Alhaji Haruna Atta, Managing Editor of the Accra Mail and a leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had been insulted by principal members of his party for daring to speak the truth concerning the way and manner the 1st year anniversary celebration of the late Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, was hijacked for partisan political purposes by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the 2012 presidential running-mate of the NPP.

However, a member of the Aliu 1st Anniversary Planning Committee chaired by Jeff Abeasi, has come out to defend Alhaji Haruna Atta, stating that, the committee had decided in all its deliberations that the occasion should be a non-partisan one.

The source said the suggested topics were- (a1) a disciplined mentored and nurtured youth: a pre-requisite for sustainable development of Ghana

(a2) sustainable development of Ghana: the need for mentoring and nurturing the youth for effective leadership

(a3) mentoring and nurturing the youth with emphasis on discipline: the way forward for Ghana’s development; and

(a4) empowering the youth for future leadership through mentoring and nurturing.

He revealed also that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was chosen after Busumuru Kofi Annan, Togbe Afede, Ibn Chambas and Dr. Sam Jonah were unavailable.

The member added also that, to show how the committee intends to de-politicize the event, the committee rejected sample of car stickers because the red, blue and the white colours bore a resemblance to the NPP colours.

Once again, we publish below unedited, Haruna Atta’s statement condemning Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his decision to unwisely do the bidding of his political “God Father”, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo .

This is to dissociate myself from the lecture delivered by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the Aliu Mahama Memorial Lecture yesterday, November 13 2011. He not only deviated from the topic he was given but exploited the platform to indulge in an unwarranted partisan political point- scoring exercise and by so doing, totally desecrated the memory of the man the lecture was supposed to ennoble. It was not in good taste.

I also wish to apologise to the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama and his government for this unfair and uncalled-for attack on them.