Owuraku Amofa Slaps Mills

A CONSUMMATE lawyer and a politician, Owuraku Amofa has descended mercilessly on Prof. Atta Mills, describing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader as a weak person without leadership qualities.

Launching the Southern sector of Campaign for Effective Leadership under the theme: Nana Akufo-Addo for President 2008 at the Arts Center in Accra on Saturday, Owuraku Amofa, a former deputy minister in the NDC administration explained that he had worked with Prof. Mills and had been very sure that the presidential candidate of the NDC had no leadership qualities that could unite the country and lead a cohesive people for their economic emancipation.

The campaign which was organised by Ms. Frances Asiam, former NDC Women's Organiser and her colleagues who had run away from the NDC attributing their departure to the atrocities of hawks and lack of internal democracy within the umbrella family was aimed at bringing floating voters and people from other political parties together to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo on December 7.

It was graced by the Ghana Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and many political bigwigs from other political parties in the southern sector of the country.

Known for his vibrancy and candour during the NDC regime, Mr. Amofa, a cousin of Nana Addo told an enthusiastic group of defectors to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and sympathisers of Nana Akufo-Addo that he abandoned the NDC political ship in the 2000 elections to the United States of America because he believed Prof. Mills was not a capable candidate who could win the presidential polls and unite the country to transform Ghana's emerging economy.

This belief, according to him, has not changed after eight years and therefore his decision to come home and support Nana Akufo-Addo who has exhibited leadership qualities throughout his life and has proven that he is the best man to lead Ghana into prosperity.

Many NDC political stalwarts like Frances, Goosie Tandoh, Dr. Obed Asamoah and lawyer Kwaku Baah, among others have all deserted the NDC to form the National Reform Party and Democratic Freedom Party (NRP/DFP) under the watchful eyes of Prof. Mills who could not unite nor woo all the breakaway groups back to the NDC thus giving an unquestionable credence to the belief of Owuraku Amofa that the NDC leader could not even unite and lead his own party, how then will he be able to get the nation together if elected as the president of Ghana.

Expatiating why he believes Nana Akufo-Addo is the right person among the all presidential candidates to lead Ghana at this moment, Mr. Amofa stated, “Nana is my cousin and he has also been my political adversary in 1992 and 1996. He has shown over the years that he can work with all his political adversaries; and also unite and lead people from different political parties for the common good of this country and that is the mark of a leader”.

He noted that it takes a great deal of courage and conviction for a political adversary to acknowledge the qualities of his opponent, adding that he was eulogizing Nana Addo because he believes the NPP presidential candidate is the best person among the lot to lead Ghana into prosperity.

“Nana Akufo-Addo respects the rights of individuals to be associated with different political parties without rancour. He is a unifier, intelligent, bold, courageous and above all fearless and that is the sort of person we need in Ghana today”, the former EGLE party and NDC strong man stressed, urging Ghanaians to return the NPP to power under the strong leadership of Nana Addo.

According to Mr. Amofa, he left Ghana unceremoniously as a deputy Minister of Communications, a vote for Nana Akufo-Addo means a vote for firm and visionary leadership, appealing to Ghanaians not to vote for someone or a presidential candidate who will be used as proxy for others to rule.

“Nana is his own man. If you vote for Nana you would get Nana, if you vote for Prof. Mills I don't know what you would get”, Owuraku suggested, literally questioning the leadership abilities of Prof. Mills who had made two or three attempts to lead the country without success.

On why Ghanaians should vote for the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo and why he came back from abroad to campaign for Nana, he stated that both in 1992 and 1996, he had no idea that given the opportunity, the NPP could do so well in government.

He acknowledged that although the NPP believes in the free market economy, it has over the years also put in place social and human centered policies in the midst of a liberalised economy to cushion the lives of Ghanaians.

"I came back to Ghana and thank God so much improvement has taken place in the country with policies and programmes such as the free maternity care, National Health Insurance Scheme, Metro Mass Transport, School Feeding Programme and many others which are all intended to improve the living conditions of the people", Mr. Owuraku Amofa noted amid wild cheers from the enthusiastic gathering.

He said the Kufuor led administration has already laid a solid foundation for rapid economic takeoff and therefore it should take the next NPP administration to build on that foundation.

"Nana and Kufuor have laid this foundation together with their colleagues in government, Nana knows where all the pillars of the foundation are and therefore should be given the opportunity to complete the building of the country", Owuraku urged.

He called on Ghanaians to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP parliamentary candidates to assist them execute their vision of modernising the country's economy and people for a more prosperous nation.

By Awudu Mahama