The Acting Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) appeared surprised by the partisan and divisive comments made by Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng.

“I don’t believe it,” Mr. Freddy Blay shot back at TV3’s Komla Klutse when it was brought to his attention that the High Commissioner has publicly admitted that his interest is to meet the needs of NPP members first before any other Ghanaian. “This government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I’m here, so the NPP man is my priority.

“I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it,” Mr. Ayisi Boateng is reported to have told some TESCON members at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the network over the weekend.

But Freddy Blay consistently insisted that he had not heard the partisan comments that have widely been condemned by a cross section of the public.

He was careful not to criticize in outright someone revered as a party stalwart, as he coyly suggested that the High Commissioner “maybe speaking within a context”.

The party chairman was however clear on the fact that High Commissioners are not supposed to play party politics with their work.

“Missions are established not to serve partisan interest, it’s to serve the interest of this country and the people of Ghana generally,” he indirectly reminded Ayisi Boateng. Meanwhile, Mr. Ayisi Boateng has laughed off calls for him to apologise to Ghanaians over the comments.