RE:PRESS RELEASE.

TOPIC: EASTERN NDC REACTS TO STATEMENTS MADE AT THE NPP REGIONAL RALLY HELD AT KOFORIDUA ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 2008.

It has become necessary for the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) to react to some of the statements made by officials of the ruling NPP at its recent rally held at Koforidua and dubbed “Nana’s homecoming rally”.Eventhough,it is the prerogative of the NPP to select whichever name they like for their rallies, we think the term “Homecoming” is becoming too monotonous in the ears of Ghanaians and that the NPP could be a little innovative in selecting such terms. Almost every event of such nature is termed “homecoming”. Out of the numerous examples are “Kufours Homecoming Rally, The Joseph Project Homecoming Concert, The Homecoming Summit, etc.Truth is, Nana Akufo Addo does not hail from Koforidua.He has been described on different occasions as either coming from Kibi or Akropong.Now, homecoming would have been appropriate if the rally had been held at any of these two towns of Kibi or Akropong.In any which way, the term “homecoming” has been over flocked in the ears of Ghanaians.

However, on a more serious note, the following inaccuracies has caught our attention and so, we would want to address them appropriately as follows:

We heard the Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports-O.B.Amoah claims that; because Ghanaian children are enjoying the school feeding programme, the NPP must be voted back to power. We wish to state here categorically that, this statement is not accurate, because of the following reasons:That,the school feeding programme is just being piloted and implemented in a few selected schools and not in all basic schools in Ghana. We have learnt that the school feeding programme covers only 2 schools in each of the 135 or so administrative districts in Ghana.

Now, the question is how many basics schools are there in each of the districts where the school feeding programme is not covered? Again, we have also been told that the school feeding programme is a NEPAD initiative with a foreign sponsorship component and so why should the NPP claim credit for it? After all, even war raveled countries like Sierra Leone also have school feeding programme running as we speak..As a matter of fact, in Sierra Leone the programme covers more than 2 schools per district. In addition to this, if the programme were to be fully sponsored by the NPP government, which is not-then CHRAJ would have been asked to take the government on, for introducing what would have been described as the most injustice, prejudice and discriminating programme against all the other Ghanaian children whose schools are not part of the school feeding programme-afterall, they are also Ghanaians.

Another irresponsible statement that we heard, came from Grace Omaboe (Maame Dorkono) and a gentleman introduced as the President of the Disabled Association, both to the effect that, if the NPP or Nana Addo was not voted to power in the December polls, there could be chaos or war in Ghana. What we want to know from these two people or the NPP on whose platform those statements were made is that; who will start the chaos/war if the NDC wins? Is it the NPP or the NDC which has won the election? When the NDC was in power wasn’t there peace in Ghana? Was there any war in Ghana between 1992 and 2000 when the NDC was in power? Someboby must tell Ghanaians the basis of their claim. Are they just conjecturing or issuing statement of fact?

Finally, we also heard the flag bearer himself-Nana Addo say that Jerry Rawlings had edged Voltarians to vote for the NDC and not the NPP and that in he Nana Addo’s view this amounted to the barbaric tendency of reintroducing tribal politics into modern politics. Ladies and gentlemen, question is: what were Hon.Osafo Marfo and Hon.Hackman Owusu Agyeman doing when they took turns to address the rally and edged the gathering and the people of the Eastern Region to vote massively and give the NPP and Nana Addo 80-85% of their votes because Nana Addo hails from the Eastern Region? In our view, this is hypocrisy and double standards in its highest form,because these two gentlemen were also doing the same thing that Jerry Rawlings did and Nana found something wrong with.

We are therefore appealing to the people of the Eastern Region to prove our wealth by voting according to the issues at stake and our conscience and not necessarily because Nana Akufo Addo is from our region.Also, we think Nana Addo must be reminded once more that our Presidential Candidate is John Evans Atta –Mills and not Jerry Rawlings.He must address all his concerns to Atta-Mills and not Jerry Rawlings. And if he wanted to address issues to Jerry Rawlings, then he should have contested the 1992 and 1996 elections. We thought Nana Addo was moving forward? Addressing Jerry Rawlings is rather moving backwards and not forward!!!

Signed:

Julius Debrah Eastern Regional Chairman, NDC