Abu Sakara denies Nduom’s report

The office of Dr Abu Sakara Foster, flagbearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in the 2012 presidential election, has described as misleading a report by GhanaWeb claiming that he had endorsed Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, the 2012 presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party’s call to have the office of the Attorney General separated from the Ministry of Justice.

A press statement released from his office on Wednesday and signed by Martin Adu, his Communications Manager, stated emphatically that “The office of Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, 2012 Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party, wishes to state that a publication on GhanaWeb with the caption “Abu Sakara backs Nduom’s call to separate AG,” published on Tuesday, 13th January, 2015, is incorrect and misleading.

According to the statement, the call for the AG’s office to be separated from the Ministry of Justice originated from the CPP in 2008 and that Dr Nduom, who was then the flagbearer of the CPP, took this idea to his new party, the PPP, after he exited the CPP.

“Dr Sakara’s comment in that regard only affirms the Party’s position which is clearly stated both in the 2008 manifesto and that of 2012 of which he (Dr Sakara) was the flagbearer of the CPP,” it said whilst describing the online news outlet’s report as incorrect.

It indicated that “the Convention People’s Party has since 2008 in its manifesto held the position of separating the Attorney General’s office from the Ministry of Justice,” adding that “This was part and parcel of then flagbearer of the CPP in the 2008 election, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom’s campaign message.”

It posited that he, referring to Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, “carried the idea to his PPP and we are glad to share that with him since it was originated by the CPP and not the other way round.”

The statement further stressed that “the office of Dr Sakara wants to emphasise that the idea of separating the AG’s Office from the Ministry of Justice was conceived by the CPP and remains as such.

“It is also essential for the media to take notice of ideology and its originality in order to report accurately to avoid discomfort,” it admonished.