- GBC & Metro went to bed, while Ghana, Obama, whole world were awake The whole world geared up during the much publicised visit of President Obama. Both local and international media got their tools ready and hit the ground to report the speech to the world. According to Ministry of Information about 500 media outlets sought accreditation to let their viewers have a bite of Obama's speech. In the villages and cities of Ghana people hooked on to their radio and television sets ready to hear him speak, while in America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East people counted on international media power house such as the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera for a share of Obama's s…

- Mr. President I hope you agree with me that at the moment the Bureau of National Investigation has lost it focus and has nothing to do for the nation's internal security despite the millions of dollars that is being spent on its personnel and operations. And you also agree with me that the idle hands of members of the BNI have forced them to engage in activities that can only be described as unconstitutional. I strongly believe that because the BNI has nothing more important to do that is why its operatives have resorted to harassment, arrests, detentions and engaging in activities that are prerogative of our police force. I am no security expert but I do know that the work of BNI…

- The whole of Africa and Ghana in particular is in a frenzy mood because the President of the United States of America is paying a visit to Africa between the 10-11 July,2009. Many in the continent have developed perception that Obama's visit will change every evil thing in Africa including poverty, hunger, starvation, wars, diseases, economic depression, autocracy, environmental and social chaos. Where those false hopes come from I do not know. While his visit offers a number of opportunities for Africa, it will be wrong for people to think that all problems will be solved in the 18 hours that Obama is going to spend in Ghana. I want to urge Africans to leave Obama alone because th…

- President Obama in his maiden visit to Africa south of the has spoken directly to all the people but especially to the leaders who for the past fifty years have been in control and whose policies have brought untold economic hardship and misery to the people. Speaking directly to the tyrants and corrupt dictators in north, south, east, central and west Africa he said: "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions." Chastising them for being corrupt and abusers of human rights he added: "No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or if police can be bought off by drug traffickers," he said. &quo…

- President Obama in his maiden visit to Africa south of the has spoken directly to all the people but especially to the leaders who for the past fifty years have been in control and whose policies have brought untold economic hardship and misery to the people. Speaking directly to the tyrants and corrupt dictators in north, south, east, central and west Africa he said: "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions." Chastising them for being corrupt and abusers of human rights he added: "No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or if police can be bought off by drug traffickers," he said. &quo…

Much has been said about Ghana's oil and the revenue that is supposed to flow into her coffers by 2010. The politicians and their associates are excited that Ghana will soon be swimming in oil money. But the people are not enthused as they know the history of oil rich countries in Africa. - They are also not excited because years of gold, diamond, cocoa, timber and other mineral exports has not brought any benefit to them rather they are still wallowing in chronic poverty with no access to water, healthcare, education, electricity with transport and other infrastructures crumbling. The question is will the people benefit from the oil if they could not benefit from gold and other mineral…

- There are few institutions in Ghana and in Africa that can hold its head high when it comes to discharging dispassionately its constitutionally mandated duties and many are under performing or have no accomplishments due to corruption, partiality, and inability to stand the pressure from politicians. However, Ghana’s Electoral Commission has been just one of the few to have defied all those negativities. The Commission stands tall among all the civic institutions in Ghana and Africa tasked with preserving democracy, political pluralism and constitutional rule. It is one of the few institutions in the continent that has not given in to political pressure, threats and intimidations whi…

Look at the woman in the photograph on the left and her surrounding carefully. Does she look like someone who has been given help by aid agencies like United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Oxfam, Action Aid, Christian Aid, World Vision, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and JICA? - Does she look like someone whose government has received billions of dollars in loans and grants from the World Bank or the IMF? Does she look like someone who has received financial or material help from US, Japan, Germany, Britain,…

- Kenyan MP by name Simon Mbugua (pictured above) has sent his bodyguard called Billy to kill a prominent political activist called Fwamba for voicing his opinion about memebers of Kenya's Parliament who are sometimes bribed to vote in a certain way in favour of corrupt ministers. This Billy (bodyguard) phoned the the activist 3.36pm Wednesday asking him to meet him with the intention to kill him. However, the activist refused to meet him fearing his fate will be similar to three political activists who recently lost their lives under misterious circumstances for voicing their opinion on similar issues in the country. In August 2008 this MP Simon Mbugua was made to stand trial…

- Anytime Transparency International (TI) releases what it calls corruption perception index (CPI) showing which country is more corrupt and which ones are not the top 10% of most corrupt nations always come from the developing world with most of the so called advanced countries given a clean sheet. TI index always show that countries like Switzerland, Britain, France, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of the so called developed nations are less corrupt while those of the developing world are. http://www.transparency.o...08/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table However a critical look at what goes on in the world of business and politics shows that these so calle…

Ghana, the first nation south of the Sahara to gain independence has been left behind in everything that concerns human life. 50 years of dictatorships, coups, political instabilities, misrule, economic mismanagement, endemic corruption, lack of transparency, scant accountability and the weak application of the rule of law has resulted in Ghana still marking time while other countries mostly our independence peers have moved forward economically and socially. - Our education, our health system, our environment, roads, electricity, water, agriculture and above all our economy are all behind. We still wash our clothes with our hands and our farming practices are still dominated by the use of c…

