In the run-up to election 2008, The Enquirer newspaper edited by my friend now turned foe, Raymond Archer, carried a number of publications on Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, a foremost member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who was then the Director of Communications of the Nana Addo campaign.
The body of the publications was that Dr. Kennedy had been awarded some type of contract through allegedly underhand means in the health sector, and that he was in custody of a government vehicle which he is alleged to have used in his political campaigns.
At the time, I did not give the publications much credit. It was part of the murky but damaging slew of allegations made by the pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) press against leading functionaries of the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) with the hope that some would stick.
Indeed some of the allegations stuck and the effect was the electoral loss of the NPP.
I am referring to this matter for one reason. Dr. Kennedy was supposed to be a communications guru for Nana Addo, but he could not save even his own reputation.
Indeed, by his association with Nana Addo, he became a liability, and the Akufo Addo campaign had to deal with the allegations against his conduct.
I also remember that at the time a number of scurrilous allegations were made against Nana Addo, allegations that did needless damage against the reputation of Nana Addo. Dr. Kennedy did pretty little about the situation, in spite of the fact that he was in charge of communications.
I remember listening to him on Radio Gold with communications disaster at the castle today, Koku Anyidoho, on the other line and out of public fame Deputy Minister of Information, James A Boateng as host and it was really bad for the Arthur K.
I don't want to repeat what Koku said about Nana Addo but Arthur K did nothing as the communications guru and the two NDC propagandists had their way.
Even in writing his own book, he consulted a known journalist who was against Nana Addo because he was turned down by the campaign team but found his way into the home of Ken Ofori Atta.
In Arthur K's book, everything he wrote about Malik Baako was also from this same journalist.
Also, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, who lives mainly in the United States, was one of the seventeen aspirants who tried to win the presidential slot of the NPP, an activity many blame for the poor fortunes of the NPP.
Imagine somebody walking off the plane after twenty years living abroad and seeking to become the President after a few weeks. That was Arthur Kennedy. I am unwilling to say this, but Arthur Kennedy contributed significantly to Akufo Addo's loss.
He played part of the mess, and I am glad that today he is so happy telling us of the whys and wherefores of the NPP's electoral loss.
I hope he remembers his own contributions. It is a very good work even though he is going to make some money, I doubt if he can look at the holes in his book.
I encourage him to continue with it, whilst members of the NPP engage in the real and very hard work of re-building their image for another attempt at power in 2012.
3 comments:
WHO THE HELL IS PRINCE PRAH?
prince Prah,
So what is your point? For your education, Arthur K's contract was never a campaign issue, it was a mischief played by not even archer put Muntaka and Tony Aidoo but was quickly quelled by arthur K who showed documentary. There was nothing "huhuuhu" about the contract and I Personally drove him round the country on most of his visits to most of the Hospitals we surveyed across the country. Arthur K has submitted his findings to the ministry long time ago and is waiting ti be paid the rest of his contract sum.
If it was something untoward, why are they not making any capital out of it?
I dont know what you stand to gain by writing this submission but since oppinions are like noses, I will leave you alone on that but will definitely be back to put the record straight in case you decide to twist it like you have just done!
Which of the allegations stuck? I challenge you to name one. Unlike people like you who will hero-worship human Beings, the likes of Arthur K will always tell it as they see and we should be grateful to him for even putting out something that posterity will appreciate.
At the time that everyone was runing away from radio Gold because they believe it is an NDC station, He was one of the few who mustered courage to attend their invitations. The rest prefer the cool and friendly studios of Peace and Joy, no one ventured to accept aany invitation to Radio Gold. Where were you then and what exactly were you contributing towards the NPP campaign?
Your Assertions of his consultation with a known journalist who is anti- Nana is Baldadash! The book was not written about nana, it has been written to guide some us who are growing up to learn from past mistakes which of course includes that of Arthur K and all of us in our various villages, we contributed in our own small way to the defeat of NPP.
Since when did living maily abroad became a sin or a breach of the Constitution? Kwame Nkrumah was living abroad when he was called to be General Secretary of UGCC and what happened? He went on to become one of the greatest Presidents in our history, Dr Busia Came from exile to be Prime Minister of the 2nd republic, J. A Kuffuor had schooled abroad, Nana Addo, Alan, Prof Mills all have lived Abroad and they are/have holding/held leadership positions in Ghana. Is Arthur K not a Ghanaian? Is he not a member of NPP(check who was the chairman of an NPP fundraiser for then Candidate Kuffuor in Chicago in 1996).
Arthur K went through the same vetting process that disqualified Capt. Nkrabea Effah Darteh, paid the same amount of Money that nana Addo and Alan paid for the organization of the NPP Presidential primaries and toured all constituencies in Ghana to canvass for votes. He had a website www.arthurkkennedy.com that spelt out his vision for the party and was one of the few candidates who actually campaigned on ideas. Why do you think Nana Made him Chairman of Communications Committee? You think He bought it?
Inspite of his solitary Vote, he had/still have ideas that if blended with that of Nana, Alan, Prof Frimpong Boateng, Oheneba Owusu-Danso and the rest, it will go a long way in making our party better and our Country, one of the best in Africa.
I dont know what you stand to gain by your submission but I think it is nothing but mischief that you came to play here on this forum. If you have nothing good to write, Please don't waste our time.
Its KOFI KARIKARI (K.K)
Asebu.
our profile say ''am calm but very Controversial''
is this one of the ways to prove that?
just grow up and stop this nonsense....let Arthur be and let thing about a winning strategy for 2012
why are you so mannerless?
Prince prah i just want to know where you learnt your own kind of journalism,because all you do is to abuse people and call them names,is saddening seeing people like you just polluting the ghana atmosphere with your unsensible,unpalatable and unreasonable write ups all because you work for a person like ken kuranchie who lacks integrity and sense of thinking which is part of the reason why he was laid off at chronicle newspaper,please try and be more decorous in your writing and leave the agenda of being negative at all times even when right thinking people of ghana can see an atom of positivity in the country now compared to the mafia style type of ruling of the NPP,you can do more my brother,God will continue to bless you and put righteousness into your heart and mind.
hilary
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