It is with much pain that the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) wades into an issue otherwise not important but for the hypocrisy and opportunistic stance of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As a country, over the years, we have pursued a one Ghana agenda with common destiny irrespective of political, ethnocentric and religious differences. This not withstanding, the NDC in search of, and sustaining political power at all cost, continue to exploit to their interest an inherent agenda filled with HATE FOR AKANS.
Fellow Ghanaians, if there is any one political party under the 4th Republican constitution which has benefited either directly or indirectly from the use of ethnic sentiments against it's major political opponents then, the NDC stands tall and come next to none.
PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS SKEWED AGAINST AKANS
Ladies and gentlemen, AFAG sees public all appointees as Ghanaians and have no issues with the public office they occupy. However we are forced to expose the hypocrisy of the president and his NDC's anti-Akan agenda.
Fellow countrymen, is it not a fact that over 80% of state departments and agencies are headed by persons from either the Volta or Northern regions? permit AFAG to share a few;
Ghana Ports Harbours, Public Services Commission, Tema Oil Refinery, National Insurance Commission, Youth Authority, Ghana Civil Aviation, DVLA, Ghana Maritime Authority, National Petroleum Authority, Food and Drugs Authority and Public Services Commission. Out of about 19 Chief Directors at Ghana's Ministries, 17 are either from the North or the Volta region.
Also, the heads of all the state financial institutions (BOG, GCB, NIB, ADB Etc.) including the central bank are headed by persons from the NDC's stronghold i.e Volta region. The Ghana Police Service over the past 5 years has continuously been attacked for skewing recruitments mainly to the North and Volta regions.
Indeed in 2009 the only senior most deputy commissioner of police an Akan was not promoted to commissioner until after more junior ones from the North(Rose Atinga Bio) and another from the Volta region(Mr. Kudaloh) had been promoted to become commissioners to occupy the GP 2 and 3 slots.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN SENTIMENTS
Mr. President, you made mention of religious discrimination in schools during your 2015 State of the Nations Address (SONA). AFAG considers your intervention as needless, unnecessary, provocative and a desperate step to create a division between Muslims and Christians to benefit your political fortune.
Christians and Moslems have always lived in peaceful co-existence in Ghana since independence. Attending a school must be a choice and students must be prepared to be broadminded by being exposed to, and learning from other religions. Indeed, the former (Rev Frimpong-Manso) and present (Prof. Martey) Presbyterian Moderators are reported to be products of Ahmadyia Mission Schools.
Mr. President, stop destroying Ghana on ethnic and religious lines. This is a case for THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL, THE NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL, and THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS to step in and advice the President and caution him that, he is fermenting divisions in the country, which are unnecessary and uncalled for.
Some of our elders are hypocrites. Their judgments are clouded with business interest and hegemonic traits. Countrymen, the NDC must be condemned for continuously insulting and attacking Christian and other religious leaders who provide wise counsel to the president and the nation at large. We recall the insults heaped on Prof Martey the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Pastor Mensah Otabil, the head of ICGC and others. These attacks are a threat to the church and the faith.
AFAG is ready to confront this tribal and anti-Christian stock-in- trade openly without fear or favour until such a time that the NDC is able to learn it's bitter lessons.
We are not ashamed of being Ghanaians with various religious beliefs and hailing from various parts of the country to form AFAG. We have resolved to wade into this issue to expose the hypocrisy of the NDC.
RESOLUTION
AFAG hails Otumfour Osei Tutu the Asantehene for speaking it to the face of the president during his durbar. Mr. President didn't the Otumfour about a month ago bemoan the fact that, persons with Akan names like Owusu, Osei etc. are been denied public office recruitments under your regime. Mr. President, were you able to respond to this allegation when you had the floor to speak at the durbar? A BIG NO!!!!!
We urge Ghanaians not to be carried away by the tribilisation of politics. Also, we should resist any attempt, which threatens our peaceful co-existence. Ghanaians must be bold to speak against any ethnic and anti-religious agenda
from any quarters. We must continue to talk about it and not shelve such issues. Tribalism and illegal distribution of economic wealth, uneven regional recruitment and employment to the public sector in accordance with article 35 6b of the 1992 constitution must be discussed in the open. There is no doubt that, with the current revelations in the press, recruitment and employment into the police service, army and immigration to mention a few is not transparent and severely skewed against the Akans.
If any group of people feels marginalized under any regime, we must stand together and fight against it before it destroys our nations.
SIGNED
AFAG LEADERSHIP