The Ghanaian Journal

—-Mac Manu charges and calls Akufo-Addo the BEST MAN

National Democratic Congress flagbearer John Evans Atta Mills’ political dossier was compared to that of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a press conference held yesterday in Accra by the governing New Patriotic Party.

But, with the NDC leader selling himself as a “Better Man for a Better Ghana”, NPP National Chairman Peter Mac Manu gave a chronicle of reasons which “make the NPP Presidential Candidate,” Nana Akufo-Addo, “the Best Man for Ghana from January 7, 2009.”

According to Peter Mac Manu, who addressed newsmen yesterday, “Prof Mills was one of those who detested the PNDC yet felt it sufficient enough to complain quietly to his friends and colleagues on university campus. Like most, he chose to express his opposition privately or not at all.”

The NPP chairman stated that unlike Prof Mills, “Nana Akufo-Addo did not spend his adult years in the relative comfort of academia, only complaining about PNDC atrocities to friends, students and colleagues, whilst some of his compatriots went out onto the streets with courage, patriotism and political morality as the only legitimate weapon to fight tyranny.”

He added, “We believe that an objective analysis of the national service records of all the candidates can only confirm that Nana Akufo-Addo is the best candidate.”

On the charge by Prof Mills a week ago that Nana Akufo-Addo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Mr Mac Manu fired back: “It took the boy who, Prof Mills claims was born with a silver spoon in his mouth to stand up and fight for Prof Mills to have his say in the governing of this country and to become Vice President.”

Unlike Prof Mills, the NPP National Chairman said, “Nana Akufo-Addo did not equivocate. He did not hesitate. He stepped boldly into the fray on the side of the people to demand democratic accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights.”

He described President Rawlings plucking Prof Mills “from political obscurity” to become his running mate in 1996 as tantamount to being fed with a “golden spoon”.

The NPP said that their Presidential Candidate’s service to the nation in the last 31 years puts Nana Akufo-Addo way above the other Presidential Candidates as “the BEST MAN to lead Ghana into the future.”

The NPP said Nana Akufo-Addo is the leadership embodiment of the Five Cs, namely, a courageous, committed, competent, confident, and compassionate leader.

“In politics, Nana Akufo-Addo made his own way, inspired, no doubt, by the very spirit of patriotism that drove his forebears. He fought for every inch, alongside other courageous patriots, in demanding the creation and expansion of Ghana’s democratic space,” Mr Mac Manu said.

On the other hand, he said the NDC flagbearer presided over a failed National Economic Management Team under the NDC government, with “the people of Ghana” witnessing “his helplessness as the country’s economy suffered a disastrous free fall.”

The NPP said it felt compelled to react to the series of NDC allegations leveled against it including political polarisation, corruption, Ghana as a haven of drugs etc.

Statistics available indicates that under the nineteen years of P\NDC rule, 70,000 Ghanaians were made unemployed under the divestiture programme alone. Mr Mac Manu said President Kufuor’s policies, which have seen tertiary level enrolment more than doubling, is a testament that the NPP is already “investing in people,” one of Prof Mills’ four thematic areas.

On the NDC leader’s charge that the NPP has been vindictive and polarising, the NPP chairman described the charge as false, coming from a man who promises to lead by the truth.

He told the media that the NPP administration supported Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Ekwow Spio Garbrah, both NDC gurus, in their quest for the international positions they hold currently.

Again, the NPP cited PV Obeng, the de facto Prime Minister during the PNDC era, who was until recently, the chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.

Mr Mac Manu said Prof Mills showed no courage under military dictatorship. Although, Prof Mills was a long-standing member of the Ghana Bar Association, never once did he join the GBA when the lawyers stood up to demand constitutional rule for the country.

On corruption, the NPP leadership spoke of the need to strengthen institutions charged to fight graft whilst lauding the NPP government for passing laws on public procurement and financial management as well as holding the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament in public.

Touching on the claim of a ‘new’ image of the NDC in December’s general election, the NPP national chairman, stated, “Even if the NDC honestly concedes that they are changing in order to attract more voters, is there any convincing evidence that the NDC change is genuine? Let Ghanaians first hear the NDC acknowledge their sins, ask forgiveness before they can consider the genuineness of their proclaimed newness.”

He went further, “this NDC is the same old ‘Akpeteshie’ in a recycled bottle.”

On the comparing of track records of the NDC and NPP in government for eight years each, Mr Mac Manu, opined that this year’s election is about leadership and vision but wonders why NDC is afraid of comparing records with its arch political rival.

The NPP has suggested three areas of comparison; the records of the parties in government, visions of the parties for the future of our country, and the competence and experience of the respective presidential candidates.

“We believe that a serious comparison of our parties in these three areas will significantly assist the voters in the choice they have to make the December,” Mac Manu stated.