Volta Chiefs "Faked" Smiles at Nana Addo Meeting - Veep's spokesperson

Spokesperson for the Vice President, John Jinapor, believes the failure by the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, to openly condemn the alleged ethnocentric comments made by the Assin North Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, is largely because he (Nana Addo) lacks the moral right to do so.

John Jinapor claims the NPP flagbearer is equally guilty of making tribal statements.

According to him, Nana Addo has consistently laced most of his speeches with a degree of violence.

Commenting on the meeting held between members of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs and the NPP Presidential candidate on Joy FM’s ‘News File’ programme, the Spokesperson for the Veep indirectly pooh-poohed the said meeting saying Voltarians would pay the NPP back dearly in this year's elections.

In his assessment, the meeting did not go down well since the chiefs were disappointed that he (Akufo-Addo) choose to only distance himself from Kennedy Agyapong's statement.

“The Volta chiefs are very …very unhappy with what Nana Addo did. When you meet somebody you can’t read his mind, but i'm telling you they are really disappointed with him. The least they expected from him was to condemn the statement (made by Kennedy Agyapong),” he stated.

At the meeting with the traditional rulers and chiefs from the Volta Region, the NPP flagbearer underscored the fact that his party is partly to blame for the seeming hostile attitude by residents of the Volta Region towards the NPP. He added that the posture and attitude by some party officials have largely contributed to the dwindling fortunes of the NPP in the Volta Region.

He was however quick to dissociate himself and the party from the comments made by Kennedy Agyapong, assuring of his unflinching desire to uphold a country rich in multi-ethnic and religious diversity.

“I want to state here with all the emphasis at my command that I do not have any ethnic agenda and I would not condone any such agenda,” he told the chiefs.

But Mr Jinapor seemed not convinced of Nana Addo's commitment to peace and maintained that, since leadership mattered, it would have been right on his (Nana’s) part to simply condemn what the MP for Assin North said without trying to offer any form of justification.

To him, the NPP only sought to play an equalization game regarding the statement issued by the party on the “treasonable” comments made by Kennedy Agyapong. He advised the NPP not to drag the name of President Mills in the mud since he has been consistent in his commitment to ensure that Ghana maintains its peace; before, during and after the elections.

“Nana Addo is equally guilt of making tribal statements and has no moral right to condemn Kennedy Agapong”, he said.