Stop creating unnecessary tension in Ghana – Akamba to Akufo-Addo

National Organiser for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Hamidu Akamba, has told President Akufo-Addo to work on stabilizing tensions in the country instead of creating more.

In an interview monitored by ABC News Ghana, the NDC Organiser stated that the country has been plunged into a state of tension in the wake of recent kidnappings.

According to Mr. Akamba, President Akufo-Addo is gradually “sinking the country” due to the upsurge in crime, adding that the President can do better than creating tension.

“The president has been given a mandate, but he is gradually and gradually sinking this country, he can do better than these tensions. Day in day out, tensions of kidnapping, tension of crime, we don’t need this more tension again, we need to stabilize this country”

His comments come in the wake of the arrest and subsequent release of the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, on Tuesday.

Mr. Ofosu Ampofo was arrested by the Police after intelligence was picked that he could be a suspect in various acts of kidnapping and causing unlawful damage.

A statement signed by the Public relations Officer (PRO) of the CID, Ms. Juliana Obeng, after the arrest, read in parts: “the criminal investigation Department (CID) is investigating various acts of kidnapping and causing unlawful damage in which credible and actionable intelligence makes Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a suspect.”

It would be recalled that the CID, in May, invited Mr. Ofosu Ampofo to assist with ongoing investigations into several reports of kidnapping in the country. But Mr. Ampofo and his lawyers declined the invitation citing ‘withchhunt’ by the governing NPP.

Subsequent to that, the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress held a press conference to convey their response to the CID’s invitation.

In the said conference addresed by Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu on behalf of the Council of Elders, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo was advised to turn down the invitation by the CID accusing the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using the country’s police service to intimidate the party’s National Chairman, according to reports available to ABC News Ghana.

Following the refusal, the CID obtained an arrest and search warrant for Mr. Ofosu Ampofo at about “15:00hrs, 11th June at No. 3 Church Street, Labone in Accra”.



After news of the arrest became public, key leaders as well as sympathizers of the NDC massed up at the CID Headquarters where Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo was held between the hours of 15:00 and 20:00 GMT, ABC News Ghana can report.

In relation to this development, Mr. Akamba, who was also present at the venue justified the massing up of the party supporters at the CID Headquarters describing it as an act of solidarity.

“The NPP showed that force and might when they were in oppositon, I expect that our people show solidarity” he stated in the interview closely monitored by ABC News Ghana.

Other leaders of the NDC have heavily criticised the Akufo-Addo led administration following the arrest of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo, according to checks by ABC News Ghana.

Key among these is the General Secretary of the Party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who in a subsequent interview, stated that their party will not relent in the quest to fight and resist ‘oppressor’s rule’ despite the intimidation by the ruling NPP.

“Nobody should relent because our National Anthem asks us to fight the oppressor’s rule. We know the founding fathers of this country went through worse than this so if it is our time to bear the cross, we are ready to do that. And let us assure everybody that nothing can break the resolve of a determined people, we are marching for victory, with or without this intimidation”, he stated.

Mr. Ofosu Ampofo was released from police custody after being detained for about five hours.

Samuel Ofosu Ampofo is expected to report to the police on Thursday, June 13 having been granted bail a few hours after his arrest.