'Let's Stop Vilifications'

THE DORMAAHENE, Osagyefo Oseadieyo Agyeman Badu II, has made a passionate appeal to all Ghanaians to cease the vilification of political opponents to ease the rising tension in the country.

According to him, Ghanaians were one people with a common destiny, regardless of the ethnic, religious and political differences and should therefore strive to maintain that unity to ensure a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the December 7 general elections.

Osagyefo Agyeman Badu made the call at the State House, Accra, on Friday morning after filing past the mortal remains of the late president, Prof John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, with a retinue of chiefs from both the Dormaa and the Akwamufie Traditional Areas to pay their last respect to the former president.

He described the fallen president as a personal friend and a former teacher who taught him at the University of Ghana.

The Dormaahene urged Ghanaians to learn to tolerate each other and stop using abusive words on political leaders because the trend was not healthy for the nation's democracy and national cohesion.

He said he had witnessed the presidencies of former presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills and presently John Dramani Mahama, and all of them had not been spared disparaging remarks.

According to him, he and his people were prepared to work with any person who was elected the next president of Ghana in December this year.

His friend from Akwamufie, Nana Kwabena Owuredu, appealed to Ghanaians to let the death of President Mills unite the entire country since the late president was a man of peace and humility.

FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani