A NEW Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Mr. Daniel Dugan, has refuted all the effusions made by the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the ruling government, adding that the NDC is paranoid.
Mr. Dugan who made this statement in reaction to the former President Jerry John Rawlings comment that President John Agyekum Kufuor should be arrested and that he is the leader of a gang of thieves said, " To me they are being paranoid.
They want to have an excuse to tell the people how come they lost elections in 2000 and also to establish a ground to defend themselves when they fail to win Elections 2004."
According to the veteran politician, it was rather unfortunate that the NDC and its founder were crying about the policies of the NPP that they were not good. "It is amazing to be hearing all these things from them. Nation building requires patience. You know, the NDC says the NPP is implementing their policies without giving praise to them and at another point the same people come back to say NPP is not doing well with its policies. Are they now confirming that their policies were not good and if so why then do you want to come back to power," he asked.
Mr. Dugan indicated that it amazes him how the NDC always trumpet the economic hardship of the nation at the time that they failed to implement the economic blue print policy of the Progress Party they adopted in 1983 to the letter resulting to the worse situation that faced the nation in 2000.
He revealed that with the Danquah Busia blue print economic policy re-adopted by the current Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, the economic revenue has risen from US$200m in 2001 to over US$1.4billion now.
Responding to the analogy of the former President, the NPP stalwart prevailed upon the government to streamline measures in addressing what he called misguided statements.
"I feel that some of these statements have evil repercussions for that matter the government must take actions to find ways of addressing such issues when it comes out because such statements may provoke someone into doing something bad which will not help the nation."
"Who in the time of Mr. Rawlings will make such statement and go to bed comfortably? Thanks to the NPP government," he remarked. According to Mr. Dugan, the ex-President's campaigns in the countryside in which he exhorted the military to arrest President Kufuor, was a grand plan of the NDC to make the rural folks feel insecure and vote for the NDC, adding that after all nobody would like to vote for a leader who would be toppled within the shortest possible time.
"Remember in 1996 and 2000, they threatened to bomb towns and villages that would vote NPP. This is wickedness and lies. Something must be done to these irresponsible citizens. The NDC cannot be for peace," he submitted.
Reacting to President Kufuor's counter call that the ex-president should be arrested, Mr. Dugan, a columnist at The Chronicle was of the view that even when things got to the helm, Jesus Christ known for peace and tolerance snapped at the vendors in the temple.
"President Kufuor is human and surely has his breaking point. He has a democratic right to respond to statements. However he should allow the foot soldiers to do the work for him taking his dignity, respect and caliber into consideration."
He dismissed the economic trauma and the hardship that has engulfed the citizenry by the present administration.
The hardships have always been there, since the PNDC/NDC era but currently the difference is like coming home very hungry and finding food cooking on the fire. "You are assured of meals soon and all you have to do is to have patience and wait." He assured Ghanaians.
