NDC to stand up to NPP’s tricks

The National Organiser of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has warned that the party will no longer allow the ruling NPP to unleash police and military brutalities on its members.

He said such strategies by the NPP are aimed at intimidating the opposition with the view to disable its campaign machinery from functioning effectively.

Ofosu-Ampofu was addressing party supporters at the inaugural ceremony of Iddrisu Haruna Fun Club in Tamale.

He did not give specific instances of abuses but maintained that the NDC will not countenance any move that is inconsistent with democratic practices in the country.

He announced that the party will son embark on a nation-wide outreach programme to educate the electorate on the vision of the party.

Baba Jamal, the Deputy General Secretary of the party, said the NDC will win the 2008 general election and that the NPP must be ready to hand over power and urged members of the club not to seek only the interest of Iddrisu Haruna, but the NDC as a whole.

The Tamale South Constituency Chairman of the party, Abdul Sulemana denounced what he termed a threat to the sanctity of the tradition and custom of Dagbon and called on traditional authorities to sit to address the issue.

The Iddrisu Haruna Fun Club was instituted about three years ago aimed at canvassing for votes for Haruna Iddrisu and defending his policies as Tamale South MP.

President of the club, Adam Hudu also said the club was working with various structures of the NPP in the constituency to the cause of the party.

Meanwhile the Ashanti Regional Chairman of NDC is threatening mayhem in the 2008 election if the ruling NPP attempts to declare itself winner as it did in the last general elections.

Mr. Daniel Ohene-Agyekum says for some members of the ruling party to have claimed victory four hours before the Electoral Commission's final declaration, was evident that the result of the 2004 presidential election was manipulated.

He was addressing the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC at the Kumasi Campus of University of Education, Winneba.
Ohene-Agyekum accused Messrs Kwamena Bartels, and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey of usurping the Electoral Commission's powers as an independent institution in charge of elections in Ghana.

Mr. Ohene-Agyekum is questioning the basis for the pair to announce results of the election ahead of the EC if it was not to rig the election.

“The NDC will not sit quiet for Jake Obetsebi Lamptey or Kwamena Bartels to go to the Castle to announce and declare that the NPP has won the election three or four hours before the Electoral Commission, which has been mandated to declare the results….We as a party believe in free and fair elections. If they make that mistake again, I'm saying this…"

Haruna Iddrisu blamed the current energy crisis on government's irresponsible behaviour and added that with the energy crisis hitting hard at industry, the country is sure to report a low GDP for the year.

“Ghana will witness for the first time in the last few years a drop in her Gross Domestic Product growth rate unless the NPP choses to exaggerate it as they always do. I can quote President Kufuor on Groove FM (now Adom FM) in 1998, he said Rawlings should be impeached because of the energy crisis. I haven't said so for hi I hope that he himself will lead the discussion as to what his punishment should be for also plunging the nation into this. The last six years of President Kufuor it is a remarkable failure of energy policy, he has not added one Kilowatt power to what was existing.”

Also on regional balance in government appointments, Haruna said the government's failure to include a representative from the Upper East Region in his Cabinet amounted to neglect of the people of the region.