Kwesi Pratt: Not Much Thinking Went Into Planning Akufo-Addo�s Liberty Lectures

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has posited that though the launch of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo�s major policy statement was not done �deliberately to spite Muslims�; he however believes it is an indication that the programme was not well thought through. The leader of the main opposition party delivered his major policy statement at the maiden edition of the Liberty Lectures organized by the Danquah Institute which was in honour of the Founders of the Aborigines Right Protection Society (ARPS) on the topic �Building a Society of Opportunities�. The programme was originally intended to coincide with the anniversary of the formation of the ARPS, an important landmark in the history of the Gold Coast wherein indigenes like Mensah Sarbah stood up against the land grab policy of the colonialists. Unfortunately, the August 4 date was put off due to unforeseen circumstances to August 31st which also coincided with the celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr; a day which serves as a climax of Ramadan (period of fasting) for all Muslims worldwide. Whiles, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds the view that the NPP desecrated and disrespected Muslims and the programme should have been organized on a different date other than on the Eid, the NPP says it is �gross ignorance� on the part of the anyone to argue so. To the NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo rather showed a true understanding of Islam by observing both Ibadah, which is a person�s relationship with Allah, and Muamalat which is the relationship a person, has with fellow beings of the human race. Speaking as a panelist on Radio Gold�s current affairs programme �Alhaji and Alhaji� Mr. Pratt maintained that there was no justification for the NPP flagbearer to have taken part in the Liberty Lectures held on the Eid. To him, the fact that Nana Addo visited some Muslims in Nima, does not take away the fact that organizers of the event were insensitivity to Muslims. ��whoever planned this event did not calculate properly; whoever planned this event has put Nana Akufo Addo in a very bad light and it is most unfortunate that persons who support Nana Akufo Addo�s campaign did not think through their programme well and ended up with such a gaffe. It shows that not much thinking went into the planning of the event especially the date on which it was held. It shows clearly that those who organized the event were not particularly sensitive to the interest of Muslims and so on�,� Mr. Pratt said.