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Appiah Stadium's comments offensive but handling has been inappropriate

Appiah Stadium Arrested11 Appiah Stadium

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 Source: Nana Kwadwo Akwaa

Appiah Stadium made two different derogatory/abusive statements in his public outburst, and they were his description of President Nana Addo as;

i. An animal(monkey)

ii. A wee smoker(without proof)

Note, these two statements are wrong against the laws of the land, and also punishable by it because they both can bring about a huge public ridicule/tarnish of the personality of the victim, plus has the tendency to influence the victim to commit an offense.

From the above, it was totally shameful on the part of Sidii Abubakar Musah, the National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to propagate the arrogance of his ignorance with respect to the laws of the country that Appiah Stadium did no wrong, and that the Police had no right to arrest him.

This statement by him has in fact gone on to prove to the world why the youth in the NDC labeled him "useless" especially in his comparison with Sammy Awuku. His haste to play to the gallery and through that gain some political antidote to help revive his dead political glory through his attempt to also blame the whole arrest on the President has done him a lot of harm especially now that the President has come out to show his dislike of Appiah Stadium's Arrest.

From Sidii's action, I can now confidently conclude and side with the many NDC youth out there that his lack of knowledge of political strategy was a major cause of the NDC's political downfall in the 2016 election. In fact, his actions and statements were inappropriate.

Secondly, it is funny when someone who knows the next to nothing in law wants to lecture a Gabby Otchere Darko in a subject he is an expert of. In fact, it is not only wrong with respect to the laws of the land when you insult or defame a public officer, but also, it is same even when it is against any person living in the country of which he, Abronye has been very guilty of with numerous visual, video and audio evidence out there to attest it, but yet he has been walking free.

Moreover, what Kwame Baffoe Abronye might not have read further on was that; when it comes to an issue such as this, the permission to pursue it lies solely with the victim and no one else, and so a Gabby Otchere Darko was right by his statement that "the President wouldn't like what they did so they shouldn't have done it without his consent", of which the president has finally come out to confirm it.

I will advise Abronye to do his checks well and slow down a little in future before he launches a conclusion in the public because he can't ever be more hurt than the bereaved in this scenario.

I admire his zeal for the work of NPP though, he should keep it up, but this action of his against Gabby Otchere Darko was inappropriate.

Thirdly, even though the Police had all the right to arrest Appiah Stadium based on a suspicion of a possible wrong against a citizen of the land, the way and manner they handled his arrest lacked professionalism, it was as if they were in a haste to please someone. What they failed to include in their analysis before their arrest and improper handling of Appiah Stadium without the consultation of the victim involved here was that; it had the tendency to tarnish the political and personal brand of the President on both the local and international terrain.

I will advise them to seek the consent of victims before they take similar actions in future because this one by them was inappropriate.

Finally, it would have been my wish if the President have had Appiah Stadium sued for his defamation to deter others in future, but due to his great quality of discernment, I will leave it to him to decide because I certainly know he will do what is appropriate.

Columnist: Nana Kwadwo Akwaa