Akufo-Addo Is A Nuisance To The NPP - Part 3

Nana Akufo-Addo Is A Nuisance To The NPP - Part 3

Two weeks ago, President Mills held a town hall style press conference

during which he was reported to have stood on his feet for three hours

answering random questions from journalists some of whom are principally not

sympathetic to the ruling NDC. I find it hard to accept that he stood for

that long. The conference itself might have lasted three hours during which

he would sit, stand and walk about. If indeed he stood all the while, he

would have killed several birds with one stone – he would have shown his

genuineness by welcoming questions to which he did not have written answers,

portrayed himself as an approachable servant of the people and also sent a

message to his critics whose main problem with is presidency is that he is a

sick man. In fact, some people claim that he quoted several figures in his

answers without referring to a note, but I doubt that also.

Following Mills’ open and enduring conference, many NDC supporters,

including people in office, have childishly been calling for Nana to do the

same or, at worse, comment on the conference. To me, this is a stupid demand

because the point is to pick the best candidate, who may not be the

physically fittest, to be president. If we held a fitness contest among all

living contestants for president and Arthur Kennedy happened to win because

he is relatively young, would that make him the best candidate? Why did the

NDC supporters not ask for a fitness tournament between the candidates when

the overweight Mills was regularly attending medical treatment in South

Africa?

The NDC is leaving Nana off the hook by focusing on useless issues while

ignoring the pertinent one that can knock Nana out of the competition

altogether. The most important issue that the NDC must capitalize on here is

that Nana Mr. DoNothing Akuffo-Ado does not answer questions and it is not

just because he is arrogant – he avoids question that will prove that he is

not a presidential material. He only talks at length about how Ghana can be

fixed and in the midst of his supporters chanting Nana oo, Nana oo, he walks

away. He is afraid that a town hall style conference like what Mills did

might get him talking about the drug use allegation and whatever answer he

gives, the next question will be ‘why did you not speak up sooner? Nana is

afraid to answer questions about the Dzorwulu-3 whose cocaine arrest

documents disappeared from his office and the killings that went unsolved

during his tenure as Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

I am not a big fan of Mills, but I applaud him for his openness and

sincerity. The last time Kuffour subjected himself to such a press

conference in Koforidua, a pastor was chased to a police station, of all

places, and beaten up for asking a difficult question and nothing was done

to the perpetrators as if the beating was sanctioned by the government. As

for Nana Mr. DoNothing Akuffo-Ado, the easiest way to stop him in his tracks

is to ask him to face the TV cameras and tell the voters, in his own words,

what he accomplished as a minister for seven years. I am sure that Mills has

this question written on a piece of paper in his wallet and that is why he

was reported to have raised both hands in the air and started singing when

he was told that the NPP had chosen Nana as their presidential candidate.

The NPP must have now regretted for choosing such an unaccomplished

politician for president. Nana will remain a nuisance to the party for year

to come.

By VoiceOfReason