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�In politics, pride is important but realism is critical� -Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. I HAVE lost count of the number of times I have described Mr. Abdul Malik Kweku Baako as literally, journalistically, politically and intellectually big-eyed. Yes, the man has slightly big eyes, but not big enough to describe them as protruding. His journalism is largely the crusading or investigative type. No wonder that one of Ghana�s brightest investigative journalists, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, is on his paper, THE NEW CRUSADING GUIDE. His position in politics is consistent, not the weather cock type that is easily swayed by the wind of popular opinion. And when he makes his point on radio or television, it comes as a big surprise that his formal education does not amount to much. Fact, logic and good language constitute the hallmark of Baako�s delivery. By his own account, Mr. Baako�s educational voyage suffered interruption, largely through his own problem of adjusting to the demands of school discipline. For example, St. Thomas Secondary School (now Senior High School) in Accra will probably have a record of his having attended school there, but not of completing Form Five. What Mr. Baako has done is obviously to educate himself in the University of Life, if I may be permitted to borrow that expression from the speech of Sir Sam Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. I have listened to Mr. Baako several times on radio and television. In my own small way, I have been consistently amazed at the depth of the man�s knowledge, and the power of his arguments. Even in such fields as economics and law, where he is honest enough to admit to a knowledge deficiency, he can still hold his own. It is no wonder that the other day, when he professed ignorance of the law, a colleague panelist remarked good-humouredly and with great truth, �You are more than a lawyer.� You may disagree with Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, if it is a matter of opinion. But you cannot argue with him when he marshals cold, hard facts and incontrovertible evidence to back his statements. His record-keeping ability must certainly be the envy and the source of admiration for friend and foe. He is now �Mr. Records Man� or the �Walking Archive� or �Mr. Encyclopaedia�. Indeed, a legend that has been built around him is that the man hardly has a place to put his bed, since his bedroom is crammed full with documents. Another legend is that he has the uncanny ability to simultaneously watch television news and still manage to listen to broadcasts from more than one radio station. About two Wednesdays ago, he himself admitted, rather matter-of-factly but without annoyingly boasting, that he has �a research mind�. It is a mind that is razor-sharp and misses no important detail, including the date of the document he may be referring to. That is why it is difficult to challenge him on the facts of a particular case. Mr. Baako enjoys the cut-and-thrust of an argument on radio and television. He enjoys discussions so much that on METRO TV on Thursday, October 4, 2011, he was in a dilemma whether to skip JOY FM�s NEWSFILE programme for Saturday, October 8, 2011 and attend the naming ceremony of his son, or, alternatively, whether to go to the programme for some time before going home. In matters of journalism, Mr. Baako has proved his worth, like whole generations of Ghanaians who learnt the profession on the job. That is not to say that a formal qualification in journalism is not necessary, but merely that with hard work, dedication and interest, one can be a professional journalist without acquiring an education in that profession. As Editor-in-Chief of the NEW CRUSADING GUIDE, Mr. Baako has proven to be one of the best in the profession. No wonder that he was once honoured as the Journalist of the Year. Where does Mr. Baako stand in party politics? He says he is still a member of the Convention People�s Party (CPP). At one time, he wanted to play a more active role. Unfortunately, he was discouraged by older party members who, as peers of his late father, Mr. Kofi Baako, looked down on him. They referred to him as �taaboo� (a piece of wood) and �amokua� (a kind of squirrel). In other words, to them, he was just a �small boy.� He had wished for Samia Yaba Nkrumah to win the Chairmanship of the CPP, and he congratulated her on her victory. However, Mr. Baako sounds a bit like a rebel. He has never hidden his views that the CPP must forget about the Presidency for the time being, and concentrate on strengthening its position in Parliament by getting more members there. As he has consistently done, he says in 2012, he will vote for Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but not the yet-to-be elected CPP flagbearer. Mr. Baako has suffered calumny at the hands of opponents. For example, he has been suspected of taking money from the NPP government of ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor. One newspaper wrote that the Wikileaks leaks had exposed him as a liar. Did he lie? He vigorously defended himself. Perhaps inadvertently, Mr. Baako has proved a far more effective defender of the NPP and its administration than the officially-appointed spokespersons of the party. This, together with his stand on CPP�s position, has led some people to see him as more NPP than CPP. His fellow panelist, Mr. Allotey Jacobs, thinks that Mr. Baako has a way of handling his favourites. Indeed, Mr. Baako appears to treat persons like Mr. Kufuor, President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President Mr. John Mahama with kid gloves. In contrast, he has had harsh words for ex-President J. J. Rawlings, whom he has described as �a walking contradiction� and �a walking illegality.� He has also written exposes on the Rawlingses, their utterances, their behaviour, their life-styles, etc. Mr. Baako�s Number 1 wish is the irreparable disintegration of the NDC. Unfortunately for him, his one-time prediction of the party�s death after an election did not come true. Mr. Baako can take good-natured ridicule in his stride. Sometimes, it is Kwame Sefa Kayi of PEACE FM�s KOKROKOO programme correcting Mr. Baako�s mispronunciation of certain words, or translating Baako�s many English words, on that Twi programme. He apologises easily. Mr. Baako has trade-marked certain expressions. Among them are: �We must interrogate the issues and cure the mischief�, �That is the point I was making�, �Fantastic�, �It is an absurdity�, �Cure the deficit�, �So what are they talking about�, �I rest my case�, etc. He has fully paid his dues for Ghana. He has suffered detention without trial, and been badly tortured. He witnessed, or been told of grievous assaults on fellow Ghanaians. He has demonstrated for freedom and human rights. He has gone to jail with Harruna Attah. Through it all, he has remained unbowed. I salute Abdul Malik Kweku Baako as a true Ghanaian and a great human being. He is a genius.