GRi Press Review 15 – 03 – 2002

NPP wins by-election - in Bimbilla Constituency

Violence marks end of polls

Attorney-General receives more flak

Another Nigeria-Ghana deal goes sour

Parliamentarians still waiting for $20,000 car loan

Customs Service to move to the markets for uncustomed goods

Tsatsu’s wife writes to Agenda

Condoms not antidote for HIV/AIDS

Another ‘Hammer Man’ on the run

VAT, Customs Service fight over incentive

Tony Aidoo prepared to kill or die

 

 

NPP wins by-election - in Bimbilla Constituency

 

Bimbilla (Northern Region) 15 March 2002 - Mr Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul yesterday won the Bimbilla by election on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

 

He polled 14,380 votes as against 9,091 by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mr Mohammed Ibn Abass. The Returning Officer, Mr I.K. Amponsah, who declared the results late last night, said Ibn Aziz Abass of the DPP had 154 votes, Andrew Nogma of the PNC polled 605, Mr Abdulai Yussif of the GCPP had 144 while the Independent Candidate, Iddi Aziz Iddisah, had 289.

 

The seat became vacant following the elevation of Mohammed Ibn Chambas as Executive Secretary of ECOWAS. Earlier in the day, a large number of voters turned out to cast their votes, reports Zakaria Alhassan. By 7 am, there were long queues of voters at almost all the 103 polling stations. For example, by 8.15 am, about 80 people had cast their votes at the Gangu-Yilli polling station, where 300 voters were on the electoral roll.

 

At the Bimbilla “A” polling station, about 100 out of 663 voters had exercised their franchise by 8.30 am. At the Traditional Council “A” and “B” polling stations, 358 people out of the estimated number of 1,485 voters had cast their votes by 9.50 am, while at the L/A Primary School polling station where the Regent of Bimbilla, Vo-Na Abarika Attah, voted at 8 am, 70 voters out of 643 had cast their votes.

 

As of 1.00 pm, no major incident had been recorded, as the electorate exercised their franchise in a very peaceful manner, with polling agents and security personnel monitoring proceedings. Confusion however, erupted when some NPP youth, led by someone known only as Habib, allegedly attempted to prevent some voters they suspected to have cast their votes, earlier at Bimbilla from voting at the Kpaturi polling station.

 

However, the people insisted on voting, since according to them, they never voted at Bimbilla, as Habib and his colleagues had alleged. An argument then ensued between the NPP and the NDC group during which they hurled stones at each other. In the process, one Andani was hit on the back of his head with a stick. But for the timely intervention of the security personnel there would have been more casualties. No arrest was made.

 

Meanwhile, calm has been restored and the people who were prevented from voting were later allowed to vote. The District Security council has held a meeting with all political leaders to discuss the problem. The presence of the 241 police personnel under the command of Superintendent Mohammed Adams and a detachment of the military have helped to avert any major disturbance. “So far, everything has been peaceful, we have not encountered any major security threat at the polling stations,” Superintendent Adams said.

 

On the issue of voter transfer, the District Electoral Officer, Mr Francis Worlanyo, explained that during by-elections, voters are not allowed to transfer their votes. He expressed concern over reported cases of some party functionaries openly giving money to the electorate to vote for their candidate and vehicles, which have party symbols posted on them. While voting was going on, party vehicles were seen traversing the length and breadth of the constituency, monitoring proceedings at the various polling stations.

 

Among the large number of party functionaries in the constituency, were the Presidential candidate of the Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), Mr Dan Lartey, Dr Edward Mahama of the PNC, the General Secretary of the NPP and NDC, Mr Dan Botwe and Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, respectively. Also present were former and sitting ministers of state, members of parliament and district chief executives. - Daily Graphic

 

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Violence marks end of polls

 

Bimbilla (Northern Region) 15 March 2002 - Politically motivated ethnic clashes erupted at Thursday’s polls between the Konkombas and the Nanumbas in the Konkomba-dominated suburb of Kpaturi and at the Bimbilla Police Station, resulting in casualties and injuries.

 

Among the casualties were the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary, Mr Dan Botwe, who was heckled and manhandled by angry mob and the Deputy Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, whose car was pelted with stones. The injured included mothers carrying their babies at their backs, with their other children by their sides.

