Nana Akufo-Addo still does not get it

Nana Akufo-Addo is reported by Class FM to have said “I am coming to do an honest job for Ghana. Our nation’s money will not find its way into my pocket” In other words, Nana Addo as President, will not steal Ghana’s money. Nana keeps making such statements as if when President John Kuffour was campaigning in 1999 and 2003, he told Ghanaians that Ghana’s money will find its way into his pocket.

Nana Addo is yet to tell Ghanaians or mention the name of any President who stole Ghana’s money.

You see, Nana Akufo-Addo still does not get it. The 2016 elections is not going to be whether Nana Addo will steal Ghana money or not. It is going to be about experience, development, commitment, energetic leader and hard work. President Kuffour never said in 1999 that money will find its way into his pocket but at the end of the day, one of the most famous quotes of President Kuffour was “corruption was from the era of Adam and Eve. He is not the one to stop it. If you have evidence, bring it”

Granted that in the very unlikely event and Nana Akufo Addo becomes President, and he will not steal, is he trying to tell Ghanaians that as President, he will also be the Sports Minister, Education Minister, Agriculture Minister, Finance Minister, Defense Minister etc?

If he cannot be the Minister in all these ministries, what happens if he appoints Freddy Blay into one of these ministries?

Can Nana Addo govern Ghana without Gabby Otchere Darko, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Sir John, Afenyo-Markin, Asibey Yeboah and all those people stealing NPP’s money?

Nana Akufo-Addo must be reminded that it was not because of him that the Nana Ohene Ntow’s commission was established. It is these same people who caused the Ohene Ntow’s commission to be set up, that Nana will appoint to run the various ministries.

If these same people are stealing the Party’s money whilst in opposition, what will happen if Ghanaians make the mistake and give their destiny to them? Let me give you a picture of Nana’s government.

The Finance Ministry will be Gabby Otchere Darko’s personal bank and the Controller and Accountant General Office will be Sir John’s personal property. All the workers there will be under the control of Sir John’s wife. Freddy Blay will control the Ministry of Communications and Daily Guide will enjoy 100% monopoly over news reporting. Isn’t that scary?

Is that the government you want in 2016 to 2020? It is very scary but that is the gospel truth.

Nana Akufo-Addo should immediately stop telling us what he will not do as President and start telling us what he will do as President, if he has any. That is what we call campaigning and that is what win elections.

Telling us you will not steal Ghana’s money as President is something no serious person will use as a campaign message. Nana’s “Rise and Build” Tour has successfully achieved two things. The first achievement is that it has given Nana the opportunity to lament on why he is going to lose the 2016 elections with the voters register being the victim. The second achievement is that, it has given Nana the opportunity to make promises to Ghanaians.

Unfortunately for Nana, the promises he is making has already been delivered by President John Dramani Mahama. For example, Nana went to Talensi and Brong Ahafo Region and told them that he will fix their dumsor if they vote for him. Meanwhile, there is no dumsor in these places.

President Mahama has already fixed those ones and he continues to fix the rest. If you are reading this article, honestly tell me Nana’s campaign message, apart from the one he has said he is too old to steal. Nana should know that he is equally too old to be a President. The Presidency is not about saying what you will not do. It is all about what you will do.

Nana is trying to go into the 2016 elections as the person who is not corrupt as he has succeeded in letting his followers believe. But who in Ghana doesn’t know that Nana Akufo Addo is the most corrupt politician of our current generation.

Let me give you some examples. Nana told the NPP Council of Elders that even though President Kuffour won the nomination to lead the party into the 2000 elections, they should allow him (Nana Addo) to contest the general elections since he has the money to campaign in all the 10 regions. President Kuffour won to become the President and appointed Nana Addo as the Attorney General and then later as the Foreign Minister. What else should Kuffour do for Nana Addo?

Nana Addo, one time attempted to bribe the former Municipal Chief Executive for Tamale, Dr. Muhammed Amin Anta and his team with $5,000.00. Nana as the Attorney General oversaw the mysterious sale of the Discover-511 drill ship of which up until now, $3.5million is still missing from the Finance Ministry. Nana Addo as the Foreign Minister saw the missing of at least 12 diplomatic passports of which one was found with a Ghanaian cocaine dealer in Singapore.

During the NPP contest for the flag bearer slot, Nana Akufo Addo bribed all the 140,000 delegates with GHC600,000.00 to secure 94% votes. Nana, through his bribery and corruption had aimed at securing 100% votes to let the world think that there is unity in the party.

Nana and his followers should know by now that the Presidency is all about governance. What is happening to the NPP as of today? The NPP is the most disorganized and useless party in the history of Ghana. Just yesterday, there was an attempt by the party leadership to launch the registration of a new party ID card in the Ashanti Region.

The campaign for Nana Addo had also scheduled a Rise and Build Tour in the same region at the same time. So the party leadership is doing their own thing and Nana Addo and his campaign team are also doing something different. It is only under Nana Addo that the biggest opposition party in Ghana does not have a functioning Chairman and a General Secretary.

Even in my village, which has classes one to six rooms has a functioning Chairman for the Parents & Teachers Association (PTA). Under Nana Addo, the NPP has no effective elders and leaders. The party is without direction and vision. It has no aim and no objective.

Everybody in the party now is on its own. You either belong to the President Kuffour faction and do things the Kuffour way or you belong to the Nana faction and you do things the Nana’s way. The Kuffour faction is united towards agenda 2020 and the Nana faction is more united towards a defeat in the 2016 elections. So you see, there is absolute unity in the NPP but it depends on what faction you talk to and the goal of the conversation.

I heard there is a report in the Nana Ohene Ntow’s commission that seems to suggest the Nana Addo was given 100,000 pounds for his travelling expenses during his latest trip to the UK. Is that money not Ghana money? So why is Nana Addo disturbing our eyes by throwing dust onto them? Did that money go into the pockets of Sir John or into Nana’s pocket? A similar ‘dust throwing” is this call for new voter register.

Seriously, why do people think Nana just got up one day and demanded for a new voters register? Why is Nana not calling for a peaceful way to demand a new voters register but charged his followers to raise the temperature for their reckless demand? The Voters Register will be changed only if it is necessary not because some people have decided to shout. So far, no one has been able to proof the necessity to change it. The call for a new voters register is not a shouting game. Its brain’s work.

Lawrence Appiah-Osei (Protocol)

Chairman

Friends of John Dramani Mahama (USA Chapter)

Appiah65@Hotmail.com or 703-400-1621