The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress Council of Elders of South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie has berated President Akufo-Addo for labelling members of the NDC as trouble makers.
He describes the President’s actions as very unfortunate and unfair.
Speaking to Joy News, Monday, 27th November, 2023, the NDC Council of Elders chair averred that, for the president to criticise the actions of people he finds as unlawful is apt but, lacks fairness if always directed at members of the NDC.
Highlighting some examples of incidences which members of the NPP committed which were unlawful, but which the president failed to raise a whisker, he narrated the situation where “Kennedy Agyapong openly ridiculed a judge when he used very unprintable words against him. The president was silent about it “, he emphasised.
Again, he recounted that, at a public event when the president criticised a chief for sitting down when the National Anthem was being played, “we applauded him” for that show of statesmanship.
Coincidentally, after a week or later, his daughter did a similar thing and the president hasn’t condemned it”, adding the chief apologised afterwards for his actions, citing ill health as the reason but up till today, the President’s daughter hasn’t said anything concerning her behaviour, neither has she apologised.
“Is it that there are different sets of rules for Ghanaians?; that if you’re an NDC person the president sees you as a trouble maker?”, he quizzed again.
However, Mr. Quashie concurred the president has the right to criticise any Ghanaian whose actions flout the laws of the land and has the tendency to jeopadise our collective peace but, cannot pick and choose which one to criticise. To him, that is unfair, unacceptable and doesn’t befit a president.
He argued that the NDC members were at the former President’s office to embark on a clean up exercise and it had nothing to do with violence, which the president chose to criticise.
“I think that it is brilliant to condemn actions that are deemed unlawful; it’s a good call and the call should be to all Ghanaians by the president, but he cannot pick and choose”, he affirmed.
Mr. Quashie claimed leaders who want their countries to grow and progress must be even in their actions and our leader, the president, must be exhibiting same tendencies, adding “If you pick and choose, people don’t take your issues seriously”, he emphasised again.
Background
The Ghanaian Times reports that, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has condemned the brandishing of machetes and weapons at the office of the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, stressing that no individual or group will be allowed to destabilise the peace and security of the country.
The story adds, the President was of the belief that the brandishing of those weapons was not a sign of things to happen in the 2024 election and that Ghanaians would be allowed to go about their duties without disturbances from any quarters.
“I want to state that under my watch, no person or group of persons, no matter their political coloration will be allowed to destabilise our country to destroy the peace all of us are enjoying. It will not happen!” he emphasized.
President Akufo-Addo, who was speaking at the valedictory service of the outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rt Rev. Professor Joseph Ofori Yeboah Mante, at the Victory Congregation of the church at Frafraha in Adenta yesterday, said, there was the need for all Ghanaians to pray for the country’s peace and unity in order to move forward as a people.