 

For one full hour, voting at the Kpaturi polling station came to a standstill, as the Nanumbas fled the scene in a pick-up, leaving ballot papers and other voting materials at the mercy of the Konkombas. All these went on right under the noses of Hajia Alima Mahama and the PNC National vice-Chairman, Mr Baah-Ntim, who did little to control the situation.

 

Apparently out of fury, the Nanumbas retaliated Hajia Mahama’s indifference by pelting stones at her vehicle and they would have completely smashed it, had it not been her smart driver who quickly sped off. The only policeman present at the scene, Constable Kenneth Hoeyi, had to leave in the vehicle of the PNC National vice-Chairman to call for re-enforcement. A re-enforcement comprising police, military and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) personnel finally arrived for voting to resume.

 

It all started when some Nanumbas, believed to be NDC followers as their candidate, Mohammed Ibn Abass, is a Nanumba, went to the town of Kpaturi to cast their votes. As was learnt, the Nanumbas registered as voters at Kpaturi and had been living there before their war with the Konkombas in 1994 displaced them.

 

So they had arrived from Bimbilla, where they currently live, to vote at Kpaturi. Against this background, the NPP polling agent present, who is a Konkomba, refused to allow them to vote and this resulted in the clash that saw the Nanumbas fleeing with a warning to revenge.

 

In the other skirmish, the hardworking General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was heckled by angry voters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was saved by a combined team of police and military personnel. Botwe was at the police station to defuse tension, after factions who were involved in an earlier political clatter, again engaged each other in a fight at the Bimbilla police station.

 

Just as Botwe was about to enter the premises of the police station, a youth stoned his vehicle. He jumped out of it in an attempt to go and identify the one who had stoned his vehicle, but unfortunately for him he was pushed, held by the neck and heckled by unidentified young men. It took a combined team of police and military personnel to free him from the hands of his opponents, who blamed the police for taking side with the ruling party. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.

 

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Attorney-General receives more flak

 

Takoradi (Western Region) 15 March 2002 - A cross-section of people, including some legal experts, interviewed in Takoradi last Tuesday in connection with the ongoing legal battle between the Attorney-General (A-G) and Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, the former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), have called on President Kufuor to either sack Nana Akufo-Addo or force him and the Chief Justice to resign honourably.

 

According to them, they are demanding the resignation of the two government officials because, as they put it, they have ridiculed the NPP government judging from the way they went about the Tsatsu case at both the Supreme Court and the High Court, which has now made Tsatsu a national hero.

 

One of the interviewees, Mr Asamoah, a trader at the Takoradi central market told Chronicle during the interview that Nana Akufo-Addo has been and would always be his idol but added that he is disappointed about the way Nana allowed Tsatsu to dribble past him through legal technicalities to score such a major political goal against the government. He contended that after Nana had lost the first battle against Tsatsu at the Supreme Court, he should have waited for the judges to give reasons behind their decision that the Fast Track High Court is unconstitutional before sending the man to another court to face trial.

 

According to Asamoah, a staunch supporter of the NPP, if the A-G had exercised patience instead of rushing Tsatsu to another court, he would have detected the elementary mistake that he made which the accused exploited to his advantage.

 

Nana Appiah-Kubi, a businessman, on his part told Chronicle that the A-G as a respected legal luminary should have sat down to weigh the pros and cons of the Supreme Court ruling after the judges had given their reason before deciding on what charge to prefer against Tsatsu at the High Court. He said the blunder that occurred at the High Court came to him as no surprise because the A-G did not take his time to study the situation before rushing the accused to another court.

 

Some of the legal experts who spoke to Chronicle on condition of anonymity also said though Tsatsu made a mistake by agreeing to guarantee a loan to another company without the knowledge of the GNPC board, it does not call for his prosecution since the A-G still has the chance of suing the said company to recover the money or properties of the company.

 

The A-G can also rope in Tsatsu in the cause of the suit or use the normal administrative way to punish him, one of them said, adding that even after taking the accused to court, the A-G should have sat down with his subordinates to thoroughly study the charge sheet to ascertain whether legal technicalities were hiding somewhere.

 

The legal experts also condemned the press conference called by the A-G immediately after the Supreme Court ruling where he disclosed that Tsatsu was going to be put before another court the following day at a time when the judges had not made known to the public the reasons why the ruled that the Fast Track High Court is unconstitutional.

 

According to them, it is the A-G who is supposed to advise the government on legal matters, but for him to wait for the whole President of the Republic to give an order that all prosecutions against Tsatsu should cease till the Supreme Court gives its reasons is, to them, a serious indictment, which calls for the immediate resignation of the A-G.

 

On the part of the Chief Justice, they said he must also resign because he should not have empanelled all but one of the Supreme Court judges to sit on the Tsatsu case. According to them, he should have empanelled seven and later add two, which in this case, would include himself when one of the parties apply for a review.

 

According to them, should the Chief Justice keep on doing this, it could mean government would have to keep appointing new judges to the Supreme Court if a dissatisfied party applies for a review, which to them is very bad. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.

 

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Another Nigeria-Ghana deal goes sour

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Somewhere in 2001, President John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) is alleged to have told members of Parliament that to ease their transportation problems and make them more mobile he was going to give them Peugeot cars from Nigeria.

 

According to “The Ghanaian Voice” investigations, Members of Parliament rejected outright the preposition from the President. This gave rise to the $20,000 car fracas, which saw the Majority and Minority emerging from a common front to fight for their common interest. So far, the Ghanaian public has been left in the cold as to what has happened to the $20,000 saga.

 

Then on February 11, 2002, President JAK secured fifty 306 Peugeot cars to the Police to step up their efforts to fight crime which has been on the ascendancy since the NPP party came to power. Naturally, this presentation and the fact that there are fifty more to come naturally escalated happiness and euphoria among the ranks of the police who have been doing a good job with the Toyota Tundra vehicles.

 

But then it was not all kudos as the Minority in Parliament led by Chief strategist Doe Adjaho, the MP for Avenor described the whole transaction as lacking transparency and shrouded in secrecy. He questioned the source of the money and the mode of acquisition of the vehicles and shouted foul and the heat was on.

 

The government side tried desperately to justify the transaction but tried as they did the explanation limped from one crisis to another. The Minister of Information Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey said that the money was taken from the Provisional Estimates approved in December 2001.

 

Then Hon Doe Adjaho came back again and presented facts to the effect that only ¢820 million was approved for the Police service, which means, this could buy only eight of the cars. Meanwhile, the Majority leadership had told the House Committee of Parliament that President JAK had informed him that he has arranged with President Obasanjo of Nigeria to supply Ghana’s Parliamentarians with Peugeot.

 

Then walks in Finance Minister Osafo Marfo when he was winding up debate on the Government’s financial policy. He said that the government took the money for the Peugeot cars from the General Government Service Vote.” The Ghanaian Voice investigations have revealed that there is no provision made in the provisional estimates approved in the 2001 budget for “General Government Services.” – The Ghanaian Voice.

 

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Parliamentarians still waiting for $20,000 car loan

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Members of Parliament are still waiting to receive the $20,000 car loan from government. While some claim the monies are being processed, others said they are negotiating with banks for loans to buy cars to facilitate their work. No Member of the House has received any payment in respect of the controversial loan.

 

Majority Chief Whip, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that some MPs have been paying ¢1.2.million since August last year to various banks to attract car loans. The packages have taken a long time and some MPs have almost given up asking for a return of their savings.

 

Akua Dansua, NDC MP for North Dayi supported the Majority Chief Whip by saying no MP has been paid any amount. Naa Afieye Ashong, MP for Kpong-Katamanso; Emmanuel Acheampong, MP for Gomoa East; Adu Yeboah NDC, MP for Agona East; and C.O. Nyanor, MP for Upper Denkyira all denied knowledge of any payment of $20,000.

 

“Government is supposed to provide us with transport but whether it will come in the form of a loan or gift we do not know,” said Acheampong. He said there is no Parliament in the world where the government does not provide vehicles to facilitate the work of MPs.

 

The Member for Effia Kwesimintim, Joe Baidoe Ansah, said a lot of Auto companies are lobbying Parliament with nice packages for the supply of vehicles but so far nothing has happened yet.

