Stop linking Afenyo-Markin to discussions on Eoco report - Rawlings warns

Former president of the Republic, Jerry John Rawlings, has lashed out at the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Prof. Anthony Afful Broni and his cabal for linking Afenyo-Markin to discussions on an EOCO report that indicts him and his team in the media space.

The Vice-Chancellor of UEW and his henchmen have, on several occasions, sought to blame the Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin for the constant media reportage on the EOCO report which exonerates the deposed Vice-Chancellor, Mawutor Avoke and a few others.

In an eight page response to a press statement from Rev. Father Afful Broni and his team which sought to dismiss the former President's call on him to step aside for a full scale investigation into the circumstances that led him to his current position, Jerry John Rawlings asks Afful Broni to do the needful and step aside and not persist in blaming Afenyo-Markin or any other person for that matter as far as the UEW brouhaha is concerned.

"We find it difficult to make any meaning of the attempt to link Hon. Alexander Afenyo Markin to purported radio, television and other social media discussions of the matter of the EOCO Report and the importance of the Former President’s call. From what we read and listened to, the EOCO report completely exonerates Prof Avoke on all the allegations levelled against him. These are the very same allegations that led to his being asked to step aside by the Governing Council of UEW" part of the statement read.

Mr. Rawlings reacting also reminded Prof. Afful Broni about the genesis of the EOCO Report as he said that the affected officers rightly petitioned the appropriate bodies to consider their case and reinstate them. They also served copies of the petition to other stakeholders, including his office for their perusal and intervention in the matter.

The former President, therefore, has urged Afful Broni to deal with his own demons instead of blaming a third but an innocent party in the matter.

It would be recalled that the former President, upon a petition from Professor Mawutor Avoke for his intervention in the aftermath of the EOCO Report which clears him on all the allegations made against him which formed the basis for his dismissal, has made several appeals to the state as well as the Governing Council of UEW to ask Afful Broni to step aside.

The former President consequently wrote a letter to the Akufo-Addo administration and other stakeholders calling for an urgent action on the matter.

The former President also used the 31st December Anniversary Ceremony held in Winneba to reiterate his call for Afful Broni to be axed since the EOCO Report indicted him.

This led to Professor Afful Broni coming out with a press statement, lambasting the former President and linking Afenyo-Markin to his 'sudden' interest in the UEW brouhaha.

Mr. Rawlings, in this response, has detailed the reasons for his call on the relevant authorities to act in a manner that exhibits fairness to all and sundry. He has also asked Afful Broni to stop blaming Afenyo-Markin.