The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, last Friday displayed political maturity and humility when he walked up to, and shook hands with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, at the Odwira Festival durbar at Akropong-Akuapem.
The gesture put to silence the growing agitation and murmuring among some of the large gathering of people from all walks of life at the event.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who was representing the President as the special guest at the function, announced his preparedness to walk about 70 metres to where Nana Akufo-Addo was seated at the right side of the Akuapemhene, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, to welcome him to the festival.
The decision of the President’s representative followed the refusal of the security personnel detailed at the festival to allow the NPP flag bearer to greet Mr Ofosu Ampofo and other government dignitaries at the high table.
That was because Nana Akufo-Addo attempt to extend greetings to the government dignitaries was a breach to the event protocol, which required that all invited guests to the function be seated before the arrival of the President or his representative.
Nana Akufo-Addo, in the company of other top members of the NPP, arrived late at the function at about 3.40 p.m. when Mr Ofosu Ampofo and the government delegation were in the process of paying courtesy call on the chiefs and people.
The NPP presidential candidate’s arrival triggered some shouting and clapping from a section of the gathering and just after Mr Ofosu Ampofo and his entourage had finished paying courtesy calls on the chiefs and people and had taken their seats, Nana Akufo-Addo also took turn to extend greetings to the chiefs and people.
Immediately after paying homage to the chiefs and people, he decided to walk up to the high table to greet Mr Ofosu Ampofo and other government dignitaries but just a few metres to the destination, the security personnel prevented him and his entourage from doing so.
That attracted some booing and agitation from a section of the gathering who appeared very dismayed at the scene that was created following the security agencies’ action.
Prior to delivering the President’s address, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed worry over the scene that was created when the NPP presidential candidate was disallowed from greeting him and other dignitaries and, therefore, announced his readiness to walk up to Nana Akufo-Addo to return his “disallowed greeting” and formally welcome him to the festival.
To the surprise of the chiefs and the people, just after reading the President’s speech, Mr Ofosu Ampofo, accompanied by the District Chief Executive for the Akuapem North, walked up to Nana Addo-Dankwa and welcomed him to the function, a scene that attracted massive applause from the chiefs and the people.
The gesture immediately brought to an end the agitation and murmuring from the gathering, some of whom were already engaged in trading of words on whether what happened was appropriate or not.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo had earlier told the gathering that since the theme of the occasion sought to foster unity and peace, they must not allow what took placed to trigger any rift among them.
He also told the chiefs and people that he was a brother to Nana Akufo-Addo, since the two of them were Akyems, saying “we are all one people and, therefore, must never let what happened divide us”.
Meanwhile, Mr Ofosu Ampofo has said that he did not instruct police personnel to prevent Nana Akufo-Addo from greeting him at Friday’s Odwira durbar at Akwapim in the Eastern Region.
According to him, he was not initially aware of the presence of the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the durbar grounds, since all dignitaries were seated before his arrival.
Throwing more light on the issue, Divisional Police Commander of the Akwapem South District, Chief Superintendent Ernest Owusu explained that the programme was originally billed to start at 1:30pm but as at 3:30pm when it started, Nana Akufo-Addo and his entourage had not arrived.
It was therefore agreed that the Regional Minister, stepping in for the president should proceed to greet the chiefs. It was also agreed that Nana Akufo-Addo would not be allowed to go round to greet the chiefs and the decision was communicated to him through the traditional secretary one Bekoe, the police commander said.
However, he stated, when Nana Akufo Addo arrived, he decided to greet the chiefs including the regional minister, but observing protocol, the police prevailed on him to abandon the greetings and take his seat.
Press Aide of the NPP flag-bearer, Herbert Krapa confirmed the incident.
This is the second time that the NPP’s flag bearer had been prevented from greeting dignitaries at a function as a result of protocol breach.
In the first week of September he was prevented from greeting President Atta Mills during the Fetu Afahye festival of the chiefs and people of Cape Coast in the Central Region under similar circumstances.
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