The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mr. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, has asked his colleague politicians to “pipe down” on negative campaigning often based on personal attacks and rather engage one another on issues. He said Ghana would be the greatest casualty of any form of “stinky politicking” which has the potential of destroying its image as an oasis of political peace and stability.
Mr. Osei-Ameyaw, himself a victim of a smear campaign a few years ago fought a vigorous media battle to clear his name when his detractors sought to drag his name into immigration related scams when he was practicing law in Australia. His present concern however is centered on two presidential candidates, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Prof. Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In an interaction with ADM on Monday, he expressed his uneasiness over recent publications in sections of the media regarding the two presidential candidates. One had been accused of unproven drug related offenses and the other had been pronounced dead when actually he was hale and hearty!
“These are the people we have elected to go and compete for the presidency of our country. They are potential presidents of this country and would be our ambassadors any where they go. Anything we say against them may go against us in the near future. It affects our image as a country, before the international community, before other international bodies and before the whole world,” he said.
The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Constituency lamented: “What is more hurting is that the reports are not true. Nana is not a drug addict, and is not involved in any offence in relation to that issue. Mills is not also dead. But as nature would have it, bad news, be it a fact or falsehood, travels fast. And unfortunately, that is what people would always remember. As much as possible, let us always try to defend and preserve the good name of Ghana and that of our leaders. It is not worth tarnishing a man’s reputation for selfish reasons. Such acts are way below the belt.”
He warned that in a young democracy such as Ghana’s, there are always over zealous political party supporters who may easily take offence at such unguarded utterances and run riot and create all problems for the country.
Mr. Osei-Ameyaw said, “it is not a Ghanaian thing and we must desist from such unnecessary attacks. What we need is a campaign that is based on issues and one that offers solutions to the socio-economic problems of this country. A clean campaign that offers hope to the destitute, a healthy campaign that makes politics attractive even to the clergy and a campaign that would explain how the problems of this country can be solved with a sense of urgency”
The Deputy Minister for Tourism said Ghana plays a significant role in sustaining and maintaining peace in the West African sub-region and there are other countries looking up to Ghana as a shinning example of a democratic state in Africa and this enviable position must be preserved. Mr. Osei-Ameyaw said as Ghana hosts the African Cup of Nations, a lot of tourists and potential investors have trooped into the country, which is a good time for Ghana to display its much talked about hospitality.
He asked: “But how can we claim to be hospitable to visitors when we are not hospitable to ourselves. How can we prove we are the peace loving people we say we are when our guests can see us at each other’s throat?”
It is not quite clear how it all started, but from all indications, the language of the campaign between the NDC and NPP would be most foul. The perceptions are already sticking that Professor Mills is a dying man and Nana Akufo-Addo is a drug user. These perceptions may overshadow all else as the campaign intensifies.
Source: PFM
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