Opinions of Saturday, 29 May 2010

Columnist: Sayibu, Akilu

Karbo’s Statement Was Hypocritical

AKILU SAYIBU: Karbo’s Statement Was Hypocritical

I read a statement which was issued by the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Anthony Karbo in the media including Myjoyonline.com on the 26th day of May 2010 and wish to make some comments.
The statement it must be explained was expected to condemn the general loose comments and indiscipline as well as the perceived or real insults that has crept into the party from various corners. Sadly in my view Karbo’s statement ended up attacking the comments Kwame Pianim made the other day at the campaign launch of Professor Frimpong Boateng.
The party of which Karbo is the National organizer had decided not to take action against Mr. Kwame Pianim after he explained on Joyfm and other places that, he was misrepresented. I listened to Mr. Pianim and heard him say that, there was no where he could have said what was attributed to him. He went further to state that, Isaac Osei for instance was at a point a member of his campaign team when he wanted to lead the NPP in the past and added that, Nana Addo and the other aspirants were not corrupt!
After this explanation which was accepted by the party and no action taken against Pianim I wonder where and what the motive of the Youth Organizer’s statement was all about! His statement to me amounted to the very misconduct he wanted to correct by that press release!
If the NPP issues a statement over an issue that ends it! Any other statement on same issue to me is not only misplaced but unnecessary. After all who is the party? There was also glaring hypocrisy in Karbo’s statement!
In the past ranking members of the NPP have made insulting statements and went without any statement from the NPP or the Youth wing why now? I have a question for Karbo where was he when P.C. Ofori Appiah mounted Nana Addo’s campaign platform and attacked Alan Kyeremateng? Was he not the Youth organizer of the NPP?
Where was he when Kennedy Agyepong made some disparaging statements about the NPP on peace fm the other day? Where was he when Maxwell Kofi Jumah made those statements against Apraku and a host of others in the party? Where was he when the Youth Organizer of the NPP in Ashanti Region one Kankam made those comments the other day?
He is a Youth, Appiah Stadium is a youth member of the NPP what has he said to Appiah Stadium who runs his mouth every day on radio stations in Ghana insulting almost everybody in NPP?
I personally do not take that statement very serious. I would have hailed Karbo if his statement were to be all encompassing and enumerated other specific instances of misconduct in the party by its leading figures. But to decide to attack Mr. Kwame Pianim in disgust is so appalling to say the least!
What baffles me too much is that, on the very day an NPP youth and a deputy constituency organizer of Tamale Central Anyass Gazali was to be lynched at the Justice Radio station in Tamale Karbo did not deem it prudent to condemn the near lynching of a youth of his party.
At a period a member of his party was hurriedly picked up by police for representing the party on a radio discussion in Kumasi the Youth Wing of the party has not yet deemed it right attacking the mode of arrests when the victims are the youth of the party of which he is their organizer!
What has Karbo as a brother from the North said about the current refugee problem in the North; occasioned firstly by the conflicts and also by the announcement by the police that, they were leaving Bunkpurgu in particular because the government of the day could not feed the officers who were on peace keeping there?
Many youth of the NPP in Northern region have no place(s) to sleep because their houses were burnt during NPP/NDC clashes in the region; Karbo what have you done as the youth chief of the party to help them obtain justice?
Like you rightly stated in your statement the NPP is not anybody’s NGO we are all in it together because, we believe in the ideals of the Dombo-Busia-Danquah tradition which among other things believes in fairness and justice for all.
If you embark on rightly programmes Karbo you will be supported in all ways. On the other hand if you engage yourself in issuing questionable and selective press statements you will receive rejoinders.
My advice to you is that, be a fair, firm and a Just leader of the youth and you will be hailed as the Youth Organizer of the NPP who during his time did not allow himself to be manipulated by persons who wanted to lead the party.
A word to the wise………
Akilu Sayibu UK
Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk