The Campaign Committee of the New Patriotic Party says claims by the CPP Campaign Committee to the effect that the party has been planting through certain journalists, questions favourable to Nana Akufo-Addo at public functions are false. The NPP says the CPP must provide prove or apologise because the claim slanders the ‘honest and hardworking journalists’. The NPP in a statement urged the Convention People’s Party to heed the call by Nana Akufo-Addo for all political parties and their candidates to join him in waging a positive campaign based on issues rather than insults. The CPP in a statement issued by the Nduom for President ’08 Campaign Committee said the NPP was hoping to ‘buy’ the December Elections by embarking on lavish campaigns and making Nana Akufo-Addo look ‘presidential’ but said all that will come to naught. Below is the NPP’s reaction. STATEMENT BY NPP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE ON ALLEGATIONS BY CPP August 6th, 2008 The attention of the 2008 NPP Campaign Committee has been drawn to a statement issued by the CPP Campaign Committee and published in a number of newspapers this week. In the statement, the CPP Campaign stated the following; - That the NPP is trying to buy the 2008 elections. - That the NPP has been planting questions with media during press conferences and other interactions. - That the NPP administration has been selling state lands and other assets. - That despite his reputation as a man of the people “Kumi preko Akufo-Addo is silent on GT” and other such issues. First, the idea that the NPP is trying to buy the 2008 elections has no basis in fact. Our campaign did not even start bill-board advertising till sometime after the NDC had started its own advertising. Furthermore, we recall that Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom campaigned and won the CPP nomination mainly on a pledge to ‘resource you in campaigning”. When he campaigned on getting his party more resources, he was stating an obvious and eternal truth, that money is needed in politics. As Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said “Money is the mother’s milk of politics”. We believe that we need money to tell the electorate why the NPP should be returned into government but as our Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo says quite often “Sika nto aba”. We are raising money in a manner completely consistent with the applicable laws of Ghana and will continue to do so. Second, the allegation that the NPP has been planting questions is false and the CPP must back up that allegation or apologise, not just to the NPP but to all the honest and hardworking journalists who have been slandered by this statement. Third, on the accusation that the NPP has been selling state property behind our backs does not deserve any serious response. The public knows about GT and other such matters because they have been handled publicly and in a manner completely consistent with the laws of Ghana. In any case, when did Dr Nduom, who is running mainly on his record of service in the NPP administration realise these defects in the NPP administration and why did he not speak up? Fourth, the charge that the NPP Presidential candidate has been silent on the GT deal is false. Nana Akufo-Addo has addressed the sale of GT a number of times in public. The last time was during an interaction between the candidate and the Executive Committee of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on 1st August, 2008 in Accra. In response to a question, he stated that GT was in debt to the tune of 500 million USD. He explained that if we had that amount of money to pay GT’s debt, it would be better for the government to use the amount to provide schools or health facilities rather than pay off GT’s debt. He stated that the public interest may be better served by a private company taking over GT, and managing to increase its value and the quality of service provided to the public, rather than saddling the public with its debt and sub-standard service. Aside from Nana Akufo-Addo, many other members of the NPP have addressed the GT sale. Regardless of whether one agrees with the NPP or not, it is dishonest to claim that the candidate and others are avoiding the issue. Finally, on 23rd December, 2007, when Nana Akufo-Addo accepted the NPP nomination as the flag-bearer, he called upon all political parties and their candidates to join him in waging a positive campaign based on issues rather than insults. We urge the Convention People’s Party to heed that call. Let us have a campaign that will make Ghana and Africa proud. Let us move forward! Yeeko yanim! Won ya wor hie! Arthur Kobina Kennedy (Chair, Communication Committee) 2008 Campaign