Condemn Coup Comments By ‘Reckless Self-Seekers’ – Nana Addo

In what appears to be a response to the threat by the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, to overthrow his administration in a “civilian coup d’état”, President Akufo-Addo has asked Ghanaians to condemn such reckless comments to protect the country’s enviable democratic record.

Addressing the nation on Thursday on the Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement which sparked controversy in March and provoked Mr Anyidoho’s comments, the President criticized persons he described as “reckless self-seeking politicians” whom he also accused of deliberately distorting the facts of the deal in a bid to mislead the public.

“We have to take issue with the front-line politicians who have sought to mislead the people in this blatant manner, and those who for mischievous purposes, leaked the document destined for the scrutiny of Parliament prematurely to a section of the media, who then went on to describe it as a “secret document,” a visibly agitated Nana Addo said.

“How could a document intended for the consideration of Parliament be described as a “secret document”? How could anyone who has been in government and run the administration of this nation feign ignorance of the conditions under which Ghanaian troops undertake peace-keeping operations or the conditions under which our country has collaborated with major international institutions?”

The furore that accompanied the ratification of the controversial agreement by Parliament was stoked even further after comments made by Koku Anyidoho on Accra-based Happy FM went viral on social media.

“There will be a civilian coup d’état. There will be a social revolution. We [NDC] are starting it on Wednesday. The movement is starting on Wednesday. Nana Addo will have sleepless nights. He will suffer diarrhoea. He said he wanted to be President, but we will make sure he will be fed up on the seat,” Koku Anyidoho is quoted as having said.

However, the President, touting Ghana’s democratic credentials, called for widespread condemnation of any comments that pushed for an overthrow of a democratically elected government.

“It is difficult to understand that such people, knowing what they do know, would set about so blatantly to confuse people, and go as far as calling for the overthrow of our democracy? A democracy that has become the beacon of good governance in Africa? A democracy that has survived for a quarter of a century and encompassed even the most irresponsible episodes of ill governance, in a state of unity and stability? A democracy that has provided the framework for systematic developments in our social and economic welfare, and assured us of the longest, uninterrupted period of stable constitutional governance in our history?,” he said

“Surely, this is the kind of cynical manipulation by reckless self-seekers, which, in the fullness of time, the people of Ghana will acknowledge and condemn. And I am sure that as the facts become clear and widely available, and as the people come to terms with the evidence, they will reject the falsehood and deliberate attempts to destabilize our peaceful country. Truth is sacrosanct.”

Koku detained

Mr Anyidoho was detained by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) last week.

His Oyarifa residence in Accra was also searched before he was moved from the police headquarters and sent to an unknown location.

He was subsequently detained by the CID and spent two nights in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations after which he was granted bail on Friday.

Mr Anyidoho is yet to be charged with any offence despite earlier reports that he had been charged with treason.

Source: Citifmonline