*Over Elect Another Akan After Kufuor and Lose In 2008 statement

DR. AMOAKO Tuffuor says he stands by the ethnocentric statements he made at Mankesim about a fortnight ago and that critics of his remarks should attribute those statements to his personality and not the Vice President.

He also insisted that with all the knowledge, education and exposure at his disposal, he should be given the maximum respect that he deserves.

“Did you hear the Vice President saying something? A man like me with all respect; the education, the exposure, the involvement in politics I have to say something because somebody puts it in my mouth to say? This is sad. This is really sad”, worried Mr Amoako Tuffour told Patrick Ayimo of Accra-based Citi 97.3 FM Friday.

He said even though he is an Ashanti, he has a track record of being what he terms as a detribalized person and recounted how he legally fought the Limann administration from removing then Chief Justice Akpaloo from office by taking that government to the Supreme Court to challenge its decision which he said he eventually won.

“We are not talking about tribal politics! We are talking about the kinds of things that can defeat us. There is no tribalism here. I have a history in this country that I am detribalized. That is, when Limann came to power, he wanted to sack a Chief Justice, I personally stood against it. Even my own tribesmen asked me why I was defending an Ewe and I told them that an Ewe is also a Ghanaian. I took the case to the Supreme Court and subsequently won which made Akpaloo maintain his position. And so, when I am talking, I don’t do tribal politics, that this is north, south etc. There are certain things you say it the right way. I am not doing tribal politics but I’m talking about fair play, politics of understanding and politics that can make you win power”, he said.

He, however, maintained that tribalism and ethnicity in politics is not new to Ghanaian politics, adding that it is also not limited to the borders of this country and that the earlier his critics accept the challenge and discus the subject dispassionately, the better for the development of the country’s democracy.

He said he believes in politics devoid of any malice and that it is an issue that must urgently be brought up for an across board discussion for the benefit of the party and the country, describing those refusing to discuss it properly as hypocrites and dishonest people.

“Just mark what I said. It was said in good faith, very healthy for the party’s benefit and for everybody’s benefit. You cannot unite this country, you cannot bring people together when we are hypocrites and we don’t want to face issues. We can face it with other people but others we can’t deal with it. This is sad.

According to him, “let’s embrace this country as one people with unity in mind, one destiny and let us stop being hypocrites and try to treat this country as a country we love. Love thy neighbour as thyself the Great One said once. Love thy neighbour as thyself whether he is Jewish, Arab or whatever. What do you have against wisdom like that?

He also noted that at the Vice President’s campaign launch he said a whole lot of things but it is rather unfortunate that people have chosen to highlight the tribal/ethnic side, adding that he is prepared to take anybody on as far as the debate on NPP’s 2008 victory and ethnicity in the party is concerned.

Dr. Amoako Tuffuor stressed that the ruling NPP’s victory in the upcoming 2008 election depends largely on how the party handles the tribal politics within it, maintaining that if the NPP fails to defuse the minds of the electorate that the party is not an Akan-party the NDC would definitely capitalize on it to wrestle power from the NPP.