Stephen Nti to President Attah-Mills: call off your dogs
Gilbert Boyefio
25/02/09
Following numerous accusations of harassment of members, functionaries and sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party countrywide by the NDC government, President John Evans Atta-Mills has been called upon to “call off his dogs.”
To political analysts these happenings make it difficult to accept the President’s claim of being a father for all, maintaining that, “The President should be able to restrain the hawks in his party since it will be virtually impossible for him to govern or pursue his policies without the support of the minority, not forgetting the closeness of the 2008 elections and the near 50-50 support of each party’s base.”
According to Stephen Ayesu Ntim, Former NPP National First Vice Chairman, a lot of mind boggling issues have emerged and the culture of impunity which prevailed under the PNDC and first NDC administrations has made a swift return with no claim of responsibility by the government or the NDC in this regard.
Addressing the press yesterday, Mr Ntim explained that he has now decided to break his long silence on political events unfolding in the country since his continued silence would in a way also amount to promoting and perpetuating the usurpation and raping of the socio-economic and political liberties that were built during the Kufuor administration.
He said Ghanaians have been witnesses to the unwarranted seizure of vehicles and brutalities being meted out to former government officials and supporters of the NPP. “At Agbogbloshie today, it is a crime for anybody to stand up and be counted among NPP supporters. The pain being inflicted on NPP supporters in Agbogbloshie today is not only unwarranted but a deliberate provocation by the NDC to draw supporters of the NPP into an unnecessary confrontation.
“The pain being inflicted on our supporters in Agbogbloshie today is not only unwarranted but a deliberate provocation by the NDC to draw supporters of the NPP into an unnecessary confrontation. The same fate awaits supporters of the NPP in other parts of Accra, Volta Region, Tamale and some NDC strongholds within the country.”
Mr Ntim cited last Friday’s incident on GTV’s Breakfast Show when alleged instructions from the Castle called for the termination of the Programme because the Guests were not toeing the line of the government. “In a related development, Mr. Egbert Faibille was also removed under controversial circumstances from GTV’s Talking Point as the host because he had a soft spot for the NPP.”
Citing other examples to buttress his assertion, he disclosed that Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC had vowed to make life “a living hell” for Akenten Appiah-Menka, Ashanti Region Chairman of the NPP Council of Elders, even before the latter lost his bid to become a Member of the Council of State due to his political affiliation, “oblivious of the fact that Emma Mitchel [a former member of the first NDC administration] was APPOINTED, not elected by Former President Kufuor to serve on the Council of State.”
He further pointed out that at Goaso, the chief of the town, who is a staunch supporter of the NDC has also vowed to make life unbearable for all NPP supporters there. In this regard, he recently summoned two NPP radio callers to his palace and warned them to stop calling into radio programmes or face the consequences. Subsequently, a young lady working in the NPP constituency office as an attendant and her family are constantly being harassed by the Chief in line with his avowed aim to make life uncomfortable for NPP members in Goaso, he added.
Another area which Mr Ntim noted has raised lots of question marks is the NDC Transition team and the supposed powers they wield. He indicated that NPP representatives on the Transition team have often complained about the uncooperative attitude of their NDC colleagues and their determination to embarrass them in the eyes of the public by leaking lopsided reports to the media without hearing the other side of the story, raising suspicion about the motive of the whole exercise.
To him, “This confirms the suspicion of the kind of leadership we should expect between now and December 2012.” He said the recent brutalities being meted out to opposition supporters and the business community are in sharp contrast to the avowed NDC aim of building a better Ghana.
Referring to page 33 of the NDC manifesto for the 2008 elections, which deals with Law and Justice, Mr Ntim wondered why the party which claims to have the greatest of respect for the rights of the citizen would continue with the arrest and detention of such personalities as NPP running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and other former government officials, the seizure of cars, offices and toilets throughout the country especially in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale by supporters of the NDC despite a huge outcry over the earliest illegal acts.
Page 34 of the same manifesto promises to “Improve the capacity of the internal security agencies to ensure personal safety and security to the citizenry” yet the rate of armed robbery, organised crime and road accidents are on the ascendancy, he added.
