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.
