SEASON GREETINGS FROM IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

SEASON GREETINGS FROM IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

An occasion like this revives refreshing memories of special people like you, my fellow countrymen and women. To start with, we all have very good reasons to give glory to almighty God for his bountiful blessings throughout the year under review (2016) and more importantly, for ushering us into the New Year (2017) well and hearty.

Some of our compatriots, with whom we started the year 2016, could not live to see this day whereas others have been terminally condemned to sickbed grappling for survival. Surely, you and I must be eternally grateful to our Maker for this unmeritorious favour. We certainly couldn’t be luckier than this.

The year 2016 has undoubtedly been characterized by several ups and downs, trials and tribulations, omissions and commissions, successes and failures, challenges and opportunities, as well as twists and turns in all facets of our national life. Generally, our country went through a lot of difficulties in 2016 including debilitating power crisis and record-level joblessness.

It has been a year of collapsing agriculture, collapsing economy, arrogance of power on the part of officialdom, draconian tax regime which had suffocated businesses and individuals, disillusionment, impoverishment, culture of mediocrity, ineptitude, hopelessness, depression, legendary arrogance and collapsing social welfare system among other ills that plagued our country.

It is however gratifying that the year ended triumphantly with the overwhelming REJECTION of the status quo when Ghanaians VOTED massively for CHANGE. To many, that was the turning point in 2016 and we are now journeying to the promise land. In as much as we have every reason to celebrate for this enviable feat, I wish to admonish all and sundry to let circumspection be our guiding cornerstone in order to record no incident especially in this yuletide.

Ghana needs all of us alive and so, the very least we could do is to ensure that we eschew actions that might jeopardize our lives. Let’s use this occasion to reflect on the past years, learn lessons and draw the necessary inspirations. We should celebrate with care and use this season to soberly reflect on the contributions we can make in ensuring that Ghana becomes a better place.

The year 2017 promises to be more fascinating than ever and I pray that almighty God continues to overwhelm us with His bountiful blessings and favours. I also pray for the incoming President and VEEP and hope that they are able to deliver on their mandate in order to RESTORE our lost hope and bring the much needed development to our doorstep for God and country. Ghana must work again and the NPP government would surely make that happen INSHA ALLAH.        

Assalamu alaikum

STOP THE LIES - PRESIDENT KUFOUR DID NOT ANNOUNCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SINGLE SPINE DURING HIS LAST DAYS IN OFFICE

STOP THE LIES - PRESIDENT KUFOUR DID NOT ANNOUNCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SINGLE SPINE DURING HIS LAST DAYS IN OFFICE

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes...

As we all know, President John Mahama, with LESS THAN 11 DAYS to leave office, having suffered the worst electoral defeat in our history, has been taking some major decisions which have FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS on the next government. This move, as pundits have observed, is deliberately orchestrated to tie the hands of the incoming NPP administration and make it virtually impossible for them to govern effectively.

In view of this, the Outgoing President [John Mahama] has come under a barrage of public resentment, general repudiation and fierce criticism by well-meaning Ghanaians for ‘his anti-Ghana decisions’ at this penultimate moment.

Characteristically, his party, the NDC, which is the ONLY PARTY in the World that is capable of converting water into wine, goat into sheep, stealing into corruption, ELECTORAL DEFEAT into COMFORTABLE LEAD has jumped to the rescue of their former flagbearer from this growing infamy.

They however 'goofed big time' in their usual INEPT RATIONALIZATION with the citing of so called similar action taken by President Kufour regarding the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) when he was leaving office. I wish to place on record that this claim is most mendacious and ought to be treated with contempt.

And these are the facts. Following the manifest challenges and ineffectiveness of various salary schemes for public sector workers in the country, the Kufour government took a bold decision to tackle this agelong issue head-on with the view to achieving SANITY in public sector salary administration. 

They therefore mooted the idea of the SINGLE SPINE SALARY STRUCTURE and ensured that they instituted all the relevant structures on the ground including the passing of the relevant legislations and the formation of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) so that this new salary scheme DOES NOT FAIL like the others.

It took them (the NPP) more than two years to finish all these laborious but necessary processes which ended sometime in October 2016. The effective date for the implementation as agreed by all the stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance, FWSC, Union Leaders, Organised Labour etc was January 1, 2009 and this was widely publicised 3 clear months before the December 7, 2008 elections, which saw the defeat of the NPP government.

