General News of Thursday, 22 June 2017

Source: DAILY POST

Anger in NDC against Dr. Zubeiru for attempting to smear Omane Boamah

Dr. Ibrahim ZubeiruDr. Ibrahim Zubeiru

Senior members of the NDC as well as the rank and file are angry with Dr. Ibrahim Zubeiru for trying to use the report of the Kwesi Boatchway committee to smear Dr. Omane Boamah and Seth Terkper, both Ministers in the Mahama government.

Dr. Zubeiru is a member of the Kwesi Botchway fact finding committee that went on a nation-wide tour to sample the views of members of the NDC on what went wrong leading to the party’s defeat in the 2016 elections.

The committee presented its final report to the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.

That very evening, speaking on ‘Onua FM’, Dr. Zubeiru said Dr. Omane Boamah and Seth Terkper were responsible for the defeat of the NDC.

He claimed that in the heat of the 2016 electioneering campaign, both withheld information the party communicators needed to do battle with their NPP counterparts.

Many in the NDC were shocked and pained by his claim especially as no part of the report has those claims.

Reacting immediately to the spurious claim, Dr. Omane Boamah, in a statement while revealing Dr. Zubeiru had called him to apologize, stated emphatically that he did his job to the best of his abilities and in no way withheld information from anybody.

However, it seems the apology by Zubeiru is not enough to assuage the anger of some NDC supporters.

At the NEC meeting of the party yesterday, National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy expressed outrage at Dr. Zubeiru’s claim and called for his suspension. This was supported by many members of the NEC.

However, a senior female member present pleaded with the party executives to temper justice with mercy. Dr. Zubeiru may be hauled before the FEC of the party to show why he should not be sanctioned. Meanwhile, the executives of the Eastern Region branch of the NDC, have condemned Dr. Zubeiru for his comment.

In a statement signed by its Regional Chairman, Bismark Tawiah Boateng, the Eastern Regional Branch of the party described his comments as “ backward and disappointing” as well as “disrespectful and an act of indiscipline” On social media members and supporters of the party are also condemning Dr. Zubeiru.

Some are calling for him to be sanctioned while others are demanding he make a public retraction and apology.