The decision by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to boycott the National Economic Forum currently underway at Senchi has angered lots of people who continue to express their disappointment against the party.
Even party members of the NPP are not happy with the decision to boycott and have openly expressed their crossness about the decision.
First it was NPP’s own Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, Mr. Kwame Pianim and Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo.
Now it is the turn of the renowned pathologist and politician, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), who is flaying the NPP for the decision not to participate in the forum.
The action, apart from characterizing the nature of the NPP, also flies in the face of patriotism, the Convention People’s Party stalwart said.
Prof. Akosa, who spoke to Radio XYZ, said among other reasons, the NPP have no respect for Ghanaians other than themselves, else they would have appreciated the plight of the Ghanaian and joined the search for solutions to grow the national economy.
Even then, he does not think that the NPP have any solutions to offer the economy or the forum hence their decision to stay away.
After all when they managed the country, he said, they did not turn the economy around.
According to Prof. Akosa, it would serve Ghanaians better if the privileged spared a thought for the under-privileged, “for many are the things we take for granted but which are very critical for the deprived.”
He said, for many a rural dweller, they have not as much as tasted treated water before, the same commodity that many in privileged situations use to flush their toilet. “Besides many are the silent doers who support the national development efforts without as much as raise their voices to be noticed.”
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe had earlier said that the NPP’s decision is “untenable.”
“I think it’s very unfortunate the party has taken a partisan position on such all-important national issue; it’s very unfortunate as far as I am concerned,” he said.
The NPP on Monday announced that it will boycott the forum and directed all its members not to attend. The party cited late receipt of invitation to the forum as reason for its boycott.
The National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko, described the forum as a “PR gimmick.” “We will not be part of a deliberate propaganda and PR gimmick, to hoodwink the good people of Ghana in the face of monumental hardships we have been subjected to,” he said, during a press conference in Accra.
But Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe said the significance of the forum is to collect ideas that will help the country out of the current economic difficulties.
“It is the duty of the party to [contribute towards this national agenda].”
He explained that the party’s reason given for the boycott is inadmissible and unimportant.”
I am not comfortable about [the action] of the party because this is a national [event]; once again you will have others attending and we will be out,” he noted.
Another leading member of the NPP, Kwame Pianim had also said that the party’s decision to boycott the National Economic Forum was a wrong move.
He disclosed that he was out of the country when the NPP made the decision, but “if they had sought my opinion, I would have said ‘don’t do this.’ This is the third time we are doing it [boycotting a national event] and it is not good.”
In an interview with Citi News, Mr. Piani, who is the only NPP member at the Forum, said it is time for Ghanaians to “put our political colours aside and act as Ghanaians.” “When you go and watch Kotoko and Hearts, do you ask whether your party people are coming? No. I think it is sad and I think maybe it was a mistake”
Mr. Pianim, who is an economist, complained that politics in Ghana is too focused on the next election but “we need to get to a stage where once we elect a party into power, at least for three years, there should be no politics.”
He added that nine months to the next generation elections, “we can do politics.”
The NPP stalwart maintained that his suggestion is feasible because the concentration on political issues to the detriment of national issues is hurting the economic fortunes of the country.