Nana Akomea: Government only paying lip service to ensuring peace
Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea
The issues of a peaceful political environment has been on the country’s political agenda for some time now with critics accusing political parties for only paying lip service to the course.
His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, the President of the Pontifical Commission for Peace and Justice at the Vatican speaking the issue said, “Our sense of nationhood is being compromised by extremely partisan approaches to certain sensitive issues”
He warned that, “We cannot pray for peace when we have people living with experiences which do not make for peace. There can be no nation which is internally divided, so anything that can lead to any form of division among the population of Ghana is something that we need to avoid; we cannot build the nation divided.”
Nana Akomea speaking on the subject on Election Headquarters on Joy FM Tuesday, said “it is very easy to pay lip service to peace” and urged that apart from making pious pronouncement about peace, “we need to ensure that our actions ensure that there is peace,” because the country has had peaceful elections since 1996.
He accused the NDC government of failing to put to action their words on ensuring peace and taking no action after supporters of the NDC were seen marauding on the streets of Odododiodio.
Deputy Majority leader, Rashid Pelpo, also speaking on the matter noted, “The concept of peace is very fundamental to democracy and our well-being as a society and the politician has no option but to advocate it.”
While he said the NDC has been a strong advocated for peace, he accused the NPP of talking about the need for peaceful elections “but have not denounced the All-Die-Be-Die concept or approach to politics.”
Majority leader described President John Mahama as a peace-loving man, who has no track record of invoking violence.
Nana Akomea riposted Rashid Pelpo that aside Nana Akufo-Addo’s All-Die-Be-Die remarks, “Have we heard or seen NPP supporters or activists saying that because the flagbearer had said some words they are going to embark on any violence?”
Dr Emmanuel Akwetey of the Institute for Democratic Development observed that “there more we talk about peace and unity; indirectly we are also saying that there is a greater risk to upholding this value.”
According to him, society needs peace and unity in other to achieve values of “our lives” and that “these values are being threatened by the brand of politics,” being exercise by the country’s politicians.
He advised that politicians should build on the calmness and the measured sensibly that occurred during the mourning of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Source Joy News Ghana
Category: Politics
