Nana Addo’s age, health can’t be compensated with competency – group argues


Apologists of Nana Akufo-Addo’s presidential bid have hoisted high his competence as against his age and health going into the 2016 elections, but an NDC group argues it would rather be a misplaced priority.

According to the Reform for Youth Empowerment, it would be a “spectacular failure” for the NPP to use competence as the face of Nana Akufo-Addo, explaining that he could not perform above par when he was in government.

Nana Akufo-Addo on 20th March 2014 declared his intention to lead the NPP for the third time. He will turn 72 in 2016 as he noted, “I have asked hard questions of myself and of my body and I have taken the opportunity to see my doctors both here in Ghana and in the United Kingdom.”

But the group in a statement signed by its General Secretary Ebenezer Arkutu said: “…any attempt to compensate for Nana Akufo-Addo’s old age, failing health with a sense of competence will be a spectacular failure.

“Nana Akufo-Addo equally like Mr. Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Kofi Apraku as ministers in the former president Kufuor’s administration/government cannot lay claim per their performances to be competently grounded enough and/or exhibited great leadership/competence on their respective ministerial jobs to be deserving of this discussion of competence which is falsely gaining grounds.

“This competence hype particularly around Nana Akufo- Addo is NPP-made, designed to mislead and hide that which is obvious.”

It further stated: “The gamble with the candidature of Nana Akufo–Addo is a true reflection of not only a weak party’s state/leadership but also individual/collective quest for internal party control, influence and authority for a possible electoral miracle in 2016 and/or for 2020 proper.”

 
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT BY REFORM FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

MARCH 24, 2013
70 YEAR OLD NANA-AKUFO ADDO COERCED AND MISLED TO CONTEST – CAN HE BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE POLITICAL/FINANCIAL STATE OF GHANA?

After months of indecision and ground political coercion by his inner close party associates and forces outside the party, Nana Akufo-Addo announced his ambition to lead this great country Ghana at the age of 72 years by deciding to contest the NPP flagbearership race at 70 years old. This is to the great satisfaction and expectation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NDC’s great satisfaction and expectation ahead of the 2016 elections stem from the fact that Nana Akufo-Addo’s declaration coupled with  his frontrunner position in their flagbearership race speaks to the indictment of the weak state of their party and current state of leadership with respect to their readiness and/or preparedness to govern this country again…. more than Nana Akufo-Addo’s own electoral credibility to be considered credible to challenge President John Dramani Mahama’s  second term re-election bid.

The gamble with the candidature of Nana Akufo –Addo is a true reflection of not only a weak party’s state/leadership but also individual/collective quest for internal party control, influence and authority for a possible electoral miracle in 2016 and/or for 2020 proper. To this end, the inner close political associates of Nana Akufo-Addo for their continuous influence, authority and power have and/or are exploiting not only his old age, failing health for intended sympathetic votes but have succeeded exploiting his well-documented financial indebtedness to coerce him to contest the NPP’s flagbearership race. His candidature, therefore, is it for debt repayment? Or to serve the genuine interest of Ghana? This is dangerous, pathetic and it is being done without considering the interest of the state.

Without doubt, Nana Akufo-Addo’s best ages, sound health is far behind him and his capacity now to personally influence things and/or even managing his own campaign is increasingly becoming suspicious let alone entrusting him with the political and financial state of Ghana. Inner close associates including Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie ( aka Sir John),  Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia have vowed to carry him on a stretcher or push him in a wheel chair to make him president. For whose benefit? And/or at what cost to the nation?

Nana Akufo-Addo like those electing to defend him cannot with a joke lightly dismiss his age and its impact  on his health in the name of his doctors in Ghana and in London by assuring corporate Ghana of his health. By the NPP’s own standard with respect to former President Mills – We will demand without an apology after their flagbearership race a full public disclosure of his health status. In addition request for his birth certificate to be sure he is even not older than 70 years. For it is a fact that people have been increasing and/or decreasing their ages for personal gains. Nana Akufo-Addo cannot escape NPP’s own set standard of health for the presidency.

It must be emphasized that against all wise counsel, the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made the age, health and capacity/competence of former President Mills an election issue before the people of Ghana. Their position was variously supported by some so called intellectual Dons from our Universities, the Clergy and to some extent think- tanks argued then as verily valid in that a person’s age, health and competence/capacity cannot be divorced and/or delinked in the overall scheme of governance with respect to leadership. This gained weight with the unfortunate passing-on of former President J.E.A Mills – So this is an election issue as well as a matter bothering on governance and leadership.

The leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not dignify the discredited leadership of IMANI Ghana with a response on this issue. Their hatred for the NDC Government/Party is well known and their ignorance, double standards and hypocrisy on national issues is well documented. Now through IMANI Ghana, their Vice-President Kofi Bentil (on his Facebook page) is celebrating and pursuing ethic/tribal superiority.

Corporate Ghana is vigilant, remains fearful of him and will never forgive him on two occasions (2008,2012 elections) in which he nearly brought our peaceful nation on the verge of political instability by virtue of unnecessary political tension often accompanying his candidacy. The people of Ghana will forever be mindful/remember his political posturing; refusing to accept the EC’s declaration of results, massing- up violent supporters, his supporters unprovoked attacks on innocent Ghanaians including media houses, destruction of properties, reported death of a Taxi driver at Labone junction and a student at Kwame Nkrumah Circle after been stabbed for wearing NDC’s T-Shirt, accepting but disagreeing with the Supreme Court’s ruling paving way for his supporters to allege bribery and corruption against the Judiciary and respected individuals , to name but a few.

We condemn the failure of Nana Akufo-Addo to fully apologize for his infamous statement of ALL DIE BE DIE mantra and YEN AKANFUO declaration. This failure calls into question his genuine political intention to lead a united Ghana where in spite of our differences we are one and the same.

Again he failed to touch on issues of corruption in his party and how to address it. The media reported cases of massive corruption in the NPP, the largest opposition party in Ghana cannot escape the attention of Nana Akufo-Addo. His decision to ignore it in his March 20th Declaration was intentional and deliberate to secure his party’s nomination at all cost. This is because the very alleged corrupt officials of his Party are those leading his campaign and openly in defiance of the party’s constitution expressing support for his candidature at the expense of other interested aspirants. They are now campaigning intimidatingly to retain him unopposed.

On issues of competency; the verdict on Nana Akufo-Addo’s competence as a Member of Parliament (MP), Attorney General and Minister of Justice and as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs is out there in the public domain – As a Member of Parliament his leadership and contributions on the floor was average and as an Attorney General and Minister of Justice he was non transformational and unconvincing leading to him being reshuffled to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a Minister of Foreign Affairs was ordinary, non-influential and overly consumed in self- promotion at the international stage to become the next President of Ghana.

It is for this and other reasons that any attempt to compensate for Nana Akufo-Addo’s old age, failing health with a sense of competence will be a spectacular failure. Nana Akufo- Addo equally like Mr. Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Kofi Apraku as ministers in the former president Kufuor’s administration/government cannot lay claim per their performances to be competently grounded enough and/or exhibited great leadership/competence on their respective ministerial jobs to be deserving of this discussion of competence which is falsely gaining grounds. This competence hype particularly around Nana Akufo- Addo is NPP made designed to mislead and hide that which is obvious.

As a minister in the former President Kufuor’s Administration, what can Nana Akufo-Addo, be remembered for? Apart from famously withdrawing former President Rawlings’s courtesies, persecuting former First Lady Mrs. Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, wrongful preparation and presentation of charge sheets in court, assuming the position of neutrality on the subject matter of Africa Unity and/or legally failing to represent Ghana in the now infamous drill-ship saga leading to financial loss to the state – What can he be remembered for?.

Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, today is a victim of lack of leadership in the NPP and the weak state of the Party, leading to defeats in elections. Sadly he has no intellectual image left. Over the years, to please Nana Akufo-Addo and some few elements in the Party has progressively undermined/undervalued his intellectual positions on issues of national development by continuously playing to the gallery. He is famous for visiting markets, picking food items on tables to make a case to disapprove inflationary figures. Also failed as the leader of the Nana Akufo-Addo’s Pink Sheet team to exercise due diligence on evidence gathering and data analysis of Pink sheets.

Going forward, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia cannot be taken seriously not only on his infamous electoral statement “you and I were not there” but his monumental failure that even with the assistance of graduates was unable to gather, analyze and count ”mere” Pink Sheets. His NPP’s financial/economic wizard reputation was exposed when he confused the financial value of a cheque with the electoral value of a Pink Sheet in his failed attempted analogy.

LONG LIVE GHANA!!
LONG LIVE NDC!!
 
 
SIGNED
EBENEZER ARKUTU
GENERAL SECRETARY
 
 
 

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