How Credible Is Nana Akufo Addo's Claim Of Being A Human Rights Defender?

A leader worthy of trust must say what he means and mean what says. His words

must have credibility and substance. Nana Akufo Addo has for long boasted about

his credentials as a human rights defender yet as a member of government under

Kufuor administration he failed to demonstrate his commitment in relation to

cases that required a human rights fighter to stand up and be counted.

What did Nana Akufo Addo do when Isaa Mobila, a CPP regional chairman in Tamale

was brutally tortured and murdered in military custody? What did the so-called

human rights defender do to offer justice to Issa Mobila’s family?

What about the brutal killing of innocent Ghanaians in Gambia under Akufo Addo’s

watch as a foreign minister? What concrete actions can he point out to as things

he did at the level of Ecowas, African Union to ensure that pressure was brought

to bear on the Gambian authorities?

Is it therefore any surprise that despite all his loud proclamation while in

opposition about justice to victims of the “Kume Preko” demonstration, the man

did nothing in all his years as Attorney General to bring justice to them?

Akufo Addo boasts about his belief in rule of law, civil liberties etc yet has

no qualms stripping former President Rawlings of his privileges. How ironic!

This same Akufo Addo as a presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party in

AD 2011 is preaching ethnocentrism and calling on his party folks to go out

there and engage in violence. “They have intentions to intimidate us 2012

because they believe that we the Akans are soft and cowards. If that is the

thinking, then we shall see. At least during the Atiwa bye-election, we showed a

little of our colours there” He said.

“You must understand that this party was formed by courageous people. Our

leaders who formed this party that has now become the biggest political movement

in Ghana were not cowards. So in 2012 we need to be courageous because all die

be die. All die be die” he repeated.

What is Nana Addo talking about? That, during the Atiwa bye-elections, the NPP

actually sponsored their thugs to visit mayhem on people? That in 2012 the other

parties including the ruling government should expect violence? How credible is

Nana Addo on his claim of being a human rights defender? How can a human right

defender be advocating for violence?

What about his ethnocentric tantrums? What does Nana Addo mean by “we Akans”?

Does it mean that the NPP is an Akan party? What has gone wrong with our

leaders? Why should a political leader advocate for violence in this day and

age? Akufo-Addo is once again playing "Akan" politics but the truth is the

Ashantis don't like him or even trust him to become President.

A man genuinely seeking to become President of Ghana will never stoop so low. A

president of a country is not the same as a tribal leader and if Akufo Addo

wants to lead a tribe instead of a country he can go to Kyebi and conduct his

tribal business. Tribal politics has no place in modern African politics. It is

destructive, insular and simply unacceptable. Utterances as insular as these do

not define a Ghanaian President. When a coward talks, you see cowardice draining

down his feet, he needs some unscrupulous people like himself to support his

barbaric intentions.

Ghana does not need leaders in the caliber of Nana Akufo Addo. We need true

leaders who have made it and can change the course of history and not that they

have fought long enough to belong.We don’t need people to occupy space and we

also don’t need people who feel they are destined to be leaders and yet their

minds and hearts are stained with impunity. We need leaders who will inspire

the next generation and not leaders who will follow in the failed tradition of

their forefathers.

Enough Said.

Emmanuel Dela Coffie

www.delacoffie.wordpress.com