Akufo-Addo claims He is Not Violent

For a man who has

become the epitome of violence in Ghana politics, one can safely conclude that

NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, was in a state of euphoria for obvious reasons

when he recently declared himself a non-violent person.

“I have never

supported the use of violence in politics; not one single day have I been

involved in anything to do with violence,” he said in an address to students of

the University of Development Studies, Wa Campus, last weekend.

Indeed, Nana

Akufo-Addo may have been in a delirious mood when he made these comments

because the facts on the grounds do not support it.

In the run-up to

the 2008 elections, precisely on Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Babs Hammer, the

33-year-old cameraman of Former President Rawlings was beaten to pulp at the Golden

Tulip Hotel by Nana Akufo-Addo’s bodyguards who accused him of filming the NPP

flagbearer as he was entering the hotel where incidentally, Rawlings was

lodging during his visit to Kumasi.

The beating took place

right in the presence of Nana Akufo-Addo; he simply looked on with glee as this

barbaric act continued till the cameraman collapsed.

In the run-up to

the 2007 NPP primaries at Legon and again in the run-up to the 2010 primaries

of the party to elect its flagbearer for the 2012 elections, reports of Nana

Akufo-Addo’s men physically assaulting Alan Kyeremanteng’s men was a common

news report.

TODAY newspaper in

a front page story on 27th July, 2010 headed ALAN TEAM CONDEMNS ATTACKS said a

member of the Team Alan, Kofi Dokyi

Ampaw, has described as “…..unfortunate

the inability of Nana Akufo-Addo to control his followers who are always

attacking and brutalizing supporters of other aspirants”

The paper goes on

to state that Mr. Ampaw, speaking on FOX FM in Kumasi, noted that “leadership

entails so many things, and very important of them is your

ability to effectively and efficiently manage your followers”.

The paper said

Kofi’s comments “follow a brutal attack

on one Kofi Dubai, a popular serial caller who is perceived to be an ardent

supporter of Mr. Kyeremanteng by some supporters of Nana For President (NAFOP)

at the premises of Ash FM in Kumasi.”

Mr. Ampaw, who is

popularly called Kofi 1234, according to the paper “noted that attacks on other

aspirants by Nana Addo’s militants and his

inability to control them showed the caliber of person he is”.

The paper quoted

the Alan man as saying “A good leader

has control over his followers no matter who they are. This is the hallmark of

effective leadership, not a person who condones violence or waits for his

followers to misconduct themselves only for him to disssociate himself later

from it.”

Later events have

proved that Akufo-Addo does not only condone the violence his supporters mete

out to others but that indeed, he helps in planning them. The proof is in his

speech delivered to his followers at Koforidua in a closed door meeting when in

reference to the severe beatings NDC supporters were subjected to at Atiwa during

the by-election, he said “Wo Atiwa, ye kyere omo adi kakraa bi, to wit, “At Atiwa,

we showed

them just something little”.

Then also is the kume preko demonstrations he led in

1995. That it ended in violence with the loss of precious lives, going down in

history as the most violent demonstration in contemporary Ghanaian politics is not

lost on Ghanaians.

His recent reference

to “militants” in his party and his infamous “all-die-be-die” speech cannot be

the utterances of a non-violent man.

Nana Akufo-Addo’s

violent CV also includes leading NPP thugs in Abuakwa to set ablaze the NDC

constituency

office in Kyebi, his hometown, after the 2004 elections.

Then also is his

order to his bodyguards to beat up supporters of Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng whenever

they meet them.

Clearly, Nana

Akufo-Addo does not have a drop of peaceful blood running through his veins.

His claim therefore that he is not a violent person is an exercise to deceive

himself and his supporters. The greatest calamity that can befall a man is when

he lies to himself. It is for this reason that Shakespeare, in Hamlet,

admonishes that “above all, unto thy self, be true”Does Ghana need a person of

Akufo-Addo’s caliber as

President? Kofi 1234 who is related to Nana Akufo-Addo, provides the answer

when he said the “No matter what the

situation is in the nation, both NDC and NPP and all other parties have agreed

we need peace and hence a peace loving candidate must be voted for…”