By Margaret Jackson

May 5, 2012

The NPPs presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo had always spoken big, to the effect that he is capable of making big time decisions when it counts most. In fact, Akufo-Addo is known for making big, off your rocker and unachievable promises just to cover his competence deficiency. Here is a man who claimed he would turn Ghana into a First World, yet criminal dockets on cocaine under his watch as Attorney-General disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Akufo-Addo, has countless number of times stated that President Mills lacks big ideas to lead the country and even stated just last week that the 2012 elections will hinge on competition of ideas. But any time the microscope is put on Akufo-Addo for Ghanaians to know who he really is and what he really stands for, this man who does not seem to know why he is running for the highest office in Ghana, has always found a way to wiggle out with tons of strange excuses.

When Kennedy Agyapong made the inflammatory statement last month by calling on Asantes to eliminate Ewes and Gas which set the whole country on tenterhooks, Akufo-Addo who badly needs the votes of Gas and Ewes to land his dream job of becoming the president of Ghana suddenly got lost. No one with the exception of the NPP apparatchiks knew where he was. In fact for a whole month, a whole presidential candidate of a whole major political party in Ghana was totally out of the spotlight. Simply put, Akufo-Addo disappeared into thin air just as he had done oftentimes.

But just last week, Akufo-Addo unceremoniously metamorphosed back into focus when he made his ‘exultant’ entry back into the political fray. And when Ghanaians thought that after cooling off for a month, Akufo-Addo was bringing a fresh breath of air, they rather got the opposite. In fact, what Akufo-Addo said during his interview on Joy FM was nothing to write home about.

Akufo-Addo stated that President Mills has the onerous responsibility of ensuring peace in Ghana before, during and after the up-coming December 7 elections. He further went on to say that if President Mills claims to be a man of peace, he should not preside over violence that has characterized some areas in the biometric registration exercise.

But when Akufo-Addo was asked to comment on Kennedy Agyapong’s provocative statement, we all heard Ghana’s Rabble-Rouser-in-Chief, Akufo-Addo live and unscripted. Akufo-Addo who perhaps thinks he is running for a parliamentary seat in his area instead of a national election, flatly refused to comment on the Kennedy Agyapong’s issue which has even been sent to the International Criminal Court for review.

Akufo-Addo, simply stated that since President Mills is the leader of the nation, he Akufo-Addo has nothing to say about the Kennedy Agyapong’s issue. He further went on to say that, “President Mills must lead for us to follow. Let him show the way as to his desire on the politics of issues and discussions and the rest of us will follow.” When Akufo-Addo was pressed further to comment on Kennedy Agyapong’s issue he doggedly dodged and played the double standard card by stating that since the case is in court he would not comment on it, forgetting that he had been commenting on the Woyome case which is also in court.

Ewuradze Nyankopon! The NDC has gotten Akufo-Addo where they want him to be. Akufo-Addo is running for president, yet he cannot comment on an inflammatory statement by his party member that would turn voters against him. Akufo-Addo is running for president yet he cannot even apologize or simply disassociate himself from the annihilation call against Gas and Ewes. And he is confidently saying that he Nana Akufo-Addo will only follow President Mills if he leads the way in condemning Agyapong. Since when did Akufo-Addo become a chicken instead of the hawk he had portrayed himself to be for all this while to Ghanaians?

Akufo-Addo now wants to follow President Mills? This is a firm confirmation that Akufo-Addo believes in the wisdom, intelligence, coolness, level-headedness and the temperate language of President Mills, hence his decision to cede grounds to President Mills to comment on the issue before him. Ghanaians should know that we have a wanna-be president Akufo-Addo who has now stated emphatically that he wants to be a follower of his bitterest political opponent, President Mills. That is why Ghanaians should not have to waste their votes on a candidate like Akufo-Addo who cannot make decisions bothering on ethnic issues, since he himself is equally guilty of what Kennedy Agyapong did.

Ghana wants a well rounded leader who can call his/her member to order when he/she goes out of the line and say things that can plunge the country into chaotic situations. We do not need to elect somebody who would become a runaway president when it counts the most to rally the country together when certain individuals out of their parochial interest attempt to break our united front with divisive comments.

Akufo-Addo has in fact thrust sour grapes into the mouth of many Ghanaians by his refusal to distance himself from Kennedy Agyapong’s wayward comment. And this singular act is what Ewes and Gas and to a large extent Fantes, Northerners and other tribes will remember when they go to the polls in December 7 to re-elect competent President Mills. And when the votes are long counted and President Mills is re-elected, Akufo-Addo would curse those who asked him to turn Mute Akufo-Addo on all issues that would have made Ghanaians to know who Akufo-Addo is and what he really stands for in this cherished country of ours.

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