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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has slammed ex-president John Dramani Mahama for his recent anti-galamsey comments labelling him as a “desperate politician".

The ruling party says the attempt by Mr Mahama to incite illegal miners against the government is "reprehensible, disgusting, repugnant and unbecoming of a statesman".

The former president’s latest criticism against the government’s crackdown on illegal mining has been perceived by some Ghanaians as his tolerance for the harmful activity.

Mr. Mahama addressing supporters of the National Democratic Congress during a unity walk in Kumasi slammed the Akufo-Addo government’s fight against galamsey.

“The use of security personnel against our young men and women [galamseyers] is nothing new. We tried it but it didn’t work; so we introduced a new mining law to regulate the activities of small-scale miners while giving them the opportunity to earn some income,” Mahama said in Kumasi over the weekend.

But in a sharp riposte, the NPP, through its acting General Secretary, John Boadu, described him as “opportunistic and reckless”.

“It is most reprehensible, disgusting, repugnant and unbecoming of a statesman. John Mahama should be the last person to comment on issues of illegal mining having had the rare opportunity to govern this country for 8 years and doing absolutely nothing to fight the menace of illegal mining which was destroying the very fabric of the Ghanaian society....…,” he said in the statement.

John Boadu also condemned NDC’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah's claims that President Nana Addo has legalized gay practice in Ghana.

Speaking at the NDC's health/unity walk, on Saturday, 28th April, 2018, in Kumasi, General Mosquito, as he is affectionately called, reportedly stated that "Nana Addo says men will marry men, and women will marry women".

But the NPP's Acting General Secretary dismissed the report as "baseless and vile fabrication".

"We will neither ask for an apology or retraction from the NDC General Secretary, who, obviously, is still stuck in the age of the politics of lies, deceit and propaganda, which was rejected decisively by discerning Ghanaians in the 2016 general elections. We will rather appeal to Ghanaians to, once again, ignore the falsehoods of the NDC, and urge Mr. Asiedu Nketiah to concentrate his energies on uniting his divided and discredited party,” the statement partly read.
 

Below is the full statement…

PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY JOHN BOADU, THE ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NPP ON THE PARTY’S UPCOMING NATIONAL ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE

RESPONSE TO FORMER PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND ASIEDU NKETIAH

The party again wishes to use this opportunity to respond to some comments made by ex-president John Mahama and Asiedu Nketiah over the week during their so called Unity Walk in Kumasi. The former President for instance, is on record to have slammed President Akufo-Addo and his government for waging a war against illegal mining and its debilitating effects on lives and the environment particularly our water bodies and forest reserves. He also sought to incite illegal miners against the government, suggesting that that if he became president tomorrow, he wouldn’t clamp down on their activities and that, he would protect their interest. How incredulous!

We, in the NPP, have always known that the former president is such a desperate politician who would do anything for political power but what we did not know is that, his desperation has reached this outlandish extent. His comment is by far, the most opportunistic and reckless comment to have been made by any former Ghanaian leader. We condemn this recklessness in no uncertain terms and call on him to do the honourable thing.

The NPP also calls on all well meaning Ghanaians particularly the Media Coalition Against illegal mining to join the party in condemning with all vehemence, this unfortunate comment from John Mahama which seeks to erode all the gains that the nation had made in the fight against the galamsey menace on the altar of political expediency. It is most reprehensible, disgusting, repugnant and unbecoming of a statesman. John Mahama should be the last person to comment on issues of illegal mining having had the rare opportunity to govern this country for 8 years and doing absolutely nothing to fight the menace of illegal mining which was destroying the very fabric of the Ghanaian society.

Fortunately, we now have a caring president in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who did not only ban illegal mining in order to salvage this country and save innocent lives, but has also come out with an elaborate policy document detailing how to permanently address the menace including the provision of alternative source of livelihood for persons hitherto involved in illegal mining. Government’s holistic approach to fighting the galamasey manace has not only received national applause from all well meaning Ghanaians but has also been hailed by the international community.

We are however not surprise about the conduct of the former president because that is his stock in trade. With such desperation from him, it wouldn’t be surprising if, tomorrow, we hear him blaming President Akufo-Addo for the woes of prisoners and telling for them he would ensure their release if they voted for. This is certainly not how we build a nation.

On Asiedu Nketiah, who also spoke at the event, where he stated categorically that the Nana-Addo led NPP government had legalized homosexuality, allowing for same sex marriage in the country, the party would ordinarily not respond to a character like Asiedu Nketiah who has reduced an otherwise serious business of politics to comic relief. But we are minded to respond to him because of the position he holds unfortunately. In doing so, we wholly associate ourselves with the befitting response he got from the Communications Directorate of the Office of the President in a statement issued same day.

The statement reads in part, “Speaking at the NDC's health/unity walk, on Saturday, 28th April, 2018, in Kumasi, the NDC General Secretary is reported to have stated that "Nana Addo says men will marry men, and women will marry women." This is nothing but a baseless and vile fabrication, by no less a person than the General Secretary of the leading opposition party in Ghana. For the avoidance of doubt, President Akufo-Addo has NEVER stated anywhere that, under his presidency, "men will marry men, and women will marry women".

Indeed, the President remains focused on delivering on his mandate, and improving on the quality of lives of the Ghanaian people. It will NOT be under his Presidency that same-sex marriage will be legalized in Ghana. We will neither ask for an apology or retraction from the NDC General Secretary, who, obviously, is still stuck in the age of the politics of lies, deceit and propaganda, which was rejected decisively by discerning Ghanaians in the 2016 general elections. We will rather appeal to Ghanaians to, once again, ignore the falsehoods of the NDC, and urge Mr. Asiedu Nketiah to concentrate his energies on uniting his divided and discredited party.”

There can’t be a better response to Asiedu Nketiah's lies.

OVERVIEW OF REGIONAL ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCES

The party, as would know, has successfully held Regional Annual Delegates Conferences to inter alia, elect regional executives in all the ten regions of the country between April 21, to 24, 2018 except for that of Northern Region which was delayed for a week. This was to allow for the remaining constituencies in the Northern Region that had not held their constituency delegates conference to do so. Eventually, the Northern Regional Annual Delegates Conference came off on Saturday, April 28.

On the national scale, it is gratifying to note that, out of the 275 constituencies in the country, the NPP has been able to successfully hold Constituency Annual Delegates Conferences in 271 constituencies constituting 98.5%.
Having said that, the party wishes to use this opportunity to acknowledge the maturity with which members of our great party and all stakeholders approached the conduct of these annual delegates’ conferences which started from the polling station level to electoral area to constituency and now, regional level. The conferences, as all would attest to, were largely successful.

The party also commends the efforts of the 4-man committee comprising Sammy Awuku (chairman of the committee), Evans Nimako (secretary of the committee) Bob Agbontor (member) and Gary Nimako, which was constituted by the national steering committee to help in the resolution of the issues in all outstanding constituencies.

Again, the party wishes to use this opportunity to congratulate all the elected regional executives on their hard fought victory while commending the unsuccessful candidates for the productive competition and wishing them a better luck next time. We say, a big congratulation especially to the newly elected regional chairpersons comprising Anthony Namoo (Upper East), Thomas Adu Appiah (Brong Ahafo), Bernard Antwi Bosiako (Ashanti), Kingston Kissi Akomeng (Eastern), Makafui Kofi Woanyah (Volta) Robert Kutin Jnr. (Central), Mohammed Bantima Samba (Northern), Divine Otoo Agorhoom (Greater Accra), Francis Ndede Siah (Western) and their competent teams. The party reminds them of their primary mandate of working assiduously to deliver VICTORY 2020 for the party especially in their respective regions and the nation at large.

NATIONAL ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE

As noted, the National Annual Delegates Conference is being held pursuant to Article 10(2) & (3) of the party constitution which provides that, “The National Annual Delegates shall meet at least four (4) weeks after the last Regional Annual Delegates Conference”. The conference, according to this provision, shall be attended by the following delegates:

a. Members of the National Council

b. Members of the National Executive Committee

c. All members of the Regional Executive Committee

d. All members of the Constituency Executive Committee

e. Fifteen (15) members of the National Council of Elders

f. Twelve (12) delegates from every external branch as defined under Article 8 (2) of the Party’s Constitution

g. One (1) TESCON member, (i.e. the president or his/her designated representative) from each of the recognized tertiary institution in the Country.

h. Fifteen (15) Patrons elected from among themselves

i. Founding Members across the Country who are signatories to the registration documents of the Party at the Electoral Commission.

j. All NPP Members of Parliament in the Region; and,

k. All Party Members who are Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs)

Also, per the constitution of our party, the presence of at least one-third (1/3) of the delegates to the National Annual Delegates Conference shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the conference.