NPP WON 2012 ELECTIONS –Obiri Boahen.

Nana Obiri Boahen

By Ekow Mensah.

Nana Obiri Boahen, former Deputy Minister of Interior has stated emphatically that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the 2012 elections.

Nana who is a practicing lawyer described the Supreme Court decision on the Presidential elections petition as a ‘miscarriage of justice”.

He was speaking in an interview with Radio Gold’s Alhassan Suhuyini yesterday.

From this position, Nana Obiri Boahen then puts up the argument that Nana Akufo- Addo ought to be elected as the presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.

He claimed that Nana Akufo-Addo has an unfinished business to complete.

“The Akufo-Addo- Bawumia ticket is still relevant” he said.

Nana Obiri Boahen said if for some reason Nana Akufo –Addo could not offer himself as the candidate, he would support Bawumia.

“You don’t change a coach who is doing well” He said.   

Nana Obiri Boahen supported Professor Albert Adu Boahen in his 1996 contest with former President John Agyekum Kufour.

By this declaration, Nana Obiri Boahen has joined the ranks of Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Gabby Otchere-Darko and the team supporting the candidature of Nana Akufo-Addo.

Maxwell Kofi Jumah was keen supporter of Mr Alan Kyeremateng until recently.

Those who have been named as likely contestants for the flagbearership of the NPP include, Alan Kyeremateng, Dr Richard Annane, Paapa   Owusu Ankomah, Dr Kofi Konadu Appredu, Dr Arthur Kobbina  Kenedy, Nana Akufo- Addo and Mr Joe Ghartey. 

The Mafia and Labour Racketeering

TUC Boss Kofi Asamoah and President Mahama

By Ronald Fino, Gangsters Inc

Gangsters Inc. is proud to welcome Ronald Fino to its writing staff! Starting today, Fino will write about labor racketeering and organized crime for this website. As the son of a capo in the Buffalo crime family, Fino effectively grew up in the mob. He joined the corrupt Laborers Local 210, controlled by Buffalo boss Stefano Magaddino, and after years of experiencing the corruption up close, decided to run for business manager and clean up the union. After an overly successful election, he found that the power did not lie with the union, but powerful members of the Buffalo Mafia.

That realization set in motion Fino’s dangerous decision to become a contract employee for the FBI. For 17 years he reported everything he learned about the Buffalo Mafia back to them. After his cover was corrupted he went to work undercover in Russia, the Middle East, Belarus and was in the middle of international arms negotiations and tried to broker peace in Gambia after a coup ousted their president.

There are those who think American La Cosa Nostra is dead. Do not, for one minute, believe that, because it is not true! They are alive and quite aptly surviving the government’s successes against them in the 1980s and 1990s.

They are very capable and have learned how to avoid prying eyes. Today’s mobster is armed with the finest attorneys and public relations firms. They avoid the FBI and other law enforcement agencies and continue to conduct business with labor unions, channel political contributions and create support for the wayward politician who in return abet their quest for the all mighty dollar. Illegal dumping of hazardous waste, the garbage industry, demolition, corporate bust-outs, illicit telemarketing, labor racketeering, and off shore money laundering remain key LCN operations.

The first and foremost rule of the Mafia is the perpetuation of the family. The labor union is the perfect vehicle for achieving this.

The controlled union official makes sure that La Cosa Nostra members, relatives, and associates are rewarded with plush jobs in the union hall itself by creating field representative positions, clerical, and secretarial appointments, even janitorial situations for the recipients.

It is important that you understand that traditional La Cosa Nostra controlled union locals and district councils have been subjected to years of mob dominance and the years of failure on the part of justice to correct the problem have galvanized the good non-mobbed up members against cooperating.

The membership of a union has had to go along with hiring practices. Knowledge of his or her benefits may be lacking and having to watch mobbed up employees who are more interested in collecting last nights bookmaking receipts than staying on the job and looking after the workers needs and safety receive the best jobs and stewards.

To speak or take any action against these practices would leave the outspoken worker without a job and incapable of finding one anywhere else. If he decides to speak up even more he could even end up at the bottom of a river.

Many investigators find the lack of cooperation and ability to generate information about violations quite difficult and lacking success. Federal Investigators, who have been indoctrinated into the utilization of Title 18 violations, will be limited and success may be placed out of reach. Title 29 (Federal Labor law) and State Labor laws are necessary, as well as Title 42 and its environmental laws and rules to achieve in the cleansing.

