Gaddafi visits Ghana; ‘Rawlings Revolution’, not democracy saved Ghana
NewsRescue- Buzz in Ghana as Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s leader, and the elected chairman of the 53-nation African Union will be visiting on Tuesday, July 21st 2009.
Gaddafi is expected to discuss issues of African security and economic stability as well as UN representation, with the (3rd)President of Ghana, John Atta-Mills.
This past Wednesday at the 15th summit of the Non Aligned Nations (NAM), a group of about 118 ‘developing’ Nations, Gaddafi described the UN Security council as a tool of terrorism, and pledged to demand a seat for the African continent, presently unrepresented at the council.
He is quoted to have said:
The Security Council is terrorism,
The UN body does not represent us, it is monopolized by a few countries that are permanent members.
This represents a danger toward international peace. We have been harmed (by) all sorts of harm from the Security Council, it has become a sword over our necks.
Opposition to US
Muammar Gaddafi with his “Africa for the Africans” mantra, is recognized by all as a very strong pro-African leader who does not mince his words and has maintained a steady cause for the growth and development of Africa via self reliance, trade interdependence and collective security by African Nations. He has been pushing for a ‘United States of Africa’, to further reach this goal. Gaddafi continues to fight against what he calls: ‘Western powers and companies, sucking African blood.’
Related: How The IMF-World Bank and Structural Adjustment Program(SAP) Destroyed Africa
He has staunchly opposed US ambitions to establish the AFRICOM military bases in Africa, and has urged others to echo his opposition: In 2007, the 28-member states of CEN-SAD (the Community of Sahel-Saharan States), a regional economic community funded mostly by Libya, issued a communiqué stating that it “flatly refuses the installation of any military command or any foreign armed presence.”[1]
Gaddafi also strongly kicked for the UN small arms embargo, which the United States alone vetoed against. Small arms are responsible for over 90% of deaths in tribal wars and conflicts in Africa. The US has been criticized for singly vetoing all UN resolutions and attempts at embargo on this deadly trade.[2]
His visit, shortly after Obama’s visit to the African Nation in his second official visit to Africa, may serve to directly undermine US ambitions in Africa, via Ghana. Gaddafi is known to promote ‘direct democracy’, as against western ‘Multiparty democracy’, which experts say is the root cause of the current global financial crises, and is a system that is too young to determine as a successful system.
According to a politics expert, Professor Charles Ruthers, the current system of multiparty democracy creates a very unhealthy environment of continuous hatred between opposite party members and amongst the general populace, that is more dangerous to National interest than is the possible success of the system.
Multiparty democracy, also swings blame for administration failures, in effect, creating a platform for the perpetration of atrocities and escaping discipline and retribution for this, by a simple swing of governance from one party to the other. We will recollect that the Obama democratic party won the recent US election due to the global recognition of the Republican party and ex-president G. W. Bush for their illegal invasion of Iraq. Multiparty democracy in his words enables such atrocities to go on unchecked as the public view is simply diverted to the other party, and justice never served.
‘Rawlings Revolution’, not democracy saved Ghana
Rawlings extreme left, with Obama and Atta-Mills and Kufuor {ModernGhana}
Ghana has been proclaimed as an exemplary African Nation by the media due to it’s democracy. This however is not very true or accurate. The relative success of Ghana as compares to other African Nations of similar dispensation is not due to democracy, but rather due to the Military ‘Rawlings Revolution’ on 31st December 1981.
Ghana, like its counterpart Nations, was decaying in the annals of corruption as a failed post colonial state. Western Multiparty Democracy in Ghana was not helping, as- secondary to the the colonial occupation of African Nations, and the Slave trade forced on Africans via western superior war guns, leading to their ability to sell their brothers, a corrupted generation of Africans prevailed.
And as military or democratic leaders, these worthless people who the western colonialists handed power to, could not lead the already failed states. Failed states created by sudden combination’s or separations of territories (usually of incompatible tribes or tribes not yet naturally ready to coexist, compounded with unfair power and resource sharing by the colonialists among the combined territories) shortly before carving out the African nations and handing over power.
