It is increasingly becoming very nauseating how affiliates and officials of my beloved party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) rush to the media to outwit and smear the integrities of their fellow party men. The rationale for this uncalculated and politically suicidal act is yet to be fathomed. Before anything else, I want to issue a disclaimer to the effect that I have no authorization to speak for the embattled Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu and neither do I have his blessings to issue this rejoinder. However, as a true patriot, I see it as a divine duty to share my opinion(s) about happenings in the political scene which could spell doom for the aspirations of my party to win power from its opponent, the NDC in future elections.
Without boring readers with the purported content of the tape, I will want to respond to the Press Release or Press Conference that was addressed by leadership of a group called “The Concerned NPP Youth in the North”. A careful look at the content of their press engagement reveals but that they had taken everything captured in the said secret recording as the gospel truth, and indeed as the voice of Chairman Bugri Naabu. Luckily, Chairman Bugri Naabu, has issued a statement to deny not only the content of the tape, but also the voice purported to be that of his. At this juncture, I will like to know, will the Concerned NPP Youth in the North jump to the defense of their regional chairman like they jumped to welcome the secret recording?
I condemn the purported statements in the tape alleged to be spoken by Chairman Bugri Naabu if it true. However, my first line of action would’ve been to give our Chairman the benefit of the doubt by denying that the voice is his until proven otherwise. It isn’t politically savvy to jump to another forum to make the tape viral by organizing press conferences to make bare the content of the tape in the guise of sending a request to the party leadership to speak out against the Chairman who beyond reasonable doubt is feared by the NDC and will do anything to cause confusion in his camp and the camp of the NPP. Even more politically pugilistic is the fact that we as NPP members and youth always try to bring the name of Honourable Nana Addo, our presidential hopeful into every internal issue and expect that he condemns it however trivial or politically inexpedient it is. By asking that Nana Addo condemns or dissociate himself from the content of the tape, you are indirectly saying that the Chairman is guilty even before he stands for “trial”. Or, that he (Nana Addo) could actually be an architect of the grand scheme as contained in the secret tape. You cannot expect that Nana Addo control the daily utterances of all party activists and should confirm or deny and condemn whatever they say. You could call some people key players in the party by virtue of the positions they occupy but you cannot expect that these key players and their activities be blamed on the Honourable Nana Addo. That is very unfair.
I wonder why nobody ever questions the morality of secret tapes when they are recorded and released to the media. Even though Chairman Bugri Naabu has already come out to deny the voice in the tape, I will still want to know the rationale for such a recording if it were to be true. I believe that certain things and revelations can only be said in the midst of trusted friends. As to why these friends so trusted will betray the trust in them and leak vital information to the general public and damn the consequences, I’m yet to understand. It is such betrayal of trust that we as a people should first of all condemn before proceeding to interrogate whatever secret recording we have. We should all be mindful that with the advanced technological gadgets at the disposal of our enemies, we could all be victims of secret recordings or victims of doctored tapes
I know that the Concerned NPP Youth in the North meant well but I dare say their approach was wrong. I know from my corner that regardless of whatever differences existed between some national executives and Nana Addo prior to the primaries, all those perceived differences have been mended and no NPP member will be happier than Chairman Afoko and our able General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong if NPP wins the next elections. This fact is equally known to Honourable Nana Addo and his trusted associates such as Mr Bugri Naabu. He could therefore not have suggested that Nana Addo doesn’t trust these two frontliners of our party and intends to sideline them. Before becoming Northern Regional Chairman of NPP, Mr Bugri Naabu once was a close ally and confidante of Mr Afoko and Honourable Alan Kyeremanten and cannot suggest now that Mr Afoko or Mr Kwabena Agyepong are spies of NDC or were sponsored by NDC just because they were allegedly supporting Mr Alan Cash. The National Security, despite their deficiencies, cannot stoop so low to be used by another party to cause disaffection in another party for the sake of maintaining an incumbent President and Party in power. Both Chairman Afoko and Mr Kwabena Agyepong are self-made made and needed no support from their bitterest political rival party or National Security to win elections in NPP. We loved their personalities and their promise of victory in 2016 and voted for them. You cannot expect Chairman Bugri Naabu not to know these facts. All in all, the tape is a fluke and shouldn’t be taken serious.
I want to conclude my write-up by urging all faithful followers of NPP to be on guard against all these doctored tapes which are aimed at creating a wedge among us to perpetuate this inefficient and corrupt government in power. We should set our own agenda and not be distracted by the agenda set for us by our opponents. We must be each other’s keeper and we should never turn against ourselves with trivialities such as this fake Bugri Naabu tape. As a concerned NPP youth in the northern region, I’m incensed that our able workaholic Chairman who has vowed to wrestle most of the seats occupied by the NDC in the Northern Region is been targeted and isn’t receiving the support of his followers the way he should have. Mr. Bugri Naabu definitely is not a saint and has his own shortcomings but we all know very well that he means well for the NPP and is committed to fighting tooth and nail to ensure that NPP emerge victorious in 2016. He needs our commendations and not condemnations, least from known youths in the party.
Long Live Ghana, Long Live NPP.
AUTHOR: Simon Suayam
MOBILE: 0207854685