Leave Pianim And Professor Frimpong-Boateng Alone!

At the official campaign launch of Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng on the 18th of May 2010, Mr. Kwame Pianim a founding member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was reported to have said that any “idiot could hold a flag” and other statements which other persons claimed was an indictment on the other aspirants.

I listened to the audio 17times!! and tried to do an extensive content analysis of what he actually said and my conclusion is that, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he said! Pure propaganda was responsible for the storm that accompanied it!

If Mr. Kwame Pianim said any idiot could hold a flag is it not true? This is every day expression and I must say I was excessively disappointed with the cataclysm with which he was attacked variously!

It was also alleged that, he had accused the other aspirants of corruption to me the context he used the word corruption was more of a metaphor than a reality! For instance if it is said that, Akilu Sayibu is a lion in battle does it mean am a lion? I did like to suggest that, we must not take what he said on its face value. Let us try to go into what he said and when it is done it will be realized that he did or said nothing wrong!

Mr. Kwame Pianim was himself on Joyfm midday news on the 20th May, 2010 to explain that, he was grossly taken our of context and added that, it was not possible for him to have said what was attributed to him. He went further to explain that one of the aspirants Isaac Osei was once on his campaign team when he wanted to lead the party in the past. He went further to state that, he has enormous respect for the aspirants including Nana Addo who he said were not corrupt!

What was noticed was that, even after the explanation he gave some persons were still on the loose trying to denigrate him for what he said he did not say in the first place! We seem to have highly polarized and alarmist social commentators and Journalists around. Some are quick to run their mouths than they are willing to analyze issues before commenting. This category of people must change their behavior for the better.

Another very funny issue that came up was calls on Professor Frimpong-Boateng to either disassociate him self from what Mr. Kwame Pianim is alleged to have said or not visit some areas of the country to campaign. This was ridicules to say the least!

I want to use this opportunity to condemn the Northern Regional Executives of the NPP for the gross exhibition of hypocrisy that they showed on this occasion. Why is it that, of all the ten regions in Ghana they were the only group to issue a threat to Professor Frimpong-Boateng! Are they aware freedom of movement is enshrined in the constitution of Ghana and not even president Mills can tell professor Frimpong-Boateng not to visit Tamale or the region to campaign? They must desist from such populist nonsense next time! What did the Regional Executives of the NPP in Northern region say when P.C. Ofori Appiah mounted Nana Addo’s campaign the other day and insulted Alan Kyeremateng? Did they organize a press conference to tell Nana Addo not to come to Tamale to campaign? If they did not do that on that occasion why on this occasion?

It was also outrageous to hear some people trying albeit in vain to link professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng to what Mr. Kwame Pianim said. I was embarrassed with such comments. The world over any person aged 18years and above is entirely responsible for his or her comments and there was therefore no basis at all for such calls unless those persons were harbouring other motives. The issue is about who better qualifies to lead the NPP to victory in 2012? Who better qualifies to attract floating votes for the party? Who better qualifies to unite the party better? And who is technologically advanced and can bring that to bear on the fortunes of the country? Who has the track record and overly honest to lead the NPP? These are questions we must ask and the answer is Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng! That is the issue and that must be it.

Akilu Sayibu UK Email: Akilu.Sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk