In a shocking twist that has sent ripples across Ghana’s political landscape, it has emerged that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin personally pleaded with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to halt the dramatic arrest of Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour — widely known in political circles as “Osofo Ntim Fodjour.”
Explosive revelations made by the National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, confirm that a covert NIB operation aimed at picking up the embattled MP from his residence was abruptly called off after a late-night intervention from Afenyo-Markin.
According to Vanderpuye, who dropped the bombshell during an interview on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, April 10, the NIB was moments away from effecting the arrest of Osofo Ntim Fordjour — who also doubles as the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee — following allegations he made about suspicious aircraft landings at Kotoka International Airport possibly linked to drug trafficking and money laundering.
But in a high-level political maneuver that has sparked questions about interference and abuse of power, Afenyo-Markin reportedly contacted top National Security officials, begging them to suspend the arrest operation.
“He pleaded with the National Security that he would personally produce Rev. Ntim Fordjour at their office by 10 a.m. today (April 11). It was on the basis of this plea that the operation was called off,” Vanderpuye revealed.
Sources close to the intelligence community say the NIB operatives had already surrounded the MP’s residence and were prepared for a possible standoff before receiving last-minute orders to stand down.
“What happened yesterday was pure political drama. If Afenyo-Markin had not begged, the NIB was ready to pick him up. This is not a matter of Parliament protecting its own — this was a national security operation triggered by serious allegations,” Vanderpuye stressed.
He condemned the theatrical behavior of some Minority MPs who had reportedly gathered at Rev. Fordjour’s house in a show of solidarity, ready to hold a vigil to resist the arrest.
“If not for the plea from Afenyo-Markin, all of them would have spent the night at that house, staging a vigil against National Security operatives,” Vanderpuye disclosed.
This revelation has raised eyebrows within security circles and among governance experts, with many questioning why a sitting MP accused of making unsubstantiated claims about sensitive national security matters was shielded from immediate arrest.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour had recently sparked controversy when he suggested that two mysterious flights that landed at Kotoka International Airport were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering — claims yet to be substantiated.
As it stands, the nation waits with bated breath to see whether Afenyo-Markin will indeed honour his promise and present Rev. Fordjour to National Security for questioning — or whether this is just another classic case of political impunity at play.
Meanwhile, social media is already ablaze with the hashtag #OsofoNtimArrest trending, as Ghanaians express mixed reactions over the unfolding drama.
Stay tuned for more explosive updates on this developing story.
Source: GhanaNewsOnline