Politics of Friday, 3 June 2016

Source: Today Newspaper

C/R NDC fumes at NPP over Allotey Jacobs

Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs

Central Regional Communications Secretariat of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swipe at the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for fabricating the false arrest of its regional Chairman, Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs, in the United Kingdom (UK) for money laundering and drug related offences.

The communicators pointed out that although the NPP has over the years gained notoriety for peddling falsehood and playing dirty politics, the desperate move they employed in their bid to bring the name of their chairman into disrepute shows that the party was drowning.

At a press conference yesterday in Cape Coast to respond to the falsehood, the NDC Regional Communications Director, Mr. Kwesi Dawood, stated that the unwarranted attacks on Mr. Allotey Jacobs proves that his understanding of modern politics was way beyond what the NPP imagined.

In his opinion Mr. Allotey Jacobs’s style of administration has rendered the NPP redundant in the region, making the place a no go area for the party hence its desperation and frustration.

“The NPP is desperate, frustrated and dazed with the kind of development and job creation opportunities currently going on in the region under Chairman Allotey’s watch so obviously the only thing they can do which they know best to do is to engage in smear campaign,” he stated.

Mr. Dawood questioned the authority and right of the NPP to ask for the academic qualifications and competencies of Mr. Allotey Jacobs which led to his appointment to the board of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

“The NPP has forgotten that in their eight years in power, they had Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Sheik I.C Quaye, Mocta Bamba among others occupying high offices who were and still are certificateless,” he claimed.

He added: “Lest we forget, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, their flag-bearer’s law credential, has, for decades, been a bone of contention after having a third class honours in Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon. Has he been able to produce his law certificate,” he asked?

He indicated that the habit of always questioning the academic credentials of people by the NPP affirms the party’s disrespect to the ordinary Ghanaian, and instead affirmed their elitist traits contrary to its claim of having the ordinary man at heart.

“This mentality of class system is dangerous for our democracy,” he noted.

To this end, he used the opportunity to re-affirm the party’s support for Mr. Allotey Jacobs claiming that he remains a pillar in the NDC’s quest to clinch 20 or more parliamentary seats in the region and 57% of popular votes cast from the region for President John Dramani Mahama in the upcoming General Elections.

He hinted that Mr. Allotey Jacobs will be given a heroic welcome by party members on his return to the country because of his vindication by no less an entity or person than the UK law enforcement agencies and the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jon Benjamin.

“The NPP must know that doing politics in today’s globalised world has changed and they must as well change their modus operandi for Ghanaians are very discerning,” he advised.