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Mr Special Prosecutor: The crooks are hidden in plain sight
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Between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, there was a scramble for Africa that led to the partition of the continent and the exploitation of its rich resources like gold, diamonds, bauxite, tin, copper, manganese, cocoa, coffee, and many more.
European countries such as Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and others, literally partitioned the continent among themselves without any war. They sat at a conference in Berlin in 1885, and gleefully shared Africa by mutual agreement such that each of the colonial powers was allotted a specific area of jurisdiction with licence to plunder. The only caveat was that none should encroach on another’s portion. It was a mad rush for Africa’s resources and the continent seemed helpless to deal with the problem.
Now, we have our independence, but the scramble continues, not from outside but within. Our own people are scrambling for our meagre resources and sharing them among themselves through widespread corruption in high places. As things stand now, politics and political connections have become the preferred avenue to riches because nobody checks anybody.
Corruption has become so systemic that only God can provoke the pangs of our conscience which seems unfeeling. In fact, our status of corruption now fits into the parameters of notoriety. Gradually, we are speeding towards competing with the most notoriously corrupt nations. A recent skit on social media by a group of Nigerian comedians about corruption might place the issue in the right perspective.
In the sketch, a man asks his son to list four corrupt countries in Africa in descending order. The boy mentions Kenya, Togo, Ghana. At this point, the man looks bewildered because he is expecting Nigeria to take the first position but with three down and only one to go, his beloved country is still missing in action.
He thinks, perhaps, his son is being patriotic, so he is reserving the fourth and last spot for his country so that it does not look so bad as the others. But to the man’s amazement, his son calls out Congo as his final choice. “What about Nigeria?” the man asks. His son has a totally different idea altogether. He thinks that Nigeria is in a class of its own. So, he answers: “Papa, when counting sinners, you don’t count Satan.”
One may also ask: What about Ghana? Our conscience is dead to sin and the dykes that held back the torrents of corruption have been breached. We have earned a badge of dishonour with our own level of deviousness bordering on wickedness. Does the Bible not say that the devil comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy? Is it not what the corrupt officials are doing to us?
It is culturally improper to malign the dead but how could Sir John amass all the assets and properties listed in his will within a matter of just three years? Between March 2017 until his death in July 2020, Sir John, officially known as Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, served as the CEO of the Forestry Commission after his tenure as the General Secretary of the ruling NPP from 2010 to 2014.
Following his death, his will inadvertently surfaced in the public domain, raising eyebrows, and sending shock waves across the country. The disclosure gave Ghanaians a hint about what is really going on behind the veneer of integrity. Within that short span of being in charge of the Forestry Commission, he accumulated such a fortune as would even make General Sanni Abacha envious.
The late CEO’s assets and properties included, at least, 10 plush buildings in top-tier locations of Accra, including a four-storey house demarcated into apartments at East Legon. Six more of the buildings are situated at East Legon, three in other areas like Oyarifa and Ogbojo, while one is at Wonoo, his hometown. Moreover, he had eight vast portions of land spread across Accra as well as two portions of the Achimota Forest with specific dimensions and two other separate portions designated as unspecified.
Sir John’s private vehicles were listed as 13, including three luxurious Lexus saloon cars, Mercedes Benz E 68 Sport AMG, Ford F150, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Pilot, Honda Accord Sport, Honda Accord Touring, Nissan Titan Pick Up V8, Toyota Landcruiser V8 and Toyota Rav 4.
His bank accounts were spread across as many as six local banks and two foreign banks in the US and Canada. He had investment holdings with the National Trust Holding Company and the African Development Bank. He was involved also in joint gold production investments with a certain Francis Owusu on one hand, and three other entities listed as ROTL, FASOH, and MBL
His other businesses included the Afriyie Memorial Hospital at his hometown, Wonoo; a fuel station located at Kentinkrono in the Ashanti Region, 10 fuel tankers, a teak plantation located at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region, farms at Ejura in the Ashanti Region, a rubber plantation located in the Eastern Region, and three stalls at the new Kejetia market, Kumasi. All these in three years? Yes! At least, most of them.
