The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has rejected a purported apology sent to them by Victor Smith, former Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic. According to the Akyem Abuakwa State Secretary, Mr. Dan Ofori Atta, the anger of the traditional council is directed at the national leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and not the Okyeman caucus of the NDC.
Mr. Victor Smith, in a document circulating on social media purporting to be coming from the ‘Okyeman Caucus in NDC, claim to have apologised to the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council.
The traditional council on Monday protested against the incessant attacks on the person of the Okyenhene and the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional area by some people within the leadership of the NDC with the recent one coming from the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the party, Kwame Zu.
Kwame Zu who was speaking at a protest march organised by the Coalition for National Sovereignty, a pro NDC pressure group, in Kumasi on Monday 16th September, 2019 had stated that until the coming into office of former President John Mahama, the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin used to share water with animals. This and several other attacks made by persons within the NDC including the former President, who described Kyebi as the headquarters of ‘galamsey’ forced the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to demonstrate against the party.
Mr. Smith in the document circulating on social media said the leadership of the Okyenman Caucus in the NDC wishes to express our sadness about the “unfortunate and regrettable pronouncements of one of our political party members during a recent demonstration in Kumasi.” This comes after Mr. Smith had publicly accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being behind the anti-NDC placards displayed during the demonstration. The apology letter which according to Mr. Smith was sent via social media added that “we would have wished that the Okyeman Council had exercised restraint in the exercise of their traditional authority and pronouncements, in order not to exacerbate the already charged political atmosphere in the country.”
But responding to the statement, Mr. Ofori Atta said “our response is that our anger is directed at the national leadership of the NDC, not the Okyeman caucus of the NDC.”
Unknown Group
He questioned the existence of the group before the impasse began. “In any case, this so called Okyeman caucus was unknown prior to this event.” He said.
He said “if Kwame zu should personally be held responsible for the scandalous statement for the reason that he was not speaking on behalf of the party, then the statement by this so called caucus is needless.”
“Nananom have spoken. Our call was to the national leadership of the NDC, not the so called caucus. Okyeman will not become an unconscious plaything in the hands of forces and caucuses who seek to rationalize incendiary and abusive ethnocentric statements.” He said.
