Nana Addo Is Dishonest - Allotey Jacobs

The Central Region Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being dishonest in his presentation when he took his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)-organised encounter with flagbearers on Tuesday August 21, 2012. According to Bernard Allotey-Jacobs, Nana Akufo-Addo told a number of half-truths and portrayed himself in the wrong light when he touted his credentials and outlined his vision for an Akufo-Addo presidency. The NDC communicator describes Nana Akufo-Addo�s vision as �matreke wo� to wit full of deceit, especially on the issue of providing free education up to secondary school level. Mr Allotey Jacobs made these claims when he appeared on Adom FM�s Dwaso Nsem morning show programme hosted by sister station Nhyira FM in Kumasi on the eve of the NDC�s Special Delegates Congress to acclaim President John Dramani Mahama as its flagbearer for the 2012 elections. The panel, made up of Anita Desooso, NDC Women�s Organiser, Sam Pyne, Ashanti Region NPP Secretary and Kwasi Kyei, Subin NPP Constituency Communications Director was discussing the findings of a National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) survey which ranked honesty and intergrity as the attributes most valued by voters ahead of the December polls. The study solicited the views of 7,491 respondents to rank the best qualities of a good leader and in answering this as high a 4,761 ranked honesty and integrity as the best qualities they expected to find in a leader. In addition 3,608 respondents stated fairness as the other quality, while handsomeness, as well as wealth, trailed as the least expected from voters. �Nana Akufo-Addo�s vision was matrekewo, and a classic example is the one about education,� Allotey Jacobs declared, citing his personal example of the fees he pays for his son�s education at St Augustine�s College in Cape Coast. �There are 720,000 students in Senior High School currently. Government subvention for every student is Gh600, so what is Nana Akufo-Addo talking about? Where is his integrity? �I say Nana Akufo-Addo is dishonest. He led demonstrations against the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT), but today he says he is going to fund his free secondary education from GETFund, which is funded from VAT. That is dishonesty� Bernard Allotey Jacobs, who is also on the Board of the Electricity Company of Ghana, described Nana Akufo-Addo�s IEA encounter as a �fixed match� because the NPP flagbearer �knew� the questions ahead of time. However Sam Pyne, Ashanti Region NPP Secretary, while rejecting Mr Allottey Jacobs� claim, accused President Mahama of rather being dishonest and campaigning under the guise of a national Thank you tour. In another development, Bernard Allottey Jacobs says the NPP has been gripped by fear of an impending electoral loss hence the party�s alleged decision to paste posters of Nana Akufo-Addo at the Kumasi Sports Stadium and Jubilee park, where the NDC campaign launch and rally will be held respectively on Thursday August 30, 2012. This claim was however dismissed by Kwasi Kyei, Subin NPP Constituency Communications Director, who insisted that the posters had already been pasted in the whole Kumasi metropolis before the ruling party chose the Garden City for its campaign launch.