- Before the end of the first colonialism African nations were properties of their colonial masters who did what they could to rape the continent of whatever resource they deem good for the development of their citizens in Europe. Out of nowhere and without any consultation with the people in the continent the Europeans met and divided the continent amongst themselves in what has been termed the scramble for Africa. Through the scramble France, Britain, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy all went on a looting spree raping Africa of her resources without putting any of the proceeds back for the development of the continent. When US President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Gambia o…

- AFRICA MUST ACHIEVE POLITICAL STABILITY FIRST BEFORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The greatest threat to the economic development of Africa is political instability. Political stability is the foundation of economic development, it is the magic bullet and the magnet that holds all other activities in a country together and provides the avenue for investment, creates jobs and raise necessary revenue needed to fight poverty. Economic development thrives well in atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. However, Africa is one of the few places noted for its political instabilities. It scores badly among investors as a place where the risk of investment is high and where business…

- Since Abraham Lincoln became the role model for President Barack Obama, I wonder which African politician President Obama could have picked as a role model if he had run as a candidate in any African country. Currently there are about 53 presidents and prime ministers whose countries form the Africa Union. It should therefore not be difficult to find role models among such a large contingent of leaders. A google search for possible role model candidates led to Mobutu Sese Seku, Sani Abacha, Iddi Amin Dada, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, Samuel Doe of Liberia, Charles Taylor, Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa of Central Africa, Ibrahim Babangida, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Lansana Conte of Guinea,…

- There are three major problems confronting Africans today. The first is leadership incompetence; the second is endemic corruption; the third and most deadly of all is poor state of infrastructure. The health of every nation's economy is strongly dependent on a reliable infrastructure system because infrastructures are the bedrock, life blood and the engines that drive the economy. The role play by infrastructures in the economy of a nation cannot be overemphasized especially its effect on sustainable development, foreign direct investment flow, GDP growth, inflation reduction, job creation, trade, agriculture, delivery of goods and services, lowering cost of business, improving health…

- There are three major problems confronting Africans today. The first is leadership incompetence; the second is endemic corruption; the third and most deadly of all is poor state of infrastructure. The health of every nation’s economy is strongly dependent on a reliable infrastructure system because infrastructures are the bedrock, life blood and the engines that drive the economy. The role play by infrastructures in the economy of a nation cannot be overemphasized especially its effect on sustainable development, foreign direct investment flow, GDP growth, inflation reduction, job creation, trade, agriculture, delivery of goods and services, lowering cost of business, improving healt…

- By Lord Aikins Adusei She was hailed as the beacon of hope for Africa, and was described as the burning spear and guiding light of Africa. She became the most spoken name in the whole world, became a whispered word within the corridors of power in Europe and America, and was an icon and a brand name in all of Africa. All freedom fighters in the world drew inspiration from her achievements and many nations wanted to be associated with her. That was Ghana at birth. Ghanaian leaders were held in high esteem across the world. They started shining from the day Ghana begun to make her own decisions and took her destiny into her own hands. The leaders in Ghana with Dr. Nkrumah as Prime Mini…

- By Lord Aikins Adusei Between January 26 and February 3 2009, the Heads of State and governments of the various nations in Africa met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss issues affecting the Continent. For five years such meetings have been taking place and after each meeting nothing happens to the numerous problems facing the continent. In fact there is very little to show for all the millions of dollars of tax payers’ money that has gone into such meetings. What has the AU achieved or got right in Africa since it replaced the toothless OAU (Organisation of Africa Unity)? How effective has the AU been in tackling the numerous problems facing the continent? Can the AU tell the…

- Dear Presidents/Prime Ministers, On behalf of the poor people of Africa, I send you this protest letter. We are angry. Yes we the people are very angry. We have endured your ill conceived, harsh and austere economic and social policies for quite too long. We have watched silently to see you and your cronies enjoy while we the masses continue to suffer. We have no jobs, no income, no savings and have no place to lay our heads while you and your selected few live in mansions at the expense of the very poor you are refusing to take care of. You have consistently ignored all our cry for help even though you know our plights very well. Are you not appalled by the scale of poverty and…

Quite often when you read newspapers, listen to radio and watch television in the West you learn how poor Africans are and how corrupt African leaders are. But you will never watch, read or hear anything in these media outlets about the role being played by Western banking institutions; property development and estate companies; the big corporations; defense companies, oil and mining cartels and the western political and business elite in promoting corruption in Africa. - When it comes to Africa and the developing world the Western media pretend to be doing a good job only when there is an embarrassing story or a scandal that undermines their credibility as the watchdog of the state. It is n…

- Hiding Africa's Looted Funds: The Silence of the Western Media By Lord Aikins Adusei Quite often when you read newspapers, listen to radio and watch television in the West you learn how poor Africans are and how corrupt African leaders are. But you will never watch, read or hear anything in these media outlets about the role being played by Western banking institutions; property development and estate companies; the big corporations;defense companies, oil and mining cartels and the western political and business elite in promoting corruption in Africa. When it comes to Africa and the developing world the Western media pretend to be doing a good job only when there is an emb…

They like to talk like sheep with humility but they act like wolves and lions devouring their victims without mercy. Such are Africa politicians. When they want power they would promise or say anything to get elected but when they get the power then they forget about the electorate and the people. - Today in Africa people are so poor that they cannot even provide food for their families. But the politicians in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, Chad, Ghana, South Africa, Guinea, Angola, DRC, Gabon, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Togo and Ivory Coast do not know what poverty is. Together they have hijacked and exercise full control over all the resources including land, labour, capital and …