NDC Demand Apology From Nana Addo; Want Akomea Sacked

Youth Working Committee, a group aligned to the ruling National Democratic Congress, has called for the immediate dismissal of the Communications Director of the NPP 2012 campaign team, Nana Akomea. The group accused him of peddling lies and bringing the image of NPP�s flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo into disrepute by denying the authenticity of a publication on President Kufuor�s achievements. A Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in condemning the NPP for �hypocritically� ridiculing President Mills for commissioning boreholes and classroom blocks, quoted portions of a booklet supposedly published by the NPP in 2005 which highlighted similar achievements of the NPP government. The booklet, named �Four-years of Positive Change: so far so good� listed the commissioning of KVIPs and other menial projects as achievements chalked by the Kufuor�administration. But Nana Akomea on Asempa FM last week denied and disassociated the NPP from the publication of that booklet, which the deputy minister used as his reference point. He said the book had been selectively reproduced by someone whose intention was to use it for mischievous purposes and promised to investigate it. Meanwhile, the Youth Working Committee told Joy News that the Information Services Department has acknowledged the authenticity of the document. The group�s convener, Tei Okunor said attempts by Nana Akomea to deny the publication was based on the fact that he (Akomea) was �embarrassed by their own history�. He said Mr Akomea�s action sought to give �more credibility problem� to Nana Akufo-Addo �than he was having�, hence the need to dismiss him. �We think that it would be in the interest of Nana Akufo-Addo to dismiss [Nana Akomea] with immediate effect.� He said what the NPP claimed were their �vigorous infrastructure development� in four years were �incomparable� to the achievements of the Mills-led administration in two and half years. The group said the NPP�s flagbearer also owes Ghanaians an unqualified apology for his recent comments about Ghana�s political system and tagging the President as a �Professor Do Little�. �We also call Nana Akufo-Addo to come and apologise, infact offer an unqualified apology to the people of Ghana for describing the political system as a poverty-owning democracy, indeed when he has no better alternative for Ghanaians,� Mr Okunor maintained.But Nana Akomea has derided the group�s call, referring to the group as a �mushroom group� whose aim could be merely for financial favour. He said he would have been worried had the group called for his maintenance. He although admitted that he was not able to authenticate the validity of the document when he first sighted it; his checks with the then information minister could not confirm it either. �We have produced documents in which we put out the activities and programmes of government and this particular one doesn�t look like any of them at all, this one is just a picture handbook .� Asked about Nana Addo�s thought on the call on him to apologise to Ghanaians, he replied: �When this gets to Nana Akufo-Addo, he will have a good laugh�If somebody should be apologising for making uncomplimentary comments about the government of the NDC, it should be [former president] Jerry John Rawlings.