I first met Mr Boakye Agarko, the de facto energy minister about two decades ago at his residence in New Jersey, where some of the leaders of the pro democracy movement in the US, namely, Prof George Ayittey, Maxwell Kofi Juma , Kofi Baidoo and others gathered for a strategic meeting. My first reaction was, “wow! This is one heck of an impressive dude,” I said to myself.
For our next meeting, we were partners-in-arms on a battle field – the campus of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, where we besieged the auditorium with our finest weapons – placards and banners exposing the human rights violations of the (p)NDC government, and why the then First Lady, Nana Konadu, was undeserving of the honor such a prestigious institution was bestowing on her – an honorary doctorate degree. It was there that I witnessed the scar of the gunshot wounds inflicted on him when the then neofascist (p)NDC government attempted to assassinate him ( Agyarko).
They dumped him in the mortuary thinking their mission was accomplished, but the good Lord intervened. It is a miracle our brother in the struggle is alive today to share his story. Needles to say the president of the school, Dr Richardson was relieved of his post shortly after the Battle of Johns Hopkins, or, should I say shortly after our protest?
It was after the combat that he narrated to me his ordeal at the hands of the vicious agents of the murderous (p)NDC government in detail – nothing but man’s inhumanity to his fellow man – an ordeal too harrowing to recount. Torino, (duei)!
When the president nominated him as the energy minister, I told my friends,” Nana has delivered exactly what the doctor ordered – he has extracted a gem – a political genius, as a matter of fact.”
Over the years I found him to be a very matured individual with impeccable judgement. His out of box and unconventional thinking together with being a very good team player helped to galvanized the pro democracy forces both in the U. S. and back home to prosecute the struggle to a very successful end. I’m very glad the president picked someone who will be a model minister that will perform superbly and come up to all expectations.
He is definitely going to be one of the finest ministers our country will ever have.
THE GRAND TORINO IS BACK!
AND THE STRUGGLE? FOREVER SUPREME!!
Charles Biney
Dallas, Texas, USA
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