Why Raymond Archer’s Printing Press was Demolished

Over the past few weeks, there were series of meetings by NPP and government officials working on how to extend the mandate of Akufo-Addo’s government beyond four years. At one of the meetings, Raymond Archer’s name came up for discussion. It was said that he had imported machines into the country to expand his printing press business. It was said that part of the reasons why he imported the machines was to print posters and paraphernalia for the NDC.

It was also said that the NDC has no money to print those items from outside the country and the only person who had offered to help the party to achieve that by printing the items in Ghana with the same quality as though they were printed outside Ghana was Raymond Archer. This was where the decision to demolish Raymond’s printing press overnight was taken. Raymond’s factory was demolish because of the false claim by NPP that he imported new machines into the country to print posters for NDC.

This explains why authorities at Trade Fair and the NPP government are unable to explain why the factory was demolished. If they have any justification for the demolishing, they are now cooking it. What they have done to Raymond was the same thing they did to owners of the collapsed banks. They thought the owners of the banks will finance NDC’s campaign so the best way to deny NDC funds was to collapse these banks and cripple the owners of the banks. Unknown to them, the NDC, unlike the NPP, does not borrow money from banks and turn round to use state funds to repay the loans.

We’re not in normal times under Akufo-Addo. A government that won power at the back of an audacious promise to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youth has turned out to be the one callously snatching jobs from the few who were in gainful employment before they came to power. Why collapse an almost twelve million dollars factory of a young and promising man because you think he does not subscribe to your political ideology? This type of politics ended years back but unfortunately that is what we are witnessing under Akufo-Addo.

When the NPP henchmen meet to plan these evil plans, their target is always the owner of the business. They do not consider the over thousands of Ghanaians whose lives and livelihoods depend on the benevolence of that entrepreneur who has taken pains to build a business and employ people. They do not care. All they think about is how to cause pain to the owner of the business without knowing the effect on other people. Today, all the workers of Raymond Archer and their dependants have no hope of getting anything to live on. There is no hope that at the end of the month they will earn salary. Their families and dependants will go hungry because of the wicked plot of a political opponent.

The last time I was in Takoradi and I found myself at Market Circle, I realized most of the shops there were under lock and key. I enquired why the shops were locked and the response was that because of the collapse of the banks by Akufo-Addo and his cousin, Ken Ofori Atta, the owners of the shops were unable to raise funds for their business. Why treat Ghanaians like this? The very people you promised to better their lives.

The case of Raymond Archer is purely of political victimization. Raymond Archer is a victim of political persecution. The NPP has not been able to give reasons why the factory was demolished because they have none. The factory was demolished to achieve a political aim. But the NPP should not forget that everything that has a beginning has an end.

Amos Blessing Amorse
Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer – NDC