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Opinions of Monday, 15 September 2008

Columnist: Otoo, Ben

Ethnic politics risky for Ghana- Akuffo-Addo warns - A Rejoinder

I have decided respond to Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo in this write-up.

The urgency is a result of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo’s recent unguarded utterance about ethnic politics in Ghana.

He was quoted as saying ‘ethnic politics defied the principles of democracy which hinged on unity and peace.’ He further espoused that ‘such practices also threatened the harmonious co-existence and social cohesion among the varied ethnic groups in the country.

Since when did Akuffo-Addo become aware that ethnic politics breeds disunity and does not foster harmonious coexistence as he puts it?

When Dr. Konadu Apraku became a recruitment contractor for the Ghana Armed Forces, passing 174 of his tribesmen through the backdoors without going through proper recruitment procedures established by the Ghana Armed Forces, what did he say about that?

When Kufour, in his bid to punish some ethnic groups for their perceived unflinching support for a particular political party in Ghana by denying them jobs, what did he have to say about that? There are endless list of all manipulations in high places to deny people of certain ethnic extractions what they duly deserve. I would prefer not to go into such diatribe to raise an already ethnic tension that is building up around the country. But I warn Akuffo-Addo to mind his utterance.

At the recent launch of the book titled: The Akyem Kingdom, they once again displayed their hypocrisy unashamedly in the full glare of the TV cameras surrounded by charlatans in Ghana who are posing as men of God, deceiving the people and ripping them of their hard earned cedis.

Pastor Mensah Otabil should explain to the public if the same level of state resources which were made available at the afore-mentioned launch would be made available to all ethnic groups in Ghana who undertake similar projects to sell their rich cultural heritage. It is unfortunate that in Ghana now people, especially religious leaders and political leaders, use words they don’t understand.

Ben Otoo