It is also essential that the investigators have a working knowledge of the local Collective Bargaining Agreement and utilize its violations as an instrument of achieving success against organized crime.

Many violations are taking place in front of the investigators eyes. It’s all about knowing what to look for. How can you remedy a problem if you do not know what the symptoms are?

Another Coup In Gambia

Yaya Jammeh

By Sergei Vasilenkov

The United States is facing a financial crisis, but its government has not forgotten about the foreign policy. The tiny African nation of the Gambia has declared that the U.S. and the UK were planning to implement a coup in this rather poor country. Why does the West need control of the Gambia?

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has accused the United States and Britain of financing the opposition and attempts to organize a coup in the country. The government statement read on air on Tuesday by many local television channels also said that the U.S. and Britain have been conducting an extensive smear campaign of false accusations and outrageous lies against the Gambia. The statement did not specify what the accusations were.

The UK authorities, in turn, were quick to refute the Gambian government. The official communique said that Britain was an old and faithful friend of the Gambia and the people of this country. It stated that both countries were interested in maintaining the relations based on trust, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The U.S. authorities have also denied the allegation of the Gambian authorities about the intention to arrange a coup in this tiny African country. Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department denied the information on the financing of the opposition movement in the Gambia. She stated that the United States intended to continue a fruitful relationship with the authorities of the Gambia.

But, as the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire.

For 48 years the Gambia was part of the Commonwealth of Nations, but last week the government of the country stated on television its decision to withdraw from the organization. According to the statement, the main reason for the departure was the fact that the Gambia did not want to be part of a "neo-colonial organization." The authorities also indicated that they would never take part in organizations that exist only for the expansion of colonialism.

The Commonwealth of Nations was founded in 1931, but acquired its modern form after 1949, when the former British protectorates and colonies, Gambia in particular, became independent and began to form their own governments. The charter of the organization said that the Commonwealth should cooperate with each other in the common interests of their peoples and maintain mutual understanding and peace.

  The Government of the Gambia did not explain the true causes of the country's decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, a Gambian Foreign Ministry official on condition of anonymity said that the decision was taken following the rejection by the Government of the Commonwealth initiative to establish a Commission against Corruption and Human Rights in Banjul (the capital of the country). The proposal to create a human rights body in the Gambia was made by the Commonwealth in 2012 after a visit to the country of Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma.

The Commonwealth regrets the Gambia's withdrawal, but stressed that membership in the association was a voluntary decision of the Governments of the countries. It should be noted that the Gambia is not the first country that has left the association of the former British colonies. In 2009, Fiji has suspended its membership in the Commonwealth. In 2003, Zimbabwe has left the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth now has 54 countries, mainly former British colonies, protectorates and dominions, including Australia and Canada.

Yahya Jammeh became president of the Gambia in 1994 after a peaceful revolution. At the time he was only 29 years old. In 2001, 2006 and 2011, Jammeh was reelected.

Every time the international organizations have stated that the elections were conducted with violations, and the local opposition refused to recognize the results. Jammeh responded that the critics "can go to hell," and he "would rule the Gambia for billion years if that's the will of Allah." He is now at his fourth presidential term. 

The leader of the Gambia has established relationships with nearly all countries that the West believes to be insufficiently democratic. He had a good relationship with Muammar Gaddafi when the latter ruled Libya and official contacts with Venezuela, Iran and Cuba. At the same time he reconciled with Senegal. Yahya Jammeh did not get along with Europe and the United States. The West has accused him of violating human rights and freedoms.

Two years ago, on the eve of the presidential elections, Yahya Jammeh was angered by the fact that the UK supported the opposition. The Foreign Office, in turn, immediately accused the regime of the Gambia of human rights violations, in particular, of illegal arrests, closure of media outlets and discrimination of sexual minorities.

The oppositionist Bakary Dabo, former Vice President of the Gambia, said that President Yahya Jammeh has launched a "war against Western influence." He also said that the authorities often use "anti-Western" rhetoric.

Obviously, the West does not like the policy of Yahya Jammeh and has been trying to remove him. But is the mutual antipathy the only reason? 

The Gambia is the smallest country in the continental Africa. It does not have many natural resources. Its main income comes from tourism and peanuts export. European travelers annually spend approximately 200 million dollars in the country, which accounts for nearly a fifth of GDP.

Why would the United States that is going through a budget crisis and extremely difficult economic situation spend money on financing a coup in this small African country? Perhaps the Gambia unexpectedly discovered oil that the U.S. loves and believes that all the oil should belong to it? If a country cannot defend itself, then the U.S. military comes, bringing blood, pain, misery, and, of course, the "democratic values." This happened in Iraq and Libya. Perhaps, the United States wants to repeat this scenario in the Gambia?

