Feature Article of Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah
Wicked men have emerged from the rubble of democracy and are now occupying the highest positions in our land. These new Pharaohs who were once sheep have now mutated to become ravening wolves. They have deceived, intimidated and manipulated their prey into total obedience.
This reminds me of the Jones Cult in Guyana. The “Supreme Master”, Jim Jones established his kingdom on earth at a place he named Jonestown after himself. He wielded absolute power for his word was law. He had money, more than he needed. Women, the most beautiful, especially married ones were at his beck and call. In short, he was the master of all that he surveyed.
Jim Jones knew he was suffering from cancer which had reached its advanced stage. He had enjoyed life to its full and realized that the end had come. But he did not want to die alone.
What did he do? In 1974, he had some concoctions mixed with a deadly potion. He told his devotees that the world was coming to an end and would like members of the cult to go to paradise in a group. His devotees were all lined up to drink the potion which did not give life but death. It started with the children, the women and finally the men. His personal security operatives were drafted to the scene to ensure that the edict was carried out to the last order.
That was how a whole lot of disoriented and vulnerable individuals perished on a single day. And what a great number of innocent souls they were! That came to be known as the Jonestown Massacre.
Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, NPP’s Running Mate in the December, 2012 Presidential Elections had his vehicle involved in a ghastly motor accident. Events before the accident and after made people suspect foul play. They shouted to the highest heavens that some criminally-minded persons had attempted to bring the life of the budding NPP whiz kid to a premature end. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, alias ‘Sir John’ could not keep his suspicion to himself. He went public and spoke his mind to anyone who cared to listen.
What did people say? That ‘Sir John’ had fouled the air. Mahama’s security apparatus hounded ‘Sir John’ from his humble abode and made serious allegations against him. Others took advantage of the seemingly mild schism between him and Nana Akomea, NPP’s Director of Communications to blow the whole thing out of proportion. Thank God, sanity prevailed and the two combatants have sheathed their political swords.
Mahama’s Security Machinery made up of the Police, the BNI, and the Special Forces insisted that a thorough investigation of the accident involving Dr Bawumia be conducted. And it was done. Please, note that it was not Dr Bawumia who asked for the investigation to be conducted.
Prior to Dr Bawumia’s accident, our Former President, the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills had died under mysterious circumstances. Available information suggests that our current President might not be unconnected with the circumstances leading to the death of his predecessor. But what did we see or hear? Every staunch member of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer took a firm stance against an inquest into the death of our former President. Various arguments, some very bizarre were canvassed against any such investigation.
But readers should permit me to bring out some facts which point to direct involvement of “Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes” in the demise of the former President. Till date, the powers that be, goaded by the security apparatus, have ‘violently’ resisted all systematic attempts to re-open the issue of Former President, Professor Mills’ death.
To re-enforce my belief that President Mahama is involved in the death of his predecessor, let facts be supplied to a candid world.
In the first place, President Mahama launched his book “My First Coup D’état” in the United States and in less than one month after the launch, the former President died under strange circumstances. What do you make of that?
Again, why did he name his book “My First Coup D’état”? Whom was the coup targeted at?
As if that was not weighty enough, the late President, Professor Mills was strongly against lesbianism and homos3xuality. His views were made public and he was loudly applauded by core members of the NDC. But current President John Dramani Mahama has made a 360 degrees turn back on gay issues. He is fully in support of the Gay Movement. I cannot say on authority whether he is an active member or not.
But he is a friend to the renowned Gay Activist, Andrews Solomon. The latter was the Chief Launcher at his book launch and even bought the First Copy for an undisclosed amount of money. I wonder if it is the money he got from his book launch that he paid his tax on. But that is an issue I will pursue at a later date. But suffice it to say that Andrew Solomon is an activist who goes out of his way to ensure the spread of gay activities in many countries.
Could it be that the movement saw the late President as an obstacle to the spread of their movement and that the money he donated at the book launch was meant to facilitate the elimination of late President was Mills? This is a question that could only be answered if a public enquiry into the death was ordered.
Put bluntly, could it be that there were surreptitious moves by the gay movement led by Andrew Solomon to get the former President eliminated to pave way for the spread of lesbianism and homos3xuality into the country? We need to know if that was the case and the only way we could know the truth is through a public enquiry.
