Konadu For President: JJ Joins NDP

Published in Daily Guide on September 13, 2012
 By Charles Takyi-Boadu & Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako

THE DIE IS CAST! Rawlings joins forces as NDP building is outdoored at Kokomlemle, in Accra.

It is now confirmed that former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has deserted his party to join forces with the newly formed National Democratic Party (NDP).
Interim General Secretary of the NDP, Dr Joseph Mamboa-Rockson, dropped the hint during an encounter with journalists in Sunyani that Mrs. Rawlings was gearing up to contest the flagbearership position of the party for the December elections.
Credible sources have told DAILY GUIDE that former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was flown into the country on Tuesday night in the private jet of Ibrahim Mahama, the younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama, to plead with Mr. Rawlings to campaign for the NDC.
But Mr. Rawlings was said to have maintained his position not to campaign for his once-cherished NDC, leaving General Obasanjo and his sponsors in a state of disappointment.
According to sources, President Mahama had pleaded with former President Obasanjo, former President John Kufuor’s good friend, to broker peace for Rawlings to join the NDC campaign.
On arrival in Accra on Monday, DAILY GUIDE learnt that President Obasanjo requested to hold a meeting with President Kufuor before meeting President Mahama and later President Rawlings, after which the Nigerian strongman was driven to Ada for another round of meeting.
According to sources, Mr Rawlings was to embark on a nationwide tour to explain to opinion leaders why he could not be part of the NDC campaign.
He started off with a meeting with the Awomefia of Anlo, Togbui Sri III, on Tuesday.
According to Dr Mamboa-Rockson, the NDC founder’s decision to attend the recent special national delegates’ congress of the NDC with some NDP chieftains was because “we were there for him to show them that these are my other children apart from the NDC”.

Joseph Bediako

The NDP chief scribe stated that Mr. Rawlings’ presence at the congress was not to show support for the NDC, insisting that the issue of whether or not the former President would campaign for the NDP or the NDC would be clearer when the NDP was officially launched.
Konadu’s Decision
Mrs. Rawlings, who is also the President of the 31^st December Women’s Movement (DWM), is among three persons who have expressed interest in contesting the flagbearership race of the NDP.
Dr Mamboa-Rockson’s visit to the Brong Ahafo Region was to commiserate with the Interim Regional Chairman of the NDP, Kofi Vinyo, who was recently attacked by some persons suspected to be members of the NDC.
Out of the three persons who have expressed interest in the position, Dr Mamboa-Rockson said, two, including Nana Konadu, were women. He claimed that the former First Lady stood tall among the presidential candidates presented by the various political parties.
Apart from that, he said “she is the most celebrated politician in Ghana today”, insisting Nana Konadu had done a lot in terms of organising, sensitising and giving women the mouthpiece socially, politically and economically.
He was of the belief that having her on the party’s ticket would boost its chances of winning the elections with about 85% margin.
Yesterday, workers were seen busily putting finishing touches to a newly acquired headquarters of NDP at Kokomlemle in Accra.
The one-storey office facility, which is located on the Faanofa Street, close to the traffic intersection near Joy FM, was being painted in NDP colours.
The NDP is expected to go to congress at the end of this month to elect a presidential candidate for the upcoming elections slated for December 7, 2012.
But General-Secretary of the party said grassroots supporters of the NDP were calling for Nana Konadu to join the race and therefore, he said, the party would be honoured to have her as their presidential candidate.
NDP Final Certificate
Barring any last minute hitches, the Electoral Commission (EC) is set to issue a final certificate to the NDP tomorrow, Friday.
Dr Mamboa-Rockson said officials of the Commission called its (NDP) offices to inform them they were satisfied with the documents and information provided so far.
The party was said to have dispatched seven groups going round the country to mobilise its supporters for what promises to be a vigorous campaign ahead of the upcoming elections.
He has since confirmed the involvement of the Rawlingses (Mr and Mrs Rawlings) in the party, saying, “We have the support of both Rawlingses.”
A leading member of NDP, Joseph Bediako, insisted Mr. Rawlings would not campaign for the NDC and that the NDC should stop tickling itself.
“I can say it on authority from my sources within that he is not going to campaign for them,” he said, adding that “anybody who tells you we are going back to join the NDC is a liar.”
He swore heaven and earth to quit politics should the NDP go into any alliance with the ruling NDC before or after the elections.
That was because “NDC as a party stinks, nobody will buy it if you put it up for sale and you will be embarrassed if you attempt to market it.”
For him, what they were only waiting for was for the EC to supervise the process to elect substantive national, regional and constituency executives.
“We have put all structures in place for a smooth take off,” he stated.