However, the Gambia is poor in minerals. It only has large reserves of quartz sand that can be used for glass production. There is no oil or gas in the country. The question arises, what could interest the Americans? Perhaps, they want to interfere for the sake of exercise and fun? This is not the case, and the reason behind the interference is the fact that the Gambia is rich in water resources.

The volume of renewable water resources of the country is estimated to be 8.0 square kilometers a year, of which 5 comes into the country through Guinea and Senegal. Surface water is estimated to yield 3.0 square kilometers annually, and renewable groundwater - 0.5 square kilometers a year. The population is provided with clean drinking water by 62 percent.

These are large numbers for Africa. Unlike other countries of the continent, the Gambia is lucky- There is a river in the country that, in addition, is suitable for shipping. It turns out that in the 21st century wars are launched not only over territories, gold, and oil. There are already fights for water.

This is evidenced by the words of the head of the presidential administration who accused the U.S. government and the UK of an attempt to organize a military coup and supporting the opposition. He issued an ultimatum stating that the Gambia would never give up its natural resources, to "old vampire and the young locusts."

He is referring to the proposal of the U.S. declined by the Gambian authorities. Its essence could be summed up as use and total control of the territorial waters of the Gambia. Because the climate on our planet is rapidly changing, global supplies of clean water are quickly diminishing. Thus, wars over water may become commonplace.  

Victor Uwaifo, The music Maestro speaks out

Written By Tribune

Victor Uwaifo

Professor Victor Uwaifo (MON) remains one of the few Nigerians who took their genius as musicians beyond the shores of Africa. A successful sculptor, an adored guitarist, a fecund composer and a university don, Uwaifo’s life is a rare blend of talents. In this interaction with KEHINDE OYETIMI, the maestro speaks on life at 72, his marriage and his career, among others. Excerpts: 

You said that what inspired one of your greatest hits was your encounter with a mermaid locally called Mammy water at the Lagos beach. When last did you visit that particular place?

I don’t think it has a house. Going back there is not a problem. I have been there before. I went there when I went to shoot some films some few years back. It was the encounter with the mammy water that gave birth to the song Guitar Boy. It is almost 50 years after the song was written and it is enduring. It is very evergreen. It pushed me up after the production of Joromi. The succession of the hits continued; the repertoire is long and unending.

Are you not thinking of collaboration with the ilk of your generation, especially Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Ade and others who have contributed immensely to the history of Nigeria’s music?

I have done some music collaborations with some of these young ones. People like Tuface, Dare Art Alade. Some other artistes and saxophonists were in the production. We did a remix of Joromi. When you listen to it, you will be able to draw comparisons between the one I did many years ago and the one that I just produced with them. It was a different rendition of that classical song.

But don’t you get bothered about the quality of music that is being produced by many of these young artistes?

They should go and learn how to play musical instruments. My problem with them is that they do not know how to play these instruments. But again I must say that the modern day music has improved the quality of recording. I am not talking about the quality of the content of the music but advancement in technology has given birth to the technical quality of recording. In those days, it was just monologue. A band had to be present; that showed how versatile the musician was expected to be. You were not allowed to make mistakes when you were performing live with your band. If you did, there would be consequences. The performance was more tasking, more rigorous. If you made a hit, you made it but if you didn’t, you didn’t. It was a period of spontaneity and expertise. You were expected to know what you were doing. It graduated from track recording (stereo) to multi-track. Today what we find is digi-track. One person can single-handedly produce a track without the assistance of any other person. That is what advancement in technology has given today. All the percussions have been imputed; all he needs to do is to know the right sound combination and before you know, a musical track has been produced. Anyone can produce music given your knowledge of the computer. But that does not make you a musician.

How are you coping with all these?

The effect of this is that it makes those who claim to be musicians very lazy. In those days when we embarked on live performances, each member of the band was expected to be very familiar with his instrument. A mistake was not tolerated. Every member of the band mattered. It was a unity of production. Making a mistake could cost the entire band more damage than could be imagined. In those days when I started, we had no access to keyboards; you were expected to produce sounds that were similar to those of the piano. That was how live bands were known. We travelled far and wide. We went on road shows. When these young one started, they started badly. They were miming to CDs. Sometimes you will see the deficiencies in the recordings. When they go out to perform, the DJ will play something different from what the artiste has requested, and then you will see the artiste get angry and start quarrelling. You don’t quarrel with music.  That is the difference between my generation and what you see today. But people do not know this. I wish they really know. It is like cheating in the examination hall. A candidate who is not prepared for the examination is assisted with answer sheets during the examination. He doesn’t know what to write but he has the answers somewhere. He writes what he is given and then he passes. That is what these young ones who call themselves musicians do with the computer and the resources of technology. That is the nearest equivalent that I can give.

