Why President Kufuor and brother called into a radio discussion to register their displeasure

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and his brother Dr Kwame Addo Kufour on Friday, April 09, had to call into a live radio programme to express their displeasure over comments made by one Esther Nana Agyemang, who claimed to be an NPP member from Kumasi.

The lady during Adakabre Frimpong Manso’s ‘Me Man Nti’ show on Neat FM decided to talk about the now-famous non-Akan flagbearer comment made by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader of Parliament.

In her commentary, the lady opined that the NPP of 2021 is not the same as the NPP of 1992 because when the delegates of the party elected Prof Albert Adu Boahen as the flagbearer of the party in 1992, there was no tension in the party as compared to what it is in 2021.

She indicated that prior to the election of former President Kufuor as the flagbearer of the party in 1998, he was contested fiercely by the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, but Kufuor was never supported by people from his home region, the Ashanti Region.

“When Kufuor decided to contest for the NPP flagbearership race, some Ashanti or people from the Ashanti region who are considered as being influential never supported his candidature. It was people from the other regions that supported him. Even his brother Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor never supported him but he [Kufuor] was not bothered that his own blood brother was not supporting him. Dr Donkor Fordjour [a.k.a Katanka], who is a leading member of the NPP in the Ashanti Region also did not support [Kufuor's] candidature. Dr [Kofi Konadu] Apraku and even Kufuor's brother-in-law J.H. Mensah never supported his candidacy, but all these did not bother [Kufuor],” Esther Nana Agyemang said.

She claimed that a former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Frederick Fredua Antoh suffered in the hands of some influential Ashantis because they knew he would be voting for Kufuor to become the flagbearer, so he did not have it easy but JA Kufuor was eventually voted for at the Sunyani Congress in 1998.

When Kufuor won, the lady claims, Dr Donkor Fordjour had to resign because the person he did not support had won.

“Kufuor contested with Nana Addo and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, and even after the primaries after Kufuor had won; for a year, [now] President Nana Akufo-Addo [then a co-contestant] was parading about claiming Kufuor was not rich to lead the party so his position should be swapped with his so that he [Nana Addo] can become the flagbearer and lead the NPP into the 2000 general elections but this didn’t work," the caller Esther Nana Agyemang observed.

She continued: “After [President] Kufuor had chosen his Ministers, he then forwarded the names of his appointees to the party’s Council of Elders. Today, all those who did not support the candidature of President Akufo-Addo have become enemies in the party. Today, all the positions in government are in the hands of President Akufo-Addo’s family and friends […] those who voted for Akufo-Addo as President are now disappointed with Akufo-Addo’s governance because this is not how an NPP government governs.

As an example, the caller averred: “Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku was once the campaign manager of President Akufo-Addo but because of a survey that he conducted and the findings showed that Akufo-Addo cannot win the 2012 elections after Akufo-Addo won the 2016 elections and the subsequent 2020 elections, he has neglected Dr Apraku.”

The lady claimed that most of Akufo-Addo’s appointees were given the position because they can insult their political opponents.

“When Victor Owusu was contesting for the Popular Front Party (PFP) flagbearership, some members of PFP including President Akufo-Addo and Dr Addo Kufuor decided to form UNC just to prevent Victor Owusu from becoming the President of Ghana," the lady added.

“If as President, JA Kufuor had behaved the way Akufo-Addo is behaving, then Akufo-Addo would not have had an appointment in his administration. He thought of Ghana and NPP which is why he appointed Akufo-Addo.

“When he [Kufuor] appointed his brother into the Defence Ministry, he [Kufuor] decided to defend him before the members of the party stating that because he is his brother, he will be able to protect him from the evil intentions of Rawlings and because he is my blood brother, he would not watch for my opponents to kill me,” Esther Nana Agyemang narrated.

These comments from the lady made the former president call into the show on Neat FM to express his displeasure.

John Agyekum Kufuor said:

“These lies should not be allowed on air. Where was [she] when I was appointing my brother as Minister of Defence? My government served Ghanaians well and my brother was key in that so why would someone sit on the radio to say such lies about us. I would like to know where she said that. She is spreading falsehood about me and my family. There is no truth in that.

“I made my brother the Minister of Defence because he was competent. He was already [an MP]. I wasn’t the one who brought him into the public space. He was an MP before I became president and had a mind of his own,” he said.

On his part, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor advised the lady to do proper research before coming on air to spew falsehoods about him and his family.

He rubbished claims by the lady that he was against Kufuor’s decision to contest the presidency in 2000.

“Who wouldn’t support his brother when he [is] vying for [the] presidency. If I don’t support my brother, who would I support? I supported my brother. Next time when going on the radio, do your research well,” he said.