The Managing Director of the Intercity State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, has castigated Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency, over his comments regarding the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition of the party.
Addressing a Health Walk held for Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen in Kumasi over the weekend, Hopeson Adorye made comments to the effect that Dombos in the NPP have traditionally served as Running Mates to the Danquahs and Busias.
His remark has incurred the displeasure of many within the NPP and Ghanaians at large who have labeled the claim as ethnocentric and demeaning to Northerners.
Discussing this during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo”, Nana Akomea noted that such statements cause divisions within the party, so advised the members and leadership to be measured in their utterances.
He called for a sound and clean internal politics where one doesn’t employ abusive words and vituperations when campaigning against another candidate.
“The campaign comes with a lot of division. That’s the same thing that happened in Kumasi. One of the main task of the executives is to supervise a campaign to ensure that the utterances that will bring about division will be limited,” he stated and cautioned the party to be “careful. If you support someone, say the reasons you feel he can deliver victory for us”.
Nana Akomea described Hopeson’s comments as unfortunate and denied any Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition existing in the NPP.
“There is nothing like that in NPP . . . there’s nothing like Dombo faction, Danquah faction and Busia faction. No! There is nothing like that in the NPP. At least I have been a member of the party since 1993 . . . these are the founding fathers of the party but as we sit here today, we don’t have a Danquah faction. We don’t have a Busia faction. Adu Boahen won flagbearer in 1992 not because he was from Danquah. It was because of his merit, the confidence party people had in him [Adu Boahen] that he could lead us to face Jerry Rawlings.”
He added; “When Kufour won in 1996 as flagbearer, Kufour didn’t win because he was Danquah faction or Busia faction or Dombo faction. He won on his merit as Kufour. His message went down. We who voted for him didn’t ask him which faction he belongs to. No! When he won in 1998 at Sunyani, he won because majority of the party delegates thought he has performed better in 1996 and deserves another chance.
“Even President Akufo-Addo who you can say Danquah is his Uncle, even President Akufo-Addo, we didn’t vote for him as flagbearer because he is Danquah’s nephew. We voted for him because we thought that, at that time, he was the best person.”
He urged the members and supporters to develop a “sense of responsibility” by supporting any candidate who wins the party Presidential elections.
“Don’t go and run down another party member because if what you want doesn’t come to pass, you will be forced to eat your words . . . let’s not divide ourselves between our founding fathers,” the STC Boss further cautioned.
Source: Peacefmonline