What rescued Ghana according to experts was Jerry Rawlings’ military take over and his ruthless reform revolution, which included the prosecution of all Ghanaian’s who could not account for their source of wealth. Indeed it was so tough that piles of money were seen around Ghana, as people dumped their money in fear of being prosecuted if unable to account for their monetary possessions.
Indeed Rawlings on many platforms professed his hatred for multiparty democracy because of the past destructive years that multiparty systems had brought to Ghana (i.e the Busia days). [3]
And his party candidate, John Atta-Mils, the current president of Ghana can be expected to have discussions on this with Gaddafi during his Tuesday visit.
Ghanaian multiparty democracy already gone bloody
Corruption has been swiftly returning to the Ghana political scene, last week a certain alleged $5000 Vodafone company bribe of Ghanaian members of parliament topped the news on Ghana radio stations, and other discussions of
Election violence
Bribes coming in from Nigerian governors were also hot topics. The last election was nothing but terrible as multiparty political hatred and strife was predominant and the deposed president threatened to bring in neighboring Togolese soldiers to take over the country in event of his loss. Bloody clashes broke out and many were injured or killed in the election turmoil, and with the expected increase in Ghana’s wealth with the oil that has been found, analysts predict the not uncommon chaos of multiparty democracy to soon plague Ghana, and Ghana’s fall from the Rawling revolution brought on fame.
Election violence excerpt:
Charred remains of houses, walls riddled with bullets, and burnt cars and are talismans of last week’s violence in the Northern Region’s capital of Tamale. Violence erupted following a shooting incident on 31 August that abruptly ended a political rally organized by the ruling New Patriotic Party.
A 12-hour curfew is currently in force… …Affected by the violence was Alhaji Mahama Jeboni, an opposition party chairman for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who is based in Tamale.
His 30-year-old daughter, Sayakulu Mahama Jeboni told IRIN, “The attackers asked my father to choose between his life and his properties. There were about a hundred people all armed. They were arguing whether to burn the houses first or my father’s commercial vehicles. They set fire to all of his eight cars.” She said the flames razed their three homes to the ground. “Everything was burnt, all our possessions, possessions dating back to one hundred years. We have nothing left,” Jeboni told IRIN. [4]
For now, Ghanaian’s are very optimistic and anticipatory of Muammar Gaddafi’s historic visit, and hope he can shore up security risk issues that Ghana expects to arise with the newly discoverd wealth status, as well as discuss good and stable systems of governance for African nations and the continent as a whole.
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I have been tired of US lies. i rmember that the Ghanaian election was very violent. Thanks for the article, yet US keeps claiming some lies that it was peaceful. Ghana is now getting as corrupt as other Nations, they just dont have money and live on handouts.
You can hate Ghana all you want -but we will always Prosper because whom God Blesses no man can curse!!!
am cool just chillin out with my friends
This article is one view. It is not expected that elections in Africa should be problem free. Note there were issues with recent US Presidential elctions and UK elections. The important thing that looking at the conduct of elections as a whole it is fair – this requires considering matters such as the electoral register, numbers, conduct at polls, results, etc.
In Nigeria the returns for the President is controversial and some are still unhappy at the result for Yar Adua years on. As it now stands, there are going to be different dates for electing governors. Ekiti State elections was a mes..
Looking at these, in my view, Ghana comes up on top every time.
Additionally, it is a more secure and orderly society. Power is more regular, there is better accountability, etc.
Nigeria and Nigerians need to learn that unless certain issues aroung democracy and security of life are addressed, we will continue to loose out to other African countries including Ghana
Kaye,
I do not think you are very correct. Thank God Ata-Mills won at last, cuz the election was anything but fair, and with their money(oil) we can expect it to get worse. John Kufour’s party was known to bribe old people and too young children in thousands to vote for them. There was intimidation, rigging, multivoting and every rubbish that follows demcracy, including lot’s of lss f life in Ghana’s northern province. The strife and hate still persists in Ghana. If you listen to Ghana radio, this is all you hear to now. Let’s call a spade a spade. Democracy brings war and division. And democracy has absolutely nothing to do with small Ghana’s luck as the article said.
