IS NANA AKUFFO ADDO A DRUG ADDICT? Source: Isaac Kofi Amissah, New York.

The most herculean and puzzling task facing the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akuffo Addo is how to espouse good message to the Ghanaian electorates and entire populace of Ghana why he should be elected to become president of Ghana over the incumbent, President Evan John Atta Mills in the December 2012 general election. And the hefty questions is, can he overcome the allegation of "drug-addiction" labeling against his reputation and goodwill by his enemies?

Nana Akuffo Addo is a well known Ghanaian politician who has served Ghana for over 30-year period and whose family is known as political dynamites and combatants. He has led so many demonstrations, and has suffered numerously during the erstwhile PNDC era. But for him and the late Professor Albert Adu Boahen, freedom of speech and press freedom would have been kept under the darkness of carpet.

In addition to the above, he stayed in Ghana during all difficult times. Having played several important roles in Ghana, especially as former Attorney General(A-G) and Presidential candidate on two occasions, where he was able to chalk 49.13% as against President Mills' 47.92%(a difference of 1.21% during the first round election cast on December 7, 2008), only to receive 49.77% as against His Excellency Evan John Atta Mills' 50.23%(with a scanty difference of 0.45%) during the second round of the election cast on December 28, 2008 are all palatable indications that certain political gurus, top guns, and pundits are seriously afraid of Nana Akuffo Addo. And why not. A candidate who won just Eastern and Ashanti regions and nearly became president sends shivers down the gullets cum spines of his detractors.

The allegations that he is a "drug-addict" is mind boggling. But when and where did such serious allegation commence? Did it start from the camp of NDC or NPP? My dear reader, if you think the NDC top guns or their fans started it all, revise your notes and think again. It all got underway by certain NPP big shots who were doing their possible best to get Alan Kyeremateng elected to become the party' s flag bearer in 2007. Thus, how could those men in NPP be too evil to Nana Akufo Addo? Just to assassinate his character? Just for political power or what?

Such in-house politics of rancor among some NPP hierarchy has helped dented and dug the hard won reputation of the flag bearer of NPP. Can Nana Akuffo Addo and his Lawyers be able to excoriate this serious problem facing them? Since the Palava News paper published this allegation as far back as 2007 and 2008, the chaps of Daily Post, have taken this matter up and on many occasions have push this noble man to the wall just to see how he bounces back on his feet. Initially, the NPP leader and his officials wanted to treat the allegation with kids glove. But he later came out to denounce it. It was too late. Nana needs good advisers.

What has broken the carmel' s back is another huge allegations lashed at the throat of this visionary politician by Daily Post news paper which deduces that the paper' s journalists have made a thorough investigations in New York John F. Kennedy airport and have come out to conclude that the leader of NPP was once arrested with "wee" at JFK. On the contrary, his Lawyers claim they have done their investigation throughout the various airports in U.S and from officials of U.S Immigrations Services. According to the Attorneys of the flag bearer of NPP, their founding is authentic and factual that their client has never been arrested anywhere in U.S or any part of this globe.

Thus, who is telling the truth? Daily Post of Ghana or the Lawyers of NPP leader? And what can or should he do to win back his already catapulted goodwill? To me, the Lawyers of Nana Akuffo Addo have let him down. They didn't counsel him well. Because if they had initially come out to make press conference about it to clear the air earlier, this case would not have escalated to this apex level. His Lawyers rubbished this allegation and told the accusers rather to go to court to prosecute the NPP leader. And that alone made me laughed and baffled. Are they really good Lawyers? Are they serious? If someone dents or assassinate your reputation, whose duty is it to fight? The accuser or the accused person? I think NPP officials have also let Nana Akufo Addo down. Apart from a few NPP top guns who try to defend their leader on radio stations, other NPP officials remain in their sycophantic ethics, pretending to love Nana Akuffo Addo.

My candid and humble pieces of advice to the leader of NPP and his Lawyers and officials is to organize serious close door meetings and press conference to explain to Ghanaians and the world why they think Nana Akuffo Addo is not a drug-addict. Ghana as a nation has so many things to talk about to help our amiable nation develop thus I am kindly appealing to our sitting President Mills and all NDC leaders to convene a meeting and be told to use the tongue of decorum whenever and wherever they stand to talk.

Again, my humble plea goes to Palava and Daily Post news papers to allow sleeping dogs a fitting place to sleep. The school children and the youth always listen and read about these things about our leaders and I don' t think we are giving them any sound future footage. It's too cheat a propaganda and insulting slur to our noble State men, women, diplomats and politicians. Let' s learn to be civil and be able to eschew our differences to live to agree to disagree. Or do you think our House of Legislature should enact laws to demand samples of blood and urine for drug test before they are allowed to contest any political positions?

Respecting authority is our duty to practice it. It's requirement, not political gimmick. If Nana Akuffo Addo is hated today by this unsubstantiated allegation and you are thus elated and thrilled, be careful because it could happen to you or your pal or your parents tomorrow. We need both NDC leaders and NPP officials for a better Ghana so let 's all be respectful to our leaders. May the banner of God be upon you all as we all try to see peace, tranquility and development in Ghana.

This writer is Radio Talk Host of Volta Power Fm and you can listen to his show on every Monday from 4p.m-9p.m Eastern Time of U.S(Ghana Time 8p.m-1a.m).

Isaac4honesty@mail.com