MESSAGE TO THE NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL

 IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN’S FOLDER

I write this piece, with much hesitation because of the unconditional respect I have for the eminent members of the National Peace Council. However, my principles demand that I clear my conscience by speaking my mind in the manner I find, desirable, regardless of who is involved. This, is in consonance with my conviction of exposing the ills in society in order to occupy hearts and minds for the love of God and country.

I am sure you have followed the “tag of war” between the outgoing moderator of the Presby Church, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey and our politicians, especially our NDC friends, following the former’s allegation of bribery against the latter in their desperate attempt to compromise him. The rest of the story is now history … and I wish to spare you with the details. 

I am nonetheless concerned about the latest development regarding this unfolding drama, which has somehow, put the National Peace Council on the spotlight. I am still unable to come to terms with the reason why the National Peace Council (NPC) decided, on its own, to join this mucky minefield and thus, subject their revered outfit to public infamy. Why would a whole National Peace Council organize a press conference in order to respond to Reverend Martey’s allegation against the Deputy Minister of Interior? Did Martey attack the NPC? The last time I checked, Hon Agalga does not work with the NPC. He is also in a position to speak for himself and does not need the service of the NPC to clear his name, when same is affronted. 

In any case, Reverend Martey did NOT allege that government wanted to make him the Chairperson of the National Peace Council because we all know that government has no such mandate. However, government, just like any other interest group, is interested in who becomes the Chairperson of the National Peace Council because it is a strategic “political organization” contrary to the claims of Reverend Asante, the current Chair of the NPC, who addressed the press confab. It is however NOT a partisan organization. 

Even the fact that elections are held to select the Chairperson of the Peace Council makes the Council, a political organization. So, if government has an interest in this, why would it be farfetched for a revered personality and a member of the National Peace Council to allege that government officials offered to lobby for him to win the chairmanship position? Why would the national peace council create their own distortion in respect of Reverend Martey’s allegation and then proceed to respond to this distortion? Honestly, I can’t hide my disappointment in their so called press conference. We certainly deserve better.

 

Perhaps I need to remind our eminent citizens that the National Peace Council is supposed to be an independent national peace institution established by the Parliament of Ghana under Act 818, with the primary mandate of facilitating and developing mechanism to prevent, manage and resolve conflict and to build sustainable peace in Ghana. Per their mandate, the NPC ought to be engaged in the serious business of peace building and sustenance rather than delving in the usual pettiness which has characterized our body politic. 

Would the National Peace Council be organizing press conferences in order to respond to Reverend Martey or any other revered person, who mentions their name under similar circumstances? And what would become of them? I thought as a Peace Council, the ideal thing they ought to do, was to have engaged Reverend Martey, who happens to be one of their own, on the QUIET rather than resorting to this media razzmatazz. Are they going to resolve their issues in the media? For God’s sake, we are talking about the National PEACE Council and not National WAR Council. I would accept this media or populist masturbation if it came from a political party but surely, NOT our National Peace Council properly called. “Nyansa fo), mo w) hen?"

#Mutashi

Assalamu alaikum 

This piece was compiled by a concerned Ghanaian in the business of OCCUPYING HEARTS and MINDS for the love of God and country.

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

Youth Activist/Social Commentator

Former NUGS Secretary

(0245335197)

Please, it is shareable…..

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN BREAKS HIS SILENCE ON DEVELOPMENTS IN NUGS AND MORE...

I have consistently restrained myself from commenting on issues at the student front. This is in pursuance to my covenant to keep mute on these matters and rather focus on general issues of governance in my quest to occupying hearts and minds of fellow countryfolks for love of God and country. I am however unable to continue keeping this loud silence in the face of what I call, increasing incidences of pettiness, vendetta, maladministration, abuse of power, impunity and constitutional lawlessness. 

To start with, I've characteristically attended almost all the student congresses so far including that of USAG, GUPS, TTAG and lately GNUPS which were held in Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and Ho respectively. Unlike TTAG and GNUPS congress, I have a number of legitimate reservations with the USAG congress and that of GUPS. Whilst the vetting committee of USAG failed to live up to expectation, GUPS was getting it right until the last day, where serious issues regarding the voters register popped up which marred an otherwise successful Congress. 

