Opinions of Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Columnist: Sayibu, Akilu

RE: to Akuffo-Addo's detractors

AKILU SAYIBU: OKOAMPA HAS DIALED A WRONG NUMBER PART (1)



After I published an article titled-Nana Addo must eschew his perceived arrogance or be prepared to be eschewed by politics, One Okoampa writing under the heading; “Shame to Akuffo-Addo’s detractors” which was published on myjoyonline.com among other websites on the 1st of July 2010, made specific reference to my article and ran his mouth around what I earlier on published in the media which was just but an ordinary admonition to Nana Addo.

First of all, I want the said Okoampa to know that, he has needlessly dialed a wrong number and should therefore be prepared for a very wrong response! If Okoampa is ready for useless media war I am ready for it. If he is looking for insults contest here I come!



He must be told that flooding the media with dubious and misleading words contrary to the basic rudiments of communication does not mean he makes his issues well. I rarely read his writings because I get irritated with his inability to communicate in very simply and concise ways without having to always parade his writings with words from thesaurus! Thank God my attention was drawn to this particular uninformed response to my earlier article.

To be begin with, Okoampa must be made aware that, Nana Addo is aspiring to lead a corporate political party and country call Ghana. He is not aspiring to lead a clique of mafias from any tribe in Ghana. In this regard therefore, I can express every opinion on how Nana Addo walks, how he laughs, how he talks, including statements he makes in public or even in private if I have that information. I don’t need clearance from anybody. Perhaps the only clearance I could need would be to switch my laptop on. So he can’t gag his perceived “detractors” of Nana Addo from expressing their views.

It definitely will be a huge myth for any creature to think that, Nana Addo is a perfect mortal and should therefore not be advice from eschewing certain negative traits which can’t win him power any day.

Okoampa must be told that, I am not ready to join those who go about shouting “Yere ko ye nim” (we are moving forward) and dancing to the “Nana is a winner” song by Daddy Lumba and not do the real things that will make Nana Addo the real winner. If by been bold to advice Nana Addo to eschew his perceived arrogance means I hate him by the figment of Okoampa so be it. And if by continuously writing articles on what Nana Addo should and should not do to win power mean I belong to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and so what?? If even I belong to a political party call QXC party what about that Okoampa?

May I ask Okoampa to go back to Ghanaweb and read the comments that followed that moribund article he wrote and he would have come to the quickest realization that, nobody is amuse with his ineffective penchant for flooding the media with heavily misused words. Such behavior shows how deficient he is at using simple words to communication his messages.

The whole world over the essence of communication is to convey straight-forward understanding of words. This is taught in all Journalism trainings- formal or informal. If Okoampa claims he teaches Journalism to teenagers in America and can not use simple, concise, and clear words to convey his message he should not dare get me wrong when I use every day English to communicate to readers. It is for this reason that, I take every issue with his futile attempt to slant and twist my article. His likes at best only create problems for Nana Addo.

Okoampa is entitled to litter uninformed allegations about people he finds difficult to understand but he dare not bring it to me. My email address Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk should give Okoampa a hint that I am not a school drop-out here in United Kingdom and therefore have a clearer and better understanding of what ever I publish anywhere on this earth!

People like Okoampa can at best be described as latter day saints! I worked for the Statesman newspaper in the 1990’s which was published by Nana Addo. Alhaji Harruna Attah was my editor, Amfo-Kwakye was my Director and the late Ferdinand Ayim was my chief reporter we use to meet up with Nana Addo then on a whole lot of issues. I wonder where these characters were those days and only resurfaced recently to tell who hate or likes Nana Addo!

I am from the North and must say that, it is a huge taboo to use the name of an animal in the context Nana Addo used it irrespective of the provocation from the people. The issue as Okoampa want the whole world to believe was not about who should be appointed as Nana Addo’s coordinator for the Upper-East region. Nana has always had a coordinator(s) in the region championing his presidential ambition. On the day of the meeting the regional executives were complaining of several coordinators at the said meeting issuing what they said were confusing and contradictory statements to them.

Okoampa, if even the Bolga executives had complained of who actually became Nana Addo’s coordinator was the statement he made the best he could have said to the people? If no what is wring if Akilu Sayibu should advice Nana Addo to eschew his temperament and arrogance?

After August 7th Nana Addo will definitely need the votes of this very same people to reach the Jubilee House if he happens to win the primary of the NPP- The reason he must be very circumspect what he says in the face of provocations. If Okoampa goes about attacking anybody who he claims is Nana Addo’s detractor(s) he will only succeed at provoking people to act in ways that will not augur well for the interest of the NPP and his candidate.

The other time it was Arthur Kennedy he tried in vain to attack and today he is trying to malign Akilu Sayibu except that he has indeed dialed a very wrong number if he brings the war drums to my palace. I know how to dance “Agbaza” a lot! Be warned Okoampa!

A word to the wise…..

Akilu Sayibu, UK

Email: Akilu.Sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk