CPP Blasts Mahama; No Body Feels Your Better Ghana!

 Ivor Kobina Greenstreet being escorted out at the NDC congress on Saturday

Convention People's Party (CPP) General Secretary, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, stirred the hornet's nest in Kumasi on Saturday when he told the National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates, including President John Mahama, that Ghanaians were disappointed in the ruling party's style of governance.

'Nobody is feeling your better Ghana,' he said before telling President Mahama and Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur in the face that 'You don't care.'

Mr Greenstreet, delivering the CPP's solidarity message at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi during the NDC national delegates' congress to elect the party's national officers, said '…Currently nobody, I mean nobody is feeling your better Ghana…Continuous 'dumsor dumsor,' corruption from top to bottom, left, right, inside, out, and all the challenges you are facing (are) suffocating the Ghanaian people.'

The attack ruffled the NDC leadership, with Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader in Parliament, allegedly saying the CPP man was possessed by a demon and others likening him to a psychiatric patient.

The CPP chief scribe said in the midst of corruption in the Mahama administration, he was shocked to see how money was being thrown about by the contestants vying for various positions as if they were having a race for the highest spender in chasing delegates' votes.

He was particularly worried that in this austere period, it is only NDC delegates that would have a fulfilled Christmas.

'We would have thought that perhaps you may have used an occasion like this to discuss policies, programmes and solutions to all the difficulties we are facing as a nation, but no, you chose today to share your Christmas gifts with one another,' he observed.

'Ghanaians are not happy at all. This 'bronya' is dry. Too dry…The most painful thing of all is that you don't care.

'NDC continue; we are watching you; Ghana is watching you; do what you want to do; we also know what we'll come and do…make sure you'll elect executives who will be able to steer your party's affairs when you are in opposition. 'Boys abre,' he charged amid booing from the NDC delegates.

Jeers
The NDC delegates that were at the stadium suddenly became annoyed about the manner in which Mr Greenstreet was openly firing salvos at the government, notably President Mahama.

They responded by jeering at him with most of the peeved-looking delegates openly hurling unprintable words at him. The delegates looked incensed and their wild shouts created chaotic scenes.

Response
Mr Greenstreet, who looked adamant and unperturbed about the harsh treatment from the NDC delegates, continued denigrating the NDC administration, saying that the government had failed.

He noted that the citizenry were suffering with signs of help very far from their sight, yet President Mahama and his government seemed not to care about the mountainous challenges facing the people.

Mr Greenstreet told the NDC to continue closing their eyes to the plight of the populace, sternly cautioning that 'we know what to do in 2016,' adding that Ghanaians would see what would befall the NDC in 2016.

He predicted a humiliating defeat for the NDC in the 2016 general elections, saying, 'Boys Abre' to wit: the youth are facing extreme hardship 'and the NDC will be voted out of office in 2016.'

These remarks by the CPP chief scribe further annoyed the NDC delegates who started hooting at him even as he left the dais and walked out of the event venue.

The MC for the event, Fritz Baffuor, who was equally unhappy about Mr Greenstreet's remarks responded, 'This is the weirdest solidarity message I have heard in my life.'

Mahama Replies
When he took his turn, President Mahama fired a subtle salvo at the CPP man when he described Mr Greenstreet as suffering from 'incurable selective myopia' for daring to criticise his government.

The president went ahead to tell his critics that Ghana under his tenure was witnessing unprecedented development and even remarked that under the NDC, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra had become a tourist attraction.

Samia Defends
CPP Chairperson Samia Nkrumah, in defence of Mr Greenstreet, said 'He spoke for the nation,' adding, 'This is because the CPP owes its number one solidarity to the people of Ghana.'

Samia stated, 'The people are tired, and we are saying enough is enough. The timing for Mr Greenstreet's statement did not matter.

'The CPP took the opportunity for us to distinguish ourselves from the NDC. We are tired of NDC using the name Kwame Nkrumah and pretending to be a party that is following the vision of Kwame Nkrumah.

'This is not true…this is an opportunity to set the record straight, and most Ghanaians would agree with what the General Secretary said today.'

Samia continued, 'If CPP were in power they would have said No to IMF negotiation, plant breeder's bill, Economic Partnership Agreement. We simply stated what most Ghanaians are feeling.'

Sam George's Insults
In the ensuing confusion, Sam George, a communication specialist to President Mahama at the presidency, threw decorum to the dogs and chastised the CPP man saying, 'Ivor Greenstreet apparently needs some elevation to see the 'Better Ghana' agenda.'

NDC Is Disability Unfriendly
Monitoring what happened between Mr Greenstreet and the NDC last Saturday, head of Ashanti Regional NPP communications directorate, Akwasi Kyei, turned the heat on Sam George for the 'derogatory' remark, insisting that he was casting aspersion on Mr Greestreet's disability.

In a statement, he said the comment about persons with disability was indeed coming from the presidency.

According to Mr Kyei who is also a person living with disability (PLDs), 'We are well aware that Sam George Nettey actually spoke the mind of the president and his government when he tried to attack the CPP General Secretary for doubting the NDC's 'Better Ghana' agenda.'

He said the president's description of Mr Greenstreet as one who suffers from 'incurable selective myopia' was no different from what his (president's) communications officer had said.

'This is no different from the barrage of attacks that have come from other NDC stalwarts over the truthful comments made by the CPP's General Secretary,' he noted.

Sam George has since apologised for his comment after defending it for hours. The NPP man insists that the comment 'amounts to a flagrant disregard for our laws and a dent on our efforts to provide the deserved protection for our brethren who contend with various forms of physical challenges.'

He said, 'For Sam George Nettey, communications consultant to the president, to say Mr Greenstreet, a man who moves in a wheel chair, needs 'elevation' to see the NDC's 'Better Ghana' agenda is most reckless and irresponsible.'

Mr Akwasi Kyei continued, 'Although this NDC government under Mahama has shown a penchant for raining insults and attacks on their critics, the direction of attack they chose in Mr Greenstreet's case was most repugnant and irresponsible.

'It is a huge spite on persons living with disability and deserves condemnation from all. It takes a more serious turn when there are laws in our country that frown on derogatory descriptions directed at persons living with disability.

'I am a man who is also physically challenged and heads the communication directorate of the NPP in the Ashanti Region. It is noteworthy that my disability has in no way affected my ability to deliver on my duties. It has never distracted my judgement and ability to see right from wrong.

'I know my brother Greenstreet is in the same state. He spoke the minds of the masses who are enduring the mess of this NDC government; and the NDC's taunts cannot remove that.'

By William Yaw Owusu, I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, K'si