Ghana’s High Commissioner to Namibia and a former kingpin of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Harruna Attah has alleged that the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo and two others blasted him for supporting the late Aliu Mahama who was one of the 17 candidates contesting for the party’s 2008 presidential slot in 2007.
According to him, Nana Akufo-Addo vowed that a non-Akan will not lead the NPP.
“Harruna, your support for Aliu was flawed. If you think our party will cede its Akan leadership, you are wrong.” He went on to expatiate on the theme, but with my mind reeling at this blatant and brazen ethnocentricity, nothing else really mattered to me again. When I left, I confided in a few people, mainly family and friends, as witnesses. I received all manner of suggestions on how to handle this “bombshell” and indeed one family member high up in the NPP even suggested that I take it up with President Kufuor. The frightening fundamental message was clear: No non-Akan should dream of leading the NPP as Presidential Candidate” he said in a statement.
Read full statement below
“Ethnocentricity” - President Mahama has a valid point!
There comes a time in a person’s life when as a matter of conscience and fair play, he/she has to take a stand. The time has come for me to take just such a stand on an issue I had prayed and hoped would not come to that.
President Mahama has recently been targeted by all sorts of critics for allegedly making ethnocentric comments in his campaign trip up North.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which is usually measured in its approach to issues, joined the litany this week with a strangely one-sided statement rudely entitled: “Prez Mahama’s Comments: Ethnocentric, Divisive and Condemnable”.
According to the MFWA, “…while campaigning in the Upper West Region, the President of Ghana and leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), His Excellency John Dramani Mahama opted to use very ethnocentric and divisive campaign language. The President, while addressing party supporters in Lawra as part of his campaign tour of the Region, made comments to suggest that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) only “uses northerners” to win power and “dump” them afterwards.”
And if I may ask, what is wrong with that? The President was only stating an obvious and historical fact known to many people with a sound knowledge of Ghana’s politics since Independence.
My relationship with the late Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama (May He Rest In Peace), just like the one I have with President, John Dramani Mahama, cannot be denied. I shared a lot of private moments with the late Vice President and he often poured his laments about the politics of the system to me. It was a privilege I still cherish. He was most gracious in allowing me to also share my own insights with him. He is now dead and gone and whatever he disclosed to me are interred with his bones and my own living memory, but one issue I once brought to his attention, I feel I must now disclose to set the records straight in the memory of this noble man and also defend the name of another noble man, John Dramani Mahama.
After the almost 20 presidential aspirants run against him – as a sitting Vice President – in the NPP primaries for the 2008 Elections, Alhaji Aliu Mahama with much humility, conceded to Nana Akufo-Addo who emerged winner, sort of…
I do recollect very clearly, as if it happened only yesterday, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo invited me to his office at Ridge near the offices of the Electoral Commission. I honoured the invitation, not knowing what to expect. The outcome was one of the most revealing encounters I have ever had with a Ghanaian politician. He raised a number of issues and concluded on my “support” for the late Vice President. On that, this is what he told me.
The words have been indelibly etched on my conscience: “Harruna, your support for Aliu was flawed. If you think our party will cede its Akan leadership, you are wrong.” He went on to expatiate on the theme, but with my mind reeling at this blatant and brazen ethnocentricity, nothing else really mattered to me again. When I left, I confided in a few people, mainly family and friends, as witnesses. I received all manner of suggestions on how to handle this “bombshell” and indeed one family member high up in the NPP even suggested that I take it up with President Kufuor. The frightening fundamental message was clear: No non-Akan should dream of leading the NPP as Presidential Candidate.
Not only that, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman, going beyond Nana Akufo-Addo’s ethnicity, used religion as his anti-Aliu stance. He confronted me in the presence of a witness: “Abdul-Rahman, with a nation of about 70% Christians, do you think it will be fair to have a Muslim President?” He was referring to Alhaji Aliu Mahama, a Muslim. I answered calmly that in all the major hotspots of the world, it is when some groups think they are dominant and go on to marginalize groups they regard as minorities that the minorities also rise up to assert themselves, by whatever means.
Dr. Addo-Kufuor, President Kufuor’s brother had his turn too. At a funeral at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, he also railed against my “support” for Aliu and threatened that “You are working yourself out of reckoning in any future NPP government.” I replied that history would vindicate me. I could go on and on…
The late Vice President after he was dumped by the NPP took it all with equanimity only occasionally going through heart-breaking introspection.
NPP Presidential Candidate Nana Akufo-Addo’s virulent opposition to an Aliu Presidency was so intense that he once openly tongue lashed me at a dinner party where the host had to come to my defence and his daughter even asked me what I had done to her father…Ironically she asked: “Are you NDC?”