 

Public Agenda Editor, Ebo Quansah said categorically in a ‘Breakfast Show’ of the Ghana Television, that the controversial MP car loans have been paid, prompting renewed public interest in the issue. Asked to comment on his television utterance, Quansah said his information came through a member of the august House. He apologised for the embarrassment he might have caused Members of the Legislature.

 

When the news first broke that Members of Parliament were to receive loans of $20,000 to buy cars, there was public uproar forcing the government to put the programme on hold - The Weekend Agenda.

 

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Customs Service to move to the markets for uncustomed goods

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Anti-smuggling activities of the Customs, Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) have now moved into the markets of Accra and the regional capitals. As such, sellers of certain types of imported goods stand the chance of having their goods seized while they face prosecution.

 

Imported goods affected are wax print and other textile materials, batteries, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, corned beef, hair products, detergents and confectionery. At a news conference in Accra, Ms Annie Anipa, Acting Assistant Commissioner (AC) in charge of Public Relations said that this was because the smuggled goods, especially wax print, were a great worry to government and CEPS. And to combat this, CEPS has launched the market anti-smuggling activities.

 

The acting AC said the CEPS exercise, which is ongoing, is in response to the Minister of Finance’s call in the 2002 Budget Statement to combat smuggling at the point of sale due to its harmful effects on the economy. Ms Anipa said the exercise had become very necessary due to the fact that operations of the local industries were grinding to a virtual halt with these items on the market. The fact of the matter is that, when the right taxes and duties are paid on the goods, the traders cannot sell them at any profit – The Ghanaian Times.

 

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Tsatsu’s wife writes to Agenda

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 – Kudjawu & Co, solicitors for the wife of Tsatsu Tsikata has written to Public Agenda on the paper’s publication on her supposed assets in the United States and the United Kingdom. Among others, the rejoinder described as malicious, the story carried by the paper. The full text is published hereby.

 

“We are writing for and on behalf of our client Esther Cobbah. Our client’s attention has been drawn to a publication, which appeared on the front page of the Weekend Agenda Vol. 2, Number 7 of March 8, 2002, with the banner headline: Luxury lifestyle of Tsatsu’s wife and pal”…Esther owns a mansion and has an office in the US while Tsikata’s close friend drives three cars valued at $180,000 and owns a $1.4 million home.

 

In the said publication, you falsely and maliciously wrote, published and circulated among other things the following with personal reference to our client. “As the nation awaits the reasons the Supreme Court have assigned for granting the relief sought by Tsatsu Tsikata, one-time Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, which has consigned the Fast Track High Court in oblivion, Public Agenda can reveal that Tsatsu’s newly wedded wife, Esther, and personal aide Quincy Kwasi Sintim Aboagye, live in luxury in Texas, the southern state in the United States of America, where US President George W. Bush was governor until he made it to the White House.

 

Esther, former wife of Baah Boakye, one of President Kufuor’s recently sworn in Ambassadors, owns a mansion at 5539 Woodland Glade Drive. She also has a private office block at 11111 Wilcrest Drive Houston, Texas while Sintim Aboagye is proud owner of a $1.4 million executive mansion with his wife Shirley, at 5203 Norborne Lane, Houston, TX77069.

 

According to Public Agenda sources in the United States, Quincy recently moved from a home between Belt 8 North and Ranking in Houston. Both Tsatsu’s wife, maiden name (Esther Cobbah), former Head of Public Affairs of GNPC and Quincy flaunt wealth openly…”

 

Your writing and publication falsely and maliciously claim that Esther owns a mansion and has an office in US and you accompanied your false stories with pictures, no doubt, in an attempt to give more credibility to your claims. You intended to and were understood to give the public the impression that our client has a luxury lifestyle clearly beyond her lawful means, and that she could only have acquired the properties you attribute to her corruptly by associating herself with Tsatsu Tsikata.

 

The insinuation of ill-gotten gain is obvious to everyone. You further claim that she flaunt her alleged “wealth.” In an attempt to give further credibility to your false hoods and to embellish your story, you showed a picture with the caption “A house fit for a queen: Esther’s home in Houston.

