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General News of Thursday, 7 January 2010

Source: Alliance for the Advancement of Democracy

Opoku-Manu Must Resign And ... - AAD

... The Hypocrisy Of The Npp Must Stop.

The Alliance for the Advancement of Democracy (AAD) wishes to condemn the Ashanti Regional Minister- Hon. Opoku-Manu for his malicious and distasteful claims which have the propensity to destabilize the peace and security of this nation.

The Alliance for the Advancement of Democracy (AAD) also views the call by the New Patriotic Party on Hon. Opoku Manu to resign and the subsequent invitation by the appropriate Security agency on the subject matter as most unfortunate and highly hypocritical. AAD believes that, he who seeks equity must come with clean hands and that the New Patriotic Party’s blatant disregard and failure to condemn violent acts of the former Central Regional Minister- Hon. Edumadzie, and the similar comments of Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Hon. Mike Ocquaye, Dr. Nyaho. Tamakloe, etc. as morally reprehensible and ultimately negates any good intent to uphold the rule of law and to consolidate peace and security in Ghana.

AAD believes that the apology of the Ashanti Regional Minister is an indication of gross remorse and must be accepted in good faith but we however insist that such averments militates against his status as the Regional Minister and the Chairman of the Regional Security Council. We therefore hold the strong view that he must honorably resign or the President must find it necessary to remove him from office. During the 2008 General elections, the President was touted as a man of peace (‘asomdwehene’) and must therefore be committed in working with public officials and appointees who reflect his character and principles.

AAD wishes to use this opportunity to reiterate our earlier call on the appropriate National Security apparatus to invite and investigate Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe who on 17th November, 2009 categorically stated that, “…the coming elections in 2012 is not going to be a conventional one, it will be a guerrilla war” and the similar comment of the Second Deputy Speaker of parliament and the MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Prof. Mike Ocquaye who also asserted that, the NDC was training commandos outside the normal security service for their parochial use.

In our quest to consolidate our democracy, people must not disguise themselves as politicians and preach violence since such malicious, unscrupulous and barbaric remarks can dangerously threaten and regrettably be a blight on our democratic credentials and national security. As apostles of democracy, we believe state institutions must efficiently and effectively work and we are increasingly becoming worried about the temerity with which politicians who make these distasteful comments go unpunished. Just as the state is required to create the enabling environment to protect and ensure that we freely discharge our rights, the citizenry is unconditionally expected to be responsible and political leaders must blaze the trail.

Long Live Ghana, Long Live Democracy, Long Live AAD-Ghana!!!

Yours faithfully,

Justice Kutsienyo (Spokesperson, AAD-Ghana) (0242-385-006)