Kofi Adams, Charlotte Osei, Abraham Amaliba
National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Kofi Adams, has said that those calling for the arrest of a member of the party – Abraham Amaliba – are joking.
Mr. Amaliba, a private legal practitioner, recently threatened mayhem if the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, is removed from office by President Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Three top officials of the EC, including Mrs. Charlotte Osei, are facing a probe committee set up by the Chief Justice following petitions of wrongdoing filed against them.
However, the NDC jumped to the defence of the EC boss, leaving out her two deputies – Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwah – who were roped into the EC alleged scandal by the chairperson herself. The three top EC officers were all appointed by the NDC administration, but has rather decided to stand behind Mrs Charlotte Osei.
The petition against her was initiated by some workers of the commission and she is leading the charge of wrongdoing against Mr Amadu Sulley and Ms Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Operations and Corporate Services respectively.
In what looks like the opposition party has more to lose, should Mrs Charlotte Osei be impeached, some of its (party’s) key elements are even putting their lives on the line to fight for her, saying the whole action is being pushed by the NPP government.
Mr. Amaliba queried on Accra FM on Tuesday “…What has the woman done? She has declared election results in your favour and so what again do they want from her that they are using the process to harass her?” adding, “Where are the CDDs? Where are the OccupyGhanas? If it were to be the NDC government all these people would be speaking by now. Where is Emile Short? Where is Professor Martey? This country will burn and we will see where all of us will be and so they should continue doing it.”
In the ensuing debate, some people have also raised concern about Mr. Amaliba’s comment, insisting that the utterances of the NDC member have the potential to spark war, if he is not arrested.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman who is one of those pushing for the arrest of the NDC member, said that that statement was reckless and must not be condoned.
“The IGP must not waste time in arresting Amaliba for him to explain himself. He’s a lawyer, he knows the law and should not be speaking foolishly. When Hon. Ken Agyapong made a statement that was considered problematic, he was arrested. I was also arrested for pronouncements I made, why can’t same be applied to Amaliba?” Wontumi wondered.
But Mr Kofi Adams said Mr. Amaliba could not be arrested because there was nothing wrong with what he (Amaliba) had said.
By William Yaw Owusu