It’s My Voice

: NDC Guru Admits Dirty Plot

Published in Daily Guide on September 6, 2012

By Charles Takyi-Boadu 

Yaw Boateng Gyan

National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Yaw Boateng Gyan had one hell of a time yesterday in his attempt to defend an audio recording in which he was heard hatching a diabolical plan with some party faithful to fix the election for the NDC, come December 7, 2012 when Ghanaians head to the polls.
He admitted being the one whose voice was captured on the secret tape but tried to justify the vicious scheme, which could plunge the country into chaos, exposing the NDC agenda of visiting mayhem on Ghanaians during the election.
With the revelation of the ruling party’s dirty plot, the late President John Atta Mills and lately his successor, President John Mahama’s call for peaceful polls could not be anything but a mockery.
An obviously distraught Yaw Boateng Gyan who could not bear the heat of the criticism that followed the revelation of the dangerous plot in the wake of the release of the tape, hopped from one radio station to the other trying strenuously without success to justify his outrageous intentions.
“Well, I am not like some other people, I will just say that yes, that is my voice but mind you, it wasn’t for any bad intentions,” he said.
On the said tape recording which is currently being circulated in sections of the media, Mr. Boateng Gyan, who had often exhibited a holier-than-thou attitude, was among others heard planning a dangerous scheme with some members of the NDC on how to get them enlisted into the supposed ‘Special Forces’ to intimidate and cow their political opponents into fear during the elections, including stealing of ballot boxes on election day.
He spoke of a plan to get these NDC footsoldiers identification cards that would make them look like operatives of the National Security to enable them to move freely to carry out their obviously vicious intentions during the election period.
He said if the plot backfires on Election Day, the ruling party will blame the violence on the opposition NPP, particularly its presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, citing his ‘all-die-be-die’ mantra.
Speaking on Adom FM’s ‘Adwaso Nsem’ morning show, Mr. Boateng Gyan, who is now battling to salvage his dented reputation said, “This was a conversation with such persons to find out those behind the formation of NDP and NDC persons who want to leave to the new party so we can approach them and talk to them to rescind their decisions.
Everybody knows the people who make up the NDP are all members of the NDC, and as a party we have to be concerned about people leaving our party” whilst insisting that “the conversation was about NDP, which had just received provisional certificate, not NPP at all.”
“I am the National Organiser of a national party with two deputies, and we cannot be everywhere, so it is only natural that we have people who go out to gather information for us. Any party that does not have such a mechanism is not serious.”

