PRESS STATEMENT!!! NANA ADDO DESERVES THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE This press statement has been necessitated because NAFOP believes without any shred of doubt that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party has shown in both words and deeds that he truly remain a man of peace and therefore deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the peace prize shall be awarded to the person who ‘shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace’. In sum the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded for outstanding contribution to peace. We believe therefore that Nana Addo succinctly meets the criteria for selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for the Peace Prize. NAFOP is motivated and inspired by astute and distinguished personalities in Africa notably Arch Bishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Sirleaf Ellen Johnson and Leyma Roberta Gbowee who received the Peace Prize in 1986, 1993 and 2011 respectively for their enormous contributions to peace and protection of human rights and hopefully Nana Addo would be the first Ghanaian to receive the Peace Prize based on his actions, inactions and conduct in his thirty three (33yrs) of active public life and most importantly his posture in the 2008 and 2012 general elections where he was the NPP Presidential Candidate in keeping the peace of the country. As the first chairperson of the Ghana Committee on Human and People’s Right and a lawyer of respectable repute known in his days as one of the most brilliant and outstanding in Ghana, Nana Addo championed the cause of human rights, rule of law, justice, freedom and democracy. He is also acknowledged as one of the leaders of the pro – democracy movement in Ghana when he was the General Secretary of the broad based People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) with political bulwarks such as William Ofori Atta, Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa, Komla Agbeli Gbedema, Adu Boahen et al. This Movement led the ‘NO’ campaign in the UNIGOV referendum in 1978, which subsequently saw the downfall of the Acheampong’s SMC 1 Government on 5th July 1978. This led to the restoration of multi – party democratic rule in Ghana in 1979. Nana Addo’s contribution to good and transparent governance cannot be underestimated. In July 2001, as the Attorney General of Ghana, he was responsible for the repeal of the criminal libel and seditious laws (amendment) act, 2001 (act 602) which received Presidential assent on 2nd august 2001. This law hitherto had been used to intimidate the media and criminalize free speech and the repeal therefore has enabled the Ghanaian media to become one of the most vibrant and freest in Africa. It must however be noted that, Nana Addo’s effort was recognized and was invited to deliver a speech on “outlawing criminal libel laws in Ghana; at the conference on the twin themes of “African constitutionalism: present challenges and prospects for the future” and African constitutionalism and the media; which was co - organized by the Institute of Comparative and International Law and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, at the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa, on 4th August, 2011. Nana Addo as a Foreign Minister was fully involved in the successful ECOWAS peace effort in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau and was Chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in 2003. When Ghana was elected by her peers to take the Non – Permanent West African seat on the UN Security Council for 2006/2007, Nana Addo in August 2006 chaired the meeting of the UN Security Council which took the decision that halted Israel’s massive incursion into Lebanon. Again Ghana was elected to the new UN body, the Human Rights Council, with the highest number of votes 183 out of 191 largely through the harmonious diplomatic skills of Nana Addo. NAFOP therefore believes that, Nana Addo by this has contributed immensely to the fraternity between nations and the holding and promotion of peace which ultimately serve as the main criteria of the award of the Noble Peace Prize. Following the declaration by the Chair of the Electoral Commission on December 9, 2012, the Candidate Mahama was proclaimed as the President Elect of the Republic of Ghana. The NPP alleged that the election was rigged and we believe same to be true. Nana as a firm believer in the judiciary petitioned the highest court of the Republic for justice. Guided by history, the post electoral violence in Kenya and Ivory Coast which hitherto were peaceful countries appeared as a great worry for peace loving people like Nana Addo and so when majority of his teeming supporters demanded justice on the street, he showed a sense of responsibility and opted for court to uphold the peace of Ghana. This single move by Nana Addo has proven to the world of the relevance of resorting to court of law rather than the expensive thorny war path. NAFOP has the conviction that, fighting for justice in court by invoking the powers of the Supreme Court to invalidate the results of the 2012 Presidential Election and pursuant to article 64(1) of the 1992 constitution is very symbolic and would restore and improve the electoral integrity and credibility of Ghana with its rippling effect on other emerging democracies across Africa. We also want to affirm our strong desire to the assertion that, Nana Addo would forever remain one of Ghana’s most illustrious sons in her history and definitely emerge victor when put to before the stern tribunal of posterity. At this juncture, NAFOP would want to proudly associate ourselves with calls from a section of well - meaning Ghanaians that Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is the true Prince of Peace of Ghana and therefore deserves to be highly considered and selected for a Nobel Peace Prize. LONG LIVE NANA ADDO! LONG LIVE NPP! LONG LIVE GHANA! Signed Kwame Ampomah National Secretary 0208807040
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:36:41 +0000
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