I read with distress an article authored by an activist of the ruling National Democratic Congress party, Emmanuel Dela Coffie with the title “Kwame Pianim Was Right And The NPP Must Shut Up!” published on the 22nd of May 2010 on modernghana.com and other news portals. The said article was about statements made by a founding member of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kwame Pianim.
Before I proceed any further, I would like to state as a matter of fact that the New Patriotic Party has made its position clear on this matter. The National Executive Council at an emergency Steering Committee Meeting on Thursday the 20th of May 2010, decided not to take any disciplinary action against Mr. Kwame Pianim. This decision was taken after careful deliberations on the matter. Hence, as far as the party is concerned, there is no bone to pick with the maker of those statements [Mr. Pianim].

Having made this fact clear, I find it disappointing that the author is telling the party [NPP] to “shut up” as though the party has a problem with the comments of Mr. Pianim.
Again, Let me also state that, Mr. Pianim has stated categorically that he could not have been referring to any of the other NPP flag bearer aspirants as an IDIOT. And that he was misinterpreted. Indeed, persons like the author are those trying to blow some of what Mr. Pianim said out of proportion to serve their political interest.
As youth, we must recognize that we are the hope of today and the future; hence we must learn the right things now. While we learn from our elders, we must be bold to correct them when they are wrong. As much as possible, we must tell our leaders to avoid using words like GREEDY BASTARDS, WHO BORN DOG, and IDIOTS to describe others. Such words do not help in shaping our society right .
Many in the New Patriotic Party find the comments of Mr. Pianim quite unwholesome and grubby. Those who were unhappy have made their views equally known and democratically so.
Just by way of education to the author, in as much as Mr. Pianim has every right under our constitution to express his views, so does everybody including members of NPP. And that members of the New Patriotic Party can equally make comments or react to the views so expressed by Mr. Pianim.
Whiles we all enjoy this constitutional right, “we must talk our mind, and mind our talk” as a friend would say. I think the author has been undemocratic in his call for the NPP to “shut up”. Am not surprised the author could make such a demand. Some few weeks ago, the government through its Information Minister rather embarrassingly shouted at the opposition to “SHUT UP!”
The difficulty the author finds himself is that, when the owner of his political party, President Rawlings speaks, nobody else speaks, so he thinks same happens in the NPP. The owner of his political party has on several occasions made mean comments about the president and his appointees without many government official or party official calling him to order. The few courageous ones like Hon. Haruna Iddrisu who try to condemn such venomous attacks from the owner are threatened.
Proceeding further, in the second paragraph of the said article, the author stated “Mr. Pianim told a gathering at Professor Frimpong Boateng's campaign lunch that the aspirant was not corrupt but a principled man who will not condone criminality and corruption. He therefore urged delegates to vote for him for proper leadership or choose any other person if they wanted corruption to reign freely.”
The author tried but failed to justify the above statement. While the said article was written to support the statement made by Mr. Pianim, not a single credence was given to justify the statement. Just as it was difficult for the author to justify the other NPP flag bearer aspirants are corrupt, so do I believe the maker of that statement [Mr. Pianim] would have proving it too.
In any event, it would take more than a man’s word to assure Ghanaians that another man can fight corruption to the barest minimum. I believe effective and efficient laws and institutions are our only hope. Power corrupts, we must be reminded. I must commend President Kufour for championing the enactment of the Public Procurement Law which is curbing the corruption in government’s procurement.
Again, in his bid to make a case, the author stated “Professor Frimpong Boateng has never had any corruption allegation levelled against him in all his public life compared to the likes of Nana Akufo Addo and Alan Kyeremanten.”
In the first place, it is important for the author to know, that allegations of corruption against politicians regrettably seem quite common in our part of the world. But mere allegations are not enough to label somebody as corrupt. There have been many instances where people have been accused of crimes they never committed. There are also cases where people fabricate wicked stories against others to serve some purpose. For instance, a pro-NDC newspaper did publish during the heat of the 2008 electioneering campaign, that Ghana’s gold reserves have been sold. Strangely, that newspaper never contacted the right state institution for confirmation or otherwise of that allegation. That information was put out there for public consumption. Interestingly, the brain behind such a sadistic publication is a Minister of State today. That is how dirty our politics has gotten. Beyond mere allegations, there must be a way of proving that somebody is really corrupt.
Again, if somebody does not have corruption allegations against him/her, it does not necessarily mean that person is not corrupt. By this I am not for second insinuating Prof. Frimpong Boateng is corrupt.
Now back to the main subject, the author failed to give evidence that there have been allegations of corruption against Nana Akufo-Addo or Alan Kyeremanten. Rather the author proceeded that “Both Nana and Alan's camp are shouting hoarse without stopping for a moment to realise that both of them have been in positions of influence, yet there are kids on refuse dumps in Ghana, looking for scraps”
How incoherent, I thought. While I sadly agree that there are kids on refuse dumps in Ghana who are looking for scraps to make a living, I find it strange that the author would like to wholly put that blame on Alan Kyeremanteng and Nana Akufo-Addo because the two were Ministers of State. I think it would be more appropriate for us to blame this sad situation on all past administrations. I would like to remind the author that the sitting president [President Atta Mills] was the Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 and indeed the Chairman of Economic Committee of this nation, but such poverty level still exists. The president can not also absolve himself for not doing much to alleviate poverty, can he?
Again, the P/NDC [which the author belongs to] party has governed our country more than any other party in our country’s history. Fortunately for the author, Ghanaians have given his political party another opportunity to ensure such situations are curbed if not eliminated.
However, I am afraid if current happenings in the country are anything to go by, then Ghanaians should be ready to be disappointed by the NDC. Since the NDC party took over some seventeen months ago, conditions of many have worsened due to harsh fiscal policies. Businesses are not booming as was witnessed some years back. Indeed the Economic Activity Indicator (EAI) as announced by the governor of Bank of Ghana indicates that business activities have reduced as compared to the 2008. Even though inflation figure is gradually reducing, prices on the markets are rising at a higher rate.
Government seem to be reneging on its promise of cutting down on profligacy. On the 1st of May, 2010, the first lady, Mrs. Naadu Mills commissioned the Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel and named it after Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in far away Jurong, Singapore. The special event which saw the symbolic act of breaking a bottle of chilled champagne to signify the naming of the vessel many have contended should have been held here in our country to save cost. Many have wondered the motive behind the trip because the vessel was to be shipped into the country in two weeks time according to reports. The resources spent on the ceremony far away Jurong, Singapore could have been channeled to other programmes that could lessen the plights of Ghanaians.
Again, recent events about the behavior of NDC foot soldiers’ calls for great worry. Lately, no day passes without hearing of one agitation or the other. It is either a D/MCE is being threatened or a state revenue agency is being taken over by mostly uneducated/unemployed foot soldiers.
A case in point is the Domi Bridge toll booth take over. This act of lawlessness was carried out by NDC foot soldiers who accused the civil servants of corruption. Surprisingly, the attack was masterminded by the district assembly. Apparently the district assembly had a meeting chaired by the DCE of the area to carry out such a lawless act. What baffles my mind is why the DCE who doubles as the Chairman if the District Security Council (DISEC) did not use the appropriate procedure in ensuring the right thing was done.
God save us!
[Just something for the author and the NDC to think about. Mr. Pianim also stated at the same event, that listening to the first ladies of Africa on BBC, there is no doubt the good first ladies are nurses and that Prof. Frimpong Boatengs wife is a nurse. Does the author believe in this statement too?]

FAISAL IBRAHIM
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