The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea, says the confusion in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) demonstrates the party’s lack of confidence in the man they convinced Ghanaians to vote as President.
President John Evans Atta Mills has since his assumption into office encountered stiff opposition from members of his own party.
The antagonism climaxed recently when some foot soldiers of the party started promoting former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings as their preferred candidate to lead the NDC in 2012 as opposed to the sitting president – a situation that has generated accusations and counter accusations from the Mills and Rawlings camps.
This raging brouhaha, the NPP MP says “…shows that within the NDC itself, there is such lack of confidence in the president to the extent that the president is going to be challenged,” adding that “it has never happened in the fourth republic …”
He was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Friday.
Nana Akomea, who was obviously delighted at what he calls the civil war in the NDC, predicted that the rancour in the party has no end in sight and that “[t] is going to be much more exciting than the South African World Cup.”
He was baffled at the extent to which members of the same party would attack each other as if they have been paid by the NPP to do so. “Why these people, has the NPP paid them money to do what they are doing?" He quizzed, adding that “…it’s almost incredible that they can be doing this to themselves … its becoming almost like a comedy, a Shakespeare comedy,” the MP said.
Nana Akomea said but for the fact that these problems could in the end affect the governance of the nation, he was just thrilled by the development. He urged the party to find a quick solution to it. “…even though I thought I could enjoy it, I am thinking that it could have an impact on governance and that is my main worry…[if] they can’t stop it then they should go for another election…” he said.
Why join 'team B'?
Contributing to the discussion, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a deputy Minister for Information, did not hide his frustration on the issue. He said those leaders in the party who are seeking their selfish interests using whatever means possible are brewing apathy among the core supporters of the NDC.
“…you are not offering inspiration, you are not offering hope, that anytime you speak in the public space it is not about jobs for them, it is not about clinics and hospitals… but it is about greedy bastards, people who are managing affairs who should not be there, it is about others chopping whiles others are not chopping…,” he stated, asking “is this what we stood for? Is this why we came to power?…governance is a serious process and people’s destinies…depend on government policies…governance is more serious than what leaders in the National Democratic Congress are doing to themselves.”
Mr Ablakwa added that with what some leaders of the [NDC] are doing "They have succeeded in alienating a lot of people who came to vote for us …”
He also took a swipe at Dr Spio-Gabrah, a National Vice Chairman of the NDC, saying “…look at Spio-Gabrah… you described this team as team B, now you want to [join], you the Lionel Messi, eeh Abedi Pele or Rooney, star player you want to join the team B people and for that matter there should be no peace, you are attacking the President, the team B coach, …just to impose yourself on him to get an appointment.”
“Can all of us get an appointment?” he asked.
The Deputy Minister appealed to supporters of the NDC to exercise patience because they would have an opportunity during the party’s Congress to choose a new leader if they are dissatisfied with President Mills who now leads the party.
Source: myjoyonline.com