 

Our client neither has a house nor an office in Houston. The building that appeared in the picture that you published whose address you gave as 11111 Wilcrest Drive, Houston, Texas is owned by Chevron, an international oil company. Our client only once worked in that building as the External Affairs Manager of West African Gas Pipeline Project when that project was located in that building.

 

Based on this picture, for you to suggest that our client has an office in the US is the height of dishonesty and malice. If you

Had not been actuated by malice, it would have been very easy for you to ascertain the ownership of that building before making the said false and malicious publication.

 

We hardly need to point out to you also that by the reason of such unjustifiable and malicious publication, which was circulated widely in the print and electronic media, our client have been injured in her character and reputation.

 

Having regard to the seriousness of the false and malicious statements, their unwanton publication and the wide circulation claimed by your paper, we have been instructed to write to you as we now do to demand an unqualified apology and retraction of the words so malicious and falsely written and published by you of our client in the next edition of your newspaper which in any case should not be later than 7 days from the date of this letter.

 

Our client requires that apart from publishing such apology and retraction, not later than the close of day on Sunday the 10th of March 2002, you notify all the radio stations, which repeated your story of your retraction and to require the radio to carry your retraction and apology prominently.

 

We regret to say that unless you comply with our client’s request, as above, our client has no other choice than to seek the appropriate legal remedy. The retraction and apology, which must be prominently displayed on the front page of your newspaper, must be in a form and manner agreed to by us before publication. We look forward to hearing from you. - The Weekend Agenda. (The Agenda has however promised to be back on the issue next week.)

 

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Condoms not antidote for HIV/AIDS

 

Swedru (Central Region) 15 March 2002 - The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church, the Reverend Dr Simon B. Asore, said on Sunday that the declared stand of the Church on the HIV/AIDS pandemic was total abstinence from sex or sticking to one’s partner, instead of dwelling on the use of condom.

 

He said the Executive Council had made it clear that members should lead holy lives rather than opting for condoms to protect them from the disease. Rev Asore, who was commissioning a 200 million-cedi Church building at Agona Swedru, said the disease was “spreading like wild fire” and urged Pastors and church leaders to use the pulpit to sensitise their congregations about the dangers.

 

Some people think because of condoms, they could easily have sex indiscriminately, he said, adding, “condoms are not total guarantee for safety.” The General Superintendent called on organisations and public-spirited people to support the government to curb the spread of the disease, especially among the youth, who are the future leaders of the country. He urged members not to form associations within the Church for their parochial interest, but use them to serve God and mankind.

 

Rev Charles Arko-Nunoo, Pastor-in-charge, said the Swedru Central Assemblies had acquired 23 acres of land for the establishment of a school and had cultivated a 25-acre oil palm plantation. He said the branch, which started with 30 members now has over 400 members and has established three satellite branches in the town. – The Ghana Palaver.

 

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Another ‘Hammer Man’ on the run

 

Sekondi (Western Region) 15 March 2002 - The Sekondi Police have intensified their search for a 35-year-old fisherman who is on the run, after he had battered the head of his wife with a hammer, in an attempt to kill her. The fisherman, Amos Andoh, who took offence when his wife, Millicent Tawaih, 28, allegedly accused him of infidelity, hit her head with a hammer till she fell unconscious.

 

She is on admission at the Effia Nkwanta Hospital. Briefing the Graphic at Sekondi on Thursday, The District Police Commissioner, Superintendent Kwabena Akuoko Oduro, said Amos and Millicent have been married for a long time and have a child.

 

He said early this month, there was a misunderstanding between the two after Millicent had allegedly accused Amos of courting another woman. He said even though the problem was resolved the same day, Amos, who seemed not to be appeased, asked his wife to pack out of their matrimonial home.

 

Superintendent Oduro said soon after Amos had given the order, he left the house and returned at about 11.30 pm to find his wife and child asleep in the bedroom. He said Amos seemed to have been annoyed by their presence but he did not show it.

 

Superintendent Oduro said the following day, Amos again left the house early in the morning and returned late to find Millicent and their child asleep in the bedroom. He said Amos who was then armed with a hammer, and without any provocation, repeatedly hit the head of Millicent with the hammer until she fell unconscious. Amos then bolted. A report was later made to the police.

