Folks, believe it or not, the dagger to cut the throat of the Akufo-Addo government has just shown up—and it is dangling threateningly where it is least expected to be positioned: From within!!
Nana Obiri Boahen, a lawyer operating in Sunyani (Brong-Ahafo) and known for long as a die-hard adherent of the Danquah-Busia political culture, now rejuvenated as the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, has turned out to be the insider who will put the Akufo-Addo government on its quivive, ready to face the sword or to run away from it and be damned.
I have on a number of occasions put this Nana Obiri Boahen on the spot for his ugly comments and public utterances, jokingly re-echoing my friend’s comment that ugly people do ugly things. And Nana Obiri Boahen is ugly by all standards!! His mien alone says it all: neither smiling nor inviting. Always glowering, stern, and terribly fearful. Why so? Is there any art for us to construct his mind on his looks?
Images published about him paint that picture of ugliness. He is no attraction as such. Blame me not for saying it as I have chosen because that’s my impression of him. What sort of human looks so apocalyptic in the face of redemption?
His physical ugliness seems to be influencing his utterances and doings. Having flexed his muscles all these years against supposed political opponents, he has now brought himself face-to-face with his own political demon in the guise of the enemies within his own political camp. How?
He is reported to have said that the Akufo-Addo government gave 50 billion Cedis to support the NPP’s Congress in Cape Coast but he was denied the benefits. Whatever he gushed out is no news now. It has done its rounds and been confirmed as a reality, no matter what the Kwaku Ananses have done about or with it.
Interestingly, some in the NPP camp initially sought to play around to say that his utterances were meant to help him exact “authentic information” from his interlocutor (an imagined NDC talker) to help the NPP know what its opponents thought about it. Everything has now quickly backfired despite those attempts to cover it all up. The in-fighting is going on.
John Boadu, Acting General Secretary and something else in the NPP, has come out to damn him for opening his mouth too wide!! The NPP establishment had earlier indicated that it would probe Obiri Boahen for that misconduct. Some sympathizers of Obiri Boahen in the Brong-Ahafo Region have appealed for mercy. Obiri Boahen has written a letter of apology to plead his case.
This Obiri Boahen scenario challenges the NPP and Akufo-Addo’s commitment to fighting corruption in Ghana with action and not mere irritating word and vacuous promises. At this point, then, what Nana Obiri Boahen has revealed turns everything upside down for Akufo-Addo. An informed observer will not doubt Nana Obiri Boahen’s allegation, viewed against why he is to be hauled before the party’s Steering Committee for probing. If what he said wasn’t true, why pursue it this way? No denial thus far. The only explanation is that he went that way in an attempt to use his utterance as a bait to gather information from his interlocutor (an NDC supporter). Stupid!!
Now that Nana Obiri Boahen has apologized for his waywardness, that damage-control move has backfired. If there is no truth in Nana Obiri Boahen’s allegation, sleeping dogs would have been let alone to sleep. Not so now!!
Everything is murky now. Is Nana Obiri Boahen saying what really happened or will he be set up and damned for saying it bluntly (just as Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong did)?
Folks, so much is happening in the NPP’s inner circles that we are being fed with to know how the tide flows. In the end, we are comforted by this urge from Kwaku Baako, the chief ventriloquists of Akufo-Addo and the NPP establishment: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Obiri-Boahen-must-resign-his-comments-damaging-to-Presidency-Baako-630780)
What will the resignation of Nana Obiri Boahen offer Ghana to make any difference in governance under Akufo-Addo? When Harona Esseku accused Kufuor of “hijacking” kickbacks from contract awards meant for growing the NPP’s fortunes, he was axed. Why? To cover everything up, as is emerging now in the case of Obiri Boahen. What is happening now is just a child’s plaything.
Interestingly, ugly Nana Obiri Boahen is doing and saying ugly things to his own doom. We will learn useful lessons from such happenings. Fools die!!
I shall return.
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