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Akufo-Addo Should Also Have Highlighted On The 'Ashanti Virus'

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 Source: Kwansema, Ekua

By Ekua Kwansema

In the first place it is totally incorrect and factually wrong for anyone to say or write that Akufo-Addo conceded defeat during his speech on Saturday because he did not. Throughout his speech, there was no occasion that he stated that he was conceding defeat, therefore, anybody who wants to write about the issue better check his or her facts. All what Akufo-Addo did was to send congratulatory message to Professor Mills and that was even done sarcastically.


Secondly, for a man like Akufo-Addo who wants to go down in Ghana ’s political history as a gallant and noble man, he should have been truthful with the issues at stake. But if you go through his speech Akufo-Addo was very economical with the truth. Akufo-Addo accused the EC Chair, Dr. Afari Gyan of failing to investigate the supposed voter fraud in the Volta Region and left the voter fraud claims by the NDC in the Ashanti Region.


Thirdly Akufo-Addo failed to recognize what Dr. Gyan said before declaring humble Professor Mills as Ghana ’s President-Elect. Dr. Gyan told the press conference attended by international observers that his outfit did in fact investigate the allegations in both the Volta and Ashanti Regions but concluded that the issues did not warrant the results from any of these two regions to be overturned..


Was Akufo-Addo therefore, expecting Afari Gyan to overturn the election results in the Volta Region and leave that of the Ashanti Region? Or if party officials are threatened or beaten in some constituencies in both the Ashanti and Volta Regions, was he expecting Afari Gyan to cancel the results in the Volta Region and leave the Ashanti Region?


It is therefore an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians for someone I would not mention to help peddle this false information that does not help the NPP in general and Akufo-Addo in particular. If the Volta Region has a virus, then I believe the Ashanti Region even has more viruses.


If Akufo-Addo wants fair play he should have informed the whole world that he was not happy with the EC for failing to investigate the voter fraud in both the Ashanti and Volta Regions. Leaving the Ashanti Region out and turning the heat on the Volta Region is not a good or smart political move. Its political dishonesty.

And what even beats my imagination is this accusation by the NPP that the NDC rigged part of the election. This is totally absurd and false. Fellow Ghanaians, how on earth can the NDC rig elections in Ghana ? Who controls Ghana ? Who controls the police? Who organized the elections? If the NPP who controls the security of the country are able to stand by for the NDC to rig the elections, then it is good that they did not win. Because how can Ghanaians entrust their lives to the NPP people when they cannot even prevent an election they held under their own watchful eyes from being rigged by the opposition.


It is difficult when you lose election of such magnitude; therefore, Akufo-Addo is finding it very difficult to accept the defeat. I do not blame or envy him. He must be having sleepless nights. But I have a little advice for Akufo-Addo. If he has anybody to blame he should blame the vultures who surrounded him. In politics when you get all praise singers then you better watch out. Those praise singers let him down not Afari Gyan.


Since this election is over, Akufo-Addo should do one Honourable thing by accepting the defeat in good faith and move on. Whining would not change the results. It’s over. It’s a new day. It’s done. So Akufo-Addo, move on and embrace Professor Mills as your next President.


By the way I have been very patient with this writer in NY who keeps writing nothing but garbage. I have been very, very patient with him, thinking he would change his mode of writing for the better. It’s a new year, but he is still at his old game. I want to inform my readers that I am going to take that writer on one of these days and it would be an unhealthy one if I descend heavily on him, so he better watch his back.


ekwansema@yahoo.com

Columnist: Kwansema, Ekua