To most watchers, the work of the Office of the Special Prosecutor is not going fast enough. The point is, sometimes, the law seems to be on the side of suspects, even veritable crooks, by the way it offers them the benefit of the doubt.
Legal experts would tell you that the law’s underlying rationale for that benefit is to uphold the moral necessity of protecting the innocent against wrongful convictions. For that cause, the law universally holds that it is better to let the crime of a guilty person go unpunished than to condemn the innocent.
In line with this principle, a thief may be defined, in legal terms, as someone who is not just suspected of stealing, but has been caught in the very act. Thus, you cannot just accuse your roommate of stealing your property, even if he were the only person living with you under the same roof at the time of the theft. You must prove it as well.
That is where the problem lies. Even though sometimes the courts admit circumstantial evidence as credible and helpful to the prosecution, it is not foolproof. A more reliable evidence is always demanded by the courts before they arrive at a decision. I believe this is one reason Ghanaians are not “seeing you in action.”
But, Mr. Special Prosecutor, I am sure you must certainly be gathering vital evidence against the crooks to place you in good stead to successfully prosecute them. But if the process continued like this, it would not move a needle. Let us fast-track things.
We do not have to go far. The suspects have already given you all the evidence you need. They are openly flaunting their ill-gotten wealth right before our very eyes. Mr. Special Prosecutor, the rogues are hidden in plain sight; the crooks are in full view, the nation wreckers are right under your nose!
Thankfully, the law that established the Office of the Special Prosecutor, empowers you, among other things, to take steps to prevent corruption as well as investigate and prosecute specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences. The law empowers you to prosecute anyone whose income cannot reasonably account for the acquisition of certain property. Even a casual glance around is enough to reveal a lot of suspects in this category.
Start with the enforcement of assets declaration as stipulated by law. The Akans have a proverb that says, “De3 mmoa adi no, wondi nkɔ; de3 aka no, y3b3bɔ ho ban.” It means: “We might not be able to retrieve the crops that the pests have devoured, but we will protect what remains.”
In order to protect what remains of our depleted resources, we must take immediate steps to seal the cracks. Sir John has given us a clue. The CEOs need to be scrutinised and made to declare their assets before they assume any oversight responsibility.
Besides, all other public servants, including government officials, Parliamentarians, District, Municipal, and Metropolitan Chief Executives, in fact, all politically-exposed persons in both public and private life, must be made to declare all their assets as a condition for eligibility to contest elections.
Talking of DCEs and MCEs, it should not be only Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, who is being investigated after he was caught in a video demanding refund from assembly members for failing to approve his nomination as the Juaben MCE after he bribed them to do so.
What about the others? It is an open secret that politics in Africa, especially in Ghana and Nigeria, favours the highest bidder. Invite all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and probe them under oath, I bet all or majority of them breached the rules. They all paid for votes.
The recent NPP regional and district primary elections were also tainted with bribery and corruption allegations. Contestants vied to outspend one another in vote buying. This crime is not new, but it is reaching breaking point. Fortunately, the Special Prosecutor has wide-ranging powers to turn the tide against the saboteurs. In fact, he and his assigns can exercise the powers of a police officer. So, go man go!
Contact: teepeejubilee@yahoo.co.uk
By Tony Prempeh
The average modern Gold Coaster born and bred in Sikaman is an adventurous creature. Go to any part of the world and you’ll find Ghanaman diligently slugging it out either in the snow or in hot sweltering weather, earning a decent living.
Go to Guinea and see Ghanaman in the garb of a herbalist, curing the sick of various ailments. He makes the Guinean understand that not all diseases are caused by James Lucifer alias Jimmy Satan. On the contrary, most diseases are caused by kooko which can even attack the human nose and turn it upside down.
That kooko is also the cause of poverty and the internal bleeding of personal back-pocket economies. And that kooko can be cured using the chemistry underlying Sikaman herbal medicine which has been blessed by the gods of Larteh.
