Tony Aidoo Incurs Dan Botwe?s Wrath

Former Deputy Minister of Defence and key member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Tony Aidoo, has broken his silence with a statement that has incurred the displeasure of the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Dan Botwe.

He described as ?nonsensical? a claim by Tony Aidoo that the invitation of ex-President Jerry John Rawlings by personnel of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for interrogation last week Tuesday was an act of invasion and abrogation of the former President?s human rights. The NDC top notch made the statement on an Accra based radio station last week.

It would be recalled that Mr J.J. Rawlings, in a speech he delivered during the inauguration of the Women?s Wing of the NDC at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, advocated for a ?positive defiance? and was consequently invited by the BNI to explain what he meant by that expression.

In an interview with ?The Crusading Guide? newspaper, the NPP Chief Scribe stated, ?It is nonsensical in the first place, to say that the invitation was an act of invasion and abrogation of Rawlings? human rights because the BNI know their work and so knew what they were doing.? Dan Botwe noted that ex-President Rawlings was interrogated on a matter that bordered on treason. He said ?Unless Tony Aidoo thinks as a former Head of State Rawlings is special, I don?t see the point in that statement he made?.

At a press conference organized by the NDC, sequel to the invitation of JJ by the Security Agencies, the NDC said it is willing to be part of any consultations among political parties and reconised bodies that would reduce tension in the country.

Commenting on the above statement, Dan Botwe said in a way, the NDC was distancing itself from the statement made by Rawlings. He said ?They are afraid of him and so cannot tell him that ?what you are doing is embarrassing us (NDC)?. Asked whether he took the NDC serious, the NPP General Secretary said he would not say so, adding that ?the easier way of lowering whatever tension in the country is to control Rawlings and tell him not to make that utterance any longer?.

He recalled past political activities of Rawlings and concluded that ?coup is his tract record?. Mr Botwe described as a ?contradiction?, Tony Aidoo?s assertion that former President Rawlings has a vast experience which he could place at the disposal of the nation. According to Dan, he (JJ) is the man who said he did not believe in multi-party democracy and for that matter, could not possibly place his experience for the benefit of the nation.

The NDC had taken a cursory look during the press briefing, of the series of demonstrations in 1995 organised by the Alliance For Change?made up of the then opposition groups to torpedo the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and said some people in the current government were involved. The party questioned whether that was not what is meant by ?positive defiance?. To this, Dan Botwe said those protests were lawful assemblies guaranteed by the Constitution since police permit was obtained and the demonstrators were given protection by the police.

He said ?if Rawlings had followed the right procedures and led the NDC in a demonstration, no one would have queried them?. Mr Botwe underscored that JJ Rawlings is calling for an insurrection ? a disorder ? which could create instability in the country.