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President John Dramani Mahama is well known in Ghana and beyond for not fearing criticism. In fact, he would never act like one of the former Presidents who caused the police to arrest a critic for saying he travels a lot.

Indeed, Monday, August 22, which happens to be the day the said purported pardon was granted, will surely be remembered as arguably, the darkest day in the annals of history relative to our democratization regime. And ultimately, President Mahama would forever be remembered as the president that has sacrificed the supreme interest of the nation by endorsing lawlessness and impunity in order to satisfy his party (NDC) foot soldiers and apparatchiks.

This will not be the first. We have won a few important battles in the past but we lost the wars on the same day. It’s almost an accepted pattern in these parts–that the winner of a democratic election must fight another battle to affirm the general will of the people.

We have observed with dismay the downward spiraling of the image of the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA), the recent rancor-ridden award exercise providing a worrying impetus for the trend.

A game changer for hands-on purposeful education

Advancing Ghana from third world depravity should be in everybody’s interest. Other countries have shown how to avoid poverty, disease and lower life expectancy through the glorious mix of intellectual commitment and actual hands-on work. In the previous column, “Education for the world of work”, I indicated that for a developing nation like Ghana, academic pursuits and the ability to solve practical problems should go hand-in-hand in the traditional universities as well as in the new technical universities evolving out of the nation’s polytechnics.

I recently came across as intent by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, to appoint lawyers and accountants to assist with collating election results at the district and regional levels.

Members of Parliament have been recalled to consider a motion seeking to impeach President John Mahama for accepting a Ford Expedition vehicle, largely considered by many as a bribe, from a Burkinabe contractor.

Whilst commending the NPP Minority for initiating the process, and seeking to stand up for the interest of the nation, we want to encourage them not to be upset by the intended effort by their counterparts to foil the move for partisan considerations.

No matter the outcome of the process, posterity will acknowledge their gallant effort in standing up to be counted in the fight against bribery and corruption in the country.

The canker of bribery and corruption under this government is not only unprecedented, but also eating deeper into the very fabric of the country, and rendering the state poorer and poorer in all sectors.

President Mahama's acceptance of the so-called gift was a serious slap in the face of good governance, especially after Ghana had been acclaimed internationally for her democratic tenets.

It must be noted that the Mahama-Kanazoe bribery scandal far transcends the mere offer and acceptance of a bribe. It also tragically reflects the excruciating unbridled corruption going on within the Mahama-led NDC government.

Often times in our country, we have allowed people in authority to have their ways without subjecting them to proper scrutiny, and by allowing this we indirectly send signals to others that they can go ahead and bend the rules; after all, their superiors are engaged in similar acts.

We are aware that the petition for impeachment will first need to be handed over to the Chief Justice by the Speaker of Parliament for investigations to be conducted to establish a prima facie case against the president. Already, the Majority side has indicated it will move heaven and earth to ensure that the motion for impeachment is not even entertained by the Speaker.

Even though unapologetic President Mahama and his apologists have sought to lie through their teeth to Ghanaians that the Ford vehicle was a gift to the nation, Ghanaians are very discerning to read through the lines.

And whatever comes out of the attempted impeachment process will not change their views about the president, who has shown that he sees governance as a means to amass wealth at the expense of the suffering masses.

Even in the event that the process fails to achieve the ultimate result, we are convinced the actual 'impeachment' of President Mahama will be done by suffering Ghanaians when they go to the polls on December 7. And who can resist that 'impeachment'?

That impeachment of the President Mahama and his government over their unbridled corruption and looting of the national coffers certainly, as well as their gross economic mismanagement, cannot be resisted by the Majority in Parliament.

In the meantime, we expect the suffering constituents of the Majority MPs to take keen interest in the attempted impeachment process against the president, and the reactions of their representatives thereof, and be advised accordingly when they go the polls on December 7. It's about Ghana's interest and not self-preservation.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the tenure of office and lifestyle of the outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey.

Ghana was part of the 189 countries that came together in the year 2000 to face the future and brig to end Famine, Draught, Poverty, Wars, and Plagues. Leaders from all the 189 countries with the help and support of UNDP came up with a plan that will see to them fighting these menaces by the year 2015; the plan was the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Many communities in Ghana have seen significant transformation through Eco-tourism. Like what has been done with cocoa, gold and recently oil, eco-tourism can be used to mobilize revenue for community development. Eco-tourism and tourism work toward the combined goal of fostering visitor’s enjoyment and earning money for the respective destinations and the local people within the catchment area.

Since the publication by AFRICAWATCH, on health records purported to be those of the NPP Presidential candidate, Hon. Nana Akufo-Addo, I have been inundated by calls to comment. I will not comment on those records because as a physician, I consider patient privacy sacrosanct.

