Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress has torn president Nana Akufo-Addo to shreds accusing him of fraud, dishonesty and failing to call his marauding supporters to order.
Wearing a red scarf and in an angry tone, Kofi Portuphy said the seizures and attacks by persons linked to the opposition New Patriotic Party in the wake of the change in government are a “veritable threat to Ghana’s security.”
Addressing a number of issues including ex-president Mahama’s bungalow request and the plagiarism saga at a press conference in Accra Thursday, the party chairman said the NDC should not be blamed if the “beastly conduct of the Akufo-Addo’s invincible forces leads to reprisal attacks by the NDC.”
According to him, the “lack of positive and unifying character traits” of Nana Akufo-Addo which wounded the NPP in opposition will not be allowed to wound the whole country in government.
His gun-scatter-attacks on Akufo-Addo follow a wave of seizures and marauding behaviors by persons affiliated to the New Patriotic Party.
Shortly after winning power, some of the supporters have attacked statutory institutions including the National Health Insurance Scheme, women under School Feeding Program, the passport office in Accra, toll booths across the country.
The attacks are a repeat of what happened in 2008 when the NDC won power under the late president John Mills.
The police have been helpless, having tried to bring the situation under the control.
Kofi Portuphy said his party can no longer tolerate the reckless and irresponsible attacks by the followers of the NPP.
He called on the police, the National Peace Council and other influential bodies to intervene and bring the situation under control before it gets out of hand.
“Nana Akufo-Addo’s lack of positive and unifying leadership skills as an opposition leader seriously wounded the NPP. Never should he mislead himself into believing that Ghanaians shall allow him to wound and divide this dear country of ours.
“The beastly conduct of Nana Akufo-Addo’s Invisible Forces will no longer be countenanced. We are calling on civil societies, religious bodies the media and international community not to blame the NDC if the unacceptable conduct of Akufo-Addo invisible forces leads to reprisal attacks,” he said.
He pointed out that the NDC worked assiduously to build a solid foundation of peace during its reign and charged the NPP not to do anything to destroy the legacy bequeathed to them.
Bad Faith
The chairman also accused the president of bad faith in the John Mahama bungalow controversy which has received widespread public condemnation.
The president had requested the Nana Akufo-Addo government to allow him retain his plush bungalow as part of his ex-gratia.
By law the country is supposed to provide accommodation for the ex-president but he was mandated to vacate his official residence before another president is sworn in, something he failed to do.
After a public backlash, the ex-president wrote to Nana Akufo-Addo withdrawing his request to keep the bungalow.
But the NDC chair believes the president had shown bad faith to ex-president Mahama only as a ploy to cover up the plagiarism embarrassment he suffered during his inauguration.
“The exhibition of the extreme bad faith by the NPP administration is nothing but a crude and ugly attempt to divert attention from the gross embarrassment Nana Akufo-Addo has brought upon himself and Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana via the shameful plagiarism that characterised his inaugural speech.
“We wish to assure Akufo-Addo that no amount of bad faith he exhibits will wipe away the heaps of shame and disgrace he has brought upon himself.
“Indeed he is better off apologising to the good people of Ghana for his improper conduct of intellectual dishonesty and academic fraud rather than continuing to show bad faith after a rather smooth transition,’ he said.
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