One cannot fail to realize that the war of words that is being traded between the so-called Mills camp and the so-called Nana Konadu camp which is tearing the NDC apart involves mostly the youth of the party.

The Nana Konadu camp is led by a group that calls itself FONKAR while in the Mills camp are the likes of Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Omane Boamah and Haruna Iddrisu among others. One can safely conclude that youthful exuberance is what has taken the NDC hostage with the youthful members of the party trying to get the better part of the other to please their mentors.

The youth from FONKAR and the Mills camp have not asked themselves why the elders in the party are quiet and are not the ones tearing at each others throat. If they ask themselves why it is not the elder who are hurling the accusations at each other, or why the elders are not doing this ‘dirty’ jobs themselves, they would understand the adage that “what an elder sees sitting, a young person cannot see standing.”

Haruna Iddrisu, Omane Boamah, Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Dela Cofie, Owusu Bompah and who are all involved in the trading of accusations and insults within the NDC would soon understand why what the dogs sees in the night and starts barking, the cat sees and keeps quiet.

Bob Marley was dead right when he said “once a man is twice a child.” These youths in the NDC obviously believe that valour is the better part of discretion when in truth, “discretion is the part of valour”. They are behaving like suicide bombers who, before going on their suicide mission, do not bother to pause and ponder why the ones sending them on the suicide mission would not go on the mission themselves or send their children. The youths in the party who are trading insults are behaving like children who are taking sides in a feud between their parents, not realizing that what is most important is not who is right or wrong but that the parents would stay in the marriage for their (the children’s) sake.

The choice of words of some members of FONKAR leaves much to be desired. The kind of words they use on President Mills should not be used by a person on his father, however right that child is or however wrong the father is. It is on record that we have cautioned FONKAR members to mind their language especially when talking about President Mills. A chief does not become a maniac because he removes his agbada by the side of the road to shank; a chief is still a chief. No matter how wrong President Mills may be, the choice of words of members of FONKAR about him makes one want to puke.

What about the likes of Haruna Iddrisu, Okudzeto Ablakwa and co. Unlike FONKAR which chooses to be abrasive, they try to hide behind casting of insinuations and making innuendos to claims they have not insulted the Rawlingses. Haruna Iddrisu tried to play on words when he told students recently that President Mills would not allow a coup plotter to derail his agenda. Everyone knows who Haruna is referring to as a coup plotter but his call is insincere and smacks of hypocrisy because he, Haruna, has been part of this coup plotter’s party and it is the coups that laid the foundation for the NDC to become the party that has given him the opportunity to become a Minister of state. Haruna Iddrisu’s comment can be likened to a child who points at her mother’s breasts with others and laugh that it is not beautiful to behold; it is that same breast that fed him to become who he is.

Without the June 4 and the 31st December Revolutions, there would have been no NDC and Haruna Iddrisu together with Baba Jamal who are pointing insulting fingers at Rawlings would not have been Ministers of state and be enjoying the largesse that comes with it. Let them remember that just a few years down the line, they backed Obed Asamoah in his assertion that Prof. Mills is not a leader and is not marketable and thus ensured that he did not become President in 2004. Ironically, it was Rawlings who backed Mills against Obed whom they supported to make it possible for Prof. Mills to become President today.

Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa has proved that he is an intelligent chap. But his problem is that he does not know when to keep quiet. He does not realize that silence is most often golden. That many youths in the party have managed to restrain themselves from reacting to his submarine attacks on Rawlings should not deceive him to is on the right part.

Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Haruna Iddrisu, Omane Boamah, Dela Cofie, Owusu Bempah and co ought to realize that the silent majority are becoming fed up with their insults, innuendoes and ridicules of both President Mills and Former President Rawlings. They have the right to support any person to lead the NDC into the 2012 but they must stop tearing the hearts of NDC supporters by resulting to insults.

More especially, everyone within the NDC ought to understand that Rawlings is the Founder of the party. Just as it is ‘blasphemous’ for a CPP person to attack Nkrumah, or an NPP person to attack Busia-Danquah, so it is a ‘taboo’ for any NDC person, whether he likes Rawlings or not, to make any disparaging remarks about him. Whoever wants to do so, no matter who he is, must quit the party and then do so.

All insults in the party must stop forthwith. FONKAR and the Okudzetos must ceasefire now!