The 16 to 30% salary increment announced by President Kufour in January 2009 prior to leaving office has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Single Spine Salary Structure. It was a government decision, which many felt was taken in bad faith and condemned same.

Indeed, the incoming NDC government at the time, also questioned the propriety of this decision and REFUSED to implement it. Even the Single Spine which was agreed by all stakeholders 4 months earlier was also ABANDONED by the Mills-led NDC government until after their first year in office.

My fellow countrymen and women, that is the factual rendition of the relevant information under the circumstances and fortunately, the celebrated Ghanaian journalist of all-time, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr confirmed same last Wednesday (21st Dec) and Thursday (22nd Dec) on Peace fm (kokrokoo) and Metro Tv (GMG show) respectively.

Help me tell President Mahama, the Outgoing President and the NDC that they can do all the propaganda in this World, but they should remember that NOT every Ghanaian has short memory.

Assalamu alaikum.

THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PART 2 (PUT GHANA FIRST MR. OUTGOING PRESIDENT)

THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PART 2 (PUT GHANA FIRST MR. OUTGOING PRESIDENT)

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes…

With less than two weeks to leave office after suffering an embarrassingly MISERABLE ELECTORAL DEFEAT in our history, this is the time President Mahama and his NDC government think that they have an UNBRIDLED CONSTITUTIONAL POWER to take all kinds of decision including ones that are absurd and impracticable. This is the time President Mahama finds it expedient to fill all vacancies in this World especially the appointment of substantive Heads of every State Institution including CHRAJ, Auditor-General, Government Statistician and NCCE when these bodies have existed for than one year without Heads.

This is the time they are offering jobs to the unemployed when throughout their tenure of office, they put a ban on public sector employment much to the chagrin of all. This is the time they are increasing allowances by more than 60% when the target beneficiaries themselves [Service Personnel] are demanding for a maximum of 20% increment and again, in their entire 8 years, the NDC never increased allowances or salaries beyond 10%. The most nauseating thing is the lack of candour and finesse with which these last minute killer decisions are taken without recourse to our national interest. How disturbing!

And when we complain, the NDC apparatchiks are quick to tell us to shut-up because the President has the legal right to do what he is doing. They tell us that the President has not violated any law and that, we should NOT talk about MORALITY and COMMONSENSE. Like seriously? I thought the only thing that differentiates human beings from animals is our ability to apply commonsense in taking decisions. So are we now being told to behave like goats, sheep, cows and donkeys because a ‘certain John Mahama’ is our President? I see…. I now understand why my grandmother in Kete-Krachi tells me that “not all mad men walk naked.”

I thought it is because our constitution cannot capture every possible scenario that is why it makes room for the application of commonsense. If we must capture everything in the constitution, then it would surely look more grandiose and bigger than the Atlantic Ocean. Even in interpreting what has been captured in the constitution, we are enjoined to apply COMMONSENSE. That is why the constitution talks about both Letter and Spirit; Form and Substance; Literal and Purposive perspectives. It is also not for nothing that the constitution makes it COMPULSORY for people contesting for the Presidency or MPs to be of SOUND MIND.  

With this in mind, our Presidents, MPs and other public officeholders are deemed to be reasonable, hence commonsense can’t be divorced from the art and science of governance. For instance, the constitution says the President is the only man that has the constitutional right to DECLARE WAR in this country and can also free prisoners. So, by the NDC’s logic, should President Mahama go ahead to exercise this right and also free all prisoners? Such poverty of a logic! If you think he can’t do that, why then should you JUSTIFY his latest unpopular decision that would tie the hands of the next government and make it virtually impossible for them to govern?

Why should the outgoing President and his Ministers go recruiting people anyhow, increasing allowances/salaries anyhow, signing contracts anyhow without recourse to our legal regime and whether or not this “collapsed economy” can afford such burdensome financial commitments? What at all is wrong with the Mahama government? We thought they love this country. If they are really interested in legalities, then why haven’t they respected the explicit provisions in the Transition Act/Law that makes it MANDATORY for them to present their handing over notes a month before the December 7 elections?

Why should they pick and choose which aspect of the law to respect? Why should they approbate and reprobate at the same time? Such hypocrisy and dishonesty! Well, let them continue deceiving themselves and thinking that they are setting some killer traps for the incoming Nana-Bawumia Addo government to fall into, but I tell them that, he who Jah has BLESSED, no man can curse. Ghana would surely work again. Nana b3y3 INSHA ALLAH.  

