Politics of Thursday, 19 February 2015
Source: Justice Dansu Norvor- Young Democrats
100 Most Influential list unfair to Prez. Mahama, Spio-Garbrah, Bagbin, others- Justice Dansu Norvor
Youth activist of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Justice Dansu Norvor has questioned the credibility of the list of 100 Most Influential personalities in Ghana published by ETV- Ghana placing the President and Chairman of ECOWAS at an awful 24th . According to Mr. Dansu Norvor, the list which has Nana Akuffo Addo as the second most influential personality in the country is without basis and cannot be scientifically verified thus must be treated with the contempt it deserves.
If influential person means one who exerts strong influence and having the power to cause change, then Nana Akuffo Addo has no business been there as the second most influential person in the country if the list is not a mischievous and Machiavellian attempt to demean the office of the President and some of his appointees, Mr. Dansu Norvor stressed.
Mr. Norvor noted that as the purported survey lacks the scientific basis, it is more inexcusable that even common sense will not place Nana Akuffo Addo above President Mahama, the most powerful statesman, who has consistently defeated him (Nana Akuffo Addo) in all elections and at the Supreme Court.
Justice Dansu Norvor who was speaking to the media in reaction to the report posited that the publication which ranked President Mahama the 24th Most influential person is an attempt to belittle the President and the influential Chairman of ECOWAS and some targeted government appointees noting that the source of the report is one of those NPP scams.
The youth activist of the NDC queried why an influential personality like Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah with all his mentorship to the youth of this country could be rated 83rd in the ranking far below some notable individuals who have never impacted a single life other than casting vituperations on government in the media. Previous research has established that Dr. Spio Garbrah’s professional, business, academics and political life has impacted more youth than did any other person in our society, with several young people benefitting from the GETfund scholarships and his entrepreneurial seminars through the Global Entrepreneurship Week. It is therefore unimaginable and ridiculous to rate him far below lesser known influential public figures.
Also unfortunate is to rate the Minority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu far ahead of the Majority leader Hon. Alban Bagbin. Mr. Norvor argued that if NPP partisans could criticize the current minority as the weakest in the history of parliament, what is the basis for which the minority leader is more influential than the distinguished Majority leader who has been at the forefront of governance reforms over the years. Hon. Alban Bagbin as leader of Government Business in the House deserves better than the paltry 92 position on the list.
“What makes Kwabena Agyepong more influential than Cardinal Appiah Turkson? What makes him more influential than Alban Bagbin if this report is not one of the propaganda schemes set up by the NPP to project their self aggrandizement efforts” he averred.
Mr. Dansu Norvor is of the view that the NPP apparatchiks who developed the report in the confines of their conundrum of mysteries included the celebrated religious leader Dr. Mensah Otabil in first position in order to legitimize the list in the eyes of the Ghanaian public but their self-deception has woefully failed as the inclusion of Nana Akuffo Addo as the second most influential person in the country has shot down any credibility and authenticity of the report. “Where is Afari Djan, Benard Monah, Baba Kamara, Huudu Yahaya, the youthful Kofi Adams, and many others who are impacting the lifes of our citizens” Mr. Norvor questioned.
The one time secretary of the Young Democrats has thrown the challenge to ETV- Network to disclose to Ghanaians details of any qualitative or quantitative survey carried out to validate their research.