Worth The Candle

In a world where the internet is available almost gratis, it is unthinkable that one man would arrogate to himself mastery of security matters and condemn the positions of others as non-applicable.

He pretends to know everything except his job, the noisy display of his so-called expertise in everything security, amplified by the many radio stations which need his contributions to fill gaps in their programmes, piercing our ears annoyingly.

This is the situation in which we find ourselves in this country, as so-called experts rain their insult-laced notes on us while their voices feature regularly on radio stations in worrying patterns.

Picking on personalities and dealing with them in this fashion can only be the last resort in our operations. The trademark arrogance of Dr. Kwesi Aning is becoming very unsettling. For us, therefore, such a rough management of this character is worth the candle, given the circumstances and the need to clean the media space.

A few days ago, perhaps just pulling himself out of his cover-cloth after a call from one of the radio stations, he tongue-lashed MPs over their handling of the five aircraft issue. That was when he had suddenly become an aviation expert. When we next hear him musing over aviation medicine, aerodynamics and where to source for best simulators for the Ghana Air Force, we won’t be surprised. He is a jack of all the trades and master of them all, an unusual trait.

He displayed beyond doubt that he had not followed the parliamentary proceedings and not read the Hansard so he would be primed to make the necessary input in the ongoing debate on the subject. No wonder when he opened his mouth, it was convenient for him to descend on the MPs who were just minding their business, as they always do, with state transactions of the magnitude of the 5-star accessories-attached aircraft.

Insulting or berating other Ghanaians simply because of the opportunity of working for the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) appears to have gotten into the head of this gentleman.

Dr. Kwesi Aning, perhaps, because he was not consulted as the radio stations always do, has decided that the MPs should be rubbished in his usual ways of condemning others over their handling of the aircraft transaction.

We do not get it when the gentleman claims that MPs have politicized the issue of the aircraft purchase. Only politicians acting on behalf of the people can criticize and take a decision on such a transaction. So what the hell is he talking about?

We wonder whether he wants the MPs to discuss the psychology of the equipment before recognizing their role in this whole mess about the five aircraft.

We cannot believe that Dr. Aning proffers to know more about military hardware than the soldiers themselves who make their specific demands. The so-called security expert might have followed the trends in Somalia, Darfur and other security flashpoints and has been talking about them but that does not put him in a better stead than others who could have been doing same too. After all, the sources of knowledge have never been encrypted and beyond the reach of interested persons.

We do not blame him. The radio stations, as stated earlier, should be held responsible for catapulting Dr. Aning to levels far up in the stratosphere.

Source: Daily Guide