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Parliament: Bagbin ‘arrested ‘in a ‘red’ lie net?
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Readers, last Saturday, my column did not appear so as to make way for a rejoinder to my article in the Saturday, August 28, 2021 edition of The Spectator.
The rejoinder from the Office of the Speaker of Parliament was headlined: ‘George Frank Asmah’s aspersions on Speaker expose his ignorance.’
The rejoinder was authored by Mr Peter Bampoe who claims to be Communications Officer at the Office of the Speaker of Parliament.
The fact of the matter is that the rejoinder woefully failed or refused to respond to the SPECIFIC ISSUES I raised in my article and instead; attacked my personality and the personality of the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Mr John Boadu.
Readers, in my article, I highlighted SPECIFIC STATEMENTS reportedly made by our Rt. Honourable Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on alleged snatching of parliamentary seats by the NPP to gain Majority in Parliament, when the Ethiopian parliamentary delegation called on him.
I again highlighted the response made by the NPP General Secretary to debunk the Speaker’s statement claiming that, “even the NPP General Secretary admitted that the NDC won Majority seats in Parliament.”
I then drew inferences to conclude that our venerable Speaker told a ‘red’ lie to the Ethiopian delegation that called on him, on his claim about NPP snatching parliamentary seats to get Majority in Parliament. The simple reason is that our Speaker of Parliament has no evidence to support such a ‘red’ lie.
Indeed, the ‘red’ lie of Mr Bagbin on NPP snatching parliamentary seats to gain Majority in Parliament has even been ‘magnified’ and ‘exposed’ the more, by the rejoinder authored by Mr Peter Bampoe.
This is because the rejoinder could not provide any evidence from the Speaker’s Office to support the statement made by the Speaker.
Really, the rejoinder supports the conclusion that Rt. Honourable Bagbin lied ‘very big’ to the Ethiopian parliamentary delegation about NPP snatching parliamentary seats to gain Majority seats in Parliament.
Indeed, the author of the rejoinder, Peter Bampoe, called me on phone, introducing himself as speaking from the Office of the Speaker. He then asked: “Have you seen the video of the NPP General Secretary, speaking on snatching of parliamentary seats?”
I said, “no”. Then he said he would send me a copy for me to see it myself.
He added that, “even that part of the video capturing the NPP General Secretary saying, some parliamentary seats were snatched had been erased.” Readers, I am yet to receive the video he said he would send to me.
I asked Mr Peter Bampoe: “Is the video you are talking about the evidence of Mr Speaker?
“And apart from that, has Mr Speaker got any evidence to support the statement he made to the effect that the NPP snatched some seats to get Majority seats in Parliament?”
Peter Bampoe’s answer was: “You see, some of these things, it is very difficult to get evidence but it really happened.”
So, readers; I knew as an indisputable fact that Mr Bagbin has no evidence under the SUN, MOON and STARS to support his statement that: “But for last-minute movements where some parliamentary seats were snatched by the NPP, the NDC would have had Majority in Parliament.”
I strongly suspected also that the rejoinder that would follow would be full of vituperations against my personality, instead of addressing the issues raised in my article. This is because the evidence to address the issues raised in my article, does not exist.
And truly, I was not disappointed by the shabby rejoinder. That is; leaving the issues raised in my article and attacking my personality. A really “political-generated propaganda.”
Readers, kindly examine the rejoinder which appeared in the Saturday, September 4, 2021, issue of the Spectator and put it side-by-side with my article which was published in the Saturday, August 28, 2021, edition of The Spectator.
What were the issues I raised in my article?
I stated that the Speaker of Parliament in a recent interaction with a delegation from the Ethiopian Parliament is reported to have said; “but for last-minute movements where some parliamentary seats were snatched by the NPP, the NDC would have had Majority in Parliament.”
After making such a statement, the venerable Speaker seemingly chose the NPP General Secretary as his ‘witness’. Let us read what he said.
Reportedly, Rt. Honourable Bagbin said: “The NPP General Secretary, Mr John Boadu, even admitted that the NDC won more seats in Parliament, but some last-minute moves were made to snatch some of the seats from the NDC.”
Rt. Honourable Bagbin reportedly added: “That one is a statement of fact.”
Readers, let us read also what Mr Speaker’s ‘seeming witness’ (the NPP General Secretary) said.
I wrote: Expectedly, the NPP General Secretary described the claim by Rt. Honourable Bagbin that parliamentary majority went in favour of the Opposition NDC as “falsehood”.
Mr Boadu said : “There is no iota of truth in such statement made by Rt. Honourable Bagbin to the Ethiopian Parliament since I have never stated anywhere that the NPP devised tactics to get parliamentary majority in its favour.”
He insisted that; “the NPP has always maintained in its post-elections comments that our party won majority of the parliamentary seats.”
And the question I asked in my article was : “Has Mr Bagbin himself got water-tight evidence to back what he allegedly told the Ethiopian parliamentary delegation?” This question was not answered by Peter Bampoe’s rejoinder.
Another question I asked in my article was:”Assuming the NPP General Secretary said exactly what Mr Speaker is quoting him to have said; does it make his statement true?” This question was also not answered by Peter Bampoe’s rejoinder.
Yet again a question I asked in my article was: “Where is the evidence to justify that the so-called statement made by the NPP General Secretary is nothing but the truth?” This question was also not answered by Peter Bampoe’s rejoinder.
CONTINUATION
Readers, again I asked; “Rt. Honourable Bagbin: You are known as a very competent lawyer. Not so? In the ‘game of law’ is it not the case that EVIDENCE is supreme?
“So, where is the evidence that what you told the Ethiopian parliamentary delegation actually happened?” This question too was not answered by Peter Bampoe’s rejoinder.
Readers, the venerable Speaker’s Office is a ‘hallowed’ Office which must be protected and respected by all Ghanaians. But the Speaker is a human so if he errs he must admit and apologise and we move on as a ‘growing’ democratic state.
Mr Bagbin must always understand the circumstances for which he was ‘elected’ or ‘appointed’ the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament.
Having made such ‘rich democratic history’, all eyes across the world are now intently focused on him and his venerable Office.
Consquently, Mr Bagbin’s acts and deeds; particularly his utterances, will be scrutinised by the media, the academia and democratic institutions across the world.
There is no doubt in the minds of many Ghanaians that Mr Bagbin is a politician with a ‘ fabulous experience’. But for me, his office must engage very competent; level-headed and ‘tried and tested’ communications team, with practical ‘intellectual fire-power’ to analyse, review, write and communicate effectively and efficiently.
Mr Speaker must not allow his Office to be turned into NDC propaganda machinery. Otherwise, history will not be kind at all to his record in that venerable Office.
For me , critical analysis of the content of the rejoinder to my article, speaks VOLUMES about the people ‘clothing’ themselves as ‘Communications Officers’ at the Office of the Speaker !!!
Was Professor Edward Gyampo also casting aspersions on Mr Bagbin when he said:” Bagbin is expected to be very firm and neutral person who will not even do the bidding of his own party and he sounded that caution.
“And if he begins to make such statements not backed by evidence, you open yourself up for needless criticisms.
“They went to court. If they had that evidence they should have shown this there.
“For a whole Speaker to be saying this; is a bit problematic because if you do that, it undermines the expected neutrality.”
And by his comments, was Professor Gyampo also looking for a “juicy” political position in the NPP government?
By G. Frank Asmah
Contact email/WhatsApp of the author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
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
