Audio By Carbonatix
Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe is upset over what he says are elementary errors by Osahene Boakye Gyan in his attempt to re-write the history of the New Patriotic Party.
The retired army officer and one of the architects of the 1979 coup which toppled the Supreme Military Council and installed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council led by Ft. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings has this week stirred up a growing controversy in the NPP and happenings therein.
He accused the party’s former leader and ex-President John Kufuor of plotting against Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP’s flag-bearer for the 2008 elections. Nana Addo has been re-elected for election 2012.
According to him, Mr. Kufuor had not forgiven Nana Addo and others aligned to the United National Convention (UNC), over circumstances surrounding the defeat of Victor Owusu, then leader of the Popular Front Party in a national election that saw the People's National Party's Dr. Hilla Limann elected president.
The UNC and PFP parties, hitherto belonged to the Progress Party but the Akyem and Ashanti ethnic divisions ahead of the 1979 elections saw the two parties went their separate ways.
Major Boakye Gyan says even though the two parties later came together to form the NPP, wounds from the past are yet to be healed.
He alleged President Kufuor in his eight-year term was persistently on a mission for revenge against loyalist of the UNC.
According to him, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Dan Botwe, Mike Ocquaye and Odoi Sykes, all established names in the NPP who he claimed were all loyalist of the UNC were ‘punished’ by the then President Kufuor.
He told Joy News’ Bernard Saibu Kufuor “reluctantly supported” Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 elections and bank-rolled Alan Kyerematen in the flagbearer race of the party in 2007 and 2010.
When he was asked to substantiate his claims, the retired major said the actions taken by President Kufuor whilst in office were enough evidence for his claims.
"For instance, why did he replace the then Chief of Staff Jake Obetsebi Lamptey who is aligned to the UNC and brought in Kwadwo Mpiani aligned to the PFP. Why did he make Odoi Sykes and Mike Ocquaye as ambassadors?" he quizzed.
He also questioned why Dan Botwe, then the General Secretary of the NPP was appointed as an Information Minister only to be a sacked few months later. It was a ploy by President Kufuor to take over the party he alleged.
The actions, Major Gyan insisted, constituted a pay back for the UNC loyalists.
But in reaction, Dan Botwe told Joy News the arguments by the retired major are flawed. He said he has never been a member of the UNC and would not be victim to its formation.
He is also shocked Maj Gyan will mention Odoi Sykes as a member of the UNC when the former NPP chairman was indeed Minority Leader in the 1979 election on the ticket of the PFP.
This according to Botwe is so flawed a kindergarten student should not have gotten wrong.
Even though Major Boakye Gyan has the right to speculate, Dan Botwe said he should be factual.
Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mike Ocquaye, has also disputed the claims by Maj. Boakye Gyan. Listen to Boakye Gyan’s defence of his claims..
Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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