Soon I will play all the categories of the seven guitars that shaped my life as a guitarist. I will play the classical guitar, the double neck guitar, the magic guitar, the revolving guitar, the AK-47 guitar, the electric acoustic guitar and the keyboard guitar in one rendition.The way I have tried my best in encouraging them is that I still run a music school—Victor Uwaifo Music Academy—through which we recently graduated some students.

Many people recall that Joromi was a hit. How much did you make and what did you do with the proceeds?

The sale was not immediate but after six months, it sold in millions. Almost 50 years after, it still sells in millions. If the distributor refused to order from the record company, it would be difficult to sell. There have been demands in and outside Africa and that has been the reason for the huge sales. But to ask me what I did with the money will be difficult to answer. All I remember doing was to re-invest on my musical equipment. I bought vehicles to travel for performances.

What kind of parents shaped your growth?

I come from a middle upper class family. My father was in business after serving as a civil servant for some time. He retired and became a full contractor. My mother was a full time housewife. I come from a polygamous home. I was the last but one out of 13 children. I was number 12 on the line. Music runs in our blood. Many of my siblings were good at music. I have siblings who are judges, engineers, teachers, all that. There was a time that we formed the Uwaifo Quartet. I happened to be the guitarist. One late Mr Emmanuel Fadaka would come from Ibadan to Benin to record our performances. Our voices were heard in the 50s on radio.

How did your parents feel when they heard you guys on radio and what pranks did you play as a child?

Even though my parents liked music, they weren’t quite comfortable when I was taking the guitar too seriously and beyond the house. I was less than 12 years old when I started playing. In those days guitarists and palm wine drinkers were viewed together and seen as layabouts. Guitarists usually ended up in bars, drunk. It was not a thing that a parent would like the child to end up in. But I proved them wrong even in their graves. I promised that I would make them proud. I was doing well in school. I was a sportsman. I led my school in high jump. I was very proactive. As a child, I was very creative. I have taken that creativity to adulthood. I have just invented another guitar. It is called AK-47. I invented it about two weeks ago. It is crafted in the form of a gun but it is a guitar.

I played pranks as a child. I knew very early that spirits wore white. I would take my father’s white bedsheet and place it over my body. I would sidle into crowds in the night and when they saw me they would all run, thinking that it was indeed a spirit. A day came when a man suspected a foul play with the spirit who usually came out in the moonlight evenings. He hid himself away from the crowd that night and watched me. I had put on the white bed sheet and I was moving to the crowd. Everybody ran away as usual but the man would not run. He had come closer. When I saw that he was not running but moving towards me, I ran away.

You made distinctions as a student at the Yaba College of Technology and a First Class at the University of Benin. Was it just genius or hard work?

My greatest enemy is failure. Failure goes with fear. I did my best to conquer failure. I went the extra mile. I was not out to make a first class. I didn’t want the young ones in the class to see me as an unserious person. So I did more than everybody else. I just ensured that I did my best. The same thing also played out at the Yaba College earlier.

It is very common to find young artistes today who are unable to manage fame. They are promiscuous; they father many children from different women. You celebrated long years of your marriage to your wife. You don’t have more than one wife. How were you able to avoid all these?

It is discipline. A stick of cigarette has never touched my lips. I don’t drink. Music is enough intoxicant. How can you add alcohol to music? You will go mad. There is youthful exuberance. For me, I regarded discipline as the most important thing in my youth. I don’t have any child outside my matrimony and I will never. All my children were from my wife. It gives me peace of mind. There are many distractions.  

You look very energetic at 72. What is the secret?

Time runs after me. I take the lead which is why I am always busy and have something to occupy my time. Time wasted is time murdered. I can’t rest now. If I rest, my talent will go to rest.

How often do you get inspired and what inspires you?

Inspiration is like sound waves and vision. When in tune with your extra perception, it sends the right signals into your brain box. God is the ultimate creator and artist. I am just a tool of implementation. Music is an interpretation of many vibrations of sound arranged in harmony, pleasant to the ears and companion to man both in times of joy and distress.