NDC UK & Ireland Responds to NPP UK & Ireland

The NDC UK & Ireland notes with deep concern the disturbing mis information contained in the recent press release issued by the Chairman of the UK & Ireland Branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

We are aware of the combined efforts by the opposition party and sections of the Ghanaian media to mobilise an actively unseen minority which masquerades to peddle falsehood and campaign of distortion of facts, to distract and to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians, especially those in the Diaspora to cover the corrupt practices and misdeeds perpetrated by the past NPP administration.

The NDC UK & Ireland Branch would like to stress that whilst it is not our habit to respond to such unjustifiable allegations, we would not sit idly by to allow such distortions and untruthfulness to go unchallenged.

President Mills’ administration would have been up and running and for Ghanaians to feel the change that the President promised had it not been for the intransigent of Nana Akuffo Addo, the NPP flag bearer to concede defeat at the earliest opportunity. The work of the transition team was made more difficult because of the NPP administration failure to keep transparent records on national assets.

However, information available to the public shows evidence of serious corrupt practices, gross professional misconduct, serious financial impropriety and activities leading to huge financial losses to the State of Ghana.

These issues which we consider to be of criminal nature should worry Chairman Hayford Atta-Krufi and the NPP mandarins rather than go on a hollow offensive with the sole aim of seeking public sympathy and to discredit the President and his government. Let’s be clear, there is no doubt that the net is getting tighter and tighter and once the report of the transitional team is published we hope to see how those NPP mandarins would be able to disentangle themselves from those intricate web of deceits and financial deceptions they have woven for themselves.

We respond to some of the issues raised in the press release:

It is true the NDC administration promised Ghanaians a change for better Ghana with the promise of price reduction in petroleum prices, free school uniforms and one-time premium payment of NHIS but what Chairman Atta-Krufi fails to appreciate is that these promises are not based on a one day wonder notion. The President has a mandate to implement his manifesto pledges during the life time of this parliament. President Mills’ government is barely seven weeks old, but has found it expedient and ready to outline its economic programme next Thursday to keep the country moving. In spite of all these, Atta-Krufi out of ignorance found it necessary to criticise the government for reneging on its electoral promises. God help us if such is the mentality of the future leaders of the NPP.

And we are also not surprised at the political twist being given to Dan Gyimah’s case. It is a known fact that the beleaguered Managing Director of the National Investment Bank’s inability to satisfy his bail conditions resulted in the delay of his release from BNI custody. By his own lawyer’s account Mr Gyimah was unable to provide the appropriate landed security demanded by the court to satisfy his bail conditions. How can Atta-Krufi blame the NDC government for Dan Gyimah’s extended stay in custody?

We know very well that NPP are good at fabricating stories to suit their circumstances. What transpired between Nana Akufo Addo’s driver and the security agencies was of Nana’s own making? Nana Akufo Addo resigned in 2007 as the Foreign Minister to campaign for the flag bearer-ship of the NPP, yet he failed to return the two state vehicles in his possession. Why did he have to wait until he was compelled to do so in January 2009? Is this not a clear case of an abuse of position and misuse of public asset?

We also like to state that there was no political dimension to the debacle surrounding Grace Omaboe’s ( Maame Dokono) orphanage. As the managing proprietor of an orphanage, Grace Omaboe was directly responsible for the safety of the children under her care. NPP folks should bow their heads in shame for putting a political spin on this woman’s tussle with the security agencies when all the evidences show she broke the law by operating an orphanage without proper registration documents and for allowing young children under her care to be sexually abused. In this instance, a six month old child was gruesomely abused sexually, inflicting severe body injuries on the infant. All these happened under the watch of the NPP government. And it’s only under NPP administration that such a serious criminal conduct would be swept under the carpet.

Although we do not condone the harassment and intimidation of political opponents, we find it disturbing when NPP folks talk of human rights abuse. Where were those human rights activists when in 2002 NDC party sympathisers, at Akomadan in the Offinso North constituency, were subjected to intimidation, harassment and beatings by NPP supporters? More recently, during the December 2008, NDC polling agents in the Kumasi metropolis were subjected to harassment, beatings and eventually chased out of Manhyia and Nhyiaso constituencies only for the NPP to stuff ballot boxes with duplicate voting papers. Were those NDC supporters not humans whose civic rights were trampled upon with the encouragement of the NPP high command in the Kumasi metropolis? If you’ll recall the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC was brutally attacked and his car damaged in the process by NPP thugs. Did you condemn these acts of barbarism perpetrated by your supporters? Atta Krufi, as the saying goes, when you live in a glass house you do not throw stones or else the glass would come shattering in your face.

Chairman Hayford Atta-Krufi, President Mills is not a flying horse and does not intend to go globe trotting like your political mentor, John Agyekum Kufour. During the past seven weeks, since taking the reins of government, President Mills has been busy at the Castle putting together his dream team who would assist in delivering his election promises. If you wish to see the man in charge, wait for the President’s regular television and radio broadcasts soon to hit the screens in your living room. And be rest assured at any given time, Ghanaians will soon start to feel the wind of change which is beginning to blow across the country. NPP stay tuned…………………