NDC condemns “ecomini” T-shirts

The Youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has printed t-shirt with the name “ecomini”.

According to the National Youth Organizer of the party Anthony Karbo, the t-shirt is just for comic relief and to ease tension in the much tensed political environment in the country.

He added it is also part of their strategies to raise funds for the party and also to assist the youth

President Mills at his first state of the nation address in Parliament had a slip of tongue that made him say “ecomini” instead of economy.

It became the favourite of some disc jockeys at various radio stations who used those few presidential lines in and out of their playlists by mixing them with instrumentals that made our president sound like a pop, reggae or hiplife artiste.

The presidential slip-ups was digitised into a genre of music downloaded on mobile phones as ring tones and it seemed as though it was the hottest tune in town.

Speaking on Asem FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, Nana Asante Bediatuo a member of the NPP noted that he is very amazed at comments about the release of the t-shirts.

Nana Bediatuo linked the t-shirt by the NPP to cartoons of politicians in newspapers saying “I don’t see anything wrong with it. This is just for humour.”

He revealed that “the t-shirt is not only about President Mills but other politicians as well”.

Meanwhile the National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the action of the youth wing the NPP as very unfortunate.

He added that it is important to give respect where it is due and called on the party hierarchy to call them to order.

Meanwhile, a leading member of the NDC Yaw Boateng-Gyan has condemned the printing of the t-shirts. He believes some leaders of the NPP are aware of this development but have deliberately refused to advice against, a development he considered as an embarrassment to the NPP and the nation as a whole.

The term “ecomini” came up in Parliament during President Mills’ first state of the nation address, when he mistakenly said “ecomini” in his attempt to pronounce economy.

Speaking to Asempa News Mr. Boateng Gyan stressed that the leadership of NPP should not have allowed their youth to sell this T-shirts since it amounts to disrespect to our leaders.

Meanwhile, a former Ashanti regional Chairman of the NDC, Frank Osei Mensah says, if the NPP Youth Wing refuse to withdrawn the T-shirts from the market, the NDC will retaliate.

He was speaking on Asempa fm’s flagship programme, Ekosii Sen.

A former Chief Executive of the FDB and a member of the NPP, Emmanuel Kyerementeng Agyarko who was also a panelist on the programme says the printing of the "ecomini" T-shirts by the NPP Youth Wing is unfortunate.

He called on the leadership of the NPP to call to order the National Youth Organizer Anthony Abayifa Karbo who engineered the printing of the T-shirts.

Anthony Karbo, launched the "ECOMINI" T-shirts last Saturday; an idea of the youth wing to raise funds for its activities and programs such as the mass registration of first time voters of the party.

Some of the T-shirts came with inscriptions such as: “WHO BORN DOG" BY DR. BOOM; "I DON’T CARRY THE WATER ON MY HEAD" BY PROF. DO LITTLE; "GREEDY BASTARDS" BY DR. BOOM; "I WILL REDUCE FUEL PRICES DRASTICALLY" BY PRESIDENT MILLS; AND "COCOA ASE KORASENI/BROADEN YOUR HORIZON" BY KOBBY ACHEAMPONG AND "KILL THE JUDGES LIKE CATS" BY DR. KWABENA ADJEI among others.