Mahama's militia training claim 'a big lie' - Kweku Baako

The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr has backed the New Patriotic Party's claim that it is not training thugs.

Even though he says it is 'factual' that there is a National Security training at Asutuare, he adds that it will be misleading and deceitful to allege that it is being done to create chaos during the 2020 election.

"To say that Akufo-Addo's administration as we speak is training party thugs at Asutuare to disrupt election 2020, I say it's a lie; so I am actually refuting the distortion. But I am not denying that National Security operatives are off and on trained at Asutuare; I cannot deny that because I know it for a fact," he indicated on Wednesday's edition of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.

According to him, "I also have pictures of people who were being trained during the Mahama administration at the same place. I know them by name; some of them were dismissed when Akufo-Addo came into office. Those who were being trained where national security operatives. It’s the same exercise going on".

However, "that is not a denial of the fact that some of them could be party sympathizers, activists and members. Those who are being trained; the pictures date June 2019; the pictures you people (NDC) are showing around. But they are deployed from various public institutions . . . some of them are party people; it’s a fact."

Background

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it has evidence that the NPP is training thugs at Asutuare to cause mayhem during the 2020 election.

Flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama made the initial allegation saying: "we remember what happened in Ayawaso West Wuogon. I pray that God forbid, nothing like that ever happens again. But you know the issue of vigilantes, especially one party is training vigilantes. I remember at the time of Ayawaso West Wuogon, there was a letter that came out asking party executives to bring able-bodied people to be trained as security. Since then, we have evidence that those people have been to Asutuare and trained in batches over and over again in all kinds of combat techniques and other things. It’s is a worry that Ayawaso West Wuogon will be repeated on a larger scale than it did”