The Upper East regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim has backtracked on his response to Andrews Awuni, former press secretary to former President J. A. Kufuor after describing Mr. Awuni’s family house as a death trap.
In a statement issued on 14th March 2016 and copied a1radioonline.com, the New Patriotic Party in the region sought to respond to Mr. Andrews Awuni’s comments which it described as distasteful and an attempt to “unwarantly blame Nana Akufo-Addo for the possibility of the New Patriotic Party’s failing to clinch victory in the 2016 November general election and several other comments which was directed at the persona of our selfless Flagbearer.”
The statement further added that “We would like to use this opportunity to remind Mr. Andrew Awuni that, his family house in Bongo, Specifically Dua community which is currently a depth trap due his negligence needs his attention. His time is best serve there than his unguided hate speeches against a man who would surely lead Ghana towards the road of economic recovery and prosperity. Contrary to what Mr. Awuni is currently on mission to do, if anybody is making the chances of NPP returning to the Flagstaff House extremely difficult, it is certainly Mr. Andrew Awuni.”
But addressing polling station and constituency executives in Bongo Saturday, Mr. Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim backtracked on describing Mr. Awuni’s house as a “death trap.”
According to him, the statement sought to describe the road leading to Mr. Andrews Awuni’s house.
“I want the good people of Bongo and where Andrews Awuni is coming from which I learnt his village is called Dua, that we never said in our statement that his house is a dilapidated one. We said the road leading to Dua is a death trap so the people of Dua and Bongo should understand what we said if only they take it, that this what we said, please we are very sorry on that particular matter that his house is a death trap, we never mentioned it,’’ he said.
He further blamed the media for the goof.
Find below the full statement
PRESS STATEMENT
14th March, 2016DIVISIVE ANDREW AWUNI SHOULD SHUT UP OR FACE OUR WRATH.
The New Patriotic Party in the Upper East Region attention was drawn to very distasteful comments made by Mr. Andrew Awuni in his attempts to unwarantly blame Nana Akufo-Addo forthe possibility of the New Patriotic Party’s failing to clinch victory in the 2016 November general election and several other comments which was directed at the persona of our selfless Flagbearer.
It is regrettably to see how Party Faithful would predict doom for the party going into the general elections, when In fact such characters have done virtually nothing to improve the chances of the party in their constituency. We are reminding Mr. Andrew Awuni that NPP would win the 2016elections in a resounding fashion.
The fact of the matter is, Mr. Awuni and his fellow anti-Akufo-Addo loyalists need to know that Nana Addo did not impose himself on the National Executives leading to the suspension of some of our National Executives. In fact Nana Addo expressed his heartfelt worry over the suspensions in Sunyani by saying:
“I am saddened that the party has had to resort to suspensions, but I am fortified that our party structures have been shown to work. They have demonstrated that, indeed, the rule of law works in the NPP and that nobody, including myself, is above the Party or its laws. And that is how it should be. Nonetheless, it is important that the Party keeps in constant review the sanctions that have been imposed. And so, we can ask ourselves the question: can those who hold the work of the party’s organs in contempt be said to be true lovers of the party? ”
It is important that, any serious political party like NPP ready to form the next Government to salvage Ghanaians from the current economic hardships to first of all instill discipline in his own party to assure the public and Ghanaians of its commitment to work with the laws of the land. In fact, it further gives credence to the fact that, the next Nana Addo Government would not shield its appointees in its quest to decisively fight corruption. A canker that has been institutionalized in the current incompetent NDC administration.
Suspension of members is not new in any political party, after the 2004 elections the NDC suspended their General Secretary Dr. Josiah Aryeh for allegations of taking Gh ¢ 3000.00 from the NPP and that cost them the elections see this ( m.modernghana.com/news/83951/ndc-top-gurus-lash-at-dr-josiah-aryeh.html)
Kofi Adams was suspended as Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, see this (http://politics.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201203/83817.php)
The suspension of Chairman Paul A. Afoko has precedent in the NPP. Thus, it is unacceptable and highly absurd for Andrew Awuni to claim that the justifiable indefinite suspension of Chairman Afoko is tantamount to our electoral defeat come November 7, 2016. When the then-Chairman Harouna Esseku was succinctly suspended from his post, Mr. Awuni was tight lipped regarding Mr. Esseku’s suspension.
We are not surprised by these unguided words coming from Mr. Andrew Awuni because he stated explicitly in Bongo during our National Executive elections in 2014 that, “Anyone who refuses tovote for Afoko is his enemy “. Perhaps this explains his hate speeches targeted at our Flag bearer and other functionaries who doesn’t believe in his unsound and divisive tactics.
Mr Andrew Awuni’s hatred for Nana Addo reached a crescendo in the 2012 elections when he blatantly refused to contest the 2012 elections in the bongo constituency with the aim of not wanting Nana Addo to win the elections. This clearly shows a man who is known for arrogance, a man who incites people against one another. A man who is divisive in nature and has nothing to offer other than to continuously spew garbage, silence they say is golden.
Currently, Bongo constituency is sharply divided due to his divisive methods and the Regional executives are currently working very hard to merge the differences, he should not extend it to the national level else we will match him squarely.
We would like to use this opportunity to remind Mr. Andrew Awuni that, his family house in Bongo, Specifically Dua community which is currently a depth trap due his negligence needs his attention. His time is best serve there than his unguided hate speeches against a man who would surely lead Ghana towards the road of economic recovery and prosperity. Contrary to what Mr. Awuni is currently on mission to do, if anybody is making the chances of NPP returning to the Flagstaff House extremely difficult, it is certainly Mr. Andrew Awuni.
Ghanaians are discerning enough to see the blatant display of corruption under the Incompetent John Dramani Mahama and we vehemently believed Ghanaians are ready for Change. The current economic crisis the country is facing, the rising graduate unemployment, high cost of school fees, high cost of utility tariffs, and High cost of Fuel prices etc. This would be the deciding factor NOT Afoko or any of the suspended executives.
We want to make it categorically clear to Mr. Andrew Awuni that , the party is very united and solid behind Nana Akuffo Addo and It will suffice for him to know that NPP would win November 2016 elections, NPP is bigger than any individual of which Afoko nor any of the suspended executives are not exceptions.
Long live NPP
Long live Ghana
…..Signed….
Mohammed Murtala Ibrahim
(Upper East Regional Chairman, NPP)
By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
