NDC's Woes!

Ghana’s largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) might be going through one of its toughest times since its formation some 10 years ago.

The party is receiving a lot of bad press from the vociferous Ghanaian media for various acts of commissions and omissions. Perhaps, the infamous Kumasi outburst of the former president and founder of the NDC started it all. Rawlings’ call for “positive defiance” is receiving a lot of bashing and has diverted the attention of the entire Ghanaian populace.

Not very many members of the party are in favour of the ex-president’s statements at Kumasi against the government of the New Patriotic Party. Although, a few of them have come to the defence of the former president saying, “he has chosen his words carefully” and it is subject to interpretation, others would rather Rawlings had kept his cool at this moment when he and his family are receiving a lot of bad press from sections of the media which to them, are being used by the government and the security agencies.

The party’s image which it has been working hard to redeem since it lost the last elections and got one of its deputy ministers jailed and a few others still going through trial, has been dealt a big blow as a result of series of media publications and comments, a leading member of the party who pleaded anonymity told newsinghana.

We chronicle a few of the stories published by sections of the local media which are damning to the NDC.

1. Kweku Baako slams Nana Konadu

The editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Junior, a known critic of the Rawlingses has described the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as a “chronic liar in an interview with “The Independent” a private newspaper.

According to Mr. Baako, Nana Konadu does not deserve the national attention she came to be associated with, “To be honest, Konadu is a chronic liar, a vindictive woman who is undeserving of the national attention or status that she came to be associated with. There are a lot of examples to support this but let me give you a few.”

According to the firebrand journalist who has become the subject of all manner of alleged death threats since his paper quickened the pace of series of investigative stories on the Rawlingses, Nana Konadu has persistently lied about a number of issues which should not go uncorrected…this is a first lady who persistently told the world that until her husband came to power, there had only been one female member of Parliament in Ghana’s history. The Guide, which I edited then, called her attention to this untruth but she persisted.

Secondly, this is a woman who lied to Gorkeh Nkrumah (one of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s sons) about the so-called detention of one of her sisters to the so-called right wing opposition and when the media, including Harruna Attah and I picked up the issue, she filed a writ and eventually got us jailed on contempt charges whilst the case was pending.

Kweku Baako had no kind words for the former first lady.

2. Rawlings’ aide accused of drafting threat letters

The Leader and President of Action Forum, a group claiming association with National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abrampah Kwesi Mensah, has said categorically that Mr. Emmanuel Victor Smith drafted an alleged letter of threats to two Ghanaian journalists for their persistent unfair comments about former president Rawlings.

The journalists involved are Mr. Kweku Baako Junior, Editor of the "Crusading Guide" and Mrs. Margaret Amoakohene, a Lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, Legon.

Led in evidence by Principal State Attorney, Anthony Gyambiby, Mensah said the threatening letters commenced the first phase of a plan to be carried out on the two journalists, who openly attacked Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings in the media.

Mr. Mensah said on March 18 while taking his lunch at the Customs, Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Canteen, he received a call from Mr. Asamoah Atuahene, Interim National Co-ordinator of Action Forum, that Smith wanted to see him for an urgent discussion.

He said he went to the accused person’s office where he met him and the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who asked Smith to take good care of him since the Action Forum had been assisting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the grassroots level by organising talks on national issues.

Mr. Mensah said after Mrs. Rawlings had left, Smith disclosed that he wanted the Action Forum to take up the issue between the Minister for Economic Planning and Regional Integration, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, and the Internal Revenue Service.

He was also to serve letters of threats to the two journalists that would be copied to the National Media Commission and other media houses.

In addition, he was asked to bring members of the Forum to Accra where they would be given vehicles to track and crash the two journalists. Smith drafted all these plans on a sheet, Mr. Mensah added.

Mensah said immediately he left Smith's office, he made a telephone call to one of the journalists involved, Mr. Baako about what had transpired between him and Smith and sent a copy of the alleged letter to him by e-mail.

Mr. Mensah said Baako during the telephone call, insisted on seeing him personally but he declined and left for Kumasi.

When he got to Kumasi, he briefed Mr. Atuahene about the meeting but said, he would not be part of the "deal" since they had been working with the press and if they should carry out their plan the press would descend on them.

Mr. Mensah said on March 20, this year, at about 0800 hours, he received a call again from Smith asking him to read that day's Crusading Guide on the publication of the alleged letters adding that he would call back.

After reading the paper, Mensah said Smith called and asked him to come to Accra to enable the two to investigate how Mr. Baako received that information. "I was later asked by the Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to write a statement in respect of the matter, he said.

3. NDC General Secretary to face prosecution

The General Secretary of the NDC, Dr. Nii Josiah-Aryeh may soon face prosecution following the revelation of illegal power connection to his East Legon residence in Accra.

According to the report carried by “The Statesman”, Dr. Josiah-Aryeh, a law lecturer at University of Ghana, Legon, has been using Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG’s) power illegally connected to his residence contrary to LI 1651 making such an offence a criminal act.

“Investigations have revealed that even though, the NDC general secretary paid a little over ?1 million to the ECG in may 2001, no record shows that power was connected to his residence, raising suspicions that the amount was paid to regularize the illegal connection that had already been carried out.

Sources at the ECG told the Statesman that the provision of a meter is a prerequisite for the connection of power to any building, explaining that Dr. Aryeh’s house could not have been connected without a meter, if indeed he paid the appropriate fees.

Another sore-point was that the contractor who is alleged to have executed the job has flatly denied ever carrying out the job. The contractor, Elmark, it was learnt, told ECG officials that he did not execute the job even though records showed that materials were supplied by the electricity company.”

The NDC general secretary who denied the story of power theft on a number of radio stations in the capital, Accra yesterday Monday when the story broke, said, the responsibility for providing utilities is that of the landlord. He denied ownership of the fortified house, claiming it was for a relative but rented for him by the University of Ghana at ?450, 000 per month.

“Working on the assumption that power to Dr. Aryeh’s house was connected legally, ECG officials said it should have appealed to his conscience that he had been suing power without paying for it, adding to the wastage in the system which the ECG has to pass on consumers.”