Happy New Year From NPP Germany

As we prepare to usher in the new year the Germany branch of the New Patriotic

Party[NPP] would want to wish all Ghanaians a happy new year and a stable and peaceful

Ghana. We also take this opportunity to congratulate our hardworking Farmers, Fishermen,

Teachers, Doctors, Nurses ,Security Services, Civil Servants, the Judiciary and the Media for

their dedication and commitment to the cause of our country.

While wishing our country the best of everything in the coming years it is equally important

to point out our mistakes and shortcomings during the past year with the view to correcting

avoiding such mistakes in the future.

We are particularly concerned about the politics of deception, misinformation, outright lies

and fraudulent misrepresentation which has become the stock in trade of the NDC

government. At the beginning of the year Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa Deputy Minister for

Information told Ghanaians that the Mills-Mahama Administration had created 1.6 million

jobs only to be denied and contradicted By Hon E.T Mensah, Minister for Labour and Social

Welfare. The same Okudzeto Ablakwa also claimed in December this year that 375

Diplomatic Passports have been withdrawn. This was flatly refuted by Hon Mohammed

Mumuni, the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In other jurisdictions such a conduct would have resulted in immediate dismissal because a

Minister of state who has taken an oath of office owe a duty to the citizens to tell the truth

at all times. The fact that Ablakwa Okudzeto is still at post is not just shameful but more

importantly it undermines trust and confidence in our political system.

In a desperate attempt to mislead Ghanaians, the Ministry of Information which has lost all

credibility came out with a 39 page document listing the top 50 achievements of the NDC

government. A closer scrutiny of the so called achievements reveals that half of the projects

being touted as achievements were initiated by the NPP government under the able and

visionary leadership of President J A Kuffour while the remaining half are just mere

statements of intents and cannot be described as achievements.

Having realised that outright lies and deception was unhelpful to their cause, the NDC

propaganda machinery resorted to the politics of personal attacks instead of addressing real

and substantive issues. Politics of insults, the use of very crude and ungentlemanly language

became the order of the day all in a vain attempt to divert attention from the failure of the

Mills-Mahama administration to deliver on the numerous election promises. It is indeed

unfortunate that government spoke persons and Ministers of state who should serve as role

models are the worst offenders. Against this background we call on the President to bring

his numerous spokes persons especially the John Mahamas, the Derick Adjeis,John Jinapors

and Aseidu Nketias to order by having them take some lessons in how to conduct

themselves in their public utterances.Government opponents were not the only victims of these vicious attacks, independent

Media Practitioners, Social Commentators and Journalists were not spared. Radio stations

came under attack while a number of Journalists were brutally assaulted by government

supporters and sympathisers. These attacks were not isolated incidents but a deliberate

attempt by the NDC government to intimidate and silence all critical voices in Ghana. The

arrest and detention of Nana Darkwa on the orders of Kofi Adam,Deputy General Secretary

of the NDC, the attacks on two Journalist-Mr Amoako Atta and Apratwum at Sunyani and

attacks on four radio stations in recent weeks should leave no one in any doubt as to the

intentions of the Mills –Mahama administration .President Mills and his government must

be reminded that Ghanaians deserve and indeed demand that government concentrates on

meeting their needs and expectations in 2011 and put an end to the politics of intimidation.

The rule of law, due process, respect for property rights and personal freedoms came under

attack under the NDC government; a situation that has given cause for concern among most

Ghanaians. The senseless attacks and acts of vandalism perpetrated by the so called foot

soldiers against government officials and state institutions particularly the National Health

Insurance Scheme is ample demonstration of the Breakdown of law and order in our

country. Instead of the rule of law our country was governed by the rule of mob under

which these lawless NDC supporters dictated and directed government policy.

It must be pointed out that the foot soldiers were not the only offenders, senior party

officials of the NDC including Anita Dessousa the National Women Organiser were also

engaged in these acts of lawlessness. It would be recalled that during the bye election at

Atiwa in 2010,the NDC Women Organiser wilfully drove her vehicle through a crowd

maiming and injuring several people. It is sad and unfortunate to note that the perpetrator

of this heinous crime has never been invited by the police to make statement and as such no

charges are likely to be preferred against her so long as the NCD remains in power. Under

the rule of law all citizens are held equal before the law irrespective of social standing, tribe,

political affiliation or religious belief. What we see under the Mills-Mahama administration

is selective justice which undermines our democracy and threatens the peace and stability

of our country. We therefore demand that the government lives up to its responsibilities by

upholding and respecting the rule of law, due process and proper procedure to ensure that

the peaceful and stable country which the NPP government handed over to them remains

so when they leave office in 2012.

As the only political tradition in Ghana that understands and appreciates the importance of

the rule of law and due process in a democracy, the NPP would want to assure Ghanaians

that we would not relent in our efforts and determination to uphold and defend these

principles at all cost in the coming year. Happy New Year to all.

Kwaku Anane-Gyinde

Director of Communications /NPP Germany