Akufo-Addo Is A Nuisance To The NPP - Part 3

Two weeks ago, President Mills held a town hall style press conference during which he was reported to have stood on his feet for three hours answering random questions from journalists some of whom are principally not sympathetic to the ruling NDC. I find it hard to accept that he stood for that long. The conference itself might have lasted three hours during which he would sit, stand and walk about. If indeed he stood all the while, he would have killed several birds with one stone – he would have shown his genuineness by welcoming questions to which he did not have written answers, portrayed himself as an approachable servant of the people and also sent a message to his critics whose main problem with is presidency is that he is a sick man. In fact, some people claim that he quoted several figures in his answers without referring to a note, but I doubt that also. Following Mills’ open and enduring conference, many NDC supporters, including people in office, have childishly been calling for Nana to do the same or, at worse, comment on the conference. To me, this is a stupid demand because the point is to pick the best candidate, who may not be the physically fittest, to be president. If we held a fitness contest among all living contestants for president and Arthur Kennedy happened to win because he is relatively young, would that make him the best candidate? Why did the NDC supporters not ask for a fitness tournament between the candidates when the overweight Mills was regularly attending medical treatment in South Africa? The NDC is leaving Nana off the hook by focusing on useless issues while ignoring the pertinent one that can knock Nana out of the competition altogether. The most important issue that the NDC must capitalize on here is that Nana Mr. DoNothing Akuffo-Ado does not answer questions and it is not just because he is arrogant – he avoids question that will prove that he is not a presidential material. He only talks at length about how Ghana can be fixed and in the midst of his supporters chanting Nana oo, Nana oo, he walks away. He is afraid that a town hall style conference like what Mills did might get him talking about the drug use allegation and whatever answer he gives, the next question will be ‘why did you not speak up sooner? Nana is afraid to answer questions about the Dzorwulu-3 whose cocaine arrest documents disappeared from his office and the killings that went unsolved during his tenure as Attorney General and Minister of Justice. I am not a big fan of Mills, but I applaud him for his openness and sincerity. The last time Kuffour subjected himself to such a press conference in Koforidua, a pastor was chased to a police station, of all places, and beaten up for asking a difficult question and nothing was done to the perpetrators as if the beating was sanctioned by the government. As for Nana Mr. DoNothing Akuffo-Ado, the easiest way to stop him in his tracks is to ask him to face the TV cameras and tell the voters, in his own words, what he accomplished as a minister for seven years. I am sure that Mills has this question written on a piece of paper in his wallet and that is why he was reported to have raised both hands in the air and started singing when he was told that the NPP had chosen Nana as their presidential candidate. The NPP must have now regretted for choosing such an unaccomplished politician for president. Nana will remain a nuisance to the party for year to come.