Opinions of Thursday, 4 April 2013

Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah

Wireko Brobbey and Kwame Pianim do not subscribe to NPP Ideology

The NPP as a political organization has been taken for granted by those it believed, albeit erroneously, truly shared in its tradition. Both Kwame Pianim and Wireko Brobbey had the inordinate ambition to become President of the country. When it dawned on them that they could not achieve that on the platform of the Dankwa-Busia-Dombo tradition, they began to wage a war of attrition against the party. Like Satan who took up arms against the Creator, the duo harped on the idea of decimating the membership of the party. Kwame Pianim publicly announced that he had left partisan politics and for that matter, was no longer a member of the NPP. His fellow conspirator administered the coup de grace by forming the United Ghana Movement and became its Presidential Candidate. Not satisfied with the Judas’ role he had assigned to himself, he attempted to recruit some members of the NPP into his organization. Prominent among them was the late Courage Quarshiga. But his cantankerous plan fizzled out. Wireko Brobbey’s only claim to being a founding member of the NPP is of his claim that he is a nephew to Victor Owusu, one of the progenitors of Osono’s stock. But this is yet to be verified. Kwame Pianim stabbed the NPP in the back when he made the Castle his living and sleeping quarters. He became the seer and could see through the life and intention of anyone who came to see the then President. And that was how he was able to discern and tell Ghanaians that on two occasions two personalities came to offer bribe to the then President Mills but the latter refused to accept them. Who those personalities were, he did not mention their names. People have misconstrued Kufuor’s appointment of Wireko Brobbey as CEO of the VRA as evidence of latter’s membership of the NPP. They also feel that because he was put in charge of Ghana @ 50 Secretariat, that automatically makes him a member of the party. But that is not the case. Today, Wireko Brobbey’s party, the UGM still exists as a Political Party. It has not been proscribed by the Electoral Commission.

People should also not overlook the fact that in the heat of the energy crisis, the Kufuor’s administration imported some giant generators to beef up energy production and supply in the country. But Wireko Brobbey described those generators as toys. How could a good party man make such damning remarks about a government that he was part of? Couldn’t he have made known his reservations in private? After all, he had easy access to the Presidency!

But it should not take one long to find out the real motive of the discredited and disgruntled politician who was chased away from the premises of the VRA by angry workers. He felt he was and is now in a better position to complete what he couldn’t do when he formed his United Ghana Movement.

Kwame Pianim was made Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission by President Kufuor. But that is not a criteria for membership of the NPP. It was Kufuor’s own way of forming an all inclusive Government. In a similar way, he appointed Professor George Hagan, Chairman of Ghana Commission on Culture. Mike Gizo, a former NDC MP was appointed to the Board of National Petroleum Authority, together with Professor Ivan Addai Mensah and J.D.Attafuah by then President John Agyekum Kufuor. Per the logic of the NDC, does that make the former MP, Mike Gizo a member of the NPP? Will the Party also deny that Mike Gizo was appointed to the NPA Board by the Ex President?

So, if Wireko Brobbey was given appointments by Kufuor, that did and still does not make him a member of the NPP. Will they be able to tell Ghanaians where and when Wireko Brobbey announced his return to the NPP? The same applies to Kwame Pianim.

How could a dye in the wool member of the NPP condescend so low to make the office of the leader of our political opponent, the Nefarious Destructive Cancer his “official residence”? But I leave that to history. We should also not forget the interview he granted David Ampofo on “Time with David” which was televised on Sunday, 18th November, 2007. This was how The Ghanaian Lens, which is one of the official mouthpieces of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer, captured it in its front page.”Bui Dam Not Wise Investment … As He Tears Government’s handling of the Energy Sector”. Mr. Pianim pointed out that relying on gas supply from Nigeria for Ghana’s energy needs could be unreliable as there is always the risk of “some tribal warlords taking a spear to the gas pipeline and damaging it” “Mr. Pianim pooh-poohed the investment on Bui Dam, and questioned the wisdom in constructing another dam on the same Volta River when, clearly, global warming is affecting the levels of the Volta just as it is affecting other water bodies worldwide. He elaborated that, personally, he would not have invested over 500million dollars into another hydro power generation when, with just about the same amount of money, the nation can diversify its energy-supply capabilities by building a coal-power generator at Takoradi”.

Ladies and Gentleman, this are the credentials of somebody the Nefarious Destructive Cancer wants to foist on the NPP as our member! Here was Kwame Pianim crying as if he had seen a ghost where there was none. Kwame Pianim is not and cannot be a member of the New Patriotic Party. The sheep has come to demand from the lion what rightly belongs to it.

You cannot tell the depth of the river merely by touching it. I was there from the beginning and am still there. I know the story of the NPP right from the beginning and I don’t need any soothsayer and for that matter the NDC to tell me how the party was formed and who the founding members are.

