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28.04.2008 Politics

Gabby Stings Mills

By Daily Guide
Gabby Stings Mills
28.04.2008 LISTEN

MR ASARE Otchere-Darko, a member of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's campaign team, has described Prof Evans Atta Mills, flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as lacking leadership courage.

“Judging by his performance as former Vice President and Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), one can comfortably say that the Tax Law Professor has no element of courage in him.”

The Executive Director of Danquah Institute, an Accra-based think tank, explained that “because Prof Mills had no courage, he could not express displeasure about the identification hair-cut his boss, Jerry John Rawlings gave Selassie Djentu".

He further stated that because Prof Mills had no bit of courage in him, he simply could not criticize the Rawlings administration when he was the Commissioner of the IRS, though the economy was in noticeable recession.

Mr. Otchere-Darko made these remarks when he addressed Journalists in Kumasi at a media forum organized by the Nana Addo 2008 Presidential Campaign Team on Thursday, April 24.

He said with the right foundation laid by the Kufuor administration, the country deserved a courageous leader to shepherd the masses into economic independence.

He rubbished arguments from sections of the public that the selection of John Mahama as the running mate to Prof Mills had brightened the chances of the NDC in the upcoming election.

He argued that as a member of the country's Economy Management Team between 1996 and 2000 headed by Prof Mills, the Bole-Bamboi Member of Parliament (MP) did not contribute anything significant to the economy, hence the country's poor state of affairs when the NPP took over office.

“If people were to take their time and analyze the two personalities seeking to lead the nation via the ticket of the NDC, they would realize that the two who have some commonalities cannot give the hope the country is yearning for,” he emphasized.

Mr. Otchere-Darko turned the fire on the Convention People's Party (CPP) presidential candidate, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, saying the candidate was made what he is by the NPP.

“Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom was a mere Assembly Member when he joined Kufuor's administration.”

The Editor of the Statesman newspaper entreated Ghanaians to reject the CPP flag-bearer, noting that there was nothing noteworthy he could achieve for the country when he becomes president.

He described Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a courageous man who had achieved a lot as a legal practitioner, businessman and politician, noting that the 64-year-old former Foreign Affairs Minister was the right candidate to take over the reigns of government from President Kufuor in January 2009.

“Nana Addo is destined to give fresh hope to Ghanaians to be able to fully realize their potential and also modern our society for optimum benefit of all.”

Mr. Otchere-Darko indicated that as a true patriot, the legal luminary, who in his childhood days showed a lot of soccer prospects, never accepted the freebies that came with ministerial duties.

The Director of Communication of Nana Addo's campaign team, Dr Arthur Kennedy popularly called Arthur K,” said the 2008 election, which he said is a straight battle between the NPP and NDC, would be fought on the performance level of the two parties while in government and the ideologies they represent.

He noted that the performance of the almost eight-year rule of the Kufuor administration surpassed the 19-year reign of the Rawlings P/NDC.

The former presidential aspirant mentioned the implementation of the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as some of the monumental achievements of the ruling party.

"Because of the School Feeding Programme and the Capitation Grant, school enrolment has increased by 15 percent while the NHIS has enabled 9.7 million Ghanaians to access free but quality health care."

The Communication Director pleaded with media practitioners to always deal with members of the campaign team only, whenever issues concerning Nana Addo and the team crops up.

“Inviting anybody at all to comment on an issue concerning our campaign because the person is an NPP does not help matters at all,” he stressed.

Mr Kennedy enjoined the media to expose politicians who meddled in vile propaganda to score cheap political points by arming the public with the right and accurate information on national issues and governance.

A development and business analyst and a member of the team, Mr Stephen Amoah alias 'Sticker', noted that currently, the economy was doing marvelously well in all facets.

He said due to proper management of the economy by the NPP administration, the country's reserves had shot up from $2.1 billion in 2000 to $4.9 billion in 2007, adding that interest rate which stood at 52 percent in 2000 was now 18 percent.

Mr Amoah, who contended that it would be suicidal for the NDC to come back to power after ruining the economy and dashing hopes of Ghanaians in their 19-year P/NDC regime, urged the electorate to reject the vile propaganda of the NDC and vote massively for Nana Addo to continue the good works of President Kufuor.

The forum, held at the Champions Hotel in Kumasi and attended by media practitioners from the both the electronic and print media, was aimed at fostering a fruitful relationship between the media and Nana Addo's campaign team.

From Morgan Owusu, Kumasi

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