The Eastern Regional Director of Elections of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jamal Konneh, has commended businessman Sam Jonah for what he describes as the objective presentation of happenings in the Ghanaian society under the Akufo-Addo administration
Mr Konneh predicted in a statement that the coming weeks will be hard for the businessman and his entire family members following verbal attacks that will be unleashed by communicators of the governing party.
At a Rotary Club function last weekend, the former AngloGold Ashanti boss insinuated that the country seems to be in a culture of silence.
“What is baffling is that those who used to have voices on these things seem to have lost their voices. People speak on issues based on who is in power. Is our deafening silence suggesting that we are no longer concerned about issues that we complained about not too long ago, particularly when those issues persist….. The molestation of and in some cases assassination of journalists, murder of MPs, corruption, the harassment of anti-corruption agents.
“We have just finished another election, the 8th in the series since the beginning of our fourth Republican democratic experiment. As usual, the accolades came in from all corners of the world, and we took them with pride. What we failed to tell the world is that some people lost their lives in the course of the election.”
But some have disagreed with Sir Sam Jonah.
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, for instance, has stated that “what I see now in Ghana is a Culture of Bizarre Intolerance but by a Special Class who believe they have the right to speak and squeal freely but others must be silent and not challenge the views of that Special Class”.
Adding his voice to the development, Mr Jamal Konneh said “Those who see your objective presentation as an attack on their incompetence will unleash their attack dogs on you. Kindly condition the family members to be able to contain the attacks on you in the coming days. As the Akans will say ‘wop3 neyia wobr3’, meaning if you want the best of something, you have to suffer for it’” a statement posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, April 29 said.
Below is his full statement…
A JONAH IN GHANA HAS SWALLOWED THE WHALE
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO SIR SAM K JONAH
Sir, you are one of the greatest role models every young man looks up to. No one can doubt your rich experience in the investment sector and other areas of the economy.
The first time I met you I told myself I have met humility. You were soo humble. I asked myself, is this the same Sam Jonah I have heard and read about for years growing up as a child.
Your wealth, influence and relevance notwithstanding has not robbed you of humility and I’m proud to have learnt a lot from you in the few minutes I spent with you, sir.
Boss, the coming weeks will be hard for you and your entire family members. Those who see your objective presentation as an attack on their incompetence will unleash their attack dogs on you. Kindly condition the family members to be able to contain the attacks on you in the coming days. As the Akans will say “wop3 neyia wobr3”, meaning if you want the best of something, you have to suffer for it.
Instead of them digesting and analyse your presentation, they will rather insult and attack your personality and as usual play politics with it by tagging you to a political party.
But the right-thinking Ghanaians have already consumed your true and unbiased presentation and I know and hope the upcoming generation will wake up to claim what is rightfully theirs. The future belongs to us. We are doomed if we allow the old folks who have few years to live to toil with our future.
Sir, a week before your speech I told some friends of mine, that Ghana has lost bold men and that the current generation is full of cowards and sycophants.
Never did I know that there are still bold men who have the courage to look into the eyes of hypocrites and tell them the hard truth.
The first time I read the full scripts of your speech, I concluded that there is still hope to see Ghana develop if we get the right people in the realm of affairs.
The right people do not mean good politicians alone but right thinking Ghanaian taxi drivers, farmers, traders, forestry officers, police officers, judges, court clerks, revenue collectors, civil and public servants and the list goes on.
This is the only way this country can develop. Because the way I see things, the country is moving into a ditch.
In your presentation, you touched on so many areas including the economy, the media, governance etc.
I observed something as I read your speech. There is no statement in your speech that you presented without facts. Throughout your presentation, you backed your statements with facts and figures clearly indicating your objectivity.
Sir, don’t be surprised your presentation will one day be a reference in a research proposal.
What escaped you is our sanitation problem. Most governments have failed in this regard but the current situation is worse off.
Filth has engulfed us and it’s about time we took real measures to deal with it. There must be attitudinal change to ensure effective management of filth and the government must take the commanding lead in showing the way.
About two years ago there were heaps of rubbish in front of the seat of government (Flagstaff House). It was the rage on social media that got those whose duty it was to clear it. One can imagine how those in government will care if they see huge rubbish piles sitting at markets places because they don’t even care when it’s close to them.
About three days ago, I saw a picture of two rubbish containers with the inscription; plastics only and sachets only sited at Legon campus.
Sir, to my surprise, the one with the inscription ‘plastics only had more sachet rubbers dumped into it than the expected plastics. These are students who can read and write. But because of bad attitude and indiscipline, the rules are broken at the very places that they are supposed to be obeyed.
Sir, you spoke about imports and the fact that we import everything from food to toothpick. It will surprise you to know that, we even import maize from Iran. Iran!!! Sir, that is where this country has gotten to. Iran with a weather condition not better than Ghana exports maize to Ghana.
It’s not bad to trade with other countries but we have to consider the cost-benefit. A country like Ghana with two raining seasons should be in the position to supply maize to countries like Iran, Burkina Faso etc. But it’s the opposite now.
A few years ago, the clergy, CSOs, academia, the media and other interest groups spoke against the ills of the government but today because of “y3didia y3nkasa” they are all quiet. Meaning we don’t talk when eating and I know they are enjoying the meal served to them by the current government.
I know we will get to the promised land one day, though it’s going to be tough on the road.
I wish the media, the police, the judges, the politicians, the court clerks, the forestry officers, the revenue collectors, the civil and public servants, the fisher folks, the trotro drivers, the farmers etc will begin to reconsider that Ghana can only be successful through our efforts.
No one will come and develop our country for us but ourselves.
“S3 oman b3ye yia 3gyina y3n ara. Meaning the country’s development depends on you and I.
God bless our homeland Ghana.