And before Ghanaman starts dispensing his herbal concoctions, he must attract the passing crowd with some Sıkaman-originated choreography, akin to a combination of adowa and agbadza, such that the dancer can easily dislocate a shoulder and start crying for his mother.
When the crowd is enough to form a quorum, Ghanaman must perform magic as a side-attraction, and proceed to sell his drugs. The drugs are genuinely made from potent herbs which the Pharmacy Board of Sikaman says it has no confidence in. Believe me, Ghanaian herbalists are practising in neighbouring countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Benin, while we are discouraging them from practising in Sikaman.
Go to Las Palmas and see Ghanaman as a fisherman. He sails on Korean-owned boats and is forced to eat garlic and raw tuna for radiant health. The garlic is also supposed to protect him against witches. But sometimes, he is not good bedfellows with some Korean crew members, and once in a while a fight breaks out.
The typical Korean is a Kung Fu expert and before displaying a golden dragon data. He must first terrify Ghanaman with a Korean dance which consists of wild arms and leg throwing. But Ghanaman is usually not daunted. Why has he been eating cancer kenkey all years without developing cancer? It mean is a superhuman capable of countering Kun fu side-kicks to the ribs.
Anyhow Ghanaman’s most potent arsenal lies in his fists. If he is a southpaw, it mean left fist is probably insured and can cause damage. When Ghanaman lands a cassava blow and it lands on a Korean chest, it has the effect of a cruise missile. If there is no ceasefire a funeral cannot be ruled out.
Greenland
Go to Alaska and find Ghanaman there. Greenland, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar, everywhere and you’ll find him. He has become an international citizen and is generally lauded for his hardwork, sincerity and honesty.
However, some bad nuts are also condemned and despised.
The world and all its parts and corners are for the human race, and anyone can choose to live anywhere and earn a decent living so long as he doesn’t misconduct himself or become a social misfit and a law unto himself.
Sıkaman for instance accepts foreigners, and we are so liberal that people just come in through our borders and we welcome them with the best palmwine in town and goat light soup. Who cares about passports and visas? Our hospitality is, as it were legendary.
So we have Liberians, Nigerians, Sierra Leoneans, Togolese, Europeans, Americans, Scandinavians and Koreans in Sikaman. And some of them have misinterpreted our overzealous accommodation to mean “foolishness” and are misconducting themselves.
The newspapers carry stories of some unscrupulous Nigerians stealing, defrauding and collaborating with their Sikaman counterparts to rob people. You’ll find some good and law-abiding Liberians around but some other Liberians are in the business of fraud, robbery, money printing, money doubling, anything criminal.
Ghanaian hospitality can no longer be extended to such people. I do not think Ghanaians will be treated kindly either, when they misbehave anywhere in the world. Those who come from outside with the intention of bringing down their evil deeds and to practise them here professionally must be getting ready because Ghanaians are getting fed up with the menace.
These days, you’ll find strange people following you as soon as you emerge from a bank. If you are not careful, they’ll wrestle your briefcase from you and speed away in a waiting taxi.
Someone was just saying that many foreign criminals are flocking to Ghana because in their countries, they are enable to operate either because they are being looked for by the police for offences committed or fear instant justice at the hands of mobs. Ghanaians, it is said, are humanitarian in dealing with criminals.
Well, in some African countries, a thief who is being chased runs directly to the police station in his own interest and begs the officer at the counter to lock him up. Otherwise he’ll be lynched or be burnt to death. In Ghana, it is the opposite. The thieves run far away from the cop stations.
The criminals must reform and stay peacefully in Sikaman or quit. No court case!
This article was first published on Saturday September 5, 1998
The human condition is defined by two absolute, biological bookends: the commencement of complex cellular animation and its ultimate, irreversible cessation.
For centuries, medicine treated life and death as strictly separate states. Today, modern pathology and molecular biology reveal a more profound truth: the mechanisms that allow us to live are the exact same mechanisms that dictate how we die.
