My money still on Brazil!

It may sound very unpatriotic, but Im rooting on Brazil. Of course I wish Ghana all the very best. Ghana has done well so far. I hope they win tomorrow. For all our sakes. Its still within reach for us as Africans.

Barack Obama in Ghana

In exactly 9 hours Ghana time, Air Force One will touch down gently at Kotoka International Airport. The lean, smooth talking, and astute President of the USA will gently make his way down and wave to an expectant crowd lining the tarmac to welcome him African style. History will be made. America is coming to Africa.

At exactly the same time tomorrow, Air Force One will gently taxi to the end of the runway, before speeding at breakneck speed for take off. Mesmerised, we shall watch in amazement as arguably the most sophisticated airplane on the planet kisses the Accra clouds before disappearing over the sea and hurtle towards its home in Washington. Again history would have been made.

The tomato seller will go back to her table at the roadside. The Y`ello airtime crew will sprawl across the Accra streets as before and eke out a hard living. Teachers will go back to their old classrooms, lawyers to their old courts, engineers to work, and children to the same old classroom. So much will happen, but vey little will change. Its sad.

I would have wanted to see Ghana capitalise on this trip beyond just the media hype. I would have wished for Ghana to drive a very hard bargain, give Obama a Trade and Development Agreement to consider, increase the quota of exports from Ghana to the USA, advocate for cancellation of more debt, enhance private sector partnerships, acquire grants to build roads, hospitals, schools, dams, power generating plants, water purification, medicines, technology..everything that is on our "want list".

What is the reward for democracy, America needs to be asked? Why should Mugabe stop his age old antics to admire Ghana and this historic visit? Where is the incentive?

We must go beyond receiving these meaningless pats on the back, we are not kids, and we cannot be silenced by candy! We must know where our bread is battered, and if it is not buttered, we must seek more butter. It is good that these guys come, Obama is the 3rd sitting American President of the USA to come to Ghana over the last two decades, but not even one of them increased the export quota of Ghana to the USA.

For how long shall we remain the ululating class? For how long shall we proffer wide smiles for merely being labelled the good boys. We must ask for more, we must demand more, we must want more! We must close this gap. Let their gestures be backed up by meaningful economic exchanges, which are aside from AGOA and HIPC and all those one size fits all policies. America must show the world that the reward for democracy is economic partnership, outside the normal realms of peacemeal offers that they offer the length and breadth of the world.

Today, 30 years ago!

On the 15th of May 1979, the political landscape in Africa was introduced to a fresh player. His name was Jerry Rawlings. On this day, today, 30 years ago, there had been a mutiny by junior officers in the army in Ghana. On May 28, 1979, Rawlings, together with six others who were arrested earlier, appeared before a General Court Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers of the Ghanaian Armed Forces on May 15, 1979. There was strong public reaction, especially after his statement had been read in court, explaining the social injustices that had prompted him to act. The ranks of the Armed Forces, in particular, expressed deep sympathy with his stated aims.

When he was scheduled for another court appearance on 4 June 1979, Rawlings was sprung from custody. With the support of both the military and civilians, he led a bloody coup that ousted the Supreme Military Council (SMC) from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) to power and he bacame the head of state. Six moths later, he relinguished power to a democratic civilian government.

On 31 December 1981, JJ as he had come to be affectionately known, deposed the same civilian government he had relinguished power to, and became chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). Composed of both military and civilian leaders, the PNDC oversaw some of the most remarkable free market laws and regulations in Ghana to date. This is despite the fact that the international community was citing human rights abuses. In 1992 JJ was elected Executive President of the 4th Republic of Ghana, and went on to be re-elected in 1996. In 2000, he handed over power to John Kuffour of the opposition NPP party who had pipped his preferred choice JEA Mills.

This is by no means a short history. The man has come of age. Two quick observations. He is one of the few military rulers who handed over power to a civilian government. He is also one of the few leaders in Africa who went on to hand over power to an opposition party at the expiry of their term without trying to re-write the constitution.

Today, 30 years ago, JJ entered the African political jungle. You can judge for yourself.