Rumbustious CPP charges on NPP, NDC... for attempting to divide nation

THE CONVENTION People's Party (CPP) under the flagbearership of Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of an attempt to divide the nation.

To avoid divide and rule tactics in the country, the CPP has urged Ghanaians to ignore the two parties and seek solace in the CPP for peace, unity and togetherness, for the absolute restoration of the nation's hope and glory.

This statement follows the launching of manifesto by both NDC and NPP. The CPP in its contention said “It has become obvious that the NDC/NPP are engaged in a collective plan of exchange of war of words to turn this years's election campaign into a contest of who has the worst in government.

“They want to take us back to politics of divide and rule, exclusion and winner takes all.”

Addressing a news conference yesterday, the Communication Strategist of Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Mr. David Ampofo, contended that both parties want to bring to Ghanaians more of their failed policies and ideologies, and continuity in mediocrity.

According to him, the only party in Ghana today that outdoored its manifesto with clear and defined policies to change the nation was the CPP, saying that the party has since started to tell Ghanaians what it would do if given the opportunity to rule.

David Ampofo expressed concern over the time spent by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, telling Ghanaian the reason why the people should vote for him, extolling what President John Agykum Kufuor has done in addition to a promise of industrialisation.

He dismissed the assertions made by Nana Akufo-Addo that it was the NPP that has brought freedom into this nation, stressing that freedom was won for the nation by CPP under the leadership of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The CPP's Chief Strategist noted that it was unfortunate that the NPP had forgotten how the UP tradition destabilized the industrialisation policy of Dr. Nkrumah through the establishment of VALCO to serve as the basis for an integrated aluminium industry, Volta River Project as a foundation, Jute factory, a glass factory, pharmaceutical factory and host of others.

To him, “When the NPP talks about the capitation grant policy, we say education was free in Ghana during Nkrumah's regime. When the NPP boasts about the National Health Insurance System, we say health care was free during Ghana's first government of the first Republic. When the NPP talks about the so-called “Kufuor buses”, we say we had an active public transportation system during the Nkrumah regime and after his overthrow.”

Mr. Ampofo, supported by some party members said the CPP was bound to rescue the nation and bring it proper prosperity until the nation wreckers staged a coup to overthrow the CPP administration.

Turning his attention to the NDC, he said the NDC has also not got the moral right to talk about hardship in the country, after they have spent eight constitutional years to rule the nation.

According to him, it was the same hardships that faced the nation in 2000, which resulted in the rejection of the NDC at the polls, saying “If Prof. Mills claim of the nation moving backward would have been better made with an objective comparison of what is there today, compared to what the NDC left in 2001.”

Mr. Ampofo said it was a fact that almost 16 years of NPP and NDC, Ghana has remained vulnerable as it relies on foreign aid to fund basic social, and infrastructure projects and programmes.

“The Ghanaian economy has been turned back after the gains made under the CPP administration led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The question is what did the NPP and the NDC administration do when they were given the chance to lead this nation? Why are we where we are today after almost 16 years of their rule?”

The CPP Strategist, who was of the view that election 2008 was very important said what is needed now is the welfare of a Ghanaians worker and its people.

He reiterated the ten point agenda of the CPP which he underscored should help Ghanaians to vote for the party. To him, the CPP will crate a just and disciplined society with a passion for excellence, with a per capita income of at least $5,000 and work to move Ghana progressively from the third world to the first world.

He maintained that under the CPP administration, it would improve the performance of government through the reform of state institutions, science and technology and human capital development to make government efficient to cut down expenditure and facilitate the work of the private sector and Ghanaian society in general.

On various slogans of both NPP and NDC, Mr. Ampofo accused them of stealing their slogans and urged them to refrain from using them. He categorically asked the NDC to stop using the “Yere Sesamu” slogan.