It is interesting the way a group of young men calling themselves Young Patriots of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have decided to smear everything, and every functionary of government for childish heroism and cheap political gains.
Nana Akomea’s endorsement and participation in the insult spree, evidently served a strong basis for the spokesperson of the group John Kumah to do the despicable by referring to the president as a homosexual, one would have expected that this group of young men and the NPP would have criticized the irresponsibility of John Kumah, instead they jumped to his defense why wouldn’t Nana Akomea now justify his shameful insults as provocation?
It is also not surprising that the ‘kakapiopioism’ and irresponsibility is being extended to all other facets of our body politics, the making of very uninformed and baseless accusations has obviously become the key strategy in the NPP’s campaign.
As the latest goof of the Young Patriots is suggesting government has auctioned off 24 stolen vehicles although they know as much as anyone else does, that the said 24 vehicles, as of this very date and time are in the custody of Interpol and National Security, because investigations are incomplete on them; let them cross check their facts.
Young Patriots have failed in their smear campaign to do what is honorable by stating facts, but the unfortunate bit for us at FORD, is the amount of ignorance, hypocrisy and political expediency being exhibited in relation to the activities of the Confiscated Vehicles Committee (CVC), this committee existed during the eight years of NPP rule and was badly managed to favor only those cronies from that political party whose names we will put out in due course, it is indeed public knowledge some of them now own car rental shops and garages, a development one would have expected the young patriots if not for hypocrisy to talk about but instead decided to attack the rather humane policies of the NDC government as far as the activities of the CVC is concerned.
By the law, vehicles imported into the country whose owners fail to clear such vehicles within the legally stipulated time become gazetted by Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Following which they become state property, the question then arises as to how government allocates these confiscated vehicles for its purposes.
As a priority policy, the NDC government under Prof. John Evans Atta Mills on the advice of the committee introduced the First Privilege Offer, that seeks to return gazetted vehicles to their original owners if they decided to pay the duties due, unfortunately the NPP through their spin machinery since the beginning of this current Mills administration only succeeded in smearing the CVC with negativity, and if this is the course the young patriots are now seeking to use to popularize their childish heroism agenda for cheap political points then am sorry but they need a better strategy. Hundreds of Ghanaians who previously would have had no say whatsoever as soon as their cars became gazetted now have the second chance of taking back these vehicles if they so wish. Records of over 600 Ghanaians who have benefited from this sound policy initiative are available at CEPS and can be verified anytime.
As a second option, government has also through the CVC made sure these confiscated vehicles are re-assigned to needy state institutions and agencies who so require them. It is these initiatives that probably never existed in their NPP’s 8yrs of rule which these young patriots have failed to appreciate.
It is welcoming if the young patriots would want to delve into the activities of the CVC because Ghanaians expect them to holistically discuss the real issues, how chits were kept in the car boots of their party functionaries who sold off confiscated vehicles for ridiculous amounts, the setting up of car rental shops and garages by known cronies of the NPP, not to mention the movement of vehicles in convoys to be sold in Kumasi.
If the young patriots indeed and genuinely wanted to discuss the issues concerning the CVC one would expect that, they as a matter of national interest extend their arguments and fact finding if any to thoroughly cover the 8 years preceding the current Mills’ administration, as well as provide an alternative policy direction of the party whose agenda they are currently vigorously pursuing.
We make a final call on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party to educate and inform the Young Patriots against this political ‘kakapiopioism’ in their bid to gain rather cheap popularity by the making of such baseless accusations and to channel their efforts to productive issues and not trivialities.
Duncan Amoah
For the FORDE
Accra
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites