Afoko lied about Serbians training NPP officials - Baako

Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr has accused suspended National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko of being dishonest in his claims about the event in which some Serbians were invited to train party members in an alleged art of civil insurrection in 2014.

According to him, Mr Afoko’s deliberately put out a misleading account which was intended to serve his own political interest.

The embattled Afoko who is fighting the party in court over his suspension in an interview with Africa Watch Magazine stated that the four Serbians were brought into the country by Ken Ofori Atta, cousin of Akufo-Addo without his knowledge.

“Let me tell you a story. A few months after taking office in 2014, I was at a church service at the Ridge Church for the late Gladys Asmah. Our National Women’s Organizer, Otiko Djaba, came in very late and I made way for her to sit beside me.

"I asked her how come she could be so late and she said “Chairman, are you not aware that we are camped at a hotel at Mile 7 in Achimota for training by the Serbians? All regional organizers, women organizers, youth organizers and Nasara Coordinators are undergoing training by the Serbians.” I said, “what, what’s going on? I don’t know anything about it.” My blood started boiling. I asked her who brought the Serbians into the country, and what was the training about? She became quiet.

Afoko continued: “Immediately after the church service, I asked Djaba to take me to the hotel where they were camped and I asked General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong to join us. When we got to the hotel, I saw our people all over the place with two Serbians, a man and a woman, but I was told the Serbians were four and two had left. I walked in and saw the National Organizer, John Boadu, and I asked him what was going on.

"He was holding a piece of paper, and I snatched the paper out of his hands. It was the training contents and I was shocked to my bones at what I was reading.

These people were out of their minds. They wanted to win the elections on the streets of Ghana and not at the ballot box. That’s the militancy I’m talking about. I told them that I, Paul Afoko, as Chairman of the NPP, would never allow them to take the party on that crazy route. In the presence of the two Serbians, I admonished our party people and asked them to leave the hotel immediately and go home.”

However, speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show Wednesday, Kwaku Baako Jnr insisted Mr Afoko was not truthful in his account of the event and cannot say he was unaware of the programme, as he (Afoko) formally addressed the gathering at the opening ceremony.

“Mr Afoko’s assertion in the African Watch Magazine appears to vindicate the Interior Minister’s statements that indeed the NPP invited Serbians to train party members in an act of civil insurrection. I see a connection in the two statements.

“I don’t know any organization worth its salt that wants to subvert the legitimacy of government or the constitutional order and will undertake such an exercise in an open manner. First of all the Serbians have all the courses online which are thought in Harvard University and other prestigious institutions across the world.

"They are well-known and they came to Ghana with the notice of the Ghana Immigration Service. The hotel they slept was not a secret place, the suspended chairman has said he was at church when he was informed by Otiko that party members were being trained following which he rushed to the hotel and stopped the event.

“The event was recorded by both the Serbians and some NPP members; I’m getting in touch with the Serbians for the video. You’ll see a situation where Mr Afoko spoke formally on the first day of the training event in his capacity as the National Chairman of the NPP, and this will be made available sooner than later.

"So to put the thing in the realm of conspiracy and to suggest that, that kind of open event has been launched with a subversive intent is very unfortunate".