Arthur Kennedy should wean himself of the student's politics... Egbert Faibille

Egbert Faibille Jnr

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Editor of the Ghanaian Observer News paper has launched a stinging attack on the communications director of the Nana Akufo-Addo campaign team and author of the yet to be launched but controversial book “Chasing the elephant into the bush; the politics of complacency,”.

Describing the book as a betrayal of the NPP and the party's flagbearer in particular, Mr Faibille said the author must wean himself of the student's politics. “This is national politics,” he yelled.

He was contributing to a discussion on Joy FM's News File on the fallouts of the book which has received grave reviews and generated heated discussions, attacks as well as misquotations in the media.

Mr Faibille said he was greatly inspired by the legendary contribution of Arthur Kennedy to campus politics in the University of Ghana, but said the terrain of national politics is different and Mr Kennedy must learn to adjust.

He argued the book is enough testimony that Arthur Kennedy is not a team player, alleging the real motive for the book's publication was to get back at the party's campaign team for not taking his advice hook line and sinker.

In the book, Arthur Kennedy advised Nana Akufo-Addo to put competence ahead of loyalty in future appointments, but Mr Faibille said the publication of the book shows that loyalty is more important.

“In the end, by Arthur K's own conduct I realized that loyalty is more important, because Nana Addo in appointing him, thought him competent, but in the end he has proved very disloyal.”

Even the title of the book, and the type of elephant used on the book's cover is problematic, Faibille stressed.

“Who brought about the concept of chasing the elephant into the bush? It is an NDC creation and you Arthur Kennedy,forget about his even been a member of Nana Akufo Addo campaign team, he is a member of the NPP, and the NDC has succeeded in chasing the so-called elephant into the bush and you go and write a book and the first thing you do is to take the NDC's campaign statement and use it. It shows his disloyalty to his own party,” he charged.

“Now even the elephant he uses at the back of the book is not the NPP type of elephant,” he sniped, provoking laughter from other panelists, Stan Dogbe, Raymond Archer and Kweku Baako Jnr.

According to him, Arthur K had the basic facts of his book wrong. He made reference to a part of the book which said Nana Addo took over Victor Owusu's chambers, an assertion Faibille said was untrue should not have been lost on the communications director.

“One of the banes of Nana Addo's campaign was communication and Arthur Kennedy was head of communication. Has he walked up to go and tell Nana Addo that I let you down, by the way I handled communication so I'm sorry?”

Left to him, the book is only fit for national archives, a book he would not recommend to any student of history.

Editor of the Daily Dispatch news paper, Ben Ephson who called into the show however disagreed, saying the book will serve a useful purpose for posterity.

Mr Baako predicted a harsh rebuttal from Arthur Kennedy in the coming days against Faibille for daring to make such comments about the book. He, together with Ben Ephson, the Chronicle have received their dosage of harsh rejoinders already from the author.

Play the attached audio for excerpt of Egbert Faibille's comments on the book

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline