What is this we hear about JJ snooping around prohibited sections of KIA brandishing a camera about and focusing on old grounded aircraft like some freelance paparazzi down on his luck and looking for snap scoops to sell to some obscure investigative news magazine? Political pensioners too are entitled to some fun, I guess, but JJ appears to be overdoing his bit to the discomfiture of many in the party he founded. The man has assigned an unofficial role of sorts to himself in the political transition and is behaving like a circus master directing the scenes from behind the curtain. While President Mills no doubt welcomes Rawlings's counsel for an efficient transition, Rawlings is behaving as if he wants to run the show for Mills. Hours before President Mills announced the retirement of the Inspector General of Police and the Armed Forces Chief of Staff this week, JJ was bellowing that Mills give the gentlemen the sack one-time. That is, embarrassing, to say the least, in a situation where his detractors had said JJ would be calling the shots for Mills from the shadows. Former President Rawlings was recently beside himself with agitation over what he apparently perceives to be Mills belly-soft approach in taking full control of the administration of the state. Mills has himself to blame for his predicament because even his opponents do not seem to get the score: Mills although very much principled and strong in character, is also certainly by nature, a peaceable man of humble disposition. Now take note, Jomo, that for nine out of every 10 people, humility is extremely difficult to practise because human pride just keeps getting in the way of every gallant effort. Problem number two with a humble disposition is this: It leaves you so very vulnerable to relationship and human interaction abuse that all manner of creatures with human heads and limbs would take all kinds of unmentionable liberties with you. This President may have to draw the lines somewhere himself, lest elements on the far left of the NDC undertake to redefine humility for Mills' benefit as follows: Humility does not mean lying prostrate and allowing every joker to dance agbadza on your balls, Nah. So then, what is it that Mills did NOT say about what he said? He has pledged not to witch-hunt anyone, right? Do you reckon this amounts to a promise not to let people .who may have committed acts of official impropriety or helped themselves to resources that lawfully belonged to the people of Ghana, walk off Scott-free into a golden sunshine? In spite of President Mills' assurances of fair play in all accountability auditing, echoes of witch-hunting rang out from the opposition camp all week. A sub-committee of President Mills' transitional team in charge of the transfer of executive assets to the incoming executive obtained and began combing through an interim audit report on the assets this week. In the language of accountability, we might say this is one interim audit report that does not look too good. A thoroughly verified version will probably clarify issues related to the expenditure, otherwise the interim report sounds strange: US$ lOO, OOO spent on dinner- ware that was not used. A business company overpaid in excess of GH¢43, OOO for supplies. Only a sample count has been taken and already, items valued at several millions of cedis are missing. A loan of GH¢1.3 million granted by the Secretariat to a company has not been refunded. The secretariat's bank account at Prudential Bank has been overdrawn by GH¢ 1.2 million. There are no supporting documents to account for a total of 63 payments made by the secretariat. There are as yet to be answered questions about the importation and subsequent sale of over 300 motor vehicles, etc. I heard one of the most powerful people ever to wield authority in this country, former President Kufuor's Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, speaking very loudly and angrily on radio about these developments. Being who he is, the prospect of Professor Mills presiding over the "sexing up" of figures and their subsequent use as evidence to prosecute any perpetrators of official wrongdoing appears very, far-fetched. If someone tells you he saw a fat pig fly over the top of a three-storey block, it is his word against no other one. If on the other hand, you discover that someone has broken into your pigsty and your pig is gone, that is it! The darned pig is gone. Logical verdict? Stolen. Wait a minute, though. This is an Interim report and a verified version of the report may hold answers to many questions screaming out from the interim report. It seems that there are many other questions indeed about our expenditure on the Ghana@50 Anniversary celebration which is estimated to have cost the tax payer nearly US$80 million. That is what our friend Joe Minuard would have called "a helluva lotta dough." The President this week announced the nomination of the final list of Ministers of State to serve in his government. Let us hope the man's background and competency checks of the nominees have been meticulous, so that he does not saddle his administration with any individuals of questionable principles and integrity. They have been the ultimate ruination of many a political administration. Power and authority easily do indeed work their way up to the roof of the skull like strong wine and balloon the ego to the size of a space ship. President Kufuor's administration was not without level-headed, modest and principled individuals but, hey, there were indeed others who perfected arrogance to a behavioural art fit for the popular theatre. One of the great lights in the NDC, former legislator Dr Ben Kumbour, has served notice to his party: Should he ever discern that his colleagues are showing signs of arrogance he will simply breeze into the President's office one morning and tell him: "I am outta here boss." Strangely enough, Dr Kumbour's name is not on the list. Mayhap, Mills has something else for the intellectual colossus from the outer fringes of the Northern Savanna. Source: Daily Graphic