Richard Quashigah, National Propaganda Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has slammed Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for desecrating a day Muslims reveres and considers holy by espousing how he intends to govern the country if given the opportunity.
To him, it goes to prove the level of disdain and complete disregard that the NPP have of the Islamic faith.
The leader of the main opposition delivered his major policy statement at the maiden edition of the Liberty Lectures organized by the Danquah Institute which was in honour of the founders of the Aborigines Right Protection Society (ARPS) on the topic �Building a Society of Opportunities�.
The programme was originally intended to coincide with the anniversary of the formation of the ARPS, the important landmark in the history of the Gold Coast in which indigenes like Mensah Sarbah stood up against the land grab policy of the colonialists.
But the August 4 date was put off due to unforeseen reasons to yesterday, August 31st.
Nana Addo�s statement, according to reports, will be the reference point from which the next NPP manifesto will be couched for next year�s general election. The policy statement contained how he (Nana) will, lead the country, if given the opportunity.
Speaking to the issue in an interview with Suhini Alhassan on Radio Gold, Richard Quashigah assuredly said the NDC will do a thorough interrogation of certain aspects of the content of the policy statement as well as study it critically and then react to it accordingly, but nonetheless chastised Nana Addo for choosing to address Ghanaians on Eid-ul-Fitr.
��It shows gross disrespect to our brothers and sisters who are Muslims�clearly that was a day all should have revered�but the disregard by the NPP of such a reflective day for Muslims and all other people is very disheartening�it only goes to show clearly that the NPP disdains the Islamic Religion. It is therefore not surprising that they have already tried to create the impression that Muslims don�t matter to them and so they themselves will concoct some poll outcome and present them as more Muslims in favour of the NDC than the NPP�we will not show disrespect to Muslims�,� he said.
However, in a quick rebuttal, Abu Jinapor, an aide to the NPP Flagbearer, dismissed Richard Quashigah�s comments describing them as a mere propaganda act by the ruling NDC to deviate from issues that are pressing to the needs of the country.
��you can imagine that this is what the NDC and Nana Addo�s opponents will do to employ diversionary tactics�It is the NDC propagandists who are mischievously diverting the attention of Ghanaians and all of us from the concrete issues that Nana Akufo Addo raised in his statement�,� he said.
To him, the event which was held a Muslim�s holy day is an indication that Ghanaians live in a country where there is diversity but in unity.
��it is a holy day and that is even the more reason why it makes Nana Addo�s statement one which Ghanaians and Muslims will accept; that it happened on this special day and he alluded to that day and made the point that Prophet Mohammed was one who believed in freedom and in liberty and that he could not have had a better occasion than that particular occasion to deliver such a brilliant speech which aspects of it bordered on freedom and liberty�I think that Muslims in our country are very discerning and very responsible; they know the teaching of the Quran and know that Nana Addo and the NPP rather celebrated that day in a special way rather than what opponents of the NPP are trying to perpetuate,� Abu Jinapor added.
Source: Rebecca Quaye/Peacefmonline.com
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