CJA endorses Prof. Mills (17/12/08)

Story: Stephen Sah and Jennifer Dornoo

THE Committee for Joint Action (CJA) yesterday endorsed Prof John Evans Atta Mills’ candidature for president in the December 28 run-off as someone who would use his trademark of honesty, integrity and moral authority to inspire and strengthen Ghanaians to build a better nation.
According to the committee, Prof Mills would unite and bind all Ghanaians together to fight for a Ghana of freedom and prosperity for all, and a better Ghana devoid of vindictiveness , anchored on rule of law, freedom and justice.
The endorsement by the committee was at a press conference held in Accra during which it put the eight-year rule of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of President J.A.Kufuor under the microscope, saying that the NPP was not the answer to the people’s hopes and dreams.
Dr Adam Gamel Nasser, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, who addressed the media on the “state of the nation and matters relating to the presidential run-off”, said the rule of the NPP had been marked by corruption and vulgar opulence while the majority of the people sunk deeper into poverty.
“Our elected leaders and their appointees are using political office to enrich themselves... The nation is rocked daily by credible media and other reports of blatant thievery and waste on the part of presidential appointees.
“Impartial apolitical organisations like the Ghana Integrity Initiative, the Centre for Democratic Development, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Ghana Anti Corruption Coalition, have all spoken about the dangerous growth of corruption in our public life”, the committee said.
The committee said the only conclusion that could be arrived at by Ghanaians when they look back on the eight year administration of the NPP was that of veritable disaster in almost all facets of national development such that the electorate took that into consideration when they went to the polls on December 7.
“As we move into the next round of elections, there is evidence of panic within the ranks of the NPP. This is because despite its best efforts to subvert the will of the people, the vigilance of the opposition frustrated this sinister objective”, it said.
The CJA said in obvious desperation the government had recently announced its intention to release from prison custody some 5000 commercial drivers serving various jail sentences and the refund of fines that had previously been imposed on others.
That, it noted, was intended to assuage the feelings of the victims of earlier police and judicial extremism in the hope that that would uplift the dwindled fortunes of the NPP at the polls during the run-off, adding that the recent reduction in ex-pump prices of petroleum products was also intended to achieve the same purpose.
“This particular move has had the boomerang effect of exposing the NPP as not only dishonest but also insensitive”, the CJA said.
The committee said the desperation of the NPP was evident and its presidential candidate Nana Akufo Addo was going to fight tooth, nail and claw in a frantic attempt to prevent history from happening and that the NPP would attempt to do by fair or foul means.
“But it should be made unequivocally clear to the NPP that any attempt to subvert the democratic will of the people would be tantamount to a coup d’etat, which the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana was very clear about what constitutes a high treason”, it said.
The CJA stated that the time had come for the voices of the Ghanaian conscience to rally to the side of democracy and an honest national leadership, adding that the political opposition was prepared to provide the leadership of integrity and courage under the governance of Prof Mills.