{"id":404830,"date":"2018-02-27T13:40:54","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T13:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=404830"},"modified":"2018-02-27T19:24:23","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T19:24:23","slug":"nii-lante-refused-to-apologize-for-reckless-comment-asiedu-nketia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/02\/nii-lante-refused-to-apologize-for-reckless-comment-asiedu-nketia\/","title":{"rendered":"Nii Lante refused to apologize for ‘reckless’ comment \u2013 Asiedu Nketia"},"content":{"rendered":"
Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio Constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, refused to retract and apologize for saying that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will free incarcerated former GYEEDA Coordinator Abuga Pele, should the party return to power after election 2020.<\/p>\n
The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, revealed this on Accra-based Radio Gold.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”MZctnkcuu6Zk8RRSwiTfN6xXblwas5rA”]The NDC MP, told Citi News<\/strong> on the sidelines of the party\u2019s Unity Walk at Somanya in the Eastern Region, that they were working hard to win power in the 2020 elections, after which they will free Abuga Pele, who was jailed alongside businessman, Philip Assibit for causing financial loss to the state.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unfortunate but I can only say that this will not dampen the spirit of the NDC. Between 2001 and 2004, they sentenced Tsatsu Tsikata, Dan Abodakpi, Ibrahim Adam and Kwame Peprah. It did not stop us from winning elections in 2008. We are going to win the elections and bring Abuga Pele out,\u201d Nii Lante had stated.<\/p>\n Hours after the comment was published by Citi News<\/strong> and received widespread criticism from Ghanaians, the party\u2019s founder, Jerry John Rawlings condemned Nii Lante’s<\/span> <\/strong><\/a>comments, saying such mindsets could keep the party in opposition for a long time.<\/p>\n The NDC then issued a statement and distanced itself from the comment. It also stated categorically that it had no plans to free Abuga Pele, as suggested by the MP, should they win power.<\/p>\n Defending the party\u2019s position, Mr. Nketia explained that the rebuttal was necessary because the MP failed to retract and apologize for the comment when he personally contacted him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made claims about the party that are not correct so we came to set the records straight. He has the right to state his position but if a comment is made to implicate the party the gatekeepers will have to set the records straight. I did contact him (Nii Lantey Vanderpuye). He was the first person I spoke to but he insisted that he stands by that statement,\u201d Mr. Asiedu Nketia said.<\/p>\n Background<\/strong><\/p>\n