'Irresponsible' Portuphy 'stooped too low' – NPP

Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Adomako Baafi, has accused the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Portuphy, of making “irresponsible statements” without bases.

“It is quite funny and embarrassing that a person of Kofi Portuphy’s stature could stoop so low to this level of reckless, irresponsible, groundless allegation,” he said in an interview with Valentina Ofori Afriyie on Class FM’s 505 news programme on Thursday, July 20.

Mr Portuphy made comments at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra to the effect that thugs of the NPP are behind the murder of a police officer at Lapaz in Accra last week during a robbery.

“Very credible intelligence reaching us has it that a lot of the armed robbery and killing of our hardworking police officers is being done by militant goons associated with the NPP,” he stated.

According to him, the “nervous” government of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has turned the “peaceful” Ghana bequeathed to them by the Mahama administration into “a pool of blood” in just six months after taking office.

He said armed robbers now operate in broad daylight without any fear because the Akufo-Addo administration has emasculated the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies.

The NDC said the president gave his “tacit endorsement” to NPP’s “brigandry” to the extent that a senior police officer was assaulted by NPP thugs at the Flagstaff House without anyone being punished for it.

“The master plan is to weaken the resolve of the police and security services” and let armed robbers operate freely, Mr Portuphy said.

“Did we vote for change for us to be killed?” Mr Portuphy asked. “Is it not terrifying that our cherished police service is walking on its knees” to the extent that people are “gruesomely murdered” and no less a person than the Inspector General of Police appears helpless about the situation.

“A peaceful Ghana in only six months has suddenly become a pool of blood and innocent blood is being shed on a daily basis,” Mr Porptuphy said.

“Why did the president not speak on restoring law and order?” the NDC wondered. Mr Portuphy said it was about time the president stopped “junketing” abroad and remained home to do some hard work and “not in this wishy-washy manner”.

“Why is Ghana bleeding so badly” under a “bloated Akufo-Addo government?” the opposition asked.

However, Mr Baafi has refuted such allegations indicating that the claims by the NDC are baseless as he questioned whether every criminal incident during the NDC tenure of office should be linked to the NDC party and its leaders.

“Does it mean that the MP who was killed, JB Danquah; was it Azorka Boys [who murdered him]? In January 2009 five people from NPP were killed by the NDC, it is a known fact; maybe that is what is haunting them,” he indicated.

He was of the view that the NDC is not learning from their mistakes as propaganda, corruption and incompetence resulted in their defeat in the last election.