Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, May 27, 2009
By Charles Takyi Boadu
There was a rapturous and thunderous uproar when the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 general elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo arrived at the Emmanuel Presbyterian hall in Osu yesterday, to address a press conference. 
Hours before the much awaited press conference to assess President Mills and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration’s five months in office, hundreds of party supporters clad in party colours gathered at the forecourt of the church premises to give Nana Addo a heroic welcome.
Some of them displayed with motorbikes draped in NPP colours whilst others waved their flags singing party songs.
All this time, party activists and leaders including Chairman Peter Mac Manu, General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow, National Organizer, Lord Commey, National Youth Organiser, John Boadu among a host of others were arriving at the grounds one after the other. Finally, when Nana Addo arrived around 11:30am in a convoy of vehicles, the entire crowd went agog, amidst shouts of “Nana oo Nana”.
In response, Nana Addo waved back to the crowd, with a thumps up and victory signs.
Some rushed to his vehicle, wanting to catch a glimpse of the man they have so long been yearning to hear speak, whilst others tried to shake his hands.
Nana Addo then stepped out of his vehicle exchanging pleasantries with both supporters and party leaders present. At this point the atmosphere was charged as party supporters cheered him on.
The crowd went haywire when they heard the Daddy Lumba-composed song Nana Addo’s 2008 campaign, ‘Nana, Nana, Nana die oye winner’ in the background.
At this point, most of those who were trying to shake the hands of Nana Addo abandoned the idea and jumped to the floor to dance their hearts out.
There and then, Nana Addo could not but join the supporters on the dancing floor, doing the ‘we are moving forward’ sign.
When he got the opportunity to address the anxious crowd, Nana Addo launched a scorching attack on President Mills and his barely six-month old NDC administration, saying “instead of uniting us and fostering peace, the last four months have been spent intimidating innocent citizens and political opponents.”
If not for anything at all, he said “we have seen physical attacks on NPP members in several parts of the country, including Agbogbloshie, Kumasi and Tamale.”
Whilst appreciating the fact that the leadership of the NPP have worked very hard to restrain their supporters from reacting to the acts of intimidation and provocation from their colleague NDC supporters, Nana Addo emphasized that sooner than later, the militants among them might be compelled by circumstances to take measures to protect themselves, their interests and their loved ones.
At that point, he said “events will then be out of control, driving all of us towards a point of no return.”
He therefore asked all stakeholders including the President of the Republic to help protect and preserve the country’s democracy for posterity.
Hours before the much awaited press conference to assess President Mills and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration’s five months in office, hundreds of party supporters clad in party colours gathered at the forecourt of the church premises to give Nana Addo a heroic welcome.
Some of them displayed with motorbikes draped in NPP colours whilst others waved their flags singing party songs.
All this time, party activists and leaders including Chairman Peter Mac Manu, General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow, National Organizer, Lord Commey, National Youth Organiser, John Boadu among a host of others were arriving at the grounds one after the other. Finally, when Nana Addo arrived around 11:30am in a convoy of vehicles, the entire crowd went agog, amidst shouts of “Nana oo Nana”.
In response, Nana Addo waved back to the crowd, with a thumps up and victory signs.
Some rushed to his vehicle, wanting to catch a glimpse of the man they have so long been yearning to hear speak, whilst others tried to shake his hands.
Nana Addo then stepped out of his vehicle exchanging pleasantries with both supporters and party leaders present. At this point the atmosphere was charged as party supporters cheered him on.
The crowd went haywire when they heard the Daddy Lumba-composed song Nana Addo’s 2008 campaign, ‘Nana, Nana, Nana die oye winner’ in the background.
At this point, most of those who were trying to shake the hands of Nana Addo abandoned the idea and jumped to the floor to dance their hearts out.
There and then, Nana Addo could not but join the supporters on the dancing floor, doing the ‘we are moving forward’ sign.
When he got the opportunity to address the anxious crowd, Nana Addo launched a scorching attack on President Mills and his barely six-month old NDC administration, saying “instead of uniting us and fostering peace, the last four months have been spent intimidating innocent citizens and political opponents.”
If not for anything at all, he said “we have seen physical attacks on NPP members in several parts of the country, including Agbogbloshie, Kumasi and Tamale.”
Whilst appreciating the fact that the leadership of the NPP have worked very hard to restrain their supporters from reacting to the acts of intimidation and provocation from their colleague NDC supporters, Nana Addo emphasized that sooner than later, the militants among them might be compelled by circumstances to take measures to protect themselves, their interests and their loved ones.
At that point, he said “events will then be out of control, driving all of us towards a point of no return.”
He therefore asked all stakeholders including the President of the Republic to help protect and preserve the country’s democracy for posterity.
No comments:
Post a Comment