NDC demonstrates to compel NPP to cooperate with EOCO

Accra, Jan. 24, GNA – The Concerned Members of National Democratic Congress on Tuesday embarked on a demonstration to ask government to compel the Cabinet of 2005 and 2006 to cooperate with Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) to scrutinize the Woyome judgement debt saga.

The demonstration staged in Accra aimed to drum home the call for Former President John Agyekum Kuffour and others to account for their roles in events that led to the payment of one the biggest judgment debts in the country’s history.

The protestors who wore red and white T-Shirts, urged President John Evans Atta Mills to urgently investigate the controversial GHS 58 million judgment debts paid to Alfred Agbesi Woyome, a businessman.

Made up of sympathisers of the ruling National Democratic Congress, they started the protest march from Kwame Nkrumah Circle through Kwame Nkrumah Avenue Station and later converged at the Independence Square.

They carried placards some of which read: “Akuffo Addo Corruption Na Daily Bread”, “Why is Kuffour afraid of investigation, “NPP can run but can’t hide”, “NPP you can’t dictate to Ghanaians”, “EOCO arrest them” and “Go to EOCO, Kuffour”.

Mr Paul Semey, Spokesperson for the Group, said the recent Court judgements compelling the state to pay huge amounts of money to many institutions and individuals articulate the extent to how the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was corrupt, reckless during the time in office.

He described “attempts by the NPP functionaries to use the media to cover up their crimes by attacking the Courts for doing its job as shameful”.

“In our view, this is a deliberate attempt to bastardize the real facts, especially when the NPP is privy to the administrative negligence and professional ineptitude of the government in that matter”, he said.

“The NPP must stop hiding behind the media and account for its stewardship to Ghanaians, including their role in how the state lost huge sums of money in judgement debt”, he added.

Mr Semey said the sponsored media attacks on Mr. Woyome, who had a court judgement and was cooperating fully with the EOCO investigations demonstrated that the NPP was afraid of accountability and had a lot to hide.

In a petition received by Mr Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, a Presidential Aid, they called on Nana Akuffo Addo to immediately resign as the NPP Flag bearer to help EOCO know his role in the abrogation of a legitimate contract which had been approved by the Central Tender Review Board through the procurement process.

They also demanded Former President Kuffour to stop running away from accounting for his eight year stewardship in government and explain to EOCO the process under which he awarded the construction and rehabilitation of the stadia for CAN 2008 to the Shangai Construction Group.

They expressed shock about the silence of decent Ghanaians and civil society groups like the Media Commission, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Bar Association and the Trade Union Congress who have turned a blind eye as the NPP hide behind the media and politics to destroy the court verdict.

 According, the protestors expressed hope that EOCO had the legal mandate and the professional competence to solve the mystery surrounding the biggest organised crime which involved the entire cabinet of Former President Kuffour in 2005 and 2006.

GNA