Opinions of Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Columnist: Mifetu, Seth

Opana William Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Is Leading From Behind

By Seth Mifetu

Many historians have dared to say that, Gold Coast generation has been the best generation for Ghana. The argument has been that, probity, patriotism, royalty, truthfulness, justice, and moral uprightness are the ingredients characterized the Gold Coast generation that today Ghana lack so much.
“Opana Olu” William Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from the Gold Coast generation has been a tentative balloon released to test the atmospheric and meteorological conditions of such generation and he have proved otherwise.
Blemish nonchalant Opana Olu William Addo Dankwa’s unprincipled life style has given a different meaning to the Gold Coast generation due to his twisted grinning on Ghana’s political stage.
He was given the mandate for the second time by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates to lead the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition to victory in 2012, only to declare his perilous political acrimony as “all-die-be-die”. A statement that defiles morally upright person and could only come from a leader who is leading from behind.
Due to arrogance, disrespect and belligerencies, opana would not take this uncharitable word from the public dome. Ghanaians punished him by voting massively for “Osaadeyo” President John Dramani Mahama which was a punishment for the NPP.
Opana whose love for Ghana cannot be determined because of his double standard, took 2012 election to court and created so much tension in the country. After the court rule against him, he runs to his first country of choice (London) to cool it off.
It is therefore pertinent to note that Opana Addo Dankwa have double allegiance, out of which, it’s a spasm of mental anguish to note that a man who is seeking Ghanaians mandates to control executive power of the land first allegiance was not to his country of birth but London, his country of choice. “Mamamia”, choice have overrides a man’s birth right. What a gross derogatory and disparaging.
This is the man I considered leading from behind and it will be a total misplaced of trust should Ghanaians vote for him.
Majority of NPP delegates have again made yet another huge blander by electing Opana as their flag bearer for 2016 general election against the prudent advice from former President J.A. Kuffuor to look for a better candidate who do not have bilateral allegiance, who is not a tension creator and not full of fighting to lead the party.
Now, Opana Addo Dankwa, the be lifted beast has turned the party to his bona fide property. His actions and inactions allegedly cause the untimely death of the party Upper East regional Chairman the late Adams Mahama in which people are facing trial and Akuffo-Addo have said nothing or do nothing to ensure Justice for the dead. A typical behavior of a leader who is leading from behind.
Akufo-Addo spend most of his free time in Lodon, a country he owes so much allegiance to and he was there when the party Chairman, Paul Afoko was unconstitutionally removed from office. And because Akufo-Addo was not living within the party structures, he quickly endorses the illegal removal of Paul Afoko and asked the party concords to accept it and move forward while residing in his country of LOVE, London. This is example of “I don’t care “kind of leadership and a lead from behind.
Akufo- Addo’s pronouncement smitten the confidents of the party regional Chairmen and the delegates whose interest Paul Afoko represent. Tension arouse, credibility of the party was questioned by party faithful and sympathizers.
Akufo-Addo has become the Pharaoh of the NPP leading them astray from behind. And now that the Moses is gone, who will lead the NPP to the promise land?
Akufo-Addo has polarized the NPP, he as pharaoh controlling one side and the other side left under the mercy of no leader.
In defense of Akufo-Addo, his supporters arouse indefatigably to attack Asawasi constituency Chairman for anti-Akufo-Addo’s speech. It was there that Mr. Saddic Adbubakar, pro-Akufo-Addo activist was struck to death by knife and again Akufo-Addo remained silence while in London. He returns to Ghana without a consoling message to Mr. Saddic Adbubakar’s family, but rather mocks them and their religion Islam by haphazardly going to the Mosque and pray without proper cleansing.
For one to join an Islamic congressional prayer, he must recite in the Kalimat (the oneness of Allah and Mohammed as his messenger), purify himself by performing ablution. From the start to the end of the prayer, you must flow with the congregation. Nonbelievers wait till the end of prayer before engaging the congregation.
Akufo-Addo defiles all these norms. The Mosque is universal but you can’t just defile their sacred norms especially not when they are mourning one of their kind. This is a gross exhibition of leading from behind by Opana.
NPP general secretary and the second vice Chairman, Kwabina Agyei Agyepong and Sammy Crabbe respectively were also suspended under untrue trivial accusation and what could a failed flag bearer says was “I know nothing about the suspension”. Is this not a leadership from behind?
Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy and these suspended people I have mentioned above and a few others have been discharging their duties especially Paul Afoko to expose and stop the internal corruption that was ongoing in the party. And they were handsomely rewarded with suspension. Meanwhile many members of the Akufo-Addo team hoping to lead Ghana have being allegedly accused of financial malfeasance and they were not suspended. For instance, Peter Mac Manu is under investigation for alleged Siphoning of party funds, John Boadu under investigation for Siphoning Tescon funds and misappropriation of monies meant for the dumsor vigil group, Sammy Awuku accused of misappropriation of funds allocated to some constituencies and recently, the youth. He build two American mansions within four years, Freddie Blay scretly manipulated the party’s dormant account at Ecobank, Abankwa yeboah has allegedly taken 100,000 Euro from the party E+cobank and gives it to the flag bearer for a single trip to his beloved country London without the party knowledge. Akufo-Addo has not cleared himself of complicity in the drill ship case. He has not accounted for the 100,000 pounds he took from the party coffers and he has also not accounted to the party the monies donated to the party at the various fund raising meetings abroad. Ken Ofori-Atta has still not paid GHC 4 million he took from the party coffers without the consent of the party executives. Akufo-Addo also rejected Ohene Ntow’s report to suspend Blay and Abankwa.
Strange bird fellows.
Are these the kind of people Ghanaians want to vote for? In case you don’t know, they are people Ghana never wanted and if the above attributes’ of Opana did not mesmerized you, you will do agree with me that Opana is leading from behind.
It is however important to note that NPP went to what they called extraordinary congress without party Chairman, general secretary and second vice Chairman.
If Opana is living within the party structures, and not leading from behind, he will recognized the fact that NPP constitution did not made any provision for acting Chairman or so ever therefore the urgent need to find a new Chairman before going to congress.
During the NPP congress, Akufo-Addo said “we are ending the year with three senior elected officials and a handful of other officers having been suspended from office”. He continues in another paragraph “I honestly wish we had been able to find a less painful way of resolving the problem that has wracked our party. These past 12 montths, I have participated in every attempt to resolve the differences at the party Headquarters. It has been most frustrating that the efforts have not yielded the fruits we expected”. Hahahahaha………….Laughable.
Is it not evidence from Akufo-Addo own words that he is a failed leader leading from behind?
It is clear that Akufo-Addo could not find any less painful and lawful way to resolves the problems in NPP?
He was frustrated himself that his effort at the party Head Quarters in attempt to resolve their differences unfortunately yielded no good fruits than bad and smelling one.
Since Opana Akufo-Addo is incapable of resolving his party problems, how can he resolve Ghana’s complex problems? We shall chase the Elephant to the bush forever. Arise in defense of Ghana by voting for President John Dramani Mahama in 2016. Thank you.