Kakra Essamuah was a member of the NPP. Today he has found solace in NDC. The late David Lamptey was in the NPP, but later joined forces with the NDC. Birds of the same feathers, the saying goes, congregate together. When Kakra Essamuah came out with his infamous and diabolical statement that he would support a coup d’état if Akufo Addo was made President by the courts, why didn’t the NDC say he was a member of the NPP?

The NDC ought to know that it is not for them to tell us who are members of our party and who are not. We know those who are for us and those who are against us.

Listening to the General Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketiah alluding to certain incongruous statements and ideas gave me the impression that either there was something wrong with the man or he was simply not abreast with the issues he was dealing with. Was it not this same “Chadian Refugee” who publicly demanded a letter of readmission from the Founder of his own contraption before he would be allowed back into the party he (the founder) had formed? If the founder must write a letter of re-admission for criticizing the snail pace of the late President, what then happens to someone who publicly announces his resignation from the party? Even here, the founder’s re-admission is not automatic. The matter has to be deliberated upon by the National Executive Committee before a final decision is taken.

Haruna Atta used to be in the NPP and rooted for Vice President Aliu Mahama to become Flag-bearer of the party. When his wish did not materialize, he announced he was taking a back stage in partisan politics. Recently, he is on record as saying if President Mahama offers him appointment, he would accept it. Would you say he is still a member of the NPP? Obviously, not!

Haruna Mahama a former NUGS Executive Member used to be a member of the NPP. Recently he confessed that he had apologized to President Mahama for some insults he (Haruna Mahama) had heaped on the President. He also admitted that the President has asked him to submit his CV to him to enable the President assist him to find a job. While he was leaving, the President gave him an envelope. Would you regard Haruna Mahama as a member of the NPP? I don’t think so!

But wait a minute! Do you know the difference between this President and his Predecessor? The late President was of the habit of rejecting envelope from “donors”, but “for dis President dee, na wao!” He is fond of giving envelopes to his favourites, especially political prostitutes!

What would you say about Randy Abbey and Alfred Ogbamey? Even though they did not declare publicly which political party they belonged, everybody knew where their allegiance was. There was a time during Kufuor’s administration that Randy Abbey was slated for a cabinet position. His relationship with the late President was anything but cordial and anytime he appeared at Kwame Sefa Kayi’s “Kokrookoo” program, he always spoke in favour of the NPP. But now with the change of guards at the seat of power, can we say same of Randy Abbey? Definitely not, for he has made it clear to anyone who cares to listen that John Mahama is his friend and even went to the Castle to congratulate him on that Sunday Referee Afari Djan stole the peoples’ mandate and gave it to Randy Abbey’s friend. So, the actions and utterances of Randy Abbey have made him a member of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer, ipso facto. Let the Nefarious Destructive Cancer tell Ghanaians if Konadu Agyeman Rawlings still remains a member of their contraption. If they say “Yes, she is”, then we of the NPP will acknowledge the fact that Wireko Brobbey and Kwame Pianim still belong to our party. To the best of our knowledge, Konadu Agyeman Rawlings did not resign from the party. She only wrote to announce that she was resigning from the position as First National Vice Chairman of the party. But by forming a political party, she forfeits her rights of membership.

Again, the NDC must come clean on the status of their former MP, Tei Nyaunu. Is he still a member of their contraption? When Allan Kyerematen announced his resignation from the NPP, he rescinded his decision after entreaties from Party Gurus. This was in the news. We are yet to hear Wireko Brobbey and Kwame Pianim announce their return to the NPP. Professor Wayo Seini was in the NPP and resigned over some disagreements to pitch tent with the NDC. When he was making a return to his roots, he did it publicly by renouncing his seat in Parliament which he had won on the platform of the NDC.

How did Obed Asamoah, Bede Ziedeng and Boakye Gyan get “readmitted” into the Nefarious Contraption? There was an elaborate ceremony to readmit the “rebels” and to announce to the entire world that “the barking dog” had been silenced for ever. Did you see or hear of the NPP organizing any such ceremony to welcome Wireko Brobbey and Kwame Pianim back into its fold?

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate the fact that nobody in the NPP is hounding the two renegades from the party. How can we when they are not members of our group? It is their sins that have found them out. These two Pharisees and killjoy of our tradition were using the party’s platform to have dalliance with the NDC right from the time they realized that they could not pursue their negative agenda on the platform of the NPP. Thus like Esau who sold his birthright for pittance, both Wireko Brobbey and Kwame Pianim have lost their right of membership in the party.

Judging by the negative publicity that their anti party activities had on the NPP, one would rightly conclude that these are two vicious agents provocateur who must be chained at all cost. Their sins against the party are beyond redemption.

Daniel Danquah Damptey (0243715297)(Damptey_danquah@yahoo.com)