections to favour President Nana Akufo-Addo, other opponents have also argued that it is not safe for the EC to go ahead with the registration exercise because of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
With all these concerns over the country’s electoral system, the question arises that will the 2020 elections come off then?
Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has offered an answer saying come rain or sunshine, the 7th December polls will be held by the Electoral Commission.
According to him, no opposition or challenge whatsoever will stop this year’s elections but called on the EC to adequately prepare themselves ensuring appropriate measures are put in place for the voters to observe the health protocols regarding the COVID-19.
Kweku Baako shared a realistic view that the pandemic is far from over and so he anticipates it will linger on till the end of the year, nonetheless it cannot hold back the elections.
“We all know that whether we like it or not, we will hold the elections on 7th December. Nobody should ignore that fact. If it is possible to defer the elections, then we can say we can toy around with certain ideas. But there is one thing that we cannot change; it’s immutable, the 7th December 2020 elections. Rain or shine, it will come off,” he said on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, has jumped to the defence of the Electoral Commission, stressing that nothing can change the Commission’s decision on the voters’ register.
The Electoral Commission’s decision is to compile a new voters’ register and has petitioned Parliament to amend Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 91 to legitimize the Ghana card and Ghanaian passport as the only legal documents to be used for the registration exercise.
The EC’s decision has been met by intense opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which says the Commission wants to disenfranchise 11 million Ghanaian electorates, hence their decision to use only the Ghana card and Ghanaian passport for the registration exercise.
The NDC has also accused the EC of planning to rig this year’s elections in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Although the EC called for an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with all political parties on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 to discuss issues regarding the compilation of a new voters’ register, the NDC boycotted the meeting on principle that they are opposed to a new register.
The party has also dragged the EC to the Supreme Court praying the court for an order to direct the Commission to include “all existing voter identification cards duly issued by the 2nd Defendant (EC) as one of the documents serving as proof of identification for registration as a voter for the purposes of public elections”.
According to him, the NDC may choose to boycott IPAC meeting but they still will have no option to meet the EC in an inter-party meeting even if the Commisison to rescind their decision for a new voters’ register and rather go for a limited registration exercise.
“Look, you don’t have a choice. They don’t have the luxury of an alternative. They must meet,” he said in reference to the EC/IPAC meeting for which the NDC was to attend.
Again, to him, the NDC should focus on their court case against the EC and stop giving commentaries on the sidelines regarding the Commission’s decision if the party doesn’t want to be involved in the IPAC meeting.
He however strongly believed the EC will go ahead with what it’s constitutionally right for them to do with or without the NDC’s consent.
“Demonstrations are legitimate. It’s an option available. Protests of all kinds…sitting on radio and television and talking and criticizing and arguing, all those are options the democratic dispensation allows but none of them can change the EC’s decision,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’.
Kweku Baako Jnr says even though some members may have told the ‘Kume Preko’ story, it may not be the ‘full story’.
The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper who was one of the leading members of ‘Kume Preko’ demonstration said comments made by the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr and others may be ‘largely true’ but there is more to be added because “no one person can tell the full story”.
“You may have gaps with what Kwesi or Tarzan (Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey) have said; largely true but it’s not the full story . . . that is why anybody who is telling the story must have minutes and other records,” he added.
Akufo-Addo spokesperson
Kweku Baako has spoken against some distortions in the media which indicates that President Akufo-Addo was the Chairman of Kume Preko, (a group called Alliance for Change, in the run-up to the mammoth anti-government protests, “Kume Preko†in 1995).
According to him, it is never true that President Akufo-Addo was the Chairman and that at a meeting to mark the 25th anniversary, he got up to quickly make that correction.
“Nana Akufo-Addo was known as the Spokesperson of the Alliance for Change and not the Chairman and so I don’t know where the distortion is coming from,” he said.
He further narrated how former President Kufuor lost his gold watch.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has come under a barrage of criticisms by opposition parties over their decision to compile a new voters’ register.
While the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is objecting to the decision and claiming the EC wants to disenfranchise 11 million Ghanaian electorates and rig this year’s elections to favour President Nana Akufo-Addo, other opponents have also argued that it is not safe for the EC to go ahead with the registration exercise because of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
With all these concerns over the country’s electoral system, the question arises that will the 2020 elections come off then?
Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has offered an answer saying come rain or sunshine, the 7th December polls will be held by the Electoral Commission.
According to him, no opposition or challenge whatsoever will stop this year’s elections but called on the EC to adequately prepare themselves ensuring appropriate measures are put in place for the voters to observe the health protocols regarding the COVID-19.
Kweku Baako shared a realistic view that the pandemic is far from over and so he anticipates it will linger on till the end of the year, nonetheless it cannot hold back the elections.
“We all know that whether we like it or not, we will hold the elections on 7th December. Nobody should ignore that fact. If it is possible to defer the elections, then we can say we can toy around with certain ideas. But there is one thing that we cannot change; it’s immutable, the 7th December 2020 elections. Rain or shine, it will come off,” he said on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme.
Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako says he doesn’t support calls on government to adopt “fear and panic” tactics to suppress Ghanaians into obeying the health protocols regarding the COVID-19 situation.
Ghanaians have been advised to mandatorily wear nose masks, wash their hands with soap under running water, sanitize their hands and adhere to other hygienic instructions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Although Ghana’s case count of the virus has risen to 5,530 with 674 recoveries and 24 deaths, some Ghanaians have blatantly refused to go by the health directions.
However, Kweku Baako disagrees with the ‘fear and panic’ activists because he believes it’s not a good approach in fighting the pandemic.
Speaking on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, he sought to find out how exactly the activists want to achieve their aim.
“…spread fear? How do we do it and what kind of fear?” he questioned.
“They should define their kind of fear . . . enforce the protocols . . . but fear on its own by itself and it’s so ill-defined . . . Let them give us further and better particulars what they mean by the fear, perhaps we can interrogate it,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.
Kwesi Pratt wants govt to show images of COVID-19 patients to deter stubborn Ghanaians
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has called on State authorities to televise patients of COVID-19 to serve as deterrent to headstrong Ghanaians.
According to Kwesi Pratt, many Ghanaians do not see the seriousness of the impact of the disease because there is nothing to inject some dose of fear and panic into them.
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kwesi Pratt insisted that showing horrible images of those who have been infected by the disease and are in critical condition will help in the public education on COVID-19.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako jnr has condemned the culture of Chiefs pledging their allegiance to political parties and Presidential candidates, stating emphatically that the practice is in contravention of Ghana’s constitution.
According to Kweku Baako, he finds it difficult to comprehend why a traditional leader or Overlord of a community would throw his weight behind a political figure and solicit votes for the person.
Making his submissions on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Kweku Baako reminded Chiefs of their primary role in society.
“A Chief can acknowledge provision of development projects by an administration or a President where his community are beneficiaries. That’s okay. It’s allowed but when you proceed beyond that premise, that framework and advocate political gain for that person, you’re wrong. Completely against the constitution!” he said.
Alluding to the embarrassing comments made by Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi Bonte II in 2016 that he will abdicate his throne should President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, then NPP Presidential candidate, win the general elections; Kweku Baako asked Chiefs to take a cue and refrain from dabbling in partisan politics.
“It takes away some of the dignity of that institution and the individual sitting on that stool or skin. And in fact, it’s divisive; commonsensically, it’s divisive. When it comes to election matters, the Chief, you cannot purport to speak on behalf of your community relative to their choice,” he advised.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has censured former President John Dramani Mahama for claiming Ghana’s economy is in tatters under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Having a digital dialogue with Ghanaians, the former President lamented about the performance of the Akufo-Addo administration with particular emphasis on how he is handling the pandemic crisis of COVID-19.
Mr. Mahama stated emphatically that “just one month of this Government funding just some sections of the economy and vulnerable persons at home due to the coronavirus, our economy has gone to the ICU and is in tatters now and needs critical health examination”.
The former President further asserted that the current administration has put the economy on ventilators in need of a breakthrough which he can offer when re-elected into office.
Reacting to the former President’s remarks, Kweku Baako posited that he (Mahama) seeks to only politically ridicule the present administration despite efforts by the President to drive Ghanaians to safety, taking into focus the current pandemic confronting them.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect that from former President Mahama. All the big economies in the world are on their knees. All are on their knees. All are in ICU. All of them are on ventilators. It’s not an exclusive matter peculiar to Ghana.”
“I got a feeling that it all amounted to political ridicule. That’s the impression I got because it’s a serious matter . . . We all know the Ghanaian economy and not just Ghanaian, the African or if you like the third world, the developing countries have in-depth structural deficiencies and inadequacies. That’s why we keep talking about the structural transformation of our economy and this begun from Nkrumah time. He had a more focused agenda but even for him, long before he was overthrown, we were still grappling with the structural deficiencies because it’s a process. It’s not an event,” he said on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo/ on Wednesday.
He questioned Mahama’s logic for embarking on such a political journey saying “if you have been the leader of the country before and you make that statement, for me, I think you’re ridiculing the situation. That’s what I mean by political ridicule and that ought not to have come from that source”.
To Kweku Baako, the former President is making mismatching the performance of his administration vis-Ã -vis the Akufo-Addo government.
“NPP took over in 2017. Before 2017, what was the state of the economy? We’re not talking of having structurally transformed the Ghanaian economy. We’re talking of having brought some efficiency relative to economic management. That’s the distinction because we’re still on the journey,” he pointed out.