Gentlemen, is the issue that of flaws in the Ghanaian electoral process or the real problems that beset every facet of our corporate existence as a country? Who cares if the Ghanaians did not conduct a free and fair election, is it too much for us to show some class and lead by example? Yes, bribery rather corruption exists everywhere-the US (Madoff just went to jail for a ponzi scheme that defrauded his clients-ponzi is an euphemism for 419 in my book), the MPs in the UK claimed monies for non existent houses, contracts executed by relations, mundane stuff like manure and a duck house), etc. We should focus on the main difference between those settings and ours-Madoff is in jail (not suffering from verbal diarrhoea like DSP), and many MPs made refunds, some will not be contesting the next elections while others quit their offices. The rule of law i.e. the true rule of law and a vibrant productive battle against corruption exists in these places. Do the Ghanaians have the kind on non existent electricity supply that plaques Nigeria now, are they in the business of sending emails with all sorts of indecent proposals-all money related of course!; do they now send their children and wards to Nigerian schools because their own education system has failed???
Please let’s address the important issues.
Relative to Nigeria’s population, wealth and problems, Ghana is just as problematic. The 419 emails sent from Nigeria are as many as those sent from Ghana if divided by population differences. Ghana can not have as much corruption or in as big a scale as Nigeria simply cuz as at now there’s no money to steal and they have so few people. Nigeria is way better and moving well, and in time as is expected. It took USA 300 years to get where it is and now it is rubbish and it has collapsed the world with it. Nigeria is just 50 years old, we have moved commendably. USA spent so many years as the filthy wild wild west till time aided them to achieves what they transiently did. Nigeria is doing pretty well with its complex problems, population, wealth and the saga of colonization.
GWBush is not yet in jail for robbing Iraq, an entire Nation, so what is Nigerian corruption as compares to that? hen Bush is in jail, come back and post this, till then, we celebrate Nigeria for its phenomenal progress.
Doctor P, I wish millions of Nigerians who can
For me, the critical issue is how is Ghana faring in terms of the provision of health care, access to potable water, security, electricity, education,food etc? In all these, Ghana is far ahead of Nigeria! That indeed is the bottom line. Whether Nigeria produces oil and Ghana does not, whether Ghana
For me, the critical issue is how is Ghana faring in terms of the provision of health care, access to potable water, security, electricity, education,food etc? In all these, Ghana is far ahead of Nigeria! That indeed is the bottom line. Whether Nigeria produces oil and Ghana does not, whether Ghana
We must learn from Ghana instead of creating false stories to deceive ourselves about Ghana. Ghana is a land of democratic governance where leaders are more accountable, strong civil society. Besides on all global indexes currently, Ghana ranks high above all African states. For example, most peaceful in Africa, Most stable country in Africa, Best destination for investment, Least corrupt and so on. If you don’t believe me, research. I am a Nigerian and proud to be so but I respect Ghana for always showing positive images about Africa.
You are creating false impressions about Ghana instead of learning from them. America will never praise an African country if they know it is doing badly. Besides, the foreign media always report negative things about Africa but least negative is reported of Ghana, Botswana and South Africa because they are model democracies where there are problems like everywhere, but they quickly sit up and resolve them peacefully. The Ghanaian elections was the closest ever recorded on African soil yet didn’t create confusion like that of Nigeria. The winner won by les than 0.5 per cent! that is unbelievable. But they did have smooth transfer of power from a rulling party to an opposition. That is democracy. We must learn from them instead of envying them to the extent of creating negative stories about them. Shame Nigeria. We must sit up.
America is full of lies and ish. Oh please. They lie everyday through their teeth. They claimed the Ghana election was peaceful whereas it was anything but that and we all were witness to this. This is just a move for their personal political and economic and military interest.
Nigeria is too big, unless we have a Nuclear power system, we can never generate enough power, if we were small like Ghana we would have easily been doing so too, we would also have had less corruption and problems. Of course as the article said, a Rawlings killing off the European colonialist corruption polluted Nigerians would help too. But this has nothing to do with democracy or anything else. The poverty in Africa is due to western policies- world bank, IMF and SAP. Read NewsRescueCom to learn about such stuff. Don’t be fooled. Thank God that Nigeria is slowly but surely moving forward, Ghana is just too tiny to compare.