The Northern Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to immediately condemn the ethnocentric pronouncements of Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo, a leading member of the party.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Abdul-Mumin Alhassan, the Northern Regional Communications Director of the NDC, and copied to the GNA in Tamale.

The statement said Mr. Osafo Marfo, who is a former Minister of State, “Should unreservedly withdraw or retract the said offensive remarks, show remorse and apologize to the people for threatening their hard-won peace, unity and stability”.

It said Mr. Osafo Marfo’s pronouncements recently heard on a leaked tape to the effect that “the Voltarians worship the NDC like a deity, so let we the Akans take our country back from them because we are more than them,” was irresponsible and threatened the unity of the country.

It said, “There can be no doubt that these statements are reckless and highly irresponsible and have the potential of creating and unleashing ethnic divisions, strife and conflict in the country”.

It said “The last card any political party that harbours the ambition to rule this nation should play in our partisan political dispensation must be ethnic politics because this is the very soul and foundation of our nation and can never be mortgaged on the altar of any partisan self-serving interests”.

The statement said “The NPP can afford to downplay our peace, unity and independence, but we wish to serve notice to them that we cherish these hard-won gains and values and will do everything to protect them”.

It said “We wish to assure the NPP that we will unconditionally resort to any and all democratic and civilized measures to safeguard these values and protect the unity, peace, stability and sanctity of our country”.

It called on all “To remain calm, steadfast, patriotic and reassured that the government will always stand tall in the protection of the nation’s unity, peace, stability and national progress and development”.