Assalamu alaikum

THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND HIS OUTGOING NDC GOVERNMENT MUST THINK GHANA FIRST

THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND HIS OUTGOING NDC GOVERNMENT MUST THINK GHANA FIRST

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes…

My fellow countrymen and women, I humbly beseech you this day to rise up and defend your country. This is NOT the time to sit aloof knowing very well that things are falling apart in your country. We should all remember that society suffers not because of the evil deeds of the bad ones but because of the loud silence of the good ones when wrong is being perpetuated. Also remember that, silence is NOT an option when things are ill-done.

It is increasingly becoming very clear that, after suffering an unprecedented MISERABLE DEFEAT in the last elections, President Mahama and his NDC want to make this country UNGOVERNABLE for the incoming NPP government. This, they have amply demonstrated through their infamous anti-Ghana last minute decisions and actions deemed very detrimental, problematic and counterproductive to our national interest. Let’s interrogate a few specifics:

THE NATIONAL SERVICE ALLOWANCE AND MORE

It is most reprehensible and despicable for the Mahama government, which is LEAVING OFFICE in the next two weeks, to be announcing an ASTRONOMICAL INCREMENT in national service allowance by a wanton 60%. For who to pay and with which money? I guess their ‘dead goat spirit’ is going to pay this money and with the woyome ‘munchendi cash’. Do not forget that as we speak, they have already presented almost all their handing over notes to the incoming administration. So what at all is their problem?

After collapsing the Ghanaian economy to the extent that they were unable to pay contractors; unable to pay salary arrears to workers; unable to pay teacher and nursing trainee allowance; unable to pay the allowance due our national female teams; unable to honor several statutory financial obligations, these people still have the effrontery to go announcing some outrageous increases in salaries and allowances to be borne by the incoming NPP government.

I am NOT by this, saying Nana Addo will not increase the NSS allowance because there is enough justification for that. However, we would only get to know the margin of the increment after he assumes the reins of government and appreciates how much the national kitty can afford. It is also instructive to make the point that, the major concern of NSS personnel today, is not really about allowance but JOB INSECURITY and that is why the NPP government is committed to building an efficacious GRADUATE DESTINATION MARKET through an UNRIVALED INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.  

Let me give you a background to this allowance issue. Sometime last year, we the national service personnel started making a case for the Mahama government to increase our service allowance (which stood at GHc350) by 20% in view of the rising cost of living in the country. Government told us that they had NO MONEY to pay and indeed, all our efforts to compel them to consider our plight proved futile till we ended our service.

The current NSS personnel (2016/17 service year) also continued from where we left off to engage government to reconsider its decision but still, ‘Mr. Deadgoat and his yentie obiaa government’ remained intransigent. Now that they have lost the elections and leaving office, they have, all of a sudden, seen wisdom in increasing the service allowance even FAR BEYOND the 20% that the personnel were requesting for. How incredulous! Surely, this can make a nice Kumawood movie.

They are now talking about some 60% increment for their ghosts to pay, I suppose. Or maybe, they are telling us that Ghana is now the richest country in the World.  These guys must surely be some ‘award winning jokers’ who have no modicum of shame. Meanwhile, this akan drama and woyomenonic 60% rise in NSS allowance is NOT even captured in the 2017 budget that they [the NDC] took to Parliament. Neither has there been any stakeholder consultations nor consensus on same. So who are they trying to deceive? Our University graduates?

The NDC government is so incompetent to the extent that, they CAN’T even COMPETENTLY show their legendary INCOMPETENCE in the scheme of things. They are just not smart at all. Even if they wanted to deceive anybody, must it be tertiary students, forgetting that most of these students/graduates are probably more discerning and reasonable than some of the government officials? It is therefore not surprising to note that, in the just ended 2016 elections, the NDC lost miserably in all University campuses in the country as well as other tertiary institutions.

The NDC can only sweep all the votes in our prisons and indeed, they won in all the prisons in the country. This of course, is to be expected because these prisoners thought that if they didn’t vote for the NDC to win the elections, a lot of people especially government appointees would be joining them in prison considering how corrupt the government has been. It is pretty obvious that the prisoners didn’t want more inmates because they are already overcrowded in the prisons.

