The opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] says President Mills must stop dithering and make a loud statement about his abhorrence for the growing culture of politics of insults in the country. According to the party, the phenomenon risks getting out of control - especially as the 2012 elections draws closer - if the president continues to sermonise his discomfort about the situation while looking on helplessly as his appointees unfairly and wickedly malign his political opponents. Speaking on Multi TV’s political talk show, Minority Caucus, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, Mr Emmanuel Agyarko said that politics of insults was gaining grounds in the country because it was tacitly encouraged by the some political leaders in the country who only complain when they are victims. He charged the President to, as the leader of the nation, institute measures that will halt the practice before it becomes deeply entrenched. “For me, I think it is important [for] … the President to seize the bull by the horn, take the lead, as the leader of this country… wherever it [insults are] coming from, whether it comes from the minority or from the majority. He should call a meeting of all the important stake holders in this country, otherwise … we are about 16 months away from elections [and] it could really get out of hand.” A member of the NPP’s communications team, Mike Ocquaye Jnr. who was also on the show pointed out that the President is yet to reproach or arrest members of his party, the NDC such as Otokunor, Halidu and Hannah Bisiw whom he said had rained insults on the NPP’s presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo. According to him, members of the NPP “do not want to insult, but now you are giving them justifiable reasons that they have to defend themselves from insults by also attacking you because when they complain nobody listens.” He noted that since the development remains unchecked, it has become difficult for members of the NPP like himself to restrain other members of the party from trading insults with their opponents from the NDC “because they rather insult me by saying that ‘you are too known, when they are insulting Nana Addo you don’t say anything.'" Dr Hanna Bissiw, he said referred to the NPP's flagbearer as "a sexy old fool," and wondered why the president should expect Ghanaians to take his complaints about politics of insults seriously when Dr Bissiw after making such unpalatable statements about his political foe still kept her job. Mr. Ocquaye Jnr called on President Mills to be impartial when dealing with issues relating to politics of insults. He questioned if the President was leading by example “by not chastising these people and rather going from Methodist church, to car parks, [and] whatever event and saying no insults, 'emi dzi me pe asomdwe' [I stand for peace]?” “You are saying it with your mouth but they say action speaks louder than words. And it’s about time the President took action against people insulting others in this country” he added. Story by Ewurabena Yorke/ Multi TV/Ghana