Ashanti region does not belong to Kufuor's family - JJ

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is readying itself for the long awaited march for survival in Kumasi at a date yet to be announced.

Once the date is fixed Ex-President J.J. Rawlings, as founder of the party, Prof. Atta Mills, the flag bearer, Dr. Obed Asamoah, National Chairman, Dr. Josiah Aryee, the General Secretary and all the big wigs in the party will troop down to Kumasi to partake in the demonstration which ex-President Rawlings says will not only be for survival but also demonstrate the anti-corruption stance of the NDC.

Addressing what was termed as an NDC family meeting at the Dwabrem at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi on Monday, Mr. Rawlings said the NDC still saw the need to embark on the March for Survival in Kumasi.

He observed that Ashanti region represented the aspiration of Ghanaians and that no matter the impediments the demonstration must come on because “Ashanti region does not belong to Kufuor’s family”.

“Not only will it be a march for survival. It will be an anti-corruption stance and a march for integrity.

The NDC founder said the intended demonstration would be the appropriate forum to expose a lot of wrongs in the Kufuor administration, which he described as a “bunch of liars”.

He said he was waiting impatiently for the D-day when he will share with Ashantis so much of the lies, dishonest, secrets and evil deeds of the present government, which they (NPP) did not want to hear.

According to the former president the government was putting impediments on NDC’s way because they (NPP) knew Ashantis were defiant people and that once they got to know the truth their support, which he described as vibrant, would wane.

Mr. Rawlings deplored the massive campaign of lies against him via FM stations. He said many people were ignorantly hurling insults at him because they believed “ the lies” of the FM stations.

The ex-President urged the Kufuor-led administration to take the lead in fighting corruption and do something to stop corruption and decay and not resort to lies. He also cautioned the electorate not to return the NPP to power in 2004 else “ that will be the end of Ghana”.

Ned’s General secretary, Dr. Nii Josiah Aryeh said the NPP have no reason to be in power having failed to fulfill its campaign promises to provide free education and quality health care as well as create jobs for the people.

He noted that the situation was creating a recipe for corruption and thus making nonsense of its zero tolerance for corruption policy.

Aryeh also dared the Kufuor administration to provide answers to the mystery surrounding the death of 34 women before the 2004 elections. He also questioned the initial investigations and reports of the FBI and personnel from Scotland Yard, which were duly handed over to the NPP administration by the Rawlings regime.

The General Secretary also questioned the morality of the NPP government dashing the Democratic Republic of Congo with $100,000 against the claim that it could not afford a lie detector at $55,000 for the resolution of a major national issue involving the mysterious death of 34 women.

In this connection, Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, former Minister in the NDC regime stated that the NDC will pursue the truth about the deaths to its logical conclusion and urged the NPP to show the same commitment as the NDC to ensure that the truth about the murdered women is established.

Ohene Agyekum also said for the NDC did in 20 years NPP has done a hundred more times worse in their brief spell of two and half years.

According to him he has a list of sitting Ministers who have built mansions this short time they have been in office and that they would be exposed at the appropriate time.

He also cautioned that on the declaration of the 2004 elections the borders would have to be closed among other security measures to prevent thieving ministers and government functionaries from escaping lawful arrests for causing financial loss to the state.

Taking his turn the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Emmanuel Nti-Fordjour challenged the NPP to explain to Ghanaians why Ghana joined the HIPC initiative while his ministers presently lived in champagne lifestyles.

Nti-Fordjour also demanded an answer to why one person was collapsing the VRA and causing so much financial loss to the state.

Meanwhile, Mr. Peter Yaw Mensah, former Deputy national Organizer of NDC who believes that the NPP government is committing more grievous faults and mistakes than the NDC revealed at forum that the NDC has adopted a strategy to catalogue all shortcomings and flaws of the ruling government to be used against them during the campaign for votes in 2004 elections.