Now, we are all building up to the ultimate, which is NUGS congress. I am pleased to observe that the last NUGS CC meeting was very successful and I applaud all for this enviable feat. I am however saddened this evening to read two circulars purporting to be coming from NUGS, communicating the opening of nomination for aspiring candidates. How disappointing could that be! Assuming without admitting that these NUGS executives couldn't get anything right, must they not get this one too right? Something as common as opening of nomination, they can’t do it with candour? Aba! 

Well, what are the facts? Who is to blame? And what should aspirants do moving forward? Per the facts as I have them, l blame all the parties and this is my justification, backed by our own convention and best practices. The NUGS financial controller decides, on her own and without recourse to the NUGS President, to "open nominations" in a rather unconventional and problematic manner. 

Firstly, she has no such locus and again, she says that nomination forms should be picked from her directly. How on earth could she think that way? Apart from the fact that this is unprecedented, it is also absurd and I doubt any serious aspirant will give that any credence, else that will be at their own expense. Again, contrary to her claim, she has no constitutional basis for that action, even if same was later endorsed by the NUGS CS. Take it from me ... Or better still, read the Nugs constitution a million dollar times and see if you can justify this reprehensible action.

I also fault the NUGS President for deciding to sideline her in this whole arrangement as a punishment for her misconduct. Mr. President, you should know that two wrongs do not make a right. Let's stick to our convention in order not to inconvenience anybody especially the innocent aspirants. And this is the convention, which I expect "serious aspirants" to follow: 

- download your nomination forms online after sending your details as stated in the release

- pay the required amount into the NUGS account at Fidelity bank 

- Finally, submit your Form after filling it together with your receipts and other relevant documents to either the NUGS TREASURER or FC. Finito! 

Before I conclude, I expect NUGS to extend the period for submission of nomination forms because one week in incredibly too small for anyone to complete filling this laborious Form, which has to be endorsed by almost all the blog heads/secretaries, who may not all be in Accra. 

Thank you. 

I may be back if need be. I still love student activism and wish to see it flourish in order to give hope to the ordinary Ghanaian student. #Mutashi 

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

Student/Youth Activist

Former NUGS Secretary

(0245335197)

Please, it is shareable....

LET’S ALL STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH HER LADYSHIP THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND OUR JUDICIARY – AFTERMATH OF MUNTIE 3 REMISSION

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN’S FOLDER

There cannot be an exaggeration of the indispensable role the JUDICIARY plays in our democratization and constitutional regime as an Arm of Government. Indeed, the Judiciary remains the pillar upon which our democracy revolves and the stronger it is, the more secured we are and the vice versa. Our judges are therefore very important players in this discussion and must be revered as such. It is not for nothing that we call them the LORDS on earth; because they dispense justice or pass judgment on our actions and have the sole authority to determine whether we are deserving of freedom or otherwise. Also, Ghana’s claim of being the oasis of democracy and beacon of hope on the continent is backed by our unconditional respect for the Rule of Law and for that matter an efficacious judicial system. 

However, this enviable narrative is gradually changing in view of the increasing bastardization of the JUDICIARY by some maverick politicians in recent times, who call the bluff of everybody because they have political power. As a young democrat, I’m highly saddened by this worrying development which has the propensity to ERODE public confidence in our JUDGES and thus subject the administration of justice into disrepute. My apprehension is even more aggravated by the increasing incidences of injustices, maladministration and impunity we see in this country nowadays. It is a fact that when people lose confidence in the judicial system, which is the one and only last resort in our pursuit for justice, then surely, CHAOS and ANARCHY will become the order of the day. And this can be akin to a JUNGLE where RULE OF MEN takes precedence over RULE OF LAW. In such banana republic (jungle), people tend to seek justice on the STREETS rather than the COURTS. 

