Anyidoho’s coup comment reckless, amateurish – NPP

• Posted on March 28, 2018
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The governing New Patriotic Party [NPP], has described as reckless and amateurish a supposed treasonable comment made by the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho.

“The NPP as a party unreservedly condemns this reckless, amateurish, and misguided statement from Mr. Anyidoho, especially judging from his background as a former presidential spokesperson for former President John Evans Atta Mills, who was hailed by all as a peace-loving personality,” a statement signed by National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Sammy Awuku added.

Mr. Anyidoho had in an interview on Accra-based Happy FM, indicated that President Akufo-Addo will be overthrown just like his father and the late Dr. K. A Busia due to the ratification  of the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US.

“There will be a civilian coup d’état. There will be a social revolution. We [NDC] are starting it on Wednesday. The movement is starting on Wednesday. Nana Addo will have sleepless nights. He will suffer diarrhea. He said he wanted to be president, but we will make sure he will be fed up on the seat,’’ he added.

Anyidoho has been widely condemned for the comment.

Security agencies must be on alert

The statement from the NPP also urged the security agencies to be on alert to avert any attempt to destabilize the country.

“We call on the security agencies to be on the alert because there is no smoke without fire. The police should invite Mr. Anyidoho over his treasonable comments and inciting Ghanaians to forcibly remove a democratically elected government,” the statement added.

CID picks up Anyidoho for threatening a ‘coup d’état’

Meanwhile, Koku Anyidoho, has been invited by the Criminal Investigations Department [CID] over the comments.

He was picked up at the International Press Centre in Accra on Tuesday during a press conference by a group of opposition political parties known as the Inter-Party Coalition for National Sovereignty, who are kicking against the Ghana-US Defence Cooperation agreement ratified by Parliament last Friday.

Anyidoho should be questioned for ‘treasonable comments’ – Hamid

Government had said on Tuesday that it expects the country’s security agencies to interrogate Mr. Anyidoho for making what it considers treasonable comments.

Speaking to Citi News, the Minister for Information, Mustapha Hamid, condemned Koku Anyidoho’s comments saying “Our [government’s] immediate reaction is utter condemnation of the comments by Koku Anyidoho. We condemn it in the very strongest of terms. When people make treasonable comments, when people allude to the fact that they intend to overthrow a government, it will be important for the security agencies to have a chat with him and to find out how he intends to do that.”

He indicated that, although the NDC has subsequently dissociated itself from Mr. Anyidoho’s comments, it has to take a firmer stance by strongly condemning same.

“Our attention has been drawn to the fact that the General Secretary of the NDC says the party disassociates itself from Koku Anyidoho’s comments, but we think that merely disassociating the NDC from that comment is not enough. We think that the NDC should condemn this in the strongest possible terms.”

The National Democratic Congress [NDC], has stated its opposition to the Ghana-US Defence Cooperation agreement, after its members in Parliament, staged a walkout during the approval.

Minority to join demo against ‘US military base’ agreement

The Minority in Parliament has already served notice that on Wednesday, it will join some Ghanaians in Accra to demonstrate against the recently ratified Ghana-US Defence Cooperation agreement.

In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the caucus described the agreement as a betrayal of the Ghanaian people by the Akufo-Addo government.

The Ranking Member of the Communications Committee and Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu constituency, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, who signed the statement, said they have taken a decision to “unanimously and without reservation resolved to support and join Ghanaians who will be demonstrating tomorrow [Wednesday].

Below is the full statement from the NPP

NPP CONDEMNS RECKLESS STATEMENT OF KOKU ANYIDOHO

It has come to the notice of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the Deputy General Secretary of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Koku Anyidoho is inciting Ghanaians to revolt against the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The NDC loose-talker in an interview with Accra-based Happy FM was emphatic that a nationwide demonstration under the sole sponsorship of his party and being led by the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF) is the beginning of activities to stage a coup d’etat against the NPP government which was democratically elected in 2016.

The NPP as a party unreservedly condemns this reckless, amateurish, and misguided statement from Mr. Anyidoho, especially judging from his background as a former presidential spokesperson for former President John Evans Atta Mills, who was hailed by all as a peace-loving personality.

We call on the security agencies to be on the alert because there is no smoke without fire. The police should invite Mr Anyidoho over his treasonable comments and inciting Ghanaians to forcibly remove a democratically elected government.

We call on all Ghanaians to condemn this reckless statement of Mr. Anyidoho because 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule under the Fourth Republic did not come cheap.

We must guard our democracy jealously and must not allow any disappointed and peeved Politician feeling the pinch of being in opposition to take our destiny for granted.

The security network must be on high alert on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 since the NDC is bent on using the demonstration to destabilize the country. We will resist any attempt by the opposition NDC to make Ghana ungovernable.

The rule of law must work and everyone must respect the law. Ghanaians voted massively for President Akufo-Addo to rule for four years and we must respect that.

If the NDC has alternate views on how this nation should be governed, there are constitutional avenues for doing so, other than inciting the citizenry to a coup d’etat.

Anyone who will dare disturb the enviable peace and order in Ghana will be met squarely.

Ghana First

…Signed….
Sammy Awuku
(National Youth Organizer)