General News of Monday, 19 December 2016

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Plot to kill me was an attempt from frustrated communicators - Payne

Mr Sam Payne Mr Sam Payne

The Ashanti regional secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Sam Payne says the plot orchestrated by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to get him killed got him about 8 months ago.

According to him, he decided to keep mute because he had no hardcore evidence at the time to support the allegation.

"I had an Intel about this plot 8 months ago but because I did not have an hardcore evidence, I decided to keep mute. You know that in Ghana when you allege and you are unable to prove, you are seen as a liar. But I had the Intel about 8 months ago,’’ he told Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm.

A communication team member with the NDC in the Ashanti region, Christopher Aniboy aka Kawunda made the revelation on Rainbow Radio last week. According to Kawunda, they were asked to crash Mr. Payne’s car so he will die because he was a threat to the NDC in the Ashanti region.

He said, "We went to the regional minister’s house to plot and find ways of communicating and finding ways to capitalize on how the team will communicate and counter the opposition. And upon reflection, Sam Payne was seen as a threat to our work and so we were asked to crash his [Payne’s] car so he dies.’’ When asked if he [Payne] was surprised after the revelation, he said, he was surprised when he first had the Intel.

However, "I was surprised that our opponents plotted to get me killed, but I saw it as a frustrated attempt from frustrated communicators who were performing abysmally in the region.’’

Sam Payne described the issue as unfortunate and an affront to democracy in Ghana and chided the NDC for planning to kill him. He wondered why the NDC failed to counter the NPP in a manner that was devoid of violence adding, "this was bad and should be widely condemned."

Sam Payne said he was not afraid at this rather, it has energized him to do much better than before. He added, it was the wife who saw the story on social media and drew his attention to it. He said, the wife became worried that he [Sam Payne] failed to inform her about the issue, when he first heard of it.