The “Akan leadership” of the NPP is something the Party will have to confront one way or another and hopefully the time would come when it can be ceded, but clearly not now. Nana Akufo-Addo is one of the architects of that doctrine and he is in charge.
These are very delicate times, so the MFWA and others that are jumping into issues without adequate historical perspectives must be even more circumspect about things they publish, than the people they seek to condemn. They must know that their ignorance or perhaps arrogance could be more harmful to our polity than the truth and honesty of those that would hold up the mirror to reflect the reality. President Mahama was only reflecting that reality. It was neither hate speech nor divisive. It was the painful (to those whom the cap fits) truth…
The MFWA, I believe would, in light of the foregoing, use its vast resources to research more into ethnicity in Ghana so as to play the honest arbiter and perhaps also find in its professional heart some room to apologize to President Mahama.
A Harruna Attah,
P.O. Box CT 4910,
Cantonments,
Accra.
[email protected].
November 2016.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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This is how far politics have brought you. Haruna Atta wants to lie for political gain. this lie will not wash! Nana and NPP will reign supreme so says the Lord God of Host
***barred word***!
It is from the horses own mouth don't play with them.
this short man and his two regions will not win election in Ghana today or tomorrow!!! isn't this synonymous with the treatment given to Afoko and co???
Et Tu, Haruna Atta! you are (were?) among the journalists i respected in this country. I respected Kwaku Baako, Kwesi Pratt and you for championing the cause of the poor Ghanaian. Kwesi Pratt has already sold his conscience for V8 and financial payments from the NDC government and so he has abandoned the common man and see no wrong done by the government; Kweku Baako, though sympathetic to the opposition, tries to be objective and sincere... and you have disappointed me. I don't believe that any right thinking person like Akuffo Addo or Hackman will make such remarks to you knowing that you are from the north and a moslem. Even granted without admitting that they did make these remarks, i think it does not show MATURITY on your part to disclose them because i believe they may have made them in confidence to a colleague not with the view to hurt you or other people. So why the disclosure at this time? Your disclosure shows the DESPERATION of the Mahama government to go to whatever lengths including playing TRIBAL POLITICS to stay in power. People like you and Mahama are interested in staying in power even at the expense of destroying the tribal harmony we have enjoyed in this country; IT IS SAD... and the people, northerners, southners, moslems, christians, Ewes, Akans, et al will speak on December 7!
You are one of the phoolish northners who aside being shown how to be respectful as Bawumia said u still dont respect cos of cheap politics. You call Akans ani**mals forgeting we do kayaye in their towns to survive and as a matter of fact we are rather the animals. Why didnt u kill urself when Kuffuor was ruling since he is also an Akan. I only pity u cos for me to vote for a fellow northner who wont think about me then i will rather vote for the non northner. Aliu mahama contested with 16 people and if he had won NPP would have gladly support him, now tell me who JM contested with before u bacame this years flagbearer. Think like a normal person or u will be thrown into the paga for the crocodiles to enjoy since u look just like one of them
Haruna, go tell this to the marines. Aaaaba. Because of nokofioooo you have lost your sense of shame. Haruna, you have downgraded the little respect left of you. Shame.
krakye if u are indeed a man who can impregnate a woman with two balls in between ur legs bring out all those videos and recordings u claim to have, what sort of phoolish politics is Ghana into, today this tomorow that, any reasonable thinker will tel u if nana will say a thing like that it wouldnt be to a northner. Pity ur own self as i pity ur mum for giving birth to dumb headed like u, u have at ape that can destroy NPP indeed. Go and bring the video that showsn prof mills was seriously ill before he was taken to 37 millitary hosp. Politics is now to low to ur standard so continue talking withouth thinking cos u are just confused like haruna
See who is talking about tribal politics, which platform did akuffo addo says vote for me cos am an akan.....when i see people who dont read to understand like u i feel bored and disappointed cos ur parents just wasted their money and as a matter of fack why should Nana even waste his precious time that wil win him change on Haruna just for nothing, if u think u would have thought wisely that why will Nana confess such a thing to Haruna than any ohter akan guru in the party. wise up next time before u bring the next gabbage from ur mouth,.
I think Huruna Atta is a Northerner?. How can Nana Addo invited you to his home and tell you that Northerner's con't be President in the NPP Family. I will tell you today that after Nana Addo, Dr Mamudu Bawumia will lead the Party to Victory 2024. Prepare to come home because your Master is on the way home. ***barred word***.