Spio-Garbrah Demolishes Atta Mills

-Says He Is Not Combative Credible, And A Winning Candidate!!!

An aspiring presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, has taken a swipe at the party’s twice defeated presidential candidate and one-time vice president, Prof. Evans John Atta Mills making inferences that suggest that the professor is not combative, credible, and a visionary. These were contained in a 23- page speech he delivered at the Teachers’ Hall, Accra; to officially launch his bid for the slot to lead the NDC in the 2008 presidential elections. Below are excerpts from the speech:

“If the NDC does not pick a winning candidate, we will be in trouble come 2008. The people of Ghana are looking forward to better leadership and governance and will elect the NDC Party into power only if they see that we as a party are willing to atone for past misdeeds, and offer them a fresh, credible, results-oriented visionary candidate, with a track record of success, who can actually win an election. The Ghanaian people are not fools.” (pg 6)

“Thus I had to conclude that I have the knowledge and capacity to convince Ghanaians of the merits of voting for a dynamic, visionary NDC candidate in 2008 when others might have failed in 2000 and 2004. I am not one of those who believe that the NPP is so unpopular that just anybody in the NDC can defeat them. ...If we choose again someone who is not combative, and the NPP picks among its 20 or so ministers and candidates someone more dynamic- we will be in ‘Hell’ for another 8 years.” (pg 8)

“Since 1960, neither the Democratic Party nor Republican Party in America has made that error again, in fielding a twice-defeated candidate. In the U.K., too, the last three Conservative Party candidates who have lost against Tony Blair have each stood down after one attempt. The flagbearership of the NDC is not akin to chieftaincy! NDC should learn these lessons and avoid inflicting another 8 years of sorrow and pain on itself. ...Prof. Mills, too ...should have cultivated others who could succeed him and create space for them to rejuvenate and re-freshen the Party. Good leadership calls for selfless succession planning.” (pg 10)

“...the NDC are simply tired of being in opposition and tired of losing elections for no good reasons. If we claim that we lost the 2004 elections only because it was rigged, then are we praying that the NPP does not rig the 2008 election, so that we can win?” (pg 10)

“...I repeat again: as the Holy Bible tells us, sometimes a small boy, David, must appear on the battle field to save his own brothers who have been sitting on the battlefield for days- in this case six years- but cannot defeat the opponent.” (pg 11)

“ If the new president of Ghana in 2008 is to be able to tackle the national problems that we have identified, then that person must have that unique combination of skills, knowledge and competencies, personality, charisma, experience, youthful maturity, and the inspirational vision that will capture the hearts and minds of the majority of Ghanaians. ...Currently, there seems to be a misalignment between the thinking amongst some delegates and the thinking of most of the general electorate. Just like driving with an old and used tyre, there is not a proper alignment between what most Party delegates believe is good for Ghana and what most Ghanaians believe is good for them. I shall help fix this alignment problem over the next 80 days before Congress just as a ‘Vulcanizer’ helps to align our car tyres!”

Well, fellow Ghanaians, that is an NDC presidential aspirant for you on his assessment of Atta Mills. From the above, the professor is more than an empty barrel. He has outlived his usefulness and value in Ghanaian contemporary politics. But wait a minute, in the absence of any credible candidate within the NDC, as it seem to be the case, is the man who has “been tending to the sheep of the CTO in far-off Commonwealth lands, and come periodically to Ghana to visit Professor Mills, Alhaji Iddrisu and others to see how the battle is going” (pg11) the alternative the NDC has to offer the good people of Ghana? Ei! Ghanaians, shine your eyes!!!