A leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Boakye Agyarko has bemoaned what he calls “the small mindedness” with which the some members of the government run the nation’s affairs. He said it was regrettable that Nana Akufo-Addo - the leader of the largest opposition party – and his entourage could be treated with such scant regard by people in positions of responsibility including the president himself. Nana Addo and his team were snubbed in what the ruling party says was a retaliation for his reference to the president as ‘Prof. do little’ at this year's Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival at the weekend. “This was in response to Mr Akufo-Addo calling Prof Mills, the president as 'Prof do little'. I think that statement made by the NPP flag-bearer didn’t go down well with the people of Cape Coast. “It was also an indication that Prof Mills is firmly on the ground in Central Region as well as in Cape Coast,” Head of Communication for the NDC in the Central Region, Allotey Jacobs said. But Mr Boakye Agyarko says that pettiness was unwarranted, unnecessary and unjustified. Explaining the incident to Myjoyonline.com, Mr Agyarko, said the receipt of written invitation from the planners to the festival coincided with the team’s programme in Cape Coast. He said even though the programme of the party was over a day before the festival, the team stayed to be part of the celebration and indeed called on the paramount chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II to formally accept the invitation and present drinks and other items as part of custom. Later that evening, he explained, the Central Regional Police command invited Nana Akufo-Addo’s team for a security briefing and the protocol procedures at the event. According to him, party paraphernalia were prohibited at the event and Nana Addo’s team was expected to, upon arrival, go and greet the chiefs, after which members of the team will take their seats before President J.E.A. Mills arrives. Mr Agyarko said in spite of the agreed procedure, when the NPP flag-bearer and his entourage arrived and in accordance with the process, headed towards the dais to greet the chiefs, Aide to President Mills, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, interjected and said he was in charge of the programme and that he had changed the protocol arrangement and consequently asked the NPP delegation to revert to their seats. “We didn’t complain,” he said. After taking their seats, the president arrived, went to greet the chiefs, ignored his one time political foe and took his seat. After that speaker upon speaker consistently failed to recognize the presence of Nana Akufo-Addo and his entourage, a situation that got supporters of the NPP in the region who were at the event agitated. “At that point some of the boys came and told Nana to leave, but Nana laughed and said ‘Look I was invited to this event and I'm not going to respond to this in such disrespectful, undignified manner,’” Mr Agyarko said. “My brother, we stayed there – in deference to the president – until he left the event ground before we left,” he added. Mr Agyarko said while the NPP flag-bearer was not bothered about the treatment he was subjected to, he (Agyarko) believes those in politics must be seen to be respecting each other no matter how violently they choose to disagree with, and oppose each other’s views. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana