Saturday, at around 3pm the Nhyiaeso constituency executives of the New Patriotic Party summoned the press to the constituency office to issue a statement, presumably in support of their Member of Parliament, Richard Winfred Anane. They warn that “If any group of people compels him to resign, we the executives of Nyhiaeso will also compel him to resign as MP. Again, we will also resign en-bloc.”

The statement describes as “bogus,” the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice report on the Road Transport Minister, which made, among others, the recommendation that Dr Anane be relieved of his ministerial portfolio after finding him liable on abuse of power and conflict of interest charges.

In the statement read by constituency chairman George Kofi Adjei, the party executives say they “have come to a firm conclusion that the entire recommendations were as a result of shady hands who want to see the demise of the hardworking minister as a politician just to achieve their selfish aims.” “The executives of Nhyiaeso NPP have every reason to believe that there was a sinister motive behind the CHRAJ report.”
They, for instance, raise some queries but by introducing an allegation: “How true is it that there was an outsider who doctored the report for mischief?” Linked to the above “vital question” is their suspicion over the three-week postponement of the release of the CHRAJ report on Dr Anane.
The statement by the NPP Nhyiaeso executives, nevertheless, elects The Statesman, its Editor-in-Chief, its owners (or those they believe own the paper) and the Okyehene for particular stricture.
They accuse The “Statesman and its owners,” of having “some agenda”, adding that The Statesman “has been leading the campaign for Dr. Anane to resign.” The statement signed by Mr Adjei and his constituency secretary, Dominic Pambour, further asks, “By the way, who owns the Statesman as a newspaper? Does the owner or owners of statesman have any interest in the Dr. Anane-CHRAJ saga?” See P2 for the full text of the statement, unedited.

Press Statement by the Nhyiaeso Constituency Executives of the NPP

Of late there has been some noise about the Transportation Minister, Dr Richard Anane and CHRAJ on the commission’s report and recommendation in the matter of investigations into allegations of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of power against the latter [sic].
We the executives of the Nhyiaeso constituency NPP of which I am the chairman see the recommendation by CHRAJ against the minister as bogus and without basis.
Since the CHRAJ recommendations against Dr Anane came up, we have soberly reflected on it and have come to a firm conclusion that the entire recommendations were as a result of shady hands who want to see the demise of the hard-working minister as a politician just to achieve their selfish aims.
If you have carefully followed events on the media front regarding the report, you could clearly see that one Newspaper, the Statesman, has been leading the campaign for Dr. Anane to resign.
The paper’s editor, Gabby Otchere Darko has been making noise on some radio stations that Dr. Anane should resign. By the way, who owns the Statesman as a newspaper? Does the owner or owners of statesman have any interest in the Dr Anane–CHRAJ saga?
Last year, for instance, the Okyehene called Dr. Anane and impressed upon him to resign for a reason or reasons very difficult to understand.
The executives of Nhyiaeso NPP have every reason to believe that there was a sinister motive behind the CHRAJ report.
Vital Questions

1. Who recommended the acting commissioner of CHRAJ? 2. What is the relationship between them? 3. CHRAJ postponed the release of its report from August 24, 2006, to September 15 and from 10am to 2pm. What was the reason for the delay?
4. How true is it that there was an outsider who doctored the report for a [sic] mischief?

One could see clearly that the Statesman and its owners have some agenda. One of such agenda [sic] is the continuous destruction of respectable personalities like Professor Mike Oquay [sic], Professor Frimpong [sic] Boateng and now Dr. Anane.
Who is next? Is it Dr. Addo Kufuor, Allan Kyeremateng [sic], Hackman Owusu Agyemang or who else?
We the executives of the Nhyiaeso Constituency NPP do earnestly appeal to president Kufuor to retain Dr. Anane to continue his good works.
Our basis for the retaining of Dr Anane is that for someone whose sector controls one third [sic] of the national budget to be seen as not corrupt is a very big plus and it points to how the nation needs him.
Again, Dr. Anane was maligned while in office; therefore, he must stay in office to fight to free himself instead of resigning.
If any group of people compels him to resign, we the executives of Nhyiaeso will also compel him to resign as MP.
Again, we will also resign en-bloc.

George Kofi Adjei
Secretary)

Dominic Pambour (Chairman) (signed) 020-811-444-3