Former President John Mahama, Boakye Agyarko
Family of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has exposed former President John Mahama over what it termed a deceptive video he showed to a section of the diplomatic community on February 13.
Mr. Mahama showed the video, purported to have been shot at the funeral of a late police officer, Daniel Tieku, to the diplomats.
He claimed the video was rather made during the funeral of the deceased lawmaker.
Mr. Mahama hosted the diplomatic community to present the position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election shootings, and in the process showed about two videos to the diplomats.
Interestingly, Mr. Mahama and his NDC have refused to cooperate with the three-member commission tasked by the President to investigate the Ayawaso violence, and instead has chosen to tell his ‘story’ to the diplomats.
While making reference to the funeral video, Mr. Mahama alleged that some persons captured on the tape were ‘hoodlums’ of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), claiming that one of them was wearing an earring and so cannot be a national security operative since males in the Ghana Police Service do not wear earrings.
In another video, Mr. Mahama told the diplomats that same ‘hoodlums’ who attended the funeral of the late MP were brought to Accra on January 31, 2019, to provide security for the NPP’s candidate for the by-election, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, who is the spouse of the deceased lawmaker.
Political Points
In the ensuing heat, family of the late Agyarko cautioned the former President not to use the deceased MP to score cheap political points.
A statement issued by the brother of the late MP, Boakye Agyarko, on behalf of the Agyarko Family, said the former President lied about their dead relative and the family in general.
“The attention of the family of Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, the late Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has been drawn to a videotape circulating of the former President, John Mahama, describing a scene of security operatives as an occurrence at the funeral ceremony of our late loved one.”
“The family would like to put on record to the international community whom he addressed with the video that there was no such activity at the funeral ceremony.”
“The funeral of our late brother was organized successfully without any casualties and we find this distortion very surprising.”
Gov’t Reaction
Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo government has announced plans to write officially to members of the Diplomatic Community in Ghana to inform them about the palpable falsehoods that former President Mahama told when he met some of them recently over the violence in the constituency.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah made this known yesterday at a press briefing in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
He said in the coming days, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, will write to the diplomatic community on behalf of government to disregard claims made by the ex-President during the February 13 meeting.
The Information Minister said the former President peddled ‘falsehood’ when he met the diplomatic community.
According to him, the former President sought to undermine the authority of the state in his engagement with the diplomats.
He stated that two of the three videos shown the diplomats were concocted and designed to tarnish the reputation of Ghana in the international community.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the video showing policemen dancing was taken at a funeral of a police officer and not at that of the late MP.
Again, he said former President Mahama lied when he claimed that the same persons seen in the funeral video were those brought to Accra to provide security for the NPP candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
According to him, no security officers accompanied the NPP’s candidate and that those who were with her were Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and Deputy Information Minister, Pious Enam Hadzide.
New Districts
The minister also announced that the government would inaugurate six newly created districts on Tuesday, February 19.
He said the districts include Korley Klottey, Ablekuma Central, Ayawaso Central, Anloga and North East Gonja.
Some ministers, according to Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, have been assigned to inaugurate them on behalf of President Akufo-Addo.
He reiterated the President’s commitment in terms of bringing development to the doorstep of the people, saying “the President believes the new districts will bring governance and development closer to the people.”
By Melvin Tarlue