Bernard Allotey Jacobs,
THE MAIN opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have been dealt a heavy blow as a top party member has left them unexpectedly.
Bernard Allotey Jacobs, a former NDC Central Regional Chairman, has stated emphatically that he is no longer a member of the party and his decision to leave the party is irreversible.
According to the Educated Fisherman, as he is affectionately called, he has totally lost interest in being a member of the NDC, a party he had faithfully served in different capacities since the NDCs formative years.
Akufo-Addo’s Charm
Mr. Jacobs, who was speaking on PEACE FM in Accra on Wednesday, stated that President Akufo-Addo was the main reason that he had left the NDC fraternity.
Making confessions, he said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, led by President Akufo-Addo, had performed in political office in just four years, so he was impressed.
According to him, the country had experienced massive transformation in terms of infrastructure, roads, water, factories, health and other areas, which to him, must be commended.
He said the country faced several mountainous challenges prior to the 2016 elections, but President Akufo-Addo had restored the state into the path of prosperity in a short time.
Nana Bawumia
Mr. Jacobs said that he would henceforth use his energy, resources and expertise in politics and business, to totally support President Akufo-Addo and his Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for them to sustain the good works.
No NPP
He however made it clear that he was not leaving for the NPP, saying “that is why I have declared to support him (Akufo-Addo) and his Vice President, Dr. Bawumia. I no longer belong to the NDC. I am not an NPP member; I will never be an NPP member.”
He then said that he was aware that the NDC had suspended him, but added that he had already resolved to sack himself from the party.
Mahama Factor
Last month, Mr. Jacobs, who now says he is a social commentator, admitted that he did not have a good relationship with former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to him, Mr. Mahama endorsed his suspension from the NDC and he (Allotey) could not pretend all was well with the NDC Presidential Candidate in the 2020 General Election.
He affirmed on ASEMPA FM in Accra that “I don’t have a good relationship with Mahama. He endorsed my suspension,” adding that “In a speech, he said he endorsed my suspension. He is not my friend and I haven’t spoken to him since 2017 when he embarked on the ‘Thank You Tour’. I led him to some key figures of the NDC in the Central Region. He said it himself that I am not his friend.”
No Apologies
Mr. Jacobs revealed that he was suspended from the party due to his failure to apologize over some comments he made praising President Akufo-Addo.
He explained that the party’s hierarchy was unhappy with his positive appraisal of President Akufo-Addo as a “mature President.”
Mr. Jacobs, who is a loyalist of then President John Evans Atta Mills, said that despite the suspension he remained firm in his conviction that President Akufo-Addo was an example for all politicians.
“They asked me to apologize for praising Akufo-Addo. I said that President Akufo-Addo was a mature President and they said that had put President Mahama in a bad light so I should apologize. I maintain that President Akufo-Addo is a mature President and that is because of the experience he has garnered over the years.”
Initial Suspension
In May 2020, the NDC issued a statement signed by its National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, suspending Mr. Jacobs for what the party said was persistent exhibition of “anti-party conduct.”
The National Executive Committee (NEC), which according to the statement recommended the suspension, had also referred to the disciplinary committee of the party for further action against the NDC stalwart but it was unclear if he ever faced the committee.
Later Mr. Jacobs fired back saying elements in the party cannot destroy him; and asked those calling for his head in the party to back off, saying, “Where God has positioned me in life is not my making.”
Mr. Jacobs, who appeared defiant, on PEACE FM at the time, said that “the truth is that nothing surpasses God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Ishmael; He is one God nothing surpasses Him,” adding, “The faceless, the boneless, the shapeless God; He who says and it is done is the one I serve. I love God…to all my opponents and enemies; the truth is that don’t blame Allotey Jacobs. Blame God…it is by His grace and His mercy that I am where I am.”
Joy FM Interview
He then granted an interview to Accra-based JOY FM on the matter and parried the criticisms of NDC members that he was in bed with the ruling NPP and based on that, he was making remarks which they deemed as undermining the NDC and its flag bearer, ex-President Mahama.
“How could I be in bed with the NPP; facts are facts. When something is good about the NPP I will say it, when it is wrong, I will talk against it. You see there is the need for us to change the kind of narrative, or we have to change our political discourse. You see, we need to grow our politics in this country,” he pointed out.
Incurring NDC Wrath
When President Akufo-Addo commissioned the 1 Ambulance 1 Constituency programme last year, the former NDC Regional Chairman highly commended the President for the initiative, saying, “The interior of the state-of-the-art ambulances recently commissioned and distributed by President Akufo-Addo can give life back to a dying patient…We should all face facts; if you look at the inside and see the equipment and colour design, it looks very attractive. If you are at the point of death, the colours in the ambulance can give you the vim to survive. The inside is great!”
Propaganda Book
When the President again announced that the NPP government was embarking on massive health infrastructure projects, including the construction of 88 district hospitals, the NDC hit the roof top claiming it was impossible to do and also claimed the government had abandoned health projects they said were started by Mr. Mahama.
Mr. Jacobs later remarked that he did not understand why NDC people were asking President Akufo-Addo to complete Mr. Mahama’s abandoned hospitals, because as far as he was concerned “most of the hospitals my party, NDC, is calling Akufo-Addo to complete are already completed in our Green Book.”
He was constantly pushing that the NDC should find a person in the calibre of Dr. Bawumia to be able to respond to the Vice President appropriately on economic management issues.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi