Dzifa Attivor Straightens Records

Exclusive!

Denounces Tribalism; Expresses Readiness For Accountability

Ex-Transport Minister, has vehemently rejected claims of ethnocentrism against her, over her call on the people in the Volta Region to massively come out in their numbers to register in the ongoing limited registration exercise organized by the Electoral Commission (EC) to vote against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) come November 7.

On suggestion that, she was afraid of going to jail in the event of an Akufo-Addo government, the ex-minister emphatically told The Herald that “I am prepared to render account on my stewardship at any time, any day I am called upon” because as she put it “I acted diligently at all times and above reproach”.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald yesterday, a very relaxed Dzifa Aku Attivor insisted “I want to state categorically that I am not tribalistic and will never be one” adding “I only sought to remind our people in the Volta of a sad episode of Ghana’s history under the NPP and Kufuor administration”.

The Volta regional executives of the NDC, and the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the NDC National Organiser, Kofi Adams, have all defended Mrs. Attivor.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Kwadwo Twum Boafo, who also spoke on the matter said, Mrs. Attivor, only asked her people to fear the NPP’s political witch-hunting.

Mrs. Attivor explained that she “…cited the politically-motivated imprisonment of Dan Abodakpui, Victor Selormey and many others including Tsatsu Tsikata and charged them to go, register and vote massively for the NDC to prevent recurrence of what happened previously”.

However, she has taken notice of “a deliberate attempt by a section of the media, especially the Multimedia group to deceive the good people of Ghana, in relation to what I said at Wudoaba in the Ketu South Constituency of the Volta Region”.

She added that the attempt by the media house and some politicians, especially those from the NPP stock to tag her as tribal bigot, “will not materialize, because those who know me, knows I keep my doors wide open to everyone irrespective of colour, creed, gender or ethnic extraction”.

According to her, “I was at Wudoaba on the 23rd of April, 2016 to outdoor a volunteer group in Ketu South for FifiFiavi & Mahama (KESFFAM) who have decided to campaign for their MP and our Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama for victory 2016”.

The ex-Minister told The Herald that “in my submission, I quoted an in-house memo from the NPP with the heading “operation Volta Region fall from NDC”. The second paragraph reads “We are very aware of the voting patterns of the Volta region. If there is a chance of us winning the 2016 elections we must feed the voltarians anything and everything to make sure we reduce the number of their votes”. With the NPP Agenda for Voltarians, I needed to remind my fellow voltarians of what happened during the NPP administration between 2001 and 2008”.

Soundly very confident, she said “on the issue of my stewardship at the Ministry of Transport, I delivered my service to the best of my abilities which evidence is all over the country from the aviation to the maritime sub-sectors”.

She went on “as a leader, you take responsibility of your stewardship and therefore I resigned on principle in connection with the bus branding controversy. As a leader, I took responsibility of what happened and therefore resigned. I am not sure this has ever happened in the history of our politics”.

She charged, “I am, therefore calling on people in the Volta Region to come out in their numbers and register and cast their ballot without any fear”.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Communication Officer of the NDC in the Volta Region, Chester Ben Ati, has asked people to ignore “a story making rounds that Hon. Gyapong Kudzo, the regional chairman of NDC Volta has condemned Madam. Dzifa Akua Attivor. Kindly disregard that publication because he has not said so on any platform” adding “what Madam. Dzifa said are historical facts. NPP is a very desperate party”.

In a statement sent to The Herald, the party stated that “Hon. Dzifa Attivor spoke our minds”.
Reference to the NPP, the regional executives noted that “many will pretend the party has no agenda against Ewes and people from the Volta Region.

But the fact still remains that a leopard may get wet falling into water, but it’s spots are eternal. – This proverb confirms the assertion that apart from the name change of the leadership of the NPP from President Kuffour, to now Nana Akuffo Addo. Facts still remain that Ewes are their target”.

Mr. Ati’s statement, mentioned the NPP’s “Atta Akyea plans to export dead bodies to the Volta Region with the intention of providing evidential support to impugn the integrity of the elections in the Volta Region” and “Anthony Karbo in his leaked tape said they should target Ayigbey (Ewe) Generals and brigadiers in the Army”.

He mentioned that, “the infamous call for the beating and killing of ewes by Kennedy Agyepong is still fresh in mind”, adding “Kwabena Agyepong was on tape claiming there are no human beings in the Volta region”.

The statement also cited how the infamous “Appolo 568 was suffered by Ewes when NPP family took power in 69. Systematic witch-hunt and dismissal from the public service was suffered by Ewes that led to the famous Sallah case in court”.

It questioned “it is true that NPP used the fast track court generally to try to destroy the NDC as stated openly by JH Mensah that the aim of their fast track court prosecution was to destroy the NDC. And ewes were the main victims”.

Additionally, the statement mentioned “the direct and persistent attack on ewes and calling them aliens and questioning their citizenship is another, the warlord himself declaring all-die-be -die and added that Volta people vote one way. What about Nana Addo’s Y3n Akanfuor de3 y3 d) y3n ho??

“These are all unfortunate reminders of NPPs hatred for ewes among others. Per these, Hon. Dzifa Ativor was only reminding her people of historical facts Tsatsu Tsikata was jailed, Dan Abodakpi was jailed, Victor Salomey was jailed and died in prison and Col. Gbevlo Lartey was arrested for no wrong doing”, it further said.

“Must we wait for them to proceed with the Agenda to cripple the base (Ewes) of NDC ? No is the answer …Hon. Dzifa Attivor spoke our mind…”
On his part, Asiedu Nketia, has called on the NPP to stop condemning Dzifa Attivor, over alleged tribal comments she made.

Speaking to Accra-based Rainbow Radio, Mr Nketia, said the former transport minister, should not be attacked over remarks which he said seemed to be true.

He said, it was rather the NPP which must either deny or accept the claim made against the party.
According to him, only people who hate to speak the truth, will be worried by the former minister’s remarks.

“Are people worried because Madam Dzifa Attivor was speaking the truth or not? If you hate to speak the truth, then you will continue to be worried … The woman said ‘vote for us because when the NPP come to power, they will jail all Voltarians’, citing examples … so let the NPP come out to defend themselves.”

The Executive Secretary of the GFZB, Kwadwo Twum Boafo, also pointed at what he says, is the deep-seated hypocrisy among sections of the clergy in Ghana.

He said this in response to the Chairman of the National Peace Council; Rev. Emmanuel Asante’s call on Tuesday that the former Transport Minister, should retract her claim to the effect that the NPP does not deserve Voltarian votes because the party has a history of selectively persecuting people from the region.

The Free Zones boss, was amazed at how a section of the clergy is quick to join the fray in talking down issues when they affect the ruling NDC negatively but turn deaf, dumb and blind when even worse matters emerge from the NPP front.

Mr. Twum Boafo, said the former minister would not retract the comments today or tomorrow as it represents the truth. Besides, he said when worse things have been uttered by NPP followers, not as much as a whimper is heard from the likes of Rev. Asante.