The Member of Parliament for Abetifi and former Minister of State at the National Security, Dr Bryan Acheampong, has disclosed that he was wrongly blamed for the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence but chose to remain silent to protect the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Addressing a meeting with former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) at the Rock City Hotel in Nkwatia-Kwahu in Eastern Region, the former Agric Minister recounted how he was vilified for an accident he knew absolutely nothing about.
“Everybody knows, in this country, I’m being vilified for Ayawaso, international vilification,” he said. “On the day of Ayawaso, I was sitting here. I had been sidelined… I remember very well Oppong Nkrumah, Bernard Avle, and the Deputy Attorney-General then, Godfred Dame, called and asked what was happening. Everybody was running away, saying these were vigilantes – Delta and Invincible Forces.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong explained that after identifying and defending some of the masked men as National Security operatives and not vigilantes as being widely claimed in the media, the backlash intensified, despite not being involved in the operation.
“I just said on radio that those boys were not vigilantes. I knew some of them from National Security. Then the whole country pointed their guns at me. Everybody was on me. But I knew nothing about it and wasn’t part of it,” he stated.
The business mogul revealed he deliberately chose not to distance himself from the issue to protect the image of the Akufo Addo led government.
“I stood in quietly and took one for NPP. I didn’t deny the party, I didn’t deny the boys, and I didn’t betray the government. I just kept quiet. I took one for the team so that at least it would save the government.”
He added that although he was unfairly blamed, he accepted the situation to allow the government time to manage the fallout. “We made sacrifices, we financed the project, and we’ve been mafiad,” he added.
The Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election took place on January 31, 2019, after the death of the then-MP Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko. The New Patriotic Party’s Lydia Alhassan won the seat with 69% of the vote.
However, the election was marred by violence at the La-Bawaleshie polling station, where masked National Security operatives assaulted voters and members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
MP for Ningo-Prampram,and currently Minister of Communication Sam George, was among those assaulted.Others suffered gunshot wounds.
Following widespread condemnation, a Commission of Inquiry was established in February 2019 to investigate the incident but recommendations of the commission were not implemented.
President John Mahama,while addressing Post-Election Evaluation Dialogue organized by National Peace Council in Koforidua recently said the Attorney General was finalising a report to be presented to Cabinet, proposing compensation packages for victims and families affected by the electoral disturbances.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