25/02/09
Following numerous accusations of harassment of members, functionaries and sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party countrywide by the NDC government, President John Evans Atta-Mills has been called upon to “call off his dogs.”
To political analysts these happenings make it difficult to accept the President’s claim of being a father for all, maintaining that, “The President should be able to restrain the hawks in his party since it will be virtually impossible for him to govern or pursue his policies without the support of the minority, not forgetting the closeness of the 2008 elections and the near 50-50 support of each party’s base.”
According to Stephen Ayesu Ntim, Former NPP National First Vice Chairman, a lot of mind boggling issues have emerged and the culture of impunity which prevailed under the PNDC and first NDC administrations has made a swift return with no claim of responsibility by the government or the NDC in this regard.
Addressing the press yesterday, Mr Ntim explained that he has now decided to break his long silence on political events unfolding in the country since his continued silence would in a way also amount to promoting and perpetuating the usurpation and raping of the socio-economic and political liberties that were built during the Kufuor administration.
He said Ghanaians have been witnesses to the unwarranted seizure of vehicles and brutalities being meted out to former government officials and supporters of the NPP. “At Agbogbloshie today, it is a crime for anybody to stand up and be counted among NPP supporters. The pain being inflicted on NPP supporters in Agbogbloshie today is not only unwarranted but a deliberate provocation by the NDC to draw supporters of the NPP into an unnecessary confrontation.
“The pain being inflicted on our supporters in Agbogbloshie today is not only unwarranted but a deliberate provocation by the NDC to draw supporters of the NPP into an unnecessary confrontation. The same fate awaits supporters of the NPP in other parts of Accra, Volta Region, Tamale and some NDC strongholds within the country.”
Mr Ntim cited last Friday’s incident on GTV’s Breakfast Show when alleged instructions from the Castle called for the termination of the Programme because the Guests were not toeing the line of the government. “In a related development, Mr. Egbert Faibille was also removed under controversial circumstances from GTV’s Talking Point as the host because he had a soft spot for the NPP.”
Citing other examples to buttress his assertion, he disclosed that Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC had vowed to make life “a living hell” for Akenten Appiah-Menka, Ashanti Region Chairman of the NPP Council of Elders, even before the latter lost his bid to become a Member of the Council of State due to his political affiliation, “oblivious of the fact that Emma Mitchel [a former member of the first NDC administration] was APPOINTED, not elected by Former President Kufuor to serve on the Council of State.”
He further pointed out that at Goaso, the chief of the town, who is a staunch supporter of the NDC has also vowed to make life unbearable for all NPP supporters there. In this regard, he recently summoned two NPP radio callers to his palace and warned them to stop calling into radio programmes or face the consequences. Subsequently, a young lady working in the NPP constituency office as an attendant and her family are constantly being harassed by the Chief in line with his avowed aim to make life uncomfortable for NPP members in Goaso, he added.
Another area which Mr Ntim noted has raised lots of question marks is the NDC Transition team and the supposed powers they wield. He indicated that NPP representatives on the Transition team have often complained about the uncooperative attitude of their NDC colleagues and their determination to embarrass them in the eyes of the public by leaking lopsided reports to the media without hearing the other side of the story, raising suspicion about the motive of the whole exercise.
To him, “This confirms the suspicion of the kind of leadership we should expect between now and December 2012.” He said the recent brutalities being meted out to opposition supporters and the business community are in sharp contrast to the avowed NDC aim of building a better Ghana.
Referring to page 33 of the NDC manifesto for the 2008 elections, which deals with Law and Justice, Mr Ntim wondered why the party which claims to have the greatest of respect for the rights of the citizen would continue with the arrest and detention of such personalities as NPP running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and other former government officials, the seizure of cars, offices and toilets throughout the country especially in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale by supporters of the NDC despite a huge outcry over the earliest illegal acts.
Page 34 of the same manifesto promises to “Improve the capacity of the internal security agencies to ensure personal safety and security to the citizenry” yet the rate of armed robbery, organised crime and road accidents are on the ascendancy, he added.
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