MARIJUANA: Ghana Moves To Decriminalize Its Use

By This Is Africa 

Ghana has revealed that a bill to decriminalize the use of marijuana has been tabled before parliament. Under the proposal, marijuana users and those addicted to the drug will receive medical care and rehabilitation, rather than prosecution. However, the scope of the decriminalisation is yet to be revealed, and it’s not clear if the decriminalisation will allow the medicinal use of marijuana. We ask, is a legal and regulated marijuana industry a feasible and good idea?

Ghana has revealed that a bill to decriminalize the use of marijuana has been tabled before parliament. Under the proposal, marijuana users and those addicted to the drug will be receive medical care and rehabilitation, and will not be prosecuted.

According to CCTV, the country’s former Deputy Minister of the Interior James Agalga said under the proposed new bill tabled before parliament, marijuana users will be given medical care and rehabilitation, rather than incarceration. The government will reportedly assist those who grow the plant to find an alternative means of earning money.

However, the scope of the decriminalization is yet to be revealed, and it’s not clear if the decriminalization will allow the medicinal use of marijuana.

The proposal will undoubtedly ignite debate amongst Ghanaians considering the contentious nature of the issue.

Debates on the legalisation of marijuana have been growing across the continent, with proponents of legalisation citing its economic value. Campaigners have been pushing for the legalisation of cannabis in Swaziland, which is illegally grown by some of the country’s poorest, who make a living by selling the crop.

Editorial

PETROL PRICES

It is a fact that the people of Ghana expect substantial reductions in the price of petroleum products under President Nana Addo Dankwa  Akufo-Addo.

The expectation is not misplaced because it was the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its Presidential candidate who made the promise to reduce the price of petroleum products with their senses intact.

However, the truth is that a sudden and drastic reduction in the prices of petroleum products ought to be accompanied by revenue generation measures which will make it possible to run the business of government smoothly.

The people deserve relief from the high prices of petroleum products but tackling this problem ought to be done responsibly.

This is the task before the Akufo-Addo Government.

MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE

Nana Akufo Addo

By Charles Wereko-Brobby

The title of this piece is a common English expression that describes one’s physical state after tasting too much of the fruits of the Lord Jesus’ inaugural miracle in joyous celebration. (And before any Pastor tells me the fruits were non-alcohol, I want to state firmly and categorically that I have been to many a Jewish wedding, and do not share their assertion).

Ghana has had a lot to celebrate in the last month. We kicked off with the conduct of a very orderly General Election which confounded all, the frightening predictions of the Doomsday Predictors, both Peace Mongers & Pastoral. The outcome was cause for both wide celebration and gnashing of teeth. Whichever one it was, it led to a very copious consumption of the fruit of the inaugural miracle; according to my “Spot” -owning pal.

Hardly had we recovered from our “tired & emotional” state and the sharp pains of the inevitable headaches, when Christmas came upon us. Every Ghanaian living everywhere knows that “Bronya” is the real McCoy, the moth of all celebrations. This year's was especially sweet as the retailers gave us all handsome presents with substantial reductions in the prices of the goodies we needed to “chop” Christmas. I am too sure that the sellers of “inaugural fruit” were so charitable with price reductions. Nevertheless, there was considerable uptake of the “inaugural fruit”, made possible by the savings from reductions in the prices of “akoko”, “pioneer biscuit”, perfumed rice, etc.,

The mother of all celebrations was the inauguration of the 5th President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo on January 07 2017. The parties were several, long and full of quaffing of the “inaugural fruit”. And it was right and fitting that a good time was had by most, if not all Ghanaians, that CHANGE HAD COME and Happy Days were on the horizon, if not here again already. Going by the localized interpretation of Newton’s third law that “Input begets Output”, the post celebration pains, headaches and attendant dehydration were more intense, sustained and not just on account of taking in too much of the “inaugural miracle fruits”

President Akufo Addo (I will get used to the transition from “Addo D”) delivered a very inspiring inaugural speech, which made me and everyone else who heard it “very proud to be a Ghanaian”, whether they hold the passport or not. Alas hardly had we imbibed the promise of the new and exciting dawn of a new Ghana with responsible citizens “mucking in “instead of sitting on the fence “carping”, when the ‘s**t literally hit the fan” with worrying revelations about unattributed portions of the speech. Note, I do not use “plagiarism” for the simple reason that we are dealing with a few passages of an otherwise well-constructed and visionary 'call to arms' to all Ghanaians to pull our country up by the local equivalent of bootstraps.

