Palm-Wine Tapping To Block-Making

Never underrate the mutating ability of unscrupulous politicians. They can change status almost overnight when their party springs to power. The ruling party’s General Secretary, Mr. Asiedu Nketia’s mutating ability is exceptional having changed from rags to riches in a manner that is prompting tongues to wag even within the Mills faction of the party. His earlier metamorphosis from palm-wine tapper to foul-mouthed politician almost effortlessly was the subject of reaction from an NPP politician when he stepped on the Kumasi man’s toes. Acerbic-tongued Asiedu Nketia noted for his moral inconsistency, last week grabbed the headlines as he threatened to spill the beans regarding former President Kufuor’s impropriety over the Bui Dam project. Political scene observers had their mouths watered when General Mosquito issued his threat on the political plane. Unfortunately, they have had to stand down their watch since indications are that the man was only heating up the political engine of the country with actually nothing to expose as he threatened, hot air as some would describe it. Instead of Ghanaians being treated to a view of the closet of the former president as it were, what we have seen is a clear case of conflict of interest even as the General Secretary’s quickly established block factory feeds the Bui Dam project of which he is a board member with blocks. If this is not a clear case of conflict of interest, we do not know of any which comes close to it. General Mosquito’s proboscis as things are turning out is the one rather sucking the state’s blood and not the former president. In his intervention a lawyer sought to establish that as a member of the board of the Bui Dam project he should have disclosed to the authority his business relationship with it to establish the supply of blocks. Had he done so, the heat being generated by this disclosure a couple of days ago would have been mitigated somewhat. The failure constitutes an ethical anomaly at a time when the NDC is busy interrogating the past regime of Kufuor formally and otherwise. Indeed it is this mischief which led Asiedu Nketia to hurl the first stone at the former president from the unsafe confines of his glass house. The stone he hurled has boomeranged hitting and smashing his glass house to smithereens. Yesterday when news about the NDC scribe’s conflict of interest made the headlines, many Ghanaians asked probing questions about what exactly is wrong with the gentleman who has seen the mote in the eyes of others. Asiedu Nketia’s arrogance is a typical NDC feature. Faced with a barrage of attacks soon after the story hit the newsstands, he asked all those who had an axe to grind with him to crucify him. We have taken note of the insulting response and ask that the President call his man to book. In the likely event of his inability to do so, we can only fold our arms and wait for the next elections when Ghanaians would crucify him and his gang of state looters. Before we sign off we wish to pose a few questions about the block-making machine General Mosquito is using for the contract even though we do not expect him to respond to them. • What is the country of origin of the block-making machine? • If it is China which we have reliably learnt it is, did the Chinese working on the project have a hand in its importation? • What are the terms of the supply of the blocks to the Chinese company? • When is he going to release the bombshell about Kufuor’s misdemeanor in relationship to the Bui Dam project?