The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, has been released following his arrest on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
Mr. Nkansah, who is also running against the incumbent, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, for the Asante Akim Central parliamentary seat, was detained by the Special Prosecutor for allegedly distributing money to delegates ahead of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary primaries.
The arrest was reportedly prompted by a report submitted to the Special Prosecutor by Mr. Nkansah’s political rival, Mr. Anyimadu Antwi. The New Patriotic Party’s Asante Akim Central constituency secretary, Felix Amakye, confirmed this in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM. Amakye claimed that he had brought the accusation of money distribution to the attention of the authorities.
However, Mr. Anyimadu Antwi has firmly denied any knowledge of the arrest, stating during an interview with Citi News that he has “no clue about what the secretary is alleging.”
He emphasized that the upcoming elections and primaries should not be treated as a “do-or-die affair” and expressed concern about the secretary taking sides with one of the contenders.
Mr. Anyimadu Antwi further mentioned that the secretary had made allegations on Facebook, stating that his preferred candidate, referring to Mr. Nkansah, had been paying GH¢500,000 to individuals and promised to pay GH¢1 million to others. However, he made it clear that he was not involved in reporting anybody to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
As Mr. Ofosu Nkansah is released, the incident continues to raise questions about the integrity of the NPP Parliamentary primaries and the involvement of money distribution in the campaign process.
The NEIP CEO is expected to resume his campaign for the Asante Akim Central parliamentary seat while simultaneously fulfilling his duties at the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme.
By Vincent Kubi