After, the acting Director of Communications at the “Golden Jubilee House” (first manifestation of Change) quickly put up the proverbial “it’s a fair cop, Gov” apology post on Facebook (not the most appropriate medium), the matter should have and could have ended there, and we could have all moved on to better digestion of His Excellency’s message.  Unfortunately, the matter was not put to rest because too many “toono” “gaping sycophants’ started producing contorted academic thesis on copyright laws and even going to the extent to suggest that no infractions had occurred. That was as stupid as it was unmeritorious.

Let’s get one thing straight from the word go. The Opposition NDC is in an automatic payback mode. It has hit the ground running and will operate on the well-worn principle that “The business of the Opposition is to oppose everything and offer no solutions”. By getting the mandate of the people of Ghana on 7 December 2016 President Akufo-Addo and his party shifted from the “Problem Articulators mode to SOLUTION DELIVERERS. It does not have the luxury to engage in responding to every provocation from the NDC or encouraging their supporters to offer a “Pavlovian” (knee jerk”) response. I would have thought we would have learnt from the many Fasts and Thanksgiving services that there is only one infallible being, and we mere humans will continue to make mistakes, and just get used to the idea that we must apologise and ask for forgiveness, learn the appropriate lessons for the future, no matter how lofty our position is.

The second piercing and persistent headache has been the saga of the resettlement of ex-President John Dramani Mahama. It is an episode in which none of the players comes out smelling of roses: not Ex-Presidents Kufuor and Mahama; not President Akufo-Addo; not the Transition Teams: and last but not least, not the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana. I leave out Otumfuo for the simple reason that his involvement, if any, was engineered by actors who were very familiar with the laws of the Republic of Ghana, and should have ensured whatever intervention they sought from His Majesty was firmly grounded in the laws of Ghana.

Parliament was wrong in first accepting and then overriding the recommendation on accommodation arrangements by the Committee the President set up to review Article 71 end of service benefits. Be that as it may Ex-President Mahama was clearly wrong in seeking to perpetuate the misdemeanor of appropriating the official residence of the Vice President of Ghana, when he became the President of Ghana. If he had moved into the expensively refurbished Presidential Residency at the then Flagstaff (now Jubilee) House, all the subsequent cacophony will have been avoided. Ex-President Kuffuor’s interjection was unnecessary as it was unhelpful. The position advanced by his Spokesman is not found in our law. As far as I can surmise, Parliament approved the allocation of a house, NOT a specific house or a choice in the house.

Most troubling has been the shifting and contradictory position of Government. Clearly it appears it has had to back away from “smoke room” agreements which are not lawful and more importantly perceived by the people of Ghana as unfair, excessively wasteful and laying precedents that would be unsustainable going forward in the future.  In withdrawing from this sordid episode, former President Mahama has hinted at agreements precedent to the issuance of the formal announcement by the former Chief of Staff.  I believe it is incumbent, nay imperative, for the government to confirm or deny the claims impugned by the Ex-President, not least for the sake of removing the obvious embarrassment to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who does not need this distraction at this most difficult time for him.

Last but not least is the issue of takeovers of state structure and properties. Yes, the IGP and the Police must be up and doing without giving excuses.  Up and doing needs more than asking for a Plan to be drawn up when swift and decisive restoration of law & order is what is needed NOW. But the Police need the clear support of Government to do its job. So far this has not been forthcoming, a very worrying turn of events. 

Freddie Blay

For me, it is not good enough to point to the pleadings of party leaders as sufficient. Indeed, the reported comments and posture of the Ag. National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay has been disappointed in the least, and damn right irresponsible at best. There is a clear distinction between Party, which is necessarily partisan, and Government, which must see itself as acting on behalf of ALL the People of Ghana. The sooner the transition from the former to the latter is completed, the better it will be for President Akufo-Addo & his avowed commitment to the “Rule of Law”, and to the benefit of every Ghanaian living everywhere, who voted for CHANGE OR CONTINUITY.

