Dr. Kwaku A. Danso
International Chairman, GNP
Email: Kwaku.Danso@natlparty.com
Dear Dr. Danso,
I refer to your response to my article published in Ghanaweb on 27 April 2008 titled “Is the GNP Serious? I would like to thank you for contributing to such an important discussion that borders on democratic principles. Let me now address some of the statements you made:
(1) “There have been many changes since the 2006 Press Release and the manifesto at the time had not even been written or approved as it is on our website today. The people you mentioned are not even listed and never became part of the founding fathers of GNP, as you may notice.”
My response : Why is the 2006 Press Release still on your website if the material contained therein is outdated. Websites are meant to be updated so please correct it if the people mentioned never became part of the founding fathers of GNP.
(2) “Mr. Amo Aidoo, the interim national chair, was misquoted in his press conference once, and again this statement.”
My response: Are you now saying that Mr. Amo Aidoo was misquoted on the parcel excuse for not conducting your national congress? Why was he sanctioned if he was misquoted? This is what you wrote in one of your comments : “Mr. Amo Aidoo did not seek permission nor tell anybody he was giving that excuse - we have dealt with him internally, trust me.” Why are you now saying he was misquoted?
(3) “GNP was founded by Ghanaians in the Diaspora and we have absolutely no intent on deceiving anybody in Ghana for political power to take some of the little that the people have.”
My response: If this is true then why don’t you do the right thing and retract the press release and apologise to Ghanaians for the errors? What do you gain by dealing with the author of the press release internally but not issuing statements to the effect that you made an error by not following proper democratic protocols for not organizing regional congresses before a national congress?
(4) “Why would we leave our careers and jobs overseas for the rocky world of Ghanaian politics saddled with the burden and taint of corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency, were it not for our love for country and desire to see effective changes!”
My response: Many others have left their careers and jobs to enter politics for their self gain. Look at the scale of corruption within the NPP and NDC. They made Ghanaians believe that they were in politics to make life better for the people. Now they are making life better for themselves while the masses are suffering. If your party will cover up for lack of knowledge of protocols, what makes you think some people within your party will not tow the line of deceit, corruption and mismanagement? You have one example now with this lies of “parcel non delivery” as a trigger to postpone a national congress.
General Advice: It is one thing to make errors but it is another issue altogether when the errors are exposed and a political party shifts blames rather than putting out the true facts. First of all there have been contradictory statements made by Dr. Danso to the effect that Mr. Amo Aidoo was misquoted . You wrote “Mr. Amo Aidoo, the interim national chair, was misquoted in his press conference once, and again this statement.” Your contradiction lies in the fact that you also allege that you have dealt with him internally. Why was he dealt with if he was misquoted? This is blame-shifting and I encourage the GNP to take responsibility and be sincere to Ghanaians. The second point I want to make is that you allege that the Electoral Commission cancelled the congress in the last minute. That is also another blame shifting. The time of the cancellation of the national congress is irrelevant because the truth of the matter is the GNP failed to conduct regional congresses to elect regional officers prior to the national congress. That is the basic fact and this should have been clarified in the press release rather than using some parcel as an excuse. The fact that the GNP has conducted a regional congress in the Volta Region is a positive sign that you are now following the Electoral Commission directive.
Once you form a political party, you have to follow democratic principles. Unlike the GLU forum where Dr. Danso can solely decide to take off a contributor through his own assessment of what he perceives as “insult”, political parties have to operate in a transparent and democratic way. You have to elect district and regional officers before you can schedule a national congress to elect national officers, PERIOD. The revelation of this gross over-sight is not a personal attack on Dr. Danso or anyone within the GNP. It is to highlight the fact that preaching change and issuing statements should be in the spirit of sincerity and adherence to laid down democratic protocols. I wish the GNP will learn from this and put proper internal processes in place to ensure that they put out accurate information to the press. God bless.
Kwabena Nyamekye
Email: kwbn_nyamekye@yahoo.co.uk
