Nana Akomea: Kwame Pianim�s Statement Is Unfortunate

The Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea has expressed disappointment in Mr. Kwame Pianim, a member of the party, for making disparaging remarks about the decision taken by the leadership to boycott certain key national events including the vetting of ministerial nominees of President John Mahama and his State of the Nation Address. Mr. Pianim, an outspoken politician, business economist and investment consultant in an exclusive interview with Africawatch blamed the NPP national executives for exhibiting �intellectual and mental laziness� According to him, the party is heading in the wrong direction. Mr. Pianim added that �the boycott [of the President�s inauguration] somehow portrayed the NPP executives as confused people�. Mr. Pianim had called for �an emergency national congress of the party to decide on its boycott of certain key national events� and other activities involving the President. Kwame Pianim speaking in an interview with Joy FM, an Accra-based radio station, also noted that the NPP�s boycott which the leadership says is in furtherance of the party�s position regarding the 2012 Presidential elections, for which they are challenging the results at the Supreme Court in hope to overturn the legitimacy of President Mahama, poses danger to the future of the party. According to him, the NPP leadership is �not thinking logically� and so, is going down �a dangerous slope� as a result of the decision to distance themselves from all events headlining the President. He argued that though the NPP under the auspices of its 2012 Presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his Running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party�s National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, has dragged the President and the Electoral Commission to court seeking redress over their electoral fraud case; according to the constitution of the land, President Mahama was legitimately elected until proven otherwise by the Supreme Court. But Nana Akomea has described the comments as unfortunate saying he (Mr. Pianim) should have �availed himself� by conferring with the party leadership before making a public declaration of his position. He held the view that; �The issues that Mr. Pianim chose to raise in the media, the party views them as unfortunate�it will be very good for all of us if prominent people like Mr. Kwame Pianim will just approach the party; the Chairman says that Mr. Pianim has not bothered to even speak to him about the issues he�s talking about which is unfortunate because we must pull together.� He asserted in an interview with Citi FM Tuesday morning that Mr. Pianim �doesn�t support our challenging the results�he doesn�t support the challenge that we have put up at the court.� He further explained that the party�s decision to pursue its case in the court was mandated by the National Council which he said is the second highest decision-making body of the party and so, the leaders �are convinced that our actions will inure to the benefits of the party. We are absolutely convinced about that unless anybody can point anything to the contrary. If you can show me that this decision or this action is having a negative impact. If you can demonstrate it to me, then we can talk but as far as we�re concerned, the decisions we have taken, the actions we have taken in Parliament, outside Parliament and so on inure to the benefits of the party.� �The decision for example to boycott the inauguration of President Mahama as one platform of protest was not a decision taken by one or two people. It was a decision taken by the National Council, not everybody would agree but it is a decision that is properly taken,� he added.