 

Superintendent Oduro expressed concern about the spate of domestic murders and suggested that counselling units should be set up in communities, organisations, and within groupings, to provide counselling services for couples. - Daily Graphic

 

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VAT, Customs Service fight over incentive

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - There is simmering tension between the VAT service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive (CEPS) over the latter’s collection of import VAT. This come in the wake of the announcement by government in this year’s budget on a decision to let revenue agencies keep three per cent of income collected by their organizations for the state.

 

According to a source at CEPS, although they have been in charge of the collection of the import VAT, the VAT Service has been clamouring for it to be added to their revenue collection ever since this year’s budget was read in Parliament. It said the call is very baffling since the tax is collected at source, at the ports and so wonders on what basis VAT wants the revenue to be transferred.

 

The source cautioned that if the wish of VAT is granted, the state stands in danger of losing billions of cedis worth of revenue as CEPS officers who are supposed to collect it would not go about their duties of assessing and collecting the tax with the same zeal and seriousness in the same way they did in the past.

 

It welcomed the decision of the government to let revenue collecting agencies retain three per cent of their collection, since it would serve as a motivating factor in the performance of their duties together with the equipment and resources it would provide.

 

Giving a background to the collection of the tax by CEPS, the source said it was charged with the duty of collecting it after the VAT Service and the Value Added Tax (VAT) were established and sales tax, which was then being collected by CEPS was abolished. It said in addition to their main work of collecting customs duty and preventing smuggled goods from entering or leaving the country, CEPS also acts as the first line of defence since it took over the duties of the erstwhile border guards in 1988.

 

The source stated that the workload given to CEPS is enormous whilst the work force of 3,000 is inadequate and therefore more revenue and resources need to be channelled into the service to recruit more staff and equip them appropriately. It called on the Minister of Finance to step in immediately and resolve the impasse if the government wishes to achieve its aim of maximising revenue generation in the country whilst protecting its territorial integrity.

 

However, when the VAT Service was contacted, the head of the Public Affairs Department, Mr Victor Ampah, said, “as far as we (VAT Service) are concerned there is no problem. The issue is being handled by the Revenue Agencies Board which is expected to come out soon with the modalities on how the 3 per cent retention should be allocated,” he added. - The Evening News.

 

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Tony Aidoo prepared to kill or die

 

Kumas (Ashanti Region) 15 March 2002 - Tony Aidoo, the former NDC Deputy Minister of Defence, has described his action of threatening a driver of a motor vehicle with a gun at a petrol station as one of the reasons that his party was voted out of office. But, showing little repentance, he went on to warn that he is prepared to kill or be killed if anyone attempts to harass him.

 

Dr Aidoo, who gave this warning when he spoke to a local FM station, Kapital Radio, in Kumasi last Wednesday, accused the security agents for their failure to take any action when he was slapped while driving in Accra.

 

He, however, warned that anybody who would attempt to attack him again should be in for a shock of his life. “The first time it happened, no action was taken but if anyone tries to attack or slap me again, trust me, one of us will end up in the morgue,” a charged Dr Tony Aidoo told the radio station.

 

The Former Deputy of Defence condemned the attempt o arrest Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) at the Dunwell Church in Accra last Sunday and described it as “morally obnoxious.” When reminded that he also arrested and pulled a gun on a driver at a petrol filling station when he was a Deputy Minister, Dr Aidoo said, “This is some of the reasons that the electorate changed the NDC.”

 

Johnson Aseidu Nketia, MP for Wenchi West, lashed out at the NPP government for “double standards.” He added, “Someone like the MP for Wenchi East, Alhaji Moctar Bamba, lied o the Appointments Committee of Parliament. He does not deserve his present ministerial position.”

 

A caller to the programme, Abdullah Saeed, did not agree with the sentiments expressed by Dr Aidoo. He remarked, “What is more morally obnoxious than a President slapping his Vice? Where was Dr Aidoo when that incident happened?”

 

Majority of callers were also not amused that the two NDC personalities contributed by the telephone, thereby denying callers the opportunity to take them on their statements. They suggested to the host to endeavour to bring the top NDC men to the studio next time. – The Statement

 

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