Volta NDC split over Dzifa Attivor gaffe

The National Democratic Congress in the Volta Region appears to be divided over the distasteful and ethnocentric comments made by the former Transport Minister, Dzifa Aku Attivor.

While the Regional Chairman has condemned the comments, the Deputy Communications Director and another group claiming to be the Communication Team for the party in the region have endorsed the comments and have called on the media to disregard the claims of the Chairman.

The Volta Regional Chairman, John Kwadwo Gyapong, on Wednesday morning joined former President Jerry John Rawlings to condemn the comments made by the former Transport Minister.

According to him, the unsavoury comments made by Dzifa Attivor did not represent the views of the party in the region and hence distanced the party in the region from the comments. He observed that the party did not support tribal sentiments and would not want to go into the 2016 elections with such campaign.

Speaking to an Accra-based radio station, Mr Gyapong is reported to have said: “…I was at the event but at that time I was not listening attentively to what she was saying. But having played back the tape on what she said, I think that we as a region are saying that it is unfortunate.”

However, hours after this statement, the Deputy Communications Director of the NDC in the region, Chester Ben Ati, released a statement via social media to oppose the position of his boss and for that matter the party in the region.

He said the comments of the chairman were misunderstood and hence should be disregarded by all.

He stressed that “There is a story making rounds that Mr Gyapong Kudzo, the Regional Chairman of NDC Volta, has condemned Madam Dzifa Attivor. Kindly disregard that publication because he has not said so on any platform.”

The statement further made many unsubstantiated and unprintable allegations against the opposition New Patriotic Party to support the ethnocentric comments made by Dzifa Attivor.

He said the comment made by the former minister was in good taste and for that matter represented the position of the party and the people of the region.

“Must we wait for them to proceed with the agenda to cripple the base (Ewes) of NDC? ‘No’ is the answer. …Hon Dzifa Attivor spoke our mind,” he said.

Contradiction

When contacted, Chester confirmed that “I issued the statement. It was supervised and sanctioned by the Regional Chairman.”

These claims by Chester have made many wonder if the Regional Chairman was being dishonest and taking the people of Ghana, especially party sympathisers, for a ride.

Several calls placed to the phone of the Regional Chairman to verify the statement issued by Chester were neither answered nor returned.

Another group calling itself Volta Communication Team of NDC also supported this justification and described the news reports on Dzifa Attivor’s comments, especially those made on Multi Media platforms, to be misrepresentations.

Interestingly, the Volta Regional Communications Director, Kafui Agbleze, who is the boss of Chester, denied the statements saying, “I as the head of communications I’m not aware of the statement(s). Chester reports to me and for that matter any statement issued must be referred to me.”

He expressed doubt that Chester’s position was that of the party’s. That notwithstanding, he said he was yet to confirm with the Regional Chairman to ascertain the veracity of the statement.

Sources close to the party confided in DAILY GUIDE that Chester was a close ally of Fifi Kwetey, the current Transport Minister, and hence was using his position as the Deputy Communications Director to undermine his boss, the Communications Director, Kafui Agbleze, and the Regional Chairman, Kwadwo Gyapong.