Obed shocked into speechlessness at denial

The leadership of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) are in disarray over former Finance Minister, Dr Kwesi Botwchwey?s denial of the party in a categorical statement on radio yesterday.

He told Peace FM yesterday morning after The Dispatch newspaper had extracted a categorical denial the same day.

Botchwey?s denial of having any ambition to lead the DFP, was a stab in the loin for Obed Asamoah, who hoped to upstage the National Democratic Party (NDC), and veritable stake in the heart of the party?s founder who would refused to make any substantive comment.

Apparently in shock at the latest development, Obed who is currently outside Accra said he had not heard of any such statement and would thus not make a comment to that effect until he heard from the ?horses own mouth?.

Asked whether he was worried about the development, Obed told The Chronicle that he would not be worried if what Kwesi Botwchwey is reported to have said happens to be true.

The party?s General Secretary, Bede Ziedeng also deferred to speak to the issue at stake since he said he was in a meeting.

This has thrown the entire machinery into disarray since it leaves the party with limited options of a Presidential Candidate.

This brings to end months of widespread speculation of the former Finance Minister?s involvement with the DFP.

But it also throws into play a consistent pattern of Professor Botchwey?s state of mind - confusion because of his earlier meetings with the Convention People?s Party where his friend and comrade from St. Augustines College in Cape Coast, Mr. Ekow Sam has firmly landed. He stood up the CPP in 2004 when the executives of the party were expecting him to join them.

At a dinner he laid out last week, the kind of people who turned up and consorted with him led many observers wondering Kwesi would really come out as doing any business with the DFP.

The only person who was absent by design was Professor Mills who lives in the same area with Botchwey but has maintained a frosty relation with him.

But Kwesi?s mentor and friend Kojo Tsikata was present and despite the fact that Obed is his personal friend, nobody can clear the ear of Botchwey more than Tsikata and he must have had an earful from Kojo who is surprisingly anchored in the NDC, despite a perceived falling out with Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

Close sources also suggest that Kwesi?s daughter, a high flying lawyer, has always opposed his father mixing his highly successful and progressive career as an academician with politics especially when he was not going to win, but be a spoiler.

Within the DFP, the party had always maintained that they were entering the fray with the other established parties with other candidates other than Kwesi Botchwey. ?We don?t expect someone who has been away for such a long time to come down and be offered the slot, ?that would be undemocratic, and I would be surprised if that were to be the case with Botchwey?, noted a woman executive member.

Dr. Botchwey expressed his disaffection with the state of the economy and admitted issues of mass youth unemployment bothered him. He said he was keen to contribute his quota to the myriad of problems confronting the nation, leaving speculators to think of him setting up a think thank like CEPA, as a vehicle.

Another paper The Daily Dispatch quoted a close political associate of Dr. Botchwey, Mr. Adotei Tetteh, that the former law lecturer and Ghana's longest serving Finance Minister, now a professor at the prestigious Fletcher School at Tuft University in the United States, is being pressured by many friends and well wishers who believe that Ghana needed a new type of leader like Kwesi Botchwey.

Adotei said Dr. Botchwey is "a leader who could bring the best talents, no matter the person's political colour, to form a government to take Ghana to another level. The 2008 elections represent a watershed in Ghana's young democracy (since 1992), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) having won two elections, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the other two." Adotei explained further, "many Ghanaians, including supporters of these two main parties are a bit apprehensive about one of them losing.

They have, informally, been hoping for someone who would pick the best talents and blend them into a formidable team. Can you imagine a Ghanaian cabinet of Prof. Atta Mills, Nana Akufo Addo, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Dr. Edward Mahama, Mr. Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Spio Garbrah working for the betterment of Ghana? Which Ghanaian can appeal to all these persons to work together? Dr. Botchwey, of course!"