Food security and agriculture have an essential role to play in preventing conflicts and crises on the African continent, blunting their impacts and acting as engines for post-crisis recovery, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

Even though Madam Akua Donkor does not have a classroom education, she harbours no vestiges of slavery.

I must admit, I could not believe my eyes when I heard Madam Akua Donkor on the radio revealing her inborn predilection for ‘Pan Africanism’.

Unlike the so-called intellectuals who more than often take solace in the foreign culture, Madam Akua Donkor is rather antipathetic to the Western way of life.

According to Madam Akua Donkor, she was christened as ‘Victoria Donkor by her biological parents. But after growing up and developing superior powers of the mind, she did not see the wisdom in taking ‘Whiteman’s’ name, hence changing her birth name to Akua Donkor.

Madam Akua Donkor opined: “tell me why I should take a ‘Whiteman’s’ name?” “Don’t I have my own culture?” “Would a ‘Whiteman’ ever name his child after me?”

I was indeed dumbfounded to listen to someone who had had no classroom education, yet, so much liberated in the mind. Indeed, she holds no slavish mentality.

As a matter of fact, juxtaposing Madam Akua Donkor’s refined disposition with a self-acclaimed intellectual’s thought process brings nothing but melancholy, so to speak

Yes, we have self-acclaimed intellectuals who find it inappropriate to be called by their aboriginal names, but rather take comfort in adopted ‘Western’ names. How bizarre?

So, for instance, an individual would choose say, ‘Steve Malory’ over ‘Osei Kwadwo Opoku’. Sad, isn’t it?

It reminds me of a friend of mine who once questioned me about my reasons for refusing to give ‘English’ names to my boys.

According to my friend, the ‘English’ people will find it difficult to pronounce the names of my children and therefore it was needless for me to give British born children the native Ghanaian names.

I was indeed befuddled upon listening to my friend’s thought process. However, I contained my emotional intelligence and showed deference to my classroom educated friend, who is yet to liberate his mind.

My question to my friend was: “did our colonial Masters name their children after our great forefathers?

“Have you ever seen any Englishman who has named his child after our rich African names such as ‘Tetteh, Nkrumah, Busia, Danquah, Acheampong, Afrifa, Amu, Ayikwei, Quartey, Azumah, Gbedema, Atinga, Atuguba, Dramani, Kufuor, Addo, Akoto etc.?” I enquired.

Unsurprisingly, However, my friend answered no and then added that he has realised why I have given African names to my three boys.

Of course, there is nothing wrong to have a name change. However, I find it extremely abhorrent when bona fide Africans swap their rich names for ‘Western’ names.

What’s more, it is absolutely fine for married women and men to have name change. So, for instance, if Madam Akua Donkor was to marry John Dramani Mahama, she can opt for ‘Akua Mahama’.

Similarly, if one ‘Kwadwo Osei Opoku’ chose to enter into a civil partnership with one Mr John Malory, he can choose to use his partner’s family name-Malory, hence would be known as ‘Steve Malory.

On the other hand, fugitives often resort to identity theft in order to conceal their identity. Thus it should not be surprising when ‘Osei turns into a ‘Malory’.

Identity theft involves the perpetrator of the crime taking the victim’s personal information with a view of using this in an unauthorised way for their own personal gain.

For example, identity thieves can use someone’s identity to commit crimes, such as entering (or exiting) a country illegally, trafficking drugs, smuggling other substances, committing cybercrimes, laundering money and much more.

For me, I do not take those flamboyant charlatans seriously, because they are of a dubious character.

It becomes necessary to see the truth as it is if you realise that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality.

“! (2) This Constitution shall be the supreme law of Ghana and any other law found to be inconsistent with any provision of this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void”.

August 4th 2016 must be marked in the annals of Ghana as a Day of Betrayal and Shame when the majority of Ghana’s Parliamentarians on both sides of the House betrayed their collective conscience, that’s, if they have any at all or whatever is left of it, and surreptitiously without any fan-fare, transparency nor public debate, voted to sell the people of Ghana, whose interests they are charged to protect, down the Volta river in a manner reminiscent of the slave dealing ancestors of many of them, and the mass of Ghanaians docilely allowed themselves to be sold without a whimper. 

Perhaps I should not have been surprised when I heard that the Speaker of the National Assembly, The Right Honourable Doe Adjaho, had disallowed the Motion the Minority wanted to present to the House, asking it to investigate reports that President John Mahama had received a Chevrolet car as a “gift” from a Burkinabe contractor. 

Captain Smart, a programme presenter at Adom FM, Accra, Ghana, in my estimation, has not been very fair with Ghanaians today, Thursday 25 August 2016.