The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described as blatant falsehood a claim by Radio Show Host Adakabre Frimpong Manso, that the party’s Flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo, once threatened his life and abused him because he was unhappy with his work on radio.
Adakabre’s comments were in response to the NPP’s boycott of two media houses – Okay FM and Neat FM, which belongs to the Despite Group over what the party described as unfairness.
Owners of the two media houses in a rather soft statement appealed to the NPP to rescind its decision saying at all times, the companies have tried to be professional and apolitical to contribute towards nation building.
The NPP as part of the boycott, asked its communicators not to appear on two top programmes on Neat FM and Okay FM hosted by Kwame Atikesie and Adakabre Frimpong Manso respectively.
It is unclear yet whether the NPP will rescind its decision based on the Despite Group’s response.
But even before the dust settles on the matter, one of the talk show hosts accused for his programme on Neat FM, Adakabre Frimpong Manso has told Accra-based Joy FM that Nana Akufo-Addo once issued death threats on his life.
In the interview, Mr. Frimpong Manso said he was only doing his job and has done nothing wrong. According to him, he has several text messages from the NPP camp that states that he would be killed.
“…Nana Addo abused and threatened me, I was so sad and scared but I kept quiet because I didn’t want to be the fall guy through which something happens and they would say it is because of Adakabre so I kept quiet. I was afraid because…I was told to the face that you will be killed at a specific date, I have all the evidence, I can substantiate them…I have everything on my phone, I have kept the phones and I would be willing to show it to anybody who wants to see them,” Frimpong Manso said.
‘Adakabre is an Akufo-Addo hater’ – NPP
But the NPP in a strongly worded statement released on Monday, described Mr. Adakabre as an ‘Akufo-Addo hater’. It said Mr. Adakabre’s claims were complete lies meant to tarnish Nana Addo’s image by portraying him as a violent person.
The party dared him to provide the evidence he claims to have and also lodge a complaint against Nana Addo since issuing death threats is a criminal offense.
“We would like to state emphatically, without any shred of doubt, that the above statements made by Adakabre are completely false, unfounded and mischievously put out all in the continuous attempts to tarnish the image of Nana Akufo-Addo and paint him as an intolerant and violent person. It is not surprising that a known Akufo-Addo hater, like Adakabre, would join this NDC-led propaganda bandwagon aimed at denting the image of Nana Akufo-Addo. Unable to defend their non-existent record of achievement, and their abysmal mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy, which has brought untold hardships to the people of Ghana, the NDC and its minions have resorted to fruitless attempts to paint Nana Akufo-Addo black,” the party’s statement said.
Below is the NPP’s full statement
RE: AKUFO-ADDO THREATENED AND ABUSED ME – ADAKABRE
The attention of the New Patriotic Party has been drawn to the contents of an interview granted by Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Monday, April 4, 2016 on Joy FM, where, amongst others he stated that Nana Akufo-Addo had made threats on his life and abused him.
Adabkabre is quoted as saying that “Nana Addo abused and threatened me, I was so sad and scared but I kept quiet because I didn’t want to be the fall guy through which something happens and they would say it is because of Adakabre so I kept quiet. I was afraid because…I was told to the face that you will be killed at a specific date, I have all the evidence, I can substantiate them…I have everything on my phone, I have kept the phones and I would be willing to show it to anybody who wants to see them.”
We would like to state emphatically, without any shred of doubt, that the above statements made by Adakabre are completely false, unfounded and mischievously put out all in the continuous attempts to tarnish the image of Nana Akufo-Addo and paint him as an intolerant and violent person. It is not surprising that a known Akufo-Addo hater, like Adakabre, would join this NDC-led propaganda bandwagon aimed at denting the image of Nana Akufo-Addo. Unable to defend their non-existent record of achievement, and their abysmal mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy, which has brought untold hardships to the people of Ghana, the NDC and its minions have resorted to fruitless attempts to paint Nana Akufo-Addo black.
Just as the NPP has complained time without number about the conduct of Adakabre Frimpong Manso on his show on Neat FM, which has resulted in the party boycotting the latter’s show, Nana Akufo-Addo also expressed his displeasure about the treatment being meted out to him on a daily basis by Adakabre on his show in April 2014, at the residence of the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama in Tamale, when the pair met. This was not done in private, but in the full glare of other persons present at the time. Nana again, confronted him at a press soiree in his home at Nima. At no point, in this discourse, did Nana Akufo-Addo make threats on the life of Adakabre Frimpong Manso. Threats on the lives of people do not form part of Akufo-Addo’s politics.
It is instructive to note that in Adakabre’s interview on Joy FM this morning, he claims to have evidence on his phone about the threats Nana Akufo-Addo made against him, and is prepared to ‘show it to anybody who wants to see. We dare Adakabre to publish in full the evidence he claims to have on his phone, which points to the fact that Akufo-Addo threatened him. Additionally, threats against the life of a person is a criminal act and we would encourage Adakabre to lodge a formal complaint against Nana Akufo-Addo at the nearest Police Station, and subsequently the matter referred to the Court of Law.
If Adakabre fails to substantiate these accusations against Nana Akufo-Addo, we demand nothing short of a retraction of these baseless and false allegations and an unconditional apology to Nana Akufo-Addo.
……signed……
Anthony Abayifaa Karbo
Deputy Director of Communications
–
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AfanyiDadzie