I however wish to assure these prisoners that the Nana Addo government WOULD NOT persecute anybody but allow the RULE OF LAW to work under all circumstances. The law is no respecter of persons and all the people that have legitimate questions to answer would surely have their day in court. In the meantime, the students of Ghana and NSS personnel remain unmoved by President Mahama and the NDC’s insulting gimmickry in respect of the national service allowance.  

 To be continued….

Assalamu alaikum

Iddi Muhayu-Deen

An Immediate Past Service Personnel

THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND HIS OUTGOING NDC GOVERNMENT MUST THINK GHANA FIRST

 
THE TRANSITION BROUHAHA - PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND HIS OUTGOING NDC GOVERNMENT MUST THINK GHANA FIRST 

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes…

My fellow countrymen and women, I humbly beseech you this day to rise up and defend your country. This is NOT the time to sit aloof knowing very well that things are falling apart in your country. We should all remember that society suffers not because of the evil deeds of the bad ones but because of the loud silence of the good ones when wrong is being perpetuated. Also remember that, silence is NOT an option when things are ill-done. 

It is increasingly becoming very clear that, after suffering an unprecedented MISERABLE DEFEAT in the last elections, President Mahama and his NDC want to make this country UNGOVERNABLE for the incoming NPP government. This, they have amply demonstrated through their infamous anti-Ghana last minute decisions and actions deemed very detrimental, problematic and counterproductive to our national interest. Let’s interrogate a few specifics:

THE NATIONAL SERVICE ALLOWANCE AND MORE

It is most reprehensible and despicable for the Mahama government, which is LEAVING OFFICE in the next two weeks, to be announcing an ASTRONOMICAL INCREMENT in national service allowance by a wanton 60%. For who to pay and with which money? I guess their ‘dead goat spirit’ is going to pay this money and with the woyome ‘munchendi cash’. Do not forget that as we speak, they have already presented almost all their handing over notes to the incoming administration. So what at all is their problem?

After collapsing the Ghanaian economy to the extent that they were unable to pay contractors; unable to pay salary arrears to workers; unable to pay teacher and nursing trainee allowance; unable to pay the allowance due our national female teams; unable to honor several statutory financial obligations, these people still have the effrontery to go announcing some outrageous increases in salaries and allowances to be borne by the incoming NPP government. 

I am NOT by this, saying Nana Addo will not increase the NSS allowance because there is enough justification for that. However, we would only get to know the margin of the increment after he assumes the reins of government and appreciates how much the national kitty can afford. It is also instructive to make the point that, the major concern of NSS personnel today, is not really about allowance but JOB INSECURITY and that is why the NPP government is committed to building an efficacious GRADUATE DESTINATION MARKET through an UNRIVALED INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.   

Let me give you a background to this allowance issue. Sometime last year, we the national service personnel started making a case for the Mahama government to increase our service allowance (which stood at GHc350) by 20% in view of the rising cost of living in the country. Government told us that they had NO MONEY to pay and indeed, all our efforts to compel them to consider our plight proved futile till we ended our service. 

The current NSS personnel (2016/17 service year) also continued from where we left off to engage government to reconsider its decision but still, ‘Mr. Deadgoat and his yentie obiaa government’ remained intransigent. Now that they have lost the elections and leaving office, they have, all of a sudden, seen wisdom in increasing the service allowance even FAR BEYOND the 20% that the personnel were requesting for. How incredulous! Surely, this can make a nice Kumawood movie. 

They are now talking about some 60% increment for their ghosts to pay, I suppose. Or maybe, they are telling us that Ghana is now the richest country in the World.  These guys must surely be some ‘award winning jokers’ who have no modicum of shame. Meanwhile, this akan drama and woyomenonic 60% rise in NSS allowance is NOT even captured in the 2017 budget that they [the NDC] took to Parliament. Neither has there been any stakeholder consultations nor consensus on same. So who are they trying to deceive? Our University graduates? 

The NDC government is so incompetent to the extent that, they CAN’T even COMPETENTLY show their legendary INCOMPETENCE in the scheme of things. They are just not smart at all. Even if they wanted to deceive anybody, must it be tertiary students, forgetting that most of these students/graduates are probably more discerning and reasonable than some of the government officials? It is therefore not surprising to note that, in the just ended 2016 elections, the NDC lost miserably in all University campuses in the country as well as other tertiary institutions. 

