What Is Da Rocha’s Problem?

J.B Da Rocha has failed woefully in his bid to, in typical NPP style, contrive the semblance of unity within the party and instead of him managing his lack of negotiation skills, he is behaving like Kennedy Agyepong and Maxwell Kofi Jumah, and throwing tantrums.

Da Rocha will have us believe that no single individual is bigger than the NPP and so “to hell with Kyeremanteng”.

We agree that no single individual is bigger than the NPP but it is a fact that some individuals are bigger than others, and have a lot of following within the party.

At the NPP’s congress last year, we saw it for ourselves how the likes of Arthur Kennedy, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, arrogant Kwabena Agyepong, and co, have no following within the party.

At the same congress, it was clear to all that Allan Kyeremanteng has a serious following within the party.

For sure, it is for reasons of Allan Kyeremanteng having some clout within the NPP, that made Da Rocha approach him to attempt to iron out the differences between Allan and the party.

We don’t think Da Rocha would have bothered to attempt to negotiate, if it was the case that Arthur “single one” Kennedy, was the one who tendered in his resignation letter.

So for Da Rocha to be barking on the airwaves saying that Allan must be allowed to leave the party, smacks of nothing but, a very bruised old man who does not know how to manage his hurt and pain.

When Da Rocha says Allan should return unconditionally, what is he talking about?

The man left the party for reasons of his supporters being “victimized, harassed, and intimidated” by Akufo-Addo’s hounds.

So if Allan made it clear the reasons for his departure, why did Da Rocha waste his time talking to the man if he was not prepared to give an ear to the man’s grievances?

People like Da Rocha, are they not in the UP tradition because they either loved the secessionist moves of the NLM/UP group, or because they had a problem with military rule (of course, not the military junta that toppled Nkrumah)?

So Da Rocha is where he is for reasons that jive with his being.

Somebody like Allan Kyeremanteng may have joined the NPP for reasons different from that of Da Rocha’s.

So if Allan decides to leave the NPP because he does not believe in the use of intimidation and harassment as means of dispute resolution and asks that he be given an undertaken that upon his return, his followers shall not continue to face persecution, what is Da Rocha’s problem?

If Da Rocha is prepared to remain in a party that turns party primaries into boxing contests, Allan Kyeremanteng has decided to walk away from such a violent political tradition and if Da Rocha can’t handle it, he should keep quiet and stop exhibiting Kenney Agyepong-like small-brain tendencies on the airwaves.

After all, was it not Da Rocha who elected himself as chief negotiator?

Did Allan beg for any negotiation? Certainly not!

So if Allan is not begging to be let back into the NPP, and it is the NPP that is singing the “Come back” song, and begging Allan to return, why is Da Rocha shouting all over the place and creating the impression that the party does not need Allan?

If the party does not need Allan, we are sure Allan too does not need the party.

Da Rocha knows very well the irreparable harm that Allan’s departure has done to the already tattered image of the NPP.

If in 2000, the departure of the Reform “Boys”, caused the NDC the election, history is repeating itself and in 2008, the departure of Allan from the NPP shall cost the party the election.

The Reform “Boys” left because they felt there was no internal democracy within the NDC.

Allan has left the NPP because his people are being intimidated, harassed, victimized and persecuted.

Obviously, Allan’s beef is worse than that of the Reform “Boys” and that is why the Reform “Boys” are back in the fold of the NDC.

No amount of outbursts from the likes of Da Rocha will save the NPP so the earlier Da Rocha and co prepare for a massive defeat at the polls, the better it would be for him.

Insulting Allan Kyeremanteng will only worsen the case.

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