Appiah Stadium Now a Walking Shadow?

AT LAST, Appiah Stadium, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) loose cannon, whose revelations about his party and government recently sparked off controversies in the media, is back in town with a mixture of timidity and fire.

The 'incorrigible' Canary has disclosed that it was on the advice of his idol, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo that he is back in town.

Speaking on Fox 93.9FM in Kumasi recently, the serial caller told the host of the programme, Kwame Adinkra, that he had done "dirty jobs" for the party on so many occasions, in the course of which he said he was involved in an accident on one occasion.

The man, who told the world that his 'safe 'passage' abroad was facilitated through a 'ministerial letter' to the German embassy in Accra, has again announced that the Foreign Minister requested him to proceed to Ghana through a telephone conversation, apparently, to clear him (minister) from any scandal likely to arise from his earlier intention of flouting his visa rules.

Earlier, he had told 'Adakabre' Frimpong Manso on Hot FM in the nation's capital, Accra, that he would remain in Holland (on a self-imposed exile) until his idol was elected NPP presidential candidate.

It also appears that this time, the 'singing canary', is using his well-nurtured propaganda skills, not only to rebut damming outbursts that had been made against him, while he was away in Germany and Holland, but also muddying the political waters with hints of threats to his life.

The first to cross his line of fire in what he termed conspiracy to torpedo his desire to join party serial callers to watch the World Cup tournament in Germany, was the Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, who he said had lied about him to Ghanaians on his dealings with him on auction cars and some assistance the former claimed to have extended to the latter.

He also deflated the description by the presidential affairs minister that he (Appiah) had gone crazy, stating that this, among others informed his decision to return into the country to redeem his soiled image and reputation.

But the vocal youngman seemed to be trembling when he hinted that he re-affirmed his earlier assertion while in Holland that he had been informed of a plot to eliminate him.

He again re-stated his unflinching support for the NPP and his love for the president.

Appiah Stadium pointed out that he believed there were underground designs by some NPP members who were unhappy about his recent revelations to poison the minds of Ghanaians against him and his disclosures and to mar his relationship with the President.

According to him, he was even privy to information that his return to Ghana could cost him his life, but added, "I'm not afraid for my life", indicating his readiness to continue his outbursts.

"I was thinking that the BNI operatives would cause my arrest at the airport because of the stuff I heard, but this did not happen", Appiah disclosed, adding that any such action would have caused the party dearly.

Appiah described as unfortunate the assertions by some top NPP gurus that he was an opportunist and an ordinary member of the party who just arrogated to himself the position of propaganda mouthpiece without the consent and any recognition from the top. "If I am an opportunist and so what?" he asked rhetorically.

Again, he stated that he did not regret in any way the unqualified apology he rendered to the former President, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and the NDC, since he was convinced that he (Appiah) had wronged them in a way, especially, by describing the Ex-President as "Omanpanin a wanya nebaabi ko" which literally means - someone who had passed away.

The walking shadow, who had established himself as one of the NPP and government spin-doctors in the country, revealed in a radio interview that the government sponsored at least 150 party activists to Germany for the 2006 World Cup tournament.

He mentioned the Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani and Mr. O. B. Amoah, among others, as those who had his name removed from the beneficiaries of the sponsorship package.

But Mr. Mpiani, in a later interview with The Chronicle denied knowledge of the said sponsorship and allegedly described Appiah as a crazy person.

Stadium first hit the limelight, when he announced that the removal of the former Information Minister, Mr. Daniel Kwaku Botwe, in the recent cabinet reshuffle by the president was upon his advise to the president.