Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye this week asked a question on Asempa fm and was quickly turned off by Alhaji Bature for showing such rudeness and arrogance. "Who is Nana Addo?". Was his question. I took time to read the comments on the article on peacefmonline. I was shocked at how people pounced on Nii Lantey for asking that seemingly silly question. To me he needs an answer and I wish he will read this article so that next time, he will have more to say about the Hon Statesman, Nana Addo.
Nana Addo was born in March 1944. He is four months older than Atta Mills his(Nii Lantey) master. Nana Addo schooled at Governmemt Boys School, Rowe Star School, current day KINBU, Achimota and University of Ghana Legon where he graduated in Economics. He was also educated at Lancing College, Sussex, England as a lawyer. He is a multi-lingua scholar, speaking English, Italian, Spanish and French. His excellence in law gained him a call into the England's BAR (English Bar) in 1971. He was called into the Ghana BAR Association in 1975. He worked with Coudert Frères, a major US law firm, as an associate counsel, at its Paris office in France between 1971 and 1975. A stint that only reknowned lawyers get.
Nana Addo was a footballer in his youth. He played for the Legon University team and Real Republicans. At Real Repiblicans he was team mate to Sir Cecil Jone. Atuquayefio. Those are people who can give a living testimony about Nana Addo and I turn to them if I want to know anything about him. He is also a good cricket and Squash player. In Squash he won the national championship.
Nii Lantey should be told that the former Foreign Minister also worked as a partner at the chambers of U.V. Campbell, England, and in 1979 co-founded, with Dr Edmund Prempeh, the law firm, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Company in Accra.
Nana Addo has trained a lot of Ghana’s distinguished lawyers including, Sophia Akuffo (a Supreme Court Judge), Afare Yeboah (of What Do You Know fame), Joyce Darko, Justina Tete Donkor, Kuntunkununku Ampofo, Frank Davies, Alex Quaynor, Brookman Amissah, Philip Addison, Neils Lutterodt, Joe Ghartey (former Attorney-General), Efua Ghartey, Atta Akyea, Akoto Ampaw, Yoni Kulendi and Kwame Akuffo.
Nana Addo is happily married and has been blessed with five children and a grandson. All the five children are educated up to high levels and are gainfully employed. He is a responsible man who took care of his children, Lantey, do you hear?
Nana Addo in his tenure as the foreign affairs minister made a record of being elected on an overwhelming number of boards and committees earning Ghana international recognition than any foreign minister have ever done. He was elected by her peers to occupy a non permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2006-2007. He was elected in 2004 as one of the 15 pioneer members of the AU Peace and Security Council. He had a first time record of vote of 183 out of 191 to the UN Human Rights Council. He was also elected as a pioneer member of the UN Peace-Building Commission. Finally he was elected to the AU Chairmanship. He(Lantey Vanderpuiye) should tell us who he want to compare Nana Addo to.
In politics he is one of the firebrands that brought light on our way after the long dark days of military dictators. Among those military dictators, his party founder was the one who oppressed Ghana for the longest period. Nana Addo's fight on human rights and justice has contributed to why he can sit on radio today and open his wide mouth to ask silly questions.
Lantey Vanderpuiye and as many as will want to know who Nana Addo is should just read this; when it comes to rule of law and human rights alone; Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo was the General Secretary of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) (1977-78) at the age of 33; Vice President, Greater Accra Regional Branch of Ghana Bar Association (1989-91); President, Greater Accra Regional Branch of Ghana Bar Association (1991-96); Member, General Legal Council (1991-96); Member, Legal Committee of Ghana Bar Association (1991-96); Member, General Council of Ghana Bar Association (1991-96); founder and first Chairperson, Ghana Committee on Human and Peoples Rights. Nana Addo was Spokesperson of the Alliance for Change (AFC), broad based political pressure group (1995-96); Member, Judicial Council (2001-2003); Member, General Legal Council (2001-2003); Member, Board of Legal Education (2001-2003) and Chairperson, legal Service Board (2001-2003).
Nana Addo has held other positions of dignity including Member, Ghana Investors Advisory Council (2001-2003); Member, Ghana Aids Commission (2001-2003); Minister for Foreign Affairs (April 2003 - 2007) Honourary Fellow, Legon Hall, University of Ghana. He is not a poor man using politics to change his life like him(Nii Lantey). Neither is he one of those who were owing plantain and Yoko gari before entering politics. Besides all this boards, firms and associations he has served on. Nana Addo is the Chairman of DHL, Ghana Limited. He is the chairman of Kinesic Communications Co. Ltd. which is still a thriving publication company in Ghana. In all this boards, committees, organisations and associations, he was voted for by people of high reputation, status and class. Learned people amd wise men.
Nana Addo is a frank, straight forward, honest, brave, courageous, charismatic, afluent, dynamic, law abiding, a true democrat, visonary and zealous person willing to serve his nation with all what he has. Nana Addo upon all the various positions he has held in his life has never been accused of any mulfeasance, corruption or double sidedness. He is a man of himself who cares not what will happen as long as he is standing by the truth. He is a true christian who dont go about blowing his own horn. He is a christian by deeds not words.
Lantey Vanderpuiye asked who is Nana Addo because maybe he does not know him. He is the first presidential candidate to go into election for the first time against someone who had been beating trice to poll 49.77% of total votes cast. He virtually won the first round, to this all Ghanaians are aware. It has never happened throughout the history of Ghanaian politics. For a first timer to pull that kind of crowd.
Am getting furious about this whole attacks on Nana Addo in particular. I want to leave the blood in my belly this time and spew out only white sputum, but if this continues, we will all paint Ghana red. Mills has shown his happiness on how all his appointtees are using all kinds of descriptions on Nana Addo and he(Mills) should not be surprised if the stones coming to their side drops on him from head to tow. Kobby Acheampong described Nana Addo as an untidy man. And Mills is tapping him on his shoulder and praising him for good work done. Mills appointees(all of them) have continuosly embarked on this mission of spreading bad words about Nana Addo without him(Mills) shouting down even one of them. They should be ready because we won't listen to Nana Addo any longer when he tells us to hold our peace. Mills is not reciprocating the gentility he(Nana Addo) is extending to him and I dont believe he deserves it.
If anything like this happens again my next article won't look like this. Everybody will smell the covered gabage in the bed chambers of Mills.
We wont allow some blood drinking ocultic gays who pretend to be christians hypocritically send untrained children to keep destroying the good reputation of people in the name of politics. I will personally fire ten times back, if it happens again. I hope Nana Addo will excuse me.
If Lantey Vanderpuiye asks who is Nana Addo, tell him NANA ADDO IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF GHANA.
God bless our homeland Ghana.
Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.
