NDC Press Statement On Allegations of attacks on Otabil

Press Statement By The National Democratic Congress

IN RELATION TO THE ALLEGATIONS THAT “HOODLUMS” ASSOCIATED WITH THE NDC HAVE THREATENED VIOLENCE AGAINST PROMINENT GHANAIANS AS REPORTED IN THE PRINT & ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

Then National Democratic Congress has noted with concern reports that have been circulating in the media, alleging that prominent citizens including Pastor Mensa Otabil have been placed on a hit list and threatened with violence by “hoodlums”. We specifically refer to the story by Vance Azu in the Daily Graphic of Sunday the 13th of December 2008 making the allegation that he was being threatened by certain hoodlums believed to be agitating for the breach of the peace of the country. We have noted the vagueness of the allegation does not allow for easy investigation of the legitimacy or otherwise of such reports. However, we are of the considered opinion that in view of the fear and insecurity generated by such allegations the Ghana Police Service ought to treat them with every seriousness, and conduct investigations promptly and thoroughly to get to the bottom of these matters within the shortest possible time. We believe that as the story is attributed to Vance Azu he will be in a position to assist the police in their investigations by providing more details on the source of the information. We would also request that they act with a lot more urgency than they have done with the recent arson and murders that particularly affected members of our party and other innocent persons in Gushiegu and Tamale in September this year. Perhaps it is inappropriate at this time to recount the instances where the police have been unable to complete investigations into high profile criminal incidents. We must however point out that these incidents have contributed to the impression that the Police have severe limitations in their ability to combat crime. We are of the view that their inability to investigate allegations of crime or the intention to commit crimes allows such criminal elements in society to believe that they can get away with anything and contributes in no small way to the current culture of indiscipline and impunity.

With regard to the implied allegations contained in the Daily Guide of Monday the 15th of December that persons associated with our party have threatened Pastor Mensa-Otabil, we wish to state that we have no knowledge of any such threats made by any persons associated with the NDC and these are simply not true. We have noted that previously in the Daily Graphic of Saturday (13/12/08) there was a story attributed to Vance Azu on page 17 of the paper, that hoodlums had threatened Pastor Mensa Otabil’s life, and that the good Pastor had noted that everything was in the hands of God. We of the NDC also have faith that the life of the good Pastor is in the hands of God and the Good Lord will protect him.

We take issue with the twist given to the story in Today’s edition of the Daily Guide (15/12/08) implying that the alleged assassins were threatening to attack him because he did not support the political party to which they were affiliated. We especially have concerns with the way the paper went on to make categorical statements about the NDC to suggest in their reader’s mind that these alleged hoodlums might have something to do with the NDC. We are very much aware that several of our party members including some Members of Parliament are members of the International Central Gospel Church and accordingly respect him as a National Religious Leader. We also respect the positive influence of the Churches and other Religious Bodies in our society and would not support, instigate or condone any attack on any religious leaders. We therefore take strong exception to any comments suggesting that our party would be associated with an attack on his person.

We have noted with concern that since the results of the first round of the Presidential Elections were declared all sorts of wild and baseless allegations have been circulated concerning threats of violence attributed to the NDC, which are false and misleading. We have also noted that our opponents having failed to persuade the electorate that they have the competence to continue to run the affairs of the nation have taken to a campaign of fear mongering against the NDC, to create the impression that even they may be a bad choice they are the only available choice. We believe that the people of Ghana know better and the December 7th Election results speak for themselves. To suggest that our current democratic practices and dispensation only came into existence at the time of the coming into office of the NPP Government is a fiction being perpetrated by our opponents but we believe Ghanaians are discerning enough to see through the propaganda.

We of the NDC know that when the elections took place on the 7th of December and the people of Ghana made their electoral choices, they sent a clear message to all people associated with the political leadership of this country that they cannot be taken for granted. They demonstrated that even though some political leaders maybe convinced of their special right to rule this country the power to choose leadership vests with the people of Ghana, and even though they only get to exercise that power once every four years it is not a power that can be manipulated or taken for granted. We believe the good people of Ghana know that the years of the NDC administration were good years and in the main were years of progress and prosperity. We are sure Ghanaians remember that some of the World’s most respected Leaders at the time such as President Clinton, and President Nelson Mandela were proud to visit and be associated with our country. We are also sure they remember how the International Financial Institutions lauded our economic achievements because during that period Ghana had consistent economic growth and Government was run in the interest of the many and not the few. They also know that rather than plunge Ghana into the chaos that has occurred on other parts of our continent, the NDC respected the choice of the people and handed over power to the NPP after the December 2000 polls where the people’s choice was made clear.

We would like to invite Ghanaians to be discerning in respect of the things that they hear between now and the day of the elections because we are of the view that there is a deliberate orchestration of promotion of fear and panic amongst the electorate to frighten people away from the NDC. We wish to remind Ghanaians that Professor Atta Mills is a man of faith, humility, competence, strength of character and more importantly a man of peace. He would not supervise or preside over an administration that seeks to intimidate the very people that it was elected to serve. John Mahama his running mate has very similar characteristics. Both Gentlemen are decent, level-headed, God-fearing men. These two Gentlemen during in the course of the campaign running up to this election have conducted themselves with dignity, calm and circumspection, even in the face of provocation. Ghanaians will remember the assault on Professor Mills’s bodyguard at Cape Coast during this year’s Afahye festival. Though many sought to justify the attack, the electoral choices of the people of Cape Coast and the people of Ghana should be speaking very loudly to our opponents, as to what they think of their high-handed behaviour. We trust that Ghanaians will also remember how John Mahama his running mate had to suspend his campaign in Dzodze in the Volta Region because the Police informed him that Nana Akufo Addo’s wife’s visit to the area took precedence over his Vice-Presidential Campaign tour. The NDC Presidential Team of Professor Mills and John Dramani Mahama are the most sober and sensitive political leaders in our country at this time and are the right people to lead Ghana in the right direction. They are not new to the political scene in Ghana, they have been active participants in the political process over the last twelve years, and what they did not do in the past would certainly not be part of the Leadership they would bring to the people of Ghana in the future. We would invite the Good people of Ghana to have no fear, to welcome the wind of change that is blowing, to look towards the future with faith, hope and trust and to cast their ballot for the NDC in the December 28th Elections and join the us in building a better Ghana. There is a place under the Umbrella for all Ghanaians irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religion, political persuasion or any other differences that we may have.

Let us work together to build a more prosperous future, a future where opportunities are available to many and not just a few. A country - where those who rule are humble enough to realize that their mandate is from the people and do not try to scare Ghanaians into submission. A country where the Political Leadership respects the Ghanaian people. A country we can be proud of that lives up to our creed of “Freedom and Justice”. Let us join the NDC to build a much better Ghana, and allow manipulation, deception and arrogance to be a thing of the past.

Hanna Tetteh Ms. Director of Communications National Democratic Congress