Kufuor Is Not Anti-SLPP - Envoy

The High Commission of the Republic of Ghana has expressed its profound disappointment with the Concord Times Newspaper for a misleading report captioned "Kufuor Planned SLPP Defeat" of their June 16, 2008 edition.

In a press release issued on the same day yesterday, the High Commission feels there are inaccuracies in the article and would like to place on record the true facts.

According to the release, they agree with the APC Secretary General, Mr. Victor Bockarie Foh that "President Kufuor was President of the African Union who could not be partisan at that time," and that any advice he may have offered to the APC Party was purely without malice. At the end of it all, Sierra Leone witnessed a credible and peaceful election to the admiration of the whole world.

In the release, the Mission also stressed that Her Excellency Dr. (Mrs.) Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi’s statement that "this is pay back time" was taken out of context. It was basically to recognize and applaud the role Sierra Leone played in the education of prominent Ghanaians in the early years both here in Sierra Leone and in Ghana, the statement read.

It went further to say that the High Commission would also like to place on record that the relations between Ghana and Sierra Leone was greatly strengthened under President Kufuor and former President Kabbah. Besides President Kufuor and Kabbah are intimate friends and President Kufour could therefore not engineer the SLPP’s defeat. Moreover, Ghana never, ever interfered in the last elections, the release continued.

For the fact that the article published in the Concord Times Newspaper presents President Kufuor and Ghana in such an unfavorable light and since the matter is one of such considerable public concern, the High Commission demands that the newspaper seriously considered publishing a full retraction, including a publication of the press statement in their newspaper.

In a bid to correcting this "misleading report", the Head of Chancery, one Samuel Y. Nsiah whose signatory was on the release took the opportunity to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Media Commission and the media.

The Head of Chancery ended the release by stating that he looked forward to good working relations with the Concord Times Newspaper.