Gov't runs to diplomats over Mahama's "false, prejudicial, unthinkable" wuogon violence videos

Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said government will be writing to the diplomatic community to put them on notice that the videos which was screened to them by Former President John Mahama were false.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted the videos and its accompanying narratives were falsely designed by Mr Mahama and his team to tarnish Ghana’s hard-won reputation in the eyes of the international community.

Former President John Mahama last week met some foreign diplomats in Accra where he screened some videos he purported to be acts of violence captured by the media at La-Bawaleshie during the 31 January 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

Mr. Mahama hosted the diplomats at Peduase and was joined by the National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Deputy Minority Leader James Avedzi, a former Minister for National Security Kofi Totobi Quakyi and senior members of the NDC.

The briefing traced the history of the NPP’s introduction of the vigilante groups, their training and the dangerous decision to arm the hoodlums and also clothe them as supposed national security operatives.

Speaking at a media briefing in Koforidua, Eastern Region, on Sunday, 17 February 2019, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah accused Mr Mahama of prejudging the work of the Short Commission of Inquiry set by President Nana Akufo-Addo to probe the by-election shooting by some national security operatives at the private residence of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which resulted in 16 supporters sustaining gun wounds.

”First, this is an unfortunate act by a former president of the republic, as it is prejudicial to the work of the commission. As one who has occupied the highest office of the land, it is unthinkable that he will make pronouncements that seek to prejudice or undermine the work of a fact-finding commission, at a meeting where he has invited diplomats so to do.

“We do not believe that in the various countries where the diplomats come from, this prejudicial undermining conduct will be countenanced”, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.