Politics of Saturday, 1 July 2006

Source: GNA

Some Ghanaian politicians are not trustworthy-Diaspora movement

Accra, July 1, GNA - Mr. Ofori Ampofo, a leading member of a Diaspora political movement on Saturday said many Ghanaian politician are not trustworthy and many years of deceit had eroded the confidence of the people in party politicking in the country.

"Ghanaians have been asked to tighten their belts for several years, while they see those who preach the message live in arrogance and undeserved affluence.

"Wealth is acquired by unknown and unaccountable means," Mr Ampofo stated at a press conference to announce the intention of the group to form a new political party, the National Party with "Redeem Ghana Now" as its motto.

The yet to be registered National Party (NP) exhibited its official colours and symbol to the media - the colours are blue signifying the skies and the era of a new beginning, white signifying purity and gold for the national wealth.

It has as a logo pilled up palms signifying all hands on deck to lift Ghana up.

Mr. Ampofo said the old way of doing politics in Ghana through greedy, selfishness, nepotism, bribery and corruption and tribalism have threaded so deep into our national fibre and reflects in all spheres of the people's daily life.

"Governments, past and present have failed the people who need them the most. Unfortunately, rather than being the protector of the weak and infirm, government has become the tormentor, with ill-advised, half-baked policies that are initiated with little or no oversight control mechanisms and accountability."

The NP called on Ghanaians to "wake up, stand up for what we know is right, we must stand up for those who labour and toil endlessly on our farms in the hinterland to produce cash crops, which generate the foreign exchange.

"Let us stand up against those who enrich themselves at the expense of the citizenry...demand accountability and be accountable." The movement, which, according to Mr Ampofo is yet to start the registration process aimed at fashioning a new political direction and dispensation, devoid of the ugly personification of the politics Ghanaians are familiar with in contemporary times.

"We believe that Ghana politics should and must be cleaned by the citizenry to suit our values and traditions, which bind us together, the NP has come to do the needed cleaning up with no ambiguity," he said. Professor Steve Pandford, Ghanaian lecturer at an American University said the party have launched mobilization drive in Ghana and abroad to change the political landscape of the country. 01 July 06