You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2015 02 05Article 345411

Opinions of Thursday, 5 February 2015

Columnist: NDC

Mitt Romney Shows The Way - Is It Too Late For NPP ...

.... And Akuffo-Addo To Learn From This?

Washington (CNN)Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will not make a third run for president, he told supporters on a Friday morning call, saying he believes it's "best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity" to become the nominee.

Romney acknowledged during the call that he may not have been the strongest contender for the GOP in a general election, and said that was the primary motivation behind his decision.

In Friday’s call, Romney said: “I also believe with the message of making the world safer, providing opportunity for every American regardless of the neighborhood they live in, and working to break the grip of poverty, I would have the best chance of beating the eventual Democrat nominee, but that’s before the other contenders have had the opportunity to take their message to the voters.
“I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders — one who may not be as well-known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started — may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee. In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.”

“It’s a very personal decision,” said a senior adviser, who like others interviewed requested anonymity to speak candidly. “All the political metrics were positive. Ultimately, running for president, you just have to feel right about it in your heart. They just didn’t feel it was right. He’s a happy person. He’s not a needy, desperate guy.”

A Word To The Wise Is Enough

On Saturday October 18, Ghana’s main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party voted their twice defeated Presidential candidate Nana Akuffo-Addo as again the Presidential candidate for the 2016 elections. Akuffo-Addo won 94.35 percent of the votes cast whilst his main opponent Alan Keremateng got 4.75 percent.
In his thank you message to the delegates on the NPP, he said;
“As I said on the night of the victory, at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, we have now to gird up our loins, put ourselves together and get ready to face the big battle of 2016. We must rid our country, through the peace of the ballot box, of this incompetent NDC government of John Dramani Mahama, and relieve the Ghanaian people of the unjustifiable hardships and difficulties they are encountering.

The process of restoring hope to millions of Ghanaians and building a future of progress and prosperity has begun.”

School Of Thought

Wow, we thought that Nana Akuffo Addo as very knowledgeable as NPP claim will lead all NPP and all Ghanaians not into temptation, would humbly and respectfully leave the Presidential playing field for young, energetic and more importantly, one who can send shivers down the spine of NDC and HE President John Mahama in the 2016 elections.

We all know NPP has young blooded and competent people in their midst who are not angered and do not see themselves as the legitimate heirs to the throne for the Presidency in Ghana. We thought that it was the duty of the NPP elders to build and put confidence in them to try to contest. This is exactly what NDC did when President Atta-Mills passed on to eternity.

No one expected NDC to bring up the then Vice President who in the eyes of NPP is a Northner and don’t deserve to be President of Ghana. Yes we did and in the Akatamanso family, all are equal.

With all the money Mitt Romney has, besides a notion of "already marketed" as held by NPP, Republicans in the USA knew he would be a force to beat by any contestant in their primaries. But after meeting with some of their elders and advisors, the best political calculations were made and advice taken to stay away Mitt Romney as it would pose a tall task to win against any Democratic Party nominee, and allow for new faces and a much younger blood.
In 2008 and 2012 campaign periods, instead of NPP focusing on their agenda and campaign on it, they were going around calling NDC candidates derogatory names including "Spare Tire", "Imac", among others; and now have introduced another name "Yam" for whatever it means or connotes. (YAM....what?). The "kangaroo dance" did not help them, "yen akanfuo" did no better, and now "Yam" they think will sell in Tamale market?

They said they wanted BIOMETRIC register and Electoral Commission provided it, they asked for VERIFICATION devices, the EC honoured it. During the electioneering they were all over the place hunting for something to disrupt the process, everything failed them. They dropped most of their seemingly compelling electoral fraud allegations at the doorstep of the courts before entering the court rooms. They wasted Ghana time and caused a "wait and see" posturing by both local and foreign investors. As we speak, they are asking the EC to throw away the current elections register and redo it all over again. "Haba! We tire them self". They are calling for Dr Afari Gyan's head, as if this man is the only authority and sole decision-maker in election exercise.
National Programs and Projects Roll On
Remember that while NPP is whining and wobbling on petty issues in Ghana, the BETTER GHANA AGENDA is on course. Just a randomly chosen few to refresh our minds.
1. Many road construction work, including the Sofoline highway, Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange, Kasoa interchange, and resumption of construction work on the Accra-Kumasi highway including the 31.7 kilometre Kwafokrom-Apedwa section.
2. Major energy and power programs for much sustainable power production including the "GE Power 1000" to bring on stream 1100 mw of power. An offer of $3billion power assistance program by Germany. Construction of a thermal plant to generate 350 mw of power at Kpone.
3. Major projects and programs in the health sector, including all the major hospitals are undergoing rehabilitation and expansion besides new ones across the country.
4. Education sector projects including building of schools and colleges to increase access, while improving quality.
5. Unearthing corruption and fraudulent practices in various forms in public places including the recent revelations of ghost names and malpractices among Telcos and introduction of measures to curb the practices including "e-payslip".
6. Water projects across various communities that has arrested the perennial shortages in Adenta and vicinity, the Teshie-Nungua Seawater Desalination Project.
7. Rehabilitation of the major airports and construction of major ones and airstrips to ease regional transportation.
8. The Ports and Harbours expansion work to receive many more and bigger ships liners
9. Equipping the security services with modern logistics to improve standards and perform more efficiently, including first ever Marine Police to avoid a repeat of the first ever of loss of shipload of cocaine in our territorial waters, among others.
10. City markets reconstruction including Kotokuraba market and ongoing work at the Cape Coast stadium.
When all is said and done, we would wish the NPP well. A word to the wise is enough.
Long Live NDC! Long Live Ghana!
NDC-USA CHAPTER (Coalition of Branches)
via NDC ATLANTA
Eyezuatlanta@gmail.com