Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The head of Conflict Prevention and Resolution of the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Aning did not take it kindly when Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, yesterday, made some inferences to him and his other colleague panellist on a programme which sought to portray them in a negative light. This was when the latter made comments to the effect that he was in what looked like a lion’s den, at a symposium put together by the Danquah Institute, in collaboration with Accra-based radio station ‘Citi FM’. 
Ayariga took advantage of the opportunity to criticize President Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. But in his advice to Ayariga, Dr. Aning noted that what had happened in the country within the last three months, especially concerning the ability and attitude of the security agencies, is not particularly good. He said he had personally received death threats on his life for being critical about the Northern regional Minister. He wondered why anyone would threaten him to retract his criticism of the Minister. Dr. Aning said, “I think it is beginning to look as if there is a problem about the discourse on security matters and that …” He therefore disagreed with Ayariga on his claim that the public does not expect the government to deliver on its promises within the 100 days it gave itself to achieve certain targets. He stressed that there was the urgent need for the Mills administration to take steps to make amends, since there are serious security lapses in the country. Again, Ayariga observed his presence at the forum, which was to assess the 100 days of the Mills administration, as evident in the President’s commitment to maintain an open door policy for what he termed an open and constructive dialogue, stressing “we have no reason to fear one another, we are one people, we are one country and we have one destiny.” These comments provoked Dr. Aning who said Ayariga’s comments did not promote national cohesion as he claimed to be doing, since according to him, he was doing the very things he had earlier accused the NPP administration of. He also had a problem with the way and manner in which Ayariga spoke, since he considered his comments to be contradictory of his own claim of a united Ghana. Obviously not happy with Ayariga’s comments, the emotionally charged Dr. Aning said “I do not recognise the Ghana that the government Spokesperson talked about.” “The way he did it does not speak to the issue of the spirit of tolerance, acceptance or constructive engagement”, he emphasized. For him, “what he did was improper…”, stressing “if not because of the respect that I have for the people in this room, my initial response would have been to pack my things and go.” Mahama Ayariga has been viewed by observers, such as the Publisher of this paper, as one of the cool heads of the administration, and a respectful gentleman.` Is he being infected by the hawks around him?’, Kofi Coomson rhetorically asked.
Ayariga took advantage of the opportunity to criticize President Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. But in his advice to Ayariga, Dr. Aning noted that what had happened in the country within the last three months, especially concerning the ability and attitude of the security agencies, is not particularly good. He said he had personally received death threats on his life for being critical about the Northern regional Minister. He wondered why anyone would threaten him to retract his criticism of the Minister. Dr. Aning said, “I think it is beginning to look as if there is a problem about the discourse on security matters and that …” He therefore disagreed with Ayariga on his claim that the public does not expect the government to deliver on its promises within the 100 days it gave itself to achieve certain targets. He stressed that there was the urgent need for the Mills administration to take steps to make amends, since there are serious security lapses in the country. Again, Ayariga observed his presence at the forum, which was to assess the 100 days of the Mills administration, as evident in the President’s commitment to maintain an open door policy for what he termed an open and constructive dialogue, stressing “we have no reason to fear one another, we are one people, we are one country and we have one destiny.” These comments provoked Dr. Aning who said Ayariga’s comments did not promote national cohesion as he claimed to be doing, since according to him, he was doing the very things he had earlier accused the NPP administration of. He also had a problem with the way and manner in which Ayariga spoke, since he considered his comments to be contradictory of his own claim of a united Ghana. Obviously not happy with Ayariga’s comments, the emotionally charged Dr. Aning said “I do not recognise the Ghana that the government Spokesperson talked about.” “The way he did it does not speak to the issue of the spirit of tolerance, acceptance or constructive engagement”, he emphasized. For him, “what he did was improper…”, stressing “if not because of the respect that I have for the people in this room, my initial response would have been to pack my things and go.” Mahama Ayariga has been viewed by observers, such as the Publisher of this paper, as one of the cool heads of the administration, and a respectful gentleman.` Is he being infected by the hawks around him?’, Kofi Coomson rhetorically asked.