All Hail The Man Of Impeccable Pedigree, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
By Daniel Danquah Damptey
Feature Article | Sat, 22 Nov 2008
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This write up is in response to attempts by the NDC to hoodwink Ghanaians into accepting their lies that seem to portray Atta Mills as a person of unblemished and record of impeccable track credibility and believability.

ALLEGED INTIMIDATION OF NDC SUPPORTERS AT KIBI: They accuse Akufo-Addo of keeping silent whiles NDC posters and flags can barely be seen in the Kyebi which happens to be Akufo Addo's background. To prove that nothing of this sort is happening, let them answer these questions. Is the NDC the only other political party in the country? Why should they single out the NDC as the party at the receiving end of NPP's alleged intimidation? What about the other parties? If the people of Kyebi want only the NPP in their town, they would have also done a similar thing to the others. The fact is that “nobody taa no so” (nobody is pursuing them). The NDC members are simply afraid of their own shadows. The people of Kyebi and its environs and the rest of the country see in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo the quality they expect in any visionary leader and that is why "the moving forward” fever has caught up with them. It is not a question of ethnicity. This goes a long way to debunk the assertion that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has not done anything for the country. The people trust him and are ready to surrender their destiny into his hands. They have tested him before and he did not disappoint. The few NDC members are overwhelmed by the support Nana is receiving from far and near. This has so much put fear into them that they have started fabricating lies. The people know a gem stone when they see one, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is one.

I would refer readers to go to Nungua and see what some landlords are doing to tenants who happen to be NPP sympathizers. They have been ejected in large numbers. One was ejected because his wife had an argument with the landlord's wife on politics. This tenant packed his things into his friend's room. The first landlord followed him up to his friend's house and asked the second landlord to eject his friend. This friend was given two a Hobson's choice by his landlord: Ask your friend to pack out or be evicted yourself.

The friend did not have money to pay “advance” for a new accommodation and so chose the former. Cases like the one enumerated above are many and cannot be chronicled individually. All these are happening right under the nose of Atta Mills, Rawlings, John Mahama and their grey hounds.

They condemned Nana's Human Right Posture by referring to the killings of the innocent Ghanaians in the Gambia. They claim that Akufo Addo did not do enough to ensure justice for the dead Ghanaians. I wonder why Mills, Rawlings and others who had at one time or the other been involved in the governance of this country, should allow such a sensitive political issue

to be peddled by those who know almost nothing about government. Nana did all that he could but met a dead end. The Gambian authorities would simply not co-operate with their Ghanaian counterparts. But the NPP government did not relent. It continued to put pressure on the International Community and the Gambian Government.

This has yielded fruit, and as at now, the Ghanaian delegation is meeting their Gambian counterparts to work out an amicable settlement. What did they expect Nana to do in the face of intransigence on the part of the Gambian authorities? Did they expect Kufuor to have ordered the invasion of Gambia? You see, Ghana is not like Nigeria which has taken upon itself the duty of international policeman. We have not forgotten the suspicious role NDC henchman, General Arnold Quainoo played in the abduction and killing of the then Liberian Head of State, Master Sergeant Samuel Kenyon Doe and about fifty of his men. But the Mills, the John Mahamas, the Rawlingses, the Kobby Acheampongs, the Benyiwa Does, the Baba Jamals, the Asiedu Nketiahs, the Haruna Iddrisus, the Alex Segbefias, the Koku Anyidohos, and the rest are not talking about justice for the family of Samuel Doe and fifty of his men who were killed through the connivance of, or negligence on the part of Arnold Quainoo, the then ECOMOG Commander. No wonder, he was given an ignominious sack by the Nigerians who quickly replaced him with a tried and tested General Dogonyaro without consulting their Ghanaian counterparts. If Mills, Rawlings and John Mahama have forgotten, we have not. What did they do when the Ivorian massacred many Ghanaians resident in their country after a football match between Ghana and Assec Mimosa in Kumasi? Did Rawlings and Mills even raise the issue at any international forum? Till now, the ghosts of hundreds of Ghanaians who were massacred are yet to be appeased. Their families are yet to be accorded justice. What about the Ghanaians who were burnt in Liberia? What did Mills and Rawlings do about it? Nothing! Once again, I sound a note of caution to all those who live in glass houses not to throw stones.

KUME PREKO DEMONSTRATION: The statement reads, “That despite all his loud proclamations while in opposition about justice to the Kume Preko Demonstration, the man did nothing in all his years as Attorney General to bring justice to them. I am happy that the NDC has, at least, been humble enough to acknowledge the fact that indeed, some Kume Preko demonstrators were in dire need of justice. The truth is bitter, but we should tell it anyway. Nana Akufo - Addo was handicapped when he assumed office as Attorney General, for the NDC had virtually destroyed every iota of evidence linking members of the NDC to the mayhem that occurred during the demonstrations

IMMORAL PACKING OF THE SUPREME COURT: There was nothing immoral about Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo's action. The constitution of Ghana allows that. The NDC is angry because it was beaten to it by the ingenuity of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. The clause had been there all this while but because the NDC members have eyes, but cannot see, they could not make use of the provision. Which one is better - working within the confines of the law to get something rectified or inciting the masses to embark on a mob action to cause havoc?

