Before the government’s propaganda machinery could swing into full flight to foil the imminent damage that the recent anti-government outbursts of 'Appiah Stadium', a noted government propagandist, could cause to the reputation of the government, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, has responded, describing the popular serial caller as a crazy person.
"Appiah Stadium", who had obviously established himself as one of those who have been solidly holding the fort of government’s defence on radio, alleged that the government had sponsored, at least, 150 party loyalists to Germany for the 2006 World Cup tournament.
The allegations of the New Patriotic Party (NPP’s) serial caller, first carried on Wednesday morning by Hot FM, a private radio station in Accra, indicted the government and specifically, a couple of top government officials, including the Chief of Staff, who were mentioned, as being those who were aware of the government’s sponsorship package for the party loyalists.
The revelations of the serial caller, whose actual name is yet to be known and who had been a thorn in the flesh of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), for his consistent attacks on the former President and NDC godfather, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, therefore presents the NDC with a fine opportunity, to launch another propaganda warfare against the ruling government.
Speaking in an interview with the Deputy Editor,Bennett Akuaku, the Chief of Staff, whom Appiah Stadium described as the third in command in the NPP government, rubbished the comments of the party’s serial caller, describing him as a person whose comments should be treated with utmost contempt.
Mr. Mpiani wondered whether Appiah Stadium would have come through with those outbursts if he had had the opportunity to be included in any such sponsorship, if indeed, there was one.
Even though the Chief of Staff was directly mentioned as being among those who had knowledge about the sponsorship for the party fanatics, he denied having any knowledge about such a government sponsorship for any group of people.
Though he was told that Appiah Stadium had directly accused him of having orchestrated his exclusion from the sponsored group, Mr. Mpiani insisted he had no knowledge of any such sponsorship.
Responding to other questions that bordered on the credibility of the serial caller, the Chief of Staff acknowledged that he had met and interacted with Appiah on a number of times both in Accra and Kumasi. “I know him, he comes to me. I give him money,” Mr. Mpiani said.
He also told The Chronicle that he had personally assisted the serial caller on a couple of times. Mr. Mpiani revealed that Appiah Stadium once approached him to be assisted to acquire an auction car, which request he honoured by helping Appiah to get the necessary forms to fill out.
The Chief of Staff also said, on a different occasion, the same serial caller approached him to be assisted because he (Appiah Stadium) was being ejected by his landlord and he offered to help him. He described Appiah as an opportunist who would always want to take advantage of situations.
When he was asked why the government had tolerated him as a serial caller and government propagandist all that while, if indeed he and other officials of the government knew him as not being someone to be taken serious, the Chief of Staff said the government or party did not want to waste time issuing statements on him.
On Wednesday morning, listeners of Hot FM were held spellbound when the government advocate started accusing government, Ministers and the Chief of Staff of excluding him from a sponsorship of party loyalists to the World Cup in Germany, though he considered himself a frontline loyalist.
Deputy Education and Sports Minister, Mr. O. B. Amoah, and Mr. Mpiani were those who were directly accused by the serial caller for his exclusion. Appiah Stadium had named Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, Foreign Affairs Minister, as the one who provided official Foreign Affairs covering letter and other financial assistance to facilitate his visa acquisition and trip to Germany.
The serial caller has since proceeded to Holland from where he granted the interview to the radio station, in which he indicated also, that he would return to Ghana only if the foreign minister is elected as flagbearer of the NPP.
