Akufo-Addo has not overcome the shock of the 2008 general elections. Obviously the author of the famous ‘stolen verdict’—a response to the 1992 election victory of Jerry Rawlings—has not the least inclination to accept the verdict of the Ghanaian masses. His recklessness during the heat of the last elections almost reduced Ghana to the conditions of Somalia and other devastated nations of the world.
Atta-Akyea, cousin to Akufo-Addo, had managed to force the High Court to sit on a public holiday to prevent the Electoral Commission from declaring the results of the election runoff. Since then the ‘Kibi-Kid’ (Akufo-Addo) and the Akim Mafia have not hidden their intention of subverting the will of the Ghanaian masses. After the well cheorograffed subversive and stupid airport welcome that almost threatened the unity of the nation and of his own party, Akufo-Addo is up to it again!
On the 26th of May 2009 the nephew of Joseph Boakye Danquah-- founder of Ghanaian reaction and inspirer of subversion in the 1st Republic--addressed a public forum to give an opposition response to the five months old administration of Atta-Mills. There will be no need commenting on the locus of Nana Akufo-Addo in the NPP since it is well known that by the NPP Constitution he ceases to be leader after the conclusion of the 2008 elections; that will be the business of the Alan Boys. What is of concern here is the irresponsible threat to unleash mayhem in the country: “The NPP leadership has worked very hard to restrain our supporters from reacting to these acts of intimidation and provocation. I am very concerned that sooner or later, militants on our side convinced that the state cannot or will not protect them, may take measures to protect their interest, themselves and their loved ones. Events will then be out of control, driving all of us towards a point of no return”.
The question is whether the NPP is a democratic party as professed or a militant group.
The international student edition of the Macmillan English dictionary defines militancy as ‘militant behavior or action’ and being militant is ‘using extreme and violent methods to achieve political or social change’; implying the extreme use of force. The admission that there are militants in the NPP is mind boggling. It brings back memories of the terrorist acts of the Danquah-Busia opposition of the 1950s and 1960s by their forebears.
NPP power politics is premised on the assumption that the right to public office is the preserve of a thin social layer of tribal aristocracy and colonial elite and their descendants. Despite the loud mouth claim to liberal democracy their actions betray their backward concept that public power is a matter of natural right of a certain social category. After the humiliation in the 1951 and four other subsequent general elections, adherents of the Danquah-Busia reaction resorted to terrorist activities to overthrow the first president of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Several attempts were made on the life of Nkrumah which was masterminded by the forebears of the NPP such as J.B Danquah, Obetsebe Lamptey and Edward Akufo-Addo, father of Nana Akufo-Addo.
Akufo-Addo is in line with that tradition, at least biologically. He is also the nephew of William Ofori-Atta and J. B. Danquah, thus related to all the two most prominent leaders of the Akim micro-nationalist political circle. Akufo-Addo has not got the image of a national leader. His electoral effort was in part an ethnic agenda. He, just like his forbearers had surrounded himself with tribal ideologues who think they have a natural right to rule and loot the country or else mayhem!
Apart from the assaults of the NLM’s Action Troopers on CPP residence in Kumasi, one can also talk of the bomb attacks in Accra in 1955; not forgetting the grenade attack in the northern village of Kulungugu in August 1962 which killed a small boy and wounded Nkrumah himself. Weeks after that there were several grenade bombings in Accra killing up to 30 people, an incidence in which Obetsebi Lamptey one of the lords of the Danquah- Busia tradition was later tried and convicted for supplying the grenades that were used in these attacks. There was also an assassination attempt on Nkrumah’s life at the flag staff house in 1964 in which J.B Danquah among others were arrested and detained.
Years before independence opposition to Nkrumah had coalesced around the National Liberation Movement which was never a very constructive opposition in the parliamentary sense. The NLM conducted violent campaigns; and threatened to use force to overthrow the CPP Government. They accused Nkrumah of being dictatorial after he found it necessary to pass laws such as the preventive detention act as a lawful response to the terrorism of an irresponsible opposition. But what are the democratic or liberal credentials of the Danquah-Busia cult that Akufo-Addo has made a mantra off?
There will be no need talking of their role in the over throw of the First Republic in collaboration with the Central Intelligence Agency of America. An inspection of the Busia and the Kufuor era will be more worthwhile. Especially when Akufo-Addo, in form with Danquah-Busia power politics—a politics limited to petty urban bourgeoisie human rights abuse exaggerations, wasteful press meetings, scandal peddling and radio noises—accused Atta Mills of violating the rule of law; intimidation of political opponents; and the abuse of human rights; so on and so forth!
Busia is no damn respecter of democracy .When the ban on party politics was lifted in 1969; Busia formed the Progress Party-- a direct successor of the United Party. After winning the 1969 general elections, Busia sacked over 500 senior civil servants claiming he had the constitutional right to do so. He equally crippled the Trades Unions Congress; banning the compulsory levying of dues on all Union members- a clear indication that the Busia government did not have a sense of opposition. The sacking of judges by Busia however, was an interesting one.
Perhaps the more reason why president Kufour had to return immediately from Australia to add an additional judge to over turn a Supreme Court decision about the constitutionality of the Fast Track High Court.
There is no gainsaying that the NPP administration also resorted to terrorist acts in the run up to the December 2008 elections. Just like the Action Troopers of the NLM, there were recorded tapes indicating plans of the NPP to send macho men to particular polling stations to frustrate electorates in particular regions considered to be the strong holds of their opponents, not to mention the gun shots fired by one guy called Red in Tamale an NPP activist at polling stations on election day.
It is therefore not surprising that Nana Akufo Addo a nephew of J.B Danquah and one who believes in Ghana to call on the militants in the New Patriotic Party to take the law into their own hands in contradiction of the rule of law that the rank and file of the party have always been preaching. (Kabi ma me nkabi amanbou). Whether the NPP is truly democratic as they claim or a militant group in today’s Ghana which is seen as the most trusted partner in Africa by the United States, Ghanaians will be the judges.
Aben Kwashie. Hutoreben@yahoo.com
