Growing up in the ancient town of Jasikan, one of the lessons I learnt in my formative years is the wisdom in the adage that says if you cannot bear the heat, one should get out of the kitchen. It teaches us to quit when the ovation is still loud, and not end up getting out of situations ignominiously.
About 22 years down the line, it looks very much as if the adage was created to suit the hole Kwame Baffoe has dug for himself: that of relentlessly using the slightest pretext to drag the name – and tenure – of former Lands and Natural Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh in the dirtiest of mud.
Let me state upfront that I do not have the permission of Lawyer Asomah-Cheremeh to speak for him. But as a Ghanaian who is very interested in the fight against illegal mining.
It smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order for Kwame Baffoe to single Asomah-Cheremeh out for vilification. It’s amusing how Baffoe who dragged Kwabena Agyapong before Disciplinary Committee for hurting the image of the party to relish in rushing to the marketplace to wash the regime’s proverbial dirty linen in public, God so kind, Asomah-Cheremeh doesn’t even have any.
There’s nothing wrong in criticizing one of your own, after all, mistakes are made to be corrected. It is God’s way of showing how imperfect we all are. But if you mean well, the best way to go about it is candid and constructive criticism, rather than seeking to reduce him in esteem, as Kwame Baffoe always does.
To those who may not know, Kwame Baffoe served under Asomah-Cheremeh as Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer. Today he is the Chairman for Bono Region NPP, but who also confuse some of us as to what the future holds for us when our leaders behave in such non-salutary manner.
Baffoe has rolled out the drums to delegitimized Asomah-Cheremeh and his tenure at the Lands Ministry by wildly claiming the illegal mining was taken over by vested interests; suggesting he (Asomah-Cheremeh) did nothing to help the fight, and sensationally went on to say he was involved in the illegal trade.
I am still trying to unwrap the reason(s) why a Minister who granted license i.e Leases to miners would himself do Galamsey? Unthinkable, isn’t it? But very possible in the field of politics. This is marked in politics as cheap blackmail and a deliberately orchestrated smear campaign in.
The litany of falsehood did not stop there. Baffoe tried so hard to blame the former Lands Minister for the failure in the galamsey war. He singled out Asomah-Cheremeh for mention, making all sorts of spurious claims that one can only make in a country like ours where the judicial system that ought to defend innocent citizens against reckless libel is slow, very expensive and somewhat unpredictable.
A friend, with whom I monitored the TV programme, wondered whether Baffoe’s education has taken leave of him at the time he was making these terribly-spurious claims; something a child, in this digital age, could discern to be false with the touch of a button.
One of the cheap lies he peddles, in a manner that betrays his personal hatred for Asomah-Cheremeh, for example, is his wild claim that Asomah-Cheremeh lied to the President about the fight against galamsey. In many other societies, that falsehood alone can earn Kwame Baffoe a sack or serious reprimand.
A simple check on his hand-held device would have revealed that President Akufo-Addo clearly selected Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng as the Chairman and leader of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM) long before Asomah-Cheremeh. The Bono Chairman will have saved himself needless embarrassment if he cared to find out who was in charge of the anti Galamsey battle. Asomah-Cheremeh have acquitted himself excellently well in his assignment.
Who in Ghana didn’t know that Prof. Frimpong Boateng as the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining was in charge of the speed boats, vehicles, and monies devoted for the fight?
How do you blame Asomah-Cheremeh when cars (about 27 Toyota Hilux) meant for an agency (Minerals Commission) for monitoring were seize and giving to GALAMSTOP?
Who didn’t know that about 500 excavators got missing under the renowned heart Surgeon’s watch?
The water bodies were never clean as he sought to gaslight his victims. At what point of the fight did the water bodies became clean for human consumption? In fact, turbidity was very poor.
Which of the water bodies was he looking at when he said the river bodies were clean? Was it Birim, Ankobra, Pra, or Offin?
You cannot, as a Regional Chairman who has only held studio microphone all your tenure, teach a man who acquitted himself very well as a respected Regional Chairman who bequeathed to you eleven parliamentary seats, how to wage a guerrilla or any other warfare. It is because President Akufo-Addo deeply knows what he is doing that he has taken the decision to reassign Asomah-Cheremeh.
Any day, anytime, Kwame Baffoe can never claim to be more patriotic, ad loyal to Ghana than Asomah-Cheremeh.
Cunningly enough, rather than accounting for reasons why he couldn’t preserve the ELEVEN Seats left under his care, is using Tarkwa as his basis to attack Asomah-Cheremeh. How dare he talk about Tarkwa? What about Wenchi? Jaman North, Jaman South and Dormaa West?
Are those SEATS in any of the Galamsey areas?
Whereas the Baffoe of this world are always quick to condemn anything beyond their appreciation, the fact remains that if not for the sacrifice and complete professionalism, and magnanimity of Asomah-Cheremeh, Kwame Baffoe could by now have been totally overwhelmed by court actions, and Baffoe would not have found the free and peaceful atmosphere to dish out the cheap falsehood and misinformation he keeps oozing out.
Whereas Kwame Baffoe and his co-travelers are busy leaving nothing to chance in desperate efforts to pull down innocent personalities that are working their hearts out for Ghana, it is important to remind him that the war against illegal mining is still on.
Can Kwame Baffoe alias Chairman ‘Kyempe’ and his payers provide answers to the following;
Who established GALAMSTOP?
Was the Chief of Defense Staff -CDS aware of the existence of GALAMSTOP?
And was the President, the Commander in-chief aware of GALAMSTOP?
Who were the sponsors of GALAMSTOP?
Why is Kwame Baffoe not telling Ghanaians about the number of licenses Wontumi renewed?
Whom did small scale miners Association report to?
Who took full control of the weapons seized?
Where are the vehicles seized by GALAMSTOP and VANGUARD?
What about the gold oars?
The guns and high-power generators?
Govt acquired drones at fantastic cost of $3miilion
When did inter-ministerial Committee collapse?
Need I tell Kwame Baffoe that the Security were not under the command of Asomah-Cheremeh?
For your notice, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh was not responsible for reporting to the President. So, he couldn’t have lied to the President. It was the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining that did and that person was Prof.
Can you explain why Prof. Boateng failed to provide the inventory of equipment seized during the fight as provided by the mining act?
A little research would have revealed that Asomah-Cheremeh was only brought on to manage the anger of the people going into the elections. A search would have led you to the reality of how much was advanced for the fight and who was signatory to the account that the monies were paid into.
Before Asomah Cheremeh became a Minister, Wontumi of Wontumi TV was mining, Chairman Kissi former Board Chair of PMMC was a miner, John Boadu, Kate Gyamfua, Joejo Frimpong Boateng etc were all alleged to have been accredited to mine.
Didn’t you know that GALAMSTOP computers were under Prof. Boateng and his Inter-Ministerial Committee?
Before him, Charles Bissiw was taped by Tiger I receiving bundles of money to fast tract the acquisition of licenses.
So, how did Asomah-Cheremeh become the man to be executed for the sins of others? Why is he Jesus Christ?
Before you destroy Asomah-Cheremeh to fix your masters, get your facts right.
Now, Asomah-Cheremeh, as a well-acquitted Lawyer, Regional Chairman, and Lands Minister should never – not even for a moment – allow himself, the liberty of getting distracted by a he saved years ago who feels it is right to eat one’s cake and still have it. Kwame Baffoe should never allow himself to be seen as one who thrives in biting the finger that feeds him.
Charles McCarthy
The writer is a Civil Rights Journalist
@mccarthy4uall@gmail.com
