My attention has been drawn to a publication on Modern Ghana website in which the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Constituency, Hon. Mutala Mohammed, is reported to have claimed that “Alan is the most incompetent” and “Dr Bawumia will be declared Burkinabe by NPP”. Hon. Mutala again referred to our Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, as “a disaster”. This spurious and unguarded claim comes as no surprise to discerning Ghanaians who are very much aware of the NDC’s aggressive quest to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party come 2024. I think we can only expect worse form of such baseless and unprovoked attacks.
I am however worried that a law maker of the stature of my brother Hon Mutala could slip so comfortably into mischievous mudslinging and tribal bigotry with no regard, whatsoever, to verification.
I believe in our national discourse and campaigning towards election 2024, even at this early stage, principles must be preferable to propaganda, national interest to sectorial/personal interest, honesty to dishonesty and, political correctness must supersede loose talk.
Hon Mutala must hear and keep forever that Dr Bawumia is our cherished Vice President who the NPP has honored as a running mate into major general elections on four consecutive occasions. In the process, Dr Bawumia has risen to the second most important and powerful office of the land and our party has supported our Veep all the way. He is NOT a disaster! He has in fact proven his worth.
Out of eight general elections since 1992, seven of the presidential tickets of the New Patriotic Party have featured non-Akans particularly patriots from the northern part of Ghana, where Mutala hails from as running mates. These are; Hon R.I Alhassan, H.E Alhaji Aliu Mahama and H.E Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia. Unlike the NDC, we have and continue to hold the position of the Vice President in high esteem and forever relish these stalwarts.
Hon. Mutala must up his game if he wants to be accorded seriousness. What absurd thinking could make him conclude that Dr. Bawumia would be declared a Burkinabe because he is a non-Akan? This is ridiculous and not befitting of his status as member of the August House of Parliament. Such tribalistic comment should never be attributed to a person of the caliber of Hon. Mutala.
For his copious attention, Mutala must be told that the NPP is all-embracing party as reflected at all times and at all levels of the party structure. Mutala must abreast himself with the tradition and history of the party instead of engaging in groundless and hollow claims as attributed to him in his latest tirade.
In selecting our national executives over the years, the NPP have happily selected and/or elected countless non-Akans who incidentally contested Akan candidates and won. Clearly, consciously or unconsciously, the good Patriots of our party have preferred non-Akans to Akans based on considerations that are superior to tribal and ethnic factors. Just to refresh the memory of Hon Mutala on non-Akans who have held various national executive positions in NPP, I wish to mention few among the many as follows; Hon Mustapha Hamid, Alhaji Bambah, Hon Anthony Karbo, Hon Otiko Djaba, Paul Afoko and Madam Rita Asobayere.
Hon Mutala’s comments on the Trade and Industry minister, Hon Alan Kyerematen is a weird misfire. Hon Alan from all past and present indications and by all local and international standards is a leader of unquestionable Competence and Character. His works speak evidently from EMPRETEC Ghana, Enterprise Africa, District Industrialization Project, Presidential Special Initiative, One District One Factory, Africa Continental Free Trade Area, Automobile revolution in Ghana, etc.
I am pretty sure that my brother Mutala will intentionally wink over all the marvelous achievements associated with Hon Alan Kyerematen for obvious reasons. But I am not sure what Hon Mutala makes of the fact that the man he describes as incompetent was actually endorsed and supported by H.E Prof Mills (late), H.E President John Mahama and the entire Africa Union as competent enough to contest for the international position of Director General of World Trade Organization(WTO). The archaic gimmick of engaging in “child’s play” of a so called dossier is just a non-starter.
The Nana Akufo-Addo administration remain focused to deliver on its promise and is on course to leave a legacy that would break the eight year jinx. We have the men!
It is quite obvious that Hon Mutala has misfired without due consideration for the choice of propaganda. May he do it right next time.
I remain,
Barima Sarpong Kumankuma
Product of Dawu L/A JHS
Jamasi, Ashanti.
