…Agyarko, Late Adu Teiko Family Flay Former Prez Mahama
The family of Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, the late Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon has taken the former President John Dramani Mahama to the cleaners over claims that New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group members recruited into the National Security were at the funeral of the late Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko.
Former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, in a statement reacting to the claim by the former President, described him as “bald face liar” insisting that no such thing occurred before, during or after the funeral of their relation.
It would be recalled that Former President John Dramani Mahama last Wednesday met with the diplomatic corps to share with them his party’s position on the violence recorded in the by-election held in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.
The meeting was graced by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Deputy Minority Leader James Avedzi, a former Minister for National Security Kofi Totobi Quakyi and senior members of the NDC.
Former President Mahama alleged that security officials deployed to provide security at the election were criminal and must be prosecuted and shown multiple videos of the barbaric attacks, gun violence allegedly perpetrated by the security officials a Minister of State at the Presidency, Bryan Acheampong, claimed were deployed to provide extra security at the by-election.
He also alleged that prior to the by-elections the same security personel were seen at the funeral of the late MP for Ayawaso Constituency singing ‘jamma’ songs.
But Boakye Agyarko stated that the video put out there by former President Mahama was not in any way linked to the funeral of his late brother saying, “The family will like to put on record to the international community whom he addressed with the video, that there was no such activity at the funeral ceremony. The funeral of our late brother was organized successfully without any casualties and we find this distortion very surprising”
He said: “The family will like to put on record to the international community whom he addressed with the video, that there was no such activity at the funeral ceremony. The funeral of our late brother was organized successfully without any casualties and we find this distortion very surprising.”
He also indicated that the Agyarko family was reliably informed that, the video displayed was at L/Cpl. Daniel Adu Tieku’s funeral held in August 2018; hence the family was appalled by the actions of the former President, which sought to denigrate the memory of the noble man who has been put to rest peacefully.
“The family wishes to state that we are still mourning our late brother and request that John Mahama keeps the family away from his political ploy. If, indeed, John Mahama wants to be regarded as a decent fellow, then the family expects him to render a retraction of this palpable falsehood and render an unqualified apology for his unfortunate and despicable action,” he stated.
Read below the statement from Late Lance Corporal Adu Teiko’s family:
Family Of Late Lance Corporal Adu Teiko Unhappy With Former President Mahama
We, the family members of late Lance Corporal Adu Teiko, have noticed with great shock and disbelief, former President Mahama’s attempt to use a video which was taken at our son’s funeral, to score cheap political points during his recent meeting with some diplomats.
It would be recalled that at the said meeting, the former president showed excerpt of that video where some former colleagues of our late son in the police SWAT team were dancing to “jamma” songs, and claimed that they were NPP hoodlums dressed in police SWAT uniform at the funeral of Hon. Emmanuel Agyarko, who were later used to perpetuate violence at the Ayawaso by-election.
The family wishes to set the records straight by stating emphatically that, first of all, the video was not shot at Agyarko’s funeral but at the funeral of our son, Lance Corporal Adu Teiko, who was shot to death on July 11, 2018, at Poano-Manso.
Additionally, we wish to state that the men who were dancing to the jamma songs were indeed real police officers belonging specifically to the Kumasi Buffalo Unit, and are NOT members of any party vigilante force as President John m Mahama wanted Ghanaians and the diplomats to believe.
The family is appalled by the conduct of the former president, who is expected to be a statesman. Accordingly, we are calling on him to desist from championing such falsehood and fabrication on the altar of political expediency. Certainly, this is not how we want to be reminded of the painful killing of our son, in line of duty.
Finally, it is our expectation that former president Mahama would do the honourable thing by apologizing, first of all, to the family, and to the diplomats whom he sought to mislead, as well as to the Ghanaian people for this unstatesmanlike conduct.
