After their defeat in the 2016 general election, it appears the cracks in the house of the opposition National Democratic Congress are widening with each passing day. What is happening in NDC is fast mimicking the title of Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. Political watchers say the situation is hardly surprising. It was expected. But only took some time before manifesting.
Following the release of sections of the highly coveted Kwesi Botchwey report by the media, party officials who were indicted by the committee for their actions and inactions that led to the party’s defeat devastating defeat are engaged in a blame game as they fight to clear their names.
For instance the NDC Eastern Regional Chairman, Bismark Tawiah Boateng has threatened to sue the Daily Guide newspaper and Professor Kwesi Botchwey for accusing him of pocketing party cash meant for campaign in the region.
The report according to sections of the media recommended investigations into circumstances that led to the pocketing of campaign funds by Mr. Tawiah Boateng.
“How on earth can a report which refused to ask of my side of the story allege that I pocketed a whole GH¢1 million meant for party activities. The money was brought in by Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, it was 15,000 and was instantly handed over to Mr. Krah, the Treasurer.
Suspecting Mr. Ofosu Ampofo of being the brain behind the allegations, Mr. Tawiah Boateng dared him to come out and speak to the matter of face his wrath. “…And so if Ofosu Ampofo claims he actually gave me that huge money, then he should come out and speak the truth. They should all meet me in court and explain to me how it all happened,” he continued.
For Central Regional Chairman of the party, Allotey Jacobs; some entities within the opposition party are scheming to cause a “civil war” in the NDC. He made this shocking disclosure when commenting on the contents of the Kwesi Botchwey report .According to him, he suspects the portions of the Kwesi Botchwey report have been released to the media as a grand scheme to stir agitations in the party.
He however insisted that the contents of the report in the media are pure fabrication of stories and mainly falsehood being peddled around to achieve the aim of those skeletal individuals within the party.
Interestingly the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, believes the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is behind the use of what he describes as a fake document purported to be the outcome of investigations into the causes of the NDC’s defeat by the Kwesi Botchwey committee.
He says the NPP is using these tactics to divert attention from the hardships Ghanaians are facing in the country.
According to him, such stories pop up in a section of the media anytime serious issues come to the fore which indicts the governing party.
“I have also observed that it looks like the NPP government wants to use some fake Botchwey report to divert the attention of Ghanaians from the hardships that they are going through. So it’s like they are always using something purporting to be coming from the Botchwey’s report to divert attention of any major issue that seems to be indicting the government,” he added.