We have enjoyed a wonderful season of celebrations. However, it’s now time to take some pain killers, douse loads of water on ourselves to cure our harmattan compounded dehydration and sober up quickly to tackle the many onerous tasks ahead. President Akufo seems to have sobered up already. He has set the record for the quickest nomination of Ministers in the 4th Republic of Ghana. This means that Ghana will have a full functioning Government by the end of January, very impressive when put against the 3-4-month period of all previous Governments.

Its time for everyone else to clear their heads and wake up to the challenges of the Citizen-led renewal of our Country emboldened by the “Proud to be Ghanaian “Spirit.       

 

Charles Wereko-Brobby

Ghana Institute for Public Policy (GIPPO)

Email: tarzan@eyetarzan.org

THE ADDO "D" YOU DID NOT KNOW
By Charles Biney

Around mid-1979, as a very young politician, my path crossed that of a gentleman I could hardly  figure  out, but was very curious to know what he was about in politics. I was then the Organizing Secretary of the United National Convention Party for the Ga Rural Constituency. Also, I was actively involved in the politics of the Akim Abuakwa Constituency any time I visited my parents.

President Nana Akufo Addo

At that time, the Akim Abuakwa Constituency was badly in search of a parliamentary candidate. The name that kept popping up was one Nana Addo, someone I was hearing of for the first time. The leadership of the local party decided to draft him as the parliamentary candidate for the constituency, though we had not had any prior consultations with him. To the chagrin of the constituency, the national leadership, without our involvement, decided to impose a candidate on us .  We swore to register our displeasure at the appropriate time. Opportunity knocked at the door on the day that the flag bearer, Paa willie was slated as a speaker at a New Tafo rally - it was quite a spectacle to behold.

Just before Paa Willie was to speak, some of us grabbed Nana forcefully and lifted him shoulder high. To our disappointment he resisted forcefully no matter how hard we tried. We did not understand him then, and wondered why he would refuse a gesture his contemporaries were yearning for.

I didn't set eyes on him again for years. However, around the early nineties, during the second liberation struggle for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, once again, our paths crossed.

This time I had the opportunity to work with him closely. He called me Charlie B, and I called him Addo D - that has changed since January 7, asymmetric change, though - whilst he can continue to call me Charlie B, he, to me, is now either Mr President or Your Excellency!

It was during the prosecution of the struggle and the years after that I realized Nana Addo is the most grossly misrepresented politician of our time - mauled by his detractors and critics. I discovered someone who was willing to stand on the side of the suffering masses while checking the power of the highest- a man who puts the needs of others first and helps people to perform.

Though unjustifiably bastardized by the rented press and his opponents, he still prevailed with his deft strategies and coolness in the face of relentless and needles attacks.

Also, under unfair attacks, innuendos, and shenanigans, he admonished his supporters to remain calm and not respond in kind. Even when he disagreed with the Supreme Court verdict, as regards the 2012 election petition, he accepted it and calmed the whole nation that was on the verge of civil strife. That's quite a telling perspective, isn't it? Putting the interest of the nation above his parochial agenda. Alluding to Mark Anthony's speech, I may ask, is this an ambitious person determined to rule his nation at all cost, as his critics want us to believe? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

After almost four decades, I saw in him a number of leadership qualities; however, the attributes I admire most about him are his altruistic and self-giving tendencies, and that's what I think will make him a very successful and great leader.

THE CAUSE...?
OF COURSE, ENDURES!
AND THE BATTLE...?
STILL THE LORD'S!!

Charles Biney
Dallas, Texas, USA

Guantanamo Bay turns 15: A look back at the notorious ‘torture camp’

A detainee is carried by military police after interrogation at Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp opened its cells to terrorist suspects 15 years ago, on January 11, 2002. Torture, unlawful detention, and hunger strikes have marred the US detention facility ever since.

