The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo and his government following news of the reassignment of the Minister of State at the Office of the President in Charge of National Security, Bryan Acheampong, to the Interior Ministry.
A Communication from the seat of Government in the Flagstaff House signed by the Press Secretary to the President, Eugene Arhin, announced that two Ministers have been reassigned by the President. The statement which was released to the press revealed that the current Deputy Minister of Interior, Henry Quartey, has been swapped with Bryan Acheampong as the Deputy Minister for National security.
Mr. Bryan Achaeampong is the Member of Parliament for Abitifi in the Eastern Region of Ghana and a Former National Security Minister of State who was cited for reprimand by the Justice Emile Short Commission which was tasked to investigate the January 31st 2019, Ayawaso West Wuogon bye election violence.
A portion of the Report of the Short Commission where he was cited, read “The Commission recommends that Mr. Bryan Acheampong be reprimanded for his ultimate responsibility as Minister in authorizing an operation of that character and on a day of an election in a built up area.”
In a reaction to the communication in an interview with a section of the media in Parliament on Thursday, the NDC General Secretary described the decision by the President to switch the Minister of State from National Security to Interior as a slap in the face of the Emile Short Commission and a grand scheme to rig the upcoming general election later this year in December.
“It is a slap in the face of the Emile Short Commission. I believe that it is a cork in the whole orchestration to rig the election. What President Akufo Addo has done is to tell the Emile Short Commission and any other person who is worried about vigilantism to go to hell.
“This action is going to legitimize the conduct of Mr. Bryan Acheampong and gives him the legitimate authority now to deploy the tugs they have trained and embedded in the police service for election security.” He observed.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia is therefore of the view that the President is not minded to go into any fair elections at all because his latest reshuffle is underpinned by the all-die-be-die philosophy. He has therefore called on Ghanaians and stakeholders in the elections in Ghana to speak up against the moves by the President to compromise the elections.
Source: Clement Akoloh || africanewsradio.com