Opinions of Sunday, 24 August 2014

Columnist: Kennedy, Arthur Kobina

Open letter to NPP council of elders

Irmo, SC
22ND August, 2014

Dear Elders,
RE: VIOLENCE AND DISCORD IN THE NPP
I wish to commend you for the statement you issued on the above yesterday.
You have my full support in your efforts to restore peace and amity to our party.
As pronouncements by some party members today have made clear, yours will be a difficult task.
I urge that you approach this task with firmness, consistency and fairness.
Even though I have been attacked and would love to respond, out of respect for your efforts, I would refrain from doing so at this time.
I urge that in addition to the measures you announced, you do the following:
--- Unreservedly condemn the violence in our party and all those associated with it. No Ghanaian deserves to be subjected to violence because he/she desires to participate in the political process.
--- Call for a full, complete and thorough investigation of the violence by law-enforcement agencies followed by prosecution of all those associated with it.
--- Pledge that following the criminal investigations, the party would investigate and seriously sanction all those whose conduct have brought us into disrepute. If Tarzan’s words deserved sanctions, then surely, actions and words that make us look like a party of violence deserve severer sanctions. In view of the divisions in the executive, this inquiry should done by you.
Finally, while I fully share your view that we must return to highlighting the problems of Ghanaians, we cannot heal the nation if we are sick. Let our charity begin at home, in our own ranks.

Sincerely,
Arthur Kobina Kennedy