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| Security alert in text message |
4/22/2009 |
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Gen Nunoo-MensahFormer President Jerry John Rawlings might have succeeded in parrying any suggestion that he plans to destabilise the nation; but last Saturday while the chief of Ho Traditional Area, Togbe Afede, was reading a series of text messages supposedly from his subjects to President John Evans Atta Mills, media houses were also being put on high security alert through a strange text message. The text message, sent by a group claiming to be serving soldiers, stated luminously:“WE ARE A GROUP OF SERVING MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO WOULD UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT COME OUT PUBLICLY WITH MATTERS OF OUR HIGHLY RESPECTED INSTITUTION. HOWEVER IN VIEW OF A LOOMING DANGER THAT THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THIS NATION, COUPLED WITH OUR UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO REACH OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ATTA MILLS AND HIS CORE SECURITY TEAM, WE HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO USE THIS MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION TO PUT GHANAIANS ON RED ALERT.“MR….(name withheld) HAS BEEN MAKING SNEAKY VISITS TO AIR FORCE BASE AT BURMA CAMP AND OTHER MILITARY BASES AROUND THE COUNTRY INCLUDING SUNYANI AND THE NORTH WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT, MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF. ON THESE VISITS HE HAS BEEN DIGGING OUT CLASSIFIED SECURITY INFO AND UTTERING CONSTITUTIONALLY SUBVERSIVE STATEMENTS TO INSITE (SIC) US INTO DESTABILISING THE AUTHORITY OF PRESIDENT MILLS AND TO ENGAGE IN TREASONABLE AND GLOBALLY UNACCEPTABLE ACTIVITY.“EVEN MORE WORRYING IS THE FACT THAT SOME OF US ARE BEING ROBBED (SIC) INTO THIS EVIL RETROGRESSIVE AGENDA AGAINST OUR WILL THROUGH INTIMIDATION AND DEADLY THREATS.“IN WHAT CAPACITY IS MR….. (name withheld) ACCESSING CLASSIFIED SECURITY….WE ARE SERVING NOTICE THAT WE WILL VEHEMENTLY RESIST TO THE PERIL OF OUR LIVES ANY ATTEMPT AT SUBVERTING THE SOVERIGN WILL OF THE GHANAIAN PEOPLE TO IMPOSE MR…. (name withheld) POLITICS OF HATE, TRIBALISM AND VENGEANCE. ALL MUST BE VIGILANT.”The text message mentioned the name of the principal character and several cohorts, which include persons in high places such as the Council of State and National Security, personal drivers, security guards and one whom they described as ‘the dirty job man’.However, Brig General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (rtd), National Security Advisor to the President, has dismissed the notion that somebody can stage a coup at this stage of the country’s development.Gen Nunoo-Mensah told DAILY GUIDE that there was no cause for alarm and that the National Security apparatus was adequately informed about visits by certain individuals to military installations. DAILY GUIDE is holding on to the names of the other high-profile individuals mentioned in the text message. Last week, the ex-President through his aide, Kofi Adams, dismissed any fear that he plans subverting the government of President Mills, describing such apprehension as laughable.He however fired a statement in which he warned those he claimed had illegally accumulated wealth and “hiding behind the umbrella of business” to take note that they are being watched.He did not stop at that but extended his warning to members of President John Evans Atta Mills’ government, who he said colluded with such dirty businessmen by fronting for them, threatening that “they would be sooner than later exposed”.The press release, coming after the infamous description of the Mills’ governance style as sluggish, is considered a damage control exercise by the ex-President.Ironically, Mr. Rawlings now accepts that Mills’ approach to governance does not necessarily have to tally with his. “The President’s approach to governance does not necessarily have to be like mine and when I criticize him, I do so recognizing that.”President Mills, he said, has done well in his first 100 days in office but added that the people of Ghana need a manifestation from the presidency that it is in control of affairs.According to the statement, “the President has exhibited an excellent grasp of the issues, gave positive assurances and rightfully positioned his government’s achievements in the last hundred days and that is very commendable”.He defended the recent outburst on his surrogate and said it was “to set the records straight so that Ghanaians do not judge the NDC wrongly in the future.”Attempting to reverse the poor marks he posted for President Mills and his derision of ministerial appointments as mediocre, Rawlings made an about-turn: “President Mills served as my Vice President and after my tenure I endorsed his candidature culminating in is eventual election this year. “Ghana’s democracy has evolved significantly since 1992 and such comments are only ploys by certain opportunists within the NDC and a frustrated NPP who believe vilifying Rawlings will serve their parochial interests.”Sounding pained at what he appears to be considering as an incessant attack on him, he asked rhetorically: “Have these people not learnt their lessons; have they not had enough of me; have they not maligned me enough and achieved nothing?”Turning his attention to the plummeting economy, Rawlings accused members of the previous government of being responsible for the current economic downturn because “they had repatriated significant amounts of funds under bizarre circumstances and bold steps have to be taken to counter the continuing trend.”President Mills’ intentions of correcting the wrongs of the past, he contended, may take sometime to achieve results, suggesting that frequent interactions with the people to assure them is necessary.A Daily Guide reports
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