6 Years After Resigning, Alan Remains Disruptive

, Disloyal and Uncommitted to the NPP

Exactly 6 years ago, one of the biggest political blunders unfolded before our eyes when the then runner-up to Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2007 NPP Presidential Primaries resigned without any warning from the Party and held the party hostage for weeks refusing to rescind his decision.

Six years down the line, we can only look back at the words of first NPP Party Chairman, B.J. Da-Rocha who was tasked by the Party to mediate and bring back the man, who had sought to lead the party just 4 months prior, into the fold of the Party he claimed to love so much while campaigning.

Mr. Da-Rocha, commenting on Alan Kyerematen’s second letter of 24th April, in which he stated that he is not rescinding his decision to resign, made very profound comments we need to go back to. Da-Rocha in his comments stated that “it would not be in the best interest of the NPP to receive Mr. Alan Kyeremanten back into the party. He could become a disruptive factor in the party, a stumbling block and loose cannon. The party has an election to win. We should concentrate our efforts on the task ahead and let him go his way in peace."

Clearly, Mr. Da-Rocha, May His Soul Rest in Peace, must be accorded the title of a Prophet. Ever since he made these comments, Alan Kyeremanten has been nothing but a stumbling block and a disruptive factor in the NPP – from the dirty campaign he waged in the 2010 flagbearership campaign, to his refusal to accept any role in the 2012 Campaign and the disunity he and his group has stirred within the NPP all across the country.

The latest evidence of his disruptive nature is contained in his recent comments. Just after the Tamale Congress when everyone expected the newly elected executives to be given time to settle in and for the NPP to concentrate its forces on the bad governance under the NDC after the internal contest had taken attention from governance issues, Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng pops up and begins making very divisive and false statements. He suggests on Metro TV that the NPP had truly lost the 2012 election and should not have been in court. He states that he did not play any role in 2012 because he was not given a role in 2012, when in fact he was the one who asked to be allowed to concentrate on his Addis Ababa job. He states that he was not given an accreditation for the verdict day at the Supreme Court and seeks to play victim and suggest that Nana Akufo-Addo has been sidelining and victimizing him; while the truth was that the entire NPP was given only 25 accreditation cards including security. The whole Minority in Parliament received only 5 accreditations. How did Alan, who no one knew would turn up and at what time he would turn up, expect to be reserved an accreditation?

But in essence what these comments have done is to divert the NPP’s attention and disrupt any attempt at refocusing energies on the SADA rot for example.
B.J. Da-Rocha further said he was not convinced that the matters that complained about were as grave and earth-shaking as to make a loyal member of the party quit summarily and unceremoniously. He said the complaints were like flea bites compared with what many loyal members of the party have suffered and endured in the past without even contemplating leaving the party.
Again, Mr. Da-Rocha couldn’t have been more right. Alan Kyeremanteng continues to hang on flea bite-like complaints to justify why he always abandons the NPP after he loses a Presidential Primary. In 2008, he resigned officially, in 2012, he abandoned the effort and chose not to play any significant part, only choosing to appear during major rallies to show his face and his create the impression that he was involved in the effort. He always wants to eat his cake and have it. For the thousands of Party footsoldiers who defy all the risks and contribute to the party’s attempt to recapture power, this can be nothing but betrayal. Alan on this score has still not learnt his lessons.
But perhaps, the heaviest part was this quote by this legend of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition and which perhaps sums up everything. "I suggested to him that many within the party would interpret his action as lack of loyalty and commitment to the party. His response was that, if anybody thought so, so be it", B.J. Da-Rocha said.
And so it was and so it still is. Alan Kyeremanteng still does not care about the Party or what anyone in the Party thinks about his commitment and loyalty to the Party. Could this be the reason why six years after this heavy statement, Alan has contributed almost nothing to the NPP’s election effort? Is this the reason why he has failed to criticize this incompetent NDC government on even one occasion? Is this the reason why he has failed to use even a month to show himself and hit towns and villages campaigning for the Party?
The big question is, if all members of the Party decide to emulate the behavior of Alan Kyeremanten, would the Party continue to be viable? If everyone decides to abandon ship after the internal contests, who will be left campaigning in the hinterlands? Who will be left countering the NDC’s propaganda and dirty politics?
Perhaps, these words from the venerable B.J. Da-Rocha captured in the GNA report of 26th April, 2008 titled “da Rocha: Alan Can Go” should end it.
Mr. da Rocha stated that the concluding part of Mr Kyeremanten's statement was pregnant with meaning and quoted what he said as: "We must also not lose sight of the fact that national interest is superior to the interest of any single party. In this regard, I will soon give a firm indication about the role that I expect to play on the political landscape in the country. This, I believe, will bring hope and confidence to all Ghanaians irrespective of the political or religious affiliation or ethnic background".
Referring to what Mr Kyerematen said in the above paragraph, Mr da Rocha said the clear import of that passage was that Mr Kyeremanten has in mind, a national interest superior to the interest of the NPP.
He said it was an unequivocal declaration that he has thought for himself a future role in politics outside the NPP. It is obvious that he has no deep-rooted commitment or loyalty to the NPP.”

Yaw Ofori–Berko