The NDC can only sweep all the votes in our prisons and indeed, they won in all the prisons in the country. This of course, is to be expected because these prisoners thought that if they didn’t vote for the NDC to win the elections, a lot of people especially government appointees would be joining them in prison considering how corrupt the government has been. It is pretty obvious that the prisoners didn’t want more inmates because they are already overcrowded in the prisons. 

I however wish to assure these prisoners that the Nana Addo government WOULD NOT persecute anybody but allow the RULE OF LAW to work under all circumstances. The law is no respecter of persons and all the people that have legitimate questions to answer would surely have their day in court. In the meantime, the students of Ghana and NSS personnel remain unmoved by President Mahama and the NDC’s insulting gimmickry in respect of the national service allowance.  

To be continued….

Assalamu alaikum 

Iddi Muhayu-Deen

An Immediate Past Service Personnel

WE versus THEM

 

WE versus THEM

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes…

Let me see if I can help you to identify one clear difference between NPP and NDC in relation to the culture of ‘arrogance of power’. Sometime late last week, a certain Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who is said to be a member of the NPP and a maverick politician based in Kumasi, described as ridiculous, the 100-DAY ULTIMATUM given by the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) to the President-Elect, Nana Akufo-Addo to restore teacher trainee allowances.  

Ordinarily and commonsensically, you would think that these concerned teachers (CCT) have not been fair to Nana Addo at all considering the fact that he hasn’t even been sworn into office yet; let alone, to have formed his government. How urgent is this demand that they could not wait for January 7 before confronting him with it? Why this premature ejaculation from these teachers? [Apologies to my mentor, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako]. 

I don’t also want to talk about the serious boardroom crisis facing the CCT culminating in the suspension of their Chairman and General Secretary around the same time they were making these demands on the President-Elect. However, for opening his mouth too wide to speak the ‘bitter truth’, let me tell you the fate of Mr. Kofi Jumah:

The entire NPP machinery, from the highest echelon of the party to the ordinary party supporter DESCENDED HEAVILY on him and proceeded to virtually disown him, whilst describing his conduct as unfortunate and reckless. “We are sorry about that. The NPP WILL NOT tolerate that at all. Kofi Jumah DOES NOT SPEAK for the NPP government. We therefore wish to assure the teachers and Ghanaians in general that whatever promises we made will be fulfilled,” the party General Secretary openly said in response to Kofi Jumah. 

In view of these dissociations and mouth-lashes he suffered, Kofi Jumah instinctively felt compelled to immediately RETRACT his statement and rendered a SINCERE APOLOGY to the teachers. He also pleaded with Ghanaians to forgive him. If you contrast this spectacle with what we saw under the NDC in the past 8 years, the sea of difference that you would see, is one of obvious contradiction. 

In effect, if Kofi Jumah were an NDC official, his gratuitous ‘attack’ on the teachers for being unfair on the government, would have immediately earned him a visa to political stardom. He would have been seen as one of the infamous BABIES WITH SHARP TEETH and get promoted to a Minister of State or a Presidential Staffer. Examples abound and you and I know that for a fact... Charley, say hi to Stan Dogbe for me wai

With the NPP and Nana Addo at the helm of affairs, you can be rest assured, as we just witnessed, that government officials would be very RESPONSIBLE and tactfully RESPONSIVE to the genuine expectations of the people. Every government official would appreciate the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian and work at addressing same. You and I, would from hence, be treated with much more RESPECT and DIGNITY by the managers of our taxes. 

Ultimately, the arrogance of power which had characterized the management of our national affairs under the Mahama government would become a thing of the past. Gradually, we are seeing a TRANSITION from the culture of IMPUNITY to that of DETERRENCE. People would now take responsible responsibility for their responsible irresponsibility. I thank God I voted for a man who is BRINGING SANITY to our governance dispensation and RESTORING our national ideals and pride.

  

When history is told one day, let it be said that, there ever lived one Iddi Muhayu-Deen who stood-up and got himself counted as one of the crusaders for change in order to get this country work again. Surely, it will also be said that I didn’t only desire CHANGE but went out to campaign and eventually voted for CHANGE for the love of God and my country. Long live Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, Alhaji Dr. Bawumia and the NPP.

#TheChangeHasIneedCome

Assalamu alaikum