The decision by the minority NDC to boycott appearances before probes and investigations committees has been receiving various forms of criticisms from political analysts, legal practitioners and sections of the general public.
“This is unbelievable of a group that only yesterday was preaching probity and accountability as appendages to our freedom and justice national motto”, the president of the Olof Palme Peace Foundation (OPPF), Osoronko Nana-Yabani told the “Evening News” in Accra.
According the majority chief whip of Ghana’s Parliament, Hon. Ossei Aidoo, the NDC cannot run away from these probes, adding their stand is against the laws of the land and they (government) will make sure that they (NDC) attend all the probes.
Reacting to the issues raised by the NDC at the famous press conference last Tuesday, Osoronko Yabani who is also a social critic said the NDC should count themselves very lucky that they were being invited before probes and investigation committees because the Djentus, Kweku Baakos Karbral Blay Amiheres and several others were denied that privilege.
“Why should it be unacceptable for them to brought before committees to help unravel acts carried out by them now, when in the past the same processes were followed in their reign of terror,” he asked.
Kweku Baako is the Editor of the Crusading Guide, a private newspaper critical of the NDC. Karbral until recently was the editor of the Independent, a private newspaper, which was also critical of the Rawlings regime.
According to analysts, the moral aspect of the NDC statement would send wrong signals to the common people on the streets to follow. If those at the top are allowed to go free and do what they please, then why should ordinary people be compelled to answer questions by the police or other law enforcement agencies?
The NDC complains of harassment, intimidation and inquisition from the Kufuor administration and have therefore resolved not to answer questions posed by what they called inquisition panels, but would rather go to court.
Government spokesman Kwabena Agyepong denied in a radio interview in Accra that the government is involved in any acts of harassment adding, “The impression should not be created that these things are been done by the government. They are behaving like spoilt kids.”
Meanwhile the General Secretary of the NPP, Dan Botwe says the NDC as a party is not on trial, rather, it is individual members of the party who are being indicted.
Many of the private newspapers in the capital Accra have commented on the NDC's press conference. The Chronicle in its frontpage comment asks government never to surrender to what it called "NDC's blackmail saying the press conference was a carefully choreographed and anticipated strike.
It added that there are serious and seditious statements that should not go without security interventions.