Fifteen years on, the camp remains open, despite President Barack Obama’s campaign promise to shut it down, while president-elect Donald Trump tweeted earlier this month that he believes there should be no more prisoners released from Gitmo.

Over the years, close to 800 prisoners have been detained, and in some cases tortured, in the detention camp, using what were called “enhanced techniques” on the prison population, the overwhelming majority of whom were never charged.

Such “techniques” included waterboarding, with numerous detainees subjected to prolonged sessions of this potentially deadly torture, as well as being stripped naked and being confined in dark cells for lengthy periods of time.

A Somali detainee at Gitmo, Guleed Hassan Dourad, said he was also subject to “mental torturing,” describing during a pretrial hearing last year that he recalls vibrations in his cell floor, a constant “stinky smell” and noises that sounded “like someone on the roof… hitting hammer.”

A November 2016 study from Afghan Analysts Network found the US authorities committed “gross miscarriages of justice” against the victims, many of whom were detained on scant evidence. It found that in regard to the eight longest-serving inmates, the military were unable to “substantiate its accusations.”

Ex President Barack Obama

“Almost anyone could be detained,” said the report’s author Kate Clark, adding that “meaningless strings of associations – detainee knew X who knew Y who knew Z who knew bin Laden – [were] put forward as evidence of wrongdoing.”

Nine prisoners have died in Guantanamo, and seven of those deaths are believed to be by suicide. Only nine prisoners have ever been convicted of a crime. Today, 55 prisoners remain on the island, with 19 cleared for release – five of whom were cleared in 2009.

On the 15-year anniversary of its opening, RT looks back at some of the detainees who have spent years inside Guantanamo Bay.

Guantanamo has housed at least 15 children within its cells. Omar Khadr was 15 when he was sent to Guantanamo after being picked up in Afghanistan in 2002.

The Canadian pled guilty to throwing a grenade at a soldier in Afghanistan – after 8 years in Gitmo, his lawyers say he confessed under torture. Khadr is the only child soldier prosecuted in a military commission for war crimes.

He was transferred to Canada to serve the rest of his time. He has since become engaged to a woman who campaigned for his release.

Mohammed el Gharani was 14 when he came to Guantanamo – its youngest prisoner ever. Falsely accused of fighting for the Taliban and being a member of a London Al-Qaeda cell, el Gharani had never been to Afghanistan or the UK.

He was released in 2009, after seven years of being “abused” and not being treated like a child.

Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritania national, penned a bestselling memoir called Guantanamo Diary during his time in the prison camp.

A victim of torture and 14 years of detention without charge, Slahi was released in October. Slahi had given himself up to local authorities for questioning after 9/11, and was transferred to US custody

ami al Hajj, an Al Jazeera cameraman from Sudan, al Hajj was detained in 2001 and released in 2008. The only journalist to be held at Gitmo, he took part in hunger strikes.

Shaker Aamer was the last British detainee held without a trial. Since his release in October 2015, Shaker has spoken out about the conditions in the prison.

“Guantanamo is being run by one concept: how to destroy a human being,” Aamer told RT last year.

Mustafa al-Shamiri, a Yemeni, has spent 14 years in Guantanamo over a case of mistaken identity, with US authorities claiming he was a senior Al-Qaeda trainer in Afghanistan. Despite being cleared for release over a year ago, he remains detained there.

Abdallah al-Ajmi, a Kuwait citizen and former Taliban fighter, was sent to Kuwait from Guantanamo in 2005, where he was acquitted in 2006. He went on to die in a suicide bomb attack he carried out in Mosul in 2008.

Abedlaziz Kareem Salim al-Noofayee was detained in March 2002 for wearing a Casio F91W watch, which intelligence identified as a terrorist watch, or the “sign of al-Qaeda.” He was released in 2009.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is an alleged 9/11 plotter. Born in Pakistan, he has been dubbed “the mastermind of the September 11 attacks.” He was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and was transferred to Gitmo in 2006. He was waterboarded at least 183 times.

He remains in Guantanamo along with fellow plotters Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abd al Aziz Ali, Walid Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi.