The flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Mahama, has, through one of his aides, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, issued a statement on Thursday, 14 March 2019 describing as false, a claim by Rev Owusu Bempah of the Glorious Word Ministry International church on Accra-based Oman FM on 7 March 2019 that he intends assassinating certain political figures in Ghana.

Rev Owusu Bempah had said he had a revelation from God that Mr Mahama intended assassinating some prominent people in the country, including President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong as well as the cleric himself.

Mr Mahama’s statement, in response to the reverend minister, said: “The claims of the said pastor are false. They remain imaginations of a warped mind and effusions of a politically-tainted founder of a church who would say and do anything to attract attention to himself”.

According to the statement, “As a known surrogate of the Akufo-Addo government,” Rev Owusu Bempah’s statements are clearly calculated “to distract the attention of the suffering masses of Ghana from the mounting issues of bad governance, corruption, insecurity, hardship and dishonesty.”

The statement said it was “disgraceful that someone who claims to be a prophet of God would readily agree to be used to broadcast lies emanating from a vivid imagination instead of preaching the word of God”, adding that: “Never in the entire account of the bible has there been any anointed prophet of God who only praises a king and turns a blind eye to the evils committed in his reign”.

“Mr Mahama would also like to take this opportunity to assure the good people of Ghana that he remains the peaceful, focused, people-loving, and gentle politician that he has always been”.

The statement added that the former president will not be distracted by the “deliberately planned and concocted stories to keep afloat a scandal-mongering campaign against him by the ruling party.”