Mind you, President Mahama, by freeing the notorious muntie gangs, is essentially telling us that when a political party is in government, the footsoldiers of that party can get away with all offenses they commit including those that are of criminal in nature. So I guess we should all get ready to witness more lawlessness, injustices and impunity from the supporters of the governing party, because even if the court convicts them, they will be freed by the President under a so called “Prerogative of Mercy”. By this, if any Ghanaian has a LEGITIMATE CASE against any member of the president’s family, a high ranking government/NDC official, a minister of state, or even a son of a district chief executive, he/she has to let go of the case because he/she CANNOT get justice anywhere in this country. Even when “NDC lawyers” lose their case in court, they only have to petition the President to reverse the court’s decision as we saw in muntie 3. I doubt this is the kind of Ghana our forebears sacrificed their lives for. 

Our President is suggesting to us that he is more powerful than the courts and can OVERTURN their decision anytime he desires. If Supreme Court judges themselves cannot get justice in a matter involving NDC activists, then who am I, the son of an ordinary “wakye” seller to seek to enforce my constitutional right when same is trampled upon by these so called super Ghanaians? Obviously, the dictum, EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW, only exists in our dreams or in other jurisdiction but surely NOT in this country. Indeed, Almighty ALLAH is and remains our ultimate judge and He would never disappoint mankind in the administration of justice and more.  

The BNI, which is supposed to enforce the law to the latter, has rather regrettably, been the number one culprit of lawlessness and conduit for the perpetuation of what I call, government-sponsored injustices and persecutions. For instance, in the specific case of the muntie 3 brouhaha, we have a married man, whose testicular organ is functioning properly as evidenced in the children it has been able to produce, threatens to open his zip and rape a woman in the person of the Chief Justice; yet, this shameless BNI tells us that this strong man does not have CAPACITY to execute his threat of rape. Which capacity is the BNI talking about under the circumstances? How preposterous! Then I guess the BNI should be telling us who impregnates the wife of this man. In any case, our constitution clearly states that a threat to commit a criminal offence (which includes rape and murder) is itself, a criminal offence regardless of CAPACITY so called. 

I doubt anybody has ever thought that, that innocent looking young man who murdered Hon. JB Danquah at his private residence, had the capacity to commit such dastardly act. Is the BNI rewriting our laws? The BNI is also telling us that Kennedy Agyapong has the capacity to declare war in this country and hence slapped him with charges of terrorism and genocide but the muntie 3 do not have the capacity to rape a woman or kill some Supreme Court judges. This is in spite of the fact our constitution clearly says that it is ONLY the President of the Republic that can declare war in this country. Surprised? Please don’t be… because this is exactly what to expect when our PROFESSIONALS decide to jettison the very ethics of their profession and allow themselves to be used by politicians for political expediency. I weep for my motherland.  

My greatest disappointment is with His Excellency the President, who has on countless occasions, spoken against fierce criticisms or what he describes as verbal attacks at the person of Madam Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the EC but has not, I repeat, has not on anyday, found the need to call his supporters, who have consistently attacked the JUDICIARY, to order. Not even their threat to kill and rape our judges could make president Mahama break his loud silence on this opprobrious agenda of bastardizing the judiciary by his own. Perhaps, on the lighter side, my friend was right when he says the acronym, JDM stands for Judges Don’t Matter. He perhaps forgets that these were the same judges that ruled in his favour in the historic Election Petition which gave him the presidency. Same can be also said about the likes of Nana Oye Lithur, the Gender Minister, Hannah Tetteh (Foreign Affairs minister) and co. who would always defend the EC Chair but see nothing wrong about attacks on the Chief Justice and other women of substance. 

Madam Chief Justice and the rest of our law lords, I wish to encourage you to keep doing your best against all these odds for the love of God and country. The Executive Arm of Government may not be supportive of your cause but I can assure you that the likes of us and indeed the rest of Ghana are strongly behind you. We shall stand by you in thick and in thin. We shall fight for you even at the peril of our lives because the JUDICIARY is and remains our ONLY hope of living in a JUST society. We may look relatively weaker in the physical realm but surely, we are NOT weak when it comes to using our hearts and minds to fight for our conviction. 

Assalamu alaikum

This piece was compiled by a concerned Ghanaian in the business of OCCUPYING HEARTS and MINDS for the love of God and country.

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

Youth Activist/Social Commentator

Former NUGS Secretary

(0245335197)

Please, it is shareable……