Understanding this relationship is no longer just a philosophical pursuit. It is a clinical necessity for managing public health in the 21st century.
Part I: How we live – The mechanics of animation
At its core, biological life is a continuous, high-stakes battle against entropy (the natural tendency of systems to degrade into disorder). To maintain form, consciousness, and function, the human body relies on three fundamental pillars:
1. Cellular respiration and energy production
Every second of human life is powered by the conversion of oxygen and glucose into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency of our cells. This process occurs within the mitochondria.
Without a constant supply of ATP, the microscopic pumps that maintain electrical gradients across our cell membranes fail, causing cellular collapse within minutes.
2. Homeostasis: The balancing act
To survive, the internal environment of the body must remain incredibly stable, regardless of external chaos. This balancing act, known as homeostasis, regulates:
Blood pH: Strictly maintained between 7.35 and 7.45.
Core Temperature: Ideally kept around 37°C (98.6°F).
Electrolyte Balance: Precise ratios of sodium, potassium, and calcium that allow nerves to fire and muscles to contract.
3. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The ANS acts as the invisible conductor of life, split into two complementary branches:
Part II: How we die – The path of cessation
Death is rarely a singular event; it is a progressive biological cascade. Whether caused by old age, chronic illness, or sudden trauma, the final pathways of mortality generally follow a predictable trajectory.
1. The cellular horizon: Senescence and Apoptosis
Every time a human cell divides, the protective caps at the ends of its chromosomes-telomeres-shorten. Eventually, telomeres become so depleted that the cell can no longer divide safely. It enters senescence (a state of permanent arrest) or triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death). This gradual, systemic loss of cellular renewal is the underlying engine of aging.
2. The clinical cascade of somatic death
When the body can no longer maintain homeostasis, somatic death (the death of the organism as a whole) begins. This occurs in a distinct sequence:
1
Clinical Death
Zero to four minutes
The heart stops pumping blood, and respiration ceases. While breathing and circulation have ended, the body’s tissues still contain residual oxygen and cellular energy reserves. At this stage, resuscitation is often still possible.
2
Brain Death (Infarction)
Four to six minutes
Deprived of fresh oxygenated blood, the brain’s highly sensitive neurons begin to starve. Lacking ATP, the brain cells lose their electrical charge, swell, and begin to burst. Permanent, irreversible neurological damage occurs within minutes.
3
Biological Death
Hours to days
The organs fail entirely. Without central control or blood flow, individual cells throughout the body consume their final energy reserves. Enzymes that once aided digestion begin to break down the body’s own tissues from the inside out, a process known as autolysis.
Part III: The modern collision of life and death
In the modern era, the boundary between how we live and how we die has blurred. Historically, humanity died primarily from infectious diseases and acute trauma. Today, global mortality is dominated by non-communicable, chronic lifestyle diseases.
Modern Pathology: How we live (the cause) how we die (the result)
Cardiovascular disease, chronic stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep keep the sympathetic nervous system hyper-activated, damaging blood vessels .Occlusion of coronary arteries leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack) or ischemic stroke.
Metabolic syndrome over nutrition and physical inactivity overwhelm cellular mitochondria, leading to systemic insulin resistance. Multi-organ failure, chronic kidney disease, and severe vascular complications.
Neurodegenerative Disorders Chronic systemic inflammation and sleep deprivation prevent the brain from clearing metabolic waste. Gradual loss of synaptic connections, leading to dementia and the eventual loss of basic autonomic functions.
Conclusion: The unified theory of health
Ultimately, how we live directly shapes the path of how we die. The micro-choices of daily existence-how we manage emotional stress, the quality of our rest, our communal connections, and our nutrition-either preserve the integrity of our homeostatic systems or accelerate their decline.
True medical advancement is shifting away from merely extending the final, frail stages of biological death. Instead, the focus is turning toward optimising our living years-ensuring that the intricate, beautiful machinery of human animation runs smoothly until its natural, quiet conclusion.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
