NPP at a sorrowful crossroads - Tarzan

Main opposition New Patriotic Party stalwart, Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby says his party has come to a “sorrowful and pitiable crossroads in its history”.

He warns that: “Unless it takes immediate and urgent action to restore its basic principles, Ghana’s democratic politics could face a very uncertain and intolerant future”.

The former Volta River Authority CEO’s comments come in the aftermath of his near-lynching by some irate party supporters when he appeared before the party’s disciplinary committee at the headquarters on Friday June 14, 2013.

The suspended founder-member is facing possible sanctions for his description of the NPP’s 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as a “clueless” witness in the ongoing election petition trial.

He is being taken through the disciplinary processes, despite having rendered a personal and unqualified apology to Dr. Bawumia.

Tarzan, as he is popularly known, has however, written to the disciplinary committee, requesting the body to “abandon” the disciplinary proceedings against him “and to recommend the immediate quashing of the illegal suspension of my membership of the New Patriotic Party”.

In a letter written to Chairman of the Committee, dated Monday June 17, 2013 and titled “REQUEST TO ABANDON DISCIPLINARY PROCESS”, Dr. Wereko-Brobby protested against what he described as the "unconscionable actions of two officers of the party, namely Mr. Ayikoi Otoo and Mr. Perry Okudzeto; which actions completely undermined and prejudged the outcome of the as yet unconcluded deliberations of the committee”.

The former presidential candidate who stood on the ticket of splinter party United Ghana Movement, expressed his reservations with interviews granted the media by the two party members.

“Mr. Ayikoi Otoo, a member of the Disciplinary Committee, appeared on a live current affairs programme on TV3 on Saturday morning and virtually sat as both Judge and Jury on the matter, delivering a very one-sided account of our encounter and literally saying that my guilt had been established, bar a little issue of formalising it at [the] next meeting”, Dr. Wereko-Brobby noted. “Mr. Okudzeto on the other hand, granted an interview to the media immediately after the fracas at the headquarters in which he suggested that my apology to Dr. Bawumia had exposed my insincerity,” he observed.

According to Dr. Wereko-Brobby, he has “no difficulty whatsoever with these gentlemen sounding off to the media. However, I am perplexed that they do not see the supreme irony and inconsistency of their actions in the context of the charges that have been concocted against me”.

He averred that: “Ayikoi Otoo and Perry Okudzeto must realise that they have well and truly shot themselves in their collective feet by going public on a quasi-judiciary matter before it has been concluded; the very basis of my purported crime which has established my guilt and delivered punishment ahead of the due process of investigation”.

The energy expert also drew the Committee’s attention to “media interviews granted by the former National Youth Leader, Anthony Karbo, in the wake of the assault by mobs, during which he virtually admitted to have orchestrated the violent actions that took place and suggested that they would take the law into their own hands to mete out their brand of justice on their own terms”.

“Is this not a veritable case of FAILURE TO UPHOLD THE GOOD NAME OF THE PARTY?” Dr. Wereko-Brobby asked.

He added that: “All of the foregoing suggests to me that the party of the RULE OF LAW, DUE PROCESS AND “KABI NA ME KABI” has come to a sorrowful and pitiable crossroads in its history and unless it takes immediate and urgent action to restore its basic principles, Ghana’s democratic politics could face a very uncertain and intolerant future”.