PRESS STATEMENT ON NANA ADDO DANKWA

AKUFFO-ADDO'S “ALL DIE BE DIE” SAGA BY

COMMITTEE FOR PROGRESSIVE ACTION ON 3RD
MARCH, 2011 IN DANSOMAN- ACCRA.
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. We thank you
for accepting our invitation to be here this morning on a rather
short notice. This press conference is necessitated by the recent
statement made by Nana Addo- Dankwa Akuffo- Addo. The day
this statement was made was indeed a dark day in the history of
Ghana's politics. A day that saw Akuffo-Addo, the leader of the
biggest opposition party, the NPP and an aspiring President of the
Republic of Ghana made a very unfortunate statement (ALL DIE
BE DIE) when he was addressing a section of NPP loyalists in
Koforidua which has attracted a huge political debate. What is
worse is his attempt to play tribal politics to incite one ethnic
group against others.
Article 55 sub section(4) of the 1992 Constitution, clearly
require the formation of political parties to have a national
character, whose membership shall not be based on ethnic,
religious, regional or other sectional divisions.
Akuffo-Addo, who claimed to be a seasoned lawyer, one time
Attorney- General of the Republic of Ghana, a self-acclaimed
human right activist and a supposedly experienced politician,
supposed to know this before making such politically irresponsible
and unguarded statements.
Ghana has made a remarkable strive in her political and
democratic dispensation which undoubtedly made the country a
beckon of hope for the rest of the continent who are yet to
embrace democracy as a legitimate means of choosing their
leaders. Instead of being seen consolidating these gains, we hear
people make such irresponsible statements just for their personal
and parochial interest.
If the present political unrest in La- Cote'Divoire and other parts of
the continent is anything to go by, then we must condemn such
politically bogus statement from a leader of no mean a party but
the biggest opposition party in the country.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, prior to the 2008 general
election, it was alleged that Akuffo- Addo has been a long
standing financier of a terrorist/rebel activities in some trouble
spots on the continent. His recent comment on the Ivorian
electoral dispute, calling on President Mills to send Ghanaian
troops to La-Cote'Divoire to be killed and his “ALL DIE BE DIE”
statement gives premium to the allegation that he is a terrorist.
Politicians must be told in a very clear and an unambiguous term
that, Ghanaians are not ready to die just for them to become
leaders.
Ghanaians prefer leaders who will respect the will and judgement
of the people than war mongers who are only interested in blood
shed.
Ghanaians do not want to become slaves or refugees on another
man's land but rather cherish the peace and present political
stability in the country and cannot afford to die for any selfish
individual to become a leader.
Ghanaians wish to be alive to continue the fight for peace,
development and improved standard of living.
CPA would like to commend the Pentecostal Council for issuing
press release condemning the statement made by Nana Addo
Akuffo-Addo and we equally commend the Catholic Standard
which also condemned the statement in equal measure.
CPA, as a civil society group that is committed to peace and
development, equally condemn the statement and called on Nana
Akuffo-Addo to seize this opportunity to render an unqualified
apology to Ghanaians. Failure to do so, we would have no option
than to pray, for the Holy Bible says in Mattew 7:7 that, ask and
ye shall be given, seek and ye shall find, nock and it shall be open
unto you.
Long live Ghana and long live CPA.
Thank you very much for your attention.