STRIPPING RAWLINGS OF HIS PRIVILEGES: In the first place I am glad the NDC has once again conceded the fact that they were privileges, not rights. A privilege goes with a price. Privileges could be taken away at any time and at the discretion of the one who monitors it. Thus, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was right to recommend that those privileges be withdrawn. Here you are in a country whose legitimate Government allows you easy access to a lot of places, some of which even are even restricted. The Government extends all the courtesies to you and the moment you leave the shores of this country, you start fabricating lies about the very country you claim you love and cherish. I would like to refer readers to a speech which he made at the Trade Fair Site during Ghana's 37th Independence Anniversary “Let me however sound a note of caution to those vested interests which are come to disregard the consequences that their acts of instigation have in the precious lives of innocent fuelling the unrest in the hope of making political capital out of it. In their narrow and callous political activities, they have families and communities precisely because the stability of the nation has made those people politically irrelevant, they have now come to regard constitutional rule as providing them with latitude and the cover under which they have resorted to mischief as a means of gaining political stature”

During the Opening of Parliament on January, 1994, Rawlings had this to say, “Some have taken delight in running down the country to the outside world caring very little for the consequences that their perverse stories could have on our economy”

The above statements were uttered by Rawlings when he was President. What was the NPP, then in opposition asking for? A little respect as citizens of the country and restoration of individual rights! They never incited anybody to take up arms against Rawlings regime. What they did is direct antithesis of what Rawlings is doing outside the country. Isn't it ironic that Rawlings who threatened citizens of the country who spoke their minds is now moving from country to country to malign the Kufuor- led NPP regime?

From the point of view of the Constitution, Kufuor and Nana Addo action in stripping Rawlings of his privileges is not ultra vares and unconstitutional. Remember that they are privileges not rights. But let me ask this question. Did Mills, Rawlings and the NDC extend those courtesies to former President, Dr. Hilla Limann? He died wretched and in penury. What is good for the gander is equally good for the goose. The NDC should not apply double standards on issues of privileges. And if I may ask further, why Mills, Rawlings and the NDC should complain when those courtesies were withdrawn since the former president had adopted a populist attitude to issues e.g.: sitting at the popular stand during a football match. Why did he hate the idea of being a common man, for once at least?

And if I may again ask, where was Mills, when Rawlings was making his boom speeches, calling on the army and the police to arrest Kufuor and remove him from power? As a lawyer who claims he believes in constitutional rule, his silence leaves much to be desired. By the way whoever heard of Atta Mills, Rawlings' appendage at the time tested and courageous men like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo were battling the rapacious, repressive and retrogressive regime of Acheampong and Rawlings to give this country a semblance of diligence and democracy?

Like men without balls between their legs, Mills and his followers went and hid themselves under their beds. After Mills had lost the election, instead of staying behind to help rebuild the nation, he sought refuge outside the country where he placed his residence at the disposal of Rawlings to launch his vitriolic attacks against the elected President of the Country thereby undermining the constitution of Ghana.

Mills, Mahama, Rawlings and their gang of desperados should not delude themselves into thinking that Ghanaians have short memories; otherwise they should not have blamed Nana for inaction in the killing of Ghanaian citizens.

Where was Atta Mills when Rawlings attempted to subvert the Togolese Government when he sent Ghanaian soldiers into Togo to oust the government? The Togolese seized one of the armored vehicles used in the operation and started to unleash an orgy of violence on Ghanaians. Many Ghanaians were massacred during the operation but till day, Atta Mills has said nothing on it. Where does he stand? He should come out in the open and either applaud of condemn it. My holy village lost five citizens. This was pushed under the carpet throughout the entire duration of the NDC regime. The NDC went to the ridiculous extent by saying that the rights of poor trees to exist meant nothing to Nana on account of the savagery visited on poor trees near the Togo Embassy just to build a round in memory of his father.

Haba! These NDC people have no sense of beauty or shame. What is the purpose of a round about? Is it not to ease traffic congestion? And once a round about has been constructed, should we not give it a name? And if the contractor felt the trees ought to go, what was wrong with that. After all, did Rawlings not demolish Makola Market which had been built over the years with Ghanaian scarce foreign exchange?

ALLEGED DESCRIPTION OF GHANAIANS AS LAZY: This is a non-issue. The NDC just wants to call the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Kufuor did not, and has not called hard working Ghanaians lazy. How could he have done that? Those Kufuor was referring to as lazy people were those Ghanaians, who during the NDC days, belonged to the veranda boys and girls group and were collecting salaries at the end of every month for no work done. They were the ghost names on the pay roll of corporations and when the NPP Government took over, it deleted such names from the payroll. Such people have not forgiven the NPP government for that act. They are the people who have been complaining about lack of job opportunities. They are the very people Kufuor referred to as lazy Ghanaians, not the hard-working patriotic Ghanaians. A blind man came to our church one Sunday and demonstrated to us how they were able to use different colours to weave beautiful baskets. He told us that if they tied two strings together, it indicated a certain colour. In fact, if blind people can make a livelihood without bemoaning their calamities, what prevents able-bodied Ghanaians from doing likewise? President Kufuor did nothing wrong when he referred to Ghanaians who would sit down and expect manna to fall down from heavens as lazy. Any hard working Ghanaian contributing his quota to help boost the economy of this country should receive a pat on the back.

AKUFO ADDO BELIEVES IN GHANA: The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo believes so much in the country that he stayed behind and put his life on the line to fight the Acheampong and Rawlings regime to the end. What did the Presidential candidate of the NDC, John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills do? He chose either to remain silent or hopped into the nearest available plane to seek refuge outside when the going became tough. When Atta Mills lost the 2000 election, he fled the country and waited for hard working Ghanaians to salvage the country from the mess he and his mentor had subjected Ghana into. It wasn't an easy task. It needed men of virtue and clear cut vision like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor to lead the way. But when the chips were done, John Atta Mills hurried back to the country, and aided by the greatest-bully that ever bestrode this narrow world of ours, reaped what he had not sown. In the process, principled personalities like Obed Asamoah, Frances Essiam and others had to be sacrificed. Continued   
Source: Daniel Danquah Damptey

"The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Modernghana.com." To have your articles publish, please submit them to editor@modernghana.com.

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