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The Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee says it is a political strategy of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to smear all government critics.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu said this strategy of the NDC is designed to cower all critical masses and silence them into docility whilst it mismanages the country’s economy without being held accountable.
“In my work as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, I have met civil society people who have vowed not to talk because they will be tagged politically if they do,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central was speaking on Joy FM and MultiTV’s news analysis programme, Newsfile Saturday, July 25, 2015.
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He was discussing the controversy generated by a meeting of eminent religious leaders and some leaders of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the residence of former president John Agyekum Kufuor.
The meeting was called by the former president to calm the raging tensions and rancorous disagreements in the opposition party.
The selection of the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle has generated controversy.
Presidential Staffer, Dr. Clement Apaak, just like many NDC spokespersons, said the three religious leaders have exposed their affiliation to the opposition party.
He said their acceptance to attend the meeting confirms long-held suspicions that they are adherents of the NPP.
Clement Apaak argued that it was no coincidence that the most ardent critics of the government’s actions have been these three leaders.
But Mr. Agyemang-Manu dismissed the assertions as nothing but the same old tired strategy of the NDC to discredit all major critical voices in the country and render them impotent by simply tagging them NPP.
"There is no basis to call the eminent religious NPP simply because they were invited by former president Kufuor to mediate a dispute between members of the NPP.
“When I have a problem, I will go to my pastor or my priest,” so there is nothing strange about inviting religious leaders to mediate a disagreement between party members, he argued.
The Dormaa MP said, “The NDC knows that they have mismanaged the economy and have lost the confidence of the people so what they are interested in doing now is to say NPP is not ready for power.”
“The wish of the NDC that NPP disintegrates before the 2016 elections will never happen,” he asserted firmly.
Private Legal practitioner, Egbert Faibille, contributing to the discussion, said the former President was under no obligation to invite everybody.
"The reason Mr Kufuor invited them is that he places them above partisan politics. More so, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle is Catholic, Chairman Afoko is Catholic and Kufuor brings him in; Nana Akufo-Addo is Presbyterian and that is the reason why the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church was there; if you mention Rev. Otabil, I do not know specifically which of the persons involved goes to his church but Rev Otabil, if you've listened to his sermons and all his contribution, he is a calm moderating influences on many people, even people outside Christendom and so if such a person is invited [to mediate a dispute], it is a plus to the work that he does," Mr Failbille argued.
He dismissed suggestions that Mr. Kufuor should have invited the Founder and General Overseer of the Christian Action Internation, Archbishop Duncan Williams to the meeting since a former Vice-Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware, also attend that church.
"Was Fred Oware part of the meeting"? he asked.
"No! he answered.
Egbert Faibille believes claims being made the three religious leaders were selected because of their association with the NPP are guided by pure mischief.
Credit: myjoyonline.com