Opinions of Saturday, 10 June 2006

Columnist: Okyere Bonna

RE: Arthur Kennedy. Of Institutions And Individuals

First I would like to commend Kwesi Yeboah for in his feature article of Wednesday May 31, 2006. I am personally pleased to hear Kwesi adding his voice to the Presidential debate. We need more political analysts to help the electorate to make informed decisions. However, it would even be wonderful if we can employ the use of refined language in our opinions and analysis.

In as much as I disagree with Yeboah?s opinion about Kennedy and Professor Asare I must add that he is entitled to his own opinions. Kwesi Yeboah can describe Okyere Bonna, Kennedy or Kwaku Asare as he deemed appropriate; and although I say he is entitled to his own views we cannot compromise with the truth; and the truth is Kennedy stands clean and humble enough to win my admirations.

I still stand by my word that whatever I have said about Kennedy to the best of my knowledge is true and Ghana will be better of with a President in the person of Kobina Kennedy. He is a man of principle; honest, and strong enough to lead the nation. In fact, with all the choices available none would be a better president of Ghana today than Arthur Kobina Kennedy.

It takes a person of great faith and positive thinking to discern between the good and the best. One can only judge or make a decision on the choices available. Yeboah may be highly pessimistic about any candidate and the future of OUR Ghana simply because those leaders of the past (or the party Kennedy is seeking flagbeareship), have left us no legacy to be proud of but I will not let the past determine my view of the future. (And by the way, one can say all the bad things he or she wants about the present government yet it is crystal clear that the NPP is the improved version of the NDC). I am not a sycophant nor do I idolize Kennedy; I only speak of what I know to be the fact. I am very optimistic that the future holds good for Ghana should Ghana elect a president who has the nation at heart more that his or her wallet and if Yeboah would take my faith in the future of Ghana to be a zealot then I am afraid I have little to say here.

In as much as I respect Yeboah and his views I think to castigate against the Kennedy campaign and try to demoralize and demonize the Kennedy Team is hitting below the belt. For example, for Kwesi to refer to Professor Kwaku Asare?s brave and courageous and poopooh his single efforts to restore the rule of law and democracy in Ghana, to me is a little suspect. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Kennedy Team has no energy for negative criticisms and politics of insults. We would rather look ahead into the future and reserve our energies to the four pillars of our campaign:

v MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE

v PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK

v MAKING A PLACE AT THE NATIONAL TABLE FOR DIASPORANS

v REVAMPING OUR HEALTHCARE,

which we believe will put Ghana ahead.

God forbid that Kennedy or his campaign team would resort to negative politics. We cannot go to the gutters with Yeboah nor would we support any thing that we deem is not in the interest of Ghana and her noble citizens. We would not resort to unrefined and uncouth language. We would rather wish that Yeboah will come out openly to present a viable candidate if he thinks Kennedy is not his favorite. I think it is not in the interest of Ghana to cast unreasonable doubts on our minds as to the leadership qualities of Kennedy when the whole world knows that Kennedy is an accomplished politician and CEO.

Kennedy?sy government will focus on reducing corruption and incompetence as well as five broad policy areas.

First, make government work for us by

a: reducing the number of ministries to no more than twenty. b: shifting of power to the districts and improvement in efficiency

Second, put people to work by reforming

agriculture and land ownership.

ur import/export regulations by reducing tariffs and simplification.

banking to increase the use of credit in our economy. Once again I would like to say thank you to Kwesi Yeboah and encourage him to do more research on Kennedy and do well to refine his words next time to add more value to his views and analysis. I hope he means well for Ghana. On the whole I think Yeboah is very brilliant man who has a lot to offer his country should he learn to be more objective and not be ruled by the past. ?Politics is about the future? and it would only take optimism and faith combined with vision and hardwork to redeem and build Ghana. Let us all lean to be positive in our outlook and focus our energies towards working to improve of our motherland. The best is yet to come to Ghana. Go Kennedy 2008!

May God bless the republic of Ghana and the Ghana Black Stars.



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