Vicious Plot
In the said conversation, the NDC National Organiser is heard speaking in Twi language, saying, “The other time we were talking about this Special Forces, we haven’t abandoned it. If you are there it does not mean you cannot still work for us.
We will send you there, you will be trained and come back and will be working.
When the need arises, we will call you, whatever duties will be assigned you then you’d come back and be working for the party.”
He went on to state that “during the time that we were in power, those who are following the President now, they were at the party headquarters, they were soldiers but they were at the party headquarters.
You ask Kofi Yeboah, he was serving as a guard at the party headquarters so you could be there and later come and serve.”
In that regard, Mr Boateng Gyan told the young men, “Those of you who don’t have the strength to serve in that capacity, you should make up your mind. But this is the immediate thing that we want you to follow.”
He mentioned the name of Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor as the one to provide funding, obviously from the national kitty, for the execution of the project.
“When they gave me the money and I was leaving, it was the Finance Minister himself who called me and called the Finance Director, and told him that as for you, you always come here talking about somebody, you have never spoken about yourself.
So I said I have some boys I am working with but now it is hard getting them planted.
So he said okay, bring this, bring that and let me get some money for you so that you can give it to them,” he stated.
He said, “As and when we pay and everybody knows that these people have been paid, I am sure they will increase it.
So for all you know, in about two, three or four months, God willing if we win these elections and I know we will win, you will see that all of you will be married or something then you will see what jobs will be assigned you.”
He explained that his job as National Organizer of the ruling party was to ensure that the NDC wins the elections “and some grassroots members have expressed interest to get themselves employed in some of these government institutions and by way of motivation assuring them that we will work it out on merit for those who will be enlisted.”
Justification 
“I don’t think it is anything out of the role of somebody like me to assure people because we are in this country and when Asamoah Boateng declared that he alone initiated the enlistment of about 300 people for his constituency and that is not a crime to me,” said Mr. Boateng Gyan.
But Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who is leading the crusade to expose the diabolical plan, insisted Yaw Boateng Gyan and the NDC have a dangerous plan and stressed the need for all well-meaning Ghanaians to be vigilant during the election since they intend to rig.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu

JJ Lands In Kumasi With NDP Gurus

Published in Daily Guide on August 30, 2012

By Charles Takyi-Boadu 

Jerry John Rawlings

Barring any unforeseen hitch, former President Jerry John Rawlings is expected to arrive in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi this morning to participate in today’s special national delegates’ congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Spokesman for the former president and NDC founder, Kofi Adams confirmed this to DAILY GUIDE yesterday but fell short of saying whether Mrs. Rawlings and other persons would accompany him to the event which is expected to acclaim and endorse President John Dramani Mahama as the NDC’s flagbearer for the December 7 general elections.
The congress, which would take place at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, became necessary following the demise of President Atta Mills who until his death was the presidential candidate of the party.
But DAILY GUIDE sources hinted that Mr. Rawlings, who is not just the founder of the NDC but also the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the party, would be accompanied by persons including former NDC General Secretary Dr Nii Armah Josiah Aryeh and Dr Joseph Mamboa Rockson as well as his aide, Kofi Adams.
It was not clear whether he would be accompanied by other people since an invitation purported to have been extended to Mr. Rawlings and signed by party General Secretary Johnson Asiedu-Nketia was reported to have asked the NDC founder to attend the event as an observer, with not more than 20 people.
Apart from his observer status, the NDC founder, noted for his long and boom speeches, would be allowed to speak for not more than 10 minutes.
Party General Secretary Asiedu-Nketia was reported to have served notice that since he would be the time keeper at the event, he would not allow anybody to speak beyond the allotted time.

Dr Josiah Aryeh

It was therefore not clear whether he issued this caveat because of Mr. Rawlings who is fond of making long and controversial speeches.
Ben Ephson, editor of the Daily Dispatch, had said that Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was influencing her husband not to attend the congress.
Ben Ephson, who spoke on Joy FM, claimed that he had picked up information that Mrs Rawlings, who challenged ex-president Mills for the flag-bearership of the party, did not want Mr Rawlings to attend the congress and was scheming to stop him from going to Kumasi.
But Mr. Adams, who also spoke on Joy FM last night, said, “Nobody… will attempt to put a wedge between our former President and founder, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings and her Excellency Konadu.”
This, he said, was because “they are one; they may agree and disagree on issues. That is how they have always been but they will continue to be one and we’ll move on.”
According to him, Mr. Rawlings’ decision to attend the congress was in view of the fact that he was the founder of the NDC, insisting that “the issues he’s had with the executives are still there and must be dealt with hereafter for whatever that it is to follow to follow.”
If those issues were not dealt with, Mr. Adams said, “we would find a way of moving forward”.
Kofi Adams said Mr Rawlings would as usual raise his concerns to the party leaders and hope they address them.
If they fail to address those concerns, he said, the founder would take any decision he deemed appropriate.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu