STOP MEDIA ATTACKS! Dress Maker Urges NPP and Pleads for Sanity

Micheal Osafo Bamfo, a fashion Designer

By Duke Nii Amartey Tagoe

Micheal Osafo-Bamfo, a fashion designer has asked the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to halt the incessant attacks on constructive reportage by segments of the media.

He is alarmed by the claims of the NPP that the state media are seeking to deepen the ever widening cracks of the party.

He has also called for protest against what he calls “vicious attempts” at the coercion of the media by some “unscrupulous” elements within the country.

According to the dressmaker, the NPP whilst in power enjoyed unfettered  coverage by the Daily Graphic to the indignation of many readers yet Nana Akufo Addo and several appointees of the Kufuor administration, insisted on the right of the media to act independently.

“These attacks inform me that the claims by the NPP that it believes in the independence and freedom of the press is only a smokescreen behind which the party hides to champion its courses” he told this reporter.

Mr Osafo-Bamfo called on well meaning Ghanaians to protect the independence and sanctity of the media adding that “the media must be guarded to undertake its core mandate of holding government and opposition accountable for their actions and inaction towards national development”.

The NPP does not take kindly to a report by the Daily Graphic that on the 9^th of December 2015, a press conference organized by Attoh Quarshie an elder of the party in the Ablekuma South constituency  was violently scattered by some elements  of the NPP from the Constituency.

Eye witnesses confirmed that amidst the raids, seats and canopies were vandalized and gunshots were also heard with old men and women running for cover. There were no casualties.

Over the past few months, the headquarters of the NPP has also become the battlegrounds for competing gangs with loyalties to either Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo or the suspended chairman of the party, Paul Afoko.

Editorial

Strange Development in NPP

The suspension of Mr Kwabena Agyapong, General Secretary and Mr Sammy Crabbe, Second National Vice Chairman all of the New Patriotic Party( NPP) must be very strange.

How can the leaders of any serious party preparing to contest a major election in 10 months embark upon such a reckless path?

In any case, will the suspensions enhance the chances of the NPP in the next election?

What is even stranger is the fact that many party leaders have committed more grave offenses than those allegedly committed by Chairman Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyapong and Sammy Crabbe.

 The angry reaction of some grassroots members of the party must be a pointer to the future. 

The NPP will soon wake up to the reality that contesting elections at reduced strength can only bring about disaster.

PAUL AFOKO; Is He Becoming a Political Superstar?

Suspended NPP Chairman Paul Afoko: Photo credit Daily Graphic

By Ekow Mensah

Mr Paul Afoko, the suspended New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman has become different things to different people and interest groups.

Members of the Akufo –Addo faction of the party clearly sees him as a spoiler determined to wreck the chances of their leader from becoming the President of the Republic.

 As far as Afoko’s supporters in the NPP are concerned, the man is a principled party faithful struggling to uphold the constitution of the party and the broad principles of accountability.

Interestingly, Paul Afoko is no longer just an NPP personality and is being discussed in all political circles both in and out of Ghana.

Only two weeks ago, some young people in the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) expressed surprise that the NPP has failed to appreciate the value of Paul Afoko in the 2016 elections.

They invited him to join the PPP’s effort to wrestle power from what they described as the incompetent hands of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

 Surprisingly, NDC serial callers have also been urging Mr Paul Afoko to abandon the NPP and set camp in their midst.

 They describe Mr Afoko as a seasoned politician who has a lot to contribute to nation building.

A texter to Radio Gold simply wrote “The NPP does not deserve Paul Afoko. He is too principled for them. He should join the NDC, the winning team”.

There are credible reports that some individuals within the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the Peoples National Convention (PNC) are also playing with the idea of inviting Mr Afoko to Join hands with them.

It is believed that Mr Paul Afoko is very resourceful and that his presence in any of the  so called small parties can change their fortunes in the 2016 elections.

 Before his suspension Mr Afoko had promised to give the NPP 250 pickups from his personal resources.

It is also just possible that a large part of his supporters in the in the NPP will leave with him if he decides to join another political party.

Perhaps Mr Paul Afoko is on his way to achieving superstar status in Ghanaian politics.

Editorial

STRAIGHTEN UP WITH THE PUBLIC

The arrival of the 225 megawatts power barge in the country potentially means the country has more means at its disposal in facing up to the current energy crisis.

This in itself is good news but many people are holding their breath because there is a lot of information we do not have.

We know that for the barge to be operational we will be asked to pay more for electricity. 

How much more is not that clear because various individuals are suggesting different figures.

Related to this is the cost to Ghana of having the barge. Beside purchasing fuel to run the page, we also have to pay other charges including rental.

As things stand, most people are anxious for an end, if not, a dramatic reduction in the power rationing regime. This does not mean, however any price at all will find easy acceptance by the public.

At the same time, we need to ensure that the steps taken to address the power crisis do not end up leaving us with debts which have the potential of crippling the economy.

The options may not be that many of the government, but we believe that a genuine search for solutions can yield an acceptable way out. 

In the meanwhile we call on those in charge to be open with the people  and provide clear and comprehensive information about what our energy situation is going to look like in the short, medium and long-term.

SECURITY THREAT !

Acting NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Considering happenings at the NPP front that entail security implications, let me ask a loaded question: Why is it that of all the political parties, it is the NPP alone that has found it necessary to form a security organization to defend it or its Akufo-Addo's interests against those of his opponents?

We have already heard of the "trouble" at the NPP's National Headquarters and what the security implications are. Contrary to earlier claims that the NPP headquarters had been ransacked by elements purportedly supporting Afoko and that 11 of such "invaders" were military personnel, the truth is gradually emerging that something more troubling is at the centre of happenings there.

Some NPP supporters have been quick to blame President Mahama and the NDC for infiltrating ranks and organizing the day's event just to worsen the NPP's internal crisis.

Clearly, there is much happening in connection with the exact purpose of that NPP headquarters. The formation of a security wing (known as the "Invisible Forces") has added more suspicion to what exactly the NPP has up its sleeves to confront the Establishment.

As I have already said in my opinion pieces on the security threat posed by such a ragtag force, the government must act quickly to prevent a nasty situation in the near future.

The truth about what happened today is contained in this report by PeaceFMOnline (See http://elections.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/201511/261607.php).

Nana Akufo Addo

You can see clearly from the report that the military and police were in action to retrieve those weapons and other items (as some have identified as sacks of wee, machetes, cudgels, and many others). What are those weapons being stored there for?

The time is long past for the government to stamp its authority on the situation. It must disband all such ragtag quasi-security organizations and ensure that the orthodox security services act prudently to deal with any deviance. That is why the BNI and other intelligence-gathering institutions must be more proactive than they've been all this while to expose the brains behind the formation of such organizations and to prosecute those who fall foul of the law.

If for nothing at all, Ghanaians want to enjoy the peace that has prevailed all these years. The kind of violence (or the rhetoric of political violence) being introduced into national politics by the NPP and its Akufo-Addo must not be countenanced at all.

Interestingly, the day's event happened just when Akufo-Addo left for London. He is known for running away after setting others up to cause mayhem. Then, he returns to settle back in the groove as if he has no hand in the events. Shameful.

I repeat my loaded question for emphasis: Why is it that of all the political parties, it is the NPP alone that has found it necessary to form a security organization to defend it or its Akufo-Addo's interests against those of his opponents? We saw how this ragtag organization of disgruntled elements was used in the Afoko case and will be used in other cases considered as inimical to Akufo-Addo's interests.

Suspended NPP Chairman, Paul Afoko

Now that the truth about the use to which the NPP's national headquarters is being put, the authorities must investigate today's happening and punish those who have to be punished for illegally stocking weapons and other substances there.

It is better to act now than to frantically mobilize resources to "cure" what could have been prevented. No more, no less.

The Ghanaian Establishment has been really sluggish in acting against forces that threaten national security. Some of us who complain about what is happening in the NPP today had done so in the 1990s and early 2000s when we were serving our country before moving on to other departments of life. I remember very well my writing to complain about reports that the late Major Courage Quashigah was contemplating and actually working on creating a private army for the NPP. What happened on that issue belongs to history, but it looks like the ghost that was disregarded then is now taking shape to scare the system. Courage Quashigah is dead and gone but his dream for a militant group is still active in the NPP. Is anybody listening? I am available for further explanation. Just reach out to me.

I shall return…

E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com

Editorial

Let’s pause and change

The reported invasion of the NPP head office is the latest low in the country’s multi-party journey.

There are various versions of who staged the attack and while it is important to establish the truth of what really happened, our concern here is how these troubling developments are fast becoming the norm.

A number of commentators suggest that the attack is part of the internal struggles within the NPP. If this is the case then it appears to confirm the trend where intra-party fights have become as aggressive if not more so than inter-party contests.

It is dangerous not simply because of the damages it is leaving in its wake but more importantly because of the risks it is carrying for the country.

Multi-party democracy, the proponents suggest, lead to a contest of ideas which ultimately should lead to the good of the country.

The contests we are seeing now both intra and interparty can hardly be classed as contest of ideas; they seem mainly personality based and the main basis behind it is that some party members see particular individuals as their route to personal gains.

Such an attitude to politics, we dare warn, is very short sighted indeed.

AFOKO GETS RAW DEAL

Paul Afoko, National Chairman, New Ptriotic Party (NPP)

By Ekow Mensah

This could very well be the  end of any democratic pretension in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the beginning of a tsarist era in a political party which prides itself as the be all of the rule of law and democracy.

How can anyone explain the removal or suspension from office of a popularly elected leader by a subordinate structure on account of perceived lack of loyalty to the presidential candidate of the NPP?

Is it being suggested that the only condition for office holders keeping their position is their unquestioning loyalty to the presidential candidate?

What kind of a political party would the NPP be if this were the case?

From all indications, Mr Paul Afoko, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has been given a raw deal by the National Executive Committee which decided to suspend him.

 In the first instance, the allegations against him are frivolous and only go to show that he is a law abiding citizen who places his party‘s interest rightly within the context of the national good.

 One of the allegations against Afoko and for which he has been suspended is that he accepted an invitation from the police service to assist with investigations into a criminal complaint.

 What did the NEC of the NPP expect Paul Afoko to do? Refuse to co-operate with the police in a criminal investigation?

 Woow! Is this not a huge statement about the NPP’s own commitment to the so-called Rule of Law?

Paul Afoko is also accused of responding to baseless allegations made against him in the media. Did they expect that Paul Afoko would have kept quiet and allowed those malicious stories to fester to create conditions for his removal?

Indeed the most ridiculous of the bases for his suspension is that his younger brother is currently standing trial for the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP.

First, at this stage the brother of Paul Afoko can only be presumed innocent until proven guilty and this ought to be known by leaders of the NPP who profess to believe in the rule of law.

 Secondly, under no circumstances can Mr Paul Afoko be held responsible for the actions and inactions of any relative of his.

 The question is, would the NEC of the NPP based on the parity of reason take actions against party leaders whose brothers, sisters or relatives have been convicted of serious offences including drug smuggling and murder?

What has happened to the NPP is not just a palace coup but one in which reason has been turned upside down and the person who upholds the law have been victimized.

Mr Paul Afoko has most obviously been given a very raw deal.