How much was contributed by Andrew Solomon and how much was removed from the total amount that was accrued from the book launch just before the demise of Professor Atta Mills?
Again, what would you say to the contradictions in President Mahama’s account on the death of his predecessor and that of Haruna Iddrissu?
Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes had earlier told Ghanaians that he had met with and spoken with his predecessor twice on the day he died. On another occasion, he forgot what he had told Ghanaians on the death of Professor Atta Mills and denied having met and spoken with the late President on the day the latter died.
Giving an account of how the former President died, “Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes” had told Ghanaians on the day he assumed the Presidency that he and the former Chief of Staff, Henry Martey Newman had met the late President in Mills’ office on the day his Predeccessor died. The late President had detailed the duo to represent him at a function at the International Conference Centre. They did and reported back to him in the afternoon where they found him in good health.
According to the then Vice President Mahama, he had returned to his office from where he received a call from the former Chief of Staff to the effect that the former President had suddenly taken seriously ill.
On another occasion, the President forgot what he had told the entire nation and the international community. He thought Ghanaians have selective amnesia. This was during the interview he had with Shaka Shali of VOA “Straight Talk Africa’s fame.
On Shaka’s show, the President beaming with smiles had told his host that he had noticed the absence of the former President to his office on that Monday preceding the, Tuesday which is given as the official day of death. He had gone to his office to find a note from the late President asking the then Chief of Staff and him the then Vice President, John Mahama to represent him at a function at the International Conference Centre.
About thirty minutes’ after he had returned to his office, he received a call from the then Chief of Staff that the late President had taken suddenly ill. He rushed to the late President’s office. What happened thereafter is a story we all know.
But the contradictions in President Mahama’s two accounts are something that could only come out after a public enquiry. Haruna Iddrissu also jumped into the fray when he said he was part of the delegation that represented late President Mills at the function. But he gave the venue as the Arts Centre instead of the International Conference Centre.
So, between Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes and Haruna Iddrissu, who is telling the truth?
There are many more questions on the death of the former President waiting for answers. When are we going to get answers to those mind-bogging questions? Only a public enquiry will do. Let us go back to the Bawumia’s issue. His vehicle is involved in an accident. The car is insured. He could waive his right to receiving compensation from the insurance company. A report is made to the Police. No loss of life is recorded. That should have been the end of the matter. But No, the Security Operatives of Danger Boy Mahama who is riding a bicycle without brakes would have none of that. There must be a full scale investigation. More than one month after the accident, the Police are yet to make the result of their investigation public.
I have been vociferous in my demand for investigations into the untimely death of former President Mills. My calls have reached a dead end, but I am undeterred. The President himself has not helped matters with his stony silence and inconsistency in his various accounts about the death of our former President.
Why are the President and his men strongly opposed to a public enquiry into the death of his predecessor? Are they afraid of exhuming a hidden ghost in their cupboard?
If the security operatives insisted on conducting an investigation into a motor accident in which no loss of life is recorded, what prevents the same body from conducting an enquiry into the mysterious death of a President who at the time of death, happened to be the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s Armed Forces? What double standards are the security operatives exhibiting here?
Tongues are wagging and people are whispering. Walls too have ears. Amidst the entire hullabaloo is one unmistakable message. The President’s name is linked with the death of his predecessor.
The President is the father of the whole nation. I am just an infinitesimal part of the nation. I am embarrassed and pained to hear my President being referred to as a “murderer”. I fear the consequences that will befall the citizenry if the matter is swept under the carpet. We know the disgrace that befell King David when he had Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba killed.
It is on this premise that I challenge President John Dramani Mahama to order a public enquiry into the death of his Predecessor, Professor Fiifi Atta Mills if his hands are clean. When some Ghanaian nationals were murdered by security forces in The Gambia, it was not family members of the deceased that complained. The investigations began based on the evidence of a surviving member of the stowaway. When the investigations started, we did not know where we were heading to, but we knew we would get somewhere. And we did.
And so I am making a passionate appeal to our President in the name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead to order a public enquiry into President Mills’ death.
This is not an unreasonable demand. Every principled person who has no skeleton in his cupboard will see the need to do this.
President John Dramani Mahama, will you be able to stand before Baba God to say “Lord, I know nothing about the death of Professor Mills”? God is waiting.
On a public enquiry we stand. God bless you all.
Credit: Daniel Danquah Damptey