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General News of Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Source: THE SUN

Boniface is a joker -NPP Founding member

NPP’S RUNNING MATE SAGA BUGRI NAABU SAYS BONIFACE IS A JOKER
…Punches Vice President Aliu Mahama

NPP FOUNDING member Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu has tagged Water Resources and Works and Housing Minister Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Siddique a joker for desiring the Party’s Vice Presidential slot.

Speaking to the Sun’s Spotlight team in Accra last week, Bugri Naabu Managing director of Bugri Naabu Group of Companies posed the question, “how can a revolutionary Cadre in the Rawlings days become a vice- presidential material in a democratic party such as NPP?” According to the NPP stalwart, the mere fact that Minister Abubakar Siddique is preaching and lobbying for the number two spot is an insult to the NPP and the tenets it believes in.

The politician, contractor cum Sports administrator cautioned the party and its elected flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that Minister Siddique cannot bring along votes even in his area because originally an NDC man he defected to the NPP and failed to carry along the mass of his constituents who voted for him originally.

“I receive reports from all over the three northern regions and it will be the shock of the times if he wins even from his own constituency,” the Outspoken Bugri Naabu said hilariously.

He recounted times gone by when Minister Siddique, acting in concert with Vice- President Aliu Mahama distributed cash to delegates, cell phones and bicycles and ensured that he lost the NPP Northern regional chairmanship elections.

Mr. Bugri Naabu stated that ever since then, Vice-President Mahama has had failure in his bid for NPP’s president slot for punishment,” and Siddique’s is just around the corner”, He dismissed as a lie doing the rounds that he is against the selection of a Moslem as a Vice-Presidential candidate stating that “rather I do not want another Moslem who, instead of uniting us will divide our ranks. I will support any respectable and sound –minded moslem with the ability to bring along the votes,”

Mr. Bugri Naabu cited the case of Vice-President Mahama whom he challenged for his failure to broker peace anywhere up-north where conflicts crop up, citing the Dagbon crises as well as the present Bawku conflict.

The NPP founding member who is on record to have joined hands with a few individuals to broker peace during a life -claiming conflict between the Kokombas and Bimobas and the Nanumbas in times past, questioned if an influential Southerner would have sat aloof just like the Vice-President has done all these years if a major conflict erupted in Southern Ghana.

Mr. Bugri Naabu therefore called for the selection of a vice-presidential material with influence and charm, be he a Moslem, a Christian, or southerner and should be capable of wining the votes and holding his own in times of trouble, unlike what has pertained in the past.

“I warned President J.A Kufuor (then candidate Kufour) back in the day but he kicked against my advice and went along with his choice which has been more of a liability throughout all these years than an asset”, Mr. Bugri Naabu concluded.