The United States Branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP-USA) last Tuesday donated a total of $1,500 to victims of brutalities by the out-of-control National Destruction Congress (NDC) in Accra. Of the amount, $500 went to the family of Mr. Salifu Maikanka who died as a result of a brutal beating he received at the hands of BNI agents following his participation in a peaceful demonstration protesting the unlawful detention of former Information Minister Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng. The other $1,000 was given to victims of violent attacks on members of the NPP, which was so indiscriminate they included the General Secretary Ohene-Ntow and Chairman Peter MacManu.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the presentation to the father of the late Salifu Maikanka, NPP-USA’s Jermaine Nkrumah insisted the donation had nothing to do with politicization of Mr. Maikanka’s unfortunate death as has been suggested by some in the media. “Although no amount of money or visits by high-profile personalities can bring your son back,” said Nkrumah to the family, “we want to assure you and your family with these gestures that your son died not in vain, but in pursuit of a better Ghana, a cause he shared with members of the NPP.”
Accompanying Jermaine Nkrumah on the visit to the bereaved family were Mr. Kwaku Kwarteng, Director of Communication for New Patriotic Party, and Ms Otiko Djaba, the party’s National Women’s Organizer aspirant. Receiving the donation on behalf of his family was the father of the deceased, who thanked the NPP-USA for its generosity, commitment to the preservation of fundamental human rights, and providing help to the helpless.
Earlier in the day, NPP Chairman Mr. Peter MacManu had president over a brief ceremony at his office where Jermaine Nkrumah presented the amount of $1,000 to the Akwatia Constituency Chairman. The amount constitutes NPP-USA’s contribution towards the relieving of pain and suffering of all victims of the out-of-control NDC. “Members of NPP-USA want to assure our foot soldiers that we will not turn our backs on those who stand with us in the tough fight to reclaim our nation from the deceiving NDC whose sole mission appears to be killing and intimidation of peace-loving Ghanaians,” said Nkrumah, who was in Accra to represent NPP-USA at the party’s Constitutional Conference.
It would be recalled that leading up to the election at six polling station in the Akwatia Constituency in the Eastern region, the out-of-control NDC candidate Baba Jamal had declared what he called a “Jihad” against the NPP even though he trailed his NPP opponent by 3,079 votes in the six-polling station election with only 4,500 registered votes at stake.
Even though experts predicted that it was virtually impossible for Baba Jamal to overtake his opponent Dr. Asare, the out-of-control NDC candidate used his position as Deputy Regional Minister to deploy the region’s security apparatus to aid political victimization and intimidation of voters in a desperate effort to win the seat at all cost. NPP’s Asare won the election, and was scheduled to receive the donation on behalf of his brave young men and women except that he was abruptly called in to Parliament to be sworn in.