General News of Wednesday, 14 October 2009

Source: GNA

Spio returns for NDC to deal with furore

Accra, Oct 14, GNA - Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential aspirant, on Tuesday made an appearance at the party's headquarters in Accra to meet its Chairman over the furore generated by articles he recently serialized in the media and reactions from Mr Ato Ahwoi, a leading member of the Party and Mr Koku Anyidoho, Communications Director at the Castle.

Dr Spio-Garbrah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization, said he returned to Ghana from London to help deal with the furore generated by his articles published in September 18 and 23 issues of the Daily Graphic.

"I am at the NDC Headquarters today in response to a news item I read on the internet that the party Chairman would like to meet me and other people who have been attacking my personality in recent days. "I have travelled to Ghana from London and I am at the NDC party office today out of respect to the Chairman of the party, who I understand issued the statement, although I have received no phone calls, e-mails, text messages, faxes or letters from the party headquarters on this matter," he said.

In a prepared statement distributed to the media by his spokesperson, Mr Kweku Tawia Ampah, Dr Spio-Garbrah said he did not know what process the party intended to use to address the issue.

"For this reason I will be in Ghana for at least two weeks to enable the party and other relevant government officials to have the necessary time to deal with the issues raised."

He said out of the respect he had for the office of the party's Chairman, the Founder of the party and the President of the Republic, he would not make any public statement until the Council of Elders of the NDC dealt with the issues.

Dr Spio-Garbrah wrote an article which was serialized in the Daily Graphic attempting to honour the centenary celebration of the birth of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and also to examine what lessons the current government could draw Nkrumah's achievements.

However, the examples he used to illustrate some of the main points in the article did not go down well with some members of the party leading to exchange of words in the media, a situation the party hierarchy considered unhealthy for its development. Meanwhile, scores of party supporters clad in its paraphernalia gathered at the headquarters to catch a glimpse of him. 14 Oct. 09