Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on a tour to the regions minced no words by encouraging party supporters in the eastern region not to tolerate any acts of intimidation by members of the NDC against them in the upcoming 2012 General Elections. The NPP Holland believes it is time to expose the high class propagandist and diversionary antics adopted by the ruling National Democratic Congress to revile Nana Akufo-Addo’s statement to party faithful in Koforidua this week.
It was also appropriate and exalting enough for Nana Addo, to have reminded supporters that the founding fathers of the NPP were courageous men and women who were prepared to die for this great party. Indeed “ALL DIE BE DIE”. If our fathers died then for the party why can’t we do same now? Nana’s use of the phrase “ye see, yen Akan fuor die” (They say, as for we Akans...) was of course ironical but relative to a principle binding NPP supporters present at the moment. What is wrong with a leader calling his group to be courageous by refraining from exhibiting cowardice to wrestle political power in 2012? This cannot be related to the former Ashanti Regional minister, Ohene Agyekum’s statement that urged NDC members to physically assault members of the opposition, and then averred that the implementation of ROPAL was to spearhead the burning of Ghana, because the NDC were never ever going to accept participation of Ghanaians abroad in the 2008 election. The same minister also calls on NDC supporters not to accept the results should the NPP win and that Ghana will burn to ashes should the then ruling NPP retain power in 2008 election. Did the then candidate Asomdwee Atta Fiifi Mills say, Ghana will turn to Kenya should the NPP win election 2008? The NDC knows the exact difference between encourage and inciting violence, but they deliberately play daft to pursue a treacherous agenda towards Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP. Aristotle called COURAGE the first virtue, because it makes all of the other virtues possible. Asiedu Nketia’s assertion that Nana was calling on members to take the law into their hands is rather illogical and he knows it. No rational human being or Ghanaian misunderstands Nana’s statement to be Incitement to Violence. It is no secrete that supporters of a ruling party (NPP) in Ghana were intimidated, injured and killed during the 2008 election, by activists of the then opposition party (NDC) in the full glare of state security operatives. Whilst the NPP Holland endorses the statement and regards it very timely and inspiring, it is our sincere belief that the ruling NDC is geared up to demonstrate their high level of lies, deceit, propaganda and diversionary machinations on the people of Ghana. Asiedu Nketia and his cohorts now fear of being matched boot for boot. They are now showing signs of fright to being exposed and halted in their diabolical and wicked tracks.
It is very crucial for Ghanaians and particularly the NDC to understand the meaning of "incitement to violence." properly. The concept of incitement to violence refers to somebody actively urging violence against particular individuals. We would like the NDC to realise that incitement to violence can only legally and socially apply when real encouragement of violence is directed at a particular INNOCENT individual or group by a speaker or author. Nana Akufo-Addo neither urged supporters of the New Patriotic Party to strike at INNOCENT NDC supporters to virtually incite political violence come 2012 election, nor did he encourage young party followers to go in search for NPP opponents to revenge for the intimidations and other real or imagined atrocities they feel were perpetrated against them in Atiwa, Akwatia, Agbobloshie, Chereponi or Ho etc. The NDC’s claim that Nana’s statement amounted to inciting violence is therefore highly flawed and has only been twisted, aimed at diverting attention from their two years of worst misrule and corruption in Ghana’s history. Ghanaians are ready to pull their brakes on the NDC at the 2012 election. The ALL DIE BE DIE message to party faithfuls cannot apply to a statement that is intended to promote irrational or wicked reactions by those who heard it at Koforidua then and now. That is why neither the police nor government has failed to invite Nana Akufo-Addo for interrogation and subsequent prosecution for incitement? If Nana‘s message can be blamed for any irrational reaction to the message by some NPP party members, then there is no such thing as freedom of speech in Ghana’s constitution. The NPP has long been waiting for a leader of Nana Addo’s caliber to show courage and encourage party members. We are indeed encouraged by Nana Addo’s message and we share that if the NPP is serious about seeing to a free and fair election in 2012, then courage must be our operational gear to win the election. The NDC is aware of the signs of rejection by Ghanaian come 2012, and will resort to intimidation of the people to retain political power. Nana’s message is clear to us. Party supporters will agree with the NPP Holland that even in personal life, to create true integrity and lasting effectiveness, one needs to develop the COURAGE to move towards the sound of the gunfire.
Nana like other great political leaders has ably demonstrated bold but reasoned judgment. The NDC condemnation and demonizing of this statement is very much expected as their trait, but we in the NPP are very comfortable with a leader such as Nana Addo who makes courageous decisions decisively, interpret situations with rational and emotional intelligence and exude confidence and humility. The NDC should spare Ghanaians the rhetoric of violence. “ALL-DIE-BE-DIE”