No Cocaine Cash 2012 Elections

NACOB Boss Warning To Politicians

... Security experts thump up

... CPP, PNC thump up

... NDC backs it

... but NPP says it’s a “fufu’-based threat”

By CCL Political Desk Report

The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is

uncomfortable with the stern warning the Acting Executive Secretary of the Narcotic

Control Board has issued to all politicians over drug cash in the country.

Mr. Akrasi Sarpong, in an interview with the media including Radio Gold,

Citi Fm Joy fm and Asempa FM disclosed that his outfit has detailed intelligence

used drug money for electioneering campaign.

The NACOB Boss added that there was evidence that some politicians in

the country have planned to use proceeds from illicit drug trade to fund campaign in

the 2012 general elections. He has, therefore warned political parties and their

members to stay away from the illegal practices else he will deal ruthlessly with

anyone found engaging in the illegal act.

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention

(PNC) hailed the statement. Both parties have described Mr. Akrasi as a man of

courage. They pledged their supports in the fight against the illicit drug menace.

But, the NPP appeared to have taken an offense over the statement and

launched blistering attacks on the NACOB Boss.

In a sharp and fiercely rebuttal, some stalwarts of the NPP described

the statement in various funny terms.

On Citi Eye Witness with Shamima Muslim on Monday, the Chairman of the

NPP, Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey was at his best rubbishing the statement, describing

it as “loose talks”.

A former Minister of State at the Interior Ministry and who worked under

ex-President John Kufuor, Nana Obiri Boahene, said the statements by the NACOB boss

were "unpalatable and irresponsible".

In an interview with Joy News Dzifa Bampoh, the former Minister

challenged Akrasi Sarpong to name, shame and arrest politicians who were culpable of

dealing in the drugs trade instead of engaging in “distasteful, irresponsible”

statements.

Lawyer Obiri Boahene sad at the continuous politicization of the cocaine

menace in the country, adding people must “wise up,” “grow up” and put an end to

this.

A leading member of the NPP, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, whose son Torgbe

Tamekloe is languishing in jail over drug issues, has waded into the cocaine debates

to defend the NPP. This was on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday.

The former Ghana’s Ambassador to Serbia-Montenegro under former

President Kufuor has also challenged the Executive Secretary to name the political

parties he claimed used proceeds from narcotics trade to finance activities of their

parties.

“I am challenging him to come with the names of the political parties;

he should do that now or give the names to the police,” he stated.

“He has blown something out that should not be swept under the carpet at

all. This is a very serious issue and it concerns not just politicians in this

country but every Ghanaian,” he stressed.

“For someone who is the head of the narcotics control board to come out with such a

statement without backing it is a serious matter for every Ghanaian in this country.

If he cannot come out to substantiate what he has said then he is not fit to sit at

that place. He should be chopped off by the President”.

A member of the Akufo-Addo Communications team of the NPP, Sammy Awuku, would not

let the matter go without his input. He has described as baseless the warning by

NACOB that previously, political parties were funded with Drug Money.

Sammy Awuku in an interview with Adom News said Mr. Sarpong should have named and

shamed parties that used cocaine money rather than peddle unfounded rumours.

“Issues about drugs should be tackled holistically [and] not that someone sits and

makes fufu based analysis and does not come out with proof; obviously he was

appointed by the ruling party and so is he going to expose the NDC should they use

drug money? You see these comments are unnecessary" he said.

But in a sharp rebuttal, the National Organizer for NDC Yaw Boateng Gyan believes,

the NACOB boss used NPP as a case study where Eric Amoateng who belonged to the NPP

was arrested for the drug trade.

Mr. Gyan said NPP has proven that they have a track record of using drug money for

electioneering campaign, therefore the call was legitimate.

A security analyst at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre at Teshie in

Accra, Dr. Kwesi Aning has described as needless the comments by the NPP member.

He conceded though that the NACOB boss must provide evidence for his allegations but

stressed that the cocaine business must be handled in a bi-partisan manner.