The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vowed to resist what it termed lawless retrieval of state assets supposedly being held by officials of the erstwhile Mahama administration.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has set up a taskforce to retrieve all state assets in the possession of officials of the immediate past NDC administration, who have reportedly refused to return such state properties.
But the NDC argued that the said taskforce is only a bid to justify the actions of “criminal elements” loyal to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC pointed out that the establishment of the taskforce by the NPP was “an implausible cover-up for the state-sponsored thuggery and violation of the human rights of innocent Ghanaians over the last four weeks.”
It would be recalled that government announced on Friday that it had set up the taskforce with the sole mandate of retrieving state assets unlawfully being held by individuals.
This was after some six National Security Operatives had reportedly retrieved five vehicles ‘belonging’ to the state, which were still in the possession of the National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams.
In the statement, the NDC indicated that it was willing to ensure the recovery of any national assets; but warned that it will not tolerate any attacks on its members.
It said, “We wish to make it clear that we stand prepared to cooperate with government in any effort to reconcile national assets and secure them. We would however not tolerate any violation of the rights of our members under the guise of retrieving phantom state assets. Any further attacks on officials and members of the NDC will be fiercely resisted.”
It continued that “the activities of these NPP hoodlums operating under the name ‘Invisible Forces’ with tacit approval from elements within the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service have gone on for several weeks without any noticeable effort by government to take action against them.”
The party explained that “instead of condemnation and firm action to end this spate of lawlessness, these criminal elements, loyal to President Akufo-Addo, have received approbation from leading figures within the NPP who have sought to justify their conduct amidst threats to seize more private properties.”
“The indiscriminate seizure of lawfully-acquired private property came to a head when unseen powerful hands at the seat of government, commandeered uniformed personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces to team up with the violent Invisible Forces to seize and take away vehicles from the residence of the National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams,” it narrated.
Government established the taskforce at the time when officials of the immediate past National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration have been complaining about raid of their private residences.
The statement, which was signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, did not make direct reference to the previous NDC administration.
The statement said, “The Office of the Chief of Staff is informed of various state assets, including landed properties and vehicles, which are yet to be handed over to the government by individuals, contrary to the law.”
“Consequently, government has set up a team comprising officials from the following departments to coordinate the location and retrieval of all such assets in the national interest.”
The agencies include the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division), Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Office of the President.
By Melvin Tarlue