Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong has dismissed the Minority’s call for President Nana Akufo-Addo to resign following a documentary on a group allegedly operating illegally from the Osu Castle.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah described the minority’s call as a “vain political attention seeking attempt.”
The NPP Member of Parliament for the Ofoase Ayirebi constituency also said the call by the Minority is an attempt to divert attention from the ‘horrendous’ leaked tape from the Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Ofosu Ampofo who allegedly incited violence against some officials in the country.
The Minister was of the view that the said documentary by Joy News’ journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni is sensational and misleading adding that, it has got nothing to do with a militia operation from the heart of the nation as the documentary seems to suggest.
“…It has also come to our attention, that the Minority in Parliament has called on the President to resign on the basis of this undercover documentary. Now we find that call a vain attempt to spin for political advantage. The content for this documentary we have just spoken about which all Ghanaians have seen does not in fact have anything to do with a militia operating in the heart of the nation or a militia being trained and operating from a security zone.”
“It must be clear to all Ghanaians that as usual, the NDC is merely trying to use this as a hook to divert attention their horrendous revelations on the infamous Ofosu Ampofo tape which now is the subject of police investigations and the least said about the press conference, the better”.
Documentary on militia group at Osu Castle ‘misleading’ – Gov’t
The Minister of Information earlier in a Press Conference said the Joy News documentary purporting that the State was complicit in the training of a supposed militia is misleading.
Mr. Kojo Oppong explained that the documentary “carried a number of significant misrepresentations and misleading impressions.”
Political parties have been under the microscope after the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The documentary sought to draw a link between De-Eye and the threat of vigilante groups.
But Mr. Oppong Nkrumah insisted that the documentary did not offer any evidence linking the group to any act of violence.
“Surprisingly, the 20-minute documentary does not show any evidence of such a militia or a vigilante group training or operating at a security zone. Rather it shows a group of young men and women dressed up in white shirts and black suits converging at the Christianborg Castle in Osu in the belief that jobs will be found for them,” the Minister said.
The Minister also said: “government is of the view that this is most unprofessional and very misleading, and we can only urge the producer and Joy News to avoid such misrepresentations in the future.”
Read the full government statement:
Minority, John Mahama react to documentary
Former President John Mahama described the documentary as harrowing and said the New Patriotic Party Government has produced “enough paint to paint the whole nation black” with the emergence of the supposed militia group.
“Watched a harrowing exposé of how the Osu Castle, until 2013 the office of the President, now used as an Annex, has become the HQ & training camp of a private militia wing of the NPP & Nana Akufo-Addo. Clearly, this admin has produced enough paint to paint the whole nation black,” he said.
The Minority in Parliament also called for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo over the report.
The Minority at a press conference held that the report shook the very foundation of Ghana’s democracy.
The NPP has also denied having any form of affiliation with the De-Eye group and said it did not support their activities in any way.
credit: citinewsroom.com
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