*OPEN LETTER TO NANA ADDO DANQUAH AKUFO-ADDO*

*AUGUST 15, 2012*

* *

Hello Hon. Nana Addo,

I write to you with a clean heart and conscience at this difficult moment of your political career.

I hope that you grant me some attention by reading this piece.

Sir, this letter has been necessitated by the sudden change of the dynamics in the campaign for election 2012. Your communicators have indicated that no change will be effected to your campaign message. They say the focus of your campaign will remain; but I was confused as to whether you will be campaigning against the dead. I do not get it Sir; will you be going to the Asomdwee Park to resurrect the humble Professor and campaign against him?

But Mr. William Akufo-Addo, can you do things the same way and expect different results? I am afraid you cannot succeed that way.

I have been told your National Chairman is still calling for a certain change. Which change are you calling for now and what change were you calling for when President John Atta Mills was alive?

But Nana, don’t you believe that the GOD ALMIGHTY has already effected the change you were calling for by changing the President you wanted to be changed?

Enough of this Sir; and with much respect, how old are you?

Are you aware that in the unlikely event that we vote for you as President, you would enter the history of our nation as Ghana’s oldest President ever?

Nana, when we vote for you to become President at age 69 and as Ghana’s oldest President ever, and looking at your age, would you seek for re-election at age 73 in 2016? And do you think Ghanaians are ready to be part of making this unpalatable history? I ask this question because many Ghanaians see you as an honorable person who is filled with an inordinate ambition to become President at all cost (something you have said before).

Again, if you claim to emulate your father and former ceremonial President of Ghana, then your time has passed without notice. Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo your father, became President at age 64 in 1970. I am sorry Sir, Ghana cannot wait for your ambition; we have to move on. I am sorry!

Nana, don’t you think it is time you resigned as NPP’s Flag bearer to pave way for younger and vibrant chaps like Hon. John Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, Hon. Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Hon. Isaac Osei etc. etc.? It would not be too late at all since the great NDC party is yet to confirm our Flag bearer.

Sir, when Former President Kufour entreated Ghanaians (at your recent James Town Rally) to vote for an apprentice, we in the NDC quickly claimed he was referring to President John Atta Mills. Even there, President Kufour added that “Ghanaians should not go and bring any old man sitting somewhere to be President”. We rightly argued so because:

1. President Mills had been a Vice President for four years.

2. President Mills was a serving President for over 3yrs so had on-the-job experience.

But your Party NPP disagreed. They strongly argued for you. These were their arguments:

1. They said you had been a human rights advocate for several years.

2. They said you had been a Member of Parliament (MP) for 16yrs (1997 - 2009).

3. They also argued you were a Cabinet Minister under President Kufour.

All these they said to explain what apprentice actually meant. We still disagree with your party because if you were an apprentice at a Carpentry shop, you cannot claim to have experience in Oil production. The experience from being an MP is clearly different from a Vice President!

Nana, now that the dynamics have changed, we wish to apologize that we had disagreed in the past and still disagree with your party’s position on what apprenticeship actually means. I humbly believe that by a divine intervention, your party’s position on apprenticeship has come back to knock you out of the race.

Now, between your good self Nana and H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana, who is more qualified as an apprentice to be elected as President in December 2012?

President John Mahama entered Parliament the same day just as you did in 1997. He served the people of Bole-Bamboi in Northern Ghana for 16yrs and left Parliament the same day just as you did in 2009.

President John Mahama served as a Deputy Minister and rose to the position of a Cabinet Minister. He later became a Vice Presidential Candidate of my Party, an opportunity you were never offered in your political career. President John Mahama was duly elected by law to be Vice President of the Republic of Ghana in 2009 and served for 3yrs, 6mths; again a position you will envy for life.

Finally, He is now the President of the Republic of Ghana to serve the people, an enviable opportunity you have been dreaming for over 6 decades since were 8yrs. President John Mahama is also the Leader and Flag bearer of the NDC (subject to confirmation by NDC Congress).

Sir, do you remember that when you were the Foreign Affairs Minister, His Excellency was also the Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs? And his role in ensuring justice for the Ghanaians who were murdered in Gambia under your watch was widely appreciated by the people of Ghana as compared to your lackadaisical attitude at the time?

Above all, but on a lighter note, has it donned on you that you are still contesting a Candidate called John? A name which has proven to be synonymous with the Presidency?

Nana, do you now realize that perhaps the only thing you can boast of ahead of His Excellency in this race is old age and not knowledge or experience? Yet your National Chairman says you can offer better leadership. What is your track record?

So Nana, I humbly ask again; between you and President John Mahama, who has been an apprentice and has the requisite on-the-job experience to manage Ghana as President? Just be truthful to the people of Ghana for once!

Sir, I think it is time you embrace the reality that the forces have transformed and that the odds are now strongly against you than before. Respectfully hang your boots right now; at least the Youth of Ghana would receive your resignation with excitement rather than ensure a bad defeat for your retirement.

You deserve better Sir!

Thank you

Your Aficionado

Brogya Genfi

NDC Youth Activist