According to General News of Saturday, 12 February 2011, the NPP flag bearer, Nana Akufo Addo, “threw caution to the wind, and made one of the most belligerent speeches.” The report cites a meeting on Tuesday February 8, 2011 in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, where Nana Addo met with some members of the New Patriotic Party as part of his nationwide tour with some of the national executives of the party. The report said Nana’s speech was “liaised with very resentful tribal sentiments and a warmongering posture which can badly diminish his chances of becoming President of Ghana, come January 7, 2013”.


According to the report [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=202998] Nana Addo is quoted to have said, the founding fathers of his party were not men who hid under beds; therefore, the nerves they have in them will come to bear in the 2012 Election which will be “All Die Be Die, All Die Be Die” One would like to believe that such words were used figuratively rather than literally. The literal meaning of the speech leaves the NPP in the defensive and out of touch with modern politics. History will affirm that force and violence have never been the better way to resolve problems; rather they make the problems worst.


It was the same desperate circumstances that led “the king of peace” even the presidential candidate of the NDC in 2004 to lose bitterly to the Gentle Giant 52.45% to 44.64%.. Towing the same direction when he joined the war mongering wagon of the NDC party and threatening to send all NPP officials to Nsawam did not help Dr Mills in 2004, the same will not help Nana Addo and the NPP in 2013. The vindictive tone of the NDC cost them the 2004 elections. The opposition lost miserably. It was not until 2008 when Dr. Mills distanced himself from the war mongers of his party that Ghanaians began to take him serious. By preaching peace and claiming he would “not consult…” Ghanaians embraced Dr. Mills and gave him the chance. In a nutshell, Ghanaians are peaceful people; we abhor violence and love peace. We don’t encourage thugs, unnecessary infighting and wars.


It is very unfortunate that this is coming from the leader of the opposition party and above all the known dignified Nana Addo who showed an exceptional maturity in 2008 and saved Ghana from political chaos. As a gentleman, Nana Addo accepted defeat graciously although he could have protested like other incumbent opposition parties do in many African countries. The first round of the 2008 Presidential elections showed 49.13 % to 47.92 % in favour of Nana Addo. The run off results did not show any bigger difference. Run off results were Akufo-Addo (NPP) 49.77 % to Mills (NDC) 50.23 %. It is believed that Nana Addo did not throw tantrums over the 2008 election result so why now! This is the very reason I am receiving the news with shock and disbelief. However, should it be true that Nana indeed were preaching, encouraging or predicting violence in 2013 then one needs to condemn such actions from the opposition leader. If we did not encourage nor endorsed similar ratings from NDC in 2004 we cannot encourage it from NPP in 2013 either. Two wrongs do not make a right. We MUST denounce every form of violence no matter its source.


CAUTION:
It was reported that the NPP flag bearer showed resentful tribal sentiments when he used the phrase, “we akans” and also stroked a warmongering posture when he (Nana Addo) stressed that “the riotous action the NPP exhibited at the Atiwa By-Election in 2010 was the beginning more unrestrained, and violent disturbances Ghanaians are to foresee in the 2012 Election.” To add more insult to injury the writer said, “Party faithfuls in attendance cheered.” How pathetic!


The writer also cited instances where the NPP leadership (executives) has purportedly used similar violent expressions. If these were the case then NPP may be heading for a disaster in 2013. On the other hand it is possible the rival faction might be using propaganda to blow the speech out of proportion as very inciting and ethnocentric. It was therefore politically expedient for the NPP to make the necessary corrections or retract its words and render the necessary apology.


In fairness my gut feeling is that the news has been exaggerated. I doubt the integrity of the above report. The title alone is suspect. It reads more of a propaganda machine of a rival party activist than a fair and balance reporting. The hierarchy of the NPP must not down play the role of the media and the press, especially (on) the internet. It is very crucial that they pay attention to what is going on in the cyber world and be prompt in setting the records straight. Do not think rumours will gradually fade away naturally or misinformation will correct itself overtime. Do not ignore propaganda machines out there to undo you. This caused the NPP dearly in 2008. On that note I call on the NPP not only to set the records straight but to also come out openly to denounce violence in any form.

On that note I pray Nana Addo will retract his words of violence and reassure Ghanaians, especially those of us who wish him well, his commitment to peace and tranquility in Ghana today and tomorrow. Any silence will only embolden the other side of the isle. Giving NPP’s past records one can suspect the rival faction might be using propaganda to blow the speech out of proportion as very inciting and ethnocentric. It would be expedient, therefore, for NPP leadership to come out openly to set the records straight, that the party is neither ethnocentric nor inciting violence. Tribal politics is a thing of the past. No tribe or race is superior to the other. We are all Ghanaians first and foremost.

We need/want the Nana who said “I Believe in Ghana” as his campaign slogan for the 2008 election, not a violent opposition that would encourage thugs beat up others who don’t share the same party beliefs.
Okyere Bonna, [www.okyerebonna.com]
Okyere Bonna is the author of many books including A NEW AGENDA FOR GHANA AND STOPPING THE CARNAGE ON AFRICAN ROADS…